Volume 9, Issue 1

Over the Summer

In this issue...

Map of School 2 Freshman Tips 4 Summer Stories 6

HAWK

Hendrickson High School 19201 Colorado Sand Drive Pflugerville, Texas 78660 @thehawkonline Volume 9, Issue 1 August 21, 2015 thehawkonline.net

2 Volume 9 , Issue I News

KEY

PORTABLES

F HALL

D HALL

COURTYARD

B HALL

CAFETERIA

G HALL

E HALL

COURTYARD

ENTRANCE OFFICE/ BOOK ROOM

If you had to describe yourself in one word what would it be?

Caring, because I understand the value of every student. Not just the ones who do come to school and do great things, but the value every person has with the right direction.

What’s your worst high school memory?

I remember getting a super short pixie hair cut my senior year of high school and crying for days because I hated it so much.

Associate Principal, Kate Bauer

MAIN HALL C HALL

PAC

CHOIR/DANCE

ART THEATER

A HALL

LIBRARY

Principal, Daniel Garcia

College and Career, Kara Tappendorf

E HALL

STAIRS

FIRST FLOOR

BAND

F HALL

D HALL

MAIN HALL C HALL

This sprawling campus may look daunting, but with minimal effort and feet unafraid to quickly carry you from end-toend, this building gets much smaller and more homey.

The main hall is the easiest but not always the fastest route, and using the side hallways, such as that between E and C, or B and D, classes can be accessed faster than once thought. Using hallway stairs, which can be found at the ends of E, D, C, and both ends of B can also speed up a Passing Period commute.

Try drawing the path from class to class to help ease the early days of figuring out the path of least resistance.

B HALL

Welcome to hendrickson

SECOND FLOOR

GYM

GYM

What would you go back and tell your teenage self?

If I could go back I would tell my teenage self not to take myself too seriously. That most things that happen aren’t fatal and not to stress about life.

Who’s Who Special Programs, Lisa Pasholk

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?

I wrapped a house with a 1,000 rolls of toilet paper.

9th grade AP, Nikki Dickerson Did you ever get sent to the principal’s office?

When I was a senior in high school, my friends and I skipped school and left campus. When we came back, the principal had chained all the doors locked so that we had to go through the front doors.

10th grade AP, Clarissa Alvarado

What kind of student were you?

I was pretty vocal in high school; I would say I was very assertive. I was sent out of my honors English class. I felt very head strong that I was right Testing & Intervention, and my English teacher thought that Michael Grebb I was not.

11th grade AP,

LOCKER ROOM

If you could talk to your teenage self what Jessie Molina would you say?

If I could go back, I would tell myself to work harder and put in more of an What is your worst high school memory? effort because it pays off in the end I had a teacher my freshman year tell me I wasn’t good enough to take a class. I took the class and excelled at it.

12th grade AP, Zachary Kleypas

What kind of student were you?

I was an extreme goody-goody. I was afraid of even slightly getting in trouble and so I never went to the principal office. I don’t think I ever even got in trouble.

A-Car Counselor Andy Harvey

What is your most embarrassing memory?

My nickname was Buff because I was so small and I even had it put on the back of my letter men.

Cas-Fi Counselor Wresha Torrez

What advice would you give your teenage self?

That all those mean people didn’t matter.

Fi-I Counselor Leigh Spradlin

What is your best high school memory?

My high school English class was my favorite. I loved my teacher.

News August 21 , 201 5

3

J-Mb Counselor

Cassandra Jackson

If you could meet anyone in the world who would it be?

Michele Obama, she is just phenomenal the way she raises her girls and what she does for our country.

Mc-P Counselor Andrea Warner What would you go back and tell your teenage self?

To pay more attention to my long term goals.

Q - Sta Counselor Cristina Allgood If you could meet anyone in the word, dead or alive, who would it be?

My grandmother on my mom’s side I never met her. She died when my mom was six.

Ste-Z Counselor Leslie Jackson What would you go back and tell your teenage self?

I was accepted into the FBI academy out of college, but I turned it down because I didn’t want to move. I guess I would tell my self to be open to do and learn new things.

News August 21 , 201 5

Absences

Grades & Classes Know that it will be much harder to catch up your sophomore and junior year if you slack off now. As you get older, the classes you take count less and less towards your overall GPA, so if you get good grades your freshman year, they will count the most towards the transcript that the school will send to colleges.

