Balancing ACT
Teens juggle religious, academic responsibilities pages 7-9
theHAWK Hendrickson High School 19201 Colorado Sand Drive Pf lugerville, Texas 78660
Volume 12, Issue 8 May 24, 2019
INSIDE: Drink places reviewed page 13... EMT Graduation... page 16
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News Volume 12, Issue 8
stateof the
UNION Your Turn “I think it makes sense when you consider the disease outbreaks that have popped up around the country in places like New York. It’s a way of protecting Texas from a similar crisis.” Tilo Garcia, 12
“I think it’s smart for them to make it required. Meningitis is a serious and super deadly brain disease so the more prevention the better.” Gabby Emken, 12
New vaccine requirements cause controversy
The Facts Angelyna Rosales | Reporter
Seth Deaton | Reporter
Within the past four months, there have been over 700 cases of Measles in the country. The main cause of this outbreak is unvaccinated children due to misinformation about the vaccine. Measles was eliminated from the U.S. in 2000, but many doctors think that people who are unvaccinated and travel to countries where Measles is still prevalent, mainly in Asia and Africa, contracted the virus and brought it to the U.S. Measles is a virus that can cause muscle pain, fatigue, rashes, sore throat, pink eye, and many symptoms associated with the common cold, such as fever, runny nose, etc. Many Measles symptoms don’t appear until 10 to 14 days after exposure.
Measles can spread by pregnancy, coughs or sneezes, saliva, skin contact, or touching a contaminated surface. The virus usually isn’t fatal and is preventable by vaccination. Only 19 people out of 1 million get infected and out of those people only one or two die due to the infection. Throughout the U.S. people can opt out of vaccination requirements due to philosophical, religious, or medical beliefs according to the National Vaccine Information Center, however each state has their own requirements and exemption guidelines. This mainly affects infants who are too young to be vaccinated. If they come in contact with the disease it can become fatal.
EXHAUSTION IRRITABILITY HEADACHE
SENSITIVITY TO LIGHT “I think universities enforce these types of policies in order to take care of the greater good of the university population. In addition, most doctors recommend getting this vaccine so as long as you have had one within the past two years, you don’t have to worry about getting the vaccine again. I see no harm in this policy.” Reem Fashho, 12
INFLAMED EYES PINK EYE
KOPLIK’S SPOTS SNEEZING RUNNY NOSE
DRY COUGH
SWOLLEN LYMPH NODES
“I feel that the meningitis vaccine is a good requirement for freshman and others that live in dorms, especially with shared facilities because it’s a safe way to ensure student’s health so they don’t miss classes,” Zach Zamora, 12
SORE THROAT
FEVER RED, BLOTCHY SKIN RASH DIARRHEA “It’s important for college students to get the meningitis vaccine because students are more prone to acquiring the bacteria by living on campus. So with this vaccine, major outbreaks would be at a lesser risk of occurring.” Anna Beck, 12
LOSS OF APPETITE
News May 24, 2019
By the Numbers
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Historically large senior class to graduate June 1 Megan Fletcher | Co-Editor The class of 2019, set to graduate at 10 a.m. at the Frank Erwin Center, accounts for about a third of the school population. College and career counselor Leigh Ann Spradlin provided the following numbers describing the senior class.
824 The population of the class of 2019’s student body as of May 21 is
The senior class was offered over
$16.6 million in scholarship funds, according
to the College and Career Center
AIR FORCE: 8
Other recent graduating classes range from 500-700 graduates. In the next round of UIL redistricting, some say Hendrickson will drop to 5A.
The average SAT score of the class of 2019 is
8 10 5
100% of the senior class applied to a two- or four-year college via ApplyTexas
NAVY: 2
2.85 3.04
AVERAGE AVERAGE WEIGHTED WEIGHTED GPA GPA
A total of 35 students enlisted in a branch of the military, with one earning a
MARINES: 8
full-ride ROTC scholarship to the University of Virginia.
AVERAGE UNWEIGHTED GPA
NATIONAL GUARD: 2 AIR FORCE RESERVE: 1
ARMY: 12
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News Briefs
News Volume 12, Issue 8
Talon moved for next year Brisa Espinoza | Asst. Editor Talon will be moved to after first period and will begin after Labor Day for next year. “Talon was moved for a couple of reasons,” associate principal Michael Grebb said. “So that athletes and people with extracurricular activities during first can have Talon, seniors can have an hour lunch if they’ve done all their college and career requirements, and so that seniors who don’t have a first period could come to school at around 11:30 [a.m.] instead of coming, leaving and then coming back.” Students that have Talon will go to first period and then proceed to Talon. If a student has A-lunch they will have Talon and then lunch. If a student has B-lunch they will go to Talon, class and then lunch. “I think with moving Talon, we could
have more coaches teaching during Talon and provide their students with tutorials.” Grebb said. “We can have extensions of classes if there is a need to. The only possible downfall of moving Talon is that if a student is late to school they will be missing part of their first period whereas before we had the padding of Talon.” With Talon being moved, students will now have to adjust their days and become accustomed to this new change. “Seniors will get all their college prep done so that they can have an hour lunch,” Grebb said. “Some kids will be disappointed because they had Talon to prep their day but they would just have to get in the habit of being ready for their day at the beginning of school.”
New head band director hired Bryan Ross | Reporter
Best friends start jewelry business, grow friendship, earn money Angelyna Rosales | Reporter Best friends and business partners usually don’t mix, but senior Kenzie Arrington and junior Cassandra Nguyen started a small choker and anklet business as a way to make pocket money and spend more time together. Arrington and Nguyen have known each other since 2017 through school soccer, however the two became best friends this year because they were put on the same club soccer team. “I’ve known Cassandra since my sophomore year through high school soccer, but we didn’t become best friends until this year because we are on the same club and high school team. -We started carpooling and now we are super close and hang out all the time,” Arrington said. Like most things, the inspiration for the business came up randomly. “We were at Ding Tea talking about random stuff, and Kenzie brought up the idea of starting a business and I suggested that making chokers would be a fun and cute thing to do,” Nguyen said. When they come across a new customer they try to make sure they give the customer exactly what they want and stay in communication with them as much as possible. “When a customer shows interest we send pictures of past chokers we have made as examples of different styles and colors, and they can tell us what they like or what colors they want,” Arrington said. “Then once it’s made, we’ll send a picture to make sure they like it and once they approve well give it to them.”
Since starting the business, Arrington and Nguyen have had a variety of customers and have never turned someone’s request down. “Their business is a really smart and cool business because they are surrounded by their target audience all the time, so they get a lot of customers,” senior Olivia Draguicevich said. “It takes time and effort for them to customize each choker for each specific customer and most of their designs are ones that can be found in an actual store. I think they’ve been so successful because they go to school with teenage girls, who are the prime customers for their product.” On the other hand, balancing school, sports, and running a small business can be difficult. “At times it can be stressful with juggling school and extracurriculars,” Nguyen said. “We also have to be smart about what we spend our money on and budget for the materials we need to make our products.” Overall the business has helped to grow their friendship, money management skills, and bring in pocket money. “I think the business has impacted our friendship in a positive way because it gave us something new to do together and another excuse to hang out,” Arrington said. “I think it works well because we and Cass get along and don›t get tired of each other despite the large amounts of time we spend together. It’s been really fun to work with her and I wouldn’t want to start a business with anyone else.”
James Hairston was officially hired as head band director Wednesday, May 8. Hairston comes from Dripping Springs High School, where he was the assistant band director for the 2018-2019 school year. “I know the history of the Hawk Band Marching program and band program,” Hairston said. “I’ve been around the area for around 10 years and I’ve watched the growth of the program, so I’m extremely excited to join that.” Prior to Dripping Springs, Hairston served as the head band director at Lamar Middle School from 2009-2018. He also helped guide Dripping Springs to 1st place in class at the Bands of America St. Louis Super Regional Competition, earned UIL Sweepstakes -- Division One, the highest
rating, from all three judges -- and took Jazz Bands at Lamar to the Jazz Education Network Conference in New Orleans in 2017 and the Midwest Clinic in Chicago in 2015. “I hope to continue the success with the marching band,” Hairston said. “But I also want to put an emphasis on establishing a Jazz Band and possibly auditioning for the Midwest Clinic with the Wind Ensemble and the Jazz Band.” Don Haynes, who served as acting head band director this spring, went back into retirement last Friday. Sean Phelan, who conducted the Wind Ensemble A for the concert season, will remain on staff as assistant band director.
