Fe a t h e rd u s te r the
Westlake High School
Volume 42
Issue 3
March 10, 2011 4100 Westbank Drive Austin, Texas 78746
March {contents}
Nathan Kallison
Brains + Brawn
Editors-in-Chief
Matthew Chang
Lauren Nelson Zach Wasfi
Web Team
Anisha Ganguly
Photo Editors
Managing Editor Copy Editors Danielle Brown Zelda Mayer Christina Shin
Brains + Brawn
Julie Dorland Jenny Messer Asst. Hailey Cunningham Hillary Hurst Cody Crutchfield Hirrah Barlas
People + Places Hannah Kunz Caroline Hunt Asst. Jono Krawczyk
Trends + Traditions Sofie Seiden Lizzie Friedman Asst. Sofia Mitre
Rants + Raves Matt Frank Jake Bitting Asst. Becca Burt
Art Director
Michelle Ling Asst. Emily Mitchell Asst. Brad Dunn
Web Master
Mekala Keshu Daisy Burgess
Barrett Wilson Nathan Kallison
Business Manager Danielle Brown
Photographers
Allie Carlisle Austin Hix Emily Cohen Izzy de la Luz Karen Scott Mackenzie Franklin Shea Wendlandt Sidney Hollingsworth Tanner Thompson Taylor Cloyd Theo Doucet Laura Brewster
Reporters
Abby Bost Abby Mosing Alex Gieb Alli Anderson Andy Brown Anika Hattangadi Annie Valliant Austin Callegari Ben Wallace Blake Bond Breck Spencer
Camille Lewis Catherine Mear Chandler McCollough Elizabeth Emery Elizabeth Petersen Enrique Gomez-Leos Erin Armstrong Haley Green Hetty Borinstein Jaimie Pitts Jared Schroeder Jesse Denier Jessica Stenglein Josh Willis Laura Doolittle Laura Hatcher Luci Ortiz Maddy Scott Madeline Nick Madison Goll Marco Scarasso Mariah Stevens-Ross Mia Cavazos McKenna Wilbur Monica Tan Nikki Roop Olivia Lee Rubie Hays Selah Maya Zighelboim Steven Campbell Taylor Kidd Taylor Ross
Adviser
Deanne Brown
Standing on a classmate’s knees while being spotted by many others, senior Hunter Barron attempts to finish sixth period Teen Teaching’s pyramid of cups. Hunter successfully placed the cup on top of the tower to break the record of 22 rows. Shortly after, the tower completely toppled over. Front Cover: senior Marshall Lowry plays keyboard with Spaceman Superstars at Battle of the Bands Back Cover from top: senior Jenny Wolfe (Six Pounds of Hawaiian Sand), freshman Duncan Waldrop (Loose Wheels), sophomore Bennett Dampier (Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre) Cover photos by Hannah Kunz
12
In their honor
Remembering the heros who sacrificed their lives in Vietnam
People + Places
34 Trends + Traditions 70 Rants + Raves 82
Channeling strength
Coach’s father swims Yucatán Channel for environmental cause
Hungry like the Wolfe Established musician looks towards future in recording
Oodles of noodles
Austin Thai restaurants bring the flavor
The Featherduster, the newsmagazine of Westlake High School, attempts to inform and entertain in a broad, fair and accurate manner on subjects which concern the readers. The publication also seeks to provide a forum of ideas and opinions between the staff of the newsmagazine, the faculty, the student body and the local community about issues presented. All material produced and published by The Featherduster staff is copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without the writer’s consent or that of the editors. Content decisions rest in the hands of the staff, despite the Supreme Court’s ruling in the case of Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier. Opinions expressed in the columns that appear
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in The Featherduster do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the entire staff, the school administration or the adviser. The staff encourages letters to the editor as an avenue for expressing the opinions of the readers. All letters must be signed to be considered for publication. Due to space limitations, not all letters will be published, and the editorial board reserves the right to edit them for purposes of placement. No material will be printed that is libelous, advocates an illegal activity or which the editorial board deems is in poor taste. The restriction includes letters to the staff, advertising and anything else the board feels presents an inappropriate message.
brains + brawn
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Cheerleaders compete in Nationals for the first time, place 12th overall
Before leaving for Orlando, Florida, the red varsity cheer team performs their competition routine for friends and family in the PE gym.
“It’s a lot of work — we practice every day, but when we do really well in our competitions, it’s all worth it.”
—Winter Guard member sophomore Sarah Francis
Rehearsing one of their routines, sophomore Sarah Francis, sophomore Emily Gerhart and senior Chandler Davis work with flags. Winter Guard practices every day for at least two hours.
Putting a spin on it
Sidney Hollingsworth
Izzy de la Luz
Practicing every day after school for long hours has paid off as the cheerleaders placed 12th overall at the Nationals Competition in Orlando, Florida Feb. 11-15. All three teams — freshman, JV and varsity — were split into competition squads according to ability. The competition squads became varsity red, varsity blue and JV white. “I think the team performed the best we ever have, and I’m very proud of everyone,” varsity red captain senior Caroline Crockett said. “Getting 12th in the nation in the hardest level of high school cheerleading is amazing.” In past years, the cheerleaders had not attended these large competitions. While beginning this new tradition, they have discovered struggles, injuries and learning experiences that have shaped them on the road to Nationals.
“Just like any other sport, there are always a number of injuries,” coach Jeff Nixon said. “It’s a challenge for any high school athlete to meet all their obligations and responsibilities to stay on top of everything. I think it has affected them in a positive way. It’s certainly made all of them better athletes and better cheerleaders by pushing them to the next level.” The experience of Nationals was a unique opportunity for the team and bettered relationships between the members. “The team grew closer as a whole, and we got to meet a lot of new cheerleaders,” Caroline said. “It’s definitely prepared all of the underclassmen for next year and showed them how hard they need to work to prepare for next year.” —Elizabeth Peterson and Laura Doolittle
Winter Guard comes together for spring competition Twirling, stretching and dancing may sound like moves only Hyline could accomplish, but they are also within Winter Guard’s territory. From performing with the band to participating in rigorous competitions, Guard does it all. In the fall, Color Guard is just considered to be a part of band; however, in spring, Winter Guard is separate. They compete with specific routines against other schools. Working for months on end for a show of only three minutes takes patience and flexibility. As they enter competition season, the tension begins to rise. Luckily, they have the support of their team. They come together, joined by flags and rifles. “We’re all the best of friends,” Guard member freshman Hannah Turner said. “It’s great. There’s nothing like it. [We] are a bunch of people who fit together, who wouldn’t seem like we would, but we all do. ” For each routine, everyone has different placements, or transitions, where they must go in a certain order to spin their flags and rifles. Not everything goes as it is planned. In fact, the Color Guard routine changed just a few weeks before State. “You have to be really flexible when you’re in Guard because you never know when things change at the last minute,” Hannah said. “You just sort of have to go with it.” There are different levels of placement to audition for. In their first year, members are likely to obtain a flag position. As one progresses, a Guard member can earn a spot on the rifle line and then saber line, the most advanced. The old saying “practice makes perfect” applies here; with dedication, Guard becomes second nature. “Freshman year was the hardest because you’re just learning the basics,” captain senior Kelsey Carroll said. “It gets easier as you progress. I hated freshman
year, but I stuck with it. It paid off because now I’m the captain.” Being encouraged to devote time to Guard can cause turmoil and be frustrating at times, but members remain optimistic. “Don’t let what other people [say] discourage you from Guard,” Kelsey said. “Just hang on — everything gets easier.” —Rubie Hays and Madeline Nick
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Featherduster: What is the hardest part about being a director? Winter Guard director Bryn Speer: Coming up with all new routines that are different each time, because the judges like unique. FD: What do you enjoy most about directing it? BS: Seeing the progression of the students over time, how they’ve developed. FD: How has Guard changed over the years? BS: It’s become more dance heavy; it was more military based when I was in high school. FD: What do you recommend for someone who is thinking about joining Color Guard? BS: Having a dance background is really helpful, but you also have to be willing to work hard.
Latin club prepares to compete
language Speaking the same
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weaty palms. Clenched muscles. This is what they had been waiting for. The practices after school, the hours spent training, all those evenings and weekends culminated in these minutes and seconds. Tense silence. Then they hear the phrase they had heard so many times before: “final toss-up.” The Certamen team, which plays a sort of Latin jeopardy, and the Latin club competed at the Area F Convention Feb. 25-26 at Pflugerville High School, and on March 25-26, they will attend State at Atascocita High School in Humble. Leading up to these few days, the team has clocked hours rivaling the most committed of team sports. “We practice for about an hour and a half, but we also spend time outside of those meetings,” Certamen team member and Latin Club praetor junior Skip Putman said. “I usually spend at most four hours a week outside studying. When it gets closer to the competition, I definitely up that closer to eight. I don’t usually get [to practice] as much as I’d like.” With so many hours spent practicing and competing, some Latin Club members have formed close bonds, and preparation for the conventions also comes in the form of traditions such as eating Chinese food together before competing and finding other ways to pump themselves up. “We usually do really well in practices, but then at competitions we sometimes choke, so freshman year, before we went on, we all drank an entire bottle of Mountain Dew,” Latin Club consul junior Clayton Norris said. “That worked pretty well. We got first. That’s probably why [sophomore] Owen Smitherman and I scored so high.” At the upcoming convention, the team will face one of their biggest rivals, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, winner at the National level this summer. “My hopes are for the Certamen team to do well and to trump St. Andrews,” Latin Club consul junior Bryan Graybill said. “If they beat St. Andrew’s at State, they’ll go on to Nationals, and that would be really exciting. However, my expectations aren’t as great as my hopes.”
Practicing Certamen after school Feb. 16, juniors Skip Putman, Clayton Norris and senior Mark Stone discuss a question. Karen Scott
Many Latin Club members also compete in academic tests on various Latin topics as well as athletic contests, such as running, throwing and long jumps, and they spend nearly as much time preparing as the Certamen team. “[The conventions] really broaden your horizons in so many more ways than I can in a classroom by myself,” Latin teacher Natalie Cannon said. “There’s a lot of hard work put in both for the teachers and especially for all the students who do well in all these competitions. Nobody quite understands until they’ve been to a convention.” Nationals will be held in Kentucky July 25-30, and after last year’s conference, those who attended eagerly look forward to a second year. “Nationals was such a blast, even though it was in Fargo, North Dakota, which is in the middle of nowhere,” Bryan said. “So Kentucky is bound to be a lot of fun. It was one of the highlights of my summer because I got to hang out with my friends, do some Latin events and I placed pretty well in one of my competitions. It was kind of the fun of a college experience but for one week. I’m really looking forward to Nationals this year.” Traveling to Nationals has inspired Latin Club to branch out into the community more and possibly volunteer at organizations around town. “While we were there, we had a couple sit-down meetings, where we were like, ‘Okay, so we’re here at Nationals. This is kind of a big deal. So what else can we do?’” Bryan said. “We’ve seen a lot of other Latin clubs that have gotten a lot more involved in their community. [Their] example inspired us to hopefully follow in their footsteps. We’re going to try to do community service. The goal is just to be a better club in general, more altruistic and more of a benefactor for all.” As Latin Club works towards its goals in competitions and the community, juniors look back on their time in Latin Club and try to carry out the goals they’ve set before they leave. “It’s getting closer to senior year and the end [of my Latin Club experience],” Skip said. “You start seeing what you want to accomplish before you go. You want to leave your mark.” —Zelda Mayer
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What’s happening
Sidney Hollingsworth
Above: Caught up in the anticipation of finally getting his matchmaker, sophomore Rusty Hudson examines his results. Every year around Valentine’s Day, Student Council provides a matchmaker service as a fundraiser. Below: Participating in a chemistry experiment, sophomore Zach Suarez looks on as a tube of dry ice explodes.
Tanner Thompson
brains + brawn
5
Under fire
Korean exchange project encounters safety concerns; travel plans unchanged
As students prepare to go on spring break, a small group of juniors will begin an entirely different vacation. During the fall semester, 12 students were selected to embark on a journey to South Korea, representing Westlake at the Bugil Academy in Cheonan during the second year of the partnership between the schools. The rare opportunity to experience and learn about an entirely different way of life is something that excites junior Kara Scully. “We get the experience of learning how other WESTLAKE GOES TO KOREA cultures work, which is something I think is important for everyone to understand and see,” Kara said. “The prospect of meeting new people from PYONGYANG the other side of the world is really exciting as well. Trying the Korean food is another thing that I look forward to.” While the students are on their trip, a small group of South Korean students will make the trip North Koreasuspected suspected North Korea of sinking to Austin and attend classes at Westlake in March of sinking South Korean South Korean warship as part of the cultural exchange program between warship. the two high schools. The two-week trip runs March 5-19. Part of this time overlaps with spring break to minimize the amount of class students will miss, but a week Nov 23:Attack Attack Nov. 23: on on away from school still causes the homework to SEOUL Yeonpyeong Island Yeonpyeong Island pile up. The administrations of both schools have worked out a solution to this problem. Bugil Academy “We take the same courses at Bugil Academy North Korea fires into North Korea fires into School where selected as we would here; hopefully no one will fall too South Korean waters South Korean waters in the students will travel behind,” Kara said. “For electives, we are supin the Yellow Sea. Cheonan Yellow Sea to in March posed to get all of our work in advance.” Associate principal Ross Sproul will accompany the students on their trip, a role fulfilled last year by math teacher Allegra Frolow, who enjoyed her experience in the spring of 2009. “The students get to experience a new culture, be taught by teachers from all over the country, experience a new lifestyle and food and different geography as well as other cultural and historical things, like the [Demilitarized Zone],” Frolow said. “I had a lot of fun and really enjoyed going to the DMZ. Getting to know the group of Westlake Steven Campbell students was nice, too.” On Nov. 23, the trip was put into jeopardy when North Korea shelled Yeonpyeong Island, a South go or not.” Korean island located in the Yellow Sea. The attack resulted in four Frolow, having been to the border between the countries, has a dead and 18 wounded. Because of the existing tension between the similar perspective on the situation. two countries, this display turned into an international incident. “When we were there, we asked the men positioned there about the Initially the student exchange was put into doubt, but after a meeting situation with North Korea and if we should be concerned about the the school board decided that it would be safe for the trip to continue, unrest between the two,” Frolow said. “They said no, it’s always tense leaving the choice up to each parent to decide whether their child and a lingering thing. In the back of their minds they know something would go. could happen, but people are not concerned about it day to day. I never “I’ve been in communication with the principal at Bugil Academy,” felt a sense of fear or danger while I was there.” Sproul said. “I have received e-mails from them that say, in their own Some going on the trip turn to the lighter-hearted aspects of the words, that this is pretty typical [in South Korea]. They have been in a journey. state of war for 60 years, and from what I gather this is just the way of “I can’t wait to meet Koreans, party, buy Korean things and be life over there, and they deal with it. What’s important to remember is Asian,” junior Zac Mills said. that this is not a mandatory trip and each individual family will elect to —Madison Scott
NORTH KOREA
DMZ
SOUTH KOREA
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Eanes ISD prepares for statewide education funding cuts During tough economic times, everyone is expected to make sacrifices. But with the state budget facing a shortfall conservatively estimated at $27 billion, school districts across the state are preparing for a budget crisis that could have severe ramifications on public education, impacting the workloads — and even the job security — of teachers as well as the instruction students receive in the classroom. “When the legislature started meeting [in January], the first bills that came out were House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 1,” principal Linda Rawlings said. “House Bill 1 didn’t allow for any expenditure out of the state’s $9 billion rainy day fund and did not allow for any new revenue at all, meaning no increasing taxes. It’s not good for Texas schools.” Due to the pending budget crunch originating at the state level, the Eanes school board recently made the decision to increase the average faculty member-to-student ratio from 1:17 to 1:19 in the high school and middle schools. To implement the increased ratio, the administration ruled that next year teachers will teach another class in addition to their current workload. “Basically, at our staffing meeting, the two middle school principals and I all said that at a 1:19 staffing ratio, we will need to go to six classes,” Rawlings said. “For a while here, we were given the High School Allotment money [from the Texas Education Agency] and we could fund teachers with that. When we stopped getting those funds, we had to figure out how to staff with our existing people, so the class sizes went up. Already this year we were not very happy with the class sizes, but we did the best we could. But clearly for the next year, we needed to make this change.” Originally, teachers taught five classes per day during a sevenperiod school day. When Westlake made the shift to an eight-period day five years ago, teachers were able to maintain the same number of classes they had taught before. “During my second year at Westlake, all the students went from taking six classes to seven because the state increased the graduation requirements and we needed to do that for the entering freshmen to get the classes they needed,” Rawlings said. “Westlake teachers kept the five classes they enjoyed under a six-period day. When that happened, [superintendent Dr. Nola] Wellman came over, and she talked to the staff. She told all of us that she didn’t think we could sustain that long-term and that it was very costly.” The greater number of classes has caused controversy among faculty members due to the imposed burden of a sixth class with no additional compensation. “We will have more paper work, more students and certainly less time with them,” AP English III teacher Sandra Coker said. “We’re in the only profession where we’re always on our feet, individually, every day at a performance level. Doctors don’t spend 40-50 minutes with their patients five times a day with such small breaks in between. Other professions work hard, unquestionably, but no profession is asked to be on, literally on, in front of a group all day, every day. That’s what we do. So it seems somehow cruel and unusual to ask us to do it another time during the day when we give so much of who we are anyway.” By increasing the number of classes in each teacher’s workload, the school board hopes to reduce the number of salaries to be paid through attrition, meaning that staff members who leave may not be
replaced. “Common sense tells you that when we create six classes for teachers, we won’t need as many teachers,” Rawlings said. “Unless you’re experiencing [significant] growth, you’re going to end up losing staff, so over the next several years, we will lose teachers. What I hope will happen is that we will lose our staff through attrition. That would be the best way in my opinion to do that, but we will have to see. This is a tough budget situation, and there are certainly no guarantees. I don’t envy Dr. Wellman and the school board for the decisions they are going to have to make.” The district faces the challenge of responding to the budget crisis while refraining from depleting the fund balance. “The [current] fund balance is a little over $30 million,” school board secretary Dr. Kal Kallison said. “The district makes the budget in August by projecting how much money is coming in through various sources including property taxes. Then we determine the expenditures we would like to make in order to maintain our current level of programming. The challenge [of setting the budget] is two-fold. One is that because we are a part of the Robin Hood program, we give up about 55 percent of the property taxes that we pay here. The other challenge is that in 2006, the legislature froze revenue at 2006 levels, so we haven’t been able to get more money on the revenue side on a per student basis since that time. In order to maintain the same number of teachers and programs [last year], we used $1.3 million of the fund balance. We clearly can’t and won’t keep doing that. We will have some difficult decisions to make if the revenue streams don’t accommodate the current level of programming.” The difficulty of reacting to the legislature’s predicted shortfall is due to the time they decide to make their decision. “We’re already making budget plans for the next year, but as the calendar comes closer to the summer months, we have to let teachers know in advance that their contracts will be renewed,” Dr. Kallison said. “The problem is that the legislature won’t come up with its budget for public education until the summer, so there’s a [time] discrepancy between the decisions that need to be made and the knowledge that the district will or will not have from the legislature.” The school board is currently narrowing in on budget-saving measures while trying to maintain education standards. “I think that they’re trying to be very conservative about this, and they’ve got their eye on what we need to do in the district to reduce,” Rawlings said. “They’re trying to find ways that impact instruction the least, but it’s tough. When you make huge changes to the system, you do impact student instruction. There’s no way not to.” With the greater number of classes, many fear that teaching will suffer due to the greater number of students teachers will have. “Teacher workloads will increase significantly, ultimately hindering our effectiveness in the classroom,” science department chair Denise DeMartino said. “It’s an unfortunate turn of events with students bearing the burden, but all we can do is our best to reach as many kids as possible.” With the greater number of classes, specialized classes and electives, often referred to by administrators as “singletons,” may face reductions. “We want to give our kids a variety of opportunities so they can
be as well-prepared as possible for when they go into university or the world of work,” Rawlings said. “We think that means that it is important for kids to be exposed to a variety of languages. We brought in Chinese some years ago and I stand by that. I think that’s critical, and I would hate to see that go away. That being said, we are looking at the student course requests this year pretty judiciously, so you may see some individual courses that we may be more selective about. But that really happens every year — students just don’t see it. This year, we’ll be looking at those numbers a little more closely.” In the past, the extra class period, aside from normal classes and their legally-mandated conference period, was designated for staff development purposes. “I certainly am a supporter of and value teachers having time during the school day to do staff development,” Rawlings said. “Today, for teachers to keep pace with the subject that they teach, they’re expected to stay on top of the trends that are happening. Our textbooks in Texas are so old in some subject areas, and students wouldn’t receive a good education if their teachers didn’t go seek out information outside of the textbook because they’re not current. On top of that, there’s the technology that they need to teach [students] with, because we all know that the current generation isn’t even coming to the table with the level of technology that today’s 2 and 3-year-olds will be expected to have in the classroom. If you talk to any physician, they’ll tell you that they have to set aside time for professional learning to stay on top of their craft. Teaching to me is no different from that. I think it’s a mistake to think that a teacher comes in with a certain amount of knowledge and just impart that same thing year after year and not have to do that growth.” Because teachers will lose their staff development period, the administration will turn to other methods to promote professional instruction. “I can’t expect the Westlake teachers to do the same level of staff development that we’ve done this year, especially in those core areas, because they’re simply not going to have the time,” Rawlings said. “They’re going to have additional students, additional papers to grade. We may build in some more late arrival days next year so teachers have that opportunity to come together as teams and departments to work together. We’re going to have to be creative, maybe with online staff development.”
Teachers who currently teach six classes will no longer receive the $9,000 stipend currently offered for a sixth class. “It just doesn’t seem fair to the teachers who have been helping the district by teaching an additional class so they won’t have to hire more staff,” visual arts department chair Dale Baker said. “Now we’ll have to take a $9,000 pay cut and do the same job we’re doing now.” Though the administration is searching for ways to reduce costs without impacting education within the classroom, the majority of the district budget is allocated to employee salaries. Cutting other expenses has a marginal effect. “We are all looking at every non-teaching area possible because we value that instructional time and the people we have there,” Rawlings said. “However, the reality of it is that 85 percent of the school district’s budget is in salaries, so you can cut little things in a lot of other areas, but the vast majority of the district’s budget is payroll. When we reduce something such as our electricity usage, we’re certainly saving money by doing that, but it’s not a huge portion of the budget.” Other school districts, such as Lake Travis and Round Rock ISD, have imposed hiring freezes. Austin ISD has proposed cutting 485 teaching positions to adhere to the budget shortfall. Though Eanes has not announced any layoffs, most job positions that open during the next year will not be filled. “It seems incredible to me that in a time that our country is trying to get people back to work for economic recovery that we can even consider putting that many people out of work,” Rawlings said. “That being said, there isn’t anybody in public education who does not understand that these are tough times and that we are going to have to make cuts. Right now, all the positions that come open are subject to review. In other words, anything that comes open is going to need the superintendent’s approval. As positions come open, we’ll need to consider if there is a way that what this individual did could be dispersed.” Because House Bill 1 does not allow for revenue raised through increased taxes, local community members will begin to turn to bond programs to provide funds for technology and building purposes. “The bond that the school board is looking at right now, which is basically one that they consider the critical needs of our schools, includes technology replacement,” Rawlings said. “House Bill 1 allows no money for technology, so if your school district wants to add technology or update their computers, they will have to fund that themselves. When tax payers pay their taxes for public education, we lose about 50 percent of every dollar paid. When there’s a bond dollar raised, 100 percent of that dollar stays in Eanes ISD.” Despite the implications of the massive state budget shortfall, the administration still retains some optimism for the future of the district. “This is bad, in fact, as bad as I’ve seen it, but I have seen tough financial times in the school district and the state multiple times in my career in education, and it cycles in and out,” Rawlings said. “I’m not saying that we aren’t going to be making cuts, because I know that we will, but I believe people will rally the legislature and let them know that we do not want to lose the ground that we have made in this state in the past 10 years academically.” Rawlings encourages members of the community to become educated about the budget crisis and get involved by writing to their state representatives. “I think that our representatives need to hear from families who don’t want to see those kinds of shortfalls, because what’s going to happen then is that it’s going to fall on local communities to make up the deficit,” Rawlings said. “There’s only so much even in taxes that you can make up. You can’t completely replace what you’ve lost there. Then you do begin to look at loss of programs and teachers, and that’s something we all need to be aware of and vocal about.” —Anisha Ganguly
“It seems somehow cruel and unusual to ask us to [teach] another [class] during the day when we give so much of who we are anyway.” —AP English III teacher Sandra Coker
Barrett Wilson
On Feb. 15, state representative Donna Howard, state senator Kirk Watson and state representative Paul Workman discuss the upcoming state budget shortfalls in the Westlake Performing Arts Center.
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brains + brawn
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Each year, when veterans visit Westlake to speak to the junior class about their experiences, the Vietnam War becomes real to the students in a way that they never expected. In addition to attending this presentation, the AP English III students create virtual memorials for individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice by serving our country in the Vietnam War. In the past, some students have had the opportunity to forge relationships with friends and family members of their assigned serviceman or woman that they will never forget.
Serving a purpose Vietnam war unit inspires teachers, students to commemorate those who served On the day 2009 graduate Erin Wikelius was supposed to present her Vietnam Virtual memorial project to her junior English class, she was unaware of a special guest who would be there to see it. “I had no idea,” she said. It turned out she had exchanged a few e-mails with someone who served in Vietnam with her assigned sailor, Bruce Allen Timmons. The man she contacted, Warren Duncan Jenny, happened to live near Austin and decided to come see Wikelius present her project. “On the day of my presentation, Mr. Jenny was there, and [he] presented me with a hat, pin and shirt in honor of [Timmons] and the other [Americans] that did not return home,” Wikelius said. “It was amazing to hear him talk about his personal stories and recollections, especially after all the research that I had done.” Each year, the English III classes take on an entire unit devoted to the book The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, which is based on the author’s struggles in the Vietnam War. Some years ago, AP English III teachers Becky Stucky and Sandra Coker decided to make the unit more meaningful by assigning each student someone who served in Vietnam to research and create a virtual memorial for, including images, sound and text.
With Vietnam veteran Warren Duncan Jenny, 2009 graduate Erin Wikelius holds an honorary t-shirt and cap that was awarded to her for her efforts in her Vietnam virtual memorial. courtesy photo
“Their job is to create a memorial for this person that we then put onto a website that we created,” Stucky said. “Our website is the only high school website that is linked to www.virtualwall.org, which is the official website of The Vietnam Memorial.” In the spring of 2010, The Vietnam Veterans Association presented both Coker and Stucky with the Heart of Patriotism Award for their efforts in this unit. “It tells us that our work is recognized and that it is appreciated,” Coker said. “It is important that [veterans] realize that we appreciate what they did and what they do. The students were very proud. [Receiving the award] adds to my belief that it is worthwhile, valuable work.” For students, the memorials have become some of the most momentous projects they do in high school. “Every year I get students who say, ‘This is the most meaningful project that I have ever done because it’s real and being viewed by millions of people around the world,’” Stucky said. “The Vietnam War is not real to them until they start researching this person. I had a student years ago say, ‘It’s as if this man I’m researching has become like my uncle or a part of my family.’ As a result, they see the world completely differently; they see it with human faces rather than just numbers.” Both Stucky and Coker love the fact that the students learn so much by doing the project. “Because they are so involved [and] gain so much knowledge in so many different areas, it’s my favorite project,” Stucky said. “It becomes very close to your heart because every so often you get an e-mail from someone thanking us for what we’ve done. It’s kind of like a service that we do.” The project changes the way students see the men and women who serve. “The part that I appreciate most is how the students really internalize their task because each one of these men becomes a living human to them,” Coker said. “They do not see them as a character in a book or a movie or a distant and impersonal number — they
recognize that they were young men, [who] didn’t necessarily want to be there, or maybe they did. Maybe they lived a week and died in Vietnam, maybe they were almost ready to go home, maybe they’d been there three times. It puts a face on combat in a way that I don’t know any other way to do. I appreciate that the kids take it seriously, and the work is really important to them. [It is] hard to accomplish that in a classroom.” Senior Swetha Kotamraju believes reading The Things They Carried and working on this project last year inspired in her a sense of patriotism. “It’s not that I don’t support our troops, but I never particularly felt strongly about it,” Swetha said. “Doing this project just made it that much more real to me. [I realized that] these people had lives [and saw] what kind of a sacrifice they went through and what their families are going through. I thought it was really important and eye-opening. The veterans would say, ‘When we came back from the Vietnam War, we expected people to at least treat us with respect, even if they didn’t support the war.’ I probably would have been one of those people who didn’t respect the soldiers. Reading this book, I realized that these soldiers didn’t have a choice. They had to fight this war, and you have to honor that.” After sending some e-mails, Swetha was able to get in touch with Nola Whirlow, who was pregnant and married to Roger Dale Whirlow, Swetha’s assigned soldier, when he was killed in Vietnam. “I really liked talking to the family [because] it gives it that personal touch,” she said. “Getting in touch with the family [made me realize that] this man had a life; he had a family to go back to and he had likes and dislikes. That makes it so much more real and so much more personal. I think it is very important for the families. We are touching lives by doing this.” Whirlow says that the project helps both students and families with the healing process. “The project was beneficial to both my son and me,” Whirlow said. “I felt honored when
I was asked to take part. In retelling my I made in my English class was more than a their students to breathe new life into largely story from my perspective, I feel like I healed grade and meant something to the friends of forgotten patriots.” a bit more. The spiritual and emotional healmy soldier. This project was my favorite projThe veterans are also appreciative of the ing that comes from grief and reflection was ect I did in all of my high school classes and work done to commemorate those killed due brought back to me as I did my part, and [it] even so far at [The University of Texas].” to the war. continues as I enjoy my copy of the CD that This year, similar to years in the past, the “[The veterans] love it,” Stucky said. “They Swetha made for my family and me.” English teachers arranged for Vietnam veterthink it’s the coolest thing because they feel Whirlow is glad she had an opportunity to ans James Hart and Don Dorsey to visit West- like they are being remembered for their serbe involved in the online memorial. lake and speak to the junior English classes. vice, and so many times the Vietnam veterans “I hope that Westlake will continue the “What Westlake has done [in] the 10-plus were looked down upon when they came back. project,” Whirlow said. “I know from my years that I’ve been honored to speak has They were called baby killers, people would e-mails with Swetha that her life was changed made so many students stop and think about spit at them and they did not feel appreciated by participating in the project and mine was, [how] important veterans are to the American in any way, shape or form. This [memorial] too. I am very grateful for the chance to brings an appreciation to what communicate with teens like [her].” they did.” In March 2008, 2009 graduate In the future, Stucky hopes “I had a student years ago say, ‘It’s as if this man I’m Alanna Iverson became an Honorto get other schools involved researching has become like my uncle or a part of my ary Tomahawk in order to contact and linked to the official virtual family.’ As a result, they see the world completely difthe members of Bravo Company, 4th Vietnam wall. Battalion, 23rd Infantry, 25th Infantry “This is a project I always talk ferently; they see it with human faces rather than just Division, otherwise known as the about [at workshops,] and I have numbers.” Tomahawks, through their website. had other schools also jump on —AP English III teacher Becky Stucky board doing similar projects,” she The soldier she was researching, David Oliver Painter, was a member of said. “I don’t know if we can get this company. people,” Hart said. “I’m not just talking about them all linked to the [official virtual] wall, “I wrote [the webmaster] an email explain- combat veterans. I’m talking about every man but we are going to try.” ing the project and he immediately made me or woman that has put on a uniform, left their Coker says that this will continue to be one an ‘Honorary Tomahawk,’” Iverson said. “He home and families and gone on to serve in of the most gratifying things she is involved even told me who would be best to contact to the military. I honestly feel that if one student in. get information about [my soldier]. Being a leaves class after we’ve talked and encoun“Through the men who gave their lives in Tomahawk means I am able to keep in contact ters a veteran, old or young, [and] stops and Vietnam, we start to appreciate what people with the other Tomahawks, which I still do, thanks that person, then I’ve done my job.” do in service to the country, and that is what and [I] have actually been invited to a living Dorsey says he enjoys getting to educate matters most to me as a teacher,” Coker said. Tomahawk reunion.” students on things that happened in Vietnam. “While we do have skills and strategies to Iverson still keeps in touch with the people “We’re proud to be veterans and are grateteach, if we can help [students] understand she met during this process. ful for the opportunity to share our experienc- more closely the world in which we live, that “I still write e-mails and Christmas cards es with kids and teachers alike,” he said. “We is part of our job, too. And I just think it is to one of Painter’s best friends, Howie Ruvin, were a part of history, and for us to not share one of the most rewarding things I have done who was there when he died,” Iverson said. our experiences would be a terrible disseras a teacher, and it’s because of the students’ “These cards and e-mails probably mean the vice to the country. I have nothing but praise response to it.” most to me because it shows that the video for the teachers at Westlake for encouraging —Hirrah Barlas Left: English III classes, including junior Jake Morrison, look on as Vietnam veteran James Hart shows war weapons. Right: Junior Angelica Martinez tries on Vietnam War memoriablia with Hart. Hannah Kunz
Hannah Kunz
Listening to Vietnam veteran speakers Don Dorsey and James Hart, students were able to see a variety of weapons from the war. “They were refreshingly honest and relayed the Vietnam War from the perspective of an 18-year-old kid,” junior Mehul Mehta said.