Even though the homework that teachers give you may seem like busy work, it will not only help you better understand the concept for quizzes and tests but also on standardized tests like the PSAT. Sometimes you could feel pressured to take Pre-AP classes because that’s what your peers take, but if you feel like you can’t keep up or you don’t understand what’s going on, don’t feel embarrassed to move to an On-Level class. In the long run, getting a solid A in an On-Level class is better than barely passing or even failing a Pre-AP class.

Don’t be afraid to ask teachers for help or stay after-school for their tutorials.

Other Tips

With an A/B day schedule you don’t see your teachers as often, so try not to miss class. If you are absent, your teachers will expect you to go to your their tutorials to figure out what you need to make up.

Schedule Changes

To get a schedule change, you must fill out a form, which you can get from Student Services, get your parent and teacher signature and turn it back into Student Services within the first week. Once you have it turned in, be patient and know that there are hundreds of other kids trying to fix their schedule, too.

Changing an AP or Pre-A is trickier. Unless you have been flat out put in the wrong class, that is a change that can only be made at the three week IPR time. If you are planning on moving classes, make sure that you’ve talked to your teachers so you follow the right protocol.

Start taking classes that you might want to pursue in college. This will make it easier for you to find your pathway.

The main hallway will be filled with hundreds, possibly thousands of people, which can be overwhelming, so figure out ways to use the back hallways to get from class to class.

Don’t bother with your locker. With classes located all over the school and a five-minute passing period, your locker isn’t a priority; getting to class on time is. Plus with only four classes a day, you don’t have many things to carry around.

Join a club, sport or get involved in extracurricular activities from the beginning. You may discover something you are passionate about, and it’s a great way to meet people with the same interests.

Don’t be afraid to talk to the upperclassmen. They may look intimidating but they were in your same position a few years ago. You can always go to one of them if you have a question about anything. One of the best parts of high school is being able to have friends of all ages.

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

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 Online Editor: Rion Ellis

Assistant Editors: Alex Fulton Virginia Gaffney Mikaela Kelarek Ileana Perez Rumor Stojeck

Grade s?

Hallways!?

People!!?

Reporters

Paul Le Samuel Perales Amanda Perez Chloe Pham Lindsay Robinson Gabby Sanchez

Winner of the ILPC Bronze Star, 2014 & 2015

Senior

Madi McVan Copy Editor

Drivers

In order to get your driver’s license, you need a Verification of Enrollment (VOE) form. These can be requested from the front office. It is best to plan ahead and request them a few days before the test so that the front office workers have time to get it to you in time.

Buy a parking pass. A little money now will save you a lot in the long run. A parking pass is much cheaper than a ticket. They can be purchased from Mr. Ford in G101 for $20.

Grades If your grades weren’t up to standards your freshman year, now is the time to make up for them. Every year your grades count less towards your overall GPA, so by the time you’re a senior you won’t be able to change your GPA very much. Take advantage of this opportunity to improve your grades so you aren’t stuck with a bad GPA when applying to colleges.

What’s in your

ELP!!

H e s a le ep Someon

Shane Anders Kiarra Blankman Ethan Briddell Thomas Chittenden Alyssa Ellinwood Holly Hambleton

Sophomore

Virginia Gaffney Asst. Editor

In this issue...

News Briefs 2 Freshman Tips 4 Summer Stories 6

HAWK

Hendrickson High School 19201 Colorado Sand Drive Pflugerville, Texas 78660 @thehawkonline Volume 9, Issue 1 August 21, 2015 thehawkonline.net

Design by M. Prince-Salone Photo by Madi McVan

Grades

Junior

Although grades aren’t the first thing on your mind, colleges and some employers do look at them from the beginning to the end of your high school career. Be sure to keep up with them to prevent any bad grade records.

Rion Ellis Online Editor

College

Now you’re a junior, and there’s no better time to chart your course after high school. The College and Career Center (CCC) can help you to figure out what life after high school could look like.

Testing

You can learn about standardized test such as the SAT and the ACT in the CCC. The ACT is provided for juniors by our school, and those test scores can be sent out to various colleges of your choice for free. However, you have to sign up for the SAT. Dates can be found on

www.collegeboard.com.

Advanced Courses The CCC is also a good place to learn about Advanced Placement classes (AP) and Austin Community College classes (ACC). The courses you take here and at ACC offer credits for passed classes that can be transferred to the college that you’ve decided on. Other junior exclusive offers include scholarships and early admissions into college.

