Keystonian by Keystone

The Keystonian Volume 1, Issue 2

Interview with Coach Delete text and place photo here. Fletcher Pictures from the Graffiti Wipeout! Need dating advice? Look inside!

Review of V for Vendetta

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The Keystonian An Interview with Ronald Heisser……………………………2 An Interview with Coach Fletcher…………………………...3 Five Questions for Frau…………..4 V for Vendetta: A Must See..…….5 Bike Share Program….……..…….6 Drew’s Dating Advice…..………..7 Trip to Yosemite…………………8 Places You’ll Never Go…………..9 Tips for Freshmen………………10 Soccer Pictures……………….....12 Volleyball Pictures……………...13 Soccer…………………………..14

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A Little Chat with Ronald Henry Heisser By Emily Cavazos and Kelly Echavarria

Ronald hangs with friends on the senior trip Photo by Cathleen Seaworth.

Ronald in his natural habitat. Photo by Kelly Echavarria.

Fast Facts about Ronald Favorite TV show: The Office Favorite musical artists: Esperanza Spalding, Al Green, and Lil’ Wayne. Favorite Movie: Mouse Hunt Favorite Book: The Republic Favorite food: Gumbo Favorite drink: Root beer Favorite subject: Physics, because it’s a little bit of science, a little bit of math, and a lot of awesome. Locker number: 275

What are some extra-‐curricular activities you participate in? I play soccer in the fall, lacrosse in the spring. I am currently the president of the National Society of Black Engineers and Vice President of NHS, and I enjoy playing video games, I’m a member of French Club. What is your favorite part of Keystone? The academic atmosphere here and the quality of teaching. I enjoy the people here, and it has taught me much about the world. What are two interesting things about you that people wouldn’t know about you? The gray spot on my head is actually my birth mark and…I have started to invest in the stock market. Which stocks? That’s confidential. Is it true that you are going to run for president when you are 35? Yes. What inspired you? I just want to see how many people I can get to vote for me. I really just want to get my name on the ballot. More a publicity stunt than anything else, I might go to a couple debates. Anything else you want the student body to know about you? I want to become an engineer, own my own business, and I hope to attend MIT next year.

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An Interview with Coach Fletcher By Emily Cavazos and Kelly Echavarria What encouraged you to come coach at Keystone? What encouraged me to come coach at Keystone was that I felt like it was a good opportunity to be involved in a new and growing girls’ varsity basketball program, it really intrigued me to be part of that and to establish something good going forward in the future. How is coaching this team different than coaching your last team? Well the first thing that’s different is I coached boys before I came here. The other way it’s a little different is that Keystone is known for being very academic, and so I get to use words that I would use on an everyday basis, and I get nods and I get people understanding those words when I use those words here at Keystone, so that’s always fun. What are your goals this year? Win more games than last year, that’s the first goal. Then to have a lot of fun, to work hard, and to really establish relationships with each other that go beyond the basketball court and then hopefully beyond Keystone. Tell us about the first game—was it all you anticipated? The first game was last night…. And yeah, it was. There was a lot of learning going on from my perspective, from the players’ perspective. It was also the other team’s first game, so there were a lot of firsts. I learned a lot about my team and I’m really encouraged going forward. What is your favorite part of coaching? My favorite part of coaching is practice. I had someone ask me “What’s your happy place?” and I told them basketball practice because I love the opportunity to teach and learn from my players and to adjust. We always come up with a unique formula that makes our team.

Coach Fletcher shows his Cobra pride.

Action shot!

Fast Facts about Coach Fletcher Favorite movie: Hoosiers Favorite book: The Bible Favorite Basketball Player: Female: Lindsay Waylen, point guard for the Minnesota Links. Male: David Robinson. The most important part of basketball: THE BALL. And having fun. He has a blog! Coachfletcher.blogspot.com

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An Interview with Coach Fletcher

Coach Fletcher never forgets the most important part of the game!

Did you play basketball in college? Yes, I played four years in high school and in college for two years at a small Christian school in Portland called Columbia College. I played mostly point guard in college and mostly shooting guard in high school. Do you remember your number? 22. What was your favorite subject in school? My favorite subject in school was…from an academic perspective, history. I liked lunch and P.E. too. Did you play any other sports? I played tennis in high school and a little bit of football. Now the sport that I choose more than anything is running. What is one thing that no one knows about you? One thing that no one ever knows about me is I was born in Japan.