Barrett Wilson
Graduate Kelly Compton recalls experiences working on Vietnam virtual memorial project Thirty minutes after 2009 graduate Kelly Compton and Jasper Jones, father of Vietnam casualty Gary C. Jones, began a phone conversation, the two of them were crying. “It felt like I was actually related to him, or like I knew him,” Compton said. “Initially, I was sort of nervous to call, because it was a sensitive subject to them and I wasn’t sure how they would react.” At the time, Compton was a junior working on her Vietnam virtual memorial project. She was researching when she found the phone number of her assigned soldier’s parents, Jasper and Iris Jones. “I was able to get in touch with several men that actually served with Jones, his father [and] his brother,” Compton said. “I looked his parents up and found out that they were still living in Atlanta, so I got their number out of www.whitepages.com. I found websites with memorials posted for Jones and e-mailed the people who had posted
them to find out if they were related and that’s how I eventually got in touch with his family.” Getting to interact with her soldier’s family made the project even more special for Compton. “[His father] shared some pretty personal things with me, like the last things he said to his son, and told me the feelings he had when he found out what had happened,” Compton said. “I think it was hard for his father to talk about, but he really seemed to appreciate how passionate I was about the memorial that I was making. It was crazy how emotionally involved I got with this project. I think it’s because I got to talk to so many people that knew him. I still have the finished product saved on my computer and tear up every time I watch it.” —Hirrah Barlas
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brains + brawn
11
A man of
honor
Former marine accepts past, encourages students to remember the fallen
Vietnam veteran Don Dorsey prepares for a sniper mission in South Vietnam. “In 1969, and still today, Marine scout snipers were considered the best combat shooters in the world,” Dorsey said. “With that weapon, I was able to hit a target at a distance of 3/4 mile — 12 football fields.” To view Dorsey’s complete story, visit “The Mind’s Eye” on www.buildthemonument.org. courtesy photos
Not a day went by that former Marine Sergeant Don Dorsey chological evaluation or assistance,” he said. “For 11 months and 27 didn’t mentally kill someone. days, I’d been working under extremely stressful conditions, only to be After returning home from Vietnam in 1970, Dorsey was troubled literally abandoned by the government to the private sector upon my by internal anger and confusion, and he writes in an autobiography return. Six days after I left Vietnam, I was walking on the streets back that he began to unfairly resent all civilians. home, and that’s really when my war began because coming home was “Given the anti-war climate in 1970, as a returning combat veteran, a whole lot worse than staying there. I knew how to survive in VietI discovered that I had more enemies in the United States than in nam; I didn’t know how to survive here.” Vietnam,” Dorsey said. In the ‘70s, PTSD was not considered a legitimate psychological Alone and conflicted, he would lie awake at night and spend his problem. Dorsey says his only option was to self-medicate. Wanting to days longing for the smell and sight of the South China Sea. ease the pain, many veterans turned to alcohol after the war, but not In high school, Dorsey was elected “Best All Dorsey. Alcohol made him angry. Around” in his class for two years running and “And no one wants an angry Marine,” he “Best All Around” of his whole school his senior said. year. He was also a Student Council officer, a Dorsey stayed bunkered in his dark bedtwo-year letterman in football and a record-setroom, trying to find a way to cope. ting runner and captain of the track team. After “Drugs merely kept me from going insane,” finishing his fourth year as a pharmacy student Dorsey said, referring to the “calming” effect at the University of Texas at Austin, Dorsey of marijuana. “I needed something to free my enlisted in the Marine Corps. mind.” “I still had two years left to complete my Dorsey, put off by the idea of something else degree plan, but I was bored, broke and curicontrolling his body, never let anything go too ous,” he said. “Although I attended anti-war far. rallies and partied way too much, my grades “I was never addicted,” he said. “I was were still holding up. Even though I was a war surviving. If anything, I was addicted to the protester, I felt that my first obligation was to adrenaline rush of life-and-death combat.” my country. [I was] the youngest of six kids. Eventually things changed. My father and four brothers were veterans, and “I finally accepted that Vietnam would be a I knew that someday I would be one as well. I part of me forever,” Dorsey said. “I made friends needed to be in Vietnam. I was healthy, smart with my ghosts and now share them with whomand a fairly decent athlete, but more important ever will listen.” than any of that, I was patriotic. I turned down Now, 41 years after returning home, Dorsey an opportunity to become an officer to serve as still manages the effects of PTSD through legal Vietnam veteran Don Dorsey accepts his Honor Blues Award, a ground-pounding, enlisted infantryman. It anti-depressant medication. presented by the Battalion Commander. “[This is] a distinction never occurred to me that I might die. While some presented to the top Marine in each boot camp platoon of “PTSD never goes away,” he said “Part of the trained to kill, I trained to live.” problem was that we came back to a country that about 95 recruits,” Dorsey said. “The Platoon Honor Man is Dorsey learned in training that there was a 50 didn’t want us to come back. We were expenddetermined by the drill instructors for individual performance percent casualty rate in Vietnam and noticed that in all phases of Marine training.” able. We were disposable.” many trainees were not paying attention. ThinkDorsey was recently reelected to serve his ing it would better his chances of survival, Dorsey volunteered to be a eighth two-year term as president of the Austin chapter of the Texas member of a two-man regimental Marine Scout Sniper Team, in which Association of Vietnam Veterans. he ran reconnaissance and assassination missions. “I see my participation only as a duty,” he said. “If I’m chosen to “[I hunted] the enemy in his own backyard with a scoped rifle that lead, I then see that responsibility as a sacred trust. By giving my life held only five bullets,” Dorsey said. purpose, I strive to honor my buddies killed in action in the ways they In 1970, he returned home. For 15 years, he didn’t talk much of were sadly denied.” Vietnam. Dorsey visits Westlake every year to speak to the junior class while “I rarely spoke of my experiences, mostly because no one really the students are working on their Vietnam memorial projects. cared enough to ask,” he said. “Students need to learn to honor those who defend this country,” Upon returning to the United States, Dorsey was released from the he said. “Besides, with the current unpopular war, the similarities bemilitary on the “early out” program. At this time, Dorsey was unaware tween the Middle East and Vietnam are obvious. If we don’t learn from he was struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. our mistakes, we’re destined to repeat them.” “I was honorably discharged with no decompression and no psy—Hirrah Barlas
Veteran Don Dorsey embarks on16th year as president of Austin chapter of Texas Association of Vietnam Veterans
Soldiers at Camp Mike Spann in northern Afghanistan receive care packages and letters sent by history teacher Sharon Koncak and her students.
The Texas Association of Vietnam Veterans is a state-chartered, non-profit organization that primarily supports disabled or hospitalized veterans and local charities. “When we see a worthy cause, we become involved,” Austin Chapter president and Vietnam veteran Don Dorsey said. “We monitor veteran legislation, the veteran homeless and the exposure of military personnel to agent orange and other chemicals. And through our oral history Vietnam Awareness Project, we bring our war experiences to high school and college classrooms. Our group is constantly receiving community recognition for our activities.” When the organization was created in 1985, one of TAVV’s goals was to change the way the American people saw Vietnam veterans. “When we began, Vietnam veterans were seen by the public in a predominantly negative light,” Dorsey said. “Changing that attitude was also one of our goals, and we've managed to accomplish that through interacting with the community.” As president of the Austin Chapter of the organization and one of the founding members of TAVV, Dorsey plays a special role in the organization. “I'm one of the original six veterans who met back in 1985 to create TAVV,” Dorsey said. “Because we're a State organization and not a national group, we're able to reinvent ourselves as often as is necessary, as long as we adhere to our organization's constitution and bylaws. As President, I represent the group at functions and events, officiate at meetings, and serve as chief executive officer, overseeing the Board of Directors that decides what we do as an organization. It's a full-time, non-paying job. I'm in my 16th year at the helm.” —Hirrah Barlas
Sending a message Last November, the students of history teacher Sharon Koncak’s classes adopted a soldier in Afghanistan, Eric Clakley, son of assistant wrestling coach Blake Bryant. They gathered enough items to fill 10 large boxes and wrote letters for Clakley and the men in his company, who, as well as Bryant, appreciated the gesture. “I think the project is awesome,” Bryant said. “[Clakley] tells me all the time that he and his buddies love hearing from other people. It makes them feel good to know that the people back home care about what they are doing. As a parent of a soldier,
With a heavy Hart Former Marine James Hart grew up in a military family. His father spent 23 years serving in the Air Force, and after dropping
out of school at age 17, Hart’s younger brother joined the Marine Corps. “[My brother’s] job in the Marines was that of a tunnel rat, probably the most dangerous job in Vietnam,” Hart said. Soon after graduating high school, Hart was drafted into the Marines. He was sent to Vietnam, where he saw and experienced things he’ll never forget. “What really sticks out most was [that] I understood that I could never go back to who I was,” Hart said. “I saw suffering from the people we were supposed to be helping; I saw terror and fear in the eyes of innocent people who just got in the way. I did not understand the reason
it makes me feel good, too. It lets me know that this country still has some patriotism.” Koncak says it was exciting to see how well the students responded to the project. “I think it is important that our students be given the opportunity to make that contact,” she said. “They can contribute to the efforts and also [get] a better understanding of what our servicemen are doing and what they go through. There are servicemen over there who do not hear from home, and this is a positive way to make a difference to a soldier who wants to connect.” —Hirrah Barlas
Vietnam veteran speaks of past experiences
people were dying, yet I was trained to do a job and that’s what I did. It’s not like in the movies; you don’t get to mourn your friends. You just pack them up in the body bags and send them off and you continue. The war doesn’t stop for you.” Though it is hard for Hart to attribute to words what he went through before and after serving in Vietnam, he comes to Westlake every year to speak to the junior class. This year he spoke on Feb. 17. “The war doesn’t just go away,” Hart said. “What I did over there changed me forever. Once you experience it you never go back, but you try to learn how to live with it, and that’s what I
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did. I returned to a country which had grown very tired of hearing about Vietnam. It was the first war America had ever lost. I soon [realized] my time in ‘Nam was just mine, so I kept it to myself. The problem was I couldn’t stop thinking about ‘Nam, and I began to believe I was going crazy. I attempted suicide twice before I was sent to the Veteran Administration for Post Traumatic [Stress Disorder].” After spending three months at the VA in Waco, taking classes to cope with his PTSD, Hart finally began to move on. “I learned to live with old ghosts,” Hart said. “I learned to forgive myself enough to go on.” —Hirrah Barlas
brains + brawn
13
Chaps in
service
A guide to completing community service hours
I
t’s your senior year. Out of the 70 service hours you’d like to complete by graduation, you have only 20 done. Use this guide to help you complete the rest. “I help whenever someone needs a volunteer,” freshman Dallen Nelson said. “I like it because it makes people happy and looks good for colleges.”
Option #1: Be animal-friendly
Though I’ve never done it, fostering a pet can be a fun, sometimes tiring but ultimately a rewarding experience. Dogs and cats that need to be socialized, nursed back to health or just be cared for can find temporary homes with loving families. Although, if your house is too busy for a new addition, you can volunteer at the Town Lake Animal Center. You do need to undergo training and six hours of volunteer work with an adult, but after that you’re good to go on your own. “My experience volunteering at the animal shelter was eye-opening and rewarding,” senior Nikki Pearson said. “I realized how many animals are homeless. I enjoyed working hands-on with the dogs and watching the dogs as I worked with them. I bonded especially with this one chihuahua and I trained her and I was so thrilled when she finally found a home.”
Option #2: Get sweaty for Habitat for Humanity
At Habitat for Humanity, you have many options to build future homes for those who need them. Getting a little sweaty and working hard to create houses is just one aspect of Habitat for Humanity. Other non-construction jobs are available, such as being a lunch donor, where you prepare a lunch for the workers, or even taking photographs. If you love sports you can also referee at a soccer, basketball or baseball game. “I volunteer for a WAYA league called WAYA sports where we play sports with mentally and physically challenged kids,” senior Jackson Smith said. “It makes me feel blessed to live so well when so many other people struggle every day. Also it’s awesome to see all the kids so happy to do something like shoot a basketball.”
Option #3: Harness your political knowledge
If you are absorbed in politics and your home page is CNN Online, working a political campaign could be a good idea for you. Making phone calls, stuffing envelopes and going door-to-door speaking about your candidate are some jobs you could do.
Option #4: Volunteer at a doctor’s office
Doctor’s offices and hospitals are always in need of smart, dedicated volunteers to help keep day-to-day routines running smoothly. St. David’s hospital has an eight-week program than teens can apply for to work in the gift shop, at the volunteer desk or on the hospital floor. Another great program is the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, where you can do anything from helping kids with homework to organizing board game tournaments. “Working at Dell Children’s hospital was fun,” sophomore Ryan Gunn said. “I worked with the kids with cancer once a week and I basically made arts and crafts with them every time I was there. Loved every second of it.”
Option #5: Get quick service hours
Hannah Kunz
At Coats for Kids, junior Emily Lee sorts coats with the Interact Club. “What I like most about Interact is the purpose it stands for — to contribute even a little portion of our time together to make a big difference in our community,” Emily said. “[Also], the members are so friendly and welcoming.”
Working at a school carnival is, surprisingly, really fun. If you bring your friends, you could have a fun time working the microphone at the cake walk or manning the bouncy castle. Elementary schools in the district have carnivals, and it’s always nice to see your old teachers and reconnect with your school. Another easy way to get hours is to hop in your car and drive around your neighborhood, asking neighbors for canned goods they can donate. After all, who doesn’t have a spare can lying around in their pantry? “Volunteering at school carnivals is a lot of fun because you get to be around all of your friends and play with little kids,” sophomore Emily Brown said. “It’s also a really easy way to get service hours.” —Sofia Mitre
Rower speaks out about experiences in unique sport
It’s not competitive kayaking Barrett Wilson
I
had never been denied a high-five before. Well, at least not because of my hands. There I was, in class, when a classmate offered me a high-five. I raised my hand to return the offer and watched as the person looked at my hand, shuddered and awkwardly transitioned to a weak fist-bump instead. After a moment passed I looked down at what the problem was. I winced more at the sting of rejection than at the pain of a raw blister. Well, maybe my hands did look like I washed them with hydrochloric acid and dried them with sand paper, and yeah, it hurt to just look at them, but I was still confused by the disgusted look of my classmate. My hands were normal. Normal for a rower, at least. Rowing is unlike any other sport I’ve ever done, and trust me when I say I’ve sampled them all. I tried my hand at softball, basketball, soccer, volleyball, ballet and even competitive figure skating. But somehow, I always found myself quitting and moving on to the next one. I was never attached. But rowing is so deeply ingrained in my life that I crave working out 10 hours a week, and I feel like something is seriously off if I miss a practice. My second home is the Austin Rowing Club clubhouse on Lady Bird Lake and I train two and a half hours a practice, four days a week, with my teammates. My second family is my Varsity Girls – my rowing experience would be nothing without them. Rowing is about team work; literally, the basis of the entire sport is your ability to match exactly with the people in your boat to make it as efficient as possible. The Varsity Girls have created such a great community of support for one another that it makes it easy for me to completely dedicate myself to the sport. While racing, if anything can go wrong, it will. On the day of my first varsity quad race, Murphy’s Law was in place. It was this past fall at the Head of the Chattanooga Regatta and my quad was waiting for our event to be called, not really knowing how the race would turn out. We doubted we would win, since there were 34 boats entered, with lots
of competition from all over the country. The race was going to be a mix of rock-hard athletes to girls who barely knew what they were doing, but were out there anyway. When our event was called, we put the boat in the water, got in and launched into the warm-up area. A little while after launching, we slowly realized something was wrong. My seat wouldn’t move. I thought it was just jammed; I tried putting water on the wheels to work out the kinks. It still wouldn’t move. I took the seat off to see what was wrong, and soon found out that it was missing a wheel. By this time we were on our way to the starting line, confused as to what to do. We decided since we couldn’t go back we had to go talk to the officials at the starting line so they would tell us what to do. I was the bow, the person who steers the boat while rowing, and since I couldn’t row, it left the three other girls in front of me to do all the work. We rowed down to the starting line, the whole three or so miles there, and talked to the confused official. I explained the situation and she left us with two options: she could tell us how to get back or we could race anyway. Rowing with three people, we knew the boat was going to be slow, and we probably would get dead last. After lots of deliberation in our boat, I told her we were going to race. She notified the other officials who cheered us on as we went to the starting line and began the race. It was the best race of my life. There was no pressure to win, no pressure to beat anyone, just four girls dealing the best they could with a bad situation. Officials watched us with binoculars, passing them off to other officials who didn’t know why I was the only one not rowing. Yes, we were passed, but we got to cheer on our fellow teammates as they went by. We got to the last 250 meters of the 5000 meter race; this was the sprint and also the spectator section of coaches, parents and rowers. People who didn’t even know us cheered. The finish line official congratulated us after we finished as we re-docked the boat. Later that day my coach told us the results: we placed 32 out of 34.
No. Way. A fellow teammate gave us the title “the Tri-Quad,” and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of the little-boat-that-could. That moment is up there in my best rowing memories alongside winning two State Championship races in my novice year and a gold medal for a novice race at the Regional Championship. I row because I love it. Yeah, I might have to live with high-five rejection and people feeling my arm muscles all the time, but I have nothing to complain about. Yes, it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I can never get enough. It’s not a sport I play; it’s a sport I live. Rowing has taught me so many life lessons and to see the results of hard work. Not everyone can be a rower, but anyone can try. —Danielle Brown
Barrett Wilson
Junior Danielle Brown prepares to begin rowing practice at Austin Rowing Club. Danielle has been rowing since her sophomore year.
T
hough many would be misled to believe that rowing is like “competitive kayaking,” numerous Westlake rowers would disagree. We sat down with four rowers from Texas Rowing Center and Austin Rowing Club to discuss their involvement in the unique sport.
Gray Lantta
Back to
basics There are two types
[junior]
Rows for: Texas Rowing Center Began rowing: Sixth grade Favorite rowing memory: When his boat found out they placed 10th at Nationals and not 11th Opinion of the opposing rowing club (Austin Rowing Club): “They only pose a threat at home regattas, but I wouldn’t describe it as an intense rivalry,” Gray said. Hardest thing about rowing: Building up your strength and endurance, as well as the 10 to 12 hour time commitment weekly Music preferences while erging: “Techno — it gets me pumped.” Future plans for rowing: College rowing
of rowing: Sculling Varsity rower junior Gray Lantta prepares for practice at Texas Rowing Center on Feb. 15. Theo Doucet
Caroline Allan
At Austin Rowin Club, junior Caroline Allan sports her rowing attire before practice. Theo Doucet
Alex Kindell
In sculling, you have two oars, also called blades, one on each side of the racing shell, or boat. There are three types of sculling boats: singles, rowed by one person, doubles, rowed by two people and quads, rowed by four people.
[junior]
Rows for: Austin Rowing Club Began rowing: Summer before freshman year Favorite team tradition: After practice on Fridays, the team goes out to dinner together Typical practice: Arrive at 4:45 p.m., warm up in circle formation, receive boat assignments and begin rowing Fondest rowing memory: Placed second at the Regional races last year and advanced to Nationals Music preferences while erging: Matt and Kim, Phoenix, Ratatat or Muse View of the opposing rowing club: Texas Rowing Center is their main competition. “I like all the members of the team,” Caroline said, “but I like to beat them.” Unique advantage: She’s almost 6 feet 2 inches tall, the perfect height for a rower. Future plans: College rowing
Sweeping Sweeping is where each person in the boat haws one oar on alternating sides. Just like sculling, there are three types of boats for sweeping as well: pairs rowed by two people, fours rowed by four people, plus a coxswain (someone who steers the boat), and eights rowed by eight people, plus a coxswain. —Danielle Brown
[sophomore]
Rows for: Texas Rowing Center Began rowing: Seventh grade Hardest thing about rowing: Having perfect technique and good times on the erg What got you interested in rowing: Thought the sport looked intense and fun while watching the Olympic rowing races Music preference while erging: Dubstep Future plans: Wants to attend the University of Texas or A&M for rowing
Rower sophomore Alex Kindell prepares to leave school and head to practice at Texas Rowing Center. Alex has been rowing since the seventh grade. Sidney Hollingsworth
Brett Mele
[senior]
Rows for: Austin Rowing Club Began rowing: As a freshman Hardest thing about rowing: “The physical toll it takes on your body as well as never getting enough sleep and being able to recover, but I love it anyway,” Brett said. Best race: At Youth Nationals in the lightweight double division, she and her partner placed sixth overall Favorite thing about rowing: She likes that it’s one of the few things in life where the more effort you put into it, the better the results Music preference: Weezer, Matt and Kim or anything with a really strong beat
Senior Brett Mele prepares for practice at Austin Rowing Club. Brett has been rowing since her freshman year.
interviews conducted by McKenna Wilbur
Theo Doucet
17
Lax max to the
Senior Grace Nowstrup darts in and out of the opposing players as she searches for someone to pass the ball to during the game against Westwood Feb. 17. Westlake won 15-10. courtesy photo
Girls lacrosse prepares for games, anticipates season
The girls varsity lacrosse team started its 2011 season with a win over Westwood Feb. 17. “Games are really fun,” junior Devan Letemendia said. “They’re by far my favorite part of the whole sport. In games everyone comes together and everything we work at in practice pays off.” The players use their positive chemistry as an advantage on the field. “I think this year is going to be very successful because our team seems to get along very well,” junior Beanie Case said. “It usually takes a bit longer into the season for that kind of trust to build.” In 2010 the team finished third in the Central Texas standings with 10 wins and 4 losses, just behind St. Andrew’s Episcopal and Cedar Park. This year, the girls are focusing on finishing in a similar way. “We have practiced since September,” captain senior Natalie Stephens said. “We have been to three tournaments and won about half our games [at the tournaments]. It definitely helped us improve.” Since lacrosse is a club sport, a sport not sponsored by the school, all activities happen outside of the school day. “It’s been a club for five years now,” senior Ashley Berd said. “I would love for it to end up as a UIL sport, though.” There are many differences when comparing boys and girls lacrosse. Although both wear safety gear, the types and lengths of sticks vary. Also, the pockets of the boys’ sticks are much deeper. “Girls lacrosse is not nearly as intense,” Ashley said. “Guys can do so much more hitting than girls can. The boys have different sticks and types of shots, plus they can shoot so much faster than we can.” Boys lacrosse is considered a contact sport, where players can hit both another player’s stick and his body above the waist, with some specific guidelines. In girls lacrosse, sticks may make contact, but are not allowed to strike another girl during game play. There is not as much danger of injury with the girls since they are not allowed to hit. “The only way we could really get hurt is if we’re tripped or accidentally checked by another girl,” Devan said. “The refs are really strict on calls that have anything to do with checking.” The 15 team members practice four days a week, focusing on improving skills and fundamentals and preparing for their next game. “We start by running laps and stretching, and then [warming] up with passing and catching drills,” Natalie said. “Then we scrimmage and at the end usually run sprints.” Natalie said the key strategy to winning is teamwork. “We play as a team and make sure we pass a lot,” she said. “We are all very encouraging — it helps everyone excel so we can win.” —Austin Callegari
Boys lacrosse practices persistence, begins season Some call it the fastest game on two feet. Others might call it lax. But the varsity lacrosse team couldn’t care less what it’s called. Lacrosse is nothing to be taken lightly. Just like the majority of extracurricular activities at Westlake, it requires a lot of time and effort. “During the season, we practice Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, so five days a week,” midfielder senior Jeremy DiGiovanni said. Maintaining good grades is hard enough, and the commitment of playing lacrosse only adds to the difficulty. “We’re supposed to care about school first, but nobody really likes school more than lacrosse,” defenseman junior Connor White said. “Last year we practiced from 6 to 8:30 p.m., and all of our grades suffered for it.” Not only does lacrosse require an enormous time commitment, but it also requires a great deal of endurance and toughness. Lacrosse is often regarded as being physically tougher than football, not to mention the added risk of injury due to the lack of padding. Needless to say, lacrosse isn’t an “everybody gets a ribbon” kind of sport. It’s easy to throw in the towel and say “this is too hard,” but instead, Jeremy motivates himself to keep going.
Allie Carlisle
Freshman Brandon Wright shoots in mid air and scores in a game against Fort Bend Jan. 30. Westlake won the game 10-9. Currently the team’s record is 3-0
In his brother’s senior year as a lacrosse player, the team was strong and talented, but the players started to lose interest and lost early in the playoffs. “I don’t want to see my team give up,” Jeremy said. “I’m not going to let that happen. It motivates me to be a better leader.” Even though playing lacrosse is a serious undertaking for the team, it doesn’t receive the respect it deserves, according to Connor and Jeremy. The ‘‘lax-bro’’ image has been blown out of proportion. “It was funny for a while, but it’s so annoying now,” Connor said. Because lacrosse is a club sport, the players don’t have priority for practicing over sports that are sponsored by the school. “We are at the low end of the totem pole,” Jeremy said. “We have to wait until soccer is done to get on the field.” With all the time, energy and stamina needed to succeed in playing lacrosse, one might think that people would be tentative to want to play. However, it is quite the contrary. Lacrosse, a game made up by Native Americans for war training, has often been called the fastest-growing sport in America. High school lacrosse programs are forming all over the country, and indoor games sell out across the continent. Due to its increasing popularity, it is natural that more boys and girls will be playing lacrosse in the coming years. Jeremy and Connor have 13 years of lacrosse experience between them, and they both have the same advice for a potential players — being persistent is crucial in achieving success in lacrosse. “Don’t give up on it because at first it’s really hard to get the hang of,” Jeremy said. “You pick up on it fairly quickly depending on how hard you work on it.” Connor has had similar experiences playing lacrosse and he advises younger players to take it seriously. “Don’t treat it lightly,” Connor said. “You have to work really hard to be good at it.” Lacrosse is truly a commitment of time and requires a full dedication to practicing and giving total effort in all aspects of the game. As grueling and exhausting as the sport is, those who play it at the level of the varsity team should not have to question their dedication to it. “If you don’t want to be out there, you’re not out there,” Connor said. —Andy Brown
Kicking up a storm
Boys varsity soccer moves toward thick of season
Soccer uniform, check. Game face, check. Will to win, check. With these necessities, the varsity boys soccer team is successfully playing through the season. Having done well last year with 19 wins, 6 losses, 2 ties and a trip to State, this year’s team has high expectations to meet. Guiding the team is head Hannah Kunz coach John Campbell. This is Passing the ball down the field, defender senior David his fifth year at Westlake and Lukert pushes past a Westwood player. Westlake won the his second year as the varsity game 4-0. The team’s current record is 9-1. “My favorite head coach. thing about soccer is being coached by Campbell,” David “This is a great place to said. “When we win a game, I feel normal because victory coach,” Campbell said. “We is nothing new to me.” get support not just from the student body, teachers and other coaches, but also the parents who play such a big part of what we do here. I have realized that as a coach here you have to be more supportive of the kids doing other things and extracurriculars like other UIL activities, Student Council and club soccer obligations. I have to be more flexible and not selfish and think team, team, team every day. That is probably a little different from other schools.” Making it to State is the team’s top priority. For players, concentrating on bettering their game plans, practices and scrimmages are important in improving their chances of winning State. In order to do that, a strong team is necessary. After the graduation of many strong players last year, the team faces the challenge of retaining its momentum on and off the field. “We lost a lot of seniors — 14 graduated — but we have seven returning starters,” Campbell said. “We have a strong core. What we lost, we replenished. The seniors are keen on continuing what we started last year and will be our foundation.”