BACKPACK

PHONE: During class time, it belongs in a bag, not a pocket or palm.

Over the Summer

MarQuise Prince-Salone Co-Editor

ENGLISH

PENS AND PENCILS: MathYou need NOTEBOOKS: them for Different teachevery ers may require class, why certain supplies, make wouldn’t you have one sure you are always equipped (and a spare) on you AT appropriately for your day!

ALL TIMES? No. 2

FRESHMAN

UPPERCLASSMAN

No. 2

Coming into high school from middle school can be a huge culture shock, so here are some tips, tricks, and advice to thrive the first year at Hendrickson.

No. 2

Ileana Perez Asst. Editor

5

Now that you’re an

No. 2

Now that you’re a

No. 2

4 Volume 9 , Issue I News

Happiness

This is the year of “lasts” for everything. Your last first day of school, your last football game, your last exam. With eagerness to begin life on your own rushing through these moments can be easy but it’s better to stop and enjoy them while you can.

Future

After high school, life is completely up to you.

There’s no pressure to have everything completely figured out by the end of year. Start planning small things such as saving up a certain amount money or owning your own car by a certain date.

Now is definitely the time to start thinking, finishing and sending out college applications, planning how you’re paying for college, scheduling campus visits, etc. If you’re not planning on going to college immediately after high school, you should start learning more about what you’d like to study.

HAND SANITIZER: It’s not complicated, and can save you from those spontaneous stomach bugs that could knock you out fast, and it’s not worth the pain for a day off.

SNACKS AND WATER: Teachers have different opinions on what is allowed in their classroom, but it’s never bad to keep water or food with you, for emergencies.

SNACKS!

6

Over the Summer

Features August 21 , 201 5

Volume 9 , Issue I Features

Senior provides relief for hurricane anniversary Mikaela Kelarek Asst. Editor

Waking up every morning at sunrise to work all day in Louisiana heat was how senior Evan Perez spent his first week of summer vacation. During his time in New Orleans, Perez and his church youth group provided service to a homeowner who needed help after falling victim to flood damage caused by hurricane Katrina. Despite being almost ten years since hurricane Katrina, the city is still rebuilding. With the work provide by Perez, one person was able to move a step closer to a normal life.

“We built a deck in a day, tiled the bathroom floor, put down wood paneling in the rest of the house, and did all of the trimming,” Perez said. “By the end of the week, we were able to

move the homeowner back into his house.”

At the beginning of the week, 98 students and adults were divided into groups and given their assignments; from repairing houses with flood damage caused by Katrina to cleaning and painting a house with fire damage. Perez and his group worked at the same house all week building a wooden deck and set of stairs from the ground up, cutting and placing the trimming, and redoing all of the flooring in the house.

“Seeing his appreciation towards all of our hard work is like nothing else in the world,” Perez said. “His reaction makes the early mornings and long, hot days all worth it.”

Not all holidays include family vacation time.

These teens spent their break on extraordinary journeys across the country and world.

Junior musicians travel with competitive drum corps Madi McVan Copy Editor

When juniors Matt Schwartz and Daniel Stacey wake up on a strange gym floor surrounded by 150 of their closest friends, they know there will be no messing around today. There will be no pranks, no snapping towels and no joking with friends. Everyone in the room has the same goal in mind: to put on the best possible performance.

Schwartz and Stacey spent the summer touring and competing with the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps, a world class marching band based out of San Antonio. They travelled all over the country to compete in Drum Corps International competitions, which led up to a final competition in Indianapolis, Indiana, where they advanced all the way to the final round. They spent nights on gym and church

7

floors, practicing all day before travelling to the next location.

“I joined because I saw a lot of videos and it was kind of like the next best thing in band,” Stacey said. “I just wanted to try it out, and I went to my first camp and liked it a lot.

It’s always been something I wanted to do. So I auditioned and made it, and I found myself marching Crossmen.”

The audition process began in April with the first camp, where anyone who wanted to be a part of the corps started to learn the music and marching drills while being watched by Crossmen staff. Camps happened monthly, with people being cut each meeting. By the second-to-last camp, the corps is set and everyone has their spots.

Continued on next page

Teen visits dream colleges through minority program

Alex Fulton Asst. Editor

Ever since sophomore Christian Douglas was in elementary school, it has been his dream to attend an Ivy League college.

