The Hawk, Vol. 9, Iss. 3

When No Gender Fits In this issue...

Refugee timeline 2 Gendertainment 14 Volleyball Recap 18

the

HAWK

Hendrickson High School 19201 Colorado Sand Drive Pflugerville, Texas 78660 @thehawkonline Volume 9, Issue 3 October 30, 2015 thehawkonline.net

2 Volume 9 , Issue 3 News

Aiding

the

Boat People Boat people: refugees who fled their country by boat usually without many supplies, navigation, or even a destination.

Boat people often face dangerous and hard journeys trying to escape oppression and sometimes, countries won’t aid or accept survivors.

Timeline reflects international aid for Syrians Madi McVan Copy Editor

December 20, 2012 The UN refugee agency seeks $1 billion from the US to aid humanitarian agencies.

Jue 19, 2013 March 6, 2013 The one millionth Syrian refugee is registered.

Angelina Jolie visits the Za’atari camp in Jordan to raise awareness for the flight of the refugees.

U.S. on refugees

December, 2014 It is announced that at least 76,000 people died in the Syrian conflict in 2014.

The number of Syrian refugees, consisting mainly of women and children increases dramatically due to fighting in the town of Talkalakh. Approximately 5000 people cross the border into Lebanon.

September 1, 2013 The number of refugees reaches two million, half of which are children.

July 13, 2015

August, 2014 ISIS becomes the strongest power in Syria, causing October 8, 2014 another massive Jordan closes its wave of emigra- borders to refugees. tion.

April 2011

Since the Arab Spring began in early 2011, violent clashes in Syria between political groups forced bystanders from their homes. These refugees crossed the Syrian border, fleeing into European and other Middle Eastern coutries to seek refuge. However, the number of refugees grew so large that countries began restricting immigration. Here is a timeline breaking down the actions of refugees and the countries accepting them.

Hungary constructs a razorwire fence along its border to cut off the flow of refugees.

November 14, 2011 Turkey spends $15 million on refugee camps, calling refugees “guests”.

The Domiz Camp opens in Iraq. It becomes the largest Syrian refugee camp, reaching capacity in 2013.

September 20, 2013 Sweden offers permanent residency to Syrian refugees, the only member of the European Union to do so.

September, 2015 Multiple countries, including Australia, the UK and Canada dramatically increase the number of refugees allowed into the country.

Obama says the United States is going to let in 10,000 refugees over the next year People in Europe want the U.S. to let in at least 65,000 because of the overcrowding refugees are causing overseas.

Some want to let in little to none because they are afraid of letting in extremists

April 4, 2012

November 7, 2013 January 30, 2014 Greek armed forces deter refugees from crossing the border.

The United Kingdom announces it will accept refugees.

Map of Syria in Middle East

Turkey

Syria

Iran Iraq

Jordan Saudi Arabia

The Boat People of 1986

News October

30 , 201 5

Kylie Ruffino Co-Editor

Communists from the North take over the South at the end of the Vietnam War. What happens next is like a domino effect.

Because of their history, content mastery teacher Huyanh Pham and her family are placed in a category they can’t get out of. The new government tries to eliminate them.

Her father is thrown into Re-education camp, a type of prison to punish former government officials of the old regime.

The rest of the family is monitored and restricted.

Pham will end up working in a labor camp because they forbid the kids from going to college.

Her mother doesn’t see a future.

Their only chance is to flee the country. Her mother steps up from her position as a housewife. She arranges for each of her kids to flee separately.

First, Pham’s oldest brother who is drafted in the army flees, then her sister and brother-in-law. Her brother in high school leaves. Next, it is Pham and her sister’s turn. Pham is sixteen and her sister is seventeen in 1980.

“If anything happens to you on the trip, will you blame me?” her mother asked.

The answer hurts, even after 35 years. Pham looks at her mom.

“No, I won’t,” she said.

That night, they leave.

“We go to the area where they will pick us up and we wait,” Pham said.

“In my mind I was thinking ‘Oh, you’re going to get on a boat and travel.’ You never know what kind of danger you will face. You just don’t know. In my mind everything was so simple, if it were complicated I probably wouldn’t leave. I was very optimistic. But it was still very sad.”

Pham and her sister have no idea how big their boat is or how many people will get on it. They cram into a small boat until they sail to the bigger

boat hidden off the shore.

“We all followed instructions, 100% without question,” Pham said. “They were very kind because everyone had to be calm because if you get caught you would be in big trouble. You fear but you follow” Later that night, they hit a storm.

Everyone’s insides come up. The captains instruct them to throw overboard large containers. In the morning they realize two children died.

They have no food and very little water.

Because they are still in Vietnamese waters, they are at risk for getting caught. Which is why, when fishermen spotted their boat, everyone cooperates in order for them not to turn the refugees in. The fishermen take many valuables.

Pham is terrified, but these events pale in comparison to what happens next.

“Before I left, I knew what could happen from stories, but you still don’t think it would happen to you, until it does,” Pham said. “So the first time the Pirates of Thailand attacked, we thought we were rescued. They pulled all of the men to their boat and fed them, while on our boat, they rape the women. They do horrible things and I was scared to death because you don’t know who will be next.”

A man grabs Pham from her seat.

Her sister tried to say no. Another man comes up to them and shoves Pham back down, saying something she doesn’t understand to the other pirate. For some reason, her and

her sister are safe. Pham just thinks “Thank God.” When the sun rises, the pirates leave and the men return to the ship shocked and appalled by what happened.

“I was so terrified and thankful, but I can still hear the woman crying and begging, and I feel so horrible,” Pham said. “Nobody was there to protect the women because they tricked the men.

It was terrible, but everyone had to move on in order to survive.”

Another ship shows up, just like that. This time, they prepare. But these pirates only want more valuables, even after they try to explain they were just robbed. After they leave another ship comes an hour or so later. When the pirates can’t find anything else to take, they decide to take their engine. The people on the boat think they’re doomed.

Slowly their boat drifts in the ocean with their small, secondary engine.

They don’t think there is any chance of making it to the coast of Thailand, but they have to try. The boat people come across a German platform, but they are unable to save them. Instead, they promise to send a signal to another rescue boat nearby.

“We made it and we were rescued,” Pham said. “That’s what we faced as boat people, but we knew that if we wanted to have a life we had to pick something. We could either stay and face it or we could face life and death in order to have a better life for sure.

I say to myself ‘If I’m alive, I will make

it.’ [In America] you either do it or you don’t, no one decides for you.”

Pham reunites with her brothers in America, while her sister and brother in-law are in Canada. It takes seven years to see her mom again. Her mother and youngest sibling waited until Pham’s father finished his sentence in the prison camp before they could make immigrate to Canada in 1993.

While her father had no idea the adversity his wife and children faced, his words and her mother’s strength largely affected the way Pham’s life turned out. She survived for them.

Pham said overcoming what she went through takes strength and the idea that “what doesn’t kill you make you stronger,” a value she says her family taught her.

“My father always told me ‘Don’t whine. If you don’t like something, change it,’” Pham said. “My mom was a housewife. All she knew was family, but after 1975 she had to step up.

She had to make decisions and she did. If my mom wasn’t that strong we wouldn’t be here today, so when I survived I kept thinking ‘mom can’t be here and dad can’t be here so I have to make it better’” Despite the danger, Pham trusted her mom. She believed everyone could make it and have a better life. By 1993, her two brothers, her sister, brother in-law, the sister she traveled with, two other younger siblings, her parents, and her youngest sibling were safe in their new life, out of Vietnam.

“We all got out, so I can understand what people in Syria are going through right now,” Pham said. “They don’t have a future, like I didn’t, and they need to get out to have a better life. Everyone deserves the chance.

Put yourself in their shoes and see what it’s like. They left their country for a reason. No one wants to leave, their country is their home.”

4 Volume 9 , Issue 3 News

Class Act

HAWKS ofthe of the Month month Students:

Theatre department performs fall productions over three nights

Flewellen is a responsible hard working young man. He always does more than what is expected and does it well.

Kiarra Blankman Staff Reporter

Spanning over three nights beginning on the twelfth, the ghastly tale of Katurian and the voyage of Agnes Evans take place.

The Pillow Man and She Kills Monsters display two different ways of finding the truth. The Pillow Man tells the tale of Katurian, a fiction writer who is interrogated about the gruesome content of his short stories and their similarities to a number of bizarre child murders oc-

curring in his town.