Other players have also contributed to this year’s success. This year they have introduced Swiss foreign exchange student junior Philipp Blumer to the team. “It’s different than playing in Switzerland because we don’t have school teams, only club teams,” Philipp said. “Also, playing with Drumline and having Soccer Sweeties is a big motivation for every game. You’re not just playing for your team, it’s also for your school.” The boys play out their chemistry on the field during their early morning practices in order to sharpen their skills, individual strengths and teamwork. “We practice in the mornings, out in the stadium,” Campbell said. “It is cold. We do our routine stuff. We’ve been getting ready for the season and the boys are good at it. Mondays and Thursdays we train hard. Tuesdays and Fridays are game days so we have set plays and free kicks and corner kicks. Wednesday is our film day.” After a good showing at the Governor’s Cup in Georgetown, the Chaps are currently 9-1 heading into District play. “The sky is the limit with these guys,” Campbell said. “I believe we will get back to State. The boys are very unselfish and their chemistry is even better than last year’s, which is important. The pieces are all in place for the guys. I believe that we can win District and [then] go deep into the playoffs.” Following Campbell’s example and showing student leadership are team captains center defender senior Ryan Melde and goalie senior Buckley Willis. “I’m really excited to be selected with Buckley to lead the team this year,” Ryan said. “We had some great success last year and I hope our leadership will bring us another District title and another appearance in the State tournament. Hopefully this time we’ll win it all.” The team is very enthusiastic about the future, sporting positive attitudes and a good work ethic. For now, as they move toward the midst of the season, the boys will be keeping up with the black and white blur of the ball on the field and trying to score as many goals as they possibly can. —Mekala Keshu and Mia Cavazos
Goalden girls
As season comes to close, seniors lead the way for the team
A
s they play into the bulk of their season, the girls soccer players are happy with their hard work on the field. “The girls are working hard and have accepted every challenge I have presented,” head coach Rennie Rebe said. “With such a great attitude, we will continue to improve week to week.” So far, certain players on the teams have stepped up as leaders, helping with morale on and off the field. Senior Alex Perez is an attacking midfielder who has been playing for four years. She said she adores the game and her fellow players.
“All of my teammates through the past years have been the best and we have had a great time each season,” Alex said. Rebe became Alex’s new coach during her sophomore year. It was difficult at first for the girls to adjust, but they have accommodated quickly. “When Rebe first became our coach, it was really tough adjusting to her intense workouts, but in the end it made me a better player,” Alex said. “Our team is in best shape of our lives.” —Daisy Burgess For more on girls soccer seniors check out www.westlakefeatherduster.com
Theo Doucet
Midfielder senior Alex Perez outruns an Austin high defender to take control of the ball. “I hope we win our third consecutive District championship and get on the road to State,” Alex said. Westlake’s District record is 3-1.
brains + brawn
Studying cycle ne
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a
A cup labeled “MS-150” rests on chemistry teacher Denise DeMartino’s desk. Inside the container is a combination of pennies, dimes and quarters, all donated by students for her future 150-mile trek from Houston to Austin April 16-17 in a bicycle ride for Multiple Sclerosis. To a student, this is simply a jar of spare change, but to DeMartino, it represents a hard-fought battle against herself. “I have a change jar if students want to give pocket change, a few pennies here or there, like if a student comes back from the vending machine and they have a quarter they don’t know what to do with,” DeMartino said. “But I’m mostly depending on word of mouth to my family and friends for the money [to be able to raise the $400 to ride in the MS-150.] The most I’ve ever done is 90 miles, but this will be a two-day ride that is about 80 miles [each day] back-to-back. You spend the night and sleep on a cot in a tent with a bunch of
strangers, so that’ll be interesting.” Despite her newfound passion for cycling, DeMartino has not always dreamed of racing in the MS-150. In the past five years, she has had four knee surgeries, each followed by a period of forced rest. “I was incredibly active before [the surgeries],” DeMartino said. “It was high intensity, high impact exercise, along with a family history of arthritis, that led my knees to get messed up and [cause me to need] the surgeries, which was very hard. It was actually a really down time in my own personal life because exercise gives you adrenaline and the endorphins kick in, so it’s kind of a natural high I have always enjoyed. I got really depressed when I was unable to exercise, leading to a lot of weight gain. I gained 60 pounds after having to be sedentary, so [the biking] was definitely a needed change in my life.” One and a half years ago, her doctors
Before
In March 2009, chemistry teacher Denise DeMartino supervises a meeting of the Chemistry Club. Until summer 2009, she was not allowed to exercise because of successive knee surgeries.
After
DeMartino prepares her bicycle with her Austin Cycle Camp instructor, Dave Appel. She began bicycling last July, and since then has lost 60 pounds. DeMartino will be riding in the MS-150 from Houston to Austin April 16-17.
courtesy photo
Shea Wendlandt
decided she was finally healed and able to exercise again. Only this time, she was obliged to stick to low impact activity for her knees, leading her to begin classes on stationary bikes. “[The first day coming back] was very difficult,” DeMartino said. “It was hard physically, [and] I couldn’t even get through the spin class because it had been so long since I had last been allowed to be active. It was [also] humiliating because I’d always been very active and always the head of the class. So, it was a moment of humility where I had to swallow my pride. I had to go back and not be embarrassed and just jump back on that horse and try to improve.” Last July, after encouragement from friends and other riders, DeMartino purchased her first bicycle and began to ride. Although a novice, she has already completed several long-distance rides, including one from Austin to a concert in San Antonio. “Knowing that I rode to San Antonio made me incredibly proud that I could actually do that,” DeMartino said. “I’m from San Antonio, so I’d always drive that distance, but knowing that I could actually ride my bike to the house that I grew up in as a child was a really cool experience. I was thinking, ‘I’m not going to make it,’ but when I hit the outskirts of San Antonio, I started seeing things from my childhood, like the mall and where my mom is currently living. It was just so exciting to see all these places that I had known, but now, I was riding there. I loved pushing myself and seeing myself improve. It presents you with an unlimited number of challenges, and you can also be rewarded with a lot of personal achievement through the successes of different rides.” She has learned to apply these lessons of perseverance from cycling into her daily life. “I’ve learned that I tend to have negative talk in my head,” DeMartino said. “A lot of
Quotes from other cyclists
“
My boyfriend [Billy] is a
semiprofessional cyclist, so I ended up
fell — a lot. It was kind of fun actually. One of the activities Billy is involved with is called randonneuring. It’s a completely self-supported buying a bicycle and I
long distance ride. You would carry your own everything — your own food, own bottles of water, your own tires, everything. My goal is to be able to do
stereotype
200 kilometers
by 2012. I feel like I fit the [of a cyclist]: I’m quasi hipster, Austin youngster that has a job and a short haircut.” —physics teacher Madelyn Percy
died in 2000 from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis [a disease that affects the nerves and spinal cord]. We created Team Hanely cycling in honor of [Mark]. Team Hanely participates in the MS-150 each year. There are about 30 riders from Texas, Kansas, Illinois and Germany,
“
I ride in honor of my brother Mark. He
and only a few [of them] knew Mark. We do rides in the mountain passes in Colorado; they’re tion. “
beautiful. The Freemont Pass was a big one — 11,318 foot eleva—physics teacher David Hanely
times, I’m my own worst enemy. Going up a hill, I’ll stop myself before my body will. I’ve learned that it’s mainly a mental game. You want to get off the bike before your body needs to. For example, if you have an 80-mile ride and at mile 75, when you only have five left, that’s when you start hurting the most. It’s ridiculous — why do I hurt now? I only have five miles left. So, it’s learning to stop the negative talk, turn off the pain and just go; your body can do it. I’ve learned to be more positive in my own ability, and I think it has made other aspects of my life more positive.” Even though DeMartino was forced into biking due to weak knees and a series of surgeries, she has embraced her current sport as her passion. Cycling has helped turn DeMartino’s life around. “Since the start of cycling, I’ve lost 60 pounds,” DeMartino said. “I’m much happier, I’m not depressed and my knees don’t hurt. The loss of the weight alone has significantly helped with the knee pain. I’m just more confident, healthier and I have way more energy than [I’ve] ever had. Cycling has definitely changed my daily life by providing me with that energy.” —Hailey Cunningham
Multiple Sclerosis by the numbers The risk of the general population contract-
1 in 800. 200 Americans are diagnosed with MS
ing MS is
each week. Women are
70 percent more likely to
have MS than men.
1849. In 1936, only 8 percent of patients survived 20 years after the onset
MS was first diagnosed in
of illness. In 2002, a patient with MS could expect an average life expectancy of
seven years
less than the average person. The average age of diagnosis is
37.
strengths
Multiple
Chemistry teacher changes lifestyle, finds solace in cycling
Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that attacks the central nervous system.
Karen Montgomery sits with her husband, baseball coach and English teacher Jeff Montgomery. Jeff and Karen have been married for 16 years. “She’s a really tough person,” Jeff said. “Sometimes she even has me fooled about what she can and what she shouldn’t do.” courtesy photo
While coping with incurable disease, wife of faculty member finds silver lining There are 250,000 to 350,000 people suffering from Multiple Sclerosis in the United States. One morning 10 years ago, Karen Montgomery, wife of baseball coach and English teacher Jeff Montgomery, became one of those people. After waking up temporarily paralyzed from the chest down, Karen’s life changed forever. She was rushed to the hospital where she underwent extensive tests, and the doctors informed her of the diagnosis. “[I was] dumbfounded,” Karen said. “I didn’t even know what MS was. On my way to get my second MRI, I prayed and asked God if I had MS, and a small voice in my head said ‘yes.’ A sense of peace came over me, and I said, ‘Alright, let’s go.’” After enduring weeks of being wheelchair-bound, Karen regained movement in her lower body and was able to walk again. Now, although her courage and optimism have proved to be enormous assets, Karen can’t avoid the physical tolls that MS has taken on her body. MS causes the immune system to attack the myelin sheath that coats the nerves, essentially deteriorating the sheath and creating lesions that cause the muscles to “short circuit.” This triggers chronic pain and discomfort that Karen compares to “a flame
being held under my feet.” Her medications include a once-a-day shot and the experimental drugs Tysabri and Gilenya. “My biggest issue is fatigue,” Karen said. “It plagues me every day. MS likes to mess with my legs and balance. I can look quite comical when walking down a hall or turning a corner too quickly.” Karen’s diagnosis of MS has forced her to make adjustments to her lifestyle that not only directly affect her, but her family as well. “Sometimes the kids forget she has limitations,” Jeff said. “They’ll ask to do something or go somewhere that might be beyond what she is capable of that day. Sometimes I also fall into the same assumptions. She is very tough, sometimes to the point of actually trying to take MS on by herself. She views it as something she will have to deal with for the rest of her life, so she might as well do something constructive with it.” Karen draws strength from both tangible and spiritual aspects of her life. “My biggest inspiration is God and meeting him in daily prayer and scripture,” Karen said. “Jeff is also my greatest cheerleader and helps me see the comedy in my daily trials. Laughter is the best medicine. Every
{ westlakefeatherduster.com }
day is a gift and I try to do my best to make the most of it, because eventually the disease will get the better of me. I plan on putting that off as much as possible.” Despite the struggles, Karen’s illness has only strengthened her bond between her and her husband. “Karen is constantly giving in spite of her predicament,” Jeff said. “She has raised two of the coolest kids on the planet and attained her degree from Texas State [despite her condition.] She is constantly serving as a youth leader for Shift at Promise Land West. Our house is constantly in order. Not once has she blamed God or lost faith. I thought I knew what love was the day we were married, but I’m finding out more and more that the more stuff we go through, the more I love her each and every day.” Instead of bringing her down, the changes in Karen’s life have instilled within her an unyielding philosophy that she lives by. “Slow down and take time to notice the little things in life,” Karen said. “Appreciate the people around you and let them know that. My favorite quote is from Maya Angelou: ‘People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’” —Hillary Hurst
brains + brawn
21
Amateur boxer steps out of comfort zone, tackles challenges in sport
t
Lord of the
ring
wo contenders, violent determination, a blur of muscle. One opponent strikes. A swift thud, a serious blow, another permanent blood stain. When junior Enrique Gomez first opened the door and stepped into Lord’s Boxing Gym six months ago, for all he knew, he was about to walk onto the set of a Rocky movie. “I never really liked sports growing up,” Enrique said. “But my friend [junior Trevor Thackston] and I were joking about the idea of signing up for a mixed martial arts sport, and we found this amazing gym called Lord’s Boxing Gym. So we went there, checked it out, and we liked it. I never really knew what boxing was until five months ago when I looked at the gym. It’s a really amazing sport.” Immediately, Enrique found motivation in his new surroundings. “There have been world champions who have gone through there,” Enrique said. “The first day, I remember I was there checking the place out, and I saw a lightweight champion in the room sparring. That was just so amazing how fast he could be, and that motivated me.” Nathan Kallison
At Lord’s Boxing Gym, junior Enrique Gomez spars, practicing the combinations he’s learned. Enrique signed up with his friend junior Trevor Thackston and is currently working towards his goal of joining a league. “I’m still learning the basics,” Enrique said. “I haven’t learned too many [different combinations] because I want to perfect the useful ones I do
Although he was inexperienced in sports, Enrique quickly learned that boxing is a sport he had to meet head-on. “At first, I would get hit, and I would look away because I was afraid of getting hit again,” Enrique said. “That’s the worst thing you can do because when you look away, you’re going to get hit again.” Enrique began practicing at Lord’s Boxing Gym every day for an hour and a half doing ab work outs, lifting weights and jumping rope. Soon, Enrique began to tackle one of his biggest challenges. “When I started, I weighed 85 pounds,” Enrique said. “I have a really high metabolism, so I never gained weight, and I never worked out, so there wasn’t any muscle. When I started working out, I gained something like 15 pounds in three months. I’m at 100 pounds. I don’t want to be that guy, but I’ve gotten more muscle. [Now] I have to gain 20 pounds, and that’s the toughest thing I need to do right now. 120 pounds is featherweight. That’s what I need to be at to do [competitions].” His commitment to boxing and desire to improve compelled Enrique to join another sport in school. “You need to be constantly moving to avoid getting hit, whether you sidestep a punch or you duck,” Enrique said. “Before it got really tough, I was running in the morning, [but] that was just getting too extreme. I stopped doing that, and I noticed I wasn’t getting any faster, so I signed up for track. Right now I’m the slowest runner out of everyone. I come in dead last in every drill. But I think it’s helping.” Throughout his athletic endeavors, Enrique has gained both instruction and encouragement from his coaches, who have had a strong impact on his life. “I’ve learned everything from a variety of coaches who work there,” Enrique said. “They teach me everything from tightening up my stomach to just basic knowledge. I think my main coach, Richard Lord, who is the owner of the gym, inspires me the most because he’s 60 years old right now, and he used to [box] when he was a lot younger. I think that inspires me, because he’s spent the majority of his life boxing. That motivates me to keep going for maybe that long. [My goals are to] keep training hard and eventually get into a league.” Like most people, Enrique’s parents had the misconception that boxing is an overly dangerous activity. “[My parents] don’t like me getting hit,” Enrique said. “My mom supports [my boxing] completely, but my dad doesn’t want me getting [hurt]. He doesn’t like beating people up and stuff. But everyone in the gym is really friendly. No one is out to get you or anything like that. There are no rivalries or anything. And the worst I’ve seen is a bloody nose.” When Enrique entered Lord’s Boxing Gym five months ago, he was uncertain what he would find. Instead of a scene from the Rocky movies, however, he discovered a new passion. “Boxing is more than just hitting another guy senseless,” Enrique said. “It’s hard work. You need to train every part of your body. It’s not something where you can be like, ‘Oh, I can just hit this bag a lot and it will make me better.’ You have to take the time, and you need to know your different punches. It’s actually getting up in the ring and remembering all the miles you’ve run and all the times you’ve hit the pad.” —Zelda Mayer
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Blahhh d Silk usoleil C
photo by Karen Scott
ome one, come all! What you are about to witness is nothing less than magical! For this next act, senior Paul Zuker will use only several yards of stretchy fabric, spandex and his death-defying skill to confound both gravity and imagination. It’s a sight sure to amaze and inspire audiences of any age! Paul’s backyard looks nothing like a circus ring. Except for the long expanse of silk on the swivel attached to a chain which runs from the roof of his garage to a sturdy tree, some 15 to 20 feet from the ground, this could be a place to barbecue or play Frisbee. Paul’s hobby, however, requires a little more versatility. “[Silking] demonstrates hyper-flexibility and endurance,” Paul said. “It’s intended to be an artform. Like dance, it’s supposed to be graceful.” Aerial contortion, or “silking,” is the art of climbing to, contorting at and dropping oneself from great heights with the aid of nothing but a long stretch of fabric, which is wrapped tightly, in various twists, about the body. “In the beginning it’s extremely painful,” Paul said. “[But] you get used to it.” A high tolerance for pain is the first of many traits needed to become an aerial contortionist. One of the more obvious of the necessary skills is the ability to contort. “It came naturally to me,” Paul said. “I could already do a lot of the stretching because I’m almost a natural front-bending contortionist.” Paul spends about an hour every day stretching in order to keep himself limber enough to twist his body into the right shape. This routine includes the front splits, back-bending to the point of touching his feet to his head and putting his foot behind his head. In addition to flexibility, one needs a lot of upper body strength in order to climb and hold the weight of one’s own body while posing or wrapping the silk. Paul takes classes once a week taught by Chelsea Laumen, where he is learning the vast array of drops and positions which will ultimately become choreographed sequences, made famous by circus performers.
“I saw the Varekai show years ago when it toured Austin,” Paul said. “I can’t remember why, but at the end of this summer it was definitely just a spur of the moment, ‘Yeah, I need to learn something ridiculous. Right now.’” Recently, his classes moved to a new venue, which was a relief for Paul in more ways than one. “[The new location] is actually indoors so we’re not victims of the weather,” Paul said. “[The old place] was at a theater on Manor Road. Every time we had class, the actors would rehearse and the women would gather outside on their breaks to smoke and stare at us.” Although he’s only been training for about five months, Paul has his own rig, the chain and swivel which hold the silk, at home — a combined Christmas and birthday gift from his parents. They have been surprisingly supportive of their son’s new perilous pass time. “My dad encourages it,” Paul said. “He’s the one who helped me set up my home rig. My mom is absolutely terrified and actively avoids watching me. My brother wishes he could [silk], but all he can do is climb up and down. Thus we have about 10 ropes hanging in the backyard for him.” Although silking is clearly not for everyone, Paul encourages people to consider it, if only as a new experience. “If you enjoy strenuous exercise, [you should] definitely try it, as long as you understand the risks,” Paul said. Hazardous though it may be, silking has given Paul the ability to be more comfortable with himself, both physically and psychologically. “I started off being really afraid of heights,” Paul said. “Now, on the rig, I’m completely comfortable.” Although he doesn’t have any plans of pursuing a career in the performing arts, Paul hopes to continue silking no matter what he ends up doing for a living. Besides, he has an ace up his sleeve. “I like to think that if I ever flunk out of college, I’ll still be able to be put on public display in the circus,” Paul said. “That’s the back-up plan.” —Hetty Borinstein
Caught in the 1
2
Nathan Kallison
3
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Nathan Kallison
Outreaching her opponent, junior Jaimie Grace wins the opening tip-off. With many players sidelined from injuries and other issues, the short-handed Chaps fought hard at home against their division opponent, Akins, but came up short, losing 54-62. “This was a rebuilding year for our team,” Jaimie said. “We feel good about next season.” Their record was 10-21.
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Barrett Wilson
At District swimming Jan. 22, freshman John Savage swims the 200-yard freestyle at the University of Texas Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center. John placed seventh in preliminaries and eighth in finals. Seniors Reed Snyder and Eric Dirvin and junior Paul Corbae advanced from the Regional meet and went on to compete in the State championship Feb. 18.
In a back-and-forth battle, senior Richmond Howard takes down his Cedar Park opponent. “This season was awesome,” Richmond said. “We placed in several tournaments even with less than half of a varsity lineup. For the first time ever, we won our dual meet against our biggest rival, Bowie.” Freshman Ryan Elswick and senior Trevor Hershey advanced to the State tournament Feb. 25.
{action}
A sample of sports moments from this winter, spring
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Barrett Wilson
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Barrett Wilson
Shea Wendlandt
Warming up for the Westlake tournament, sophomore Stephanie Wong throws a softball. “I love our team this year because we have lots of talent and really click,” Stephanie said. With a 1-0 start after a win over Westwood, the girls are looking forward to a successful season. Westlake’s record is 3-4.
Sophomore Will Morse drives to the basket during the second half of the game against Anderson Jan. 25. Will was the leading scorer with 19 points. “We felt pretty good winning the Anderson game because it was a District game and it was a good start,” Will said. Varsity’s overall record this season was 12-20 and its District record was 2-8.
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Utilizing her short-game skills at the Jimmy Clay tournament Feb. 18-19, senior Haley Haught focuses on her precision and technique. “We won by 34 strokes over Allen, the team that we were most worried about,” Haley said. “All five of us played well, and together we pulled out another win. I am looking forward to preparing for State in May. We are going to stay focused and keep pushing each other to be the best we can be.”
brains + brawn
H
e r o e s
In a time of introspection, we must acknowledge our mentors and how they have influenced us. In moments of discouragement, hardship and darkness, we look to them for guidance and wisdom. They help us discover ourselves and the things we are capable of. In return, we have the ability to guide and affect others’ lives and become heroes ourselves. Whether it be a grandmother who strove to give her family a better life, a man who cut his own arm off to survive, or even a famous race horse who inspired his number one fan, these are the ones who make a difference in our lives.
These are our heroes.
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Grandmother’s journey as a single mother raising seven children inspires sophomore
Ho Choi near the time she got married. She lived in Hong Kong at this time and was in her late 20s. The Lau family two years before the birth of Ho Choi. Family portraits were very costly at this point in time. This is the closest to an entire family photo that they ever had.
courtesy photos
“My hero is Justin Bieber. His hair is an inspiration to mine.” —freshman Sam DeWolfe
“My role models are Jose and Fausto Elhuyar, the two brothers who discovered tungsten, the most amazing element ever.” —sophomore Irene Kuang
magine a world of misery. You are starving to death, and you live in fear of attack and rape. Maybe things will get better. You dream of a better life with your family and money as you fall asleep on the cold ground of your family’s home. Home used to be a small village in China. A tight community where everybody was well acquainted with everyone else. Your name is Ho Choi; you were born the middle child of your four brothers and sisters. Seven years later, your father died. You barely remember him, but you’ll never forget how his death changed your life. Your life became a terrifying journey that you remember every bit of, as if it were happening to you now. You remember the pain of starvation, the loss of family and the sadness of life itself. You remember seeing your hopes and dreams disappear as you desperately tried to hold your family together. The year is 1921. Your father has just died, and you find your family faced with a frightening situation. Left with very little money, your family cannot support itself. You are forced into a basket weaving job along with your siblings as your food supply dwindles. Some days when the basket business is slow, you don’t eat for the night. You and your family begin to slowly starve to death. Your older brother hears of a happier place in Hong Kong. He travels there to see if it is safe. After he checks it out, your family of six moves there, hoping for a new life of success and happiness. After getting settled into your new home, you are put to work at a shoe factory as your family still struggles financially. The job is stable, but it takes all of your time. You’re a teenager now, but you are illiterate as a result of needing to support your family. The year is 1941, and the Japanese begin invading Hong Kong. It is World War II. The Japanese are brutal. China is in chaos, and you and your family frantically hide. Soon enough, there is no more food. The streets are covered with starved, hollow bodies, some with their heads sliced off
“My mom [is my hero] because she is the strongest woman I know. She never gives up and always looks on the bright side. She thinks of other people before herself, sometimes too much. She is my rock and my best friend.” —junior Mika Odom
“Buddha is my hero because he’s the only person in the world that was able to teach full enlightenment. Teenagers could really benefit from a healthy perspective.” —senior Callie Brice
A true
ich
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as a result of Japanese soldiers making a friendly contest out of counting the heads of the people they have slaughtered. Your older brother has just been captured by the Japanese. One of your younger sisters has set off to different provinces in search of a better life. You have not heard back from her. You are unaware that you never will. You wake up one day, staring into the eyes of your dead mother. She died in her sleep due to starvation and weakness. You’d drifted into sleep with her lying beside you, breathing soft and even breaths. You wake to the cold presence of death. You and your siblings don’t have enough money to bury your mother, so you wrap her in a cloth and put her on the side of the road. Guilt washes over you as this is the only way you are able to send her off. In order to get money for food, you walk 15 miles to the new territory where you can get fresh vegetables. After another 15 miles back home, you sell the vegetables and buy more food for you and your siblings. It’s a daily routine of getting up at four in the morning and arriving back home at 10 at night. Sometimes you hear the sirens of the Japanese. Desperately you rub dirt onto your face, trying to conceal yourself so maybe they won’t notice you. You duck and cover for hours on end, terrified. If you were on your way back from the new territory, your fresh vegetables go bad as they rot in the sun. When you feel safe enough to continue your journey home, you arrive with your rotted vegetables and are unable to sell them. You turn sideways and disappear as you begin to cry. Finally the United States sends a nuclear bomb to Japan, making the Japanese draw out of the war. Hope is restored, and you are introduced to a man. His face is covered in scars from a case of smallpox in his youth. You go on three dates with him and then get married. You give birth to seven healthy children. Your husband has created
a company that mimics fashionable clothes with cheaper fabric; your life is finally turning around. Only to be crushed again. Your husband dies of tuberculosis two years after the birth of your seventh child. Your husband’s business partner cheats you out of the company’s profits. You are still illitMonica at six years old with Ho Choi learning about her culture and erate and cannot sustain a sporting her new silk threads on her first visit to China. job, so you decide to withdraw from the company and buy two apartments to rent out. After dividing the apartments into three sections each, you and your kids share one third of an apartment. They sleep on sheets of wood. Your seven kids attend school financially aided by the government. You carefully save up the rent paid by the occupants of your apartments to pay for a ticket to America and a semester of college for your oldest son. He becomes successful, and your other children follow. They adapt to different cultures and branch out into their own families. They ensure a better life for their children than the life they lived and the life you lived. You are 92-years-old now, you can no longer walk, and you’ve lost all your teeth. I don’t speak Chinese, and I rarely ever see you. However, I live a wonderful life because you strived for a better future. You are brave. You are loving. You are strong. You are my grandmother, and you are my hero. —Monica Tan
“My hero is Britney Spears because she is very innovative.” —freshman Jaqueline Patterson
“[My hero is] Lady Gaga because she’s such an inspiration. The way she can sing, write music, dance and perform is simply like no other. In my opinion, no other artist is as close to their fans as she is. She gives everyone someone to look up to.” —junior Hayden Warzek
“[My hero is] my grandfather, Norman Lasker, because he helped perfect the dialysis process.” —sophomore Julia Zachary
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“Mariano Rivera is my hero because he showed me that real talent comes from the heart.” —senior Jackson Bennett
people + places
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Who is your superhero? “My favorite superhero is Superman because he can fly, lift boulders into the sky and squirt fire out of his eyes.” —freshman Blair Brown
9.52%
5.62%
Spider-Man
Captain America
Wolverine
Green Lantern
Wonder Woman
Iron Man
Hulk
Superman
Batman
“Raven from Teen Titans is my favorite superhero because she can move things with her mind and has her own unique identity which she doesn’t change for anyone.” —sophomore Christine Meyer
54 51 48 45 Favorite 42 Superheroes 39 36 33 30 27 24 21 18 15 12 9 6 17.31% 9.09% 5.19% 10.82% 9.52% 11.25% 21.64% 3 0
graph by Marco Scarasso
The survey represents 231 students’ opinions on who their favorite superhero is.
Got game?
