HAIRstory Adolescents discuss relationship with their hair In this issue... State of the Union 2 Becoming an adult 14 Earth Day 20
the
HAWK
Hendrickson High School 19201 Colorado Sand Drive Pflugerville, Texas 78660 @thehawkonline April 15, 2016 thehawkonline.net Volume 9, Issue 7
2 Volume 9 , Issue 7 News
State of the Union Current domestic, foreign issues impact United States MarQuise Prince-Salone Co-Editor
Birth Control Mandate
Supreme Court nomination
North Carolina LGBT bill
The case Zubik v. Burwell depicts multiple religious institutions going against the Affordable Care Act (ACA) passed back in March of 2010. The institutions argue that the contraceptive coverage that forces companies to inform government they aren’t concerned with it against their religious freedom, however the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) argues that the mandate is within its Constitutional right. Currently the Supreme Court is opening up hearings on the disagreement from both parties before further deciding on how to act on the situation.
President Obama has officially nominated Merrick B. Garland, a Democrat, as the next Supreme Court justice after the passing of Justice Scalia. Garland is a graduate of Harvard Law School, a 19-year veteran of the DC Circuit, and has held positions in the U.S. Department of Justice. Some Republicans have already declined Garland as a candidate believing the nomination should be invested upon the next president, however others are willing to meet with him based on all his qualifications.
North Carolina’s governor, Pat McCrory, signed off on a bill allowing public organizations to rejecting transgender people from their using bathrooms or locker rooms with the gender they identify with. Republicans argue that the purpose of the bill was to protect women and children from predators, protect privacy, and express legislative power. The proposal also allows businesses and companies to openly discriminate against members of the LGBT community within the state by denying service, and job opportunities based on sexuality.
North Korea South Korean and American troops joined in on their annual tests of defense against North Korean in case of a nuclear war known as their Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises. Within the last few months North Korean militia has engaged in a series of nuclear tests and missile launches towards the Sea of Japan. These test have been seen as a purposeful way of creating tension against the military drills which being viewed as practice for an invasion of their country. The Nation Defense of North Korea has released a statement threatening a nuclear strike in response to these drills.
Flint Water Crisis In April of 2014, Flint, Michigan began using pipelines that pulled water from the Flint River instead of Lake Huron and the Detroit River into the city. The corrosive waters cause rust and lead from the pipes to leak into the water system causing lead poisoning posing as a public health risk. There has been a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease as well as cases of hair loss, rashes, and even lead poisoning in children due to the tainted water. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) called for emergency precautions to take place on the water crisis in January of this year. Governor Rick Snyder has started the Moving Michigan Forward relief fund to cover the costs and has already received nearly $300,000, however estimated damage costs could be in the billions.
Trump Rallies Presidential candidate Donald Trump has physical fights, and death threats. In some organized a series of rallies across the cases, Trump on stage has supported this U.S. to bolster his campaign leading up to violence promising to pay legal fees for the general election in November. These supporters who became injured, while rallies have featured various protests other protestors have been escorted out. opposing Trump’s radical ideas through marches, chanting, and blockades. Vote Those protestors were met Vote with violence from Trump Trump supporters including Trump
GMO bill Genetically modified foods (GMOs) are organisms which have been genetically engineered to create a higher survival rate against outdoor forces such as weather and insects. Most countries don’t believe GMOs are safe and have even attempted or succeeded in banning them, however the U.S. government approved their creation and distribution based off of studies. In February, Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas proposed a bill mandating the labeling of GMOs across the country. Currently the Senate Agriculture Committee has rejected a GOP proposal that would prevent the mandated food labeling, is in the process of reviewing and moving the bill forward.
News April 15, 2016 3
Building a Community
Geometry in Construction class make tool sheds Chloe Pham Staff Reporter
Once second period starts students in the Geometry in Construction class get to work on their newest project. Over the loud sounds from saws and drills, teacher Jerry Richey can be heard as he directs the class and guides them through their work. “It’s a great way to learn geome-
Photo by Emma Harting
try,” Richey said. “You’re not just writing stuff on the board, you’re actually going outside.” Recently, Home Depot gave the University of Texas a million dollar grant to go out and help elementary schools by building gardens to start a nutrition program. Because of this, the Geometry in Construction students have been given the opportunity to help the university by building tool sheds. “It’s a great opportunity,” junior Jade Lietzke said. “We get to team up with the University of Texas
and help them in the process of changing the community. It’s great that we get to build things that are useful, but I feel like this is our chance to actually get out there and expand on who and where we can help. Plus it’s a big deal for us especially since the university chose us to help them with their project.” Their goal is to construct one for each site the college visits. By the end of the year, there will be three sheds built and next year they aim to complete eleven. “Today we have kids cutting twenty-
Photo by Emma Harting six and a half degree angles and figuring out lengths of a hypotenuse of a triangle and using that knowledge to build things,” Richey said. “It’s a lot of real world hands on application. The things we get to do would not be possible without the help from our students.”
Class offers opportunity to develop innovative skills Chloe Pham Staff Reporter
Photo courtesy of Nathan Way
Just weeks away from their presentation day, seniors Nathan Way, Logan Schuler, and Jarod Hoke work on finalizing the last pieces to their Capstone Engineering project, Ancile. For the first time, the Engineering Design and Development class is introducing Project Lead The Way (PLTW) to the Pflugerville district. PLTW is an organization created to help kids get more involved in STEM fields (Science Technology Engineering and Math) where they will be able to expand in math and or science. The Engineering Design and Development class is divided up into teams where they have been working together since the beginning of the year to create innovative products. After many presented ideas the team was finally able to agree on one. “Our product is called Ancile Sun
and Weather Shield,” Way said. “We wanted to address anything that causes windshields any problems, honestly. We were actually shooting for a more ambitious project, but after a massive pro’s and con’s chart we agreed on that.” Many factors played into the decision of the groups project, but with limited time and materials they decided to settle on a windshield protector. “Weather was our primary focus, but other sorts of damages and irritations were all fair game,” Way said. “We wanted to make it so that nobody would need to spend an hour outside in the cold to scrape frost, or ice, or snow off of their windshields to drive to work. We thought that it was ridiculous, and even more so when we researched it. The ice
scrapper was originally patented in the 1940s which means for 80 years people have been blindly scraping the glass on their cars and nobody has attempted to resolve that successfully.” The group has also put it upon themselves to create a Facebook, Twitter, and a website (Ancilia.wix.com/sunandweather) to display the purpose and production of their product. “We want people to fall in love with our creation,” Way said. “We want to do well, and we want it to help us in the future. This is the closest thing we have to the careers we want to pursue in. These projects are the biggest accomplishments we have had in all of our educations for the most part. We wanted to really take this seriously and maybe even kick-start our futures with it.”
4 Volume 9 , Issue 7 News
Growing Gardens
Ceramics sells potted succulents for fund-raiser
HAWKS ofthe of the Month month Students:
Rumor Stojek Asst. Editor
Ceramics classes created a fundraiser to sell clay potted succulents. They will be sold on the last week of April 25 through April 29 in main hall before school for $5 each. The actual succulent plants for the fundraiser will be ordered online and planted in the small, clay pots, handmade exclusively by Ceramics I and II students. The money will go towards more supplies for the ceramics class and art banquet. A portion of the money will also be donated to charity. “Everyone went from making huge projects, worrying about how they’ll turn out, and if they’ll be any good, to just making cute little pots,” senior Dekayla Hammonds said. “It was super relieving to see everyone wind down from competition and just have fun. I always feel great when I’m able to contribute funds to the program. Mrs. Soto works so hard and loves her students so much; it’s awesome whenever we’re given the chance to help her out and give back.” Ceramics teacher, Abigail Soto, instructed her students with the goal to make mini planters with eleven ounces of clay or less designed and constructed anyway they want. She encouraged her students to include some techniques they’ve learned throughout the year in her class.
