The Shield

the

shield

McCallum High School / 5600 Sunshine / Austin, TX 78756 / Nov. 9, 2012 / Issue 2 / Volume 60

Breast cancer awareness month inpires students to get involved story on page 12

what’s inside School in San Antonio implements new tracking ID system

Students, teachers take a look at segregation, racial tolerance

Staffer dishes about the best vegetarian restaurants

story on page 4

pullout section pages 13-16

story on page 26

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nov. 9, 2012

contents

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table of contents

Juniors Wes Bellomy, Jak Holbrook and Kris Reyes celebrate winning the Battle of The Bell against Travis Oct. 18. The Knights won 24-18. Photo by Ashlyn Eddy.

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New discovery of 4th century text causes international controversy

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‘Victory or Die’ letter to return to the Alamo

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feature

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Spanish teachers celebrate Day of the Dead with students

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Staffer investigates use of iPads in schools

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sports

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Varsity volleyball team goes first in district play

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entertainment

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Popular movie ‘The Princess Bride’ reaches 25th anniversary

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opinion

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Staffer reviews new TV series

save the date november

december

5 Piano Recital @7 p.m. in the Fine 12 Teacher work-day, student holiday Arts Theater 13-14 Fashion show workshops 6 Late start 13-16 Underclassman EOC testing 10 Band Holiday Concert 15 Varsity football first round of playoffs @ 11 Varsity basketball game against

House Park

Savio @ Mac 15 Fashion show auditions 13 Choir ‘Messiah’ Concert 16 ‘Teachers and Tiaras’ AV club pageant 14 Musical Theatre showcase

@6:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Theater 21-23 Thanksgiving holiday 26-28 Girls soccer try-outs 8-11 Theatre performance of ‘Secret Garden’

cover

Junior AJ Dozier pies junior Marcus Cole during Pie-a-PAL. Students raised money for Breast Cancer Awareness by selling trinkets and selling tickets to pie teachers and PALs throughout the week. Photo by Mary Stites.

Principal Mike Garrison holds up the Mac ‘M’ stolen by LBJ students. Garrison got it back following the Knights’ win against the Jaguars 29-17 on Oct. 25. Photo by Ellen Waren-Gourd.

the shield

news

Road to Renewable Resourcing AISD ranked 2nd highest green power user among nationwide public school districts assistant editor The Environmental Protection Agency recently identified the Austin School District on its Top 20 “Green Power” list.

AISD is the second highest public school organization on the list. The City of Austin is listed as the 11th highest purchaser of green power in the country.

Junior Lily Hammer said she was not surprised by how high the district ranked.

“I think the people who live here are very aware of the environment and their effects on it,” Hammer said. “Most elementary and middle schools have some sort of small garden and try to teach the kids to be kind to the environment. Many schools are also putting a lot of focus on walking or biking to school.”

Austin Energy, in coordination with AISD, has sought to bring the district on board with its green energy goals. Richard Cowles, sponsor of the Environmental Knights, said he was more surprised to find the district is one of the only public school bodies to appear on the list.

“I think it’s impressive that they did that,” Cowles said, “and in the grand scheme of things, it was a smart thing to do. I’m surprised that they are one of the only public school districts in the nation. That’s kind of too bad, but anytime that you can try and move towards alternative energies, I think that’s a good thing.”

There was a time when AISD was first on the list among public schools, but the lowered ranking was attributed to the rise in green energy prices.

“We were actually number one for several years,” Paul Turner, executive director of facilities for AISD, said. “We contracted with Austin Energy, and we were able to get in on a really good rate that they were offering on green energy. For several years, up until this past March, the green energy was actually less expensive than the regular energy that we have through the fuel charge just because we had a really good contract. Unfortunately, that price was under a fixed duration. It expired in March of last year. It’s still a great thing to do to use green energy, though, and we still think the district wants to support that.”

Turner said the rise in prices was because Austin Energy hadn’t placed a raise in nearly 17 years.

“I don’t really fault them; I do understand,” Turner said. “The advice we gave to them was just don’t wait so long next time, and it won’t hit quite as hard because there was a pretty large increase that they had to do. The city council tried to slow them down a little bit on that. I think it really just had to do with the length of time that had gone by since they had done the last increase.”

The district has been working to facilitate new goals in environmental awareness despite Austin Energy’s raise in costs by bringing the community together. It established an environmental stewardship committee to help coordinate these goals. “(This committee) is really a cross section of people in the community, most of whom are involved in environmental issues of various types,” Turner said. “They are focusing this year on five issues that are the core discussion areas that we’re looking at: energy efficiency and conservation, resource recovery or waste reduction, water conservation, sustainable school groundsthat would be things like, better irrigation systems, native plants to cut down on water use, and also sustainable transportation.”

Hammer said a person’s lifestyle may also contribute to them being more environmentally friendly.

“I’m a vegetarian, which can be seen as beneficial to the environment,” Hammer said. “I also try to recycle everything possible and support local farmers. I think recycling and buying locally are some of the easiest ways to take some slack off our earth. I am try to bike and walk more places and not waste gas on small trips.”

Besides taking individual action, the Environmental Knights generally organize club events where students can become more active in the school’s green initiative.

“We haven’t done a major project this year, but in the past we’ve done tree planting,” Cowles said. “We visited Hornsby Bend, which is owned by the city, and it’s where they do all of the composting for the city. That’s also where they take the treated

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We’re the people who are going to be taking care of the Earth for the next 50 years or so. The sooner we learn how to treat our planet, the better.

Lily Hammer Junior

sewage, Hornsby Bend, and compost it and turn it into Dillo Dirt. We’ve also done a couple of letter campaigns. We’ve had speakers come in. We had River Watch come in the week of Halloween to do a presentation about joining an internship there and that kind of thing.”

Cowles noted another long-term cost of conserving energy and making efforts to implement green energy is one that can become economically efficient in the future.

“In the long term, using green energy is absolutely cost efficient,” Cowles said. “In the short term, it’s hard to judge. We all know that solar panels can become more efficient if more research is done. Same thing with wind power. A lot of that is still very young, and initial investment is going to be important. I think in the long run it’s certainly a necessity and is one of the big goals of the U.S. to become more energy independent. That is only going to happen if we go into alternative fuels. There is not enough oil in the ground that the U.S. has access to for them to ever be energy independent, so it’s has to be through nuclear, solar or wind.”

Becoming energy independent is something Cowles said people have difficulty grasping at times.

“The U.S. is certainly on a very large scale,” he said, “and I think it’s hard for people to gather that a windmill here or there isn’t going to make much of a difference, that it’s kind of got to be a more global effort. I think Austin Energy is pretty aggressive comparatively to a lot of other cities, and so as a result they probably recruited

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Graphic by Caitlin Falk.

CAITLIN FALK

nov. 9, 2012

the district pretty hard.”

Turner attributes the support for environmental awareness in the city to the community.

“One thing about Austin is that the city as a whole is very passionate about these kinds of issues,” he said. “On one hand, we’re doing it because it’s kind of what our constituents believe in, and it’s a good thing to do.”

On the whole, student efforts can make a difference, Hammer said.

“Students can do simple things like recycle old or unneeded notes and even just use the backs of papers,” Hammer said. “You don’t realize how much paper that saves until you do it for a while, but it does. They can also help pick up the pieces of trash that other students leave lying around the campus, or just pick up their own. There are plenty of small jobs that can be done that help a lot in the long run.”

The district is working on communicating their energy goals to campuses in their newly developed initiatives.

“We do intend to reach out to campuses,” Turner said. “If McCallum wanted to start one of these green teams through a class or a science club, then you could be involved at any level to actually support some of these things.”

Hammer was adamant in her support for conserving energy and resources.

“I think for obvious reasons it is important that teenagers and kids are aware of environment and how limited its resources are,” she said. “We’re the people who are going to be taking care of the Earth for the next 50 years or so. The sooner we learn how to treat our planet, the better.”

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oct. 5, 2012

the shield

Big brother is watching Schools in San Antonio embed radio transmitters in student IDs WES JOHNS staff reporter

Anson J Middle ones School

Radio frequency transmitters in student IDs became a way of life for students at Anson Jones Middle School and John Jay High School in San Antonio beginning Oct. 1. Scanners hidden behind the walls and the ceiling can track students as they move throughout the school.

“I wouldn’t feel safe if I knew I was being tracked.” junior Nathan Kareithi said. “It would be an invasion of my privacy.”