Ping-pong lessons become life lessons
“E
verything I’ve needed to know in life, I learned from ping-pong!” These words were odd coming from a woman as old as my grandmother. She seemed an unlikely sportsman, not even five feet tall, yet her demeanor and stance hinted that she was more than met the eye. In time, I learned that this woman had much to teach me, but all I could do then was marvel at the shocking vitality of my newly assigned tutor. The summer before my senior year, I was selected for the 27th Research Science Institute hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which I found both exhilarating and terrifying. I flew to Boston feeling apprehensive about visiting an unfamiliar place. During the opening convocation, the president of the Center for Excellence in Education and other distinguished guests spoke, and then the staff was introduced. The last staff member was a petite woman in an ethnic dress, the origin of which I could not identify. She was introduced as “Dr. Jenny Sendova, the RSI’s undisputed ping-pong champion.” I thought it was an inside joke. The ceremony ended and the students reported to their first tutoring session. We were divided by field; chemists were assigned to one tutor, biologists to another, and the computer scientists: we got Jenny. In our first tutoring session, Jenny, in thickly-accented English, described herself as “a lover of languages and a lover of ping-pong.” She had us write our names on the board in English, in our native tongue, and in as many other languages as we could. She explained that in her home country of Bulgaria, in addition to earning a PhD in computer science, she played ping-pong on the national team. She competed around the globe and won international fame for many years as one of the world’s best players. This news astonished me. If someone had pointed Jenny out to me on the street and told me that she had been a professional ping-pong player, I would have thought
Senior Matthew Chang found an unexpected mentor who taught him how to perservere through life’s struggles through the game of ping pong. Sidney Hollingsworth
“Taylor Swift [is my hero] because even with all her fame she still is a good role model, and she writes all her music which is something I respect.” —freshman Rebecca Prideaux
“My hero is Kyle Orton. He’s been through a lot of adversity, and he finally found his stride.” —sophomore Keyur Mehta
that some sort of trick was being played on me. After introductions were over and Jenny had described how we would be conducting research for the next six weeks, it was time for important business — the ping-pong tournament. Now I must relate my personal history with ping-pong. It has always been “my” sport. From a young age, I played with my dad, who is an excellent player, for hours during the summers on the table in our garage. Occasionally, during my lunch period at Westlake, someone would challenge me to a match on our school’s tables. I would never lose. The prospect of utilizing my ping-pong skills at RSI brought a smile to my face. During my free time before the tournament, I would visit the ping-pong table, where I always found Jenny teaching a student how to either play ping-pong or write a scientific paper. The times when I found Jenny alone, she invited me to play with her. Of course, I was no competition for the veteran. Occasionally I would hit a shot that caught her off guard and win a point, after which I could see her eyes light up with the joy that comes only from one’s truest passion. However, the play is not what kept me coming back to the table. While we played, we talked. Jenny taught me how lessons learned from ping-pong apply to life. She told me things such as, “Matthew, don’t back away when I’m playing an attack; hit through the ball! You can’t back down from a challenge!” and, “Don’t play an attack too early; you have to wait for your opportunities, then commit to the shot. Focus, don’t hesitate!” Away from the table, Jenny taught me the ins and outs of writing scientific articles. No matter what she had to edit, no matter how perfect it seemed, it would come back looking like someone had spilled red paint all over it. When the ping-pong tournament finally came around I made it to the finals easily, where I was matched against Wenyu Cao, International Math Olympian Gold Medalist. After losing the first match of the best of three, I thought that I could not overcome my formidable opponent. I quickly reprimanded myself for such negative thinking — Jenny had taught me that I should never give up, that in ping-pong and in life, any deficit can be overcome. Remembering my training enabled me to rally and send the last ball flying past my opponent to win the championship. As RSI was drawing to a close and I was saying goodbye to Jenny, she gave me one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received: a trophy from the 1989 Bulgarian National Championship. She had signed it, “To a magnificent student and ping-pong player.” Since my experience at RSI, Dr. Jenny Sendova has served as my role model and inspiration. Her career as a computer science academic and a professional ping-pong player serves as an example of what one person can do with the right motivation. Jenny taught me that no matter what kind of spin life hits at me, I can return any ball if I focus hard and commit to my shot. —Matthew Chang
“My hero is my older brother because he was able to get his pilot’s license despite having a chronic illness that could have set him back.” —junior Claire Herlin
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“My hero is Mother Teresa because she devoted her whole self to serving the poor and restored dignity to those dying in the streets of Calcutta. Selflessness is beautiful and the basis of being heroic. She represented all that I hope to be one day.” —senior MT Larochelle
people + places
33
AND
HELL
HIGH WATER
Boys basketball coach Tres Ellis helps his father reach goal of swimming Yucatan Channel to promote coral reef preservation
Paul Ellis, father of varsity boys basketball coach Tres Ellis, swims from Cozumel to Cancun along the Yucatan Channel in order to support coral reef preservation efforts. He trained for two years in preparation for this mission.
courtesy photo
T
he water was pitch black. The night seemed to be pressing in on his eyes as he squinted to see what was below the watery depths that he was about to plunge into. He hesitantly shifted his weight from foot to foot. This is what it was all leading up to. This is what years of intensive training and preparation had been for. Biting his lip, he looked back into the encouraging faces of his friends and family. They had worked so hard to see him follow through with his goal. He thought of his grandchildren. This was for them. Pushing aside his fears, without a second glance, 61-year-old Paul Ellis dove into the sea. Paul, father of head basketball coach Tres Ellis, embarked on a mission that he had envisioned for himself seven years prior — a mission he hoped would change the way people looked at the world around them. A passionate scuba diver and environmental activist, Paul set his sights on swimming the Yucatan Channel between Cozumel and Cancun in order to raise awareness about the necessity of coral reef preservation. “Nothing on earth, under the sea or on land, is more intrinsically beautiful than the coral reefs,” Paul said. “Every effort to preserve this miraculous example of nature’s handiwork is in keeping with the highest values of human endeavor. As much as 30 percent of all sea life depends directly on the survival of the reef systems. We take care of what we love, and this is the reason I work on the reefs. To see the reef is to love it, and this is the first important step in conservation efforts: to love the world in which we all live.” Paul’s fervor for underwater wildlife was sparked as a young man when he began to experiment with the new sensation of scuba diving. Paul included his wife and three sons in his underwater expeditions, making it a family affair. “The sport of scuba diving had barely been invented when I was a child,” Paul said. “Jacques Cousteau is generally credited with the first commercially adapted equipment, which made diving available to the public. [Through diving,] I found myself more appreciative of the natural world, and my spirituality was sensitized to a new level by watching how all the creatures adapted to their environment in such an imaginative way.” However, with his frequent dives, Paul could not overlook the fact that the reefs were “My hero is my dad because we have always had a good relationship, and he has taken good care of me and has taught me a lot.” —freshman John Paul Dillow
becoming threatened by human-induced the Yucatan Channel at age 59 failed. Due to factors such as pollution and ship trafficking. the low pressure system suspended over the The destruction of the underwater environnorthern Yucatan Peninsula, the unfavorable ments, mainly caused by an increase of conditions caused the wind and waves to push carbon dioxide in the water, is resulting in the against Paul in his efforts to swim through the deterioration of the most genetically diverse ruthless sea. habitat in the world. “It was something like climbing a moun“One day, 20 years after I had started tain in avalanche season,” Paul said. “I knew this amazing sport, I returned to the Caribafter three hours [that] we were not going to bean Sea, where my underwater journey had make it, but I told my boys to tell me when 11 begun,” Paul said. “When I had first seen this hours had passed, so when I had to stop, no place, clouds of fish made an outline around one could ever say I was not ready physically.” my body, sea fans and soft coral waved graceDespite the unfavorable conditions, giving fully in the ocean currents and colors of every up was never an option. As Tres recalled, “it hue and shade sparkled in the diamond-clear was unfinished business.” This time, with a water. And then 20 years later, I saw what two-year gap in between the first and second humans had wrought upon such an abundant attempt, Paul continued his training more proof of nature’s power and grace. I am not vigorously then ever, now taking into account ashamed to say that tears fell as I climbed the weather as well as other factors he had back onto the boat, and I resolved to do whatencountered. ever I could personally do to educate myself In August of 2004, at the age of 61 Paul first, then others, of the great costs we were all gave the swim another try. But before he even paying in losing the natural world.” set foot in the water, his publicity skyrocketed Motivated by the in the U.S., Cozurapid depletion of beyond. Really, [my dad] did not do the mel“Iand the reefs, Paul first had a CNN swim for himself, he did it for the interview [the day hatched the idea of his ambitious swim at before the swim] at betterment of others. That selfthe age of 54, abruptly 8 a.m. which lessness really is what a hero is to about presenting the idea to went worldwide,” me.” his sons in the middle Paul said. “I then of a University of Texas — head basketball coach Tres Ellis went on local TV men’s basketball game. and dedicated my “I thought it was a little far-fetched,” Paul’s swim to all the people of Cozumel who had middle son, Tres, said. “He said, ‘I’m going helped me throughout the training. It was to swim from Cozumel to Cancun,’ and I was great because the goal of the swim was to like, ‘That’s a long swim, Dad.’ I really didn’t reach one million people with news about the expect it to be a real deal. But before you coral reefs. So, in a big way, I reached my goal know it, he had started the training for six before I ever touched the water.” months.” Since the swim was to commence at 2 a.m., He read books, underwent swim instrucPaul went to bed at 3 p.m., keeping hydrated, tion under the watchful eye of a U.S. Olympic well fed and rested for the long day ahead. coach and two Olympic swimmers, learned Shortly after midnight, Paul awoke and began about ideal nutrition and became a regular at to prepare himself for the swim he hoped Barton Springs where he swam for miles at a would impact the world. time. “The ride to the pier was a little surreal,” “Often people would look slightly askance Paul said. “I suppose there was some little at a person my age starting such a project, but part of my mind that wanted to stop when I I hasten to add that in all the years and thoulooked out over the black water.” sands of miles I swam, not one person ever Paul was greeted by a crowd of family, told me to quit or said that it was impossible,” friends and locals who had gathered to see Paul said. “I think that the positive feedback him off. Although pleased to see so many I received was one of the best benefits I got there to support him, Paul sat for a moment, from the mission and reinforced my belief hoping to calm his nerves and collect his that people everywhere are looking for suffithoughts. He then stood and with a wave to cient reasons to take their lives to new levels.” the crowd and a shout of “I’ll see you on the Despite the meticulous training and other side,” Paul stepped off the ramp and research, Paul’s first attempt at swimming dove into the water.
“[My hero is] James Baker. No explanation needed.” —sophomore Jacob Zodikoff
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“My hero is Kat Nash who plays for the University of Texas basketball team because she is a great role model for people not only in basketball, but in the community as well.” —junior Madison Bennett
“My hero is Alexis Jones, the founder of I am That Girl, because she took hold of her own future and made a career out of promoting respect for women all over the world.” —senior Masha Romanova
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However, Paul would not be left alone in it, I was a bit of an emotional wreck,” Paul his mission. For the duration of the swim, he said. “I remember being very grateful that this was flanked by three boats that would assist meaningful event had been accomplished, not him if anything should go awry. One boat held so much by me as by everyone involved.” a few Mexican Navy Seals who would overlook Upon reaching the shore, 14 hours after the whole expedition in case of an emergency. leaving Cozumel, Paul was joined in the shalAnother boat held Paul’s sons Tres, Colin and low waters by his family and friends who were Paul Matthew, as well as a medic. Paul folall basking in his glow during the moment of lowed the route charted by the primary “captriumph. This feat triggered the domino eftain” boat that plotted the course and read the fect that resulted in Paul moving to Cozumel, currents. Although secured by a solid support where he currently resides, to continue to team, Paul still had to mentally prepare himpromote reef preservation. self for the difficult task ahead. “I have spent the past three years build“I had the swim planned into three stages,” ing the relationships necessary to effect the Paul said. “I figured that if I kept things manchange required to create a learning center ageable, I would not think about the whole here on the island,” Paul said. “I have intelthing all at the same time and be overwhelmed lectual partnerships with the local and state by its totality.” government, the state Paul’s first portion university and comIt was two hours into of the swim was community leaders. We are pleted pretty smoothly the second stage that my preparing the business — he coasted through thoughts turned to quitting. I plan in order to raise most of it on six-foot the money required to waves that continuous- was so small and the sea was accomplish the goals of ly guided him forward our non-profit organizaso big...Fortunately, no one through water. Then as tion, Swim for the Reef, would listen to me.” the morning dawned, Inc. [Its goal] is to help —Paul Ellis educate the world about he was greeted by the rising sun and the tune the necessity of the of the Beatles classic preservation of this ab“Here Comes the Sun” blaring from one of the solutely indispensable living system we know following boats. This began the second stage as the coral reefs.” of his swim. Paul’s passion and achievement trans“We hit some big water that pounded me formed into a life-altering mentality as the for hours,” Paul said. “I got really sick and way he looked at the world expanded to vomited what I had been eating and drinking encomduring brief respites when one of the team pass what would swim out and bring me some food. It changes he was two hours into the second stage that my could really thoughts turned to quitting. I was so small make for and the sea was so big. At the top of the waves the sake of I could actually see a beach on the mainland, the planet. and I told the boys to get me to the beach as “Find a quickly as possible, to hell with Cancun. ‘At way — your least we would have crossed from the island to way — to the mainland,’ I reasoned. Fortunately, no one make a would listen to me.” positive difUpon hearing Paul’s exhausted thoughts of ference in courtesy photos giving up, Tres swam out to join Paul and prothe world vided some words of encouragement and suparound port. Although exasperated, Paul continued on you,” Paul said. “There are infinite roads with six hours to go until he reached Cancun. to take, but they all come from the same This duration of the swim was composed of source, and they are all going to the same open sea with no current and no push, alplace. The most important thing of all is to lowing Paul to “learn what endless means.” love your life, for only through our sense of However, hours later, the shore was in sight, wonder can we fully appreciate others and and Paul was in for the homestretch. the world around us.” “By the time I knew we were going to make —Hillary Hurst
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“[My hero is] Aaron Peirsol, because he is a good swimmer and I look up to him for his hard work and dedication.” —freshman David Doyal
“My hero is Martin Luther King Jr. because I believe that it is really important to stand up for what you believe in.” —sophomore Sarah French
Join a cause to get involved The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) The Cousteau Society Earth Day Network Earthjustice Greenpeace Natural Resource Defense Council (NDRC) The Nature Conservancy The Oceanic Conservation Organization (OCO) Planetary Coral Reef Foundation (PCRF) Waterkeeper Alliance
“My hero is Rachel Carson, a marine biologist and author of Silent Spring. I admire how she became a scientist in a time when it was unacceptable for a woman to pursue that path.” —junior Allison Hooks
Celebrating with friends and family, Paul Ellis finally reaches Cancun after 14 hours in the water. Braving the open sea, Paul Ellis swims on as one of his three security boats carefully monitors his progress.
“Yelawolf [is my hero] because his rap songs relate to my lifestyle.” —senior Lane Scarborough
Horsesense How an unlikely hero changed my life
“Madison Scott had never watched a Thoroughbred horse race prior to June 5, 2004,” is how The Blood-Horse (a national racing magazine) article about me began. “However, she decided to watch [that day, and] that decision changed her life.” It was all a whirlwind from there. June 5, 2004 was the day the undefeated and famed colt Smarty Jones made his run at history, attempting to become the first horse in 25 years to claim racing’s biggest prize, the Triple Crown. He came heartbreakingly close. After leading the grueling mile-and-a-half race through incredibly quick fractions, Smarty was worn down in the stretch by 36-1 long-shot Birdstone. Thirty-three million watched as the two colts crossed the wire, separated by only a few feet. The wrong horse had won, and everyone knew. Even 10-year-old me knew. Despite having never so much as noticed a horse race, I completely fell for this little chestnut colt. From then on, I devoured all the knowledge I could about Smarty Jones and the Sport of Kings. It wasn’t long before I began to learn a bit more about his captivating past. Before Smarty went into training, his would-be trainer, the man who suggested his breeding, was murdered. Smarty was one of only two horses in the stable his owners decided to keep, as they wanted to get out of the game after the tragic death. In the summer of 2003, the horse nearly died by rearing up and banging into the metal starting gate, fracturing his skull. It was amazing that Smarty was able to race at all, let alone achieve the tremendous success he did. Then Smarty retired on Aug. 2, 2004 from bone bruising in all four legs. He was sent to Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Kentucky, where he would stand at stud for the price of $100,000 per foal. That’s when I became involved in the breeding industry and began sending fan mail. I wrote dozens of letters to Three Chimneys, drew pictures and composed songs and emails, sending them all to Smarty. I received responses nearly every time and even a few pieces of memorabilia from the prestigious stud farm. As I grew older, my letters became more mature and less frequent, as there wasn’t much happening between the four years that Smarty retired and his progeny began racing. But once his 88 foals hit the track for the first time in the summer of 2008, I started sending weekly updates about his foals running across the globe. The people at Three Chimneys were impressed by the amount of knowledge a 14-year-old teenage girl had about racing, a sport with an older fan base. In August, I received my first letter from Patricia Chapman, Smarty’s owner. Chapman had been contacted by Three Chimneys in regards to me, and we began corresponding. In March of 2009, I received a call from the farm, inviting me on an all-expense paid vacation to meet Smarty “Jake Bitting is the best big brother I’ve ever had, and that’s why he’s my hero. He just loves me so much.” —freshman Maddie Bitting
“My hero is [Paula] Creamer, because she inspires me to play better golf every day and wear pink with pride.” —sophomore Jessica Grooms
courtesy photo
After sending hundreds of letters and fan mail, Madison finally received the opportunity to visit her hero and his owner. Petting Smarty Jones is not open to the public, so it was a privilege. and his owner. In July of 2009, I met Smarty and spent the best week of my life on a VIP trip through the Bluegrass, exploring Kentucky’s Thoroughbred breeding industry with some of the top people in the business. To put it simply, the week I spent running around the Bluegrass was the greatest I’ve ever had, and meeting Smarty was the highlight of my life; a dream realized. Walking into the stallion barn at Three Chimneys, I was struck speechless by the sight of him. My legs quaked; I felt dizzy, euphoric, elated and like bursting into tears all at once. I stroked his gleaming, manicured coat and fed him peppermints from the palm of my hand. How many people get to meet and interact with their idol? I don’t really know when Smarty Jones became my hero; an icon I look up to. It’s hard to pinpoint an exact moment or time. Was it the first time I saw him race in The Belmont? That would be ironic, as not only was it the low-point in his career and only defeat, but his last race. Maybe it was once I began studying him through the summer of 2004. It could have been, perhaps, the first time I watched his thrilling 11-length victory in the Preakness Stakes, or maybe it was when I fully realized the magnitude of his accomplishments as a racehorse. Like any good hero, Smarty Jones changed my life completely, spinning it in an entirely new direction. Because of this horse, I was introduced to racing, to which I am now fully devoted. Because of this horse, I discovered the world of Thoroughbred breeding and was able to meet some of the most incredible, influential people in the industry. Because of Smarty Jones, I now know what I am going to do with the rest of my life. “Why” is a whole other question entirely. The reason I fell for this horse still mystifies me. Was it his spectacular, unprecedented winning streak of eight in a row? Maybe his thrilling victory in the slop of the Kentucky Derby; or his record 11-length romp in the Preakness Stakes, crushing the competition and showing his superiority. It could have been because of the way he ran his heart out in the Belmont, turning in one of the greatest losing efforts in history. I suppose the responsiveness of his connections to me played a major role as well. All I really know is that Smarty Jones changed the course of my life in numerous ways, and for that he is my hero. Thank you, Smarty Jones. —Madison Scott “[My hero is] Ross McGinnis. He is the guy who died to save two of his wounded squad members. I greatly admire and respect him for that.” —junior Elliott Foreman
“[My hero is] Peter Kropotkin — he wrote Mutual Aid. Basically, his work gave me faith in humanity. He demonstrated to me that human nature can be caring. Plus, he has a cool beard.” —senior Ben Weiner
Brotherly love
I
Sibling faces challenges; inspires, influences sister
t’s hard to say what makes a hero. For me, a hero is came as no surprise. After graduating from Westlake in 2009, Aaron someone who possesses the qualities that I strive to attain. It’s enrolled in the 15-month program at Austin’s Le Cordon Blue Cola person who has overcome something that I wouldn’t have the lege of Culinary Arts. It seems to me that he has a passion for cooking endurance or strength to rise above. A hero is a role model; it’s because it gives him the chance to emulate people like Lagasse and someone who exemplifies the kind of person I want to be. In my life, Garten, his own heroes. there is one person I know who accomplishes all of these tasks and has To be honest, being Aaron’s sister isn’t easy. I often feel like the all of these traits — my brother. older sibling, more mature and experienced. But really, if I take a step Aaron is exactly two years and four months older than I am. Howback and gain some perspective, that isn’t the case at all. I am lucky to ever, the age difference isn’t obvious, and many people often mistake call Aaron my brother. While my friends have siblings at college who me as the older sibling. At a young they rarely get to see, I see Aaron age, our family found out that every day. I know that I will be Aaron had learning disabilities, leaving for college soon enough, but that isn’t why he’s my hero. and the extra time I get with It’s because he achieved the goal of my brother is something I truly defining himself despite the precherish. Sometimes he picks me conceptions that others had of him. up from school, and to me, there I hate the term learning disabilities is nothing better than listening because he definitely has the ability to 96.7 streaming through the to learn and discover. I think it’s airwaves as we drive home tomore about how he learns. It’s a gether. Cruising down 360, I often learning difference. Regardless, think about the fact that though my parents did everything they we are the complete opposites could to enroll Aaron in the best of one another, Aaron knows me programs and schools in order to better than anyone. Our family make sure all of his needs were has moved three times since I was Junior Lizzie Friedman and brother Aaron Friedman tour being met. School never came easy born, so Aaron and I have learned a Roman ruin in Israel. They traveled to the Middle East in to him, but I’ve come to find — and to make new friends and get used December before Aaron’s graduation from the Le Cordon Bleu I think my brother has too — that to new schools. Through it all, we College of Culinary Arts Jan. 29. nothing in life worth the work is have supported each other, knoweasy. Aaron’s learning “differences” ing that we are one of the very few courtesy photo pushed him to persist through any consistencies in each other’s lives. hurdle that came his way. Describing what defines a hero But of course, graduating high school didn’t mean that Aaron seems harder than it is to some people. For me it’s simple. It’s somewas finished with facing life’s difficulties. Since I can remember, my one who is generous and someone who is enthusiastic about every brother has loved food. We used to sit on the couch and watch the single one of my experiences. It’s someone who has known me all of Food Network together, mesmerized by the culinary geniuses of Emeril my life, and doesn’t change their view of me despite the mistakes I’ve Lagasse and Ina Garten. Living in New York, our family ate at the made or mean words I’ve said. My hero is the person I care about most best restaurants and Aaron developed quite a palate for sophisticated in the world. My hero is my brother. dishes. His dream to work in the culinary and hospitality industries —Lizzie Friedman
“My hero is my eighth grade science teacher, Mr. White. He taught me that I can still have fun no matter what I am learning and no matter how torturous. He taught me that you can’t just focus on the little things.” —freshman Erin Chancy
“C.S. Lewis is my hero because he’s a creative writer. If you look at his works, you can find deeper, more political and philosophical meanings. In a disguised manner, he attacks political institutions and social norms.” —sophomore Kane Spillar
“Antoine Dodson [is my hero] because he got filthy rich practically overnight. He’s the ‘hide your kids, hide your wife’ guy. I don’t want to be like him, but I am jealous of his success.” —senior Jenny Wolfe
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The hero in me
David Oliver
Becoming my own inspiration
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hen hero comes to mind, everyone has a different definition. In my eyes a hero is someone who has experienced tough situations and has overcome many trials in their life. Every time I think of a hero, I think of me. Growing up, my mother, Angel, would pawn my sister and I off to live with different people while she was involved in drugs and going in and out of jail. When I was 4, she had us stay with her boyfriend, who did things to us that I would never wish upon my worst enemy. At age 7, she sent us to go live with my aunt. At 11 years old, my mother suddenly “wanted” us back so that we could be a “family.” The reality was that she had us come back so the state would give her child support, which meant more drug money. I homeschooled myself for all of fifth grade and part of sixth grade. Angel was too worried about getting high and beating us than being a real mother. The second semester of sixth grade I started going back to public school. I didn’t attempt to make friends because I didn’t want people to know what my home life was like. I made sure the friends I did have never saw the bruises and scars that I bore. I didn’t want anyone asking questions. During ninth grade, Child Protective Services took my sister and me from the therapist we were at. I told the lady at CPS that our mother was not a suitable person to care for anyone. The lady, who was obviously not in her right frame of mind, told my sister and me that if she wanted to hit us and if she felt like doing drugs she had the right to do so. CPS gave us back to Angel. After that, she started getting worse. All the drugs she was taking began to take
a toll on her. She came up with crazy ideas like that the Ku Klux Klan was after her and that they were going to kill her, along with my sister and me. Right after Hurricane Ike, Angel, my sister and I went up to stay with my aunt until our house got power back. Mother went back after about four days so that she could “take care of the house.” My sister and I kept quiet about what was going on. I don’t really know why we did that. Soon, she came and took us home because the power came back.
“
All the drugs she was consuming began to take a toll on her. She came up with crazy ideas like that the Ku Klux Klan was after her and that they were going to kill her, along with my sister and
Christmas break, my sister and I were given the chance to go to our aunt’s for the holiday. It was great to get away from the craziness for a while. On Christmas I got a puppy from my aunt. That puppy makes me so happy; she still helps me through the hard times. Two days after Christmas, on my cousin’s birthday, mother showed up at three in the morning, without even calling. Often she would go outside and smoke a “cigarette.” One day while she did this, my sister and I told our aunt about what had been happening with my mother and all the things she had been doing to us. We told her about the
“Tony Stark is my hero because, well, what guy doesn’t want to be Tony Stark?” —sophomore Tate Bowden
beatings, coming up with the crazy stories involving the KKK and her drug abuse. On my 16 birthday, Angel decided to tell me that my boyfriend was from the KKK and was only dating me so that he could kill me. She also decided that she was going to take us back home. The entire way home she drove 80 mph, weaving in and out of traffic and screaming at my sister and me. My aunt told us before we left to text her once we got home, and she would call the police. I was only scared. My mother had forgotten that it was my birthday but I wasn’t surprised; she never remembered my birthday. Even to this day, she doesn’t remember. Once we reached home, my sister texted my aunt. My mother was screaming and saying that she was going to kill my boyfriend. The police were there within 10 minutes. The officer talked to my sister and me about our mother. We told him everything. They took our mother away, but it wasn’t the first time we had seen her being escorted away by the police. My aunt and uncle came and got us at around 11 that night. Two days later, the police let Angel out of the jail, even after finding a large amount of cocaine in her system. Since my 16 birthday, I haven’t gone to see mother and I don’t want to. I love living in Austin. I am still dating the same guy who my mother tried to kill. Looking back at all the things I have gone through in my life, I wish that I could have had a normal mother. It’s like what they say: what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. Even though I had a mother who cared more about drugs than her own children, I turned out to be a person who I can be proud of. I consider myself a strong individual and someone who has overcome many extremely difficult trials in their life. Someone I would call a hero. —Anonymous
“Katy Perry is my hero because she’s independent and doesn’t care what other people think. She’s gorgeous and I love her.” —junior Jamie Buchsbaum
“My hero is Elizabeth Blackwell because she was the first female doctor in the U.S. I’m interested in medicine, and she inspires me to pursue my dreams.” —senior Michelle Eisman
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wenty-eight-year-old Aron Ralston was stuck. In every sense of the word, he was not just stuck, but hopelessly stuck. By all means though, he set himself up for this sticky situation. He chose to go on a hiking trip in the Blue John Canyon in Utah where the days are hot and the nights are bitterly cold. Being the fanatic he is, he chose to not tell his family and friends where he was going, leaving him alone in his “preferred” environment. But it wasn’t by choice in which Ralston became stuck. Instead, a gigantic rock came into his life and forever altered it, as destiny would have it. That rock, or rather a boulder the size of a large bus wheel, became dislodged in the deep and narrow canyon in which he was hiking. When it came tumbling down, it managed to pin his right forearm to the side of the canyon, leaving his arm bloodied and trapped. With approximately 150 milliliters of water left in his bottle, a video camera, a dull blade and some climbing equipment, he had to find a way, if at all possible, to survive. In the five days of being trapped with his lodged arm gradually decaying from loss of circulation, Ralston had literally attempted everything humanly possible to free his arm. He tried lifting the gigantic rock with his climbing equipment, which did not work. He tried to trim the rock down with his dull blade, which proved quickly to be unsuccessful as well. He was becoming more and more delirious due to lack of sleep, water and food, yet he made sure to video tape his goodbyes to his family using his video camera. He even sketched into the wall his name, his birth date and what he estimated to be his death date. It was clear to him that his entire life had been leading up to that rock and that he was already standing in his own grave. It was on the sixth day that he had a premonition. In his delirious state, he saw himself in the future, holding a little boy in his lap that would one day be his son. That premonition gave him the hope that he would get out of that canyon alive, because he had a future to live for.
Six days, 127 hours, one man’s survival
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Finding inspiration in mountain climber’s endurance, will to live
At that time, Ralston realized that in order to get out, he would have to do the unimaginable — cut his own arm off. He then preceded to break the bones in his arm and did so using pure adrenaline. Next came cutting through the soft tissue using his dull blade and then after applying a tourniquet, he sliced through the tendons, muscles and worst of all, his nerves using pliers and a blade on a multi-tool from his climbing equipment. After over an hour of grueling, intense pain, Ralston broke free from his decaying forearm with a sense of unfathomable relief. He wrapped up his arm, scaled down a 65-ft. cliff and was rescued by a family from the Netherlands who happened to be hiking nearby. They were able to call in a helicopter which took him to the nearest hospital. All that occurred in a matter of six days will follow Ralston for the rest of his life. His story, which is now an autobiography entitled, Between a Rock and a Hard Place as well as a film directed by Academy Award winner Danny Boyle entitled, 127 Hours, has had a prominent effect on people’s lives, including my own. Ralston clearly believed that life is worth fighting for and there is nothing more powerful than a person’s will to survive. Ralston is my hero because of the strength and courage he has that I only could dream of having. How on earth could a man do something so astonishing and humanly unthinkable? Seven years after his accident, Ralston still continues to inspire me. He gives me the strength to go out in the world and be thankful for every day because life truly is something to live for. We live with a knowledge that some day our life will end because, after all, we all are riding along the path of destiny. Destiny guides us to our fate as Ralston’s destiny guided him to the rock that nearly took his life. His entire life had been leading up to meeting face-to-face with that rock, and instead of succumbing to it, he defied it. Life is for the living and death is for the dead. While we have our time on earth, we might as well live it or die trying to live it. That is precisely what Aron Ralston, who is now 35 and has a wife and 9-month-old son, taught me. As he said in his book, “It may not be pretty, but surviving is grit and determination in it’s highest form. I’ve learned that I’ve got the capacity to do a hell of a lot more than I thought I could if I have the proper motivation.” —Caroline Hunt “My hero is Xena, Warrior Princess because she is a strong, independent woman who fights for justice.” —World History teacher Jessica Hawkes
“My sister [is my hero] because she has been through a lot of hurdles in life and she jumps over them as if they’re not there.” —sophomore Thomas McNair
“Deadmau5 (Joel Zimmerman) [is my hero] because he is hilarious and makes my ears feel good.” —junior Robert Hunt
“My dad [is my hero] because he gives me lots of perspective on the world.” —senior Allie D’Andrea
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The Village at Westlake 701 Capital of Texas Hwy Austin, Texas 78746 (512) 347-7333
FRANKLIN GOTHIC LISTEN UP MEDIUM YAY!!&
Music is the language that tells the story of our personal and cultural identities. Billy Joel once said, “No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.” It is a defining element of character, of our generation and of the city in which we live. Austin is considered to be the Live Music Capital of the World, and our contribution to the development and strength of music here is significant. As “Austinites” and as high school students, our music perspective is unique. Whether we create it, perform it, listen to it or revel in it, music is our life.