“I was walking and shopping on South Congress in Austin and came across this woman selling succulents on a cart on the back of her bike,” Soto said. “The planters were made out of mixed materials, but each had the cutest little succulents in them.” This fundraiser came just in time for ceramic students by giving them a relaxing breather after preparing and finalizing their art projects for the regional wide UIL competition, VASE (Visual Arts Scholastic Event) last February.
“A lot of teachers and students don’t know about the ceramic class, so this fundraiser will help promote the program.” Soto said. “I see students transform while working with clay. Whether it’s a stressful day that is made less stressful by throwing on the wheel, or just a really awesome product that took two weeks to construct. There is just something very special about molding a piece of clay into anything you want, firing it to 2000 degrees, and making something that will last thousands of years.”
Musical brings home top awards Mikaela Kelarek Asst. Editor
Urinetown was named the Best Production at The Greater Austin High School Musical Theatre Awards (GAHSMTA) on April 13. Junior Pedro Castaneda won Best Actor and Senior Harmon Gamble won Best Supporting Actor along with Directors Mike Fisher and Nicole Malone being named Best Directors. The theatre department was up for a record eleven nominations for work on this year’s musical. The GAHSMTAs
are held every year at the Long Center to recognize the work that goes into the musicals put on by local high schools. In addition to the categories won, nominations included Best Supporting Actress, Best Ensemble, Best Pit, Best Choreography, Best Lighting Design, Best Set Design, and Best Costume Design. “Fisher and I were extremely proud of all the nominations Urinetown received,” director Nicole Malone said.
Seniors dominate financial aid contest
Jesus Gonzalez-Franco, 11th Grade Gibich is a great student with a truly positive attitude. She has contributed a lot to her school and community throughout her four years at Hendrickson.
Taylor Gibich, 12th Grade
Teacher: Dillavou has a great deal of patience. He provides each of his students with new experiences to maximize their success. Gary Dillavou, EA Teacher
Ileana Perez Asst. Editor
In a school-wide push to encourage seniors to apply for federal financial aid, Hendrickson beat out all other large high schools in central Texas in a competition to see which school could get the largest number of seniors to submit their applications. The winning prize is a VIP senior class screening of Captain America: Civil War at the Alamo Drafthouse.
Gonzalez-Franco is a wonderful person and a hard working student. There is no one more respecful and kind than him.
The Austin Chamber of Commerce hosted the contest to public schools in hopes of encouraging students to turn in FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) forms. “FAFSA is linked to any sort of government grant or loan that a student would need for school, so if a student has all of the money they need for college saved, then it’s not necessary for them
to complete it,” College and Career Counselor Kara Tappendorf said. “The truth is, many students and families don’t have a savings account with all of the money for college, and in that sense the FAFSA becomes really important because it’s a way to access government money and loans for students to go to school.” Along with the VIP screening, a $1,000 scholarship will
be awarded to nine student leaders, three from each of the size categories, who are selected by the Austin Chambers as winners. An additional student leader will be picked from a school that does not place in the top three, resulting in a total of 10 scholarships provided by event management company, C3 Presents. All student winners will be announced on April 18.
Staff:
Lins always brightens up her students’ days with her smile. She has a neverending willingness to ensure that all her students feel comfortable in the classroom.
Yolanda Lins, Educational Asst.
News April 15 ,201 6 5
accolades & WINTER GUARD
AWARDS CHOIR At UIL Solo and Ensemble on March 5, choir members Chris Velasquez, Emily Marshall, Samantha Zinni and Veronica Beagle received superior ratings and advanced to state. Yasmine Khan and Dana Monica received
excellent ratings. Additionally, Kira Connally, Kendall McCurley, Danzi Bradley and Grace Nyugen received Superior ratings, but did not advance due to level of difficulty of their music.
SCIENCE OLYMPIAD The Science Olympiad teams competed at the Corpus Christi Regional tournament on March 5. A team earned first place overall and B team earned second place overall. The A team scored their best score ever in a regional competition, qualifying the team for the State Tournament at Col-
THEATRE
The UIL One Act Play company’s production of Fortinbras earned them District Championship at the district competition. Pedro Castaneda earned All-Star Cast and Erin Eckert earned All-Star Technician. Additionally, Brian Baker and Harmon Gamble received awards
lege Station in April. For individual events the team took home first place in Air Trajectory, Astronomy, Bridge Building, Cell Biology, Disease Detectives, Dynamic Planet, Electric Vehicle, Forensics, Robot Arm, Science Word and Wind Power.
On April 4, both the JV and Varsity Winter Guards won the State Championships, Additionally, both Winter
SOCCER Although the girl’s soccer team was eliminated from the playoffs after an area defeat against Kingswood, they broke records this year with a 20-1-2
for Honorable Mention All-Star Cast. At Bi-District Eric Ables and Khali Sykes were awarded Honorable Mention All-Star Cast, Harmon Gamble was awarded All-Star Cast, Matt Tomasek was awarded Best Actor and Zack Scott was awarded Best Technician.
WINTER PERCUSSION
UIL
The UIL Academics team competed at the District meet April 2 & 4. The Calculator Applications team earned first place, advancing them to the region level. For individual awards, Gabee Viduya earned third place in Accounting. In Computer Applications Grace Cramer earned first place. Both students are advancing to the region UIL meet. In Informative Speaking Marcus Ayala earned first place and Hannah Benton earned third place in LincolnDouglas Debate. In Poetry Interpreta-
DEBATE In the first year of the program, Winter Percussion earned eighth place at the state level. In addition, at the
TCGC Bowie Competition on March 19th, the Winter Percussion earned first place.
Guards won first place at every TCGC competition they attended.
At the UIL 6A State Policy Debate tournament the Hawk Speech and Debate team earned the policy debate state championship. Nico Williams and Cody Snow were announced 6A Gold Medalists and Ayu Sofyan and
streak. The team was undefeated at the District level and got a recordbreaking twelve wins.
tion Tori Herdman earned first place and Pedro Casteneda earned second place. In Prose Interpretation Eric Ables earned first place and Harmon Gamble earned second place. All students listed are advancing to the region level and collectively the awards received earned the Speech team first place overall. In UIL journalism Madi McVan earned first place in Copy Editing, third place in both Feature Writing and Headline Writing. McVan will be advancing for both Feature and Headline writing.
Christina Bui were announced 6A Silver Medalists. This is coach Agha’s seventh state tournament won either as a consultant or a coach.