The purpose of these IDs is to ensure the school gets all the state funding it is entitled.

Schools in Texas get money based on the number of students counted in their classes.

The higher the attendance, the more money the school will receive. Using the IDs en-

Press forward SEREN VILLWOCK staff reporter

After 59 years of newspaper publications, the Shield is debuting a new dimension of the newspaper: an online version. The website, macshieldonline. com, is starting out small but will continue growing over this year to bring the voices of McCallum to the Internet. Online editor Baron Heinrich said this new media will enhance the paper by allowing the staff to cover and publish events as they happen and giving more room for featuring opinions.

“Readers can expect to find many more staff opinions about things both inside and outside McCallum,” Heinrich said. “Columns are really fun to read and write, but we need to focus on news in the actual newspaper. The website gives us

sures all students will be counted in the attendance and the school will get the money it deserves.

“I like the idea,” security guard Georgia Pina said. “It would be nice to be able to keep more kids in class.”

If students are reported absent, the school will check to see if they are in the building and then will then be taken to class and counted as present.

“I think they shouldn’t track the high school students,” junior Joshua Castillo said.

“They deserve to be more anonymous. It’s okay for middle school students because they make less choices for themselves and it’s more important to keep them at the school.”

The use of the radio frequency transmitters bring up the question of whether or not schools should be able to track students on

campus. The system will cost the district $261,000, and if attendance increases as predicted, it could bring an additional $2 million for the district in state funding.

“Once we identify who the problem, is maybe we could [track] those students,” assistant principal Larry Featherstone said. “I just don’t think it’s fair for the other 85 percent of the students to have to suffer, or be monitored, when they’re being responsible. Those who show lack of responsibility should be monitored.”

One benefit to tracking the students is in the case of a fire. If a student is unaccounted for, the teacher can check and see if the student is still being tracked inside the school or if they have safely exited the building. Students are also able to pass through lunch lines more quickly.

Newspaper staff works to give the Shield an online presence with new website

the space to expand. We will also cover to the website. Readers will also be able school-related news more often on the to view a virtual version of the print website because we’ll be able to feature newspaper. As the staff of the Shield it immediately after it happens. The print explores this new media, they look forward newspaper only to expanding comes out once boundaries and The website is a way every six weeks, moving toward to get [news] out there and by then a more active some school publication. and also make it more events are old Editor-in-chief accessible to people. news.

With Grace Frye said the website, it’s important to we’ll be able start a website to Grace Frye cover events make the paper Editor-in-chief while they more convenient are relevant. I really want to have the and fun. website constantly updated with the latest “Many people aren’t really aware of McCallum news.” the news going on in McCallum,” Frye Stories on the website will include said. “The website is a way to get it out online versions of the stories published there and also make it more accessible to in the newspaper as well as stores unique people. People may not want to read a full-

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length newspaper story because they’re not interested or they don’t have time, but with the online version we can add more fast news and fun stories.”

The website will also help the Shield adapt to the changing world of journalism, she said.

“Journalism is evolving towards multimedia,” Frye said. “Many newspapers have online versions now, and I think having an online publication will really help us move forward in the future. I don’t want to get rid of the print newspaper, but the online and paper version together will really benefit McCallum and also the community. Now, local businesses, families and friends can all see what’s going on in the school.”

Visit us online at macshieldonline.com

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nov. 9, 2012

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Joined in holy marriage?

Students, teachers discuss recent controversy concerning possibility of Jesus’ spouse GRACE FRYE editor-in-chief

One of the tenets of Christianity is that Jesus never married.

What if that tenet is wrong?

This is the question presented by Dr. Karen L. King, a historian of early Christianity at Harvard Divinity School. A recent discovery—a fading piece of papyrus no larger than a business card—was made

by Dr. King, which she identified as being written in the Coptic language during the 4th century. The document includes two lines which have caused controversy around the world, including: “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife…’.”

“I was kind of confused at first,” freshman Meagan Garza said. “When I first read about the document, I was thinking, really? I was doubting that it was referring to a wife because I thought immediately that Jesus’ bride was the Church. So when I read it I thought, ‘Why would people be thinking about [the Church] as a wife if all of the Gospels in the Bible were written by the four men who knew Jesus the most and not one of them ever mentioned him having a wife.’ So I don’t know why all of a sudden this is being brought up.”

The translations of the provoking lines were presented to the public at the International Congress of Coptic Studies in Rome, Italy, on Sept. 18. After extensive research, Dr. King and her associates declared the document most likely not a forgery, much to the dismay of the Vatican and the Roman Catholic Church.

Steven Friesen, Louise Farmer Boyer Chair in Biblical Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, said it will take time to tell whether it is a forgery or not. Friesen has worked at UT- Austin for seven years, and before arriving there taught at the University of Missouri-Columbia where he served as chair of the Department of Religious Studies.

“The opinion of specialists is now

trending toward skepticism,” Friesen said. “Some researchers have noticed that the text, which is in the Coptic language, could have been based on the Coptic in the Gospel of Thomas. If that’s so, then it could be a patched together job—either an ancient forgery or a modern one. But we probably won’t ing its stance on unmarried clergy, using be certain for awhile.”

John Huehnergard, Professor of Mid- Jesus as the example.

Junior Erica Barlin, a self-proclaimed dle Eastern Studies at UT-Austin, said there is a high chance the document is actu- atheist, said she doesn’t agree with the Church because ally real. Huehnshe thinks “sciergard has taught ence explains at UT for four the universe betyears and before Today if there were some ter than any suthat taught at person that maybe thought pernatural being Harvard for 26 could.” years. that they were coming “Given that I “It is probably through God, trying to don’t believe in not a forgery,” it, I can say, like, share a message from God, Huehnergard maybe there was said. “Professor we would denounce it as a guy named JeKing consulted well. It wouldn’t ever be sus, but I don’t some of the best think it matters papyrologists in listened to. one way or anthe world, and other if he was they seem to be Louisa Kirksey married,” Barlin pretty sure that Junior said. “I know the fragment is they talk about genuine. Professor King has also had the fragment tested the whole purity thing, but I don’t think for a radiocarbon date, but when I last it really matters because all that Christian heard from her, she was still waiting for jazz is crazy.”

Junior Louisa Kirksey said due to the the results of that test from the lab. I would add that Professor King herself is one of nature of the Church she thinks church the world’s leading authorities on the early officials have no choice other than to dehistory of Christianity and on these par- nounce the document as false.

“I think that back in the early days, when ticular types of non-canonical (gospels that didn’t make it into the New Testament) the foundations of the Church were originally being made, it was super-patriarchal,” texts.”

Experts have begun to look into the Kirksey said. “So if that’s their foundation controversy further as it has reignited the and that’s what they’ve known for so long, argument once central in Christianity: then they will completely renounce anyWas Jesus married? The second controver- thing that would take that away. So I think sial line was translated to say “she will be that it is very likely that people of the time able to be my disciple.” The Vatican has de- were starting to move away from that and nounced the document as fake, maintain- they were allowing women in there, but the

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Illustration by Jasmine Bell. fact of the matter is today we would never ever listen to that. Today if there were some person that maybe thought that they were coming through God, trying to share a message from God, we would renounce it as well. It wouldn’t ever be listened to; it would be swiped away because something of that nature would take away everything that [the Church has] known. So in turn, they have to renounce it. But I think it’s very likely that that would have happened.

It’s just that their foundations are so strict that they keep us in this box that we can’t get out of.”

As well as keeping clergy exclusive to unmarried men, the Vatican has also refused to open clergy to women, again using Jesus as its example.

“I don’t agree that women shouldn’t hold clergy positions,” Barlin said. “Again, Christianity: that’s sort of been their deal the whole time.”

Kirksey agreed.

“If [not allowing women into the clergy] is what they want to do, then that’s what they can do, but also as we can see, in the 4th century they were trying to move away from that and there was obviously a reason they were trying to move away from that,” she said. “And I think women are just as capable of being in that position and doing that work and that kind of thing and that’s awesome. But it’s never going to change.

Like I said, their foundations are so far set in stone that we are never going to be able to change it that way. I just don’t agree with the Catholic church. I think women are just as capable, and I think we’ve proved that in 18th through 21st centuries.”

Continued on page 6

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the shield

Senior performs original composition at Texas architects convention GRACE FRYE editor-in-chief

Senior Trevor Villwock and the McCallum orchestra performed his original piece “Movements in the Macrocosm” at the Hilton hotel for the annual Texas Society of Architects convention Oct. 19.