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inners W s d n the Ba n Will Battle of : WHS freshma itar Lead Gu wagger Arms S e ; W n t o n uth Davids od stude iy Haggard Yo o w t s e W s r : e s Drum ate Univ uncan t S a d i r o l “I loved being the shman D strong; F e r f S H center of attention d: W ls Keyboar he Loose Whee dge; Six between the bands. It’s ;T y Ju l p i o L r r d l o i a n about time the world W u r: WHS j and a t i u G realized my true beaus nS Bas a i i . a R . w G a e or of H ty.” “What started out as a joke Pounds tar: WHS sophm —senior Zach Wasfi i gu became a more serious joke. Wheels e Rhythm s o o L y How Spaceman Superstars ; The r Jenn Chiappe als: WHS senio won second place, I have no oc an Sand i i V a e l w a a m H Fe idea. Our mission was and will unds of man Duncan o P x i S ; forever be to spread space Wolfe S Fresh Pierce H W : s l a t c funk to all corners of the Male Vo estridge studen on Hegegalaxy.” ,W and Waldrop HS sophmore L ppe, WHS —senior Steven Campbell ,W hia p C o . r R d . l G a e s e W ophmor berger; The Loo s S H W , n dus n Krone h o J n a freshm “When the suit goes on, reen G r o i n e s I’m no longer Vincent Wheel : WHS s ney; y t i l a i n e r ng Quitta-Carney. Green Man itta-Ca u Q Miss Co t n e c is Green Man.” .a. VIn Man a.k Superstars —senior Vincent QuittaS junior an H m e W c : a n p o S Carney Champi o r e H r Guita unt Robert H night: e h t f o s d Best Ban heels W 1) Loose n Superstars ma perstars 2) Space tate University Spaceman Su aS 3) Florid
“My favorite part about Battle of the Bands was the moustache stroking.” —senior Max Dampier
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“We had to do something bigger and better this year, and what we thought of was ‘Bohemian Rhaspody.’ Somehow we pulled it off and it came out really cool.” —freshman Jon Kronenberger in Picn
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Swagger Florida State
University
“Being a sexy Space Avenger is great because you get to save places way better than earth.” —senior Marshall Lowry
Six Pounds
Sand of Hawaiian
“For winning best bassist I owe it all to my main man Chris Wolstenholme of Muse. And the guy at Strait Music who sold me the fuzz pedal.” —junior Lily Judge
“I had a really great time and it was fun to play with all the good bands that were there.” —FSU drummer Wes Armstrong
s d n a B e h t f o e l t t Ba Florida State
Photos by:
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{ westlakefeatherduster.com } trends + traditions 45
FREE AS A BIRD Mother Falcon continues making music, playing gigs after graduation
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very time orchestra director James Edwards stopped class, notes sprang up from the cello section. He peered around until he caught the culprits “doodling” on their instruments. 2009 graduate Nick Gregg and ’08 graduate Nick Calvin’s breakout jam sessions led them to start experimenting with their classical instruments, the foundation for their band, Mother Falcon. Mother Falcon, an orchestral chamber pop group, started when Gregg and Calvin began expanding their classical training to create new music. They spent their free time in the band hall’s practice rooms playing the cello and piecing together songs. “That was our way of de-stressing,” Calvin said. “Westlake is pretty stressful; it was nice after school to go to the practice room. That’s really how the whole thing started. We wrote ‘Tokyo Rose’ in a practice room in the band hall.” The group has greatly evolved from its start with a current sound that is described as classical instruments with a “modern pop sensibility” with inspirations that range from Bach to Biggie Smalls. “Mother Falcon’s sound is now more expanded,” co-manager and violinist ’06 graduate Yun Du said. “The terms ‘chamber pop’ and ‘baroque pop’ have been used interchangeably. Mother Falcon really started off taking classical instruments and using them to make more modernly structured songs. The difference now is that we have so much more to work with.” Mother Falcon welcomes classically trained musicians to play and perform with them after leaving orchestra. “Orchestra was great because we learned how to play with a bunch of people, and they were all our friends,” Gregg said. “That’s sort of what this band is about. We had been doing a lot of rock band stuff which was really fun, but I don’t play guitar with the same kind of intensity or training that I do with cello. We started realizing that all of the instruments that our parents and we had invested so much time and money into could be used in a way that we weren’t taught.” The band plays gigs with anywhere from 10-20 musicians, and since its creation, senior Danielle Suh, ’08 graduate Gilman Lykken, ’09 graduates Dusty Rhodes, Austin Harris, Italo Benavides and David Lackey have played at some time with Mother Falcon. In addition to musicians, Mother Falcon also recruited their “sound guy” from Westlake’s Technical Entertainment Crew. “Our sound guy, [’08 graduate] Ryan Graham, is a huge part of the band,” Gregg said. “We play the music, but you have to realize when you do live shows, you’re only half the deal. The guy behind the soundboard is what makes you hear it well.” During live performances Mother Falcon’s stage presence reflects the band’s orchestral roots. Dressed in black, the group allows the audience to focus on the music and emotions instead of their appearance. “When we started playing, we were still transitioning from all classically trained musicians, hiding behind our sheet music,” Gregg said. “The only way I could sing at Battle of the Bands was because my face was painted red and I had sunglasses on. But then after that we decided not to do face paint any more and hide behind that, so we were hiding behind music stands, but now it’s all exposed. We wear all black [when we perform] because it’s easy on the eye, so you can sort of let
Shea Wendlandt
Mother Falcon member and ‘09 graduate Nick Calvin plays the cello during Mother Falcon’s Feb.18 rehearsal at the Arthouse. Westlake ‘08 graduate Nick Gregg plays the guitar at the Arthouse on Feb. 18. Mother Falcon’s lastest CD, Alhambra, was released Feb. 26 at Central Presbyterian Church. Shea Wendlandt
your ears do the seeing, and we just sort of fade. We don’t want to visually draw attention to ourselves except maybe for our emotions or the way we move, but we want the music to do more of the talking.” Mother Falcon has received attention and support from local media like The Austin Chronicle and from the online Austin music blogs Consequence of Sound and The SXSW Spinner. Du attributes this publicity to the band’s friendliness and openness to talk with people in the Austin music community after shows, something he recommends that all up-and-coming musicians do. “When you’re at a show, you always want to talk to the owner of the show, other bands and everyone in the audience afterwards,” Du said. “Meet everyone because you never know who the person who will write your review later is or who your next biggest fan is going to be. A lot of our successes have come from not only having people like the music but also talking to them and making that relationship strong.” The Still Life, Mother Falcon’s first five-song EP, released last year with tracks like “Tokyo Rose” and “To Mama” which Calvin and Gregg wrote in a Westlake practice room. The band’s first full length album Alhambra, released Feb. 26 at a CD release show at Central Presbyterian Church where the album was recorded. “We really wanted to recapture the feeling that there is in a live performance with the recording of the full length,” Du said. “We rented out the Central Presbyterian Church for two and a half days, got a bunch of recording equipment out there and just played through everything.” The band currently has no plans to go professional and pursue a career solely focused on music, but it has not ruled out the option completely. For now, Mother Falcon is together for the same reason it started — to relax and play for the love of music. “If I can do this for my career, I would do it because this is my 15-year-old dream,” Gregg said. “Music is really the thing that makes most sense to me. We don’t know yet really what a career in music would be like because we haven’t experienced the other side, which is completely and only focusing on music. But it’s our escape from everything else we do. Even back then when MF started, it was our escape from all of the other school work we had. The 30 minutes we got before my parents picked me up and Nick drove home — it’s still that. If it can always be like that, it would be great.” —Lauren Nelson
Eanes Education Foundation’s
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MIXING IT UP Sidney Hollingsworth
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A mashup is created by overlaying two or more songs, using an instrumental track from an upbeat song and blending a vocal track from another song. This style of music has risen both in popularity and production quality with artists like Girl Talk and in shows like Glee showcasing this craft. Austin Community College sophomore and Westlake graduate Alastair Winston, known as “Drip Drop,” is an upand-coming mashup artist. “I first started [making mashups] the summer before my freshman year of college,” Winston said. When Winston and his college roommate Wes Crochet first started listening to other mashup artists, such as Girl Talk, Super Mash Bros and Milkman, they became inspired. “We were like, ‘Wow that is really cool. We could try to give that a shot,’” Winston said. “We downloaded a free trial of the same exact program that Girl Talk uses. [He] is my favorite mashup artist for sure. He’s a really smart guy, and his outlook on the whole remix culture is different than a lot of other people’s, and I really admire [his ideas]. He just has his own view on how stuff can be remixed as a new creation. He’s the king.” Within a few short months, Winston decided that he wanted to continue on and did his first live show at a party in San Antonio. Over the last year, he has become pretty well-known around the Austin area. Drip Drop does shows in the city, varying from the Westlake Senior Girls party to a number of house parties and local music venues. “The big thing I do right now is the party scene, like house parties,” Winston said. “Mashups are definitely good for that kind of environment.” Winston has also been given many great opportunities at the Red Eyed Fly, a small bar downtown, where he has performed several times. “As far as venues go, I got my first gig from this guy at Red Eyed Fly who was wanting to try out different kinds of musicians and stuff like that,” Winston said. “He heard my music and thought he would
Former Westlake student becomes mashup artist
Westlake 2009 alum Alistair Winston, has created an international profile making mashups with his Toshiba laptop in only two years. take a shot and it worked out. Also from that gig I got other promoters who came and saw my shows, and from there, I got other gigs in Austin and other cities.” Drip Drop’s second album, Eargasm, was released Nov. 24. He had an album release party and a free show at Red Eyed Fly to promote his new mashups. “I’m happy with it,” Winston said. “It had a great response, which was good; I just wish I could have taken some more time on it. My favorite songs on the new album are probably ‘Ace the Kings’ and ‘West Campus Crawl.’” Winston is working hard on his mashups and he is planning on bigger shows for this year, as well as more publicity. In the last year and a half, he has already made a significant mark on the local mashup industry. “I was on vibetothis.com; they did a feature on me and said that I’m a name that’s going to be important in the 2011 mashup scene, which is a really big deal,” Winston said. “I’m just kind of working on some bigger shows and talking to people about that and maybe, at the end of the year, a new album.” Last year, when he first got started, he was studying at UT San Antonio, and now is taking classes at ACC, with the intention of transferring to UT Austin in the fall. “Right now I am majoring in advertising,” Winston said. “I plan on minoring in T.V., radio, film or something like that.” Although Winston is planning to continue creating mashups for a while, he does not have huge expectations for becoming famous. He just likes to have fun and says that it’s more of a hobby and wants to continue making them as long as his friends and fans want to hear them. “I don’t know about making mashups for the rest of my life, but definitely for awhile,” Winston said. “I’m going to do it as long as people want to still hear it.” —Abby Bost and Allie Carlson
WITHOUT RHYME OR REASON
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Senior Steven Campbell grew up listening to The Grateful Dead with his dad and The Beatles with his mom. Their passion for music became his and has evolved into a full-fledged lifestyle. He has been in numerous bands, and he also DJs electronic music in his spare time under the stage name Enceladus, a title inspired by his love for astrobiology. In addition to “looping” on his computer — the process of taking a segmented piece of music and repeatedly playing it and combining it with other loops to produce a sound — he plays the piano, various percussion instruments and the ukulele. “I started to learn how to play piano in fourth grade because my friend, [senior] Sam Hooper, had started taking lessons,” Steven said. “From there, my love for music grew.” Steven started playing organized music when he was in middle
Working on his BCR2000 and Novation Launchpad, senior Steven Campbell adjusts the controls. He also uses a software called Ableton Live. “The software enables me to make electronic music and perform live,” Steven said.
Hannah Kunz
DJ explores new horizons, puts “muse” in music
school and was in musical extracurricular activities for a brief time, but soon joined other bands, most notably The Fireants, Jenny Wolfe and the Pack and Secret Spice. “I quit the music school, the bands and the school band,” Steven said. “I got bored with them, and I also got bored with classical piano. I wanted to play with other people because it is exciting. When I played with Secret Spice, half the songs we played weren’t planned. One time when we were at a gig, we wanted to play a cover of the Led Zeppelin song ‘Ocean.’ We had never played it as a band before, but we had all heard it. It had problems, but it sounded all right.” Before, music was just a hobby for Steven, but during his freshman year, his perspective changed. “I was playing with The Fireants, and we were making good money,” Steven said. “I really saw it as a realistic job and practical as a career. That was a really defining moment in my music career.” From jazz to electronic, Steven’s taste in music varies greatly, but there are a few things he doesn’t like. “I don’t really like loud, busy music like thrash metal or gangster rap,” Steven said. “I like so many different kinds of music that I don’t have a favorite, but more a style or genre that I like listening to for just that week. I like indie bands, but I like other really popular bands like Outkast, too. I think some bands or musicians like Deadmau5 and Girl Talk can be overrated. I respect Daft Punk a lot because they hide their faces to make their music popular and not themselves. When I was in New York City, I saw a dulcimer player in Central Park. That really opened me up to a whole new world of music.” Through all of his musical endeavors, Steven has remained constant in his stance on how music impacts his life and the world. “It’s important not to feel confined by school or social norms,” Steven said. “That’s why I like music. It’s okay to break the rules, and there is a certain freedom to it. There are really no limits to what you can do. Music has made me who I am. If I was somehow prevented from making music, I could live with it. If I couldn’t listen to it, that would be way worse. Since tribal cultures, we have always had singing, percussion and dancing. The world wouldn’t work if we didn’t have music.” —Jono Krawczyk
NO STRINGS ATTACHED
Freshman Paige Southworth performs at the 16th annual Battle of the Bands Feb. 19. As a special guest performer during the judges’ deliberation, Paige played five songs.
Banjo player finds niche in unique instrument The lights on the stage are bright and the judges sit with pursed lips evaluating her every note. But freshman Paige Southworth plays without a care, gracing her fingers across the strings of the banjo. “Being on stage is really exciting and kind of nerve-wracking, but once you get up there, the nerves go away,” Paige said. “It’s a great feeling because you get to share your music with everyone.” Paige was a guest musician at this year’s Battle of the Bands Feb. 19 where she and senior Jordan Ruiz joined forces to entertain the crowd. “I thought that [Battle of the Bands] went pretty well,” Paige said. “I was really nervous, especially being up there all alone. It was nice to perform with Jordan. Overall, it was a fun experience and I would definitely do it again.” When Paige was just 7 years old, her grandmother introduced her to the instrument that would later become her passion. “[My grandma] snuck me away from the house so I could play banjo because my mom didn’t want me to,” Paige said. “I did lessons with her for a few months without my mom knowing, but then my mom heard me play and decided I could play for the rest of the my life if I wanted.”
After years of playing her banjo, Paige has developed a strong Hannah Kunz interest in different genres of music. “What I like about music is how there are so many different interpretations and how people all over the world enjoy so many different types of it,” Paige said. “Banjo has changed my taste in music over the years. Paige’s dedication is somewhat fueled by her interest in the different noises and tricks that the banjo is capable of. “I can make my banjo whistle and laugh,” Paige said. “I can play all sorts of music on it, and I can make it do the death march.” Paige said although she doesn’t plan to pursue music in college, she can’t imagine not playing. “It’s hard to find a career in banjo, but I definitely will continue playing throughout my life because I just have so much fun with it,” Paige said. —Elizabeth Emery
ONE HIT WONDER
Westlake mom reveals past as pop star, discusses brief foray into the limelight
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ou’re looking at music videos on YouTube, and you come across one from a 1986 pop artist. Big hair. Parachute pants. The whole deal. Comments say things like, “Great song, this brings me back to my high school years!” and “I always thought this was Madonna.” The artist in this video is my mom. Born and raised in New York City, ‘80s pop artist Regina Richards, now Regina Lee, worked hard for all her success and more talent than one may expect from an artist who is known for only one song. I am sure lots of other “one hit wonders” have a vast amount of musical gifts that most people wouldn’t be able to guess, but I am happy to share with you the story of one of these wonders: my mom, Regina Richards. Her big break into mainstream music was a song she co-wrote called “Baby Love.” In 1986, it was number 10 on the Billboard charts and number one on the dance charts. “When ‘Baby Love’ was on multiple radio stations at the same time, that was a big moment,” Lee said. “Being well respected and admired by my peers was very important to me.” She appeared on American Bandstand with Dick Clark and the Oprah Winfrey
Show. She also went on a date with a European prince and Rick James, but she wasn’t a “super freak.” “People like Billy Idol, Debbie Harry from Blondie, The New York Dolls, KISS and the Ramones were great friends who I hung out with at the recording studio,” Lee said, “Going on tour with U2 was a great experience.”
Pop star Regina Lee models for her ‘80s album cover, entitled Curiosity, in 1986. courtesy photo
She started writing songs at the age of 12 and has been in love with music her whole life. “My five older sisters all got guitars for Christmas when I was about five,” Lee said. “I taught myself how to play [guitar] and would secretly play while my sisters were at school. I also picked up piano and drums over the years, but my favorite thing to do is write
music and lyrics. I would write about love and anything that caused me pain.” She was actually criticized for having the word “love” in so many titles of her songs, but what else would you expect from a teenage girl? While most teens in Manhattan would sneak out of the house to party, my mom would escape at the age of 15 to play in clubs downtown. “My parents wanted me to wait until I was at least 18 to go into music,” Lee said. “But they really just wanted me to get a job where I would sit behind a desk all day long. I never had much support from my family. Once I made it, they were proud, but I made it all on my own. I do miss it sometimes, but I wanted to start a family, and I felt like it would have been too hard to do both 100 percent. It would be like ‘Pull the tour bus over, I’m having a baby!’” My mother has taught me to work for all the good things that happen to me and to never give up. Moving to Austin almost two years ago has made her start to think about the future and what it might entail for her and her music. “I have definitely thought about writing some more and even possibly recording since my family moved to Austin,” Lee said, “You never know, anything can happen.” —Olivia Lee
MAKING HISTORY
Social studies teacher, track coach Bert Bonnecarrere shares memories of Woodstock When our generation thinks of Woodstock, we think of hippies, drugs and a musical phenomenon that changed history. From Aug. 15-18, 1969, on a dairy farm in Bethel, New York, 32 acts performed outside for a crowd of 500,000. Neither the performers nor the crowd expected this festival to be anything out of the ordinary, something that four decades later would still be remembered and referenced throughout pop culture. U.S. history teacher and track coach Bert Bonnecarrere couldn’t have known he would bear witness to this legendary event. Bonnecarrere was in a band in high school where he played the keyboard, guitar and sang. For his 17th birthday, in the summer of 1969, he and his bandmates hopped into his Ford Fairlane in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and set out for New York. “[At the time, we thought] we were just going to another summer music festival,” Bonnecarrere said. And in many ways, Woodstock was just another music festival. However, what set it apart from other outdoor concerts was that there was a conflict going on in Southeast Asia and the biggest thing on a teenage boy’s mind was going into the military by being drafted. “It was the tail end of the ‘60s,” Bonnecarrere said. “It was the Nixon Era and pop culture was giving way to something entirely different.” There was a strong anti-war sentiment in the crowd, and the performers also reflected several protest messages in their songs. For example, the band Country Joe and the Fish had a popular song entitled “The Fish Cheer” with lyrics including “one, two, three, four, what are we fighting for?” “There were definitely a lot of fired up people and protestors attending,” Bonnecarrere said. “Such a large gathering of people made for a large crowd for exposure to these big ideas—probably one of the
reasons that the festival was so memorable.” The promoters and the organizers of the festival had no way of foreseeing the amazing turnout that the festival would have. “We didn’t even have tickets,” Bonnecarrere said. “We had to abandon our car and walk for what seemed like forever to the campsite due to the large amount of people making their way through. We had a tent, and we slept inside the venue, which due to the rain had turned into a mud pit.” Although the conditions were not ideal, the atmosphere was laid back. “Considering everything, everyone was really relaxed and friendly,” Bonnecarrere said. “Everyone realized that they couldn’t change the weather so we all just adapted and made the best of the situation.” Besides the weather, Woodstock was memorable for the music talent that was present at the festival. “I remember watching Jimi Hendrix, Crosby, Stills and Nash and Janis Joplin,” Bonnecarrere said. “They were my favorite performers then photos by Sidney Hollingsworth and continue to be some of my favorite performers now.” In addition to such a strong Sidney Hollingsworth anti-war sentiment pervasive through the crowd, several of the performer’s music reflected messages about the Vietnam War. Woodstock was a great experience for Bonnecarrere, but besides the music, he didn’t feel as though it was different from any other concert. “I’m not sure that America’s youth had a clear vision of the politics in America at the time. I was 17 years old and I didn’t know anything about the politics in our nation,” Bonnecarrere said. “Our generation has romanticized it a bit. It was sensationalized over the next few years through the media.” —Luci Ortiz and Annie Valliant
Festival facts •The most documented injury was lacerations and/or puncture wounds to the feet. •The Grateful Dead played in the rain. Several members of the band received shocks during their performance, and Phil Lesh, the bass player, heard a helicopter radio transmission through his bass while playing. •Although scheduled to play on Sunday, by the time Jimi Hendrix played on Monday morning, only 35,000 people remained. 51
SETTING THE STAGE
STUBB’S
Barbeque and live music — what else could you ask for from Austin? Stubb’s offers an intimate indoor stage where you can dine on decent ribs and brisket while enjoying the bands. The outside stage, called the Waller Creek Amphitheater, is a perfectly sized venue. The grounds are slanted, allowing for easy viewing, even from the back. The only negative? Stubb’s has to end all shows by midnight due to a city sound ordinance. But that’s okay — most of us have to
A guide to five of the best teen-friendly music venues that Austin has to offer
Shea Wendlandt
Located at 801 Red River St.
ANTONE’S
Allie Carlisle
EMO’S
Located at 603 Red River St.
You’re faced with a choice the moment you decide to go to Emo’s: inside or outside? The two stages offer completely different experiences. If you want to stay indoors, you’ll be situated in a more intimate environment and will have access to a fullyfunctioning bathroom. You can opt for the more spacious outdoor stage, which features a roofed area over it, a sitting area with bleachers where you can escape from the crowd and a variety of tattooed and pierced Austin characters. However, you will be subjected to using a Porta-Potty. At either stage, you will have the chance to listen to surprisingly good musical acts, mostly from indie, punk and alternative genres. Emo’s also opens its doors to minors, but be warned —
Located on 213 West 5th St.
Nathan Kallison
Allie Carlisle
Be prepared to fight for a spot. Although Austin Music Hall recently renovated to accommodate larger crowds, shows are first come, first serve, but you can buy a ticket for the standing-only floor section or the balcony. This venue offers a different experience compared to those located downtown near Sixth Street. A variety of bands play here, so you can find nearly any genre that you enjoy. The larger
MOHAWK
Karen Scott
Located at 208 Nueces St.
AUSTIN MUSIC HALL
Antone’s began 35 years ago as a small nightclub that helped launch Austin into its current status as live music capital of the world. With all of the big names that have played there — such as B.B. King, Bono and Stevie Ray Vaughn — you would think that this venue would be large and overcrowded. In reality, it’s compact with no seating and a stage and two bars that dominate the room. Typically, blues
Located at 912 Red
It’s all about perspectives at Mohawk. At the outside stage, you can stand on the floor and look up at the band, but if you want a different view, take a walk upstairs and watch the performance from behind, as if you were part of the band looking at the screaming crowd in front of you. Or be even more adventurous and walk across the rooftop to get a bird’s-eye view from the porch. Just make sure rain isn’t in the forecast. If you choose to stay inside, you’ll get to watch live music on a smaller stage with great sound quality. River St. And don’t be frightened by décor. TheKidd taxider—TaylorMohawk’s Cloyd and Taylor
SHOW STOPPERS
From the casual concert-goers to the avid, sweaty fans who camp out in front of a venue overnight, everyone enjoys a good show. Music is already such an integral part of any culture, and seeing it performed live has been a popular event for years. We at The Featherduster have compiled a list of the 10 artists that should be on anyone’s fantasy concert list, and with few exceptions, all are still touring.
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—Alli Anderson and Camille Lewis
Lady Gaga Regardless of whether or not people like her music, Lady Gaga’s performances are undeniably extravagant and assuredly a good time. Films playing in the background, choreographed dances, fantastic outfits and — at one point — a flaming piano are just a few elements of the whole performance that Gaga works with
The Beatles
This is pretty self-explanatory.
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Coldplay
The British pop-rock quartet has been tugging at the world’s heartstrings since the ‘90s. Some may not consider them legendary status just yet, but almost all would agree that it’s virtually impossible to dislike their original tunes and Chris Martin’s one-ofa-kind voice. Their live shows have been described as emotional, life-changing experiences.
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Everyone has heard about this French house duo’s live performances: they can be described as nothing but legendary. Not only are they some of the most creative musicians around today, but their light shows (the famous “Pyramid of Light”) and their live remixing of songs would
Mumford & Sons
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Relatively new to the spotlight, this British folk revival group has been touring recently in support of their debut album, Sigh No More, putting on shows that have been described as spiritual. Their raw, stripped-down sound and memorable choruses should be seen and heard by everyone, and there art by Emily Mitchell
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Gorillaz
Daft Punk
Approaching African music from a pop angle is originally what put Vampire Weekend on the map. Fans have been known to go wild during songs such as “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” and “A-Punk”.
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Arcade Fire These Canadian folk-infused rockers are aome of the most intelligent artists to come out of the last decade. As another large group, Arcade Fire has fine-tuned their live sets to near-perfection and are steadily climbing the ladder of fame and recognition in the music world.
You may see four odd-looking animated apes in their music videos, but this collaborative effort of a mega-band moves the monkeys to a screen overhead for their live shows. With a slew of famous guest musicians, a four-piece band and a full orchestra to recreate their sound, which ranges from classical to pop to rap, in front of an audience, the widely acclaimed Gorillaz should be on every concert bucket list.
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Michael Jackson
The little goofball of joy who began his career early in The Jackson 5 ended up becoming one of the most well known and controversial artists to this day. His music is easy and fun to dance to. His success gave him the “King of Pop” title, and chances are he won’t be outdone.
Taylor Swift
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This young superstar is known for memorable, multi-faceted performances. From acting out the story lines of a song on stage to playing in the audience, Taylor Swift has hit all of the marks of what it takes to create a mind-blowing concert by utilizing a larger-than-life expe-
For more dream concerts, visit www.westlakefeatherduster.com
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AUSTINTATIOUS The ultimate guide to your South by Southwest experience lvd.
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11 Mohawk
912 Red River Street
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Creek Coffeehouse 7 Bouldin 1900 S. First Street
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603 Red River Street
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Hwy 71
3 Lustre Pearl
1321 S. Congress
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213 W. Fifth Street
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2 Antone’s
207 San Jacinto Blvd.
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325 E. Sixth Street
Wine Dive 4 Max’s 207 San Jacinto Avenue 5 Killer Piranha Sushi
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12 Austin Music Hall 208 Nueces Waterloo Records 13 600A N. Lamar
14 Cheapo Discs
914 N. Lamar Blvd.
15 Antone’s Records 2928 Guadalupe
of an Ear 16 End 2209 S. First Street 17 Breakaway Records 211 W. North Loop Blvd.
10 SXSW songs to download now Collected by McKenna Wilbur 1 DeVotchKa’s “How it Ends” 2 Hanson’s “Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’” 3 Andrew Belle’s “Open Your Eyes” 4 Ava Luna’s “Past the Barbary” 5 The Gin Riots’“The Polka”
6 Jesse Thomas’s “Stay” 7 Maggie Walters’s “Another Living Room” 8 Matt Nathanson’s “All We Are” 9 Parlovr’s “Sandwalking” 10 Said The Whale ’s “Camilo The Magician”
SOUND CHECK Three bands to look out for at SXSW
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outh by Southwest is a melting pot of the creative network. Bands from all over the world come to Austin, bringing different stories and styles of music to perform on stages, on patios, and all around the Austin community for a week this spring. The sudden influx of musical talent is one of the many things that prove that Austin is the undisputed music capital of the world, and this March 16-20 will be a great mixture that is sure to stir the music community. —Danielle Brown and Caroline Hunt
Sondre Lerche Hanson
1 at
Can be found playing
Maggie Mae’s
Several words come to mind in describing Sondre Lerche: Norwegian, acoustic guitar and diverse collection of songs. For those who have seen Dan in Real Life starring Steve Carell, nearly all of the soundtrack was done by Lerche, including a collaboration with Regina Spektor. Originally from Bergen, Norway, Lerche has six albums under his belt and is currently working on a seventh to be released early this year. His newest album, Heartbeat Radio, came out in 2009 and is a blend of pop and acoustic all under the indie genre umbrella. His songs are mostly upbeat with that happy, foot-tapping beat and the subject matter of the lyrics differ from relationships to not taking life too seriously. Overall, Lerche is a positive guy with optimism flowing from his melodies and lyrics. This outlook should highly impact his live performance, making it a great show to see.