6 Volume 9 , Issue 7 Opinions
School name change reflects progress towards equality, inclusion in AISD Staff
Editorial
When the Austin ISD (AISD) School Board rose to congratulate students for achievements in the district, board member Edmund Gordon noticed that not one of the students was black. He hopes that changing the school’s Confederate associated name will help forget about the history of racial consolidation that has taken place over many decades. The AISD School Board voted to re-name Robert E. Lee Elementary School in Hyde Park after various complaints from parents and community members of the message the name was sending. Lee’s School Campus Advisory Council, mostly made up of parents and staff, unanimously voted to change the name in January of 2016 and has been attempting to win the votes of the school board since then. Finally on March 29, after hearing the opinions of those who attended the school board meeting, the board voted 8-0 in favor changing the name, with one member declining to vote. The decision to change the school’s name creates an equal education space without dividing or excluding certain races, and is a necessary step to achieving equality. Although more than 150 years have passed since the end of the Confederacy, the name still conveys ideas of slavery and racism. When the United Daughters of the Confederacy suggested the name Robert E. Lee Elementary School in 1939 after Robert Lee, General of the Confederate Army, it was a segregated, all-white school in an all-white neighborhood. Robert E. Lee would have fought to keep black men, women and children as slaves. For an elementary school to keep this name would be inappropriate, as it reminisces on the racial exclusion that took place in public schools. The mass shooting that took place in Charleston, South Carolina, in a black church by
the HAWK
Hendrickson High School 19201 Colorado Sand Drive Pflugerville, TX 78660 http://www.pfisd.net/HHS (512) 594-1100 Adviser: Kari Riemer Principal: Daniel Garcia www.thehawkonline.net
a confederate sympathizer, was classified as a hate crime This event prompted Lee’s Campus Advisory Council to consider the name change, as it violates the school’s core values, defined by AISD, to “promote excellence to all students.” It was agreed that keeping the name of former confederate general sent mixed signals about the district’s stance on the wrongness of racial inequity even though the school is now committed to racial tolerance and understanding. Opponents of the name change believe that the “anti-Confederate hysteria” surrounding the issue will pass. However, recent events prove that acts against people of other races will continue to happen, such as recent mass shootings and attacks against minorities at Trump rallies. On a smaller scale, the flaunting of the Confederate flags in our own campus parking lot serves as a show of support to these actions. Continuing to tolerate confederate symbols and names will only yield to ignorance. The school board should change other Confederate associated names in order to provide an equal education space for students to excel without feeling racially excluded.
The Hawk, the official student newspaper of Hendrickson High School, is an open forum for the exchange of ideas and opinions. Opinions expressed reflect the beliefs of the student author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the entire Hawk Staff, the Hawk Adviser, the Hendrickson Faculty and Staff, or the Principal. Letters to the editor are welcomed, and may be dropped off in E102.
The Hawk is printed monthly at Granite Printing in Taylor, Texas. 1,500 copies are printed each run, and are distributed to the student body through Talon and newsstands throughout the building
hit or
MISS
Hoverboards obstruct hallways The use of Hoverboards has become a growing issue in our school, and although we have more monitors in the hallways, students continue to ride in the cafeteria and after school when the hallways are the most crowded. Not only are the riders in danger of harming themselves, but other students are also at risk of accidental or secondhand injuries. The lack of enforcement against Hoverboards is off target.
New dress code enforcement unbalanced Recently, teachers revamped the enforcement of dress code. Certain rules, like no headphones, which have been tolerated before, are now strictly enforced. Dress code regulation is defined as equal across all boards but in reality is uneven and complicated. While the staff is trying to make dress code more consistent, the rules are not equally enforced. It appears that some rules are carried out more than others. For example, it seems like leggings are dress coded more than sagging pants which frustrates students and is off target.
Senior video promotes college attendance The video playing in the hallway of seniors announcing their college choices is one of the signals that the school year is coming to a close. It is a great way to get seniors excited for the future, and make underclassman consider their college plans. In addition, it reminds seniors to complete their college and scholarship applications. The encouragement and motivation the video provides to all grades, and the recognition it gives to college-bound seniors, is a hit.
Extra credit encourages AP review attendance
Illustration by Mikaela Kelarek
Editorial Staff
Co-Editors: MarQuise Prince-Salone & Kylie Ruffino Copy Editor: Madi McVan Assistant Editors: Rion Ellis Alex Fulton Mikaela Kelarek
Ileana Perez Rumor Stojek
During the month leading up to the AP tests, the district or individual teachers hold review sessions and provide extra credit for those who attend, ranging from a simple quiz grade to an increase of their nine-week average. This helps raise the amount of attendees, while boosting their grade and preparing for the exam. Therefore, offering extra credit for AP prep sessions is a hit.
Reporters
Kiarra Blankman Alyssa Ellinwood Virginia Gaffney Holly Hambleton Paul Le
Amanda Perez Chloe Pham Lindsey Robinson Gabby Sanchez
Winner of the ILPC Bronze Star, 2014 & 2015
HAIRstory Adolescents discuss relationship with their hair In this issue... State of the Union 2 Becoming an adult 14 Earth Day 20
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Hendrickson High School 19201 Colorado Sand Drive Pflugerville, Texas 78660 @thehawkonline April 15, 2016 thehawkonline.net Volume 9, Issue 7
Design and Art by MarQuise Prince-Salone
5
Working Together
Opinions April 15 ,201 6
7
Nest provides job skills for essential academics Amanda Perez Staff Reporter
The first period bell goes off and EA teacher, Paula Hollar, creator of the Nest, heads to her Essential Academics, EA, students to set up the store today. Senior Eric Heatley checks the inventory, preps new merchandise, sets up log sheets, and checks if they have enough change. When the bell rings for second period, the curtain is rolled up and Heatley looks for students walking by. He has a short script ready on know how to approach the general student body. The Nest is the school store that has put all club merchandise in one place, open during lunches on Friday. Students from the EA class, like Heatley and senior James Andrews can work here, though they are not paid. At the end of D lunch, the Nest is packed up, locked up, and the EA students go back to their regular classroom to count up the money. They
separate the money by the clubs and what they’ve earned, and then the money goes to the bookkeeper, where the clubs will pick it up. “I kept hearing in the hall from students and teachers that they liked each others shirts.” Hollar said. “But they didn’t know where to get them. So I came up with a central location to sell merchandise.” The Nest serves to help EA students with communication skills. “It’s mostly on job training.” Hollar said. “I’m there to help them respond correctly to the other students they’re selling to.” The stores purpose is to bring the EA students and the general student body together. “I ask if they want to buy a shirt and it sells,” Andrews said. “At the end of D lunch, I count our money and inventory. I make sure the money adds up
with how much merchandise was sold. It’s funny seeing the student’s reactions. I enjoy seeing people being polite to the students who can’t communicate as well.” Putting students in a more comfortable space helps with their confidence. “The wide open space is more comfortable than sitting a regular classroom,” Heatley said. “It puts me in a good mood to be there and to get to talk to people.”
Photos by Madi McVan
Recycling Club helps more than environment Kiara Blankman Staff Reporter
Photos by Victoria Hoang
The components to saving the environment are reusing, reducing, and recycling. Ten students take on this responsibility by taking out the recycling for the school. Every day they take care of certain areas by going to classroom-to-classroom, making sure they don’t miss anything. Doing this helps them become more aware of what can and can’t be recycled outside of school. “We took on the responsibility to give the students in Essential Academics an opportunity to work on job skills,” Essential Academic Teacher Bryan Silverman said. Picking up recycling helps those involved acquire and maintain jobs skills they will need for the future. They learn routines and appropriate work behavior while doing something good for the environment and the school. “Making them more responsible kind
of teaches them routine,” Silverman said. “Giving them opportunities to work on those skills and build on those skills.” The club helps build on their life skills by learning how to problem solve when something arises, like if the dumpster is full or something is too big that can’t be put in the trashcan. They try to find the solution and figure out how to solve the problem. “Disappointed when there’s not a lot of recycling” Silverman said, “they feel like they’re supposed to do more.” Going around, picking up papers and recycling is not just an on campus job for those who do it. It gives them a sense of achievement, by doing something so little that makes a big difference in the world. “They are proud of what they do” Silverman said, “realizing how it helps the campus and the environment.”
8 Volume 9 , Issue 7 Features
What He Saw
Miles relays childhood war experience
Rumor Stojek Asst. Editor
Hide and Seek seemed so harmless. A game for children, a game to pass the time. He hid in a corridor with a girl he liked. The floor was scattered with gun shells. Blood-covered bullets were embedded in the walls.