Students’ cars vandalized with fast food in parking lot Anna Schulze | Asst. Editor Locking car doors in the parking lot is common knowledge and helps prevent break-ins, but it doesn’t stop car vandalism. There have been many students this year who claim their car has been littered with fast food drinks and trash from lunch that the owner of the car didn’t put there. “This has happened to me three times in the span of a week,” senior Andrea Hernandez said. “The first time a Taco Bell bag was set on top of my hood with the cup. Someone [also] spilled Smoothie King on my car and left the cup sitting there.” Although this has happened to numerous students throughout the year, no reports of it have reached administrator ears from the student victims.
“We definitely encourage students to report this if it happens to them,” Associate principal Michael Grebb said. “If you see something say something. We will do everything in our power to make this right if we know about it.” Administrators encourage students to park in open spaces away from the cover of trees, so the parking lot cameras can view the students cars. “People need to be considerate,” Hernandez said. “I had to clean up my car myself, and maybe the first time it’s funny, but afterwards it gets annoying and rude. The school provides trash cans for a reason.”
Awards & Accolades Newspaper, Yearbook wins awards Members of the Yearbook and Newspaper Staff were honored for their achievements throughout the year at the Spring Interscholastic League Press Conference
Convention on Saturday, May 4th at the University of Texas. ILPC is a division of UIL, and all awards won are state awards.
Yearbook Individual Achievement Awards
In-depth News/Feature Package Megan Fletcher, Abigail Hill, Brisa Espinoza, Anna Schulze, Honorable Mention Student Art, Abigail Hill, 3rd place Infographic/Sidebar McKenzie Quiroz, 2nd place Portrait Abigail Hill, 3rd place
Tribute Ad Spread Leah Habtamu, Honorable Mention Photo Portfolio Ian Falkenbury, 3rd place Newspaper Individual Achievement Awards Sports News Story Brisa Espinoza, Honorable Mention Personal Column Kaitlin Mackey, 2nd place In-depth News/Feature Package McKenna Lucas, Angelyna Rosales, Abigail Hill, Anna Schulze, Camryn Sadlier, Kyla White, 1st place
Headlines, staff, 1st place & Tops in Texas 2018 Talon Yearbook, Bronze Star 2018-2019 Hawk Newspaper, Bronze Star TAJE Julia Jeffress Memorial Scholarship Megan Fletcher TAJE Jim Davidson Memorial Scholarship McKenna Lucas
News
May 24, 2019
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Senior places at Nationals, advances to Quarterfinals Senior Rene Otero placed fourth at the National Debate Tournament of Champions in Extemp. This is the best any member of the Hendrickson Speech and Debate team has done at a national tournament. He also advanced to the Quarterfinals in Oratory. Otero was named one of six finalists for the National Speech & Debate Association’s Student of the Year earlier this week. The National Student of the Year will be announced on June 21 at the National Speech & Debate Convention. Otero is the first finalist, not only from PfIugerville, but from the entire Austin area. “For one I was shocked, in fact I was shocked,” Otero said. “Honestly I’m just at a loss for words, it’s hard for me to explain. I’m just excited and I don’t know what I’m going to do if I win or don’t win because either way it’s an honor.”
Cheer raises money for Dell Children’s with Adopt a Duck fundraiser The cheerleaders held their Adopt a Duck fundraiser for Dell Children’s Hospital on Saturday, May 11. They raised over $2,600 during the course of the day. Adopt a Duck is a raffIe that people enter by buying a rubber duck that will race on a river in Round Rock. The cheerleaders started doing the fundraiser a few years ago and have been doing it ever since.
“I always love doing this fundraiser because we get to interact with people,” freshman varsity cheer member Kylie Anderson said. “It was super fun because we had music playing and we were dancing and cheering to get people attention. I ended up staying for two rotations so I go really sunburned. It was totally worth it because I got to help out Dell Children’s hospital and I met lots of great people.”
HOSA junior moves to Internationals Senior McKenna Lucas, junior Kaitlin Mackey, senior Anna Schulze, sophomore Kyla White, Newspaper and Yearbook adviser Kari Riemer, junior Abigail Hill, senior McKenzie Quiroz, sophomore Brisa Espinoza, sophomore Ian Falkenbury. Photo provided by Melinda Quiroz
TSA students place in multiple events Twenty-four students participated in the Technology Student Association (TSA) State Conference & Competition in Fort Worth. The team combined placed in the top 10 for State in five different events. “At TSA I was involved in the rocket launch,” senior David Raggio said. “We built a rocket that we displayed the day of Rockets 3rd Place, David Raggio 12, Matthew Lopez 11 Coding 7th Place, Benjamin Pham 11, Ahad Shabbir 12 Computer Integrated Manufacturing
the competition. It was a fun experience because I got to work in groups with other people who shared a passion for engineering. I also learned a great deal about teamwork from the way the people in my group came together to design creative solutions.” 9th Place, Thomas Lopez 11, David Raggio, 12, Tilo Garcia 12, Gourob Mukherjee 12 Essays on Technology 10th Place, Pranov Shrestha 11 Technology Problem Solving 10th Place, Matthew Lopez 11, Moustapha Toure 11
Ikram Mohamed | Reporter After junior Kosisochukwu Otutu’s first place win in Area and second place win in State, Otutu has gained eligibility to advance to HOSA’s international competition to compete in prepared speaking. The competition will be held at Disney World, where students from North and South America will compete. HOSA advisors Christine Gilbert and Shay Haude will travel with Otutu on June 19 to Orlando where they will remain at Disney World for about a week. “I’m feeling very excited about going to internationals, but also a little nervous,” Otutu said. “Having to represent my state in internationals is a little scary, especially because people all the way from Canada to Puerto Rico will be there competing.” This year is Otutu’s first year competing in HOSA, and she says she’s proud of all that she’s accomplished during her short
time within the organization. Wishing to place at internationals, Otutu has been preparing for her upcoming competition, hoping to continue her winning streak. “I’ve been going over my speech a lot,” Otutu said. “[I’ve been] trying to memorize it and make it sound a bit more intellectual. Overall, trying to make it flow better.” Otutu has received input from her advisors all season to better improve her speech. As their time together this season quickly comes to an end, Otutu is grateful for all that her mentors have done for her. “I’m really grateful for having my teachers, Mrs. Gilbert and Mrs. Haude,” Otutu said. “It’s been an honor being a part of HOSA. Through being a part of it, I’ve been able to experience the excitement of competing and meeting new people. I’m thankful for everyone I’ve met this season, and can’t wait to see where internationals takes me.”
Staff Editorial
Your Turn
Vaccines remain controversial despite scientific evidence
What do you think about vaccines?