“Ms. Nelson just called me into her office one day and told me about a meeting in February and explained how they were commissioning three area high school students to compose music about architecture,” Villwock said. “Then at the meeting, they explained that the Texas Society of Architects was having its annual convention in Austin that year, and they were basing the convention on the similarities of architecture and music, like design and developing form and structure.

They wanted me and the two other students to write about the similarities between music and architecture. Each student worked with a different architectural firm.

I visited the one I was working with a

couple times, and they explained to me about the processes of architecture.”

Villwock said this experience has helped him to grow as a composer.

“I already had a little bit of a concept in my head before I met with the architectural firm because I had been thinking about it for a month, so I had a general idea in my mind and that just fit with the architectural process,” Villwock said.

“Basically, I just sat down at the piano and heard in my head, but a lot of it was just experimentation. [The piece] sounds a lot more contemporary than my other pieces, especially at the beginning. The piece I wrote for the Austin Symphony had influences of Shostakovich and Beethoven, but this piece had more of a Rachmaninoff and Ravel influence.”

In the piece, Villwock had a piano solo, but the piece was written for a full orchestra. He said coordinating the rehearsals was one of the main challenges.

“We rehearsed it pretty much completely in one week, so we had about an hour a day

for a week,” Villwock said. “It got better as the week went on. It was kind of stressful and I was a little worried at the beginning of the week, but they pulled it off and I was really happy. It never turns out exactly like you picture it, but it was pretty good. I was really excited.

“It really made me realize how much it takes to get a full orchestra to perform something,” he continued. “When I did it with the Symphony, they prepared all the parts and rehearsed it themselves, but this time I had to do pretty much everything myself with getting the score and all the parts ready. There were also a lot of logistics to work out too, like the string players and the wind players didn’t have the same class, so it was difficult to coordinate. It was a lot more work than I anticipated, but it turned out really well.

I think [the experience] also helped my stylistic development as a composer, too.”

Villwock said the convention has helped to solidify his plans to major in music after high school.

Villwock at the convention Oct. 19.

Photo by Seren Villwock.

“I’m definitely going to major in composition my first year in college,” he said. “Right now, I’m looking at Oberlin, University of Southern California, Eastman School of Music, CU Boulder, San Francisco Conservatory of Music and UT Austin, so hopefully I’ll end up at one of those places. I’m really excited to be able to focus on music.”

Although composing for instruments he doesn’t play was hard, Villwock said everyone came together very well. “[During the convention] I was just trying to take it all in,” he said. “It doesn’t happen that often and it was pretty cool to play my own piece with me as the piano soloist and the orchestra with all these friends that I know. It was just so cool to have everyone come together and make it happen.”

Text written in 4th centery Coptic language leaves questions about Jesus’ life Continued from page 5 While there is evidence to support Dr. King’s claims, Garza said her faith has stayed strong and she does not believe the document to be true.

“I’m really strong in my faith. I’ve grown up in a Christian household, and the rest of my family is Christian,” Garza said. “For me, it’s completely trusting in Jesus and the Bible. I don’t think there is a chance the Jesus was married. He spent his time, I mean his life, devoted to God. He wouldn’t have strayed away from that for lust or anything because he didn’t sin.”

News and media outlets have taken the story and run with it. Experts on the matter say there is more to the issue than is being presented.

“It’s important to keep in mind that the researcher (Dr. King) thinks this is a 4th century manuscript, several hundred years after the life of Jesus,” Friesen said. “No one thinks it gives us accurate historical information for the life of Jesus. The reason it’s interesting is that, if valid, it tells us that some Christians in the 4th century may have speculated about the possibility of Jesus being married.

“However, it’s also crucial to keep in mind that the document is fragmentary and breaks off in mid-sentence,” he added.

“So if it’s a genuine 4th century document, ing into if all it says is ‘And Jesus said ‘my the missing part may have said something wife,’ and that’s it. It doesn’t give any more very different than the news media imag- explanation, so I don’t think it is worth worined. Maybe it said something like, ‘She is rying about it as much. Also, there is a good not my wife,’ if there was a negative in the chance it is just a different translation of him missing part of the papyrus. So it’s more in- talking about the Church.” teresting for church history than it is for the However, much to the disbelief of the life of Jesus.”

Church and Christians alike, the converDr. King sation continhas adamantly ues, potentially stated she causing riffs hopes more between people The missing part may have and their faith, scholars will said something very differweigh in on Garza said. the discovery “This disent than the news media with their own covery hasn’t afimagined. Maybe it said points of view. fected my faith, However, but it definitely something like, ‘She is not Garza said she could affect my wife.’ does not beothers who are lieve it is necesnot as strong in sary to do any their faith,” GarSteven Friesen more research za said. “But for Professor of Biblical Studies me personally, to either prove or disprove the I have a strong lines. foundation in what I know so far, as well as “The Bible states in several places that in the Bible in general. So if it’s not in [the Jesus’ bride was the Church,” Garza said. Bible] and it is just something that some“You can look anywhere in the Gospels in one found, I don’t think it going to sway the Bible and it never mentions him having many people.”

Kirksey said despite some aversion to a wife, so I don’t really think it’s worth look-

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further research, it is very important historians continue to look into the history behind the document.

“Absolutely, research should done to learn more, but there is only so far we can go. It was the 4th century,” Kirksey said.

“I mean, why not? But on the other hand, research has been so limited because they don’t want to know if it is true or not. So of course the Church and its followers are immediately going to say, ‘No, no follow up.’

But it would be awesome to see further what was happening at that time, what kind of reforms were happening, what was really going on during that period of time.

“They have freedom of speech then to do what they were going to do, so there is always a reason that it could be biased or unreal, and could’ve taken place between two people that weren’t even Jesus or his wife,” Kirksey added. “But the idea that they were pushing for their new ideas shows the most important part of the whole controversy, which was, no matter if it was true or not, they were trying to push women into the clergy or show that women were capable of that. That is an important step in that history because that was never known before.

That’s why we are freaking out now because that is so far off from what we know now.”

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nov. 9, 2012

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news in brief SEREN VILLWOCK staff reporter

Faculty present artistic endeavors in downtown art show

The marching band plays pep tunes at a football game. The band received a rating of all ones at the UIL contest Oct. 23, the band’s last competition of the season. Photo by Katie Sanchez.

EARLY ACTION DEADLINE

Located in the heart of Chicago’s Loop and at www.saic.edu

DECEMBER 1, 2012 AMERICA’S MOST INFLUENTIAL ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL WANTS TO REMIND YOU OF OUR UPCOMING NON-BINDING EARLY ACTION DEADLINE! Completing your entire application by this date provides you: Priority scholarship consideration Priority consideration for on-campus housing Priority registration for Fall 2013 classes Visit saic.edu/ugmerit for more information Visit saic.edu/ugapp to apply ADMISSIONS | 800.232.7242 | 312.629.6100 | admiss@saic.edu

For the past three weeks, art from McCallum was featured at E4 Gallery and Art Studio downtown. The art did not come from fine arts students, however; it was created by 15 members of the faculty as part of the staff art show “I Got a Life.”

The show came from art teacher Mary Ghazi’s idea to see the talent and art at McCallum from a different perspective.

The staff had a positive response to the idea, Ghazi said.

“In August, I was preparing for a photography show my daughters and I wanted to do, and I had reserved a gallery for it,” she said, explaining how the idea for the show came about. “As I was coming back to school, I was talking to someone in the office about it and we thought of the idea to have a teacher and staff art show.

So, I sent out an email asking teachers about art they were interested in.”

The show featured everything from photography and jewelry to guitars and makeup artistry made by teachers and staff. It will be up at the E4 Gallery and Art Studio until Nov. 11.

“The teachers and staff have a lot of different talents,” Ghazi said. “It was really a great show. The manager at the gallery liked it so much that he wanted to keep it up for another week.”

Ghazi said she hopes to continue with another faculty and staff art show next year or possibly in the spring.

“Behind the scenes was really exciting,” she said. “I am really excited about it, and I want to do it again.”

Band dances to top in UIL competition After months of hard work and preparation, the marching band received all ones at the UIL contest Oct. 23, the band’s last competition of the season. “[The contest] is really a culmination of the entire marching season,” director Carol Nelson said.