SOUTH AMERICA
Small bloody fragments of skin and tissue were on the bricks. He got his first kiss that day. Junior Jordan Miles went on a threeday field trip with his church group to the Falkland Islands in 2010 when he was eleven years old. The Falkland War of 1982 was the result of an Argentine invasion of the British owned Falkland Islands. Britain and Argentine forces suffered over 900 casualties and over 1,800 wounded from both sides. Miles visited the Islands and witnessed first hand, the aftermath of a war that took placed there
over 30 years ago. “I did not repress it,” Miles said. “I just didn’t really think too much about it. I chose not to focus on it at the time. I’m surprised I was not more scared. As an 11 year old you’re kind of oblivious to war, until you actually see the destruction.” Miles was still shaken after seeing the leftover wreckage and devastation in the Falkland Islands. Since Miles was young at the time the reality of what he saw didn’t set in very quickly. “ W e i r d l y e n o u g h i t w a s a n indescribable feeling,” Miles said. “I know that sounds all corny, but it was. The most blood I’d ever seen was
THE FALKLAND ISLANDS
when I had a nosebleed. Having to see all the death and destruction was something that happened, it was real and now that I think about it, it was really terrible. Before I didn’t like war, but now I truly hate it. I despise war.” Miles’s experience strongly impacted his view on foreign policy issues, such as war. He now plans to use his opinions on war to influence which politician he will vote for in the coming election. “Going to the islands didn’t change my view, rather it reinforced my preexisting view that war is a terrible thing to put a developing country through,” Miles said. “Anyone who advocates it is essentially violating all human liberties. I’m black; I cannot go for war on any scale since my history is filled with violations. The experience has made me feel even more strongly about being anti-war. Luckily, Miles doesn’t let what he saw haunt him and morph into a strictly negative childhood memory in his life. “It’s a beautiful island and even though it’s been through so much destruction, it is still a special place to visit,” Miles said. “I feel grateful, that I can be in a place where I get to see all of the history around me even though it was bad. I still look at the moment fondly, because I got my first kiss there.”
Austin Running Limits
Features April 15 , 201 6
9
Team of runners participate in local race Gabby Sanchez Staff Reporter
In the masses of people lined up at the starting line, 52 faculty members, parents, and students represented the campus, running or walking in the 39th Capital 10K this last Sunday, April 10. Over 20,000 people of all shapes and sizes attended the race downtown, making it the largest 10K in the state. The trail started on Congress Ave. near the capital, then continued around the hilly areas of Austin, finishing up at Town Lake where a festival kept the good vibes going. Austinites stood outside of their homes and apartments, cheering the runners along the route. Local bands also pumped up the crowds at several points in the race. For senior Dominic Distefano, the highlight of the race was being able to see so many classic Austin views. “Sight-seeing all around Austin was cool,” Distefano said. “Going by the capital and seeing all the tall buildings, going down streets I have never been before was different.” Participating in the race does not mean someone has to run. Many people walked portions of the race, or the entire race. Assistant Principal Clarissa
Alvarado has coordinated the event for the team the last two years, and is something she did for her former school for ten years. To her, it does not matter how fast someone runs, but the importance lies in finishing the race and working towards a lifestyle of wellness and community involvement. “I’m a big believer in overall wellness,” Alvarado said. “It brings people together; faculty, parents and students can experience something together, and for students it can become a lifetime activity.” Most of the team comprised of families who ran together, pushing each other, toward the common goal of finishing the race. For many, the best part wasn’t their time or speed, but spending time with their family and friends. They could see improvement in each other from previous years, like junior Gwyneth Garcia who ran with her mom. “I enjoyed just being able to run with my mom,” Garcia said. “Last year we were in different corrals, but this year she improved her time so we made sure to stay together and I encouraged her.”
In Vivid Color
Finishing the race was no small feat. Deciding to run 6.4 miles requires dedication and pushes someone to his or her limits. For senior Simone Washington, this race showed her how much she can really accomplish, getting past mental barriers and even surprising herself in the end. “I didn’t think I could do it, and I did it,” Washington said. “So I really now what my boundaries are, if I even have any.” For the second year in a row, the team received an award for the Largest High School Team; the Cap 10K committee presented a trophy after the race, making Alvarado extremely proud and optimistic about the future of the event. “I’m really excited,” Alvarado said “Last year we got the award for the largest high school team, and they just said, ‘Hey come pick it up,’ but this year they’re doing a ceremony on stage and it’s cool because it’s really a way for everyone to come together as a team.” Alvarado plans on captaining another team next year, and encourages anyone, despite their athletic ability,
to join. “I encourage any students, faculty or staff, it doesn’t matter whether you run or walk,” Alvarado said. “Join us next year. It’s a really fun event and a tradition I hope keeps going.”
Band council coordinates Color Run to benefit members Gabby Sanchez Staff Reporter
On the morning on the Color Run, senior council members Leah Smith,
Elon Bohanon, and Chase Reyes found a problem. Due to a baseball game later in the day, they had to redraw the entire course for the Color Run hours from the start of the race. However, they conquered many obstacles before this and they would solve this problem, too. After redrawing the course, the loop only measured up to 1.7 miles, but it would be long enough for 100 people to have fun with
their friends and family, covering each other in red, green, and blue powder that they made themselves over two weeks, measuring up to over 100 pounds. “There were a lot of things we didn’t know about, like them paving (the parking lot) and the baseball game,” Reyes said. “I think no matter what happened we still put it on and it went well.” The work began in January, when the council decided to plan a fundraiser to help pay for the end of the year band banquet. Over four months leading up to the event they had to set up registration, inform the student body, and coordinate with the police and fire department. Parents and fellow band members volunteered the
day of the event to ensure that sign in and the set up went smoothly, but all the work leading up to the run fell on their shoulders. “It was pretty much a three person job,” Smith said. “On a scale of 1 to 10 in difficulty, this was a twenty.” However, when the race began, it became apparent that despite all of the troubles along the way, it was worth it to put on an event that brings joy to people and benefits their fellow band members. They laughed and smiled as the colored powder went in to the air, and onto their clothes and hair. “It was a little rough in the beginning, but it paid off when the racers actually took off,” Bohanon said. “I was glad that they were happy.”
HAIRstory
Adolescents discuss relati
From body language to actions to clothes, physical to express their individual qualities. Here are a few through their hair. Photos by Rion Ellis, Madi McVan, and Ileana Pe
Knot Defi
Editor expresses t Rion Ellis Online Editor
Untangling society’s standards
Junior’s hairstyle promotes ideals of diversity Mikaela Kelarek Asst. Editor
She sees straight hair everywhere. Long and flowing on magazine covers, TV shows, commercials and at school. Junior Wacuka Gitahi does not look like this. Being involved in debate and seeing most businesswomen with straight hair has recently influenced Gitahi’s own style. “You would always see the women admired on TV were white and none of the black people had natural hair,” Gitahi said. “It was one of those things where my natural hair was never accepted in society and it’s something that was kept hidden.” In early September, Gitahi decided to use her natural curls as its own style. Letting her hair grow without harmful chemicals provides a distinctive style that Gitahi values. However, her choice is more than just a fashion statement. Working toward a future life on Wall Street has brought professional attire to Gitahi’s attention. Noticing a lack of diversity among people in the business field, Gitahi wants to change the perception of what professional women look like. “I feel like ‘professional’ was never addressed in terms of what black people should look like; we only knew it in terms of the white standard,” Gitahi said. “I was upset that society has made it to where my hair is not good enough and should be a certain way.” Growing up in Kenya, hair was used more as a class division. Those who were poor kept their hair short while the middle and upper classes styled their hair in whatever fashion they wanted or could afford. “The hairstyles in Kenya were kept modest, but changed every week,” Gitahi said. “It’s pretty accept-
ing there because they are used to and accepting of the black culture.” However, when she came to America, Gitahi’s style of choice was looked down upon. Coming from a different country put a stress on her to fit in to a town unwelcoming to immigrants. “For the longest time, I wore my hair in braids, but I was the only black person in my class, and I had different hair,” Gitahi said. “I used to wish that my hair could grow like white people hair, so I got it permed, but at the time I didn’t understand that different doesn’t mean bad.” Deciding to put herself in control, Gitahi took out her braids and let her hair grow to its natural potential. She’s gotten a lot of positive feedback about her hair from many people and encouragement from her family to promote African culture. “My parents were really supportive when my sister and I decided to change our hair.” Gitahi said. “My dad is one of those people who are all for being African and being who you are, so he was really happy to see me changing my hair.” Now, Gitahi has fully embraced her natural hair for all its curls. She also encourages people to love their hair in their own unique way. “If you wake up in the morning and you like your weave or your braids, go for it and don’t care what anybody else says,’ Gitahi said. “At the end of the day, you’re the one that has to look at yourself in the mirror and ask the question ‘am I happy?’ and if you can answer yes, then that is what’s important.”