This summer he received an invitation to attend Minorities In Transportation conference at Harvard.

“It felt like a vacation til I arrived on campus and saw everything,” Douglas said. “It was a giant campus with buildings so architecturally innovative and advanced.”

While in Boston, Douglas flew to Michigan for the opportunity to visit another Ivy League, the Michigan Institute of Technology.

The college has a 3.2% acceptance rate and is often considered one of the best technology institutions in the nation.

“It’s not everyday you can tour an Ivy League college and with all of them being on the east coast I wouldn’t have a chance to see one by the time [I apply] for

colleges,» Douglas said.

Douglas believes that time management is key and that it’s best to start early when it comes to universities.

“I’m at the top of my class, I know my major and where I want to go and I’m aiming for that,” Douglas said. “The fact that I’m touring the oldest college in the nation equates to the realization that I am doing something right.”

A lot has been on Douglas’s mind since the trip and he has come to the realization that ultimately going to an Ivy League college is his long-term plan.

“Every moment since the plane ride I imagined going to one of those colleges. Not only were the campuses astounding but the city itself was magnificent,” Douglas said. “I’ve been shooting for Ivy Leagues since elementary school but actually being in Boston made it totally unreal.”

Pandher experiences religion in India

Kylie Ruffino Co-Editor

People were everywhere on the streets: poverty stricken children living on the side of the road begging for money and a woman holding her child out so it could use the bathroom. There were cows and there were cars in the wrong lane and it was hot, very hot.

Punjab, India is a nontouristy state bordering Pakistan. Junior Aashi Pandher spent over a month there meeting her family and learning about her culture and religion.

“Honestly, I didn’t want to go,” Pandher said. “The first day I was really upset because I felt forced and out of place, but after the first week I really started to enjoy myself.”

While she enjoyed her time working on the farm and traveling to different

sites, Pandher noted how different life in India was compared to America.

“Coming back from India, I realize how much I appreciate the way my parents raised me,” Pandher said.

“Born and raised in America, I am very westernized and I don’t feel like my life is missing anything, but I learned a lot about my religion in India and it would be nice to see that here.”

Pandher and her family practice Sikhism, a widely spread religion in the state of Punjab. Over in India, she spent her time visiting temples and gurdwaras.

She even went to the Golden Temple, which is part of Hinduism, but like many Sikhs her family in India practices both religions.

Continued on next page

Junior revisits relatives and culture for the summer Rumor Stojek Asst. Editor

The airport is small, noisy, and bustling with crowds of people. The warmth wasn’t helping the humidity that sat heavy on their skin. Only a small part of the building had running air conditioning while the rest was cluttered with little fans in every corner. Unfortunately, junior Sophie Nguyen was one of the many people who trampled their way through the hot sticky currents of heat and bodies.

For the first time since they left in 2008, Nguyen and her family arrived back to their homeland, Vietnam. She was there for a total of five weeks and during those days she went touring to explore the country and its landmarks.

“When I got there it was humid, I couldn’t breathe, every time you stepped out, there’s

was a 99.9% chance that you’ll sweat.” Nguyen said.

“In the airport there was so many people, at first I was a bit overwhelmed, but after awhile I got used to it.”

It took Nguyen and her family almost a day to travel back to Vietnam. Their first way of transportation was a three hour plane ride to a large airport in Seattle, WA. Then from there they took a flight across the Pacific Ocean to Taipei, Taiwan, and then finally to Vietnam.

“Actually traveling was very stressful, especially going from Taipei to Vietnam, it was like a whole other world,” Nguyen said. “The language was different and the currency was different, it was its own transition.”

Continued on next page

8

Volume 9 , Issue I Features

New Principal , New Changes

Editors review required reading literature

Kylie Ruffino Co-Editor

Compiled by Madi McVan, MarQuise Prince-Salone, Alex Fulton & Rumor Stojeck

The Book Thief

Don’t believe the title. This book has nothing to do with stealing books at all, at least that’s not the main theme.

Instead it’s yet another tragedy about following what you believe in, while giving an insight into the history of World War ll Germany. Not to mention it includes words even the greatest English college professor wouldn’t understand.

8.2/10

The Kite Runner

The title is misleading because it makes you think that it will be a cute book about two boys running after a kite, but in actuWality is one of the most depressing books you’ll ever read. It leaves readers wishing that it was more about kites and less about death.