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Opinion Volume 12, Issue 8
The controversy over vaccinations has remained a topic of discussion as early as the 19th century. But now more than ever, it has raised more questions. With the recent breakout of various illnesses, including measles, the question of whether or not vaccinations are more harmful than good arises. Should everyone be required to get shots every year? Should young children get them, and if not, why? Do vaccinations really cause problems in infants? Some argue that the fIu shots increase the risk of febrile seizures, seizures caused by fevers that last no more than one or two minutes. However, it is rare to get a fever after being vaccinated, nonetheless, get a seizure. In addition to this argument, anti-vaxxers and doctors alike know that some vaccines are safe for pregnant women, and some aren’t. Vaccines that include a live strain of a certain virus should not be given to pregnant women. But the fact of the matter is, some vaccines are good, some can be bad. However, it is proven that vaccines promote a healthier lifestyle more than posing threats to one’s health. Another common misconception is that vaccines cause Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS.) Babies 2-4 months old receive various vaccinations, like DTaP and Hepatitis B, but there has not been any evidence showing a link between vaccinations and SIDS. Mothers shouldn’t be worried about their child getting sick from vaccinations, instead they should be worried if they don’t get vaccinated. SIDS and babies are connected by the way a baby sleeps, so how could vaccines possibly be related? Because all vaccines go
through the FDA and CDC, they are safe and effective, not the other way around. Furthermore, the CDC uses three ways to ensure the safety of vaccinations. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), Vaccine Safety Datalink, and Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) project. In essence, all vaccines we receive don’t come from an unsafe environment, they come from very carefully controlled ones and the likelihood of getting sick after a vaccination is slim to none. The recent rise in cases of the measles is linked to travelers coming back from multiple countries that are currently experiencing outbreaks. If someone is traveling abroad, their first priority should be getting vaccinated before a trip. Some disease that doesn’t occur often in the US can be extremely common someplace else, which is why everyone should be cautious. This outbreak is also linked to the spread of measles in communities where the majority of the population is unvaccinated. This is why it is so crucial to get shots. It can be the difference between life and death. The question about whether or not people should be vaccinated should have an easy answer. If one opposes vaccinations, it is likely they are not aware of the safety and caution that actually goes into making vaccines. Opting out of vaccinations increases the risk of many deadly diseases, and does more harm than good. The key is being informed, keeping up to date with sudden illnesses and to not stop getting vaccinated.
“Vaccines can prevent a disease from occurring in the first place, rather than attempt to cure it after the fact. Vaccines protect not only yourself but also others around you. If your vaccine-primed immune system stops an illness before it starts, you will be contagious for a much shorter period of time, or maybe not at all. Also, when other people are vaccinated, they are less likely to give the disease to you. Vaccines protect not only individuals but entire communities.” Louis Morales, Biology teacher “A benefit of getting your children vaccinated is that they’re less likely to get certain diseases that could result in death. People who aren’t vaccinated aren’t protected by the herd immunity and if people don’t get vaccines, then outbreaks will occur.” Riley Sageser, 9
“Child vaccinations are very beneficial when it comes to the health of one’s child and the health of other children. When someone decides to not vaccinate a kid, they not only risk the health of their child, but risk the health of other children that aren’t allowed to get vaccinations. Vaccinations are scientifically proven to help prevent deadly diseases in the early stages of a person’s life, and even as they grow older.” Vanessa Ruvalcaba, 10
“If you don’t get your vaccinations, then you’re like a living parasite and you can get other people killed and put other lives at risk, especially newborns which aren’t able to get vaccinated at certain ages. That’s also why we’re seeing an outbreak of more diseases happening right now.” Claire Martinez, 11
Vy Bui | Artist The Hawk, the official student newspaper of Hendrickson High School, is an open forum for the exchange of ideas and opinions.
Hendrickson High School 19201 Colorado Sand Drive PfIugerville, TX 78660 http://www.pfisd.net/HHS (512) 594-1100 Student Population: 2450 Staff: 230 Adviser: Kari Riemer Principal: Daniel Garcia www.facebook.com/HawkNewspaper
Opinions expressed reflect the beliefs of the student author and do 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 E211. Corrections will be printed when brought to the attention of the staff.
The Hawk is printed monthly at Community Impact in PfIugerville, Texas. 1,000 copies are printed each run, and are distributed to the student body for free through an advisory period and on newsstands throughout the building.
Editorial Staff Co-Editors: Megan Fletcher & McKenna Lucas Assistant Editors: Brisa Espinoza, Abigail Hill, Kaitlin Mackey, McKenzie Quiroz, Anna Schulze, Carolina Yanez.
Seth Deaton Anabella Galan Taylor Hedlund Addison Hildebrandt Maya Lewis
Reporters
Ikram Mohamed Angelyna Rosales Bryan Ross Camryn Sadlier Lauren Saenz
Maria Torres Zachary Valdez Kyla White
Associations Interscholastic Press League Texas Association of Journalism Educators Journalism Educators Association National Scholastic Press Association Columbia Scholastic Press League
Honors ILPC Bronze Star, 2014 & 2015, 2017, 2018 Columbia Scholastic Press League, Gold Medalist 2016, 2017 Silver Crown, 2017, 2018 Pacemaker Finalist, 2018
Balancing ACT
Te e n s j u g g l e re l i g i o u s , a c a d e m i c re s p o n s i b i l i t i e s p a g e s 7 9
t h e HAWK H e n d ri c ks o n H i g h Sc h o o l Volume 12, Issue 8 19 2 0 1 C o l o ra d o Sa n d D ri ve May 24, 2019 P fl u g e rv i l l e , Te x a s 7 8 6 6 0
INSIDE: D ri n k p l a c e s re vi e w e d p a g e 13 . . . E MT G ra d u a t i o n . . . p a g e 16
Design by Abigail Hill
Hit or Miss
My Turn
Opinion May 24, 2019
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Limited time to review for finals leads to stress
This year underclassmen are required to take finals regardless of attendance and grades. Since final exams are mandatory there should be a longer time to review, or at least optional assignments to take home to help review if there’s not enough time in class. Unfortunately, several courses are covering new subjects up until the week before finals, so they’ll be left with limited time to review. The limited time for review could possibly affect test scores because it’s difficult to remember things taught in September, which was nine months ago. An easy solution to this problem is to have optional assignments to take home for those that want to review before exams. This way time doesn’t need to be set aside in class to review, and it still gives students the opportunity to go over and refresh on topics from the first semester that they may have forgotten. The limited review time is a miss.
PfISD clear bag policy ensures safety PfISD will enforce a new clear bag policy that goes into action as a new guideline for the Pfield this fall. To enter the Pfield, bags can be no bigger than 12 inches in height and six inches in width and must be transparent. This rule will be enacted for the safety of the student section as well as various onlookers. As well as safety, this policy will make going to games more convenient allowing bags into the stadium rather than causing students to leave bags in their cars , making this a hit.
Recent trashiness disappointing Over the last month, an increased amount of trash around the building, particularly in the bathrooms has gotten out of hand. The more the student body purposely litters, the worse the school looks. Custodial staff can only be expected to do so much. We have a responsibility to our building not to leave lunch trays in the stairwells, wrappers in the hall, and paper towels all over the bathroom. Not taking care of our building is way off target.
Issues with current bus schedule inconvenience students Buses have been increasingly behind on their schedules due to the lack of bus drivers, so current drivers are doubling up on routes. Kids get to school late, and arrive even later on their way back home. Some have even said that they don’t get home until 5:45 p.m.. Buses that don’t meet their schedule is a miss. While the tardiness and other conveniences regarding busses is a miss, the district is currently trying to fix this problem. The district has been holding job fairs, posted advertisements, and had a booth at Deutschen Pfest to try to recruit bus drivers, bus monitors, dispatchers, and other personnel. The district also raised their pay rate from $19 to $20, matching Lake Travis’ pay rate and one-upping Durham School Services’ pay rate of $16. The busses used within our district are currently under Durham, however the district will begin to stop using them. Additionally, the district is offering free on-site child care to the bus drivers while they’re working. As a result, they’re hoping to have an increase in employed bus drivers in the district. So, once the increase occurs, it will solve issues with the busses and this miss will turn into a hit.
Vy Bui | Artist
A Newsworthy Goodbye Current editors make way for new leadership Megan Fletcher | Co-Editor
McKenna Lucas | Co-Editor
When we [McKenna and Megan] first joined the newspaper staff back in 2016 as sophomores, we felt dwarfed by the line of editor computers to our left: the designers, the Sunday workers, the feature writers. They looked like the perfect journalists, but they were just doing the best they could. From the beginning, a lot of them joked to us that we were a collective item; they couldn’t refer to Megan or McKenna — it had to be both. And even after we were told we were probably going to be in charge one day, it all seemed surreal until it actually happened. After a year as co-editors, it’s odd to think we’re about to leave that very role. We are attending UT Austin together in the fall, but this last issue of the newspaper marks the end of an era and the beginning of another. In our time on staff, we’ve seen typos and national awards, redactions and state conventions. We’ve eaten way too many Hawaiian rolls, bags of burnt popcorn, and bowls of pasta. We’ve trekked a mile six times a day to a design course at UT. Here’s the kicker: it was all worth it. Through all the hard work, we’ve learned more about journalism than we ever could in a regular classroom. From day one, Riemer told us “Do what you love; love what you do.” It’s guided us to this day. It inspired us to pursue our dreams of journalism in all forms and will continue to affect us far into the future. We don’t know where we — or the newspaper — would be without it. We may be leaving, but the newspaper isn’t going anywhere. Abigail and Kaitlin are amazing editors even now, and we can’t way to see where you take it.