In addition to the band’s success at the UIL competition, it also won first place at the Capital City Marching Festival

Oct. 6 amid 23 other 4-A and 5-A bands from around central Texas. The show, “Dance Movements,” featured the pieces “Farandole” by Bizet, “Dancer in the Dark”

by Bjork, “Estancia” by Ginastera, and “Medea” by Barber.

Sophomore Nyla Saqer said the band’s win at the festival reflected the hard work in anticipation of UIL and other shows.

“It was really exciting to know we got first place and that we got more points than any other school,” Saqer said. “It just shows how we have worked really hard for a great show.”

Theatre department presents one-act play ‘Harlequinade’ With a guest director leading the way, the theater presented “Harlequinade,” its second production of the year in the black box theater. The one-act play featured the story of a professional theater company presenting “Romeo and Julliet” and the comical struggles it faced.

“The audience had a great reaction to the show,” sophomore Abi Trent said.

“There were a lot of laughs.”

While technical theater teacher Becky White designed the set for “Harlequinade,” the guest director was from outside McCallum. Trent said the guest director gave the play something.

“The guest director gave the play some new blood,” she said. “It was really fun, and we had a really great time.”

Emily Hunteman snaps winning shot for photo contest Junior Emily Hunteman was sitting in pre-calculus when she got the call with news that her photo had been selected as a winner for the Project Imaginat10n photo contest.

“I ran outside the class to hear the news,” she said. “I couldn’t even breathe.

All I could think was ‘thank you, thank you, thank you.’ It was so exciting.”

Her photo was one of 91 selected from thousands of entries in the contest. A board of celebrity directors will select 10 from these winning photos to inspire a 10film festival.

“I also received $500 for the Canon online store, which is really exciting,” Hunteman said. “I’m so grateful for the whole experience.”

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the shield

Alcohol, high school a deadly cocktail High school students killed in car crash while allegedly under the influence CAITLIN HENSON staff reporter

On Oct. 9, four teenagers died in a car crash in New York. Joseph Beer, a 17 yearold with a learners permit, was driving.

Four of the teens were friends from school in Queens. As the five were going back to New York, they were driving on an island highway and slammed into a tree. The crash killed four 18-year-old passengers, according to the state police. The car split in two as the car took the blow. Beer was the only survivor.

The New York Times said Beer admitted to being high.

“We believe it was pot, and we are waiting for the test results,” the Times source said. “Responders to the crash noticed a smell of marijuana in the vehicle.”

Driving under the influence occurs frequently among teens. Every day eight teens die from alcohol-related incidents.

“Teens want to have fun, show off, but they never think about what they are doing,” junior Julia McDonald said. “No plan.”

Sophomore Christian McLucas said he thinks there is a big problem with teens

drinking while intoxicated.

McLucas said he doesn’t why people “Most people don’t know their level of would drive after drinking. how much alcohol they can consume and “I know that you stumble and slur and not be able to control themselves or not see double when you drink, so why would know how to control the situation,” McLu- you want to drink and drive?” McLucas cas said. “Insaid. “We as humans experienced have so much going on drinkers are in our brain, so why add unaware these more by drinking and The Dram Shop Act days of the doing more difficult allows alcohol servmental probtasks?” lems that alcoThe Dram Shop Act ing places to not be hol can cause is a case law in 38 states blamed when a DWI on the brain.” that makes a business The five or a host that sells or accident occurs. states with the gives alcoholic drinks highest number to a drinker who is obJulia McDonald of accidents inviously intoxicated or Junior volving drunk close to it strictly liable drivers are Wisto anyone injured by the consin, South Carolina, Montana, Hawaii drunken patron or guest. and Texas.

“The Dram Shop Act allows alcohol “We are in the top 5; that’s not good,” servings places to be blamed when a DWI senior Cooper Hayes said. “Maybe if they accident occurs,” McDonald said, “basicalstarted cracking down on the law and ly saying that if someone gets into a crash made penalties more severe, we could in- while intoxicated they can sue.” crease the penalty for drunk driving. There Freshman Sam Barrera said teen are people that have gotten multiple DWI’s caught drinking and driving give all teens and never gone to jail. That’s a problem.” a bad reputation.

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“When teenagers die because of drinking and driving that’s putting a bad rep on us,” Barrera said. “Our parents think because they do it we will do it, but not every one will. Kids shouldn’t fall for peer pressure or be dumb enough to drive while intoxicated. It’s just sad to see that one kid on the news that died because of DWI. It’s a scary thing and it’s scary for people around.”

Nurse Kathleen Thelen said when teens go somewhere there is an “open” drink like a bowl of punch, they shouldn’t drink it.

Always drink canned or bottle products because the “open” drink could be spiked.

“Teens are going to drink. Parents, some not all, don’t talk to their teen about sex or drinking,” Thelen said, “so young drivers need to be careful, drunk or not.”

Thelen said teens learn the hard way because parents don’t talk to them or they are listening to friends, in other words, peer pressure.

“Car crashes are the leading causes of death for teens, so why mix alcohol with it and cause a bigger problem?” McDonald said. “Just because we have a problem doesn’t mean there will always be a solution.”

‘Victory or Death’ letter to return to Alamo Document to be displayed Feb. 23-March 7 at state’s most famous historic site WES JOHNS staff reporter

Lieutenant colonel William Barret Travis penned a letter on Feb. 25, 1839 that would change the course of the Texas Revolution. This letter was his famous “Victory or Death” letter. Twenty-four hours after the siege of the Alamo began, Travis sent what would be the final message from the Alamo.

The “Victory or Death” letter, as it has come to be known, has been stored in the Texas State Library since 1909, and the General Land Office was pushing to have it displayed at the Alamo from Feb. 23March 7, marking the 177th anniversary of the siege.

The Archives Commission voted against displaying the letter in early October. However, they reversed their decision Oct. 24 and voted 6-1 in favor of displaying it.

Travis hoped the letter would reach re-

inforcements in time to save the Alamo, but no aid was sent and the garrison fell. The letter was published in leaflets and newspapers, and the volunteer troops gathered under the control of Sam Houston. These troops, motivated by the words of Travis, defeated Santa Anna and secured the independence of Texas.

“I think it should be displayed,” senior Max Krys said. “It’s an important document, and it allows the people of Texas to know how much the founders cared about this state.”

The letter has rarely been displayed, and never in San Antonio. It is kept in “dark storage” out of public view in the library. The document is widely regarded as the state’s most sacred text, and many feel it should be shown, even for a short period.

The letter is expected to attract a large crowd and much needed money for the historical site. Last year the General Land Office took over ownership of the Alamo from the Daughters of the Republic of

Texas due to fears they were improperly managing the site.

The Land office announced in October they would request $1 million from the Texas Legislature in January.

The funds Photo courtesy of San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau would be used on much needed repair for the histori- officers. Photography will also not be allowed in the room with the letter. The letcal site.

The main reason administrators at the ter will also be in a shatterproof glass case.

“This document is almost 200 years State Library were hesitant about loaning the letter is because they are worried old,” Texas State Library director Peggy it would be damaged. While on display, it Rudd said in an interview with the Bryan will be held inside the mission–age chapel, (TX) Eagle. “It has not always been cared protected by metal detectors and police for in the most appropriate ways.”

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The new math Students, faculty examine new GPA policy SAMANTHA ROGERS

“I think it’s kind of unfair for just freshman and sophomores,” freshman Indira Warmbrodt said. “You’re giving an unfair Freshman and sophomores may have advantage.” an easier time pulling up class rank with a Last year, the Austin Independent new GPA system that went into effect this School District did not average the year.

STAAR test into 15 percent of the GPA. Freshmen and sophomores who com- Parents, students, and teachers were conplete more required courses than required cerned for the straight A students who for graduation will performed poorly be able to calculate on the STAAR class rank with test causing their the highest grade class rank to The school can point averages drop. in math, science, The Legislacreate a scale that English, social ture will meet in wouldn’t be as harmstudies and lanJanuary to decide guages other than if school districts ful to the students.