While The Pillow Man shows the struggle of a man and outrageous accusations, She Kills Monsters displays Agnes Evans leaving her childhood home behind in Ohio following the death of her teenage sister. She stumbles into a journey of discovery and action packed adventure in the imaginary world. This November is a month full of ventures and morality.

Russell Flewellen, 11th Grade Ruffino is always helpful and positive. She is a true role model for our students leading them by her examples of hard work and positive attitude.

Photo by Margaret Williams

Swinging a wooden sword, junior Joelle Aballah rehearses with her cast mates for She Kills Monsters.

Perfect stay

New hotel expected to create jobs, support tourism Alex Fulton Asst. Editor

Courtyard by Marriot is expected to break ground on Nov. 12 at the corner of Highway 130 and Pecan Street, this area will now be known as the SH 130 Commerce Center. At the same site a Best Western hotel is expected to open in early 2016. The Marriot is Pflugerville’s first hotel and will include a 17,500 square-foot conference center and over 140 rooms, as well as a 1,000 square foot fitness center, pool and

patio area.

“When guests stay in a hotel, the hotel occupancy taxes support local tourism initiatives and fill our restaurants and entertainment venues to fuel the local economy,» City of Pflugerville public information officer Terri Toledo said. «As new businesses come to Pflugerville, it expands the city›s tax base generating more revenue and provides jobs.»

Kylie Ruffino, 11th Grade

Teacher:

Davis is a treasure to other in her department.

She checks up in with them and has helped new teachers sign up for lab and library Misty Davis, English I time.

Staff:

Ryals makes CM welcoming to both his staff and the the students who use it. His calm demeanor and positive attitude go a long way e v e r y day.

Mike Ryals, Content Mastery

accolades &

AWARDS

CROSS COUNTRY

News October 30 , 201 5

5

SPEECH & DEBATE The speech and debate team has had a busy and successful month, winning first place sweepstakes at the both the Anderson Texas Forensic Association tournament on Sept. 25 and San Antonio Reagan tournament on Oct. 10. On Oct. 24, they earned a second place sweepstakes at the Austin High tournament.

Additionally, at the St. Marks tourna-

ment on Oct. 18, junior Carlos Gregory qualified for the National Tournament of Champions for Extemporaneous Speaking. He will compete in this prestigious competition in May, 2016.

Forensics Director Kirsten Nash was also honored on Oct. 2 as a nominee for the Texas Speech Communication Association Educator of the Year.

Juniors Daniel Viegra and Justin Botello crossed together, getting first and second place at the District Cross Country Meet. Botello went on to place 7th in Region on Oct. 26 and will compete at the State Cross Country meet on Nov. 7.

Photo by Caroline Joaquim

GOLF

Both girls and boys golf teams placed fifth out of 15 teams in the Hays CISD Tournament. Senior Logan Miller shot a 78 and earned third place out of a field of 75 boys. Freshman Madison

The Hawk Speech & Debate team after the Austin High Tournament. Photo courtesy of Kirsten Nash Silva shot a 75, earning second place out of a field of 70 girls. In the Georgetown Tournament on Sept. 22, Miller placed sixth out of over 100 boys in the tournament.

FFA

BAND At the Westlake Marching Contest the Hawk Band won first place and won all captions, including Outstanding Auxiliary, Outstanding Marching and Outstanding Music. In addition, at the

UIL region competition the band received straight one ratings. This week the band will be competing at the Bands of America Super Regional in San Antonio.

ART Freshman Art 1 student Deven Reyes earned second place in the high school division at the downtown Round Rock Chalk Walk.

FFA students representing the Travis County 4-H division won first place in the State Fair of Agricultural Products Identification Contest.

Madison Hodgson earned fourth place overall, Erica Masi earned sixth place high individual and Lauren Kammerer earned sixteenth place high individual.

6 Volume 9 , Issue 3 Opinions

Privacy Priorities

Gender-restricted restrooms unfair to transgender students Staff

Editorial

Although it may come as a shock, everyone uses the restroom. And everyone deserves the right to use the restroom. This may seem like common sense, but some people disagree. Recently, several “Bathroom Bills” have pushed through legislatures targeting transgender students and forcing them to use the public bathrooms assigned to their born genders instead of the gender they identify as. Hendrickson may not have Bathroom Bills, but our school still promotes gender inequality by separating “Male” and “Female” bathrooms.

Our school is a very diverse school, containing students of a variety of ethnicities and sexualities, so it’s no surprise the school also sees a variety of genders. Several students identify as transgender, agender, non-binary, and many other genders besides male and female. Despite all the opportunities and accommodations we offer, not all genders are being treated fairly. In a society filled with people identifying on all areas of the gender spectrum, bathrooms, of all places, still stand in the way of equality, which is why genderrestricted bathrooms should be eliminated.

Located in various hallways of Hendrickson, restrooms have independent male and female rooms, including closed stall doors separating each person when using the bathroom. Even faculty restrooms are separated by gender, despite containing single stalls. In either room, everyone has the opportunity to be kept private and separate when doing their business. However, upon reaching the entrance to the bathrooms, one must differentiate on which room to choose based solely on their gender, what may be a default decision for a cisgendered (someone who identifies with the same sex they were born with) person may be very challenging and embarrassing for someone falling between male and female on the spectrum.

According to a survey by Texas Student Educational Resources (TSER) over 80% of transgender adolescents felt unsafe at school because of their gender. The survey also confirms the rate of bul-

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

lying and violence towards those individuals is just as high. Despite hostile atmospheres geared toward people of genders other than male and female, bathrooms remain segregated. Even the inanimate signs posted on the bathroom doors torment members of the genderqueer community.

Many schools and other facilities around the country started implementing unisex bathrooms instead of the typical male and female separation, including Texas State University. Bathrooms of this nature allow transgender students to use the restroom free from accusations and inquisitions on their born verses expressed genders.

Although changing all the bathrooms would be preferable, a simple and cost-effective solution resides in teacher restrooms. By keeping faculty restrooms unlocked and changing the sign to gender neutral, Hendrickson could easily make the school welcoming to all genders.

Some may argue the amount of privacy when going to the restroom would decrease if restrooms were not gender-restricted. However, the amount of privacy wouldn’t falter, for the faculty restrooms are single stalled. Although transitioning the teacher restrooms to unisex would face opposition at Hendrickson, the increased equality for students is well worth the challenge.

hit or

MISS

Vegetarians frustrated by lack of options In the cafeteria it seems like there is an abundance of options for vegetarians, but at a closer examination, few items are meatless, as even the salads have meat placed on top of them. This leaves students who are restricted in their diet because they are vegetarian or vegan without lunch or left with unhealthy snacks like chips, cookies, or cheese pizza, for meals. The meals lack protein and do not provide balanced nutrition, leaving vegetarians unfulfilled and unprepared for the rest of the school day. There are plenty of possible vegetarian meals that could be implemented in the cafeteria like spaghetti, nachos, or even a veggie burger. Therefore, the lack of meatless options in the cafeteria is a miss.

Courtyard restrictions dissapoint The east and west courtyards have yet to be opened for student use resulting in low maintenance and tall grass.

Despite the fact that picnic tables are placed in both yards, students are not allowed to go there without a teacher present. Administrators are worried that there will not be enough supervision in the mornings. We find the neglect and restrictions placed to be a miss.

Bell inconsistencies cause confusion Recently the passing bells have been going off at inconsistent times in the day. Administrators are changing the intensity of the bells to have a soft tone for moving periods and a louder tone in the morning to get students to class quickly. Until the bells are formulated correctly, the confusion and inconsistency they have caused is a miss.

Seniors stay to pick up trash after games In past years, the student section stands have been left messy and unclean after football games but recently, seniors have been staying behind to help clean up the trash left in the student section. With the new change, hopefully students will be motivated to help out and clean our school.

The initiative that the seniors have to keep our stands clean is definitely on target.

Shane Anders Cartoonist

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

Editorial Staff

Co-Editors: MarQuise Prince-Salone & Kylie Ruffino Copy Editor: Madi McVan Assistant Editors: Rion Ellis Alex Fulton Virginia Gaffney

Mikaela Kelarek Ileana Perez Rumor Stojek

Reporters

Kiarra Blankman Alyssa Ellinwood Holly Hambleton Paul Le

Amanda Perez Chloe Pham Lindsey Robinson Gabby Sanchez

Winner of the ILPC Bronze Star, 2014 & 2015

When No Gender Fits In this issue...