We’ve watched this paper grow into what it is today, and we know you two will continue that trend. This was the first year we got nominated for a Pacemaker. Who knows what happens next? Before we go, we have some thank you’s to write. Thank you, Mrs. Riemer, for teaching us everything you know. You’ve set us up for success and because of you and the things you’ve taught us the future seems a little less daunting. UT, the Daily Texan, the future jobs we’ll carry and the trials we will overcome will be thanks to you and many others. Thank you to Mr. Grebb, for being such a positive force. You’re a part of our team. Thank you for always dropping by and giving us story ideas and talking over the Hit or Misses. We know we’ve given the school a hard time over the years, but we can honestly say that the four years we’ve been here have all been hits. Thank you for teachers like Mr. Martindale, Mrs. Overton, Mrs. Westbrook, Mr. Holman, and Mr. Lucas. You all have had such an impact on our lives. We will take with us the lessons we’ve learned from you as we go on to college. Thank you to our readers. The readers who raised their hands for newspapers when we would drop by the classrooms. The readers who would give us compliments after a paper would come out. And even the readers who would complain about typos or spelling errors. Your complaints made us smarter, made us tougher, and gave us a reason to work harder. As we walk in these halls for the last time, we’ll try to remember every face we’ll see, because it’s the people we wrote about who made the newspaper so great.
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Feature Volume 12, Issue 8
BALANCING ACT Junior explains difficulties of participating in Ramadan during school Ikram Mohamed | Reporter Junior Oneza Vhora follows the same routine every year for the holy month of Ramadan. Vhora typically begins her day with suhoor, the sunrise meal before she begins her fasting. She wakes around 4:30 a.m. every morning and stays awake to complete her morning prayer, and then to go on to prepare for school. Though, this year has been somewhat different for Vhora. This month, junior Oneza Vhora must fast from sunrise to sundown, as well as take four AP tests over the span of two weeks, which has been a difficult task for Vhora. “During the school day, I don’t pay attention to how I’m feeling,” Vhora said. “Whether I’m hungry or tired. But when I get home, I like to take around a 30-minute nap.” However, once Vhora completes her nap, she must begin her studying. She studies about an hour a day for each test, though
admits sometimes she’s unable to due to the exhaustion in which she faces from fasting as well as lack of sleep. “I’m stressed about my tests coming up,” Vhora said. “But I’m mostly worried about my sleeping schedule. Will I wake up on time for my morning tests? Because right now I’m running really low on sleep, from waking up for suhoor as well as staying up later for iftar.” Vhora is responsible for juggling her school work, studying for her AP tests, as well as attending to her chores at home which has been a lot for her to handle, especially with the amount of preparation necessary in order for her family to comfortably break their fast. “Sometimes preparing for iftar (the breaking of the fast) does come in the middle of other things I have to do,” Vhora said. “We begin preparing around an hour before and when it’s time, we break our
fast and eat for around 10 minutes, go pray, and then come back to finish eating.” Preparing for iftar, the breaking of fast at sunset, requires an abundance of preparation for some families. For some, the preparation of traditional meals can take an hour to make or even five, depending on the food being made as well as its quantity. “My mom makes a lot of food,” Vhora said. “When she’s fasting or not, because she’s at home. Though, this year we began preparing in advance to lessen the time. Everyone in my family plays a part in preparing for iftar. The children cut the fruit while my parents make the main dishes.” For Vhora, iftar is a unifying moment for both her family as well as her overall community. Whenever Vhora and her family are able, they make it a priority to attend tarawih, extra prayers performed at the Masjid during Ramadan.
“Last night, I went to pray tarawih,” Vhora said. “We finished really late at night, but it was all worth it. It felt like I finally accomplished something in my life. I could be doing something else, like wasting my time watching videos, but I was doing that.” Ramadan and all the traditions and festivities in which it contains, is something Vhora holds very close to her heart. Though she’s been forced to keep up with school work along with fasting this year, Vhora is more than willing to for the sake of her religion. “There’s more to Ramadan than what’s represented on the surface level,” Vhora said. “It’s a whole community coming together during this one month, and participating in it all together which is really fun and relaxing. I’m glad that I’m able to fast, but it’s really hard to do during school. But I know in the end, it’ll be all worth it.”
After Sunset, Muslims share a large feats called
“liftar”
The day begins with
‘suhour’ a pre-fast meal usually containing fruits, vegetables, dates, yogurt, tea, and beans.
The Laylat Al Qadar, translated as
“Night of Power,” is believed by Muslims as the moment when the angel Gabriel appeared to the Prophet Muhammad and gave him the Qur’on, the Islamic holy book, in 610 A.D.
Muslims fast from food and drinks, abstain from sexual activity, and immoral behavior such as cursing or thinking impure thoughts. After suhour, Muslims usually begin the
Fajr Prayer,
The holiday lasts a month long and ends at the first sighting of a new moon, the last night
“Laylat al-Qadr”
or “the Night of Destiny,” is spent in prayer. the first of the five daily prayers.
Following Ramadan, they participate in Eid al-Fitr also called the “Festival of Breaking the Fast.”
9 Stress causes senior to skip religious holiday to take calculus test Feature May 24, 2019
McKenna Lucas | Co-Editor Every year senior Anisa Luangaphay and her family travel to Fort Worth to celebrate the Water Festival, a South Eastern holiday celebrating the New Year. But this year there was only one thing stopping Luangaphay from climbing into a family van and making the trip: a dreaded calculus test. “I didn’t want to have to deal with making up the calculus test; coming in early or staying after, making sure I had enough time,” Luangaphay said. “I didn’t want to have to deal with the stress of dealing with it later.” Luangapahy and her family go to Fort Worth not just to participate in the festivities, but to memorialize loved ones who have passed away. “We also go to the Fort Worth temple
because some of my dad’s family’s ashes are in the temple,” Luangaphay said. “Their ashes are sealed in the bricks that make up the fence.” A key aspect of the festival is celebrating rebirth and cleansing. Luangaphay and her family wash all of the Buddhas in her house to represent washing away the past. “You wash the Buddhas at home with perfumed water and fIower petals,” Luangaphay said. “If you go to temples they usually have things going on. Temples are called Wats, monks are usually there and dead people’s ashes. [The holiday] gets turned into a market in America, which is a huge difference from the festival in Laos and Thailand. Over there it’s a national holiday and it gets lit. In America, the temples turn into like a market or
festival like Deutschen Pfest. There are stalls with stuff to buy ranging from toys to street food.” Luangaphay recounts her memories of going to Fort Worth and how important remembering lost loves ones is to her family. “Family and paying respect to the dead is a large part of the culture and we congregate together in those times, but because the festival is a celebration it’s hard to pay respect to the dead, so we visit about a week earlier to leave favorite foods and flowers at the graves,” Luangaphay said. “I have six family members whose final
resting place for their ashes is that temple, so it’s important that we pay honor to the dead. [It’s] a non-stop thing. Most corners in my house have some sort of memorial where fruit and water are changed weekly, but the ashes are in the temple, so when we go it’s more sentimental.”