On any given day, I can compare my to an action movie. Fixing it in the morni Mission Impossible. Battling the wind is sion Impossible II, and keeping it from pop out of a hair tie has to be Fast and Furiou hair would rather Live Free or Die Hard. U it’s safely secured in two French braids, i resemble the final fight scene of film. The sad truth about having natural hair i it can be difficult to manage and complicat deal with. I spent a long time believing t had the worst hair in the world. My small h couldn’t wrap themselves around my hair enough to style it. I had to rely on my m and sisters to do my hair everyday. When weren’t available, it took countless hours fo to get my afro under control. The thick, tight coils that lie atop my come with many disadvantages. For exam the thick layer of sweat that appears a my forehead and the constant reminder tha conditioner runs out three times faster tha shampoo. Just when I think my over-gelled will survive a windy and rainy day, my curls begin to lift and roll forward much waves pushing the sea. My uneven pigtails and messy buns ea me unwanted attention in elementary sc Sometimes kids made negative remarks my peers didn’t to realize that my hair a differently than theirs. As hard as I tried it, I knew my hair couldn’t do what theirs I began comparing my hair to the other b girls that had straight hair or weave. In middle school, I made the courageou cision to have my hair professionally per Although this change gave me more time t ready for school and other events, it limite hair freedoms. I couldn’t swim without my frizzing out, ponytails and buns had to be so I wouldn’t lose my hair, and once a mo had to return to the salon to have my hair
elationship with their hair
ysical appearance provides an outlet for people e a few stories of people who voice their identity Ileana Perez, and provided by Wacuka Gitahi
efined
ses trials of natural tresses
pare my hair he morning is wind is Misfrom popping d Furious. My e Hard. Unless braids, it will film. al hair is that omplicated to lieving that I y small hands my hair long on my mother ay. When they s hours for me
atop my head For example: ppears across inder that my aster than my er-gelled bun day, my small ard much like
buns earned ntary school. remarks, but my hair acted s I tried to fit hat theirs did. e other black ave. ourageous denally permed. re time to get it limited my thout my hair ad to be loose nce a month I my hair deep-
conditioned because I couldn’t do it at home. Soon the cost of having hair was more than my family and I could handle. I decided to cut it all off and start from scratch. I figured that if I could tame my hair from the beginning, it would be easier to manage. I was wrong. My hair grew fast. Four months after cutting my hair to the roots, it was too long to wear in a small afro. Within a year, my hair grew to my shoulders. Between then and now, I tried to keep up with the rapid growth of my hair, spending even more time trying to tame and stretch my curls the way I wanted to. I couldn’t turn to anyone for help. My mom and sisters tried to ease my hair stress, but it felt like déjà vu. There was still a part of me trying to please others and fit in with my hair. I didn’t want to stand out because of something I couldn’t control. Luckily for me, wearing your natural hair was becoming popular. It was the movement that I never knew I needed. YouTube videos and blogs began popping up about black women and their hair stories. I had a community of women who had hair like mine. They inspired me to try harder. I began finding products and techniques that were made for my hair struggles. Going natural not only made me focus on the health of my hair, but the health of my mind and body. My hair was telling everyone “I have self-worth. I’m happy and healthy,” Now, I sometimes have delightful days when my hair is free from buns and braids. It puffs out into a glorious, curly wonderland. Those are the days that I aspire to reach, because it reminds me that my hair is not a mess of curls. It took me a while to realize that. My hair is in no way the same as anybody that I know. It’s unique, and the videos and blogs can’t help me solve all of my problems, but bad hair days are less frequent. Now-a-days my hair is a Lethal Weapon.
Perks and problems of dyed hair
Lindsey Robinson Staff Reporter
With the popularity of brightly colored hair, self expressions are being brought forward. Teens reflect on the costs and benefits of being unique through hair color. “I have dyed my hair 8 different colors. I first went blonde then silver, pink, blue, brown, burgundy, dark purple, and then to the color I’m at now. I dye my hair because I get bored very easily and I love change. I also want to go to cosmetology school so I find it very fun to dye my hair. Having a unique hairstyle makes me feel like I can express myself. In public, many people tell me they like it, but one time I overheard a boy telling his friend ‘if my daughter ever wanted to dye her hair blue like that I would thump her on the head’. If it weren’t for the strict rules at school I would most definitely have fun colored hair. I have never gotten in trouble for my hair color, but the last week of school last year Mr. Padavil said he loved my hair color.”
Ethan Brown, 11
“I have dyed my hair roughly 12 times starting my sophomore year. My hair currently is purple and pink, but fading to a blue-ish purple color. I dye my hair because I’m not one who sees myself as very pretty or attractive, and this is my way to feel less boring and be able to show people who I really am. I have a job in which I can’t have colored hair, so I had to buy a fake ponytail to cover it up. At school, no one has said anything, but I have had peers tell me I won’t get to walk the stage with my hair like this. It’s funny because no one has told me that, well, no one of authority. By dying my hair I am able to show my personality on the outside through my hair, in a way.”
Savannah Cummings, 11
“I have dyed my hair three times and the colors were dark purple, then lavender, and most recently blue. Right now, my hair is this weird mix of bleach blond and brown. I guess I dye my hair because natural hair colors get boring. It’s nice to mix it up a little and have it look cool and unique for a change. I would say that, yeah I do tend to get a little more attention when my hair is dyed, whether it be compliments from nice people or dirty looks from not so nice ones. I definitely have gotten in trouble more than a few times for my hair, but who cares really, it’s hair. For me, dying my hair isn’t just a way to make it look cooler, but to me it’s also a way to say I’m not going to let anyone tell me how to live my life.”
Taylor Bodeen, 12
12 Volume 9 , Issue 7 Features
Perks and problems of dyed hair (contined)
“I’ve dyed my hair four times: blue, green, red, and purple. I don’t dye all of my hair, just a strip. I dye my hair because I like how it looks, it makes me feel more confident in my appearance because I really like how it looks. I have people tell me they like my hair, both in public and in school, and I have gotten in trouble for it, but it was excused because we went to the head of student affairs and he said it was fine. It helps me look how I want to look.”
Madeline Lloyd, 9
Photos by Rion Ellis
Kat O’Brien, 9
“I’ve dyed my hair four times. First I dyed the ends pink and later, blue. Then I dyed all my hair red. I most recently dyed it blue, and it’s currently a bright blue. I dye my hair because I have never been fond of my hair color. Growing up, I would constantly ask my parents if I could dye my hair, and now that I have, I feel much more confident in myself. I’ve been lucky enough to avoid the people who have problems with my hair color; so far, I’ve received nothing but compliments. Dying my hair has helped me feel more confident with myself and I feel a lot happier with how I look.”
Relaying bad hair day experiences
Kylie Ruffino Co-Editor
Along with the hours spent styling, cutting and dying hair, many spend time fussing over what people call, bad hair days. Here, some describe their battles with unruly tresses, their fixes, bad haircuts and advice.