Refugee timeline 2 Gendertainment 14 Volleyball Recap 18

the

HAWK

Hendrickson High School 19201 Colorado Sand Drive Pflugerville, Texas 78660 @thehawkonline Volume 9, Issue 3 October 30, 2015 thehawkonline.net

Design by MarQuise Prince-Salone

Weathering the Storm

Opinions October 30 ,201 5

7

Editor reflects on internet backlash from her survey H e l l o .

My name is Madi McVan, and I’m a senior, graduating a year early.

In addition Madi McVan Copy Editor to working 25 hours a week and taking four AP classes, I copy edit the newspaper.

And according to an article on infowars.com, I am guilty of forcing students to turn over their parents’ personal information, selling that information to the government, breaking families apart and beginning the Communist takeover of Americaall because of a survey that I gave to collect statistics for a newspaper story.

To collect data about Hendrickson students and their relationships with guns, I wrote and handed out a survey to about 120 students, looking for connections between political affiliation, gun experience and gun ownership. I didn’t expect there to be any opposition, considering it was given to a relatively small number of students, names were optional, and I made sure that the questions were as unbiased as possible.

But when a student sent a photo of the survey to their parent, the photo was immediately spread online, initially on social media like Facebook, and then on small news websites and a local radio show.

As soon as it was posted online, people assumed that the school handed out the survey in order to report to the government who owns guns, with the purpose of taking them away.

The most bizarre part of the situation to me was how widespread the belief is that the government is out to take away everyone’s rights. Dozens of comments online compared the government (and myself) to Big Brother from 1984 and German Nazis, using children to report their parents and conspiring to turn the masses into mindless sheep.

The experience was not only bizarre, but terrifying; I was scared that somehow my name would be linked to the survey and all of the anger in the articles and comments would make their way into my daily life. I imagined an angry gun owner finding out where I work or live, and confronting me about the survey.

But at the same time, I learned so much from the way the story spread online. As a journalist, it was educational to see how easy it is to twist words and quotes in order to create something that is completely misleading, but taken by readers to be the truth. For example, instead of stating that the survey was given by journalism students, an article said it was given to journalism students. By changing one small word, the entire meaning of the article changed.

As a reader of news, I became aware of how articles that seem to be true can actually be completely false. Now,

Finding credible sources Bias news sources blatantly or nonchalantly persuade the audience to believe a certain idea. There are two sides to a story and it is important

I II

The author’s name should be listed along with his title and a form of contact information. Also look at the publisher, is it reputable?

Factual information and statistics should be credited to their source

to see both in order to formulate an opinion independent of the reporter.

Here are tips and tricks for finding credible information.

III

There are no controls on the accuracy of the information out there, so read other sources on the subject to make sure the information is consistent and correct. Be careful that the other sites are not just rewriting the same information whether it is correct or not.

I fact-check the stories I read online, and pay attention to the quotes in the article- are they from a credible source?

In the story about my survey, quotes were pulled from Facebook comments rather than school or district officials, but used in a way that suggested that the Facebook commenters had some sort of authority or inside knowledge.

IV

Always ask whether or not the information is objective. Do the reporters choose a side? Or do the readers get fair representation of both sides? This will always be the biggest and most important question. It’s also important to realize bias isn’t always bad, but the purpose should be clear. If the paper is over a topic where there are two credible sides, bias should not be prevalent.

While the survey brought about (false) bad publicity for the school, I am proud of the stories that came from the data gathered in the surveys. It’s not easy being called the next Hitler, but in the end the lessons I took away from seeing my own work twisted and changed online outweighed the fear and criticism.

V VI

Also check where the quotes come from. Are they people who are relevant and educated on the topic?

Use the right search engine for the information needed. Infomine and Infotopia are good for authoritative sites by expert researchers. Inute and SweetSearch are better for factual background info.

8 Volume 9 , Issue 3 Features

Doves for Hope

Volunteers come together to make ceramic tiles Rumor Stojek Asst. Editor

Large dove covered walls will be an aspect of the construction of the Refuge Ranch center for victims of sex traffiking. The Architect of The Refuge and a PHS graduate, Jesefa Deodores reached out to all PfISD Ceramics teachers asking if they would be interested in helping create the doves. The Dove Project is intended to be a symbol of hope and strength for the victims.

When art teacher Abigail Soto found out she jumped at the chance to create such an inspiring piece of art with her students. Instead of only having her three ceramic classes make doves on their own, she decides to involve the whole school by making the project an open community event.

“My students distributed fliers and it took us two days for us to prepare. Over 250 pounds of red and white clay were rolled out and placed on cardboard pieces and over 200 students came to cut and create ceramic doves,” Soto said.

“I wanted to involve the most amount of students. I wanted hundreds to come and create doves so the most amount of people could help the teenage girls.”

There were two separate sessions after school that students were encouraged to attend. The first session was to cut the clay in the shape of a dove and the second one to glaze the doves after they’re dried and fired.

“I came up over the weekend to dry the doves and pre-fire the kiln and then 24 hours to fire the kiln to 2000 degrees.

It will take around 5-6 firings to fire the glazed doves,” Soto said. “I am so proud of the HHS students for creating such beautiful artwork and inspiring words to help the teenagers.”

Additionally, the students who came to the event received a total of two hours of community service; senior Nathan Anders was one of many who attended both of the available dove sessions. At

first he considered doing something else with his time after school, like catching up with homework, but a group of his friends gathered and decided to come to create their own dove.

“The fact that my friends all grabbed me and told me that we should just go do it, for fun, for credit, and to help them out with building the walls I thought why not, it’s a win win win,” Anders said.

“The Dove Project made me feel apart of a really big team. I don’t know it’s a weird feeling. I feel like I contributed so little, but at the same time a whole lot.”

Over 70 volunteers came to assist the program, including students enrolled in Soto’s art classes. There was one volunteer per table to teach the students creating doves in each of two art classrooms.

“I received many emails from parents thanking me for hosting the event. The overall sessions were a huge success and I can’t wait to see the final product when they come out of the kiln,” Soto said. “This entire project was so rewarding and made me so proud to work with such amazingly caring and generous teenagers. Almost 10% of the school created doves for these abused teenagers and I am so thankful to everyone involved.”

The doves created from each community will be plastered together; stuck to the wall for hundreds, even thousands of sex trafficking survivors to see every single day that they are on the ranch. On the doves, students put inspiring messages in the clay as quotes and cravings.

“I feel this is so important because the abuse shelter is the first to be built in the country,” Soto said. “Art has the power to help and a make a difference in the lives of these abused teenagers. Girls will be able to look at the wall during good times, during hard times and it will be a great reminder that thousands of their peers care about them.”

On the first vulunteer day, freshman Jesus Renteria cuts out his dove, so he can later decorate and glaze an inpirational message.

Surrounded by assorted ceramic materials, sophomore Mackenzie Abbitt focuses on glazing her dove for the Refuge Ranch.

Taking a break from volunteering, junior Lindsey Robinson sits down to finish glazing her clay dove.

Photos by Rion Ellis

Features October 30, 201 5

Building Seeds

9

Artist Renditions of The Refuge from Reach Architects

The Refuge builds ranch to aid minor sex trafficking victims Kylie Ruffino Co-Editor

In graduate school, The Refuge of Domestic Minor of Sex Trafficking (DMST) founder Brooke Crowder watched a video. She watched little girls around six or seven getting pulled out of a hole underneath a brothel.

Unbearably sad, Crowder sat in the auditorium weeping for over an hour. Her advisor found her and said, “Brooke, I think this is the calling on your life. You’re supposed to do something about this” At the time, Crowder didn’t know what this looked like, only that it was true.

After spending four years working in Costa Rica counseling young victims of sex trafficking and researching neurobiology and how trauma affects the developing brain, Crowder founded The Refuge. Fifty acres of land donated to the non-profit allows the team to build long-time care facility in Bastrop for victims to recover. The organization hopes to break ground next spring.

“I am the founder, but I don’t like to say I came up with this idea. Yes there is nothing else like this, we created a model,” Crowder said. “It was born out of years working with survivors, asking them what they wish they had had, or could have. The Refuge is a community wide effort.”