How do you build connections and balance your religion with school? “Being a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter -day Saints is not just a thing I do on Sundays. In my church we have many standards set that I try to live [by], like no dating until sixteen or no drinking tea and coffee; because of this, I get a lot of questions and I get to explain my beliefs. For the most part, however, being a member of the church doesn’t have too much of an effect on my school life.” Kylie Anderson, 9
“I celebrate Ramadan and today I’m fasting. I feel like fasting doesn’t affect me at school because I don’t get hungry, but when I get home, I lose energy and lose motivation for homework or studying.” Aashiya Vahora, 10
“Going to church affects getting my school work done. For example, on Wednesdays, there is youth group but I haven’t been able to go for a while because of all of my school work that I need to finish.” Bailey Hebert, 9
“Practicing my religion helps me stay focused in school and helps me know that if I work hard, it’s going to pay off in the end.” Noah Perez, 12
“It’s not that hard to balance school and Ramadan. With prayers, for example, you can make them up when you get home and with fasting it gets easier over time.” Sabreen Jada, 10
“A lot of the times, I choose God over school. It can get in the way, because sometimes I’ll want to read the Bible more than I want to do my homework, just because I want to create a better relationship with God. Also, Sunday and Wednesday church can get in the way because I might have a lot of homework to do later that night.” Devyn Bauer, 11
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Feature Volume 12, Issue 8
BALANCING Seth Deaton | Reporter
Sock dodgeball, glow in the dark basketball, Christmas caroling, service projects. All of these activities may seem like they have nothing to do with each other, but in fact, they’re all activities done at Mutual. Mutual is a weekly activity for youth members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, although nonmembers are invited and welcome as well. For many, it’s a way to bond and grow closer with members of their church. It helps them turn ‘church friends’ into real friends. “The friendships that I make in Mutual really help me outside of church because I know that in school I’ll always have friends,” freshman Kylie Anderson said. “It’s nice to get to know people who can relate to what you’re going through and have the same standards as me.” It starts with opening exercises, consisting of a prayer song and any announcements about what’s going at church. Then the youth break off into age groups and play games or participate in service activities. The youth use the nights at mutual to bond with other members. “Mutual helps you get closer to your church friends in a more youth-centered fun environment,” freshman Lily McPherson said. “A lot of my friends in church are friends outside of church too. If I didn’t have my church friends I would have a
ACT
lot less friends.” According to Anderson the youth come up with, plan, and run all the activities. The adults and leaders help, but for the most part it’s all up to the youth. McKenna Lucas | Co-Editor “One time my ward threw a carnival for Halloween and all the young It’s another Wednesday night women got to run activities like face and senior Haley Hollingsworth painting and water balloons and it is considering whether or not was really fun,” Anderson said. she should attend her Bible study. Often times people will drift apart Visions of her upcoming ACC as they get busy will school and extracurricular activities such chemistry test and her unfinished as sports and clubs. Freshman English project flood her mind. And Taylor Chase says that Mutual with a sigh, she puts away her Bible helps him stay connected with and opens up a textbook. Senior people as things get busy. Hannah Mackey and junior Meredith “Friendships require Nelson echo similar feelings about contact,” Chase said. “In balancing school and church. order to stay friends you “I do believe homework from school can’t have much distance. is keeping me away from the church,” With mutual we get an opportunity to hang Mackey said. “The amount of homework out and we have time we get takes up my time away from my to talk. My favorite family and religion.” memories from Mutual All three girls regularly go to First Baptist are from whenever Church PfIugerville located in downtown we go to Dairy Queen PfIugerville. Their youth group is fairly active, afterwards because it holding Bible studies or meetings on Sunday gives us a lot of time and Wednesday nights, as well as the traditional to socialize and we Sunday morning service. get ice cream.”
Youth groups foster relationships for some, take away priorities for others “I stress more about getting school work done because it has a due date,” Nelson said. “I’m thankful God doesn’t require due dates from me and that he loves me even when I mess up and put other things before him.” Hollingsworth has struggled this year on balancing school, ACC classes she’s taking on the side, extracurriculars, a part-time job, as well as continuing to grow in her relationship with God. “School work has kept me from attending church events that I wanted to go to, but it’s like everything else, you find a way to make time for the things that are important to you,” Hollingsworth said. “I try to make church events but sometimes I just have so much on my plate and I have to decide if I want to spend time in fellowship and risk not getting my work done or missing out and finishing my work. Honestly, I’d like to say that I prioritize church first because I feel like it’s more important to me in the long run and it helps me stay spiritually and mentally healthy, but I also feel like there’s a lot of pressure on me to succeed academically, so I have missed a lot of church to do school-related work.”
Before the Sun Rises
Latter-day Saints explain impact of early-morning church group Bryan Ross | Reporter At 5:45 a.m. every morning, the calm roads consist of few cars and very light traffic--people headed to get an earlymorning coffee en route to work, or headed to the gym for an early workout, and a small group of teenagers on their way to church. Every morning before school, high school students that are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -commonly known as Mormons -- meet at their church building for Seminary, a class where they learn about and study scriptures. Depending on the Ward -- the congregation members attend based off of zoning similar to schools -- class start times range from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m.. “My sister and I live pretty close to the church,” senior Aysha Ogden said. “So we get up at 5:28, put on a coat, and we walk out the door and get to Seminary at 5:40, and the class starts at 5:45.”
Seminary attendees are expected to have at least 75% attendance and complete the book of scripture that is studied during the course of the year, which rotates between the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Old and New Testaments in order to receive credit for completing that year. “We end at 6:35 [a.m.], and my sister and I go home, pack, get ready, sometimes take a small nap, and then go to school,” Ogden said. “School stuff gets worked around Seminary, so I don’t stay up extremely late and I always go to Seminary. So if I have [soccer] practice in the morning, it’ll wait or I’ll be just a tad late. My life gets scheduled around church things, so Seminary comes first.” Daily schedules can vary for different attendees due to various extracurricular activities, hobbies, and
personality traits and can also provide benefits that may not seem obvious. “I’m one of those people who once they wake up, they can’t go back to bed,” junior Paige Borgholthaus said. “So I usually do homework or work out, and I make breakfast sometimes. A lot of people think that it makes me really tired but I feel like it gives me an extra boost to my day because when I’m waking up early, I get a lot more done, so it definitely affects my day positively.” The goal of Seminary is to provide students with the ability to know more about the religion and strengthen their faith, and at least for some students, it does just that. “Seminary’s very beneficial,” Ogden said. “You could ask me a lot of questions, and I’d have answers for you. Seminary’s a way to learn the doctrine and the principles of the scriptures which we listen to all the time.”
For other members, it can provide them with a better start to the day that can help them at school. “I think it helps me be able to go to school with a better attitude,” freshman Brooke Derderian said. “It gives me a refresher in the morning and a clean slate and helps me be a better example to others.” And for some, learning about their values every morning helps them to keep them in an environment where they may seem very different from those around them. “It reminds me of my values every morning, so when I go to school I remember what I learned that morning so I’m able to better portray myself as a member,” Borgholthaus said. “Overall, it’s a very positive impact. Not just religious-wise but also mentally, it helps me to be in a better mindset and it helps me be in the moment, and just love the people around me more.”