“I feel like I have a bad hair day when my hair isn’t as curly as it could be. So in order to keep it curly, I tend to take showers everyday, which happens to be really bad for my hair. But it’s the only way I feel like I look good. My hair defines who I am and how I am as a person. IF I am going to try my best to do my makeup and put on nice clothes, my hair needs to look good too.”
Morgan Manns, 11
“Since my hair is a mix between my two parents, I struggle with it. Some days it’s straight, some days is it’s curly and some days it just does what it wants. Those days I consider myself to be having a bad hair day. I either put it in a high ponytail and curl it or put it in a huge bun on top of my head. My favorite thing to do to hide my crazy hair is my turban wrap. All I do is put it down, and wrap my hair from back to front. This is the easiest fix to bad hair days while adding a little pop back into my outfit.”
Mia Smith, 11 “I recently just cut my hair short, but I think it’s too short. I don’t like it because I don’t have enough hair to do multiple styles with anymore. Short hair is boring because it’s the same thing everyday.”
Vincent Neille, 11
“When I shower the night before and fall asleep with it wet, I wake up with it all frizzy and knotted. Today there was no Talon so I didn’t have time to fix it so it looks like a rat’s nest. My biggest advice for hair though it that, in a few days no one will remember how bad your hair looked. You’ll always be beautiful, so just rock what you’ve got. Even if you think it’s bad, it’s not that bad.”
Kimberly Duong, 12 “Bad hair days happen at least once a week for me. When they happen I try to wear a hat or put my hair up, but those days make me feel self conscious because I feel like everyone is staring at my hair, but then I realize I’m the only one who cares. Social media and other influences tell us we always need to look a certain way, so people always worry about how they look.”
Fatima Sheikhali, 11
“One time, when my family friend got into cosmetology school, I decided to let her cut it when we were visiting. I asked for only a couple inches off, like two, but she ended up cutting off six inches and my hair was super uneven. It was so bad. Usually though, when I have a bad hair day it’s usually because it’s greasy, so then I try to throw it up in a ponytail and spend extra time on my makeup.”
Alicia Sisneros, 12
Features April 15, 2016
13
Sentimental Somethings Stories chronicle importance behind personal treasures Lindsey Robinson Staff Reporter
Although some items, like a special bracelet or a strange note, seem insignificant on the outside, they are cherished by those who possess them. These individuals share the story behind their special keepsakes and bring light to what exactly makes them so special.
PEDRO CASTANEDA, 11 “The ‘Let the Pee-ople Sing’ sign itself is a reminder of both my second and first musical I’ve ever performed, the first being Les Miserables and the second being Urinetown. So I look at it as a reminder of how far I’ve come. It also serves as a reminder as how I can operate under unexpected circumstances, like when I cut my arm on the sign in the middle of the act one finale” and was bleeding and managed to cover up the cut with the tag in my pocket to keep from getting it in my costume. Over all it’s like a visual pep talk I keep in my room.”
KAYLA GLOVER, 11 “A couple of years ago, I found a silver necklace in my closet with two hearts on it. I have no idea where it came from. It was just there, wrapped in a small box. It’s interesting when people ask me where I got the necklace, and my only answer is ‘I don’t know.’ The hearts on the necklace are joined together on one side. Since I don’t know where it came from, to me it represents that someone is always there for me, even though I may not realize it. When I wear the necklace, I feel a sense of security.”
ANH-ALISSE SELISSEN, 10 “My object is a childhood blanket that I received from my aunt as a present for my 5th or 6th birthday. My aunt had sewed it by hand and the blanket is very special to me because it was comforting to me when I had nightmares or was scared in my younger years. This blanket made me feel safe and was something I slept with almost every night. I still have the blanket, and it reminds me of a simpler time, when my family was in a more peaceful state. I actually still sleep with my blanket, it lays in my bed every night.”
ROSE MILLER, 12 “On my right hand I wear a Claddagh ring, which is an Irish ring that symbolizes love, loyalty, and friendship. It was the first ring my dad ever gave to my mom, and she rarely took it off from that day on. Even the day she gave it to me, eight years after their divorce, she simply slipped it off her finger and onto mine. She had continued to wear it all that time because of the beautiful memories it held of those years when their relationship was still a happy one.”
REUBEN RAMOS-MONTOYA, 11 “A sentimental object that I carry is this old dollar bill my grandfather gave my father before he left to be stationed out in Korea. My father was young but he knew the importance of this moment and instead of using it to buy a snack or something he signed and dated the dollar “When dad went to Korea 8/16/83.” It reminds me that money is not everything in this world and with this dollar in my pocket I will never have to worry about money.”
BRIANNA LEO, 11 “I was given the ‘worry aways’ when I was around 12, while staying at a hotel in the middle of nowhere Kansas. I never met the cleaning service member who left me the dolls, but they did leave a note explaining that if you’re stressed, put the doll under your pillow at night and when you wake up the doll will have taken your stress away. I think the reason I value these so much is because it must have taken a lot of time to make the dolls by hand, and to give them to some random preteen just seems very thoughtful to me. It made me feel like I had someone looking out for me, even if I didn’t know them. They also left me a chocolate chip cookie, which was equally as cool. I still have the dolls, and I keep them in the small box they were given to me in, on the bookshelf next to my bed.”
14 Volume 9 , Issue 7 Feature
Entrance to Adulthood Upperclassmen learn the importance of responsibility Coming of age is the process of entering adulthood. Some junior and seniors take steps to gain more independence and responsibility in order to better their future. Here are their stories.
How do I be an adult? Chloe Pham Staff Reporter Holly Hambleton Staff Reporter
Independent Living Constant arguing with his stepfather leads senior *Adam Carp to move in with his aunt. Carp works to pay bills, cook, clean and keep up overall maintenance of their apartment. Carp continues a relationship with his mom, but learns to live independently. “It’s difficult to live on
your own,” Carp said, “But you have a lot of freedom that comes along with it, you definitely become more independent. I used to be so codependent on others, but this has taught me to not be that way and rely more on myself, especially for the future and when I’m actually in college.” *Pseudonym
Parade Savings At the beginning of the school year junior Samantha Pham started working at Smoothie King in order to fund her band trip to The Macy’s Parade “It was really hard trying to manage school work with closing hours, practice times for color guard and sleep,” Pham said. “But it
definitely helped shape my character for the better by just knowing how to handle my emotions around certain people whether it’d be at school or with customers. This makes me feel so much more independent. I’m my own person and I don’t have to rely on anyone else.”
After his parents said they wouldn’t help him pay for a car, junior Travis Cunning took matters into his own hands. Cunning found a job at Spare Time to keep up on insurance, gas, maintenance and other car payments. Cunning is able to successfully keep up with the responsibilities of owning his own car. “I like paying for my own stuff,” Cunning said. “Whenever I want to do something to my car or something happens to the car its all on me. My parents can’t tell me what to do differently, I get to make my own choices and if it goes, well that’s my fault and I just learned a lesson so I’m also teaching myself.”
Illustration by Mikaela Kelarek
Moving Out Moving out has been a balancing act for Senior Anthony Ekpe. Dealing with senior year stress, homework, two jobs and bills is more than most students have to handle. But Ekpe takes it all in stride. He moved out from his parent’s house last June due to constant disagreements. Ekpe then picked up jobs at Five Guys and Whataburger to pay his new load of bills. Despite challenges, he enjoys his newfound freedom and responsibility. “One of the biggest benefits is how I feel like my own person finally,” Ekpe said. “I like having the ability to do what I want to do in the sense that I have control of myself and my actions. I can hang out with my friends or go places when I feel like it. Opposed to before, when I was at home, I
couldn’t do anything.” Paying bills isn’t something he was accustomed to but had to adapt quickly along with working twice as much. Eventually he was able to stop living paycheck to paycheck. Ekpe started to keep some money for himself. Along with learning how to live on his own, he has matured with his taste of adulthood with help from his loved ones. “I had a lot of support [when I moved out] from different parts of my family, and a bunch of my friends. That has helped a lot and kind of pushed me to be able to follow through with it,” Ekpe said. “I had a lot of emotional support so I feel like without that it would have changed the course of everything.”