Sounds like: Fionn Reagan, Amos Lee, Feist, Timmy Curran
2 Antone’s
Can be found playing at
Most people’s first exposure to Hanson was in 1997, with the song that made these long-haired teenage brothers forever famous — “MMMbop.” It was the golden track in their first album release, Middle of Nowhere, that skyrocketed to the top of the charts for preteens and children everywhere. Well, these boys (or should we say grown men) are back for SXSW. Though their sound and looks have changed over the years, Hanson never stopped producing albums and quality music. Their newest album, Shout It Out, is a pop rockish album that goes from super fun mob dance song, “Thinking ‘Bout Something,” to deep and contemplative in the perfectly harmonized “Carry You There.” These guys have shed the long hair and teen image to become a fully developed rock trio. Their live performance is nearly flawless, which is great for all the Fansons out there.
Sounds like: Train, Matchbox Twenty, The Goo Goo Dolls, Maroon 5
DeVotchKa
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Can be found playing at
Lustre Pearl
When many think of DeVotchKa, you may think of Little Miss Sunshine and the ever-sopopular, but rather depressing song, “How It Ends.” As the anthem of that movie, as well as a favorite of many, DeVotchKa’s music style could be compared to indie folk pop, but their music is so unique it’s hard to classify them into one genre. Their style is a blend of various instruments including the usual keyboards and light use of guitars and drums, as well as the use of orchestral sounds with strings and plucking which creates a rather eclectic feel. If you attended Westlake’s Battle of the Bands in 2009 and heard Mother Falcon, DeVotchKa’s sound is quite similar and is becoming a quintessence of modern indie music. Lead singer Nick Urata’s voice, chilling yet soothing at the same time, has an incredible range. It is evident through Urata’s remarkable high notes and poetic lyrics that this four-member band achieves an easy-listening and passionate stance in music and should be incredible to witness live at SXSW.
Sounds Like: Beirut, Bibio, Working for a Nuclear Free City
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STREET EATS
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Restaurant recommendations for dining in Austin during SXSW
t is a true fact that the one thing that goes great with incredible, live music is wholesome and delicious food. Austin is known for their authentic restaurants, so we have gone on a foodie adventure to seek out the best of the best in the three main locations of SXSW — the Austin Convention Center, South Congress and Auditorium Shores. After many tastings, we have narrowed it down to one restaurant per location, however we allotted two near the Austin Convention Center because it is considered to be the ultimate location for music and restaurants. So whether you are grabbing a quick bite to eat before witnessing the ear-blasting sounds of your favorite band or prefer to chill at a sit-down restaurant, the following are our suggestions to fulfill your SXSW experience.
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Max’s Wine Dive 207 San Jacinto Avenue
What are waffles' ultimate sidekick to conquer your late morning hunger pains? Bacon, eggs, or even a side dish of mixed fruit? False. According to Max’s Wine Dive, if waffles were Batman, then fried chicken would be without a doubt the beloved, green-tights-wearing, Robin. What may seem like an unusual combination actually turns out to be a pleasant surprise through their palate-pleasing twists on typical Southern dishes. Located just a few footsteps away from Killer Piranha, as well as the Austin Convention Center, Max's is an Austin-unique and very chic restaurant greatly known for their brunch on Saturdays and Sundays and dinner throughout the week. So whether you are wanting to start your SXSW music adventures the right way with a hearty Texan breakfast featuring their spin on a jalapeño cheese grits dish called "The SXSW," or if you are starving after catching that last band of the day and are craving a scrumdiddlyumptious Kobe burger with all the mouthwatering makings, Max's has it all.
Prices: Moderate Small Plates: $6-12 Large Plates: $12-21
Allie Carlisle
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What we recommend: Max N' Cheese, Max's Famous Southern Fried Chicken, Max's Kobe Burger, Max's Red Velvet Pancakes
With an impressive uptown, romantic appearance MAX’s specializes in upscale comfort food like Kobe beef hamburgers, fried chicken, truffle macaroni and cheese and fried oyster nachos.
Killer Piranha Sushi
207 San Jacinto Blvd.
When you are looking for good sushi, many factors come to mind: quality, price and atmosphere. Well, Killer Piranha Sushi is three for three. Located a block from the Austin Convention Center, it’s convenient and a must-eat during SXSW. They have a great selection of appetizers, a larger selection of sushi and plenty of gourmet options for main courses. The prices are moderate, depending on what you are looking to order, ranging from $2-5 for regular sushi and sashimi, and $714 for their specialty sushi rolls. The sushi is wonderful and a meal within itself, but if you are looking for a more filling option, their dinner entreés range from about $1020. The atmosphere is modern and sleek, making it a great environment to continue on with the SXSW spirit.
Prices: Cheap/Moderate Sushi/sashimi: $2-5 Speciality rolls: $7-14 Entrees: $12-20 What we recommend: Pork and Vegetable Dumplings, Avocado Rolls and Mixed Vegetable Tempura.
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Botticelli’s
1321 S. Congress
Blending classic Italian recipes with fresh, modern flavors, Botticelli’s is an eclectic, unique, Austin restaurant conveniently located on the main stretch of South Congress, next to the Continental Club. Their incredibly diverse menu goes beyond your average Macaroni Grill or Olive Garden with their fresh antipasti, including excellent bruschetta as well as authentic Italian dinner entrées such as their Taliatelle con Polpette, which is similar to spaghetti and meatballs. Eating inside Botticelli’s is similar to dining in a cozy Tuscan café, minus the plane ticket. However, once you step outside onto the quaint patio in the back, you get the ultimate Austin vibe with the sweet sound of foot-tapping, live music playing in front of you, in addition to the Italian environment. Botticelli’s is one of the ultimate SXSW best eats locations for its excellent live music, scrumptious food and inviting environment. During the music and film festival, there would be no better place on South Congress to sit back, snack on some olives and bruschetta and listen to the sounds of Austin.
Prices: Moderate Appetizers/Antipasti: $6-13 Entrees: $9-34
Other restauNear the Austin Convention Center: -P.F. Chang’s -The Boiling Pot -Ironworks Bar-B-Que -Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill -Serrano’s Cafe and Cantina On South Congress: -Guero’s Taco Bar -Home Slice Pizza -Magnolia Cafe -Perla’s -Polvo’s Mexican Near Auditorium Shores: -Threadgill’s -P.Terry’s - Sandy’s -Chuy’s -Shady Grove
What we recommend: Taliatelle con Polpette, Pasta di Frutti di Mare, Mussels alla Trota, Bruschetta Conveniently located on South Congress, Botticelli’s serves Italian food dinners after 5 p.m. every day. With a quaint inside and high-quality Italian bistro, Botticelli’s is a fast growing dinner spot for food connoisseurs and common diners alike.
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Nathan Kallision
Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse 1900 S. First
At their new location, Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse is just a quick five-minute drive from Auditorium Shores. It’s cozy and great for kicking back for a while with one of their many signature drinks. Whether you are there for breakfast preparing for a day of following bands or watching films, or for some substantial food after a long day around Austin, their breakfast menu is vast, gourmet and served all day. The menu meets many dietary needs: all the dishes are vegetarian, with lots of gluten-free, vegan and lactose-free options. If you’re not in the mood for breakfast, they have a wide variety of “sammiches” and other meal options. They are open until midnight every day, which is perfect for reminiscing with a glass of their Nutella Mocha Freeze or a Chai Latte. The service is great and is staffed by true Austinites that add as much to the atmosphere as the original paintings covering the walls. —Danielle Brown and Caroline Hunt
Karen Scott
Prices: Inexpensive Breakfast: $1.50-8.50 Sandwiches: $3.50-7.50 What we recommend: Mexican Mocha Freeze, Granola Sunrise and Potato Leek Omelet Karen Scott
Bouldin Creek coffee house offers a sit-down area as well as a bar to dine at. It serves breakfast all day, along with sandwiches and salads and other entrees. Bouldin Creek is located on South Congress and is just a five-minute drive from Auditorium Shores.
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THEORETICALLY SPEAKING Band director educates students about theory, teaches them musical skills
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s the students file into the band hall, they hear Since Davis’ Westlake teaching career began, he has developed the “Hokey Pokey” being played on the keyboard. Some some traditions. Most of them exist in order to drift away from the walk in rolling their eyes, while others dance along to classroom environment and give the room a more relaxed, comfortthe beat. But no matter how they respond to the song, able vibe. they all know what it means: a quiz. “At the end of every class, I play the ‘Gracie Films’ tune from the “I’ve learned to fear the ‘Hokey Pokey,’” junior Claycredits of the Simpsons,” Davis said. “For the past two years, I’ve given ton Norris said. them light motifs, which is an opera term where basically whenever Assistant band director Craig Davis has been teaching AP Music a particular character comes in, you tend to hear the same melody Theory for three years and has had students from various extracurover and over again. I haven’t done it yet this year because there are ricular activities, not just the fine arts. The course does not require any so many [kids], but typically every time a student walks into the class, musical background, although it serves as a great advantage. I play whatever song I’ve deemed is theirs. I play the ‘Hokey Pokey’ “If I don’t see that they have a basic working knowledge [of music], every time we have a quiz, because most people are usually depressed I basically tell them that they’re going to have a lot of work ahead of or sad that we have one. So I play it as they’re walking in and most of them and that for the first and second six weeks, they’re going to have the students have learned to dance.” to study hard to keep up with everyone else,” Davis said. “It moves Because the course can sometimes force kids out of their comfort pretty quickly since the majority zones, Davis advises them to not of students come in with a musitake themselves too seriously. cal background. And the amount “I tell the students at the of material we have to cover beginning of the year that you’ve throughout the year requires a got to be able to laugh at yourpretty quick pace.” self,” Davis said. “You have to be A majority of the grades come willing to make mistakes because from short quizzes over all of the we’re going to make a ton of abilities that are necessary to them in this class. As for the understand music: writing and parts where the kids have to sing composing, listening and readin front of each other, they have ing or singing pieces. To build to be able to just laugh it off.” listening skills specifically, Davis Davis encourages open assigns one concert report per discussion and interaction in his semester. Each student must atclass. Students prefer Davis’s tend a concert of his choice, and way of teaching because he gives Assistant band director Craig Davis teaches his 7th period AP Music Theory class about write a paper about what they individualized attention and suspension. “I don’t really like the ‘I’ll stand here and lecture while you sit there and learn’ heard using theory terms. To keeps them interested. approach,” Davis said. “That bothers me; I feel like I’m boring people to death.” demonstrate knowledge of how “His teaching style is great,” to write music, everyone does a senior Doug Dawson said. “He’s Camille Lewis composition project at the end of very interactive with everybody the year. and good at explaining howDavis music works.” Band director and AP Music Theory teacher Craig Some students have discovered a love for composing that they Between bands and instructing music theory students, teaches his 7th period classdirecting about suspension. “I don’t didn’t realize they had, while others have learned to enjoy it even morereally like there are key the ‘I’ll stand heresimilarities and lecture whileand you sitdifferences in his teaching styles in comthan they did before taking the class. parison with those of “That other classes. there and learn’ approach,” Davis said. bothers “I really enjoy music theory because Mr. Davis an awesome in that there’s an actual curriculum,” Davis said. “It’s me; I feel like“It I’mdiffers boring people to death.” CamilleisLewis teacher,” junior Bryan Graybill said. “I love music, so learning how to drastically different because students are taking this class, I hope, to write music has always been a passion of mine; music theory is finally learn more about music. But a lot of people are also taking it for the AP allowing me to realize my dream.” aspect of it since it helps their GPA, and they want to do well on the AP Because many of his students are members of musical extra-currictest. I have that AP criteria hanging over my head, telling me [to teach ulars, such as band, choir and orchestra, it’s easy for Davis to relate the them] everything they need to know to get a 5. But in the band world, material to performance. with an ensemble, I create the curriculum. We have UIL that says it “It’s a completely different twist on music for students who have has to be a certain standard, but overall I decide what I’m going to do.” been performing at a high level in music or have at least a high level of Even if they don’t pursue a musical career, Davis wants his students interest in performance,” Davis said. “We basically say, ‘In everything to benefit from the class by developing a deeper understanding of that you’ve been performing, this is what’s going on, this is how it was music. written, this is how it came about, this is what the composer may have “The number one thing I hope that kids take from [AP Music been thinking, this is why it makes sense to your ear or to someone Theory] is an appreciation for music,” Davis said. “If I find out that in else’s ear.’ I always tell them it’s sort of like being in a chemistry or 15 years they still play their instrument sometimes, and if they go to physics class where you’re doing experiments all the time, and the every symphony or jazz concert that they can, if I know that they’re teacher will sit you down afterward and tell you why something hapsupporting the arts when they get into their adult lives, then it’s all pened. It’s a lot of fun to see that light bulb go on in their head because worth it for me.” you can tell that they’re thinking of a piece that uses that concept or —Laura Hatcher formula, and it all comes together and makes sense.”
59
C I S U M F O E M I T E F I AL ing music
n-defin Looking back on two decades of generatio
1998 -Elton John is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
1997
-Santana wins eight Grammy awards in a single night, a feat only achieved before by Michael Jackson in 1984. - Oops!...I Did It Again wins Britney Spears the title of bestselling album of the decade by a female artist and achieves the most first-week sales of any solo artist ever. -The Backstreet Boys become the first artists in history to have more than a million copies sold for two album releases in a row with Black & Blue.
-Avril Lavigne’s music video for “Girlfriend” becomes the second most viewed YouTube video of all time (“Evolution of Dance” was first.) -After being featured in “Live Your Life” with T.I., Rihanna becomes the solo female artist with the most number ones in the decade. -Beyoncé ties Rihanna after “Single Ladies (Put a Ring
-After being leaked online, Taylor Swift’s “Mine” becomes the fastest song to reach number one (within five hours). -Justin Bieber becomes the youngest person to be named Artist of The Year at the American Music Awards.
2011
2008
2009
-With 200 million YouTube views, Britain’s Got Talent showcases Susan Boyle singing “I Dreamed a Dream.” -Michael Jackson dies. -Justin Bieber breaks the record for most songs from a debut album to make the Billboard Hot 100.
2010
-Paul McCartney becomes Sir Paul McCartney after being knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. -Puff Daddy and the Family’s “I’ll Be Missing You” leaves its number one spot on the charts after 11 weeks, only to be succeeded by “Mo Money Mo Problems” by the Notorious B.I.G. (posthumously released) featuring Puff Daddy and Ma$e. -Shania Twain releases the best selling album in country music history with Come on Over. -The Notorious B.I.G. is fatally
2000
1999
-Britney Spears releases the album … Baby One More Time, which sells 24 million copies. -Former Rolling Stones body guard and Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura declares Feb. 15 “Rolling Stones Day.” -The Backstreet Boys sell 1.3 million copies of Millenium in its first week, beating Garth Brooks’ previous record. -The Red Hot Chili Peppers release their first album in eight years with John Frusciante, Californication, which goes on to sell 13 million copies
1991
Current Westlake students have the blessing (and the curse) of being children of the ‘90s, a decade considered by some as a golden era of music led by the likes of Mariah Carey, Will Smith and Nirvana, while simultaneously disdained by others as an age of boy-band nonsense and meaningless pop. Our births mark the beginning of a musical journey that has led to today’s offerings. Without further ado, The Featherduster gives you: 19912011, 20 years of music history.
-Nirvana releases Nevermind, with hit singles “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Come As You Are.” The album establishes grunge as a popular music genre and promotes other grunge groups such as Pearl Jam and the Stone Temple Pilots. -Freddie Mercury reveals that he has AIDS and dies the following day.
-Britney Spears releases “Hold It Against Me,” which breaks the record for most radio airplay in a single day.
-Sinéad O’Connor infamously shreds a picture of the pope on Saturday Night Live. -Dr. Dre releases his critically acclaimed album, The Chronic, laying major groundwork for modern hip-hop.
-Depeche Mode hits number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 with Songs of Faith and Devotion, becoming the first U.K. alternative band to do so. -The Artist Formerly Known As the Artist Formerly Known As Prince changes his name to a symbol. -Guns and Roses performs for the last time as a group in their Use Your Illusion Tour in Buenos Aires -Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” becomes the longest running number one single of all time.
1993
1996
-Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley, files for divorce from Michael Jackson, citing drug addiction and emotional problems as reasons for separation. -Tupac Shakur’s All Eyez on Me achieves platinum status within four hours of its release. -Phil Collins leaves Genesis to pursue a solo career. -M.C. Hammer files for bankruptcy due to dwindling album sales and excessive spending. -The Spice Girls’ “Wannabe” becomes the best-selling single by a female pop group. -Tupac Shakur dies after a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. -Country singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw marry.
2007
-Tupac Shakur becomes the first male solo artist to reach number one on the Billboard 200 while in prison with Me Against the World. -Latina singer Selena is murdered by her former personal assistant who had been fired for embezzlement. -Michael Jackson releases HIStory, which becomes the world’s best selling double album in history.
-Yoko Ono presents John Lennon’s unfinished works to the three remaining Beatles, initiating the Beatles Anthology Project. -Kurt Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana, commits suicide. A month earlier, wife Courtney Love had contacted police with fears of her husband’s suicidal tendencies. -Oasis’s Definitely Maybe becomes
2003
2001
-In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, Bruce Springsteen, Celine Dion, Neil Young, Alicia Keys, Dave Matthews, Mariah Carey, Tom Petty and others air a concert, America: A Tribute to Heroes. -Britney Spears becomes the first female artist to debut thrice at number one with her third album,
1994
1995
1992
2004
-With “Dangerously in Love,” Beyoncé scores a number one debut album and goes on to win five Grammys in a single night. -Madonna infamously kisses Britney Spears at the MTV Video Music Awards. -Britney Spears breaks her own record of three straight number one debut albums with her fourth number one album, In the Zone. -Authorities arrest Michael Jackson
-J to tha L-O!: The Remixes makes Jennifer Lopez the first singer to have a remix album debut at number one. -Kelly Clarkson becomes
2002
-“Speed of Sound” by Coldplay is named the one billionth song downloaded on iTunes. -“Be Without You” by Mary J. Blige becomes the most successful R&B song in history. -Shakira breaks the record for most airplay in a single week with “Hips Don’t Lie.” -Amy Winehouse became the highest debut entry by a British female solo artist, only to be beaten a week later by Joss Stone. -For the first time in 25 years, Led Zeppelin performs
2006
-On stage at the 38th Super Bowl, Janet Jackson has a “wardrobe malfunction” while performing with Justin Timberlake. -Speakerboxxx/The Love Below by Outkast becomes the first rap album to win Album of the Year. -Keane’s Hopes and Fears goes eight times platinum in the U.K. -Ashlee Simpson performs on Saturday Night Live amid lip-synch rumors.
2005
-Audioslave puts on a free concert in Cuba, becoming the first American rock band to do so. -Mariah Carey becomes the first female artist to hold the top two spots on the Hot 100 simultaneously with “We Belong Together” at number one and “Shake It Off” at number two. -Madonna ties Elvis for the most Top Ten singles with “Hung Up” and beats The Beatles’ record of number one albums in the most countries with Confessions On
61
OLD
FOLK
Joan Baez, the greatest rebel you’ve never known
Several years ago, my parents took me to a concert. The artist was old, at least as old as my parents, and all of her songs were slow and folksy. For a painfully boring hour I sat in the back of the venue, using my phone light to read a novel. “You’re going to appreciate this one day,” my mother told me at the end of the concert. “You’ll be able to say that you saw Joan Baez sing. Live.” Since then, my parents have made sure that I witness the greats of their generation whenever there’s been an opportunity. I’ve had the chance to hear Peter, Paul and Mary as well as Elton John, although they left me behind when the Stones were in town. Eclipsed, Baez faded from my memory. But in the second semester of my sophomore year, my English teacher decided to get ironic. She assigned our class an excruciatingly detailed, mandatory, backbreaking essay. About rebels. I chose the first familiar name on the list of options: Joan Baez. And what a rebel she was. Baez puts your attempts at individuality into dizzying perspective. In her junior year (that year when the rest of us worry about grades, sleep and nothing else,) Baez held a one-woman sit-in at her high school. Instead of leaving school during an air-raid drill, she sat at her desk, protesting that the entire practice was devoid of any evidence that the drill would help students. Instead of going home to take the day off and have an “air-raid” party, like many of the other students, she read a book. As I continued researching her, I discovered that she’d marched with Martin Luther King Jr. long before he was a house-hold name, spent a year as a young girl in Baghdad, knew Cesar Chavez...The list goes on and on. Even as a young woman, she refused to keep her mouth shut about her beliefs and ideals. And, man, can I identify with that. Baez quit college to focus on her singing career, a decision which will make parents everywhere shudder with foreboding. But Baez and her contemporaries (Bob Dylan, anyone?) charted a new path, both
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musically and politically. As her music became more well-known, so did her positions on military spending, the Vietnam war, violence, discrimination and capital punishment. Unafraid to face the consequences of her actions, she went to jail twice for blocking the entrance to military induction centers. She’s also been banned from singing in several countries. Despite turmoil and conflict, her music remained rooted in her belief in non-violent protest. To celebrate my wasted weekend spent conducting biographical research and analysis, my mother hunted down her collection of Baez CDs. I was mesmerized. This couldn’t be the old woman who I’d heard that night in that sketchy, poorly lit theater. This voice was made of awesome. The more I’ve learned, the more I’ve grown to respect this woman as an artist, an activist and as a person. And more importantly, her music is one of the few things I can listen to in the car with my mom. Although her musical career has often been eclipsed in popular culture by her romantic relationship with Bob Dylan, Baez was one of the most transparent, forthright public figures of the ‘70s. When I hear girls in the halls squealing about touching Taylor Swift or seeing Lady Gaga in concert, I’m not even jealous. I got to see Joan Baez sing. Live.
HOME-GROWN Austin musician Bob Schneider enjoys success, continues creating, performing
Bob Schneider performs at The Saxon Pub on South Congress on Jan. 31. Schneider plays at the venue every Monday night at 8:30 p.m.
The Featherduster: How did you get started with music? Bob Schneider: I started playing music when I was about 4. My dad taught me how to play guitar and a couple of German songs, and I’d play them for my parents’ guests. FD: Can you tell us about your youth in regards to music? BS: I was surrounded by music my whole life. My dad played a lot of guitar and sang at home as well as opera. I went to a lot of opera as a kid, which was not enjoyable. I did get to hear quite a few of my dad’s colleagues sing in our home, which was pretty neat. FD: What was the beginning of your music career and making your first album like? BS: I started making records in high school, pretty much right when I started writing songs. I was always into art and was going to do that as a career, so making the artwork for the album was a pretty fun project for me. The first record I made to sell, though, was for a band I was in called Joe Rockhead. [Which was] kind of a Red Hot Chili Peppers sort of rap/ rock band. FD: How has being an Austin-based musician impacted your success? BS: Austin is a great town. There are a lot of great musicians living here, so it’s pretty easy to start a music project. There are lots of clubs to play at as well, so living here gave me a great place to work on material and test it out in a live setting. FD: What or who has inspired you in your musical career? BS: I’ve always admired singer/songwriters. I still think it’s pretty weird that people will actually pay money to walk into a club or theater to hear me play some songs that I wrote at home about some pretty random [stuff]. FD: What is your most memorable music moment? BS: I really enjoyed performing in Austin City Limits. I did the first one about 10 years ago and just recorded a show. FD: Is there a specific song or album that you have recorded that you love the most? BS: I really like the song “Love is Everywhere.” I really like songs that expose the songwriters vulnerable side and that one seems to do just that for me. FD: Do you have any dream duets? BS: I would love to do anything with Tom Waits or Kanye West. FD: What do you think Austin has to offer musically? BS: I think the people in Austin tend to be pretty open to all kinds of music, so you can pretty much do whatever you feel like doing musically and still get people to support it. FD: What advice do you have for high school musicians or bands? BS: I would say to try to have fun and please yourself above all else. I think for years I didn’t trust my own instincts and second guessed what I wanted to hear. I wouldn’t worry about what anyone else thinks about what you are doing artistically except for yourself. Even then, I would advise doing the work and figuring out later if it’s any good or not. FD: How has your music taste or perspective changed as you have gotten older? BS: I find that as I get older I write about different things. I like the material that I wrote 10 years ago, but I just don’t feel compelled to write those kinds of songs anymore. I used to put a lot of drama in my lyrics, basically to call attention to myself. I think I do less of that nowadays. FD: What are your future plans as a musician? BS: I have all kinds of projects in the works, but right now I’m focusing on promoting my new record that is coming out in April called A Perfect Day. FD: What is the one thing you want the readers to know about you? BS: I love English muffins. —Lizzie Friedman
Nathan Kallison
63
THE
OFF RECORD photos by Laura Brewster
Local record stores to satisfy any music need White shoes tapping, shaking down the aisles of albums, mouthing the words to Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness,” Duckie, Jon Cryer’s character in Pretty in Pink, became a legend. This scene would be nowhere near as iconic and cool if it hadn’t taken place in a record shop. Record stores are part of an American tradition; they have been the subjects of movies like Empire Records, are mentioned in Don McClean’s “American Pie” and even
worked to cheer up the troubled Holden Caulfield in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. There is nothing more therapeutic than the “click, click, clap” of flipping through records, and Austin is filled with an abundance of record stores to fit all of your music needs. —Lauren Nelson
Waterloo Records 600 N. Lamar, Suite A
Waterloo Records and Video is the most well-known music store in Austin. If you haven’t been to the Sixth Street location, then you’ve probably shopped at or seen the Waterloo tent at ACL. The store is divided in half — new and used. It offers a wide selection of popular CDs and films, which are cleanly and clearly organized. Prices for new music range from $9-15 for regular CDs and $20-25 for special and rare editions. Waterloo’s used section is marked by the large sign, “Vinyl,” which hangs above the rows of secondhand records, CDs and tapes. Most of the used discs and vinyl I’ve flipped through were extremely worn and often times scratched. Because of the price, which is high — records can be up to $30 — I avoid Waterloo’s recycled music. Waterloo’s focus isn’t strictly music; the store also sells t-shirts, trivia games and its counters and aisles overflow with plastic toys, bacon mints and sushi-shaped Band-Aids, among other wacky gag gifts. Waterloo Records’ large “Vinyl!” sign hangs over the store’s selection of used records and CDs.
End of an Ear 2209 S. First Street
End of an Ear sells both new and used vinyl, CDs and DVDs.
"New arrival" bins containing top-notch vintage vinyl and recent prints like Hot Chip's One Life Stand line the entrance to the End of an Ear’s vast and well-organized music selection of new and used CDs, vinyl and cassette tapes. The store is a cool, fun place to shop. It sells good music, has a helpful staff, plays groovy, danceable tunes and doesn’t take itself too seriously, as its vinyl soundtrack selection including titles like Pulp Fiction and Pee-wee's Big Adventure suggests. Although End of an Ear’s prices range from $10-20 for new albums, its LPs and cassette tapes start at 99 cents. End of an Ear is one of the best places to buy and see local music of all genres. In addition to its large selection of Austin music — which fills an entire nook of the retrofitted house — the store welcomes up-and-comers onto its small stage for intimate in-store performances, and the proceeds from every sale go to fund Music Mondays at the Alamo Drafthouse.
Cheapo Discs is the largest music retailer in Austin. Cheapo’s offers a wide range of used CDs, vinyl, DVDs and video. Along the walls of the store, Texan and international music are featured.
Cheapo Discs 914 N. Lamar Blvd.
As the name alludes, Cheapo Discs is more of a bargain basement than a traditional record store, but as any super saver will agree, there is a plethora of great deals on old school goods to find at such a store — just be prepared for a treasure hunt. Cheapo’s is a gigantic, almost overwhelmingly sized warehouse full of music and DVDs. Signs reading “used” cover the walls and continuous rows of CDs that fill the store. The stage in the back welcomes local musicians throughout the week and during special events like SXSW with free admission. Stopped clocks that once told times from Cairo, Casablanca, Havana and other cities around the world hang in the back corner and add a sort of charm to Cheapo’s cluttered décor. Disc quality varies from top-notch to scratched and unplayable, but prices are consistently low. Cheapo’s has many records, most of which lie in $1 bargain bins, however with its rough, chaotic organization, especially with the selection of 45s, finding the perfect album can be difficult and time-consuming, making Cheapo’s the perfect place to pursue if you have a lot of time and little cash.
Breakaway Records
211 W. North Loop Blvd. “We Buy Records” glows green out onto the street beneath a retro sign reading, “Breakaway Records.” Breakaway is an all-vinyl record store that specializes in selling rare editions and original prints from the ’20s to present. The clear organization of the large variety of albums by genre — soul, R&B, rock, garage, psych, punk, jazz, blues — adds to the store’s relaxed, inviting feel. Listening booths, equipped with a turntable and headphones, offer the choice to sample Located on North Loop, Breakaway Records is an all-vinyl record store records before purchase. Breakaway’s goal is to make vinyl that sells albums starting at $1. accessible and affordable; half of the store is made up of $1 bins, and prices on Breakaway’s selection of uncommon collector’s vinyl range from $8-30. The store sells everything needed to play vinyl from vintage turntables to receivers. Breakaway Records is a gem, the kind of store only found in Austin. Shopping at Breakaway is a refreshing way to gain a glimpse of the past and see how music has been carried on from past generations to ours.
At the end of each aisle, Breakaway Records invites customers to preview their vinyl at a listening booth equipped with a vintage turntable and headphones.
Antone’s Records
2928 Guadalupe
I never have a goal or specific album in mind when I peruse Antone’s. The store, full of vintage posters, LP carrying cases and paper memorabilia, welcomes people off the Drag to come explore its used CDs, cassette tapes, 45s and records. Old, first edition vinyl fills the back of the shop and includes everything from Marvin Gaye to The Yardbirds. Antone’s is known for its recognition and support of Austin blues and bluegrass, and it’s the place to go to get a great local music recommendation.