6/10

Lord of the Flies The cast of “Stand By Me,” go on a school field trip to an island with a pig, but all the teachers missed the flight.

On the island the boys discover the magical conch shell which told them to form a society of their own but failed to remind them to create a system of Checks and Balances causing corruption in their new government.

4.6/10

Ender’s Game

The government obsesses over a young boy and raises him to be an alienfighting space pilot, all while building an entire fake world around him so he doesn’t figure out how obsessed they are with him.

4/10

Continued from pages 6 & 7 It was a familiar process for Schwartz, who played the marching euphonium with Crossmen the year before. Although he still had to go through the same audition process, it was not as intimidating for him.

“Returning is a lot easier, mostly because you know a lot more people and you know them at a better level,” Schwartz said. “So when you come back it’s kind of like coming back to the family. You know what’s expected of you so it’s not as difficult of a process.

The camps are like a quick reminder instead of a whole new process.”

While the corps practices about 12 hours a day in the summer heat, rookie trumpet player Stacey claims that the emotional demands are more intense than the physical. Because the tour lasts all summer, members rarely see their families.

“Everybody thinks it’s physically harder,” Stacey said. “Mentally,

knowing what you got yourself into is worse. But in reality, we paid a good amount of money to be homeless.”

The hard work and long hours paid off when the tour ended with the DCI World Championship in Indianapolis.

They competed against 38 other World Class corps in prelims and semifinals for one of the 12 available spots in the final round.

“It was really scary at first because in prelims and semis scores are everything on everybody’s mind,” Schwartz said. “It was all about making the best score we can so that we can actually make it into finals. But then once we did make it to finals, it was an unreal experience. It was all about making the best product that we could make, scores aside. Because at that point, scores honestly didn’t matter. It was all about how we were going to make an impact on ourselves and on the crowd.”

The Crucible A girl sleeps with a married man, then accuses the whole town (and his wife) of witchcraft when he rejects her. The play also involves dead babies, dancing naked in the woods and fake possessions by the devil.

2/10

The Scarlet Letter

Hester Prynne has an affair with Arthur Dimmesdale, owner of the Dimmsdale Dimmadome and Boston’s minister but keeps his identity a secret.

Years pass and Prynne accepts her fault however Dimmesdale can’t deal with the pain and eventually goes to the middle of the town to confess his sin before Dimmadying.

6/10

Nguyen visited places she’d already been and places that were new to her. She also saw her grandparents and other family members on her father’s side.

“The streets and the food were still the same, except for my grandparent’s house; it was smaller than I expected. My cousins looked so grown up, some of them were twice my size.”

Nguyen said. “[The landscape] was highly polluted and it wasn’t as sanitary as I’m used to. In America on the streets you see plastic bags on the grass, but over there there was trashbags full of garbage everywhere.”

Nguyen also got to see major landmarks in the country with her sister and parents. They typically traveled by taking taxis around the cities.

“I went to Saigon Square, and where the statue of our first prime minister stood as well as the main court that was used by the French in the past,” Nguyen said. “It was really pretty. I

Romeo and Juliet

Girl meets boy, the two fall in love,

after approximately five seconds, and they end up killing themselves, over a misunderstanding. Basically, it’s a typical high school love story with a few extra deaths.

6.4/10

This is a story about scandals, past love, death, and a man named Jay Gatsby who has an annoying tendency to call everyone “old sport.” After Gatsby becomes wealthy he buys a mansion and throws giant parties in hopes that his one night stand from five years prior will notice his success. A crush never killed anyone except Gatsby.

7.8/10

also toured Hue, which is where I visited the past emperor’s palace.”

While in Vietnam, Nguyen was able to learn and experience new and old things in the country she spent the first 9 years of her life in.

“It has been a long time since I’d been there and even though I was born in Vietnam I felt very out of place. There was things that I definitely didn’t know about until now, it was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe this is my country’,” Nguyen said. “I felt a connection between the ancestors, because I was in the same place that they lived in and set the rules and the culture in. I was there and I felt like I was a part of history.”

“The whole experience was very peaceful,” Pandher said. “We went to one Gudwara where everyone stood in the heat just to get down on their knees for a few seconds. It was really great to see how passionate they are about their religion. I wish they had that here so I could experience that.”