Five Questions for Frau By Shelia Wright

Frau smiles in her classroom.

Who is Frau? Frau, also known as Mrs. Steinhelper, is currently in her ninth year of teaching at Keystone. She teaches seventh grade environmental science, AP Biology, and AP Environmental Science. She is from Michigan, and has a son, Greg, in 11th grade.

In terms of Otters, do you prefer the sea variety or the river variety? River Otters. I think they’re a bit more playful and their fur is less kicked with salt. Hawaii or Alaska? (Thoughtful Pause) Hawaii, but only the Hawaii that is away from people Favorite News Anchor? (with certainty) Marvin Hurst on Kens 5. He’s actually a reporter. Most memorable piece of clothing? A dress with pink and peach fishes. Theory regarding crop circles? They’re a hoax!

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V for Vendetta: A Must-See By Ellen Marie Andrews I’m not going to lie, I was a little nervous when I sat down to watch V for Vendetta with my friends on November 5th. I had been talking up “Guy Fawkes Day” and the movie for weeks, insisting that we watch it to celebrate. But about a half-‐hour into it one of my friends was still playing on his phone, the other was nearly asleep, and my sister has on her “confused” face. Maybe this wasn’t as great as I remembered it to be... But I let the movie keep playing. Good golly am I glad I did. It was just as great as it was the first time. Scratch that, it may have even been better. Keep this in mind, V for Vendetta was originally a graphic novel by Alan Moore, author of Watchmen. It is ripe with symbolism, political statements and (artistically depicted in my opinion) violence. In order to stay true to its origins, a massive amount of foreshadowing and plot-‐building is included in the beginning, thus explaining the mid-‐movie reactions of my audience. However, all of this, every repeated flashback and extended monologue, is worth the ending. The ending made all of our jaws drop. Fantastic, just fantastic. Set in a dystopian future England, the masked anarchist who goes by “V” spurs an uprising against an oppressive government by means of intentionally theatrical displays. Shown from the point of view of a young woman named “Evey” (Natalie Portman), the investigating policeman “Finch” (Stephen Rae), and “V” (Hugo Weaving) himself, the story is pieced together in a more than suspenseful way. At times there are moments of humor and wit, even points when I thought Hey! I learned that in AP Euro! However at other times, the mood is somber and the violence is graphic. I do have to say that there is no unnecessary violence, and again, it is all done in an artistic way, maintaining a comic book-‐like quality.

This is the poster for V for Vendetta. Photo from pop-break.com

What is Guy Fawkes Day? Guy Fawkes Day is a British tradition that celebrates King James’ escape from an assassination attempt on November 5, 1604.

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V for Vendetta (continued) I’m not sure how much more I can say without spoiling it for you, and that would be the absolute worst thing I could do. So here are some things to keep in mind about the movie: 1. It is R-‐rated, so your daddy will have to rent it for you.

Guy Fawkes Day is November 5!

2. After you watch it you will have an intense urge to discuss everything about it with someone, so watch it with some friends or, if you have no friends, call me up and we can talk about the significance of the letter V and every historical/ literary allusion. 3. It may very well inspire you to join Drew in those “Occupy” protests. Remember, remember, the Fifth of November, the Gunpowder Treason and Plot. I know of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot.

Bike Share Program By Drew Schaeffer

The bike share station at the Pearl Brewery. Photo by Kelly Echavarria.

A few months ago, San Antonio started B-‐Cycle, an innovative bike-‐sharing program. This is a big step for San Antonio. Even though it is not a city known for its bike-‐friendliness, San Antonio was one of the first ten in North America to have such a system. I explained the mechanics of such a program in a previous article and have finally gotten a chance to try it out. I was eating at the Pearl Brewery complex and spotted a station. Whipping out my membership card, I ran towards it to try it out. I adjusted my seat and started biking along the Avenue B bike lane. The bike was comfortable and the ride relaxing. When it was done, I simply docked the bike and walked away. The station I used was the one closest to Keystone, but the system is rapidly expanding. It started with 14 stations, and now there are 20. The city plans to have 50 stations by March 2013, which will make the program much more convenient. I am genuinely optimistic about this trend and if you are too, I encourage you to get a membership and give it a try.