ALL IN THE FAMILY Daughter of Antone’s Records owner shares love of local business
P
antyhose around her head, swaying with the beat of Sun Ra’s “Moon Dance,” senior Katie Buck’s childhood memories of dancing with her musician father, Mike Buck, reflect the impact music has had on her life. Austin music icon Clifford Antone founded Antone’s Record Shop in 1987 — as well as Antone’s, Austin’s first Sixth Street venue, in 1975 — with the intention of showcasing and preserving local blues artists. Buck helped start Antone’s Record Shop, and after Antone’s death in 2006, Buck and two other longtime employees purchased Antone’s Record Shop to honor Antone’s memory and the store’s blues roots. “When Clifford Antone passed away the store was up for grabs, so my dad, Forest [Coppock] and Eve [Monsees], who have all been working there for ages, went in and bought it and now own Antone’s,” Katie said. “They wanted to keep it in good
hands, keep it going the way it should be and to keep Clifford’s memory alive. He was a really good guy. He was a big supporter of the Austin music scene — he would buy guitars for players who didn’t have enough money. He just wanted to keep the authentic blues feel in Austin.” Katie grew up helping at Antone’s and watching her dad perform around Austin, which shaped her love of music. “Music has been my entire life,” Katie said. “I grew up in night clubs, so I’ve always been around it, which has definitely given me a respect for the craft. Antone’s is a pretty big part of our lives. I go a couple times a week.” Being a part of Antone’s has influenced Katie to want to preserve Austin’s unique roots. “Antone’s focuses more on Texas music and blues music,” Katie said. “It’s a lot less mainstream, I guess you could say. My favorite thing about Antone’s is probably just all of the history
Mariah Stevens-Ross
Flipping through albums, senior Katie Buck checks out Antone’s Records’ updated selection of Austin music. Katie’s father became the co-owner of Antone’s Records when its founder Clifford Antone passed away in 2006.
Vintage Vinyl Q&A with senior Katie Buck Featherduster: What do you look for when buying records? Katie Buck: I would say go for original prints, not re-issues. Make sure there are no scratches on either side. Make sure it’s going to play. FD: What’s a good price range for albums? KB: If it’s in really good condition probably around $15 for a good record. If it’s in poor condition probably $7.
65
THE BRIGHT LIGHT SOCIAL HOUR
The Bright Light Social Hour members A.J. Vincent, Jack O’Brien, Curtis Roush and Jack Mirasole play at the 2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival. Vincent and O’Brien are both ‘06 graduates.
Westlake alumni start band, bring funk Michelle Ling
T
here is a distinct difference between the average garage band and a professional, highly talented, artistic group of musicians. The latter reaches for the stars, takes the bull by the horns and makes the world their oyster with their funk rhythms and smooth beats. One of these bands is The Bright Light Social Hour. The Bright Light Social Hour was conceived when bassist and moustache aficionado Westlake alumni Jack O’Brien met singer and guitarist Curtis Roush at Southwestern University. “Jack and Curtis decided to form a band while they were at Southwestern, so they sent out a campus-wide e-mail looking for musicians,” keyboardist A.J. Vincent said. “Two guys showed up but when they left, myself and [drummer] Joe came over.” Everyone in the band had a good deal of experience as musicians and songwriters beforehand, so there was no questioning that this was a talented group of musicians. Like with all bands though, it was impossible to tell that they would go as far as they have. “At the very beginning the band was just for fun, but then we started to realize that we had something special,” A.J. said. “It really solidified two years ago when some of the songs started getting better responses. Jack and Curtis were still in school, so we weren’t able to do everything we’re doing now.” However, once Jack and Curtis had graduated, the band started winning many accolades, including a city-wide competition for a spot in the 2009 Austin City Limits music festival and the “Best Indie Band” award at the 2010 Austin Music Awards. “Curt said he doesn’t know whether he would’ve finished his masters if he would’ve known where we were going,” A.J. said. After being in the Austin music scene for a few years and gaining a good amount of pub-
licity in the media, the band decided it was time to sit down and record an album. However, despite the fact that everyone knows recording an album is difficult, few consider how one would go about paying for it out of their own pocket.
The members of the Bright Light Social Hour contemplate a pineapple. courtesy photos
“Every day we were like ‘Oh crap,’” Jack said. “Pre-orders were up and down, so we were really worried. When it started to get into the press, though, that helped a lot.” The band was forced to get creative when raising the funds for their album, and out of this creativity, jacksmoustache.com was born. This website is all about Jack’s totally awesome, dazzling moustache that is now over a year old. Perfectly trimmed and luxuriant, Jack’s moustache has a long history of helping the Bright Light Social Hour with his professional oration as demonstrated by the hilarious videos posted on the website. However, the band wisely figured that people would be much more inclined to donate if they received something in return. Because of
this, they have many rewards for donations based on the size of the contribution. For $50 the band will deliver two dozen of Curt’s famous organic cookies. For $75 the band will wash your car wearing only short-shorts, or for $100 they will clean your whole house, still in short-shorts, of course. Now, for the ultimate Bright Light and/or moustache fan, for $5000, Jack will shave, mount and give his beautiful moustache to you. “Jacksmoustache.com was pretty much our entire fundraising machine,” A.J. said. Jack’s moustache turned out to be a good decision, because on Sept. 17, after many weeks in the studio, to the joy of their loyal fans, the Bright Light Social Hour released their debut album. “The album turned out great,” A.J. said. “We only had to cut one song because we ran out of time, well, mostly money. But for the budget, it was pretty much perfect. It was a lot better than other albums that are more expensive.” Obviously, the fact that their album was as good as it was is an accomplishment, but an even better reward is the fact that people went out and bought their album, quite a few people, in fact. “We were really pleased with how our album turned out,” A.J. said. “We sold a bunch of albums at the release show. We’re actually going to have to order more, but we’ve sold even more digitally.” With their incredible success in Austin and other cities around Texas, The Bright Light Social Hour has had great momentum to carry them into the future. “We want to get the record and our show in front of more people,” A.J. said. “We want to go farther up north and release our album up there. If we could do this forever, we would, so we’re going to try.” —Matt Frank
BYE BYE BIRDIE Choir, TEC dazzle with annual musical “We love you Conrad, oh yes we do! We love you Conrad, and we’ll be true! When you’re not near us, we’re blue! Oh Conrad, we love you!” Chances are you’ve heard this tune more than once over the past few weeks, especially if you went to see Bye Bye Birdie, this year’s musical, put on by choir and TEC. Choir girls (and guys) spent almost every moment since returning from winter break singing and fantasizing about the dreamy Conrad Birdie. “Playing the part of Conrad Birdie was a lot of fun,” choir senior Walker Ligon said. “He’s a very extravagant character, and I really enjoyed having this over-the-top superstar role. The character Conrad Birdie is based off of Elvis Presley, but Conrad is much more exaggerated in his actions and personality in general. It was a lot of fun to be a stuck-up rock star who thinks he’s all that. Conrad has no limits when it comes to expressing himself, so it was just very entertaining to become an egocentric celebrity.” The musical is typically performed towards the end of February, but this year it was several weeks earlier. Rehearsals started the day students returned for second semester. “It was a lot of work, but the end result more than made up for all the Emily Cohen time spent on it,” choir sophomore Mae Petersen, Albert’s overbearing mother, Julia Zachary said. “It was really was played by senior Hetty Borinstein. “So fun to get to know some of the Chorale many people came up to me after the show kids and be able to get involved in the and told me how believable my acting was,” choreography.” Hetty said. “The truth is, I didn’t have to act; Due to the snow on Thursday my grandmother is Jewish.” night, the first show was rescheduled for Saturday afternoon, meaning During a comical scene between principal musical participants would spend 12 characters Conrad and Kim, senior Walker Ligon hours at school that day. leans in to kiss senior Perry Lines. “When I heard about the show being moved, I figured giv-
ing up my Saturday for such an amazing show would be worth it, despite Becca Burt all the hours we Seniors Shivani Morrison and Hunter Barron played Rose Alverez and already put into the musical,” choir junior Albert Petersen in the musical. “I didn’t know Shivani very well before the musical,” Hunter said. “It was really cool how by the end we were kissing Claire Herlin said. and stuff on stage.” This year’s choreographer, Jenn Young, brought a lot to the dance aspect of the show this year, including a number of flips, lifts and spins that took a lot of practice to master. “In ‘A Lot of Livin’ To Do’ I had to lift [junior] Claire [Hoelscher] onto my shoulder,” choir junior Hayden Warzek said. “Lifting someone onto your shoulder while singing isn’t exactly easy. One time we tried it and she kind of sat on my face.” Choir sang and danced its way through January, while set building and light and sound design took up the time for TEC. “Preparation for this year’s musical took many weeks,” TEC senior Callie Wendlandt said. “The building alone took six weeks with people working from one to three-and-a-half hours a day, five days a week, not to mention dress rehearsals which were six to seven hours long for the entire week.” The musical is an important part of the year for senior choir members, and waiting to hear what the show is causes anticipation. “After seeing how successful Beauty and the Beast was last year, I was really anxious to hear what our senior musical would be,” choir senior Blair Flint said. “At first I was kind of nervous that we would never be able to fill last year’s seniors’ shoes, but I think the directors chose a fun show that showcased our talents really well.” When announcing the musical this year, the directors were worried that word had gotten out already, so to throw everyone off, they announced to Chorale that the musical would be Cats. Then they proceeded to explain the plot line, characters and costumes (spandex unitards for everyone, even the boys) and then eventually, they told them that they were joking. “I’m not gonna lie, I was a whole lot more excited when ‘Goods’ (director Jenn Goodner) told us we were doing Cats, and that the sophomore girls were going to be cockroaches,” choir senior Andrea Sokel said. Although the seniors had their last musical, the sophomores experienced it for the first time. “Being in the musical for the first time this year is so fun and exciting,” choir sophomore Jacqueline Brustkern said. “It’s shown me how our choir is really like one giant family and such a wonderful, talented Seniors Sarah Cantrell and Jenny Wolfe, junior Megan Kelly and senior Andrea Sokel kneel at the end of “Telephone Hour.” The song featured spinning telephone booths and extensive mic and lighting cues.
Sidney Hollingsworth
Becca Burt
Between theLines
Sidney Hollingsworth
Backstage, tech member senior Callie Wendlant readjusts senior Emily Snouffer’s mic after a costume change. Hill Country Middle School eighth grader Carson Hoelscher and sophomore Spencer Flynn both participated in the musical for the first time this year. “The real reward is delivering a line and getting a big laugh,” Spencer said. “That’s a tremendous payoff right there, and it’s an incredible feeling,”
Becca Burt
group of people.” To allow the most people possible to be in the musical, choir members are not given the opportunity to be in the musical until their sophomore year. Sophomores are not the only new ones to the musical though. Some juniors and seniors participated for the first time this year. “I was a ‘techie’ for Beauty and the Beast last year and all I kept thinking was ‘I want to do that,’” Hayden said. “So I did, and I had so much fun. The only thing I regret is not being in this organization sooner.” The exception to the rule this year was eighth grader Carson Hoelscher. Randolph, Kim’s kid brother in the show, needed to be played by someone who was younger than the rest of the cast. “I had been over to the middle schools and had my eye on him,” assistant choir director Jenn Goodner said. Even though Carson was as much as five years younger than some of the cast, he was well-liked. “[Carson Hoelscher] totally made the rest of us look bad at rehearsals because he was so cute and followed directions,” senior Anna Macdonald said. “Everyone loves Carson. When we got him to crowd surf at the cast party there were always like 12 people holding onto him to make sure he didn’t get dropped.” The annual musical brings the choir family closer by making the barrier between grades smaller, but it also connects TEC and choir in a way most other shows do not. “It’s the most fun production for every reason I can think of,” TEC senior Robert Jameson said. “All year we work with music and performance — with choir and band concerts and dance recitals with Hyline or Alisa’s Dance Academy. All of these are good and fun, but the musical is always something more. It has the character and the people that every other production we produce lacks. In a dance recital or band concert, you’re only focused on the music. In the musical, you’re not focused. You’re just there, experiencing it. The musical is different because it’s, well, a musical. The choir members are also actors. They have spoken lines, humor, character and personality that no other performer has. The musical has live music like the Nutcracker Spectacular, the dancing similar to Zenith and acting like from the Black Box Theatre. In fact, it would cover everything that TEC does the entire year if there were a football thrown on stage. Also, the musical is something professional, realistic and relatable to the ‘real world.’ When you talk to your grandparents asking them to come to Zenith, they’ll ask ‘What is that?’ If you ask them to come see Beauty and the Beast, they’ll ask ‘Wait, like from Broadway? I’d love to!’ In Zenith or the Nutcracker Spectacular, the dancers are dancers on or off stage — a toe-touch here, a pirouette there or frantic dress changing and stretching. The musical actors are just kids. They have humor, a voice, they represent another human. In short, what I love about the musical is the people — the choir.” —Becca Burt
The Featherduster: How did you get into music? Perry Lines: I started choir in elementary school since you had to take it, and since you had to take a fine art in sixth grade, I figured I should just go ahead and stick with choir. I had a lot of fun doing it, so I kept with it through the rest of middle school. By that time, I was already in love with it, so I decided it was something definitely worth continuing in high school. FD: What’s your favorite musical memory? PL: Probably any musical Hannah Kunz that I’ve had the opportunity to perform in; they’re In the lead role of Kim Macafee, senior Perry Lines sings all interesting and really en- “How Lovely to Be a Woman” during the first act of Bye joyable because they require Bye Birdie. more than just singing. You’ve got to dance or act in them as well, so the added challenge makes it more fun. FD: Who are your musical influences? PL: I really admire people like Julie Andrews and Sarah Brightman, all the people with really powerful voices and strong presences that really helped shape musicals and pave the way for a lot of other performers. FD: What are you planning on studying in college? PL: I want to pursue a vocal performance degree, and hopefully that can help me improve my technique. I’d like to get more classical training, but I doubt I’d go into anything like opera. After college, there are a lot of directions I’m thinking about going, possibly just vocal performance, or I’d also really like to get into Broadway performance. FD: How has choir impacted you? PL: The good thing about choir is that it isn’t just about the singing or the music in general. It’s about making a lot of friends and having a family in choir. A lot of the choir people are some of the nicest, coolest people I’ve ever met, and I’ve had some of the most fun times in my life with them. Also, luckily, Westlake has a really superb vocal faculty, and they’ve really helped me improve in a lot of things. FD: How did it feel to be the lead in the musical? PL: It feels really great, and it’s definitely been a whole lot of fun. Getting to play Kim was definitely a challenge though because her personality is a lot different than mine, but in the end, that just made it all the more rewarding when I felt like I had really gotten the acting down. And of course, the songs are a lot of fun. FD: If you could be any animal, what would you be? PL: Definitely some sort of bear. FD: What would you say to anyone aspiring to get involved in music? PL: I would tell them to just get as much vocal training as possible. Improving your voice is definitely the most important thing that you can do. You should have as much fun with it as you can, because that’s definitely the most rewarding aspect, and in the end, make sure that you follow your heart and your dreams. —Zach Wasfi
69
LEADER OF THE PACK Senior Jenny Wolfe poses for a photo on South Congress. Wolfe has performed at several venues on the downtown avenue, as well as at SXSW.
Sidney Hollingsworth
Jenny Wolfe shares talent, plans to pursue passion after graduation When an audience is rocking out to the beats of a cover song at a concert downtown, the musicians on stage often look the same. There are the typical tattered and torn jeans, the paint-splotched, worn out shoes, the washed and faded vintage t-shirt and the no-fuss hairdo. Senior Jenny Wolfe is no exception. Except, her t-shirt depicts small kittens pounding their paws on piano keys while staring into the moonlight. And her hair is blue. “Generally, if anyone’s going to remember me, it’s going to be for my hair,” Jenny said. In addition, Jenny has other qualities that make her worth remembering. At the age of 18, she has had a lot more experience being on stage and in the recording studio than most musicians her age. “I started playing in bands when I was 10 years old,” Jenny said. “I went to [a music] school, [where] a bunch of people from Westlake have gone. It’s called Natural Ear Music. While I was at one of the summer camps there, I met my producer. His name is Freddy Krc. While we were at the summer camp, my dad asked him to record [the band] because we worked really well together. Freddy was probably thinking ‘I could get a real recording out of these guys.’ Freddy owns a label called Steady Boy Records. He signed us to that label. I put out my first album when I was 13, and that was called Jenny Wolfe and the Pack.”
Jenny attained substantial success at a young age in a relatively short period of time. Although her passion lies in music now, that was not the case her entire life. “It all happened really fast,” she said. “Someone just asked me if I was interested in joining a band and it just sort of happened. I signed up for the school and we all got put in a band together. It was a weird mix of people, so it kept changing from there on out. I wasn’t serious about it until I started with the recording and people started actually noticing that I could have a career in music. Then I started taking voice lessons and getting really serious about it. I joined choir in middle school, and choir is a huge part of my life now. I’ve had a bunch of classical training. I have jazz training. I’m in music theory. That’s all I spend my time doing.” Not only did Jenny receive the opportunity to record two albums, but she also has had the chance to do numerous live performances around the country. “After Jenny Wolfe and the Pack came out, I did a bunch of gigs,” Jenny said. “I played [South By Southwest]. Then I released my second album which was a solo album, and that one was called Afterschool. After Afterschool came out I did ‘South By’ again.” Soon after, Jenny chose to take a step back from the music scene in order to train and improve her skills.
“The gigging is super fun and being in a band is super fun, but I also want to experiment with other genres and I want to improve classically.” —senior Jenny Wolfe
Soul music
Jenny’s dream soundtrack
1. “Sleep” by Eric Whitacre 2. “Mad World” by Tears for Fears 3. “40 Dogs (Like Romeo and Juliet)” by Bob Schneider 4. “Neckbrace” by Ratatat 5. “The Past is a Grotesque Animal” by Of Montreal
1. Pete Best, The Beatles’ original drummer 2. The Holding Company, Janis Joplin’s original band Jenny has been the warm3. Sir Mix A Lot up act for...
Grand opening
“I decided I wanted to study more and get “I wouldn’t have been signed to a label,” better,” she said. “The gigging is super fun and Jenny said. “I wouldn’t have gigged as much. being in a band is super fun, but I also want I wouldn’t have gotten the connections that I to experiment with other genres and I want do here, just because there is so much music to improve classically. I stopped working with here. I don’t know how much different I’d Freddy, and after a while, I started working be. I think I’d just be less diverse in my vocal with Six Pounds of Hawaiian Sand, which is prowess. Obviously, people have a lot more [junior] Lily Judge, [junior] Ben Durbin and of an appreciation for music, just by living in [junior] Zach Douma.” Austin. I think that people at Westlake really Now, Jenny is completely immersed in enjoy music and musicians, and are a little bit educating herself as she works to become the more open to new styles. Maybe that’s just the best musician she can be. As a senior, she is city. Maybe that’s the school. We have great planning the next step towards her future, music programs. I’m not sure what reason it keeping music in mind. is, but I feel like people are a lot more open to “I’m going to Belmont University, and I’m it here.” going to major Not only in commerdoes she have cial voice and gratitude for minor in music the setting she business,” she grew up in, said. “We’ll see but Jenny is where it goes also thankful from there. I for the choir will probably program at just end up doWestlake. ing everything, “I would like teaching never be private voice anywhere Spending the Saturday around downtown Austin, senior Jenny Wolfe [lessons]. I’ll where I am enjoys the atmosphere before going to her weekly band rehearsal. probably be in today without Along with juniors Ben Durbin and Zach Douma, Jenny and junior bands [and] the awesome Lily Judge are members of Six Pounds of Hawaiian Sand. “Lily Judge self-produced program that is my best friend and she’s been in almost all of my bands,” Jenny stuff. I’m doing we have here,” said. “We work really well together as music partners.” music busishe said. “All Sidney Hollingsworth of the voice ness because I know that I teachers are will have a much better chance of not being a fantastic. The directors are fantastic. I am so starving musician if I understand the business much more of a singer with the program and more than I already do. I’ve been in the field the opportunities.“ for eight years now, so I get it pretty well, but Jenny’s dedication to singing and playing there’s still stuff that I can learn.” both the piano and the guitar are essential in Although she will be heading to Tennessee demonstrating her love for music. For her, it next fall, Jenny believes she owes a lot of her is more than chords and pitches, and it always success and the respect she has gained to Aus- involves effort. tin and the music environment that is clearly “When it comes to music, I want to make fostered around the city. sure that everything is right, that everything
is the best I can possibly make it,” she said. “I feel like people underestimate exactly how difficult music is. There are so many aspects, like all of the booking, the pre-stuff and the poststuff. Making sure that everything goes right and to the best of your abilities takes so much time, takes so much effort, and I really don’t think that people can fully get that. I guess the hardest thing is just getting everything right.” Often, simply listening to music is a job for Jenny. “I feel like musicians listen to music differently,” Jenny said. “When I listen to music, I pick out things that I like. There are basic chord structures that music goes by and there are so many songs that are so similar. That music doesn’t interest me. I will listen to music that does something different. I like it when someone can grab my attention and make me think that they really put a lot of thought and effort into it. I can relax and listen to it, but I still have to concentrate on it. Music that I know I don’t have to concentrate on, but if it’s something that I’m not familiar with, I have to concentrate on it. Honestly, I don’t listen to a lot of music in my spare time, because if I do, then it’s a lot of work for me. I want someone to really realize that I put so much of my time and so much of my effort and my entire being into my music. This is what I love and what I want to do, and not just because I want to party and that I think I’m cool or any of that.” Some people may define success as fame and fortune, but Jenny is not aiming for those results. She loves to sing, and that is the only reason she needs to continue playing music successfully. “I don’t know if [being famous] would change me,” Jenny said. “Obviously my life would be completely different. I’d be doing all the things that famous people do, but it’s not a goal of mine. I want to call myself a great musician. I don’t care about fame. I don’t care about fortune. I just want to learn.” —Lizzie Friedman
{ westlakefeatherduster.com } trends + traditions 71
MUSICALLY INCLINED CONOR RAYEL Jake Bitting
Seniors to continue studying music in college
Attending: University of Texas Minor: Music Performance Inspirations: Jerry Junkin, Stravinsky, Queen What first attracted him to playing tuba: “It started in middle school, and one day the director said they were having auditions for tuba. We all got to do it, and apparently I was the best at it, so I got excited about it, and started looking into music for the tuba, and it grew from there.” Why he wants to pursue music: “I really love making music and performing it, and listening to it is a great pastime that I love to do.” Goals after college: “I’d really like to play with a community organization, like a brass quintet or ensemble.”
Attending: University of Texas Major: Jazz Studies Inspirations: Dexter Gordon and Traffic Why he wants to pursue music: “Music is the one thing that can help me relate with any one person throughout the world.” Goals after college: “I hope to someday become a film scorer.” What attracted him to the saxophone: “I thought it was the coolest instrument. No one wants to be the guy with the tuba.”
MARSHALL LOWRY Mariah Stevens-Ross
LIZ VALVANO
Mariah Stevens-Ross
Considering Attending: Hollins, Brown or Cornell University Major: Bassoon Performance Inspirations: Bill Lewis, Percy Grainger, Mozart, David McGill. What first attracted her to bassoon: I tried the bassoon, did the best at it, went home, listened to some professionals play and fell in love with it.” Why she wants to pursue music: “When I’m not practicing, I’m thinking about practicing. Sure, I have bad days, bad auditions, bad performances and bad reeds, but even the worst chair placement doesn’t take away from the freedom of expression that comes from playing, even if I have to spend hours in a tiny room to achieve that goal.” Goals after college: “Ideally, I would audition at one (and only one) world famous symphony, and get a super high paying, permanent gig. Unfortunately, that isn’t how life works. I’ll audition, and hopefully get a job performing with a reputable group.”
Considering Attending: Texas Tech University or Louisiana State University Major: Music Education Inspirations: John Parsons (percussion director), David Saad (former All-State musician and Westlake alum), Nick Stange (former private lesson teacher) Why he wants to pursue music: “What makes me want to pursue music is the gratifying feeling I get from the accomplishment of mastering a new piece or just simply improving my playing skills.” What first attracted him to playing percussion: “Percussion is the best and most difficult thing to play. I do it for the challenge and the gratification.” Goals after college: “I would like to teach at a school with a band skilled in percussion, similar to Westlake.”
LUKE CRAWFORD Sidney Hollingsworth
VINCENT QUITTA CARNEY
Attending: Belmont University Major: Music Business Inspirations: David Gray, John Mayer and Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors Why he wants to pursue music: “Music has always been present in my life and has grown to be in all parts of it from religion to academics and everything in between. It’s what I feel like I’m best at, so why not pursue it?” What first attracted him to choir: “I joined choir because I liked that fact that I could study music in school in a fun and friendly environment.” Goals after college: “My dream is to win a Grammy. Otherwise I just want to be successful with what I do in the industry whether I’m a manager, producer or even the talent.”
Considering Attending: Belmont University Major: Songwriting Inspirations: “Jack Johnson was my first real music love.” Why he wants to pursue music: “Ever since I began music, I could never think of stopping. It was also about the time when I decided I didn’t care about making money.” What attracted him to being a singer/songwriter: “I started learning guitar in fifth grade because this girl I had a crush on loved Drake Bell, so I tried to learn to play his songs. Needless to say, I never got the girl, but I developed a love for the instrument.” Goals after college: “There are so many different niches in the music industry that it’s impossible to know where you will end up. I simply know I hope to be carving out a sustaining career in what I love to do.”
HUNTER BARRON
Sidney Hollingsworth
Sidney Hollingsworth
JORDAN RUIZ Sidney Hollingsworth
Attending: Belmont University Major: Music Business Inspirations: John Mayer, Jason Mraz and Michael Bublé Why he wants to pursue music: “I love singing. Getting the opportunity to continue to work in music after high school seemed like the only thing for me to do because it’s the only thing I can really connect with.” Goals after college: “My serious goal is to become a manager at a music company and find and bring up aspiring musicians. My unrealistic goal is to work on my own music on the side while I’m in college and become a musician myself afterward.” —Zach Wasfi
{ westlakefeatherduster.com } trends + traditions 73
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Junior reluctantly takes salsa dancing classes, makes the best of awkward situation The smell of Eclipse gum and cigarettes was impossible to ignore. His gray ponytail and slightly rotten teeth paired with his vintage cowboy boots (which were pretty cool for an old guy) gave me the impression that this was his first salsa dancing experience. “Hi there,” he said, in his surprisingly charming southern accent. “Hello.” I held out the word for about three seconds so he wouldn’t have to open his mouth again. So I wouldn’t have to smell his breath again. His hands were really big compared to mine, but that didn’t even bother me compared to the way he was swinging his hips so… mechanically. “Alright, switch partners!” the instructor ordered. I sighed. It was Wednesday, and that meant salsa class. I was signed up by my aunt and cousin, who were eager to dance wearing their shiny new $90 heels. My next partner was wearing higher shoes than I was, even though he was male. You know you’re in the wrong class when you look manlier than your male dance partner. “Hi, I’m Sayad, nice to meet you.” He held out his hand. “I’m Hirrah, nice to meet you too,” I smiled. We danced for a couple minutes, repeating the routine twice. I was surprised at his gracefulness; he was almost the opposite of Old Man With Ponytail. Afterwards, he told me something like: “Try to be more fluid with your movements.” Well, great. My male partner had more flow than I did.
When it was over, my aunt, cousin and I walked back to the car and I spent every second questioning why I had gotten myself into such a thing. A week went by, and I again found myself dancing in front of a huge mirror with a middle-aged man that was probably taking salsa classes to impress his mother-in-law. I danced halfheartedly, my feet and hips swaying to what sounded like Latin American clubbing hits. Soon enough we rotated partners. “Hey girl,” Old Man With Ponytail said, moving his cowboy boots forward and backward, side to side. The funny thing was that he seemed to be really enjoying himself. I thought, what the heck, I was stuck in that darn class anyway, so I might as well make the most of it. I let the music flow into my soul and take control of my limbs and I danced because I wanted to, not because I had to, and it was fun. I’m not sure what exactly happened, but it was like I went from pessimist to optimist — actually enjoying myself despite the fact that I was wearing incredibly uncomfortable heels and holding hands with a man who looked like an extra in an old western film. Turns out that that man who smelled of minty fresh Marlboros made me realize two things: First, we should make the most of all situations. Second, not every guy over the age of 55 can pull off a long white ponytail. —Hirrah Barlas
“My next partner was wearing higher shoes than I was, even though he was male. You know you’re in the wrong class when you look manlier than your male dance partner.” —junior Hirrah Barlas
Cumbia: Has many meanings, but very often refers to a salsa move that was influenced by a tribal dance developed in Africa and spread in Colombia. Bar: A bar consists of four beats, and two bars are equal to a Clave.
Cucaracha: This step’s name comes from the Spanish word for cockroach. You start off on both feet. Step with one, to squash a mythical cockroach, putting your weight on that foot and almost lifting your other off the ground. Then, bring it back to where it started. Remember to smoothly swing your hips along with your feet. This “mini move” is added into the basic salsa steps.
Side-to-side: A very simple step when learning salsa. Begin by stepping to the side with your left foot, and then bring your right foot next to it, transferring your weight. Next, step again with your left foot. Finally, clap! Now do it starting with your other foot, sway your hips with your feet, and you’re salsa dancing! “Side-together-side-clap.”
{ westlakefeatherduster.com }
rants + raves
75
On Holi day
Senior Mekala Keshu smiles after partaking in her first Holi celebration in 2008 at Barsana Dham.