English. have to average “It’s convenient in the EOC and the way I underSTAAR tests. If Mike Garrison stand,” freshman the Legislature Principal Katherine Stallvotes school disworth said. “It tricts do have to ought to help with average the tests class rank and in, then AISD GPA.” will create a scale. This scale will help stuSophomore Gayla Raulie said she does dents who do not pass the tests or perform not have a clear opinion on how she feels poorly. The lowest possible grade someabout the class rank. one will be able to get on the STAAR test “It’s good if you do extra things you is a 69. get credit for it,” ]Raulie said. “It’s not the “The school can create a scale that worst thing, but it’s not the best thing.” wouldn’t be as harmful to the students if This new system, however, will not af- you just took the score,” Principal Mike fect juniors and seniors. The juniors and Garrison said. “The goal with this scale is seniors will keep the same GPA system so the EOC will not cause a student to fail that has been used in the past years. the course.” staff reporter

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breakdown: Old Policy • Averages in all classes • Didn’t take into account low course grades • The standardized testing was not averaged in

New Policy • Highest classes are averaged • Takes into account low course grades • Standardized tests are averaged in

Illustration by Nohra Johnston.

Old skeleton, new name Scientists identify a new dinosaur JACOB STRAIGHT staff reporter

In 1983, paleontologist Paul Sereno found a skeleton stashed in a back room of the Harvard Museum of Natural history. On Oct. 7, the skeleton was identified.

The small fanged dinosaur, named Pegomastax Africana (which means Strong-Jawed from Africa) was discovered to be a herbivore, only about two feet long and weighing about the same as an average house cat. It is believed to have bristles on its body, similar to the way a porcupine has.

“I can’t believe more dinosaurs are being discovered,” senior John Smith* said. “I always thought we already discovered all of the dinosaurs possible.

I mean, they’ve been dead for so long, we’ve definitely had a long opportunity to find all the skeletons.”

The bristles, which covered the whole body from head to tail, were believed to have many uses. One would be defense against predators, using the bristles as weapons. Another idea was that they were used to make them look bigger.

“I really do enjoy learning about dinosaurs, I find them quite interesting,” said freshman Aidan Shehan. “I think the thing that sets them apart from other living things is the fact they were one of the first complex life forms on the planet, and they’re all dead now so I can’t just walk outside and observe one.”

The dinosaur’s long skull was most likely adapted for eating fruit, not ripping the flesh off prey. This conclusion

was based on the way the jaw fit together, the way the teeth were shaped, and how the teeth were worn down.

“The last time I learned about dinosaurs in school was a very long time ago,” Shehan said, “probably in elementary school. The last time I can actually remember was in second grade. I don’t think we need to know about dinosaurs in our core classes, but maybe there can be a elective or club for other people who are also passionate about dinosaurs.”

The teeth of this dinosaur could cause more of a nipping bite than one meant to kill. The jaw itself is about one inch long, with an almost parrotlike beak. It also had a pair of sharp canine teeth with tall teeth behind those. It is nicknamed the Dracula dinosaur because of its long, sharp teeth.

The teeth operated almost like selfsharpening scissors, sliding past one another every time the jaw opened or closed. This wore down the sides of the teeth, and in effect sharpened them.

It is believed that Pegomastax looked almost like a large two-legged porcupine. The founder describes its size as a punk instead of dwarf because “…dinosaurs started out small and we tend to forget that,” Sereno said in an interview on his website.

Sereno is also well-known for his discovery of a nearly fully intact specimen of Sarcosuchus imperator (popularly known as Super Croc). He and his wife run a non-profit organization called Project Exploration, which encourages children to get interested in a career in science. *Name changed

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Students, organizations participate in breast cancer awareness month LINA WOSTMANN

Sophmore Kelly Olson’s mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in the staff reporter Pink clothing and accessories were ev- summer of 2009. She received radiaerywhere Oct. 25. During October, breast tion, chemotherapy and reconstruccancer awareness month, pink was a big tive surgery and beat the cancer. part of the school, “You never especially in athletthink it will ever ics. happen to your You never think it will “The whole band family, but when it [wore] pink shirts does happen, it is ever happen to your at the LBJ game,” kind of shocking,” family, but when it senior Ireland Olson said.

Hirschman said.

Now Olson does happen, it is kind A big part of the and her family of shocking. stadium was pink are very active to then because the bring awareness to Kelly Olson band also particibreast cancer. OlSophmore pated. son’s family takes “It makes peopart in Brides ple stop and really think for a second,” Against Breast Cancer.

Hirschman said. “And that is who we want “Woman donate their old wedding to reach, the people that realize that it is dresses to Brides Against Breast Cancer,” something real and something you actually Olson said “These dresses are sold, and all can get.” the money goes to breast cancer research.”

Olson is also involved with volleyball. The game against Travis on Oct. 5 was specifically pink. All the girls wore pink shirts for the game.

In addition to this, they participated in the 5 km fun run The Race For The Cure on Nov. 4.

“We get Juniors Marie-Claire Huff and Elena Martell sell pies for a big team Pie-A-PAL and trinckets during Pink Week. Photo by Lina together,”

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Top: Banner made by the PALs to support Breast Cancer awareness week. Above: Senior Zoe Whitworth pies senior Gobi-Kla Vonan during the PALs Pink Week. Photos by Lina Wostmann.

Olson said “The money we raise goes to people that cannot pay for their treatment or things like this.”

McCallum had a team at this race too.

“We have a team registered,” Blue Brigade sponsor Nancy Honeycutt said before the event.

“We will take donations the week before to make one big donation.”

About 30 members of Blue Brigade and the cheerleading squad ran the race.

In addition, the dance team wanted to bring awareness by adding pink elements to their dances.

“We (wore) pink headbands and we also have choreograph scheduled with pink hoops,” Honeycutt said. “Breast cancer is such a huge topic, and a lot of people are affected. We think it is important to bring awareness.”

The dance team has been involved with Breast Cancer Month for four years.

Another group that helps with the Breast Cancer month are the cheerleaders.

“One of our pep rallies is specifically pink,” senior April Milan said “We will have pink outfits and pink boots.”

Milan is also involved with PALs to bring awareness.

“We do things like tie-dye and Piea-Pal. We invited teachers to PALs, nail painting, selling trinkets, pink lemonade and other things to raise money,” junior Jaede Davis said.

The money raised goes to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Foundation.

“Breast cancer is something that affects a lot of people,” Davis said “It is a good thing to raise money for it so that people will get themselves checked.”

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Tale of two teas VIOLET ACEVEDO staff reporter

The mug is warm and the herbal scent of hot tea is wafting out as junior Justina Gil takes a sip. A lover of tea since her mother made her drink it when she was sick, it was only natural for her to want to share with other people.

“It’s an obsession,” Gil said. “I have tea in my locker, and I was drinking three cups a day. Then I was like, ‘Why don’t I make a club?’”

So she did, but she was not the only one.

This traditional drink of many nations became a source of tension as two different tea clubs clashed. Senior Baron Heinrich’s Bad Movies with Tea Club was the first.

“Last summer my aunt got me into teas and I was like, ‘Everyone needs to know about tea,’” Heinrich said. “It was originally just going to be tea, but I decided we needed something else, so I went with movies. Bad movies, specifically.”

But to officially start his club, Heinrich had to find a teacher willing to sponsor it.

That was what led him to English teacher Flor Mota to ask her to become his sponsor.

“I went to her because she has an interest in movies and the club is movie based,” Heinrich said. “We get along pretty well because she likes movies and I like tea.”

Mota said she was glad to provide the space not only because she trusted Heinrich to be responsible and create an appealing club, but she could also relate to his concept.

“I think bad movies have a special place in everyone’s heart,” Mota said, “so I can understand coming together to watch them.”

With Mota’s support under his belt, Heinrich was able to move on with the creation of his club and had the first meeting Sept. 27.

However, Gil, in her own search for a sponsor, thought Mota would be a good fit as well. Unfortunately, it was too late.

“When I found out she was already sponsoring a tea club,” Gil said, “I was scared that I wasn’t going to be able to have my club.

The other sounds cool, but it just wasn’t what I was planning. I just didn’t want to give up, though. I was really excited to start a tea club.”

Her determination led her to turn to another teacher for help.

“I went to Staples because he had a British nanny and I thought he’d like it,” Gil said.

“Plus, I thought it would be funny because Mota and Staples are ‘rivals’ with each other.”

Being a fan of tea himself, World History teacher Bill Staples said he was happy to sponsor Gil’s club.

“I drink coffee in the morning, but in the afternoon I like to drink tea,” Staples said.

“It’s invigorating. After a cup of tea, I’m relaxed.”

Creation of two different clubs causes a stir But besides being a lover of tea, Staples also has a vast knowledge on the subject, able to give a lesson about the make-up of the drink and its relaxation qualities. His knowledge and enthusiasm coincided perfectly with Gil’s intended purpose of the club.