Virginia Gaffney Asst. Editor

With 3,200 students, a new principal, two new APs, and three new counselors campus life changes can be expected. Principal Daniel Garcia voices his opinions and ideas for the upcoming school year.

“There won’t be any rule changes,” Garcia said. “I know that Hendrickson has dedicated a lot of time and energy to their policy, so we’re not going to make any changes on campus.”

Dress Code: Garcia is ready to enforce the district’s dress code for students and he’s already spoken teachers about their own professional dress code.

“It’s not even about personal preference. The decision is rooted in what the dress code policy says,” Garcia said. “We’re going to stick to that.”

Current Policy: -Student faces are clean-shaven, hair is clean and kempt.

-Hair is colored “natural” shades.

-Leg covering meets or exceeds

midthigh. No leggings, spandex, yoga pants. No sagging.

-No visible undergarments.

-Shirts reach beltline, and are solid, non-see-through.

-Shoulder covering is at least 1.5” wide.

-Back and midriff are covered.

-Hats and sunglasses are not worn inside.

-No ripped, torn, or tattered clothing.

-No obscene markings.

-Shoes are functional (No flip-flops or stilettos)

Technology: Despite his stance that there won’t be any major changes, Garcia has said he is open to discussion with students and faculty regarding seeking the district’s help in making official changes.

“Some teachers want to use technology on campus, and I know there is an appropriate use for technology in the classroom,” Garcia said. “If we’ve held steady that our teachers don’t allow phones, maybe it’s time we have that conversation. Let the powers that really make decisions make decisions,

based on what our students are thinking. Because you all have a voice in what’s happening.”

Current Policy: -Students are prohibited from using personal electronics during instructional time or passing periods.

Teachers may confiscate personal electronics that are used without express permission.

Personal electronics may be used with direct permission from teachers, before school and during all four lunches.

Lunch and Space: “With 3200 students, there’s going to be a lot of congestion,” Garcia said.

Outdoor seating recently acquired shaded covering making the option more inviting to students.

There will be a new cafe selling coffee, smoothies, and sandwiches with seating for upwards of sixty

Student Body:

9

Garcia hopes to institute a leadership group that would tackle on-campus topics such as this, aside from the elected student council.

“There are a lot of strong organizations here, and I think there’s a lot of really good voices. From journalism to band to athletics, there’s a lot of strong programs,” Garcia said. “But then we also include students Dances and Pep-rallies: With his Student Leadership Group, Garcia would help tackle topics that are important to students, including the heavily backed policies handed down from the district. He hopes the group could be used to speak to the district about problems on campuses and among the student community, and also help plan and host events

that students are interested in.

“It’s easier for us to say no to you,” Garcia said. “I could have said that.

But what does that do for building a community on campus?”

Garcia is known for being studentfocused and in his own words a sucker for his students.

“The message is, the students are the center of our work. And it’s one thing to say that, and another thing to do something about it,” Garcia said. “If I have a student approach me saying “We need to do X, Y, or Z,” we’re probably going to contemplate it. I want you to leave, and feel like your time is honored and respected. Because I’m trying to teach you how to go out and treat the rest of the world.”

Garcia strives to stick to tradition and improve what can later be improved on. As Garcia says, there is going to be a learning curve for any new Principal, especially in a school so large.

“I love saying Hawk Nation,” Garcia said. “It just sounds like this is the place to be and from what I can tell, this is the place. I see it every morning when I drive up.”

GPA Explained

Simply

Virginia Gaffney Asst. Editor

Grade Point Average - The average of scores received in classes.On a 4 to 5 point scale, it’s the fastest way to rank students in their class.

GPA is determined by adding up each course grade, dividing by the number of courses, and then by the scale.

The scale starts with 4 points, and

4.0 installed near the A Plus Bank in the theater hall at the west end of the building. The new café will open in the fall. Lunch seating in the widely unused courtyards could be made possible with effort put towards the area’s restoration and improvement.

Features August 21 , 201 5

Eight “Regular” level classes

*Electives have “Regular” level weight

For every B in any level class, GPA decreases by twelve-hundredths of a point.

For every C in any level class, GPA decreases by a quarter of a point.

One “Advanced” & Seven “Regular” level classes

4.06

Two “Advanced” & Six “Regular” level classes

4.13

increases by approximately six-hundredths of a point for each Advanced class replacing a Regular class. College classes increase by thirteen-hundredths for each replacing a Regular class. GPA decreases or increases as grades change by letter-grade.