Feature April 15 , 2016
named after you?’ and I’m like yes.”
After black workers were denied residency in the town, Pflugerville’s Colored Addition develops when La Rue Noton sells an acre to Pflugerville’s colored workers.
2000
452
662
4,444
16,335
53,752
1949
1968
1980
1990
2000
2013
Residents establish the first schoolhouse in Pflugerville on the Henry Lisso farm.
1900 Pflugerville experiences its first rapid growth when the Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad is built. As a result of the railroad, the population doubles to 500 residents. Dessau Hall becomes a popular music venue and Elvis Presley performs at the hall prior to his rising fame.
The city council allows NBC to film the television drama Friday Night Lights in Pflugerville.
The RRE Austin Solar breaks ground on the Pflugerville Solar Farm, one of the nation’s largest solar farms.
380
580
250
Residents establish the first Lutheran church, Immanuel Lutheran, in Pflugerville.
Stone Hill Town Center breaks ground and welcomes tons of new jobs and revenue.
Pflugerville has grown significantly since it was first established in 1860. As developments and corporations spread to Pflugerville the population continuously grew except in 1949 when the Great Depression decreased the number of residents. The graph below shows the population growth and decline from the mid 1890s.
mid 1890s 1930
Pflugerville is officially founded when William Bohls builds a general store and post office and names the town after Henry Pfluger.
Pfluger exchanges the plot of land for a larger farm about five miles east of present day Pflugerville.
2007 2013
Population Growth
1875 1860 1849
is not expected to continue,” Kiersty said. “I kind of want to change my name so it will. As his stepchild I feel like I should continue it. Since he does have some cousins in Houston the Pfluger name might continue, but it’s not going to carry on in Pflugerville.” Even with his historical roots, Kelly makes it a priority to watch over his stepdaughter and stepson and makes sure that his children view him as a father figure. “Kelly has always been in my life and he’s taken care of me, as a dad should,” Kiersty said. “It’s interesting to see the transition from my medium sized family to his huge family, where I have all these different cousins and get to meet all these different friends that Kelly has in Pflugerville.” Despite not being named after the town, the other founders involved influenced the names of several places around Pflugerville. One of those was Henry Weiss, whose great great great great granddaughter is sophomore Rebecca Weiss. “A lot of people don’t connect my last name with Pflugerville, they connect the Pflugers,” Weiss said. “They don’t usually think of my last name. Sometimes people will walk up to me and say, ‘did you know you have a road
1904 1955
When sophomore Kiersty Shepherd and junior Josh Shepherd’s parents divorced they did not expect Kelly Pfluger, a direct relative of Henry Pfluger, one of the original founders of Pflugerville, to become their stepdad. “All my friends used to ask me about the name Pfluger,” Kiersty said. “I finally asked [my stepdad] and he told me that his great great great grandfather was the richest and had the most land at the time.” As a member of the Pfluger family, Kelly has lived in Pflugerville his entire life and grew up in the town when it was around only 700 residents, creating a tight bond with the community. “Being related to one of the founders [of Pflugerville] isn’t really being different from anyone else,” Kiersty said. “[Pfluger] knows a lot of people in Pflugerville and everywhere we go he’s always talking to someone.” Although his family is constantly expanding through marriages, Kelly and his sister Vicky Pfluger are the last ones to share a direct connection with Henry Pfluger. Since both of them have yet to have children it is currently unknown if their family line will continue. “It’s sad to think that their name
Henry Pfluger moves to the area and purchases 160 acres of land two miles East of Austin, leaving his German homeland to escape the Prussian War.
A TIMELINE of PFLUGERVILLE
1853 1872
Alex Fulton Asst. Editor
1800
1910
Shepherds, Weiss reveal connections to settlers
2015 2010 2006
Families of Pflugerville
The City Council purchases a 237-acre of land to be used for a voter-approved community park with a sports complex with several various fields.
15
The City Council agrees on a development agreement with Hawaiian Falls to create the water park company’s sixth park in Pflugerville.
16 Volume 9 , Issue 7 Entertainment
LIFE-long Pastimes
Gamers describe their favorite leisure activities Rion Ellis Online Editor
START
Alyssa Ellinwood Staff Reporter
“I like to play Papa’s Taco Mia, because I like cooking, and it’s addicting. You want all your costumers to be happy to get tips while decorating your little store.” Tatyanna Mekonnon, 10
“I like playing Uno because it’s a fast-paced game that improves my thinking and reaction skills.”
“I like video games because they are more fun, and they give you way more options. Final Fantasy Four is my favorite game because it was my first RPG game I ever played.”
Leah Garza, 11
Nathan Phommavanh, 11
“I like to play Mortal Kombat because most of the characters use karate moves to fight against their opponents, and I’m really into that martial arts stuff.” America Garcia, 9
‘Operation is my favorite board game because it’s rigorous. You need absolute silence and undivided attention to get the pieces out of the board.”
“My favorite is Madden Mobile. It’s a sports game, which I enjoy, plus I get to play against other people instead of just a CPU.” Timothy Wilson, 12
“I like phone games, because you can take it with you. My favorite phone game is Dinner Dash .” Siyanni Hopson, 9
“I love Life because you get to get married and have this little life.” Elizabeth Herman, 10
“My favorite board game is Monopoly because I can capitalize people. I can own everything and make people pay me.” Jonathan Andrade, 10
FINISH
Ayana Reid, 12
The Leaderboards Video Games: 53 Each symbol represents 10 people
We asked 100 students to choose between phone games, board games and video games. Here are the results.
Board Games: 22
Phone Games: 25
Entertainment April 15, 201 6 17
Keeping It Real
English teachers discuss their favorite non-fiction novel
Gabby Sanchez Staff Reporter
Paul Le
Staff Reporter
Non-fiction novels have the ability to change the way someone views a subject or the world, with real life examples of strife and triumph. Non-fiction novels encourage and teach those who read them. With the hopes of impacting new readers, here are some English teacher’s favorite non-fiction novel and why they love them so much.
II
I
The Glass Castle IV by Jeannette Walls After living her childhood in poverty with dysfunctional parents, Jeannette Walls narrates the difficulties as she grew up under such circumstances. Her memoir follows the situations her family faced as she grew up. Her dad almost never had a job, she never stayed in the same school, and rarely ever had anything to eat. Ryan Morris is a sophomore English II teacher. As a child, he faced some of the same struggles Walls did. His family wasn’t able to provide for him
and his siblings. Morris found success as a teacher and is now promoting success to his students. “I was raised by a family that didn’t always have the means to supply my brother and sister and I everything we wanted,” Morris said; “I see a little of my own life through her book, it also makes me realize that my life was not quite so bad as I thought it was because her life was much more troubling.”
Behind the Beautiful Forevers II by Katherine Boo After living with people of Annawadi, a slum located near the Mumbai Airport, Boo tells the story of the people as they try to better their lives any way they can while they face extreme poverty, hunger, violence and fear. She follows the lives of an orphan, garbage collector, a one-legged girl, and the first person to graduate from college in the slum to create an image of Annawadi in all of its beauty and pain. Boo asserts her view of human nature and how to truly solve systemic poverty through the mistakes and triumphs of
the people in Annawadi. “It gives a really good picture of international poverty; we don’t know anything about that kind of living,” English III teacher Daniella Scott said. “In particular areas we may have unpaved streets that people have to live in, but we take a lot of things for granted. We don’t think about not getting to school because there’s not a road, or that we live ten miles away and there’s not a bus. It exposes every kid to the realties of the world.”