Her work in Costa Rica led her to discover the large numbers of sex trafficking in the United States. But despite misconception, only a small percentage of the women forced into prostitution in the US came from immigrants or refugees. Most of the

girls trafficked are US born. Through more research, Crowder also realized the little out there for sex trafficking provides more resources to those smuggled in the US than those trafficked from the US. “When I came back to the United States in 2010, I had just assumed everyone else had heard about child sex trafficking while I was away and the people were starting to do stuff,” Crowder said. “I was pretty disheartened when I realized that wasn’t true.

In our country, we have all of the best resources to provide care for trafficked children and we aren’t using them. That’s when I started to dream that we could help care for them.”

The ranch will house and care for 48 US born survivors through medical, mental and spiritual recovery.

Reach Architect and Pflugerville High School alum Josefa Deodores, joined the Refuge after her and a chair man on The Refuge board worked on the same pro bono project building a micro chapel.

“We looked at the girls like a seed, no matter what age, because they all need nourishment and growth,” Deodores said. “So we started the design process by creating a list of words from their former life like deceit, destruction, and all the bad things that happened and then juxtaposing those with a place of healing and a place of peace. We really want to translate those intangible words into architecture” The girls will have access to a medical clinic, one-on-one counseling, group therapy, garden therapy,

a chapel, and individual cottages.

While The Refuge is a Christian based organization, they will not force their beliefs on the residents. The main goal of the ranch is to create a place the girls can grow as a community, but also to find themselves individually.

“The Refuge is in Bastrop introducing them back into society in a very natural setting with wildflowers and vegetation and the mockingbirds,” Deodores said. “It’s really a cohesive design between the nature and the architecture. What they’ve gone through has dehumanized them and so now we can slowly introduce them to finding themselves as an individual and knowing their worth and have a safe place for them to heal.”

Deodores and her team are almost done with the design development stage. First they created the overall

idea of The Refuge and now they are finishing up the design of each individual design, about 50 percent through the process. Next they will work on the black and white documents used to actually build and then break grounds in March or April.

To reiterate the community effort, The Refuge utilizes many volunteers to help fundraise, clear brush, make doves and other designs, which will be incorporated in the architecture.

Crowder hopes to get awareness out about how serious and prevalent child sex trafficking is.

“When I watched that video, my daughter was the very same age as those girls,” Crowder said. “These are our children, this could be my child, and that’s not okay. As long as I can do something about it, then I’m going to do something about it.”

47,000 children go missing in Texas each year 1 in 7 of those children will become sex trafficking victims

10 Volume 9 , Issue 3 Features

When No Gender Fits Most people don’t think twice about their gender identity: we’re born into a male or female body, and we go along with the experiences that come with it.

However, there are a number of individuals who don’t agree with the body or gender they were assigned, here are two of their stories.

Photos by Rion Ellis and Madi McVan

Teen conveys their genderfluid jo Lindsey Robinson Staff Reporter

Pulling the binding over her head and onto her chest, junior Aislinn Yeidel feels the tight fabric squeezing her ribs, minimizing feminine qualities. After 14 years appearing as a girl, Yeidel finally reflects the appearance she has always yearned for. Looking into her bedroom mirror and seeing the flat chested, masculine profile looking back, Yeidel describes the moment as nothing less than monumental.

The gender spectrum includes countless genders, unlike previous notions of only male and female. Yeidel is one of those inbetweens, identifying as non-binary and responding to both “he” and “she” pronouns.

“I loosely identify as genderfluid, but I think non-binary would be a better way to put it,” Yeidel said. “To me, non-binary means I get to be my own person outside of what sex or gender I am.”

Gender fluid is a gender which varies over time, whereas non-binary is a more broad category for gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine.

Starting high school, Yeidel began most of the changes that accompany transitioning from his cisgender, or born gender, to a non-binary gender.

“I realized I wasn’t cisgendered a year or two ago, I kept cutting my hair, and started thinking up other names for myself freshman year.

I decided on ‘Ashton.’ I liked my name, Aislinn so I didn›t want to go to far from it, so Ashton was nice,” Yeidel said. “Last year was about the time I started wearing binding and doing actual changes to my physical self.”

Beyond cutting his hair, Yeidel w e a r s binding to feel comfortable in

his skin. Breast binding typically uses soft fabrics, like nylon, to safety flatten the chest. Although Yeidel feels more content after altering his physical appearance, he realizes that gender expression can vary for everyone.

“Physical appearance has nothing to do with how you identify,” Yeidel said. “A lot of people worry about what they look like.

You can look however you want to look and it’s valid.”

Yeidel didn›t always know she was nonbinary, as a child Yeidel remembers feeling both happy an uneasy in a female body.

“I was born a girl. I was a very happy little girl, happy to wear dresses and skirts. All throughout my childhood I kept cutting my hair off, growing it back, and cutting it off again, which may have been an indicator,” Yeidel said. “I would grow uncomfortable with long hair and then cut it all off, only to become uncomfortable again and just go through that process again, but I didn›t know what any of that meant when I was younger.”

Researching different gender identities and becoming more knowledgeable on their differences, Yeidel was able to match a term to how he was feeling about gender.

“I think I’m still going through my challenge of identifying,” Yeidel said. “It took a long time trying to find the right word and to convince myself: maybe there isn›t a word, maybe it’s okay not to have a word.

But I kind of wanted a phrase to describe me. Non-binary seems like a good word.

Finding a name for it, was a good feeling, I liked having a bunch of words to choose from because there are very specific names for different gender identities, I could go through all of them thinking, this is good, I can be this.”

Seeing such a variety in genders comforted Yeidel in his own evolution in gender expression. Yeidel recounts his journey couldn›t have come as far as it has without the love and support he received.

“I’m actually a very lucky individual, there are a lot of other people out there that go through so much turmoil in their search to find out who they are. My parents are very supportive, so I can be very open with concerns about my transition, which is very important.” Yeidel said. “My dad told me he would love me no matter what. He told me he’d love me if I identified as Ashton or Aislinn, I’d be his son or his daughter and he would love me anyway.”

Ties That

Yeidel was asked to write an someone they loved in their class. They wrote about their

Four years ago A girl sits alone with a b people A light jacket hugs her s falls over her face, do She stands in the showe And day after day watch her chest with anticipa

Three years ago A girl cuts off a foot and the third time It is for the last time

Two years ago A person’s lungs prote of binding Breaths come short, but They are protected The nylon is tight, but it k hugs me close keeps me here I am grounded

I go about me day, awar between my shou And I notice the differen All my life I have been “Aislinn.”

“Ashley?”

“No.” Today I can be “Aislinn.”

“Ashton?”

“Yes.” And I am starting over.

Features October 30, 201 5

d journey Gender

hat Bind

write an ode to something or in their sophomore English out their chest binder.

FAQ

with a book in a room full of

Madi McVan Copy Editor

Because gender issues have only recently been brought into the spotlight, many people have questions for non-cisgender people. However, it is sometimes hard to tell what is too personal to ask. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions regarding gender.

gs her shoulders, red hair ace, down her back. e shower, in her room y watches the growth of anticipation

foot and a half of hair for

me

What is the gender binary?

The term “gender binary” refers to the social construct that there are only two genders: male and female. The idea of gender binary rejects the notion that a psychological gender can differ from biological sex, or that a person can identify as both or neither sexes.

What is the difference between sex and gender?

Sex is defined by a person’s physical characteristics- male, female, or intersex (a condition in which the body is both male and female). Gender refers to what a person identifies as mentally; a transgender person is someone that identifies themselves as a gender different than their biological sex.

What is a transition?

A “transition” is a change in appearance and mannerisms to reflect the gender one identifies with rather than their biological sex. This can consist of wearing different clothing, speaking differently, going through Hormone Replacement Therapy Does gender affect sexual orientation?

(HRT) or Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS).

No. Most of the time, transgender people are still attracted to the same gender(s) that they were before transitioning, so only the label changes. A person that identifies as a woman that is attracted What other types of genders are there? only to men is considered heterosexual regardless There’s cisgender; agreeing with what gender you of her biological sex. were born with, transgender: disagreeing with your biological sex, polygender: experiencing multiple gender and demigender: feeling partically connected to different genders.

Sophomore relays life without gender MarQuise Prince-Salone Co-Editor

s protest under the weight

hort, but their chest is flat ed , but it keeps me safe

e

ay, aware of the space my shoulders difference

been

over.

11

Sophomore Skye Johnson’s morning routines follow everyone else’s schedule. Waking up, eating breakfast, and taking a shower.