4.19

4.25

Three “Advanced” & Five “Regular” level classes

Four “Advanced” & Five “Regular” level classes

or

One “College” & Seven “Regular” level classes

For every D in any level class, GPA decreases by thirtyseven-hundredths of a point.

For every F in any level class, GPA decreases by half a point.

Two “College” & Six “Regular” level classes

4.26

Three “College” & Five “Regular” level classes

4.39

4.52 Four “College” & Four “Regular” level classes

10 Volume 9 , Issue I Features

How to have the perfect first lunch

Welcome

Sports August 21 , 201 5

Parents and students attend annual community event to support Hawk Athletes

11

Alex Fulton Asst. Editor

School lunches have been portrayed as one of the most difficult parts of high school from the infamous lunch scene in Mean Girls to the various cliques in the Stick To The Status Quo scene from High School Musical. Deciding where to sit at lunch on the first day may seem a bit intimidating, but these tips will help to have a successful first lunch sitting.

Don’t be afraid to be outgoing. Most people love making friends and wouldn’t mind meeting new people. It may seem a bit scary introducing yourself to a group of strangers, but overcoming fear just gets easier after the first time.

Be yourself. Don’t try to change just to fit in with the cool kids. Finding the right crowd may not happen on

Madi McVan Copy Editor

the first try, but finding someone that shares a common interest means getting closer to making new friends and potential long-term tablemates.

Talk to people in your second period. Lunch is not the first thing on a schedule, so try to meet people in first or second period. Even if it means talking to the person sitting next to you.

Find someone with a common lunch. Once you’ve talked to people the next step is to see what lunch they have and plan to meet up with them.

Have fun. The first day of school probably seems scary, especially for freshmen, but don’t worry about where to sit at lunch or what outfit to wear. Just enjoy meeting new people and appreciating high school.

Day

Editor shares lunchtime experiences

In all of the cliche high school movies, there is a lunch scene that goes something like this: A somewhat nerdy but conventionally attractive student enters the cafeteria on the first day at their new high school. A different clique occupies each table: band kids with their instruments, cheerleaders in their uniforms, huge football players with multiple trays of food. They glare at the new student, who doesn’t fit in with any of the established groups.

The student ends up eating lunch in the bathroom/corner/car.

While it seems dramatic, it really isn’t too far from reality. It’s natural for people to form groups with similar people, and new students can find them so intimidating that they skip lunch or eat somewhere else.

On my first day of high school, I

entered the cafeteria alone. None of my close friends had the same lunch as me, but it seemed like everyone else had at least one person to sit with. Luckily, I found a couple acquaintances that let me sit with them.

But just like in the movies, as I went to sit down, I overestimated how far away the stool was from the table and fell flat onto my back on the floor.

My food spilled all over the floor and everyone around me started laughing hysterically.

H e r e i s a t i p : i f s o m e t h i n g embarrassing happens to you, laugh along with everyone. Instead of giving away how embarrassed I was, I was able to laugh at myself. The next day, nobody mentioned the incident and I had a permanent seat at the table.

But some people are not lucky enough to know someone in the cafeteria. I once was assigned to show a new girl around the school and eat lunch with her through the Student Ambassadors program. Because she had moved from out of state and didn’t have any friends, she ate in her car every day until I was assigned to eat with her.

However, after just a couple days of eating together, she joined the cheerleading squad and moved to sit with them. I was happy that she made a permanent group of friends.

So if you don’t already have a group, try to find one. Joining clubs and organizations, especially those that start over the summer like band, dance and debate immediately gives you a group of people to eat with.

In addition to giving you people to eat with, extracurriculars can pro-

vide a space to eat other than the cafeteria. Sometimes the cafeteria can be loud and overwhelming. In the first few weeks of my freshman year, I started to dislike the cafeteria because it made me claustrophobic.

Because my lunch was in the middle of my newspaper period, I started staying in the room instead of leaving to eat in the cafeteria. I felt more comfortable with less people around, and I ate there for the rest of the year.

Some teachers open up their rooms to students during lunch, and in the past people have eaten in the library, black box and band hall.

Ultimately, your lunch experience is up to you. If you make an effort to find your niche, you’ll find yourself looking forward to lunchtime.