“My favorite part of Holi is throwing colored powder at all my friends and shooting colored water at each other.” —junior Komal Sharma
“Holi is all about the representation of Indian culture. Our culture is colorful and fun and the colors and game of Holi capture that aspect of our culture perfectly.” courtesy photo
—senior Ambika Venkat
Annual Hindu celebration adds color to Austin
W
ith the coming of the spring season, out of the drawers come the laundered, starched and pressed whites, ready for the Hindu festival of Holi. This celebration is one of my favorites out of the typical holidays of the year. Maybe it has something to do with the welcoming feel of the springtime and the colors that come with it. Or maybe it has something to do with the idea of getting to celebrate messily with multitudes of known and unknown people outside. Or maybe I just like the story behind the entire festival. In Hindu culture and tradition, most of the holidays are based off stories from Hindu mythology. Holi itself has multiple stories as to how it arose. One of them involves our Lord Krishna and his ardent devotee Radha. It is said that Krishna once complained to his mother about the disparity of his dusky complexion compared to Radha’s fair one. Consequently, Krishna’s mother decided to solve this by adding color to Radha’s face. During the actual celebration of Holi, one “adds” color to another, especially to their face, symbolizing the tale. In Hinduism, Krishna and Radha are viewed as the ultimate star-crossed lovers, so Holi is celebrated in the spring, the season of love. Traditionally, the festival involves everyone dressing in white and coming out to throw colored powder at one another. Although white is traditional, nothing prevents one from wearing whatever they want, as long as they don’t mind it getting a little messy. The powders come in an assortment of colors ranging from the traditional reds and yellows to the jewel tone cobalt blues, emerald greens
and turquoises. Our bodies, clothed in white, act like blank canvases. What starts out as just a splattering of specks of the rainbow colors ends up with our faces, skin and clothes covered in muddy brown color consisting of all the powders mixed together. With the addition of water guns comes the guarantee of more fun in the mix and the powder turning into an inky liquid that will coat your clothing and skin. I fondly remember coming to school the next day with remains of the bright colors still staining my skin after multiple washes and comparing them with my friends. While we would playfully chastise each other for what we had left on us, we would discuss on how we couldn’t wait to do it all over again the next year. Along with all the color wars, powder pelting and celebrating, Holi is always accompanied by a symbolic bonfire. Over the years, I believe the festival has become more of a cultural celebration with less emphasis on the religious aspects. Whatever the reason one may want to celebrate, whether religious or cultural, I will always find Holi special. Looking back on a lot of the other Hindu festivals my family and I have celebrated, many of the rituals and rites that took place were meant for adults to perform and children to observe. They were also in Sanskrit, which meant I didn’t understand them at all. But with Holi, I know, and more importantly, understand, the story behind it. It is one of those festivals that I have felt the most involved in. No matter what age, gender or race, everyone can partake in the festivities. What better way is there in welcome the spring than by throwing colored powder on the person next to you? —Mekala Keshu
Want to celebrate Holi? Here’s how. March 19, 2011 3 to 7:30 p.m. Barsana Dham 400 Barsana Road Austin, TX-78737
courtesy photo
Senior Shivani Morrison poses covered in colored powder after joining in on the Holi celebrations of 2008 at Barsana Dham.
Congress cravings The mile-long strip of Congress just south of downtown has, in recent years, become an Austin icon. We took to Congress to find the best of the many restaurants that reside there. Ranging from Tex-Mex to Austin’s favorite pizza, there is something for everybody.
Doc’s
Home Slice Pizza We’ve all been to Home Slice, tasted their magnificent pizzas and experienced their friendly atmosphere. Since 2005, it has been the place that all Austinites have a common love for. You can’t go wrong with anything that they serve, but their pizza is undoubtedly what put them on the map. Nothing beats their famous cheese pizza with their If you’re looking for atmosphere, Guero’s Taco bar has you covsignature cookies and milk for ered. From the live Mariachi bands to the tantalizing enchiladas, dessert. This Austin landmark Guero’s offers not just great food, but a memorable experience. has always been a favorite on With a menu filled with a large variety of food and reasonable South Congress and one of the prices, Guero’s provides the perfect place for a family dinner. We most popular restaurants in found that the service was great and the food was authentic Texthe city. Mex. The open kitchen in the middle of the restaurant gives you a comfortable feeling as if you are eating your delicious meal right in the heart of Mexico.
Doc’s burgers caught us by surprise. Walking into the casual restaurant, we could not help but feel out of place, as it seemed to portray itself as a more of a bar than a burger joint. To our relief, we did see some families enjoying a nice late lunch, and we suspect that the restaurant is more kid-friendly in the summer or when the outdoor patio isn’t under the temporary construction that it’s in right now. The service was great, and the burgers were delicious. Although famous as a burger joint, most impressive were the fries, perfectly crunchy and irresistible. They left a taste in our mouths that we warmly welcomed.
If you’re looking for an elegant brunch, South Congress Café is the way to go. With a huge window overlooking South Congress, you have the optimal view of the fast-paced world juxtaposed to the lavish, relaxing styles of the restaurant. The waiters were exceedingly nice, and the food was beautifully prepared and well worth the money. Famous for their brunch-style meals, South Congress Café offered a variety of wellbalanced dishes. The appetizer of three different kinds of salsas was eye-opening, their special of the day, blueberry pancakes, were fluffy and mouth-watering and the pasta with chicken with a special mushroom sauce was rich in flavor. Though this restaurant is the most expensive of the ones we’ve chosen, it is still reasonably priced ($8-15) and well beyond our expectations.
photos byMonica Tan
Guero’s
South Congress Café Hopdoddy Hopdoddy has only been around for a few months, and its already attracted flocks of eager people yearning for yet another good burger. Although one can find an above average burger at numerous places close by, theirs are truly unique. From the perfectly toasted sweet buns all the way to the savory meat, we found ourselves wide-eyed at the variety and taste that Hopdoddy offers. Selections include distinctive meats that we had never imagined in a burger, such as bison, lamb and turkey. Best of all, the burgers were reasonably priced ($6-10). The service was unique and the waitress was accommodating. Leaving Hopdoddy, we found ourselves pondering whether their burgers may have been the best we’d ever had. —Monica Tan and Josh Willis
South First vintage store takes a look at styles from back in the day photos by Karen Scott
I was drawn to Flashback by the yard display in front of this little treasure trove. There is a field of large metal poppies, each sprouting up at least a foot above the ground, something like a contemporary art exhibition. Upon walking into the vintage boutique, you are welcomed by a bold, explosion of color. Bright jewel tone dresses line the walls. Though entering Flashback was a treat for the eyes, what really caught my attention was the terrific selection of hats. When I was younger, my parents would always dress me in eclectic hats, (like seasonal fruit and safari hats) because it was easier to find me if I were to wander off on my own, which I often did. I think of this as a more fashionable approach than the toddler leash. Anyway, the hat trend stuck, and now, I have a collection of hats that I have procured over the years resting in the lofty shelves of my closet. After studying the selection of hats in the front room, I wandered further. I was shocked by the amount of stuff they were able to fit into this Mary Poppins bag of a store. Flashback, from the outside, has a deceptive façade of a tiny boutique, so I was pleasantly surprised to find room upon room of clothing, accessories, knick knacks and worldly treasures. This was especially exciting for me as I tend to
Congratulations to The Loose Wheels, winners of this year’s Battle of the Bands!
gravitate towards such impracticalities —I actually have a fuzzy alpaca made of Bolivian alpaca wool hanging above my bed. There was also a nice selection of kitchenware, which honestly doesn’t interest me in the least, but I’m sure I’ll be lusting after a black and white damask tablecloth in due time. I arrived close to closing time, so I wasn’t able to get a thorough inspection of everything in the store. Nonetheless, everything I saw seemed to be of good quality. I didn’t stumble upon any missing buttons or broken zippers. I found an aubergine Moroccan tunic dress that I would have bought if it were my size. The one qualm I have with thrifting is that while I may stumble upon a number of items that I would wear, few of them are actually ever the right size. If you ever find something you like, but it doesn’t fit quite right. Think about what you’re paying and what it would cost to fix, because if the alterations will cost more than the dress itself, it probably isn’t worth it. After I finished perusing the store, I proceeded to go back through the long stretch of rooms. The woman working at the store must have seen me admiring the hat selection, because as I was about to leave, she presented me with a number of hats and accessories from the ‘20s that she believed would suit my style. Though I am easily lured in by such temptations, I had somewhere else to be. All in all, I enjoyed the store. It was like sifting through some trendy grandma’s basement. It was a great place for those who enjoy thrifting. There were a number of treasures waiting to be uncovered, and I will be sure to return to Flashback again. —Sofie Seiden
hey chaps
!
Don’t Get Left Out!
Visit www.shop.jostens.com to pay for or order your 2011 yearbook! And don’t forget to follow us on facebook and twitter (@whsyearbook)
(Westlake High School Yearbook)
Karen Scott
Thanks to everyone for coming out to this year’s event. You guys helped make it happen. Special thanks to TEC, our judges, the Westlake Film Department and of course, all of our talented performers! { westlakefeatherduster.com }
rants + raves
79
{ staff editorial }
Brad Dunn
Stop this dirty business
Students need to clean up own trash around campus
P
izza slices. Ramen cups. Candy wrappers. Squashed fruit. Splattered ketchup. We would think that people have the sense to throw away these items, but that’s not always the case. Some students have been leaving their rubbish on the floor and tables during lunches, and it’s disgusting. Let’s throw away our trash. Littering is damaging to our community. No one wants to side-step a puddle of spilled Coke that’s been left on the floor while walking to class. Westlake has a wonderful campus, and people should keep it that way. How can we call ourselves a high-ranked school when we’re littering the very place where we receive our education? Have some pride for our school; it’s not a dumpster. Littering is bad for the environment. It takes time for certain objects to decompose: a sheet of paper takes 2-5 months, orange peels takes six months, plastic coated paper cartons (like your average fast food drink cup) takes 5 years, plastic bags takes 10-20 years, aluminum cans take 80-100 years, plastic six-pack holder rings take 450 years and plastic bottles and Styrofoam will never decompose naturally. Littering now can cause a huge amount of damage in the future; not just to animals, but to the future generations. Littering is against the law. The fine for littering can be from $2002000, even some jail time, depending on how hazardous it is. Although we won’t get fined for littering on campus, we need to remember that it is still unlawful. Don’t commit a crime by being trashy.
Littering is a burden. People, we’re in high school, for goodness’s sake. We’re old enough to know how to pick up our own garbage. Get up and walk the 10-15 steps to the nearest bin, and drop it in. It’s not that hard. We’re about to enter the adult world with huge amounts of responsibility: driving a car, voting, going to college, choosing a career. However, if we can’t even throw away our own junk, then it’s doubtful that we can live on our own. Be more responsible. Littering hurts other people. Some individuals might think that a few wrappers are no big deal. But who do we think is going to pick them up? Our mother? The custodians are the ones who are picking up our trash, although they shouldn’t be. They are not paid to be our personal maid; their job is to keep the campus and classrooms orderly. Custodians are the first to arrive at school and the last to leave. They work hard keeping the school clean; we shouldn’t be adding anymore burden on them. It’s rude. No one should be cleaning up after us. Fortunately, we know that not all of our peers are completely incompetent at this task. We commend those who walk down the hall and pick up garbage that’s not their own without giving a second thought. Continue on with what you’re doing. Though hopefully, you won’t have to do that as much when people Christina Shin change their nasty habit. This dirty business has been going on for too long. Teachers and staff have been asking nicely to keep the area clean. Instead of evading the problem, we need to fix it. It may seem like a few pieces of garbage here and there, but there are gross consequences. So please, let’s throw away our trash.
-zers Thai
AppeThai Passion
Passing by Congress Avenue, one may not expect to find quality Thai food. The worn-out door and humble sign reading “Thai Passion” serves as a small beacon for this restaurant. Upon entering, one is greeted with a warm welcome in a dimly-lit restaurant. The hand-crafted carvings and paintings decorate the walls; it really gives you the perfect atmosphere for eating some delicious Thai food. I ordered the Pud Thai noodles, a traditional Thai dish consisting of rice noodles stir-fried with green onions, bean sprouts and egg with a choice of chicken, beef, tofu or shrimp. With the perfect blend of spices and ingredients, it proved to be the best Pud Thai I’ve ever had. I also ordered the Tom-Kha, a hot and sour soup with mushrooms, coconut milk and lemon grass flavors; again you can chose between chicken, shrimp or tofu. It was a bizarre mix of
Location: 620 Congress, Avenue #105 Try this: Pud Thai noodles, Tom-Kha soup Veggie friendly?: Moderately, some specialty vegetarian dishes Price range: $5-15 Special features: Open until 3 a.m.
Tanner Thompson
flavors as it was sour, sweet and spicy all at the same time. Someone who regularly eats Indian food may be familiar with this kind of flavor. It may be an acquired taste for some people, but I really enjoyed it. As for the price, the portions are quite large, making it a good place to split dishes. The long hours also make it extremely convenient; it’s open until 3 a.m. every day, so if you’re feeling like making a late-night food run and can’t stand another greasy burger, Thai Passion is your place. —Enrique Gomez
Thai Spice Café One of the immediate advantages of dining at Thai Spice is its unlimited buffet, free with every meal. But watch out — it taunts you, inviting you to eat whatever you desire, and once you’ve passed this delicious event horizon, nothing awaits you but the doom of an overly full stomach. As long as you can resist over-stuffing yourself at the buffet, you’ll undoubtedly have a pleasant time at Thai Spice. Located conveniently within the nearby confines of The Village, Thai Spice offers typical Thai cuisine at typical prices — about $7-8 per dish, which is Tanner Thompson fairly affordable, consid-
ering that if the entrée doesn’t fill you up, the buffet certainly will get the job done. Thai Spice is, of course, vegetarian friendly and offers a unique vegan sushi that I haven’t been able to find elsewhere. In fact, I recommend choosing their vegetarian dishes; I found the meat to be disappointingly dry and unsavory. The restaurant has uneven performance, though, as it can be quite delicious on some days while disappointing on others. The service is relatively fast compared to Thai Passion, and although the atmosphere doesn’t take your imagination directly to Thailand, it’s warm and welcoming. One of the main advantages Thai Spice has over other Austin Thai bistros is its proximity to Westlake; it certainly isn’t the best Thai food I had. If you’re looking for prime Thai and have a bit of time to kill, choose the better Thai food options outside of Westlake. But for that 50-minute lunchtime crunch, Thai Spice can fill that hole in your stomach with some thaino-mite dishes. —Steven Campbell
Local Thai restaurants combine flavor, spice to satisfy Asian food cravings Madam Mam’s In my experience, Thai food tends to walk a thin line of flavor. Some cooking styles grapple with the edge of Vietnamese — and consequently Chinese — elements (such as restaurants like Hai Ky on Bee Caves, which predominantly serves Vietnamese fare along with Thai staples), while others embrace a more robust approach reminiscent of Indian dishes. Madam Mam’s is one of the few Thai restaurants in Austin that successfully balances these two culinary styles by serving up thick, flavorful meat curries along with delicately seasoned soups. Truly, Madam Mam’s is unmatched in Austin for the sophistication and grace it brings to Thai cuisine. What sets Madam Mam’s apart from other Thai restaurants is
the authenticity of its cuisine paired with the elegance of each dish. All entrées present a depth of flavor that goes beyond the typical tastes of lemongrass, soy and chili that most restaurants offer. Though Madam Mam’s serves up classic Thai comfort food, such as Pad Thai and Panang Curry, it also ventures into more obscure dishes, like their Kao Soi, a spicy noodle soup laced with Thai peppers and pickled mustard, or the Pad Cha Catfish, stir-fried fish in a fiery basil-chili sauce. For those who tend to avoid spicy food, options like the Pad-Sea-Ew are a safe bet for pleasant, aromatic flavor. Madam Mam’s is the place in Austin to get authentic yet refined Thai food. Each dish is packed with flavor and served with a rare delicacy that allows the essence of their curries, noodles and soups to come through. Prices are pretty affordable, with most dishes below $10, and higher-priced items at $15. If you’re looking for a high-quality, genuine Thai meal, pay a visit to Madam Mam’s and enjoy their delicious food, friendly staff and welcoming atmosphere. —Anisha Ganguly Location: 2514 Guadalupe St., 4514 Westgate Blvd., 2700 and Anderson Lane, Suite. 419 Try this: Madam Rolls, Pad-Sea-Ew, Keow Wan Curry (Green Curry) Veggie friendly?: Accommodates both vegans and vegetarians. Price range: Most dishes around $10 Special features: Thai souvenirs and merchandise in store
Izzy de la Luz
Location: The Village Try this: Basil Fried Rice Veggie friendly?: Accommodates vegetarians with tofu dishes. Price range: $7-8 for lunch and around $10 for dinner. Special features: Lunchtime buffet.
For the latest restaurant reviews and info about all things edible, check out The Featherduster Online at www.westlakefeatherduster.com.
Tanner Thompson
{ westlakefeatherduster.com }
rants + raves
83
American
Em ily
M itc
h
e ll
idle
Reality show con- tinues past its
Every year leading up to the premiere of its new season, we used to get excited, preparing to see the next group of talented individuals ready to become superstars. For the past few years, we’ve groaned every time American Idol has appeared on television, but this year has been different. The show has been revitalized, and we immediately set it to record on our TVs again. Although American Idol has had some high points, they are few and far between. Some of these high points were the successful winners, like Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson, whose music still plays on the radio today. Every week we also looked forward to former judge Simon Cowell’s witty comments which were sometimes harsh enough to reduce contestants to tears or cause them to shout profanities at him. Who could forget the YouTube sensations this show created; remember ‘General’ Larry Platt, the 63-year-old man who sang “Pants on the Ground”? Don’t worry — we still remember all the words, too. Renaldo Lapuz from season seven also emerged as a viral sensation after he sang his own personal dedication to Simon Cowell, “We’re Brothers Forever,” dressed as an angelic matador. He created an aura of laughter in the judging room as the three judges and Ryan Seacrest danced with him. And, of course, we can’t forget William Hung, who sent the judges into snickers with his terribly hilarious dance moves and tone-deaf singing of “She Bangs.” Without all those things, American Idol would have been a bad show; with them, the episodes ranged between good and mediocre. Between all the unnecessary commercial breaks at critical points in the show, we were disappointed by singers who made it to the finals but didn’t deserve to be there. Remember Sanjaya Malakar from season six? The ridiculous hairstyles he wore such as his ponytail mohawk and his high-pitched vocal range made him seem more like a girl with every episode. We also despise the winners whom nobody likes and never became successful. Hearing Taylor Hicks scream “Soul patrol!” after his season five win annoyed us to death. The show’s newest season, which premiered Jan. 19, comes with many changes. One of the most notable differences was the judging panel. Cowell, who stuck around with his sarcastic comments since the show’s beginning, has left, along with Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi. This year the judging panel is comprised of Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez. Tyler and Lopez are well known musicians who have a lot of experience in the music industry. Along with the replacement of the judges, the age requirements for auditions have been extended to include 15-year-olds. After watching the premiere of season 10 we have decided that the liveliness of the show has been brought back. Lopez and Tyler are like a breath of fresh air, bringing good advice and new personality to the show. The audition process hasn’t changed; there were many talented individuals and people who made us laugh out loud, such as Yoji “Pop” Asano, who belted out “Party in the USA” while dancing around like Michael Jackson. Although the American Idol of the past made us groan, we will definitely be tuning in for this season, which has more energy.
Will work for laughs
Replacement needed for Steve Carrell on The Office
We all would love to see the hilarious antics of beloved actors such as Jim Carey, Will Ferrell and Ben Hader from Saturday Night Live on The Office when Steve Carrell leaves his long-standing role as Michael Scott, the regional manager of the company Sabre (formally Dunder Mifflin). But to keep our options realistic, the producers will have to go in a completely different direction than those highly-paid comedians that keep us laughing. My criteria for the new boss would be to try out some of the current characters on the show and play off of how they would manage the office. The new boss could also be an employee with lesser experience who would cause us to laugh at their cluelessness. David Koechner (who appeared on the show as Todd Packer, a former employee of Dunder Mifflin) was just as ridiculous and wildly more inappropriate than Michael was. He would definitely keep the office workers on their toes and make for entertaining plot lines for viewers. Mindy Kaling plays the not-so-smart Kelly Kapoor, who was recently added into the “Print in All Colors Minority Executive Training Program” by The Office’s company Sabre. She would be unexpected and an interesting boss with just enough stupidity to keep The Office, The Office. The most obvious choice, Dwight Shrute, assistant (to the) regional manager and current owner of their office building, has been aching for Michael’s job since the beginning of the series in order to fulfill his dream of firing his arch-enemy, Jim Halpert. His often outrageous, half-baked plans would certainly add a twist to the day-to-day work environment of Sabre. To add a new face to the workplace, the producers might want to bring in some subtle comedians that would bring a nice new atmosphere to The Office. Danny McBride (played Red in Pineapple Express) has potential to be that clueless boss that no one wants to put up with. He would live up to the expectations of The Office fans with the unbalanced ratio of stupidity of boss to workers. Nathan Lane was in the movie The Birdcage with Robin Williams as Albert. The fact that he has played a flamboyant gay in both The Birdcage and in Modern Family might make some of the more conservative characters like Angela Martin and Dwight Shrute uncomfortable if he continues with this type of character. Also, the current Office gay character, Oscar Martinez, may just develop a crush on his new boss. Neil Patrick Harris, best known for his role of Barney on How I Met Your Mother, would present himself as a cocky, young businessman similar to Ryan (a.k.a The Temp) with a more likable personality. Anticipating the departure of a memorable and hilarious TV character, loyal fans have set the bar high for the new regional manager and may not go too easy on them. The producers will have to be cautious in order to please anxious fans. However, we will have to wait until the end of this season to find Emily Mitchell
Stuck in a
W
Senior ventures to local restaurant at lunchtime, snacks on tasty fare
pickle
hile on my weekly pilgrimage to P. Terry’s to pay homage to one of the tastiest hamburgers in Austin, I came across an extremely long line. Considering the limited amount of time that the administration has deemed fit for our lunch time, my fellow burger enthusiasts and I decided to take alternate action in order to avoid a tardy. We made a gutsy move and ventured into unknown lunchtime territory, The Spicy Pickle.
The Spicy Pickle is located just across the street from P. Terry’s burger stand on Lamar and Barton Springs. This shop is not meant for the connoisseur of the traditional turkey and cheese on white with no crust. They feature an extensive menu to satisfy your craving for an exotic sandwich. The menu features hot pressed panini, savory sandwiches, a buildyour-own sandwich option, signature salads, soups and pizzetti (pizza). The salads, soup and pizza might be good, but this is a sandwich shop and purchasing anything else is an act of treason. Buy a sandwich and your friends will like you more. I have dabbled a bit in their selection of sandwiches, and I can personally recommend a few. Keep in mind, I am serious about my sandwiches. My recommendations are not for the fairweather sandwich fan. My personal favorite is the Bronx. It begins its journey to awesome on two slices of hot, foccacia panini-style bread. Then comes a hearty helping of slaw. Don’t let this deter you, for I am not a fan of slaw myself. When slaw is hitch-hiking, I don’t pick it up. When I see slaw, I kick it in the shins. But this is good slaw, the kind of slaw you could bring home to mom and dad
for a meal. Next is the corned beef. This is an excellent sandwich meat commonly served on the rough and tumble backstreets of New York City. I encourage those who are not familiar with this delicious meat to become so as soon as possible. Next up is a nice Swiss cheese to compliment the other flavors in this personality-filled sandwich. Then the sandwich is glazed with a savory thousand island sauce to complete this masterpiece. I give this sandwich two thumbs up for its unique blend of delicious flavors to make a tasty lunchtime treat. Other notables include the Adobe (panini featuring turkey, mozzarella, peppers and a corn salsa), the Bandido (panini featuring turkey, red peppers, sundried tomatoes, pepperjack cheese and a chipotle mayo), and the Englishman, (regular sandwich bread complete with roast beef, horseradish coleslaw, cheddar cheese and thousand island dressing). The atmosphere at the Spicy Pickle is nothing spectacular, but when I want a good sandwich, atmosphere is not one of my concerns. They provide a comfortable and clean place to enjoy their food. Pricing is quite fair for the quality of the sandwiches that they produce. You can get away with a full meal of a sandwich, chips and drink for somewhere between $8-10. After ordering, they bring your food out to you very quickly, leaving more than enough time to eat and get back to school before the bell. I have yet to eat a sandwich at the Spicy Pickle that I wouldn’t recommend to a friend. So, friend, do yourself a favor and go eat a sandwich, and don’t order anything else, because if you do, the terrorists have already won.
Spicy Pickle is a sandwich shop located on South Lamar
Karen Scott
Barrett Wilson
—Alex Gieb
Karen Scott
photo by Karen Scott
{ westlakefeatherduster.com }
rants + raves
85
{ staff editorial }
Crunch time
Education budget cuts affect teachers, students...and everyone else
Y
ou are a teacher with 20 years of experience in the classroom. You have a family to feed and bills to pay. You are told that you must teach an additional sixth class without an increased salary. This means that you will have less time and more students. You love teaching, but you are not sure that you love these conditions. At the start of the school year, many of us were surprised to see the size of our classes. It was hard to adjust to the lack of individual attention because of the 30 other students in the room. Next year, it will be even harder for the teachers to give us the one-on-one time that we need, causing the quality of education that the Eanes community expects to slowly decline. The stress level of teachers will increase dramatically due to the fact that they will be responsible for more students. With more students for them to keep track of comes more papers and more projects for the teachers to grade. Sometimes we forget that teachers have families and lives too. With the loss of one of their planning periods, they will lose time to catch up on grading or to finish creating lesson plans. With the lack of time during the work day, they will be forced to spend additional hours grading at home. The excellence of our school is primarily a credit to our wonderful teachers, teachers who have given us a memorable academic experi-
ence and who have been at Westlake for years. Many teachers want to retire on top, feeling satisfied with the knowledge they have passed on. However, if they are given another class to manage, the fear of not being able to reach their own expectations results in them considering retirement. If these teachers retire, the district is less likely to hire people with their level of expertise to fill their places. In difficult times, it is common for us to immediately start pitying ourselves and turn inward on our own personal situations. But if we compare Eanes to other Austin-area school districts, we begin to see just how lucky we are. Westlake might be experiencing budget cuts, but Austin ISD recently announced that 485 teaching positions will be cut for next year. Our country may be struggling with the impact of the recession right now, and sacrifices have to be made, but why does this have to hurt our schools? Why is it that when budget cuts need to be made, education is the first thing to go? It just comes down to the fact that a good K-12 education isn’t highly regarded in our state. The result of a good education is a community comprised of responsible adults. In Texas, our legislature divvies up taxes to public works that need it. Besides education, public hospitals, transportation and many other services need money to operate. We may look at the short-term outcomes and
think that these other fields need the funds more and that health and roads are more important than public education. However, if we look at the issue in a long-term perspective, we see that with the lack of a good education, drop-out rates will increase due to the failure of motivation. Following drop-outs will be an increase in crime, and before we know it, our taxes will be going to imprisonment funds. By taking money away from public education, the legislature is not fixing the problem, they are only making it worse for future citizens. Teachers are the people who give us the basic skills we need to become artists, business owners, and doctors. Yet in the U.S., being a teacher is one of the less desirable jobs to pursue. The profession of a teacher is not an easy one, but for some reason, teachers receive low pay and are not appreciated nearly enough as they should be. Teaching may not be the most popular profession to chose from, but in order to take up the task, it requires patience, knowledge and a lot of time. Teaching is not a job one can spontaneously choose to do. Teachers are creating our nation’s future leaders. If their love for their profession starts to disappear, where does that leave us? We need figures in the present to help us cultivate the future. Letting public education take the hit in the budget crisis will cause ramifications that will resonate not only for our generation, but for future students to come.
At the town hall meeting Feb. 15, senior Mark Stone delivers an impassioned speech about the importance of furthering public education in front of state representatives Donna Howard and Paul Workman and state senator Kirk Watson. Sidney Hollingsworth
STUFF WE LIKE ENRIQUE IGLESIAS Ever since the heart-melting melody of “Hero,” the Englishspeaking world has fallen in love with the Latin bad-boy charm of Enrique Iglesias. If his most recent single “Tonight” can prove anything, it’s that Enrique is back, casting aside the emotional lyrics that once served as his trademark. This time he’s taking Eurotrash to an art form by unabashedly declaring his roguish intentions on the dance floor. The Spanish crooner has taken a turn for the daring ever since he took a victorious lap water skiing around the coast of Miami — in the nude — after his home country won the World Cup, undoubtedly giving sunbathing female retirees the thrill of their lives. His mischievous wink, dreamy eyes and impish swagger will melt any woman’s heart. Don’t try to fight it. He can be your hero.
Michelle Ling
CELINE DION Never before has there been a singer with such passion, with such heart and with such gravitas that even a completely deaf child can’t help but shed a tear when her songs are played around him. Who among us hasn’t spent hours on end eating chocolate and crying to the Titanic theme song while reminiscing over Leonardo DiCaprio’s sweet, sweet face? Celine has dedicated her life to instilling the fire of love and longing in our hearts, and she does just that. When her beautiful voice belts out “All By Myself,” there isn’t a soul in the world that isn’t awe-struck by the blinding wave of sadness and passion. She is a truly innovative artist.
NICKELBACK Nickelback had it all. Unfathomable popularity, limitless wealth and moving song lyrics enveloped them in a manner that made even the gods jealous. But as with Prometheus, their perfect world soon came crashing down upon Chad Kroeger’s perfectly coiffed hair. People grew jealous of their talent. They failed to recognize the lyrical brilliance of the songs, which they labeled “utterly terrible” and “the same song with slightly different choruses.” Soon they descended in the pit of the music industry, joining the company of such tragic artists as Simple Plan and the All-American Rejects. All that was left of Nickelback’s legacy were such timeless classics as “Photograph” and “Rockstar” and their beautiful bodies. May they be remembered as the band they truly were—a band founded on innovation, passion and attractiveness.
KOREAN BOY BANDS
{ westlakefeatherduster.com }
Brad Du nn
If you’ve been wondering about the occasional “K-pop song of the day,” The Featherduster has an answer for you. Korean boy bands have twisted the heartstrings of many girls from around the world, expanding their influence from their original homeland. Popular sensations like 2PM, Big Bang and Super Junior have filled the heads of most teenagers from both inside and outside the Korean borders. Although non-Korean-speaking girls don’t usually understand the sensual, often R-rated lyrics these artists sing, the attention of foreign listeners is mostly dedicated to their lovely faces as well as their provocative pop and hip-hop dance moves, characterized by an Usher-style swagger with the occasional pelvic thrust. There’s something about the gelled hair, porcelain skin and androgynous fashion sense of these Korean popstars that redefines what it means to be “male.” There’s a Far East Movement coming, so have a SHINee day, Westlake!
rants + raves
e h t f o Battle
1 1 0 2 s Band