When it gets down to picking clothes, the real decision; binder or no binder, comes into play. A binder is a piece of fabric used to create the illusion of having no breasts, but most days Johnson chooses a hoodie.

Afterwards, makeup is applied then Johnson heads out to school.

From birth, people are designated with a predesig0ned destiny, boy or girl. Because of this notion, children experience growing up without having much of a say in what appeals to them, it’s either makeup and dolls or cars and outdoors play. Johnson however experiences neither because they identify as being agender, meaning they live without gender.

“I don’t feel like identifying as either a boy or a girl,” Johnson said. “I’m outside the gender binary. I don’t really know why, it’s just how I see myself. It’s kinda like, a boy doesn’t really question why he’s a boy, he just is one.”

People discover their gender identity at different times in their lives. Johnson originally believed they were genderfluid in seventh grade.

“Some days I would feel more feminine and other days more masculine, but most

days I was not really either,” Johnson said.

“In eighth grade I discovered online there were more genders than the one assigned to you at birth. I found nonbinary genders and related to them.”

Johnson came out to their mother by sending her an article about being agender.

“I showed her the article and told her that’s who I was,” Johnson said. “She was fine with it but then later we talked more about it. She said something along the lines of ‘I respect your identity, but you’re always gonna be a girl’ which was pretty annoying but it’s my life, not hers, so I don’t let that bother me. She’s my mom and she’s lived with and taken care of me for 15 years and I’ll always be her daughter in her eyes.”

Being agender has caused Johnson to think more critically of gender roles such as color-coding babies but also be more open minded to gender stereotypes that don’t necessarily fit.

“Boys can wear dresses if they want, who cares?” Johnson said. “I think it’s because when you realize you’re not a boy or a girl, you try to be more gender neutral, and so by doing that you really realize that society is focused on black and white instead of a whole spectrum of colors.”

Johnson also identifies with being pansexual, meaning attracted to all genders.

“Gender identity is what you are, sexuality is who you’re attracted to,” Johnson said. “I don’t think they reflect each other though, they’re separate things. Gender identity is ‘this is who I am’ and sexuality is what genders you’re attracted to, either sexually or romantically or both.”

Having pride is a huge part of the LGBT experience. Without pride, there isn’t much respect inside or out of the community.

Johnson believes the importance comes from finding people to relate to.

“I’m hoping in the future people will be more informed on nonbinary genders,” Johnson said. “I figure there’s gonna be people who don’t respect my gender, but they don’t matter to me. If you don’t feel like your assigned gender at birth then you’re probably not.

Don’t be afraid to explore, and your gender c an c hang e so don’t worry too hard, and if people judge you, don’t worry about them.”

12 Volume 9 , Issue 3 Features

Day of the Dead

Spanish teacher explains traditions of Dia de los Muertos Amanda Perez Staff Reporter

Day of the Dead is a holiday celebrated throughout Mexico while most of the United States is celebrating Halloween. By Midnight on October 31st, the gates of heaven open and all the spirits of deceased children rejoin their families for 24 hours. November 2nd, the adult spirits rise to enjoy the festivals in the cemeteries.

This indigenous, spiritual holiday first celebrated by the Aztecs many years ago started as a community celebration and more recently added welcoming the spirits of the dead in their house to be done family by family. The idea of Day of the Dead is to have fun with the dead personally and make it easier. So the children grow up to cope with death.

Women will dress up as La Katrina (Lady Death) and mock her. It makes death simpler for children to understand. As the children approach her, they will get handed candy in return. Spanish teacher Drew Keller, gives us her personal knowledge on Day of the Dead.

“It started off with sacrifices in the old days,” Keller said. “Then the Catholic religion got involved with it.

The community comes together in a giant mud hut; it’s like a séance to welcome the spirits back. There’s different versions but it’s the same idea, welcoming the spirits back.”

Comparing America and Mexico’s view on death it shows complete opposites. Death is the forbidden topic in America. Where as in Mexico it’s celebrated.

“In American society, we close off death and we make it a very taboo thing to talk about,” Keller said. “We’re not comfortable talking about it. Where as in Mexico, you embrace it. You have a day to look forward, to remember, not that you don’t think of them the rest of the year, but here you don’t do that. Here you have a funeral and that’s that.”

Every holiday has those essentials they need to celebrate that special day like a Christmas tree on Christmas. Most only associate the painted faces with Day

Just the facts

Here are some facts about Dia de los Muertos and symbols used in sugar skulls

November 1 is the day of honoring children and infants November 2 is the day of honoring adults

of the Dead, but the whole concept is to connect with the dead again. The painted faces represent the dead themselves and are designed specifically. The flower around the eyes is called marigold, or Cempazúchitl.

On Dia de los Muertos faces, you’ll have the colors of the flower, the shape, or in your hair, as well as water droplets symbolizing tears. Then teeth painted on your lips. An altar is needed for the dead to step up into our world again. Bread of the dead is always included here along with candles to light the path for the spirits.

Other specific aspects of the person are added as well.

“On your altars, you need water to symbolize life and their favorite dish, to offer to the spirits,” Keller said.

“I had Spanish rice because my grandmother always ate it. You will have a separate serving you will eat with your family as well. Also any favorites that they may have, like my grandma liked the longhorns, so I set little things like that for her.”

The spirits are initiated in by burning sage and once they enter the house a wind will gust in and the papel picado will wave. Papel picado are the banners decoratively cut with themes like birds or skeletons to symbolize the moment when the spirits enter. Although all celebrations don’t just happen inside a house “There’s this island its called Patzcuaro, Michoacan.

It’s completely dedicated to Day of the Dead,” Keller said. “You fill all these boats up with flowers and take a very somber ride out.”

To truly celebrate this holiday is a private moment and is taken seriously while getting to connect with lost loved ones.

“What I’ve experienced with the welcoming of the spirits is immense happiness. It’s sudden and calm,” Keller said “It might not work for everybody, not that it’s something I do for my benefit. I do it to honor my grandmother and people I know that have passed away. It’s one of the best feelings.”

Altars are created to honor deceased family members It is said that neglected spirits may seek vengeance on those who have forgotten them

Some celebrate by holding all-night graveyard vigils Marigolds are known as the flower of the dead

A Holiday From Hunger Volunteer options to help those in need Chloe Pham Staff Reporter

A house down the block is vibrant and full of life as a family gathers around a table smothered with food from top to bottom. They take their seats and give thanks for everything they have in their lives. Not all are as fortunate, but through local organizations and help from the community they are able to spread their fair share in gratitude as they help others that are le ss fortunate.

Operation Turkey allows people in the community to participate by giving food back to the needy. On Nov. 24 volunteers for the drive will be split

up into different teams. Each team will complete a specific task in making this operation a success. There are cooks who make the food, the preps who prepare the food, then once prepared volunteers pack the food, where it is then delivered to as many people in need. To participate, go to, www. operationturkey.com to register and find out more information.

The Austin area also offers a plethora of other options to help give back to the community such as entering marathons. The Austin Turkey Trot is a five-mile run held in Austin at the

Long Center where 100% of proceeds from the event will be donated to Caritas, an organization that provides education and support services to the unfortunate and help them become self-sufficient. To participate, go to, www.thundercloud.com/turkey-trot to find out more information about the event.

Even contributing the slightest time or effort, when put together can make the biggest difference as it can help change the life of one in need.

Giving Thanks

Teens express gratitude for parent’s sacrifices Rion Ellis Online Editor

A sacrifice is defined as a loss or something one gives up for the sake of a better cause. Parents often put their children’s needs before their own. They give time, money, and sometimes safety to better their loved ones lives. We asked Ms. Ayala-Pepper’s junior English classes to recall a time when their parents sacrificed something to better their lifestyle.

“My mom has struggled a lot to give me everything I have today. She had me at a young age. Her whole life she’s had to work hard to get us where we are today. She spent an ample amount of time going back to school and got her Masters, but she was having a hard time paying bills, so I was staying with my grandma who lives in Pflugerville.

Now she has had a steady job and provides me with what I want or need. I moved back in with her the summer of my 8th grade year. She moved from South Austin to Pflugerville so I could come to Hendrickson. She transferred jobs, and now she’s at a point where she doesn’t have to work a second one.“ ANONYMOUS

“Lately, my family has been struggling with money. My dad works for Blue Bell, and when they weren’t delivering his pay got cut. My dad had to get a second job so we wouldn’t go broke. He got a job at Discount Tires working seven days a week. When Blue Bell started delivering again, my dad decided that he was going to keep his job at Discount Tires, but now he is overworking himself. He sacrifices getting a full nights rest, being able to relax at home and being able to do things with me, my mom and my sister so that we don’t go into debt.” ANONYMOUS

“My parents have sacrificed their lives to start a new life.