Photos by Madi McVan Captions by Rumor Stojek The air was slick and hot from the rain that had sprinkled awhile before, but the unsavory weather did not stop many students including, sophomore Desiree Hernandez from gathering at the Hawk stadium to celebrate the athletes of Hendrickson.

“The football scrimmage was amazing,” Hernandez said. “We got to see how our boys will be playing this season.”

In addition to the game there were also many booths set ups with games, face painting and snacks for everyone attending. Hernandez also got to watch her brother, senior Andrew Hernandez play in varsity.

“It was fun,” Hernandez said. “I got to see friends and reunite with the people in the community, all coming come together to support our school.”

Hawk Day is utilized to show the summer progress of each organization. “Hawk Day gets me excited for those Friday games,” senior Meredith Guthrie said.

“Especially since it’s my senior year and I know I wouldn’t want to spend my Friday nights anywhere else other than in the stands with my team.”

Off campus lunch procedures explained There has been speculation about the rules for off campus lunch. While rumors about juniors getting the opportunity to leave with seniors was proven false, here are the facts: •

Only seniors get the privilege of off campus lunch

•

I.D.’s are not required upon leaving the school

•

All seniors that leave must return through the front doors

In the stands, color guard members bring up the enthusiasm by dancing to the Fight Song. “It was a high spirit event,” junior Jessica Lipp said. “The entire stadium was emitting good vibes, no matter what the play on the field was.”

Hawk Day was also a good opportunity for new members of organizations like, color guard, cheer, band, and dance to get their first taste of what it will be like during football season.

The cheerleaders goal was to set a positive mood for the coming school year. “It was a special and memorable day,” freshman Alexis Thomas said. “And a very unique way to kick off the year.”

Band also created a strong positive energy to set off the year with the Fight Song and other pieces.

“The Fight Song is the basis of our school pride,” senior Chase Reyes said. “And it feels amazing being able to play it.”

12

Volume 9 , Issue I Last Look

WHILE YOU WERE AWAY $ MarQuise Prince-Salone Co-Editor

Here are a few news highlights from this past summer.

JUNE 2015 The athlete formerly known as Bruce Jenner takes on her new identity as Caitlyn Jenner.

JUNE 26

JULY 4 US fighter jets intercepted signals from Russian bombers flying by the coasts of California and Alaska for, what is assumed to be flight training. These events could be seen as normal, however some American citizens speculate that the Russian government is sending a message to the White House.

JULY 5

The US Supreme court ruled in a 5-to-4 vote that state-issued bans on same sex marriages was unconstitutional across all 50 states.

JUNE 30 Greece fails to pay it’s IMF (International Monetary Fund) loan payment of €323 billion ($365 billion).

The money in the IMF is collected amongst 188 countries to promote economic growth and reduce global poverty.

The United States Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) won the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The USWNT won 5-2 against Japan’s women’s national football team giving them their third title as world cup champions.

JULY 6 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses failure of US immigration and trade policies in his speech at FreedomFest. He accuses Mexico of deliberately sending criminals to “wreak havoc on our population,” as well as stealing jobs from Americans. Trump went on to state that he plans on fining Mexico $100,000 per illegal immigrant.

The Confederacy’s rebel flag has been flying on South Carolina’s Capitol grounds for 54 years. Controversy over the state flying the flag began after the Charleston church shooting on June 17, 2015 where nine people were killed. Many people obviously blamed the shooter, Dylann Roof’s racist background, but also blamed the state’s Southern history. Tension heated as protests, and rallies began opting for the removal of the flag including a few attempts by civilians. The flag was removal after the state governor Nikki Haley signed the bill issuing its withdrawal.

JULY 10

After over 20 months of negotiations, the United States, the European Union, and the U.N. Security Council agreed to a long-term deal with Iran to stop its nuclear weapons program. The deal states that Iran will halt some of it nuclear programs, making it too insignificant to build an extremely hazardous bomb, while also giving detailed inspection notices about the program.

In exchange Iran will be release from economic sanctions that crippled its nuclear weapons program in the first place.

JULY 14

JULY 14 After nine years of space travel, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft made it’s flyby past Pluto. This marks the first time in history where all nine celestial bodies in our Solar System have been visited by a probe.

AUGUST 14

After 54 years of being closed, the US Embassy reopened in Havana, Cuba. The flag raising ceremony marked closer ties between the two nations, however US Secretary of State John Kerry says that the US will still push for political change in Cuba.