Entertainment May 24, 2019
Project for Progress
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AP Research class sparks interest in social science, issues McKenna Lucas | Co-Editor After a year of research and analysis, senior Mahnoor Faheem and juniors Lily Blust, Claire Martinez, and Megan Gonzales are experts in their field of interest. Their projects greatly changed how they view the world around them and the social issues that impact society. “This class is really important because it gives you the freedom to explore different perspectives you don’t necessarily have in other classes because there are usually guidelines you must follow when doing projects,” Martinez said. “But in this one, you get the choice to select your own topic, something that is important to you and interests you and something that impacts the world.” The AP Research class spends a year developing a research project and paper to send to the College Board. AP Seminar is a prerequisite to the class. After completing both courses, the students will receive an AP Capstone diploma and stole. Martinez focused her project on the effectiveness that hospitals implement healthcare programs helping minorities. “This year I got to research different programs that hospitals in Texas provide to minority patients, specifically how impacted the healthcare field and the level of care that they all receive,” Martinez said. “I think that one of the things that is kind of limiting to a lot of these programs and is something that I found throughout my research, is that the current guidelines for implementing these programs is focused on accommodating to minority cultures and comfort in the health care field, and
hospitals are being resistant to more “I have a passion for education and innovative reforms of these different types am a huge advocate for equal access,” of programs that will actually facilitate a Faheem said. “However, this was an issue better healthcare environment for these I didn’t really know much about because minority communities.” it is something that we often ignore. After Martinez is not the only one whose conducting a year’s worth of research project focused on minorities: Faheem in this area, it greatly changed the way I researched what she calls the school-to- think and has shifted my focus to what we prison pipeline” for her year-long project. can do to improve our education system. “The schoolMy perspective on t o - p r i s o n school security pipeline is the "I researched about school and discipline has disproportionate changed because tendency of safety and I think that it's a now I realize minors, primarily really important topic to talk that instead of young black policing about because it's something constantly and Hispanic out students, c o m m u n i t i e s , that a lot of us, especially this we should be and students with addressing their generation, worry about.” disabilities, from personal needs.” disadvantaged Gonzales backgrounds researched a topic to become more close to incarcerated, home: the school because of safety policies increasingly harsh school policies,” Faheem found at Hendrickson High School. She said. “This is something that has become a interviewed students and administration huge issue and phenomena across the U.S. to get a grasp on the communities opinion Students should be able to attend schools on the most appropriate school safety and receive a great education without the measures that should be put in place. threat of them being incarcerated because “I researched about school safety and of their skin color or because they didn’t I think that it’s a really important topic to behave a certain way. It’s important to talk about because it’s something that a understand how and why this occurs and lot of us, especially this generation, worry focus on the youth who are being affected about,” Gonzales said. “I looked at possible so that we can create comprehensive and ways that we could improve school safety effective solutions, as well as fill in the gaps and plans or strategies that we could in the lack of resources at these schools.” use based on what the community at This project has impacted the way she Hendrickson thinks we should do. So some looks at problems within the school system. people suggested using IDs when we come
Megan Gonzales, 11
in and out of the school and when I talked to Mr. Garcia, he talked about that and possibly implementing that after this year.” Blust chose to research how socioeconomic factors impact LGBTQ youth. She too, also pulled her data from schools in the Austin area. “I researched the correlation between different socioeconomic status marker and the rates of open bisexual and transgender queer youth,” Blust said. “I used surveys and I went to different high schools in the area and surveyed their GSA participants. I asked questions about socioeconomic markers, like school socioeconomic status and family education level and I compared that to responses about openness, like openness to families, and their communities, and their willingness to display symbols.” All four girls researched issues that were close to their heart, issues they felt needed attention. The class became a tool to observe societal injustice. “My most favorite aspect, in the beginning, was doing the literature review and getting to see what research is actually being done, and what questions are being asked,” Blust said. “Especially in my field as a social science field, it’s a topic I’m really passionate about, and I think is really pertinent to the social and focal climate we have now. So getting to see what people are actually doing to try to better increase our knowledge of the subject and improve conditions of the individuals of that group was really interesting. I think it gave more value to the research I’m doing now and future research.”
*Statistics taken from American Civil Liberties Union and the African American Policy Forum. 70% of in school arrests are of black and Latino students
Black students are suspended three times more than white students
68% of men in state and federal prison do not have a college degree Black girls are six times more likely to receive academic referrals than white girls
School to Prison Pipeline
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Feature Volume 12, Issue 8
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2
Eye of the Beholder
1. AP Spanish students visit the Blanton Museum on Thursday. Photo provided by Drew Keller 2. Junior Filip Puchacz [left] and the museum tour guide examine a painting. Photo provided by Drew Keller
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3. Sophomore Guillermo Martinez [left] and freshman Dallin McCullough [right] discuss a piece during their field trip to the Blanton Museum last Thursday. Photo provided by Drew Keller
AP Spanish class visits local art museum for language exhibit Carolina Yanez | Asst. Editor After completing the AP Spanish test, teacher Drew Keller takes her students along a guided tour of the Blanton Museum of Art to get a hands on experience of culture. The museum features the exhibit ‘Words Matter’ that showcases Latin American art. Keller followed her students in the tour and received the opportunity to see her students use the language in a real-life setting. “I really enjoy taking my students on field trips that are culturally and linguistically engaging, especially if they haven’t had the opportunity to experience the language outside of the classroom,” Keller said. “The docents [guides] give a guided visit in Spanish and students are able to ask questions and express themselves in the language in a public setting, which is really cool to see.” In addition to teaching her students the language, Keller wants them to also learn the different cultures from each Spanish speaking country. She hopes they become culturally aware and accept others’ beliefs and traditions. “I always plan these trips with the hope that my students will gain confidence in their speaking abilities but I’d like to add that there is something hidden behind the whole opportunity that makes the language and culture come alive for them,” Keller said. “They are able to observe many elements that bring awareness to cultural authenticity, patterns in history, and the relationship between the artist
and their language, which is something of art and hopefully introduces them to that of course can only be simulated, that a new way to connect and appreciate is, until they are able to travel to a Spanish- one another. There are benefits from this speaking country themselves. discussion in itself and I am always so “It is the least I can do to create an elated to see how respectful my students of immersive experience, especially one that each other during the trip. This is how they is deeply rooted in culture and presented are able to learn about each other in a new in the language itself. For many of my way, about what they have in common, students it is their first time visiting an art how they differ, what they are proud of museum and that is really special and from their own culture, what they are hopefully it inspires them to seek out other drawn to from another culture. The benefits opportunities of observing and to observe and analyzing art are experience art as “Hispanic art is important plentiful and as a cultural product activity, it is because it represents how an of the language an easy way for artists express us to reflect on they’ve chosen to Hispanic study, in whatever themselves and what they see ourselves, learn form that may how to truly be in their culture." be.” in the moment, Keller says there and to explore are many benefits different ways of attending the of expressing trip. She believes ourselves.” it enables the The trip differs students, both from previous individually and as a group, to be able years because the exhibit presented classto look back at all they have learned related material. Keller also allowed her throughout the year. students to share their favorite piece of “I like to prep my students by having a work from the collection and present their brief discussion over how we individually opinions on the piece. perceive art and how that perception “I would say that my favorite experience is often connected to our own cultural on this trip was when my students were foundations,” Keller said. “This helps to able to choose a work of art that they prevent students from discouraging their connected with and then, as a group, we classmates for liking or disliking a work went to each work of art and the student
Jhenessis Alvarado, 11
made a brief presentation to explain why they felt connected to it,” Keller said. “I am so proud of all of them. I know that I have mentioned that experience as my favorite, but I really just loved talking to them and getting to know them more in a casual setting. They are extraordinary and even though I am not able to express that all the time, thanks to experiences like these I can say that I am thankful for having had the opportunity to share with them.” Junior Jhenessis Alvarado appreciated pieces of the exhibit that were directly connected to the Spanish Language. “My favorite part was the words matter part of the museum because it had a piece of art that was about the letter Ñ,” Alvarado said. “That letter represents so much about the Hispanic culture. Hispanic art is important because it represents how Hispanic artists express themselves and what they see in their culture. The field trip connected Spanish to art by including pieces that were from Latin-American artists, and some pieces were even in Spanish.” Alvarado recommends taking AP Spanish to underclassmen who are on the fence of advancing in the language. “It’s more than just learning the language,” Alvarado said. “It’s about learning the culture of the language and seeing different aspects and perspective that make the language. The class is really fun and interesting not only do you learn so much but you have a lot of fun.”
Entertainment May 24, 2019
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Drink It Up Staff reviews various refreshing summer drink spots Urban Sips + Sweets
Frost Bites
Camryn Sadlier | Reporter
Megan Fletcher | Co-Editor
With an assortment of gourmet sodas and shaved ice, Urban Sips + Sweets is a relaxing drink shop perfect to go to before shopping around the local stores or to simply chill out with friends and family. All items include an Austin twist such as “The Austinite” which is Dr. Pepper based with coconut, lime, and cream and “The 6th Street” which is Coke based with pineapple, coconut, and cream. These things make the overall persona of the drink
stop more personal and comfortable. Urban Sips opens seasonally and has outside and inside seating available, so go grab your friends and check out the recently opened drink hangout on 5000 Gattis School Road in Hutto.