“I wanted people to learn about how different countries and cultures drink tea,” Gil said. “The other club is more laid back about tea, but I wanted to learn about it.”

It looked like everything was going to work out for Gil. She had found a sponsor and a clear purpose, but there was still the other tea club to contend with. So she planned her new Tea, Coffee and Comedy Club to be on another day and was prepared to continue without conflict. That changed, however, when Heinrich found out about it.

It was then that the real tension started.

“I was like ‘Hold up! What is this monstrosity?’”

Heinrich said with a smile.

“I was irritated I was irritated becabecause this was the almost sue [it] was the almost exact same club with alexact same purpose most the exact [as my club]. same purpose.

I came first, Baron Heinrich hello!”

Senior For a short time, Heinrich went about annoyed at the theft of his tea club concept. But when the initial shock wore off and he learned more about Gil’s club, he realized the two clubs weren’t the same after all and his annoyance fizzled out.

“At first I was really irritated, but apparently it is different in some aspects,” Heinrich said. “The difference is we focus more on the comedy and they focus more on the tea.”

What Heinrich realized was with different sponsors and purposes, the clubs were diverse enough for the competition between them to be little to none. It turns out the school was big enough for two tea clubs after all. With the tension cleared, the founders stopped worrying about the other club and started to look to the future of their own.

“I hope we have even more enthusiastic participation [than before],” Heinrich said.

“I want to keep the humor and relaxed atmosphere.”

Gil who had her first meeting Oct. 17, said her hopes are similar.

“I hope people will like it and enjoy it,” Gil said. “I want everyone to enjoy drinking some of the most popular hot drinks around in the world, but mostly I want them to have fun.”

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Remembering lost loved ones Tradition of Día de los Muertos celebrates lives of those who have passed BRIANNA GARCIA staff reporter

Crying, laughing, eating good food and just having a good time. Remembering all that happened during the good ol’ days. Día de los Muertos is a time to celebrate not that people died but simply who they were while living and the memories made with them.

Día de los Muertos is celebrated in México and Central America and some parts of the United States. It is celebrated for two days: Nov. 1, All Saints Day, and Nov. 2, All Souls Day. Nov. 1 is for the babies and children who have passed away, and Nov. 2 is for the adults.

Participants make an alter or “ofrendas” for the deceased and surround it with things that remind them of the person who passed away. Around the alter, they can put anything from toys to the favorite foods and drinks of the deceased, items they loved, religious items, pictures and flowers like Marigold flowers, which symbolize death.

“If I would build an alter to my grandmother who passed away, I would put out Juicy Fruit gum, I would put out toast, coffee,” Spanish teacher Juana Gun said. “VO5, cause her hair always smelled like VO5. Vicks

because she would always put Vicks behind her ears.”

Candles are put around the alter but aren’t lit till the day of so the spirits can find their way back home. Sugar skulls with the person’s name on them are also placed around the alter. Making an alter is a way to honor loved ones who passed away. In México, relatives clean up the plot in the cemetery and repaint the tombstones of the deceased.

They bring flowers and food and other things to the site and honor those they lost.

Spanish teacher Graciela Rios-Tiessen has celebrated Día de los Muertos since she was a kid.

“We’d usually go to the graves of my grandparents and then put flowers on the tombstones in the cemetery,” Rios-Tiessen said. “Sometimes my mom would put up pictures of my grandparents or whoever passed away in our family.”

Día de los Muertos is not a holiday to be feared, Rios-Tiessen said. She likes to teach her students that it is about celebrating life.

“People in the U.S., they don’t like to talk about death,” she said. “but in Mexico, they celebrate it and they talk about it and they remember it. So people who don’t understand the traditional holiday in Mexico kind of get

Spanish teacher Graciela Rios-Tiessen set up “ofrendas” in her classroom for Día de los Muertos. Photo by Brianna Garcia. freaked out about it.”

Gun said she appreciates the tradition.

“I think sometimes after a year or two, we stop going to cemeteries to lay flowers,” Gun said. “But Day of the Dead in the Hispanic

culture, it becomes a tradition where every year we will honor grandma or whoever has passed away. I think it’s a beautiful custom because it’s one that you are constantly doing once a year.”

Celebrating family traditions Student plans for Thanksgiving holiday include food, fun and football LINA WOSTMANN staff reporter

Hannah Cooley Freshman Hannah Cooley will go to her grandparents’ house in San Marcos for Thanksgiving. The plan is to eat, watch football and the Thanksgiving Day parade.

“We usually always watch the UT football game, but they are not playing this year,” Cooley said. “So that is going to be weird not watching them on Thanksgiving.”

After eating, family members always say something they are grateful for, Cooley said.

Cooley said she loves being with her family and she has a really big family, so it is always a big deal when her family gets together.

After an evening with many types of food, her family sits down for dessert.

“I am definitely going to eat pecan pie,” Cooley said, “because this is my favorite.”

Andrea Perales Senior Andrea Perales will celebrate her Thanksgiving in Carrizo Springs

with her family. Her family has a street football game every year.

“It is from one lamplight to another lamplight, like half of a football field,” she said.

Usually her cousins and a couple of her uncles split into teams and play together.

For her family, this is a tradition.

“We had three touchdowns last year,” Perales said.

Perales said her family enjoys a large meal at Thanksgiving.

“After the football game, our family cooks together and has a huge dinner,” Perales said. “We are going to have a lot of food, a bit of everything.”

Perales said she is vegetarian and that is why she does not eat as many traditional Thanksgiving foods.

“We have a thing of turkey, a thing of ham and all the sides like potato salad and much more,” Perales said.

She has a huge family, about 20 cousins.

“I like seeing my whole family because we live all throughout Texas,” Perales said.

Zach Gonzalez Senior Zach Gonzalez will have three Thanksgivings.

“It is going to be spread out throughout the day,” Gonzales said.

He said he will celebrate first with his mom, then with his dad and at the end with his fiancé.

“I will go first with my mom to my grandparent’s house,” Gonzales said, “and we will probably will all make a turkey together. It is a very traditional Thanksgiving.

After this, I am going with my dad to a personal friend’s house,” Gonzales said.

He said there will be a lot of people and a lot of food.

“We will watch the Dallas Cowboys,” Gonzales said, “ but it depends on time if I will watch the game with my mom or with my dad.”

Gonzales celebrates always first with his mom and then with his dad.

This year he is also going to celebrate with his fiancé.

“This I my first Thanksgiving with my fiancé,” Gonzales said. “That is why I do not know yet what we are going to do.”

Alizé White Sophomore Alizé White will celebrate Thanksgiving with her family in Austin.

“We are all going to get together in my aunt’s house,” White said.

She will be together with her mother’s side of the family. White said her family will eat, talk, watch the football game and play games.

“We play, for example, Monopoly. I love Monopoly,” White said.

Her family also enjoys a traditional meal.

“We eat turkey and dressing, rolls and other things,” she said. “I like to see all my family all together in the same house.”

In-depth report:

Come together Recent news reports about segregation, Affirmative Action and bleach balloon attacks cause students, teachers to think about racial tolerance Photo illustration by Hannah Henry, Grace Frye and Caitlin Falk.

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Segregation in schools reaches record high since 1988, study finds GRACE FRYE editor-in-chief

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hemistry teacher Robert Lehman is in his 45th year teaching at McCallum. He has seen Mac morph and change into the high school it is now. But, not so long ago, McCallum was more different than students today can even imagine.

Transitioning from segregation to integration is something Lehman said he remembers very well.

“The first years were a very hard transition. When they first bused all the students over to Mac, there were lots of problems in the school,” Lehman said. “There were fights every day, and a lot of friction between students. I think this is because the students that were bused to McCallum—well, I think their feeling was that if they were going to integrate the schools, some of these McCallum students should have gone to [the old] Anderson [High School], which was the east school, and students from Anderson could come over here. Instead of everybody from Anderson being bused out, they probably thought the schools should have just mixed.

There were a lot of hard feelings on that, and those years were hard hard years. It made a lot of friction between students at first.”

Segregation is not an issue that has been publicized for nearly three decades. However, a new study from the University of California, Los Angeles has presented data that shows segregation in schools at a record high since 1988.

The growing population of the U.S. directly affects the diversity in public schools, with white students accounting for just over half of all students in public schools. Yet according to the study, white students are still highly concentrated in schools with other whites, while the largest minorities—Latino and black students—are more concentrated in schools with a majority of minority students.