III
IV
Night I
by Elie Wiesel
This autobiography explores the destruction After his family and fellow Jews were banished to the ghettos, they were all eventually moved to concentration camps during World War II. Elie Wiesel describes his journey of horrors and hardships he endured while at Auschwitz during the Holocaust. Night has impacted many lives, especially pre-AP English II teacher, Emily Paul. Paul was given the privilege
to teach one of her favorite books to her freshmen classes during her first year of teaching. “I believe it’s really motivational; it shows the struggles of humanity and what humanity is capable of both negatively and positively, and it’s a powerful learning experience,” Paul said. “There is a lot of good information and I think kids like generally like to learn something like this.”
The Autobiography of Malcolm X III by Malcolm X and Alex Haley This novel tells the story of Malcolm X, a controversial leader in the Civil Rights Movement and the path that lead him there. He grew up impoverished in Michigan and after jail time turned to the teachings of Islam. From there he left Islam to lead in the Civil Rights Movement. This detailed, deep autobiography embodies the idea of choice and rising above one’s past and
expectations. “It’s just powerful, in the sense of the struggles he went through,” AP English IV, Aaron Holman said. “It’s the story of a lot of students in many ways. The idea of being on the wrong path and what do you do when you’re on that path? Do you continuing going down it or can you rise up from that?”
18 Volume 9 , Issue 7 Sports
Mr.
Junior Dominic Pastucci squats 515 pounds to win his weight class at the Connally High School power lifting meet on Feb. 27.
Clean
Photo by Dolly Moon
Powerlifter breaks school record Madi McVan Copy Editor
Junior power lifter Dominic Pastucci could lift: A piano A sport motorcycle A vending machine Two black bears And a 325 pound barbell. Pastucci power cleaned 325 pounds to beat the school record of 320 pounds, previously set by Samaje Perine in 2014. A power clean involves lifting a barbell from the floor, pulling it up to chest level, then dropping underneath the bar to catch it with the shoulders. “I never knew I was going to beat the record,” Pastucci said. “I was really just trying to go for 315, and I saw the record was only 320, so I added another ten pounds.” Pastucci broke the record during a workout in the school weight room, as the power lift is not one of the lifts tested at powerlifting meets. Perine, the previous record holder, currently
plays football at the University of Oklahoma, and still holds the records for the bench and inclines lifts. “It was crazy after,” Pastucci said. ”Everyone was cheering. After beating a beast like Samaje in something, I felt pretty good.” Athletic Coordinator and Powerlifting Coach Chip Killian has witnessed Pastucci’s growth since his freshman year, and attributes much of Pastucci’s success to his mind set, rather than his physical strength. “He’s got an interesting make-up in that he’s very tall, yet he is also very strong in his upper body, and his quickness and explosiveness has really helped him with his power cleans,” Killian said. “But more than anything else is his work ethic and his positive attitude. Even when he does fail on a lift, or when he doesn’t win an event or win a meet, he doesn’t take that personal, he stays positive about it, and gets after it the next week.”
In order to improve his fitness, Pastucci works out five days a week, takes protein, and says he “goes all out, all the time.” “The biggest thing about Dom is his commitment to the things he needs to do to get better,” Killian said. “All good athletes have that in them, and Dom’s the same way. With him, it’s improved strength. He’s already big, so the thing for him to do was get the strength to match that size.” While Killian considers Pastucci’s mind set the reason for his success, Pastucci gives Killian credit for helping him improve as an athlete. “He says, ‘you better get this,’ and that’s about it,” Pastucci said. “He really has a lot of faith in us though, and it really helps a lot. When you have faith in yourself, and someone has faith in you, it combines and you just know you’re going to do it.”
Athletic records broken in 2016 Ileana Perez Asst. Editor
Track:
200 Meters Keshawn Sommerville - 21.53a 3200 Meters Gwyneth Garcia - 12:01.00
Swim:
100 Freestyle Noah Moncada - 49.95 200 Medley Relay Girls Team - 2:02.28 Boys Team - 1:45.38 200 Freestyle Relay Boys Team - 1:31.62
Powerlifting:
Clean Dominic Pastucci - 325 Lb
Back on Track
Sports April 15,
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Athletes discuss, describe different field events
Shot put 110m Hurdles, 300m Hurdles
“Trying to not step over the toe board is probably the hardest part, and staying balanced. I just try to get better each week.” -Donajia Buirst (12)
4X100 m Relay, 100 m, 400 m
“The hardest part is keeping your form and maintaining speed while you’re going over the hurdles. I run track because my father ran track and I wanted to take after him.” -Elias Sorrels (11)
“The people behind me, I didn’t want them to catch me. I didn’t want to be the person that started out strong then died out during the race, so I was trying to push through and give it all I had.” “It was my first ever Panther Relays in the four years I’ve been at this school, and the fact that I’m here right now, it’s just something to start, just like every journey. You start off strong and end strong, finish all the way.” -Humphrey Matthews (12)
800 m, 200 m
800m “I’m better at giving a little bit more at the end, so I’m better at [the 800] than a sprint. You have to go really fast, because a lot of people go really fast, and trying to keep that pace up the entire time makes you feel like you’re about to die, and at the end you have to go even faster.” -Liz Ross (11)
“My favorite event is the 100. Not only is it an individual race, it’s a moment for me to put out everything I have since the race is so short. There’s a really big risk factor and I like the adrenaline rush. It was amazing. We started off around secondto-last, then our third leg brought us up into second, and about ten meters from the finish line, I caught the girl and got us first.” -Anastasia Alfred (12)
20 Volume 9 ,Issue 7 Last Look
Earth Day 2.
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10 Ways to Celebrate
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Ileana Perez Asst. Editor
1. Plant a tree It’s the oldest trick in the book, but it’s simple and effective, as it provides oxygen and a habitat for animals.
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2. Build a birdhouse
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Get together with friends and build birdhouses out of milk cartons, water jugs, or cardboard. In addition to providing birds with a place to eat and drink water, the birds will help control pests, weeds and help with flower pollination in yards.
3. Make a garden
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Learn about Earth Day Farmer’s Market
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Whether it’s indoors or outdoors, a garden can provide fresh ingredients, improve air quality and even improves mental health.
4. Give up bottled water Bottled water consumes a lot of fossil fuels to produce, and after you dispose them, most of them end up in the landfill. Buying a refillable water bottle will not only will help reduce plastic bottle waste, but it also helps save money in the long run.
5. Carpool Earth Day
Lessening the number of cars on the road will help reduce the amount of pollution in the air, traffic congestion, and ultimately saves money.
6. Spend time outside
April 22 marks Earth Day in which communities worldwide serve the Earth in positive ways. Whether the contribution is big or small, here are 10 ways to celebrate the planet.
After all, it is Earth Day, so don’t spend the entire day inside. Make a picnic, take a hike, or go to the park. Connect with nature and enjoy everything it has to give.
7. Volunteer Whether it’s a group event or cleaning a local park, give some time to a good cause for a day.
8. Go to the Farmer’s Market April 19 is the Pfarmers Market at Heritage Park. There, vendors sell everything from fresh vegetables, to baked goods, to flowers and plants. It’s a chance to buy locally and communicate with those who grow food for the community.
9. Spread the word Talk to friends, family, or coworkers about ways to celebrate and help preserve the Earth. Advocating the topic will allow others to make a change and join the movement.
10. Attend an Earth Day fair Saturday, April 23 is the Austin Earth Day Festival. Grab some friends and enjoy music, speakers and food all while celebrating Earth.