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Dating Advice from Drew By Drew Schaeffer At Keystone, you are at the right place to expand your love life. Right now, you go every day to a place that can be most accurately described as a little village where everyone is young, smart, and single (for the most part). And competitive too, if you’re into that sort of thing. So, that should make it relatively easy to meet your soul mate here. I mean, you just have so many opportunities! In class, after school, at lunch; you can even just go up to a random person right now and see if you guys have a connection. If you just put yourself out there, you will find Keystone like a land flowing with milk and honey in terms of dating opportunities. “But how can I just go up to people and ask them out?” I hear you scream at this flimsy newspaper advice column. Well, stop screaming at inanimate objects. People think that’s weird. Also, that outfit you’re wearing? Just no. Earth tones are so last season. Now that your mouth is shut and your wardrobe trendy, we move on to actually asking someone out. First, don’t back them into a corner. It blocks off all routes of escape and makes the other feel threatened and tense. Ask them casually to a local, upstanding community establishment, such as the Foundry. Since everyone goes there, if they drop you like you’re hot you can always just say that you only wanted to go get a quick lunch with them. Now you’ve asked your crush out! Congratulations, you are now on your way to true love and eternal bliss! Or at least that’s what the storybooks always promised me. For further advice, visit Jason Nydegger. His office hours are 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th periods.

Drew looking smooth. Photo by Zoe Zimmerman.

Drew hangs with the ladies.

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Yippee for Yosemite By Sai Yeluru Recently, the sophomores went on the annual field trip to Yosemite National Park. The trip was amazing overall, and everybody greatly enjoyed the trip. There were three groups, each with their own instructor. All the attending sophomores began their journey on Sunday and reached Crane Flats, the campus where we stayed for Monday and Tuesday, at around 4:00 PM. We had an amazing snowball fight, and after dinner, we watched a video titled “The Spirit of Yosemite,” which was an informative video about the history and “spirit” of Yosemite National Park. On Monday, we were split into our groups. One group went to see the famous Sequoia grove nearby and saw other huge trees such as Incense Cedars and Douglass Firs along the way. Another group went to see the Fire Tower, which was a helicopter landing pad used in case of wildfires. The third group did a navigation activity using a compass and a map. The evening activity that day was a debate set in 1913 concerning the use of water in the Hetch Hetchy Valley. The next day, the two groups who hadn’t yet seen the Sequoia grove hiked to the majestic Sequoias. The other group bushwhacked their way up to the famous Fire Tower, where the views were magnificent. After returning to the camp, the students played a game of hide and seek, except in a nighttime camouflage kind of way. Two people went into the forest and hid, and everybody else searched for them in the dark. Some other students chose to go stargazing. The first thing we did on the fourth day was move to the Yosemite Valley Campus from Crane Flats. After the 45-‐minute ride there, the groups immediately set their trails to the Spider Cave, a completely dark cave that was made by a rock slide. The voyage through the Spider Cave was a unique teambuilding activity, in which the person before guided the person after through the cave. It built trust and responsibility in all the participants.

Max is dressed for the cold. Yosemite photos by Zoe Zimmerman.

Autumn enjoys the scenery.

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Yippee for Yosemite (cont.) The fifth and final day was definitely the most engaging of all the days. On this day, all the groups made an arduous hike up to the top of Yosemite Falls. This hike consisted of a 3.7 mile trail and an incline in elevation of 2700 feet. All in all, the trip was very rewarding, with many memorable activities that helped to bond the sophomore class. The natural beauty of Yosemite, coupled with the excellent experiences made this trip an unforgettable one! Funafuti, Tuvalu Photo from wikimedia.com.

Places I’ve Never Been, and You’ll Probably Never Go By Sheila Wright

Ürümqi, China Photo from http://chinaedition.com

Sheila is prepared to travel the world. Photo by Danielle Stewart.

Funafuti, Tuvalu Travel information was understandably scarce for this destination. Since the island is only 300 to 400 meters wide at its widest, it’s no surprise the Google maps shows what appears to be a completely blue screen. Our best guess is that it’s somewhere between Hawaii and Australia. The list of attractions on this island is also pretty slim, but one website notes that there are “fortnightly discos at the Vaiaku Lagi Hotel.” Ürümqi, China Though the name of this city means “Beautiful Pasture” in the language of the Dzungar people, modern reporters seem to paint a different picture. In fact, The Toronto Star listed the city as one of the Top Ten Worst Places to Live in the World. If you like less of a relaxing vacation, Urumqi might be right for you. The city is noted for its frequent and often deadly riots. While it is safe to say that the incredibly high level of pollution and extensive industrial development would give your vacation a different feel then a Caribbean paradise, a visit to Ürümqi would certainly be memorable.