They crossed over the border and had me. My dad is a citizen, and even though he’s not always there when I need him, he’s still my dad. My mom is always giving me what I need, and I appreciate her for what she did. Sometimes she will let me miss school if I’m stressed, and she comes to all of my events. She’s the one who made me who I am.”

Raul Centeno, 11

“My parents have sacrificed a lot of time, money and effort for me to able to play soccer at the level I do. Not only have I played for my whole life, but I have also played at a very competitive level for five years. The amount of money for tournaments, hotels, cleats, food and traveling has been my parents’ job to pay for. I love my parents and I am glad that they want me to be able to play in college.” Justin Garcia, 11

“My parents have made every sacrifice possible to benefit me and my family. When I was a little kid, my mother moved me from the state of Louisiana to Texas so that I can have better living. The crime rate in Louisiana is very high, so moving to a better living environment benefited me.” ANONYMOUS

“My mom had me when she was 16, but she decided to keep me despite what her parents said. My dad walked out on her, so it was just me and her. She worked two jobs to pay the bills and went to school. She’s given up a lot so I can have a good life. To this day, it’s just us.” ANONYMOUS

Features October 30 , 201 5

13

Thankful For...

Alyssa Ellinwood Staff Reporter

“I’m thankful for my mom being able to find a job opertunity here in Texas, because if she hadn’t then we wouldn’t have a steady income,” senior Timothy Wilson said. “I would have been homeless and on the streets.”

“I’m thankful for phones,” freshman Adrian Carbajal said. “You can stay in touch with people throughout the day and it’s also great for entertainment.”

“I’m thankful that I live in a developed society where my basic needs can be met.” sophomore Jacob Edwards said.

“I’m thankful for books because I really like reading,” sophomore Laila Trevino said. “If I didn’t have books, I would probably be very lazy and have no life.”

“I’m really thankful that this school has a good system and I feel like I can do good,”freshman Sebastian Carzola said. “There’s always a teacher that has my back.”

“My family,” freshman Josh Weatherman said. “I could have got a way worse family than mine and without them, I would be an entirely different person.”

“To have a supportive family because I don’t have to worry about coming home and not having something to eat,” Junior Cole D’alfanso said. “If they disappeared I would have to work and get a job, live with someone else. It would be a huge lifestyle change.”

Pfeeding Pflugerville A canned food drive begins Nov. 2 for the Storehouse Food Pantry in Pflugerville. Students are encouraged to bring canned food and other non-perishable items to their Talon class. The drive ends on Nov. 18. The Talon class with the most cans will receive a donut and juice breakfast party on Friday, Nov. 20.

14 Volume 9 , Issue 3 Feature

GENDERtainment

Media embraces gender representation Holly Hambleton & Gabby Sanchez

Staff Reporters

I Am Cait

Transparent

When former Olympic athlete and stepfather of the Kardashian family, Bruce Jenner, came out as transgender last year, he shocked the nation.

He began his transition soon after and once it was complete, she proudly came out with the statement on the cover of Vanity Fair, “I Am Caitlyn.”

The TV show, I Am Cait gives the world a behind the scenes look at her transition and its impact on her family and friends. Since the premiere of the show, Caitlyn has continued to make strives for the transgender community. She accepted the ESPY Authur Ashe Courage Award in July and gave a moving speech in honor of the transgender community. I Am Cait illustrates the strength required for someone to step out of social expectations in order to truly be themselves.

Transparent, a television show on Amazon streaming, follows the latein-life transition of Maura Pfefferman (Jeffrey Tambor), and the effect it has on her family. Transparent won numerous Emmys since its premiere, and has helped bring transgender issues into light. This show portrays them in a more human perspective, which before was not as accessible to an audience nor has it been taken seriously on the award stage. Jeffrey Tambor is not a transgender actor, but since Pfefferman is in very early transition stages at the start of the show, it works. Tambor dedicated his Emmy to the transgender community, stating “Thank you for your patience.

Thank you for your courage. Thank you for your stories. Thank you for letting us be part of the change.”

About Ray About Ray is a 2015 American drama about a transgender boy, Ray (Elle Fanning) going through the early stages of transition while trying to get his family to accept his true identity. Fanning, a cisgender actress, can only portray what she thinks it is like to be a transgender teen going through transition. Transgender actors and actresses are denied roles because of the idea that cisgender actors will make the movie more accessible, like in About Ray. This movie also only shows the white, upper middle-class groups who are able to afford things like hormones and surgeries. Even though this film has flaws, it is one of very few that show a transgender teen’s journey and their feelings during transition.

Gender neutrality in stores becoming more commonplace Gabby Sanchez Staff Reporter

Many popular companies are going gender neutral in their products and labeling in order to remove the stereotypes attached to girls’ and boys’ clothing and toys. Some believe it only causes confusion for young children, while others believe it is a step in the right direction.

One trip to the children’s section of a store and it is not hard to see a definitive line between the designated “girls” and “boys” section.

The girl’s side filled with princesses, dolls, and predominately pink products.

While the boy’s side consists of trucks, superheroes, and the color blue. This can set up a wall for children when they desire to play with something that is not in their gender section, and can even prevent them from wanting a toy simply because they are a boy or a girl.

Target, a popular shopping center, started to make their children’s section free of gender divisions. Instead of aisles labeled “boys toys” or “girls’ toys” it became just the “kids toy section.” They also did the same for the children’s’ clothing sections.

For some, this is seen as a huge step forward. Children are not limited to what is deemed appropriate for their gender and society expectations of what boys and girls should like to do, allowing more choice and freedom for their children’s interests.

Others, however, became very heated, saying that gender neutrality was wrong and they would no longer be shopping at Target. Some parents believe that when children do not have boundaries and limits set it can make them confused about themselves, skewing their ideas about

gender.

However, Target is not completely genders neutral, on their online store options to filter toys by gender are still available.

Disney, known for their princess and superhero television and films also made changes to their Halloween costume section on their website, no longer putting princess costumes in the girls’ section and the superheroes in the boy’s but instead placing all of them in one category simply named, “Costumes for Kids.”

This action is for girls who have no interest in dolls and model kitchens, but trucks and other toys deemed for boys, and for the boy who feels out of place because he does not like superheroes and football. Making products gender neutral allows children to feel more comfortable in their interests.

Lego, the well-known

building blocks company, received attention last year when the majority of their women figures were depicted in strictly girly settings, like a cheerleader and even a waitress. This creates problems when girls play with toys that only represent women in very stereotypical scenes, blocking them from the vision that women could be more.

Lego responded to this by releasing a set of female scientist figurines. If children see this kind of diverse representation of genders when they are young this allows them to not feel trapped to certain interests or lifestyles.

Gender neutrality in stores questions the boxes parents place their child in and how they are perpetuating social confines when they shop for their child not based on what they want, but based on their gender.

Happy Birthday, Marsha!

Happy Birthday, Marsha! is about a transgender activist Marsha Johnson, (Mya Taylor) and her fellow transgender activist Silvia Rivera (Eve Lindley), and their struggles before the famous 1969 Stonewall Riots that lead to the fight for LGBT rights. Taylor and Lindley both being transgender can better relate to their roles, because of their own personal experiences, which makes the film more genuine. Happy Birthday, Marsha! raises awareness on issues faced by the LGBT community.

This movie also increases trans representation in media by showing their is trans actors and actresses out there willing to play the roles usually given to cisgender people.

Unisex Name Hall of Fame Lindsey Robinson Staff Reporter

The popularity of gender-neutral names demonstrates a cultural shift away from stereotypes. According to a poll of 100 Hendrickson students, these are the top ten neutral names:

1. Alex 2. Sam 3. Jordan 4. Riley 5. Skylar 6. Blake 7. Casey 8. Aaron/Erin 9. Ryan/Rion 10. Danny/Dani

Poppin’ Bubble Tea Staffers review drink cafes Paul Le

Staff Reporter Rumor Stojek Asst. Editor

Boba Tea or Bubble Tea is a cold Taiwanese drink invented in the 1980s. Bubble Tea beverages are typically tea-based mixtures with various fruits or milks.