Frost Bites, located on PfIugerville Parkway, greets everyone with a ‘50s diner vibe, complete with checkered tile, vintage posters, and even a Betty Boop umbrella holder. At its opening, the restaurant only served a fraction of its current fIavor selection of shaved ice, which has the perfect ratio of soft ice to syrup. Where other vendors might skimp on the fIavor-
ing or serve hard, crunchy ice, all of Frost Bites’ fIavors – from lemonade to Silver Fox to pickle – are made with care. Although the restaurant remains known best for its famous Hawaiian shaved ice, they’ve expanded to serve concession stand-style food, like nachos, soft drinks, and Blue Bell ice cream. For a family-friendly, inexpensive outing, go to Frost Bites, open spring and summer in the afternoons and nights.
Teapioca Lounge
Ding Tea
Maya Lewis | Reporter
McKenzie Quiroz | Asst. Editor
Whether looking for a date spot, afterschool hangout, or late night drink run, Teapioca Lounge is the place to go. Located on FM 685, Teapioca is known for their popular cream teas with tapioca balls. In addition to the teas, Teapioca serves smoothies, coffee, and desserts, all customizable with a wide variety of addons for drinks. The chill atmosphere is what customers love most. It features board
games and jumbo Jenga, unique group activities other cafes lack. Seating is more than comfortable, with a window-side couch and pillow-filled benches. Service is quick and the bubble teas are worth the $3. Even if you aren’t a fan of bubble tea, give Teapioca Lounge a shot and try the smoothies or desserts.
Juiceland
that customers should try it with their tea. Most drinks average between $4-$5, making the price reasonable considering the quality. The staff is also really friendly and the store itself has an inviting spirit that compels customers to come back for more. It’s also best to go with friends and sit down in the store to drink the tea and enjoy a game of Jenga, or just admire the unique decorations and environment. They do a great job of making their store feel comfortable and welcoming in addition to their delicious teas.
Pepe’s
McKenna Lucas | Co-Editor
Juiceland, where drinks come true, is an Austin-based smoothie and juice joint that first opened in 2001. The cafe serves juices, smoothies, health shots, and acai bowls, attracting a wide variety of customers due to it’s diverse and health-conscious menu. Juiceland has locations all over Austin, sometimes wedged in a crowded shopping center where lines nearly reach the door and there’s barely enough seating but others, such as the Juiceland located
Ding Tea, located in Stone Hill, has a great atmosphere. The milk tea and boba have a refreshing and sweet taste that’s incomparable to any other. The matcha milk tea with golden boba was well blended and even looked great. The boba did cost extra, as do all their toppings, but it was worth it and it’s suggested
Brisa Espinoza | Asst. Editor off of 1625 Barton Springs Road, have beautiful outdoor seating areas surrounded by flower gardens, eclectic yard art and a gorilla statue drinking a smoothie on the roof. For smoothie lovers looking for a place with the classic ‘keep Austin weird,’ vibes, Juiceland is the place for you.
The moment a customer walks into this small Mexican fruit shop, they instantly feel as if they were walking through the streets of Mexico. The various spices and fruits mixed into the drinks makes everything on the menu sound
mouthwatering. Mexican fruit shop Pepe’s, located in the Mays Crossing Shopping Center in Round Rock, fulfills every Mexican food craving. The restaurant not only has a variety of Mexican drinks and fruit cups; it also serves many dishes native to the country. Whenever someone is missing Mexico and all the memories from there, going to Pepe’s will bring these memories back to life.
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Sports Volume 12, Issue 8
Springing into the Season Brisa Espinoza | Asst. Editor
Ikram Mohamed | Photographer
Shedding a block from an offensive lineman, Junior Mike Ike prepares for game like scenarios.“We get extra practice days,” Ike said. “So it allows us more time before the fall to work as a team and make sure we all work well together.”
Q& A
Varsity football players, head coach discuss benefits of spring football
Handing the ball, Junior Isaiah Moore passes the ball during a scrimmage. “I like the intenisty,” Moore said. ‘Spring football helps me learn the plays and adapt.”
Preparing for a tackle, junior Freddy Cavasos sprints to make a tackle. “Spring football definitely helps us get ready for the next year,” Cavasos said. “It gives us the chance to work with the new players and make sure we’re prepared for what’s to come.”
Do you think it benefits the Does spring football help the Why did you decide to do spring football this year? team before the season? team? Mike Ike, 11: “I think it benefits the team because everyone gets to work on new things before the regular season so we’re basically just adding more time to prepare intensely before fall.” Xavier Lucio, 10: “Yes, I believe it will benefit us. It gives new players chances to learn plays and for younger players and veterans to become better at that position and perfect their skills.” Jalen Phoenix, 11: “I think it benefits the team tremendously. It gives us the opportunity for each of us to get better. It allows us more time than just summer practices to get ready.”
Jalen Phoenix, 11: “It helps the team out before the actual season. It’s important for us to get more reps in because it’s crucial for our development as a team.” Xavier Lucio, 10: “Having spring football helps us because we are prepared and trained. We have an amazing staff of coaches that help us every step of the way to make sure we’re better than the other teams.” Freddy Cavasos, 11: “It prepares us for next year and the practices get us ready physically for the teams we’re going to face during next years season.”
What do you do in spring What do you like about How do you think it helps football? spring football? you as a player? Jalen Phoenix, 11: “I like that we can get more reps in football wise before fall camp. It helps us perfect the plays and all our techniques so that during the game we won’t make mistakes.” Freddy Cavasos, 11: “We get to compete every day against each other which is something that I a like about doing spring football. It keeps all the guys constantly motivated and ready for the season.” Xavier Lucio, 10: “What I like about spring football is that is gives us a chance to bond and become better as a team.”
Freddy Cavasos, 11: “It helps me both mentally and physically to get ready for next years season.” Mike Ike, 11: With spring football it helps me point out all my flaws and what all I need to work on in the summer so I can come back to football as a better and more improved player.” Jalen Phoenix, 11: “It helps me as a player by being able to perfect my craft in the offseason.”
Coach Killian: “Spring football is more concentrated on specific techniques for each position and player. Then we begin to install all of our schemes to better our plays and make sure we have everything perfected so that we’re all prepared for next year.”
How does spring football differ from summer football? Coach Killian: “There isn’t any real summer football. Just 7 v. 7 tournaments, linemen competitions, and strength camp. The biggest difference is the ability to have practices in pads and being able to practice outside the school day.”
Coach Killian: “Several reasons: 1. We start school two weeks earlier than usual now. So we lose those extra weeks where we could have had extra practices before school starting. 2. Next year we’re going to have an inexperienced team with only six starting players returning. The rest of the players will be new to varsity. 3. All the coaches and players thought it would be fun to try something new.”
How does it benefit the players? Coach Killian: “Since we don’t have to plan for an opponent during spring football, more time can be spent working on the individual and small group emphasis. We can also experiment with having athletes work at different positions and try new schemes the coaches have developed since the season ended. It gives us an opportunity to try new things out and see what works best.”
Will spring football help the team in the upcoming season? Coach Killian: “We really hope so. We’re halfway through our 18 practices and the players have been doing a great job. They’ve stayed focused and brought great energy each day. We only have 2 nondistrict games, so these young guys need to grow up quickly in order to be prepared by the time the season comes.”