“I believe that segregation within schools is prominent but not as much as some people set it out to be,” junior Bailey Saldaña. “I don’t think the majority of segregation is intentional, but because of the time we are in, when money determines where you live, it’s

going to happen.”

The high ratio of Latino students to white students is most common in New York, Texas and California. A main cause for the de facto segregation is family income, the study said.

“I definitely agree that demographics play a large role in the education of students in general,” Saldaña said. “It is a common yet sad trend that inner city minorities aren’t taught to the level that upper class white kids are. And if a school has no money, then there is less of an incentive to teach.”

According to Principal Mike Garrison, McCallum is one of the most diverse high schools in Austin based on the ethnic breakdown. Mac is 33 percent Hispanic and 43 percent white. Texas is 38.1 percent Hispanic and 44.8 percent white, according to the census.

“We are unique in that our attendance zone includes the surrounding Northwest Austin area as well as areas in East Austin,” Garrison said. “This creates a much more diverse school than other high schools in AISD. We also receive NCLB [No Child Left Behind] students from Lanier, Reagan and LBJ, which adds to our diversity.”

While also examining school population statistics, the study noted a parallel between the high concentration of minority students and the high concentration of low-income students in the same schools.

“Our schools are determined by where our students live,” Garrison said. “This happens a lot when certain neighborhoods are primarily minorities. Population-wise we are not segregated, but our student body is also 40 percent economically disadvantaged.”

School resegregation is also at a record high. Resegregation has happened because of chance and situation, rather than by law.

Resegregation is most common in the South where many desegregation plans have been dismantled. Desegregation received strong resistance in the south but was most prominent in the 1970s through the late 1980s.

Saldaña said she understands why Texas has high segregation rates, but she hopes in the future schools will make more of an effort to encourage students to attend their school.

“I am not surprised that Texas is one of the most segregated states because we have

a lot to segregate,” Saldaña said. “Texas has the most Latino immigrants directly from the border, and if these people are being forced for whatever reason to migrate to the same area, it is to be expected. It’s inevitable.

We live on the border, and social class and income plays a role in where you live.

“It upsets me a little bit that Latinos get stuck together as much as they do. I feel like more students would like school if there was motivation to go there,” Saldaña added. “You hear about schools such as Lanier and people not wanting to go there, predominately white people, because the education is poor.

But in my opinion, that’s not the fault of the students, more so the teachers. As a human we are entitled to our opinion, and if you don’t like Latinos and you have a class full of them, you won’t teach to a full potential.”

McCallum is more fortunate because of the diverse student body and staff, Garrison said.

“I feel very fortunate to work at McCallum with our group of dedicated teachers and staff, and I enjoy the diversity of the student body at McCallum,” Garrison said.

“People need to accept each other and get along with each other. I feel that those who have the opportunity to attend and work at McCallum High School learn to work together despite different backgrounds and experiences, which is an invaluable life-lesson.”

The study brings attention to inequity among students and the lack of equal learning opportunities in most underprivileged schools.

“Any student at any school has the same opportunity to become involved and advance their education,” Garrison said. “At McCallum, we have teachers who are willing to support and help all of our students. The student must hold up their end of the bargain by listening, engaging in the lessons, doing homework and studying for tests. Unfortunately, not all students do what they need to do.”

Lehman had a similar opinion.

“If a higher percentage of students don’t do the work, they may want to complain, but that’s not the system’s fault,” he said. “All students are offered any class they want to

take; whether or not if they do the work is on them.“ Saldaña disagreed.

“I don’t think Mac students have a completely equal learning opportunity, but it’s pretty close,” she said. “No matter what race you are, you are allowed to be in whatever class you want, but where your friends go and teachers sway people a lot.”

According to the study, experts have agreed segregation in schools limit students and deny them exposure to important life lessons. Saldaña agreed fully.

“While schools may be segregated, and it’s inevitable that it’s going to happen, people have a choice to make something better of it,” Saldaña said. “If you live a hard knock life, the best way out is not drugs or gangs but rather work hard to get out. I believe that the people who went through the honest definition of segregation, be it black, Latino or Asian, would laugh at the fact that we today use it as an excuse or a crutch. Coming from where I do, I see people who will blame society for their dismays and hard doings but will not do anything to fix it. And the same goes the other way. Many white people are quick to blame the immigrants for taking jobs or lowering our economy but won’t try to help anyone. Today in America, there is a sense of entitlement, the idea that everyone deserves something. And until we realize that issues such as segregation, prejudice and other controversies are obstacles that will help us grow if we overcome them instead of trying to go around them, we will never prosper.”

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Students, teachers discuss controversial Affirmative Action policy at UT-Austin CAITLIN FALK assistant ediotr

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ixty years ago, the Supreme Court ruled in a case against the University of Texas in favor of using race in the admissions policy of the school. The case was brought to them by a young African-American student looking to go to the university.

Now the tables have turned. Once again, the University of Texas at Austin has found itself in the wake of a storm of controversy over their policy of affirmative action. Only this time, the case was brought to them by a white student, Abigail Fisher. In 2008, she was turned down by UT. She claimed her Anglo-American race took part in the university’s denial of her acceptance and decided to take her argument all the way to the Supreme Court. Her case was considered by the high court Oct. 10. The court is expected to rule on the outcome by the spring or summer of 2013.

Fisher debated that UT should not use affirmative action in selecting potential can-

such as segregation, prejudice are obstacles that will help us em, we will never prosper.

y Saldaña Saldaña unior unior didates for acceptance. Her case will set the precedent on this matter for universities in the future.

“I think what UT has expressed,” college counselor Nancy Nitardy said, “is that it’s just part of many options that they’re looking at to have a diverse student body, whether it’s from diversity for out of state students, whether it’s diversity guys/girls, whether it’s diversity for ethnic background, athletics, so I think it’s just one of the pieces of their puzzle.”

The high court ruled on affirmative action in 2003. The landmark case of Grutter v. Bollinger was decided for the University of Michigan with a 5-4 majority in favor of allowing universities to use affirmative action.

“Close observers said it was the military brief that won the case,” said Calvin Johnson, University of Texas Andrews & Kurth Centennial Professor of Law. “The Army said it needed capable minority officers because the enlisted men were minorities. It could not run an army with white officers and black troops. Its officers needed college education.”

Fisher argued she was not accepted to the University of Texas because of their affirmative action policy though in the courtroom Oct. 10 when the case was reviewed, UT officials said she would not have been admitted even without the policy at hand.

“From what I”ve heard on the radio,” social studies teacher Katie Carrasco said, “she doesn’t seem to have had the same credentials as other people in her school. She says she did have the same grades, but it doesn’t sound like she did. I haven’t seen all of the facts laid out, but ultimately she’s got to have her stuff together too.”

Proponents of UT’s case today have noted that the policy is a way of encouraging a diverse student body.

Nitardy agrees.

“I think they should allow colleges to use the variety of ways to choose their class,” she said. “I think that colleges should have that option.”

Carrasco said she was undecided about the case due to the circumstances.

“I feel like having that top 10 percent rule already at UT, you know, in a school that has the majority of a smaller minority population, they have a responsibility to make sure that everybody gets their fair share in those schools,” Carrasco said. “But it’s hard for me to stand on one side or the other.”

Senior AVID student Crystal Vara, who wants to attend St. Edward’s in the fall of next year, agreed universities need more diversity. She said the affirmative action policy can promote this.

“The whole point of college is to expand yourself from the way you grew up and get to know other cultures,” Vara said. “I think it’s good because you’d have a variety of opinions like objections. You know people are like, ‘That’ll just cause drama and discrimination.’

But you’re in college now. You’re supposed to be mature about those things at this point.”

Senior Rachel Eidenschink disagreed.

“A person will succeed with their own doings,” she said. “A person shouldn’t have to rely on someone else to get something done.

In my opinion, affirmative action is sort of like that, like you’re relying on something else to get you through. Most people don’t really see that as something to be proud of or something to take advantage of because people want to know that they got something done on their own.”

As a professor at the UT School of Law, Johnson said the composition of the class can be an important factor in group discussion.

“I teach tax, which is an economic or math-like subject, on many days,” Johnson said, “but when we debate whether rich or poor should pay more tax, we need to have representatives of the poor or near poor in class to get it right.”