Consumers usually add in

chewy tapioca pearls or fruit jellies called sinkers into their drinks. These are a few Bubble Teahouses near Hendrickson.

In addition to their pearl drinks, CoCo’s Café sells a variety of popular Taiwanese foods that harmonizes with the drinks available. They are great for a warm, mouthwatering meal and an even better tea beverage. The atmosphere is almost sleepy, but the color scheme of the café is a pick me up in the evening that brings life to the shop and the customers visiting.

10901 N Lamar Blvd, Austin TX drinkbambu.com 512-832-8886 Recommended Drink: Taro Milk Tea $3.25 - $3.50 Rating: 2 Leaves

Bambu is a popular place among the traditional Vietnamese people because of it’s popular Vietnamese dessert, Che. Che is usually consists many different ingredients. It is either made up of black beans, red beans, mung beans, ginger tapioca, grass jelly, pandan jelly and many others mixed together. While their Che is very popular, their teas fall flat. The thai tea is lackluster in taste being too bitter or too sweet and the rest of the drinks are mostly flavorless. The taro milk tea is usually the best, but their boba or tapioca are either too hard or too loose. Beyond the drinks, walking into a bambu, you still get the great oriental theme and friendly atmosphere and for some, a sense of nostalgia.

Coco’s Cafe

Teapioca Lounge has a wide 8557 Research Blvd, Austin, TX variety of drinks like their cocos-cafe.com most popular drinks, thai tea (512) 833-6588 and taro cream tea. Thai tea is Recommended Drink: strongly brewed with Assam, also Honeydew Cream Tea $3.75 known as bai miang leaves, and is Rating: 3.5 Leaves topped with cream or milk enhancing it’s sweet, unique taste. Taro cream tea is made from powder from taro plants.

It is brewed together then topped with ei1700 W. Parmer Lane Ste.100, Austin, TX ther cream or milk to enhance the plant’s teapiocalounge.com strong and distinctive taste. Teapioca 512-838-3656 Lounge’s diverse surrounding, and Recommended Drink: friendly atmosphere, it is a Green Cream Tea $3.00 great place to go hang out Rating: 4 Leaves with friends or a first date.

Walking into the Sunrise Teahouse is like walking into a stress-less universe. The room seems even more spacious than it actually is due to its high ceilings. You come for the tea and stay for the inviting environment. On the right side of the room there is a gigantic chalkboard covering the majority of the wall, besides the delicious bubble tea, the chalkboard is one of the best things about Sunrise Teahouse. Customers are encouraged to write or draw on the board. The doodles and phrases add a sense of unity and calmness among the community of customers and employees.

Rating Key:

Bambu

Entertainment October 30, 201 5

Teapioca Lounge

Sunrise Teahouse 1400 E Old Settlers Blvd Suite 104, Round Rock, TX (512) 547-3319 Recommended Drink: Almond Cream Tea $3.50 Rating: 4 Leaves

1 Leaf = Poor 5 Leaves = Perfect

AA Teahouse 16051 Dessau Rd, Pflugerville, TX aagreenteahouse.com (512) 251-3043 Recommended Drink: AA Teahouse Cream Tea $4.50 Rating: 4.5 Leaves

AA Teahouse, located on Dessau Road, is close and convenient for morning tea runs before class. The cafe has a loyalty program app called, Perka, which documents drinks purchased. After 10 drinks customers get a free green tea. Cute shades of green and brown decorate the teahouse with different floor tiles. Though they only recently opened in the beginning of September, AA Teahouse is definitely a rising establishment; building a strong name for itself very quickly among the student body.

15

16 Volume 9 , Issue 3 Entertainment

Good Book Better Story Novels tackle current teenage issues to provide inspiration Tell the Wolves I’m Home June Elbus was a fourteen-year-old girl growing up in 1980’s New York. Because she was socially isolated, June spent most of the time with her gay uncle, Finn. After his death from AIDS, Finn’s partner, Toby, reaches out to June.

Never having any previous knowledge of Toby, June is hesitant at first.

However, the duo forms a strong friendship meant to last a lifetime.

While the title can be misleading, Tell the Wolves I’m Home shares the story of June Elbus and her journey through friendship, self-discovery, and maturity. Set in a time of pre-gay rights movements, this novel shows the rude, societal stereotypes and how they influenced individual’s perspectives, even if they’re not true.

Dawn Dawn Bundy grew up in the wrong neighborhood. Her dad is a con man and a drug addict that only cares about money. Her mom walked out of her life when she was young and is rarely heard from. Practically left to fend for herself, Dawn gets caught up with trouble and is left with no one to help. Or so she thinks.

Kevin Brooks’, Dawn tells the story of a teenage girl discovering that being poor and a little weird does not condemn her to a certain lifestyle. With harsh judgment constantly thrown at her, Dawn learns to not let people influence her life negatively.

It’s Kind of a Funny Story Being in the top of the class brings a lot a pressure to always be smart.

Once Craig Gliner starts attending an elite scholar academy, he views himself as only average. After attempting suicide, Craig unknowingly checks himself into a mental rehab center.

At first he resisted treatment, but he soon discovers different ways to cope with his depression and anxiety.

It’s Kind of a Funny Story follows a teen as he fights with the pressure to be the best of the best and learns the importance of talking through problems.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower The Perks of Being a Wallflower

by Stephen Chbosky follows Charlie through his first year of high school after his friend committed suicide.

Bottling up his emotions, Charlie becomes friends with a group of freespirited seniors who teach him the

importance of living life to the fullest.

Chbosky letter-formatted novel is a quick but empowering read. Written in first person, the story inspires people to reach out to outcasts and help them fell accepted.

In recent years, reading books has made a comeback.

With new problems sparking attention from the media, authors are adressing questionable subjects. The following

book reviews are compiled base on their plot line and ability to provide insight on common topics such as depression, anxiety, sexuality, and gender identity.

Madi McVan Copy Editor Mikaela Kelarek Asst. Editor

Becoming Nicole Becoming Nicole by Pulitzer Prize winner Amy Ellis Nutt documents the true story of two identical twins: one transgender and one not. The book follows the twins from birth to high school graduation, and describes the struggle of their parents to both accept Nicole and protect her from harassment.

This nonfiction account of the jour-

ney of a transgender girl and her family provides information to people that do not know much about gender, and inspiration to transgender people and those they love. It is an inspirational story of acceptance, of one’s self and of others.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan follows two characters, both teenage boys named Will Grayson, with individual story lines that eventually converge once the boys meet. One of them is heterosexual, while the other is gay and struggling with depression. The point of view alternates with each chapter. Green writes about (capitalized) Will Grayson and Levithan writes the point of view of (lowercase) will grayson.

Levithan and Green’s compli-

mentary writing techniques give the book a unique style.

They tell a story about a gay teen that incorporates themes of mental illness, bullying and friendship.

Carry On Carry On by Rainbow Rowell is the real-life version of the fanfiction written by the main character in Rowell’s novel Fangirl, featuring Simon Snow, a gay wizard that fends off evil while building a relationship with his rival Baz. Few books featuring LGBTQ characters focus on topics other than

gender and sexuality, but Simon Snow is not defined by his sexuality.

The story focuses on his struggles as a wizard rather than prioritizing his romantic life, providing an important role model for those who do not want to be limited by their sexual orientation.

Entertainment October 30, 201 5 17

Spike a Memory

Varsity volleyball players recount moments from their season

Lindsey Robinson Staff Reporter

“My interest in volleyball started because of my aunt. She was a great player and ended up playing for South Carolina. She got Player of the Year at South Carolina, so that inspired me to be great. It made me feel competitive almost, like I wanted to be better than her. By her being such a great athlete, it made me push myself to be an even better one.”

Middle blocker #15

Senior Desiree Hipolito

“When I›m in the court, I just think about what I can do to help my team.

I try to do my job as well as I can. I love the excitement of the game, and when we all work together, we do great things. My favorite part would be when I go up to spike the ball of course.”

Middle blocker #15 Senior Desiree Hipolito

“My favorite memory of volleyball was when we played Pflugerville because we came together as a team and played our best as a whole. Also the excitement and energy on the court made it such a fun experience. It made me feel very proud because that’s what hawk volleyball is. We played hard every point and never let up.”

Setter #5 Senior Sophie Egliht

“My favorite memory playing volleyball would be winning district last year and making it to playoffs. I was nervous to mess up, but excited for the outcome.