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Tips for Freshmen By Sai Yeluru With the end of the first quarter drawing near, you freshmen might think you have freshmen year all figured out. However, there are probably some lessons you still need to learn about freshmen year. A major piece of advice is to never procrastinate. Procrastination gets you nowhere. When you put off an assignment, you often end up staying up until 2 or 3 A.M. doing work that could’ve been done long before. At this stage, you don’t create the best quality work and you feel sleepy the next day a school. Freshman year is the beginning of high school; whatever you do affects your college path. Henceforth, building up good habits now will help you for the rest of your academic career. Now that we have gotten the general advice out of the way, here is a class by class analysis. Of all of your core classes, most people say that World History with Mr. Spedding is the hardest. The best advice is to stay on top of things. Study your notes every day and be sure to read the assignments the day they’re assigned. It’s also important to make sure you understand the material. It’s not enough to know the facts. You must also analyze from what you know. That’s the crux of Mr. Spedding’s class. If you can understand all the material in his class, you will do fine. If you are struggling to understand, feel free to go to him when he’s available. He is very helpful. Another difficult class that you might need advice on is Ms. Means English class. The same advice goes from Mr. Spedding’s class. However, in her class, there is a greater focus on analyzing. The best way to do well in Ms. Means’ class is to read the books. There are quite a few, but don’t let that intimidate you. If you annotate well and make an honest attempt to understand what’s going on, you will do fine.

Freshmen show their spirit at soccer games and on Nerd Day! Photo below by Camilla Lopez.

Sophomore Advice Anand: “Don’t sleep in class” “Get all As, it’s the easiest year to boost your GPA.” Rachel: “Use your free time wisely.” Candice: “You don’t have a lot of work compared to the next years.” Autumn: “Study history.” Garrett: “Do what makes you feel good, not what you’re supposed to do.” Dylan: “Make sure you don’t fall asleep in class.” Kevin: “Freshman year is simple, do your homework.” Daniel Q: “Don’t procrastinate.” Akhil: “Don’t overestimate/underestimate anything.”

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Tips for Freshmen

Freshmen bond at OPI. Photos by Serena Agrawal and Camilla Lopez.

Sophomore Advice Gabi: “If you manage your time well, and use your free periods, you will be well prepared for the upcoming years.” Marina: “Do all the stuff your teachers assign you” "Actually do your homework, it's good practice especially before a quiz!" Drew: “Be the Kraken.” Isaiah: Don’t blow off Mr. Spedding’s class.” Max: “Keep your volume at a minimum [especially in the sophomore hallway.” “Avoid leaving food in the lockers.” Zoe: “Don’t procrastinate.”

Mr. Howk’s Biology class is quite straight forward. You either understand the material and study, or you don’t. His tests are composed of multiple-‐choice, short answer, fill-‐in-‐the-‐blank, and then the essay questions. It’s practically the same as eighth grade, only it’s biology this time. Whatever worked for you in eighth grade should suffice here. The best tip is to study the notes. Most of the information on the tests comes from his notes The textbook is also a great supplement to the material, but it is not the primary source of information. On the other hand, in Mrs. Rich’s class, the textbook is highly resourceful and will help you get through her class. It contains all of the material you need to know for the class, as well as many example problems and exercises. If you are having trouble in her class, do some extra problems from the book. Another thing that works for each and every teacher is to ask for help during your free period. Teachers always have an answer to your woes. They’ve been through high school before, so they know how to help. They will always be there for you. Overall, if you study well and ask for help, you’ll be okay. Good luck with the rest of your freshmen year!

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Varsity Soccer Photos by Ellen Andrews, Kelly Echavarria, and Camilla Lopez

The boys take a break and get some water. Ronald goes in for a kick.

The team strategizes before a game. Go Alex go!

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JV and Varsity Volleyball Photos by Ellen Andrews and Austin Joe Greenfield.

Haleigh and Brigette go in for a block.

JV smiles for a group picture.

The girls huddle before a game.

Varsity girls get together for a photo.

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NHS Graffiti Wipeout Photos by Emily Cavazos

Mrs. Boryczka joins in the fun.

Myles gets into his work.

Rachel knows how to work hard.

Daisy always keeps a smile on her face. Seniors are cheerful while they work!

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Green is really Sapan’s color!

Ronald doesn’t mind getting a little dirty for a good cause.

After a hard day’s work, the NHS members pose for a group picture.