Focused on the Future
Sports May 24, 2019
15
Hunter receives several offers from Ivy League schools as junior
Natalie Owings | Photographer Kaitlin Mackey | Asst. Editor By the time spring football begins, the football players are able to practice techniques, grow and improve as a team before next year’s season begins. And for some players, such as Gabe Hunter, who’s already received 13 offers as a junior, it’s a time to get scouted by college coaches during practices. “I’ve received offers from Southern Methodist University, Rice University, the Air Force Academy, West Point, Princeton University, Dartmouth University, Columbia University, Cornell University,
Houston Baptist University, Yale University, the University of the Incarnate Word, Navy Academy, and Colorado State” Hunter said. “It’s really exciting that I’m getting a chance at going Ivy League.” Hunter plays defensive end for the varsity football team. He says that participating in spring football helps by giving him a chance to improve and potentially get scouted by college coaches while their college football team is in off-season as well. Hunter has received offers from five out of eight of the Ivy League schools. “The difference between spring football
Erika Suarez | Photographer and regular in-season football is that in spring football we don’t prepare for another team,” Hunter said. “I’m still hoping to get offers from the University of California Los Angeles and [the University of] Arkansas.” Hunter follows in his sister, Bryana Hunter’s, footsteps. Bryana is a former student athlete who played soccer, basketball, and volleyball in high school. She graduated last year after committing to the University of Arkansas to play soccer. While Hunter hasn’t decided where he’d like to go, he’s made a goal to graduate from college in
three years because he wants to work on his master’s degree in business while he’s on a scholarship. In Hendrickson history, only two people have been accepted into Rice University, both football players. Hunter is left-handed, helping him gain more attention due to the lack of left-handed players compared to right-handed players. “After receiving all of these offers from 13 different colleges, it makes me feel like I’m good at football,” Hunter said. “Being one of the only students from Hendrickson to receive an offer from Rice is live.”
Cooper to be inducted into Rice Hall of Fame Kaitlin Mackey | Asst. Editor
Less than a month after getting to announce the San Francisco 49ers second round NFL draft pick, former Super Bowl star and Hendrickson special education teacher Earl Cooper found out he will be inducted into the Rice Hall of Fame in October.
“The Rice Hall of Fame is an honor where they honor you for what you accomplish, what you’ve done, why you were [at Rice], what you’ve done since you’ve been gone, stuff like that,” Cooper said. “It’s been quite a few years and I’ve been looking for this day for a long time and to be finally inducted to the Rice Hall of Fame as a football player and then knowing what it takes to get through the university for four years. It is such a grueling task academically to make it through that and that was a really big achievement for me coming from a small school and being unprepared for a university like Rice. I had no idea that I was going to be going to Rice University, or any university, to play football for that matter and everything kind of stair-stepped itself where I got recruited, got a scholarship, chose Rice, played in the Southwest Conference, great competition and then drafted by the NFL so many years later and get the ultimate reward of being inducted into the Rice Hall of fame.” After graduating from Lexington High School, former coach Earl Cooper went to
go to Rice University, sharing a dream that student athletes dream, attending an Ivy League-leveled school for college followed by being selected by a professional football team in the first round. “I majored in education, not knowing I was going to be a teacher,” Cooper said. “I hate to say this but it was probably one of the easiest majors at Rice to get through Rice University. Since they have such a limited curriculum, there are very few majors to major in at Rice. I think it’s broader now, but back at that time Rice only had about 28 majors because it was mainly a science and arts school.” Cooper played fullback and tight end while attending Rice. Shortly after graduating, Cooper was selected by the San Francisco 49ers of the 1980 NFL Draft. Cooper appeared in two Super Bowls for the 49ers. He played with the 49ers for about five years before switching over to the Los Angeles Raiders, or what is now known as the Oakland Raiders. Due to his accomplishments throughout his football career, Cooper was given the opportunity to be inducted in Rice University’s Hall of
Fame. Knowing that Rice University is mostly an academic school, it causes student athletes to isolate themselves away from the rest of the school, leaving athletes with athletes, and academics with academics “The community was tough because athletes were kind of like a stand-alone type,” Cooper said. “I hate to say it like this but everybody else looked like they lived in a library most of the time and you could tell that the athletes were very distinguished or very different than the academic students. But they accepted us well and we all got along and they called for us and rooted for us but they were there for a purpose. They were there to do books and academics and we were there where we had to do athletics and academics. Sometimes I don’t think the professors and president accepted us because football and sports is on the south end of the campus and everything else is on the north end and it’s just separated the campus from north end and south end and now hopefully to get some closure for me, I’ve finally been accepted on both ends of the university.”
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People May 24, 2019
On Call
EMT seniors share their experiences, valuable knowledge through program
Jaden Custard “You need 60 hours of ambulance ride outs through the fire station and 40 clinical hours in the emergency room to get the EMT basic certification, which will allow us to practice legally as an EMT or you can take that certification to the hospital to work as an ER technician where you give patient care. In the end, you need to pass the national registry exam, which the class allows us to take.” “During my ride outs I haven’t experienced much, and sometimes the field is like that, you never know what’s going to come in all you can do is hope for the best. The station is really cool though you get to sit and work with all the EMTs at their jobs. At first I thought it was going to be intimidating, but I really enjoy it. They include me in all
the trainings they do so I’ve learned a lot that way. At the end of the day we all sit down and eat dinner together, one of the guys always cooks for everyone and that’s really cool. On clinicals however I did see a lot but my favorite thing was when the surgeon pulled me out of a patient’s room and allowed me to cut a cyst off a patient’s back for him.” “I’ve learned that medicine isn’t the Grey’s Anatomy that everyone thinks it is. It’s more nerve-wracking and it definitely takes a person with a strong heart because you see a lot of everything that you can’t always prepare for. I’ve realized the type of person I am, I’m a go getter. I’m overall more confident talking to people. It’s helped me understand that I love medicine.”
Jasmine Reyes “One time I had a STEMI call (a blockage in the artery that supplies blood to the heart causing a heart attack) and the patient died when we arrived at the hospital. It was crazy because the patient was talking to us on the ride there then just rapidly declined. During the clinicals I got to watch a doctor put a person’s hip back in place. When I show up on scene whether it’s on the fire station, or at the hospital I’m really
nervous, but as the day continues I get used to it. When a patient comes in or the sirens go off letting us know a call is coming, my heart starts racing fast, but it helps me work better, it’s just an adrenaline rush. I plan on volunteering throughout college as an EMT then taking it to medical school. This class has really showed me that this is what I want to do.”
Cristina Esteban
Hannah Hisey “By the end of this class I’ll have my EMT basic certification, which will allow me to work on the back of the ambulance and treat patients with the paramedics under a licensed medical director. In the class we focus a lot on skills and physical learning which is really useful. We do CPR skills, airway and oxygen skills, and back boarding. We have 60 hours of ride outs to do and 40 hours of clinicals.” “During a ride out I worked a call with a paraplegic, which means he was paralyzed from waist down, and the paramedics I was working with allowed me to administer medicine to him and gather all his vital signs. The most interesting thing I’ve seen from clinicals was a gunshot
wound to temporal lobe and the person was still awake and talking. I don’t really get nervous working with these patients because it’s so exciting. I’ve learned a lot about the medical field through this class, the EMTs and Paramedics are the ones who teach our class so their lessons and advice are genuine. When you go on ride outs with them they teach you things outside of the basic skills, some of them have gone to medical school and have given me a lot of advice about that.” “This class has taught me that I can be pushed and try new things under stressful situations, and handle it well. I plan to use this class and the skills it has taught me to get into nursing school.”
“It’s a very hands on class, normally we go through a PowerPoint lecture then work on skills with each other or the mannequins they provide us. After this class is over we get the EMT basic certification but to do that you have to go through the national registry exam and finish a set of skills, which consists of things like taking basic vitals stabilizing broken neck, or limb. We also have to complete 60 ride along hours which are when you’re on the back of the ambulance with the fire department and the EMTs and you treat the patients they treat with them.” “You never know what you’re going to get, my most interesting ride out was an ectopic pregnancy, and I was the only female in the truck at the time, so all the other EMTs left the truck and I had to do the initial examination. Then you have to get 40 emergency room clinical hours working with real patients as well, the shifts are either 12 to eight hour in the emergency room. The most interesting thing I saw
while getting at the hospital was a gunshot wound to the head and the guy was still talking, knew exactly what was going on and where he was. It was very weird, because you could literally see his brain.” “This is what I want to do and this class has shown me this. The fire department offers us a paid internship after we graduate and get our certification, which pays 1000 for every module complete and there are four modules for a semester. After the internship they can hire us for a starting pay of 50 thousand, and that’s right after high school I’ve learned that anything can happen in the medical field and a lot of things that don’t seem possible or probable are. This class has taught me that I’m a very strong person since I am able to see and work with people who are close to death, because most of the time you can tell and it is sad but you know you have to overcome that in order to provide the best care to them.”