The game to make it to playoffs was against Round Rock High School in which we played five sets. Although the student sections were competing to be the loudest, we couldn’t let it distract us from winning.”

Setter/right side #14 Junior Brooklyn Lochner

“My favorite memory would definitely have to be the second game we played against Westwood. Our team was full of energy and we played with so much intensity! It was by far the most fun we had besides the Pflugerville game.

I was very thrilled and it inspired us to play harder.”

Outside hitter #4 Junior Sharabia Earl “An interesting memory I had was this current season when we played Pflugerville High School. It was fun because the game itself was crazy and everything was going back and forth.

The roar of the crowd added onto the intensity of the game. Everyone on our side was cheering and the Pflugerville crowd was silent and it was such a great feeling. “

Libero

#1

Junior Alyssa Carlin

“Our game against Pflugerville High School is the one that really sticks out.

You could feel everyone’s drive to compete on the court and the excitement within the rivalry. It makes you want to play your hardest not only for yourself but for your team.”

Outside hitter #12 Junior Ally Mazoch

“Winning the game against McNeil was probably a big moment for this season in particular because, as a new younger team, it finally showed all the progress we have made. We have come a long way and even though our record might not be perfect this year, we grew as a team and continuously work hard to get better. The game against McNeil proved that.”

Defensive specialist #9 Senior Taylor Edwards

18 Volume 9 , Issue 3 Sports

Two

Of A Kind

Leaders

Senior discusses responsibilities as cheer captain, last year of high school Ileana Perez Asst. Editor

Underneath the Friday night lights, Senior Kenedy McCarty feels the energy coming from everywhere. Energy from the game. Energy from the fans, and she knows that her cheer squad feels it too.

McCarty is the captain of Hendrickson’s varsity cheer squad, consisting of 10 close-knit seniors, juniors and sophomores. As a senior and captain, McCarty feels the extra responsibility to keep the team on track when something goes wrong and needs to be fixed.

“Our varsity squad of only ten is close,” McCarty said. “The juniors and seniors have been on the team together for two years and the sophomores fit

in great. We have tiffs every now and then but since the team is so small we work it out quickly.”

McCarty reminisces on her last year of cheering before she heads out to start her life after high school. She plans on attending either Texas Tech or Texas A&M Corpus Christi, where she’ll major in nursing. This will be McCarty’s last year cheering and she hopes to encourage the future hawk cheerleaders to do what they love.

“I am sad that this is the last time I will get to experience all this but at the same time I’m inspired to make the most of it for my coaches, my teammates, and myself.”

Photos by: Caroline Joaquim

Sports October

30, 201 5

19

Senior leader reflects on team loss, wins, life after football

Photo by Abigail Marinelarena Ileana Perez Asst. Editor

“Close your eyes” he tells himself.

“Take deep breaths.”

“Relax and think about the game.”

All of this rushes through senior Travis Arroyo’s head before the game, but he doesn’t sweat it because he was born to play football.

Arroyo leads Hendrickson’s offensive line, working since his sophomore year to get this position. He was taught from a very young age that he was going to play football, and ever since then he fell in love. Even though Arroyo does not have an elected position on the team, as a senior he is still considered a leader and a necessary part of the team.

“It’s important for me to show enthusiasm because the other players are going to feed off of us,” Arroyo said. “If one person is down, the whole team is down. But if we show that we’re ready and excited, the whole team is going to be ready and excited for the game.”

After losing 12-9 in their first game against Judson back in September, Arroyo not only used the loss as a way to reflect on how the team was playing but also as a way to move forward to be even more successful.

“The day we had our game against Judson was a bad day,” Arroyo said.

“Coming back to practice after that loss was terrible. Everyone was bummed out, but I think we needed to lose that game. If we hadn’t lost, it would’ve gone straight to our heads that we beat the number nine ranked team in the state and that we don’t need to worry about anyone else, but honestly without that loss we wouldn’t be where

we are today.”

Now Hendrickson football is rising to the top as one of the last undefeated teams in District 13-6A, after winning 21-15 against Round Rock High School.

Arroyo and his team have the reason.

“My social life is in school and on the weekends,” Arroyo said. “Before and after school is dedicated to football.”

As an athlete who wants to play football out of high school, Arroyo has a different way of choosing which college he decides goes to.

“I don’t have a school that I’m committed to because what I’m trying to go to school for is football with a degree in physical therapy, so my options are based on what schools come towards me,” Arroyo said. “I could go find a school that I’d like to go to but if they don’t come to me, I wouldn’t be able to play there.”

Because football is such an important part in Arroyo’s life, he wants to choose a career path that will keep him connected to his roots.

“I wanted to do physical therapy because my mom is a nurse and I’ve always liked to help people,” Arroyo said. “If I’m a physical therapist, I can help football players and still be part of the game.»

Arroyo’s senior year has brought him ups and downs but either way, his love for football remains the same.

“I wouldn’t be able to play a game for as long as I have and just all of a sudden just when I’m out of college, be cut off from it. It would drive me crazy because want to be involved in anyway possible.”

Photo by Carol Joaquim

Photo by Abigail Marinelarena

Photo by Carol Joaquim

20 Volume 9 ,Issue 3 Sports

A Day in the Life

Various leaders share their game day experiences.

Gabby Sanchez Staff Reporter

Ashton Augillard: The Football Player

Senior Ashton Augillard’s game day morning starts off with team breakfast and listening to a speech by an inspirational speaker, recently the president of the Round Rock Express spoke to the football team. After, Augillard goes out with the team to run through football plays.

Now that Augillard is a senior, he no longer feels as excited and energetic in the hours leading up to a game as he used to.

“At first when I was a sophomore I was really hyped,” Augillard said.

“But now I just feel focused.”

Before taking the field, Augillard participates in team prayer followed by a team chant lead by Coach Killian on the field to get hyped for the game. During the game, when he plays strong safety, the one thing on his mind is covering his teammates.

“I’m ready to go eat, go hunt, and hit somebody,” Augillard said.

After the game, he goes to Whataburger across the street to grab something to eat and then hits the hay because he has to wake up early and head to Saturday morning practice.

Hannah Malinowski: The Drum Major Senior Hannah Malinowski begins her game day around 6:30 a.m. when she heads to school to practice at the stadium as Drum Major of the Hawk Band. She conducts the band in a full run through of the marching show and the dance team tune of the week.

In the hours leading up to a game she feels a mix of nervousness and excitement when thinking about the evening’s marching performance.

“I’m hoping that our show goes really well and everyone is organized,” Malinowski said. “But games are also the time we get to have fun and be in the stands to have a good time.”

After school, the band hall is rushing as members including Malinowski get prepared for inspection, which takes place before the game. Everyone in the band lines up in the halls

by section to be looked over by section leaders to ensure hair is in place, uniform is on right, and instruments and music are good to go. This takes about thirty minutes, and then everyone marches to the stadium in silence.

“It’s like everyone in one big, sweaty, lovely dressing room getting ready to go,” Malinowski said. “That’s probably one of the most fun parts, because you get to talk to people and be social.”

When the band performs during the half-time shows, Malinowski enters another world.

“It’s really magical to get to watch it from my perspective because being on the field is very different than being on the podium,” Malinowski said.

“It’s something really cool and unique that I get to experience.”

Alison Wingate, Gemma DeLeon: The Dancers Seniors Alison Wingate and Gemma DeLeon spend their entire mornings in the dance room and practice around fifteen hours a week in order to pull off their performances at every half time show and pep rally.

The morning of game day they stretch, put on their full uniform, and head to the football field to rehearse the dance team tune of the week with the marching band.

After school, DeLeon will spend up to two hours putting on makeup, doing her hair, and any other final touches needed before the game, Meanwhile Wingate spends about thirty minutes prepping for the game.

Nervousness doesn’t hit DeLeon or Wingate until the moment right before they take the field, it’s then they

get butterflies and they feel their stomachs drops.

“When we’re performing I want to cry,” DeLeon said. “I get sad that it is our last year.”

Wingate agrees with DeLeon when it comes to sentimental feelings about their last year, but does not get as emotional as her friend.

“I don’t feel like crying,” Wingate said.

“I feel great, I feel really excited looking at everyone dancing.”

The best part for DeLeon and Wingate is when they perform during halftime, and after when they meet the dance team members from the other school. In the stands, they perform stand routines and pass out candy grams to their fellow teammates.