However, Johnson pointed out other people who are less academically qualified often get into UT, and these acceptances are not questioned.

“The biggest affirmative action, of course, is for linebackers,” he said. “For good athletes, all rules are broken even though the athletes are not the best on grades or SATs.” Vara said diversity can make a difference in the learning experience.

“I know most colleges are looking for a variety in their classroom,” Vara said. “I mean, how boring would it be if you had an entire classroom, for example, full of middle class Caucasian people? I think having a diverse class will really benefit me in the end because I’m going to be in a room with people with a

lesser financial life than mine or maybe even a better one, and that’s what I want.”

Others would disagree. In a guest column published by the Austin AmericanStatesman, Lino A Graglia, Centennial Chair in Law at the UT School of Law, opposed the university’s views. Graglia said when less qualified minority students were accepted, they did not end up being competitive amongst the other admitted students.

Carrasco agreed with Graglia’s position.

“It’s something that we (as teachers) deal with all the time,” Carrasco said. “At the high school level and I feel like in public schools in general, we are compelled to teach every student and give every student a fair chance in the world, but when it gets to higher education, I feel like they’ve got to produce on their own. People can’t be getting breaks. I feel like once you’ve gotten through public school, it’s on us to be responsible for preparing these kids to go to college. I guess from that perspective I am less for affirmative action than for it.”

According to Nitardy, partially basing acceptance on ethnicity is a policy consistent, as of now, with all ApplyTexas schools. It is for this reason that Carrasco says she thinks it will remain for some time.

“I think it’s something that’s not going to go away anytime soon,” she said,” especially with high stakes testing and UT dropping their admissions to top 8 percent. So, as colleges tighten up their grip on students that can get it in, it’s just going to reopen the wound of making it fair for quote-unquote ‘everybody to get in.’”

Carrasco, an alumni of UT, expressed her appreciation for the diversity of the campus which remained as of 2011 with a population composed of 51.1 percent white and 48.9 percent in the minority or international category.

“I went to UT and I loved how diverse the campus was,” Carrasco said. “That was one of my favorite things about it. I think there is nothing wrong with having the discussion affirmative action. You can only gain or progress when you have the open discussion, and that’s the most important part.”

the Cure

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Minority students targeted at UT Bleach balloon attacks on west campus raise questions about the university’s admistration NATALIE MURPHY staff reporter

When science teacher and University of Texas alumni Kristen HopkinsCerame heard that balloons filled with bleach were being dropped from apartment balconies onto minority students around West Campus, she was shocked.

“To me,” Hopkins-Cerame said, “it’s a welcoming campus and there’s so many nationalities. I’m really surprised.”

The Austin Police Department received four calls from different victims of similar bleach balloon attacks all occurring near West Campus.

Junior Juan Rodriguez-Behar said these attacks didn’t change his opinion of UT. “When I look at UT,” RodriguezBehar said, “I look at the school for their education and educational system, not for some goofy activities done by students, I’m not going to let some kids’ behavior ruin my opinion of the school I want to go to.”

Members of UT sororities and fraternities who live in the apartment buildings near the site of these assaults are being accused of committing them.

UT student and McCallum alumni Jordan Greenberg said it’s irresponsible to write off all Greek life because of these events.

“Plenty of groups don’t go crazy,” Greenberg said, “and Greek life members can be as diverse personality-wise as nonGreeks; there are people who would and

Don’t get me wrong. A lot of good progpeople who wouldn’t drop bleach balloons ress is happening, but it’s happening too on people. I think the problem is larger slowly. They just recently renamed a dorm here than just Greek life going too far; it’s that had been named for a KKK member. a campus culture problem. The bigger But there’s no kind of public, on-going problem at UT is that things like this are discussion about this type of thing. I think normalized. I am working right now with there should be a sign there talking about a campus group called the Women’s Rean uncomfortable past. The school needs source Agency, and we are working right to be open to dialogue about the tough isnow on starting a school-wide survey, sues.” called the Campus Sophomore Climate Response, Anna Groves to get hard data on said these racism student encounters I’m not going to let claims might not with racism, sexsome kids’ behavior change whether ism, homophobia or not she’d go to or any kind of camruin my opinion of UT. pus culture issue the school I want to “UT is a good we want the school school,” Groves to address. There is go to. said. “But hearso much anecdotal ing things like evidence about Juan Rodriguez-Behar this would affect these issues,but no Junior my decision to go hard data we can there. But if it’s use to show the adjust the students ministration.” and not the staff, then maybe not. I mean, A group of 100 UT student and alumni you’ll find prejudice wherever you go.” marched on West Campus in early OctoHopkins-Cerame said this behavior ber to protest these attacks, claiming them should not affect a student’s choice to apto be racially driven. The protesters were ply to UT. calling for UT administration to take ac“Students choosing their college tion against the attackers and create a safer should be informed about everything in environment for minorities attending UT. their school,” Hopkins-Cerame said, “but “I think it’ll take a long time if the culture they should mostly focus on getting the [at UT] is going to be changed,” Greenbest education possible.” berg said. “People come to UT ready to go Greenberg said students who want to crazy, and the reputation the school has as work toward the change of racist attitudes a Southern Party School isn’t hard to igshould consider attending UT. nore. Change, or work for change within.

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Come support the football team Thursday, Nov. 15 at House Park in the playoff game against the Leander Lions.

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“UT is such a large school that there are countless different sub-cultures within the wide-spread UT community,” Greenberg said. “West Campus and Greek life are merely one part of the UT community, and I hope no one would write off the entire school because of what some obviously foolish and immature students did on a Friday night. If anything, someone who wants to work for positive change shouldn’t avoid UT based on these incidents; they should be inspired to come here, get involved with some organizations and work to change a culture that accepts these kinds of incidents as commonplace.”

At a press conference in early October, soon after the attacks, Gregory Vincent, vice president for community and diversity engagement at UT, spoke about discrimination at UT. “I don’t believe this is a systemic issue.

I think we have a diverse campus,” Vincent said. “[UT] President Powers has made diversity one of his four strategic priorities, and I believe that diversity has strengthened the learning environment for our students.”

Algebra teacher and Alpha Phi member Casey Kinkade said she didn’t experience this nature of racism when she attended UT. “Racism definitely exists on West Campus,” Kinkade said, “but it doesn’t define it.”

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Technology marches on Students, faculty discuss whether iPads in schools can make a difference BARON HEINRICH

level the playing field so that all students have staff reporter access to the same mateCongratulations, you just got an iPad rial,” she said. “Students for school. How are you going to use this would have less excuses piece of technology? Are you going to use for forgetting a homeit to type up your papers, or to collaborate work assignment. I can with your peers on group projects? Would see that there’s a calenyou use it as a study aid or replace your dar on it, and there’s no notebook? A whole world of functionality excuse other than being awaits in conjunction with the ever-grow- lazy.” iPads could help ing app store for communication and prowith sharing informaductivity.

Concordia High School in Pflugerville tion with students.

“If teachers did allow received iPads for all 100 of its students.

The school is starting small by replacing recording,” she said, “a science textbooks this year and replacing student or the teacher another core class textbooks next year, could record themselves eventually covering math, English and and send the lecture to Counselor Mindy Croom uses her iPad to navigate Naviance. Students at Concordia High School in Pflugerville received iPads in an attempt to lower the costs of textbooks. Photo by Baron Heinrich. even Spanish books. Students and their an absent student.”

Sophomore Jacob families will pay a fee of $125 for four years, Senior Creslyn Bertrand uses her iPad like AutoCAD. It’s hard to imagine in my and then the student will own the iPad and Stahl uses the iPad in school for most of mostly for ACC and likes how convenient CAD classes,” she said. “I can imagine ushis academic classes. take it to college with them. her iPad is. ing it a lot more easily in my engineer sci“I use my iPad for history, English and Building manager Mary Noack said “You can have access to it all the time. ence class. In engineer science they use the she is worried about the accessibility of on- science. I use the calculator on the iPad for You can also save a lot of stuff to it so you computer as a tool to record their work, so math,” he said. “I also use it for Tech The- don’t have to worry about things getting I can see them taking photos and videos of line editions.

“I know that publishers are going to- ater. I do the lights in Tech Theater. It’s re- lost,” she said. “I use it primarily for ACC. their project. I’m a floating teacher that pewards having books online,” she said. ally easy to pull up the plot, which is where I take notes; sometimes I’ll record lec- riod; it’d be really great to have a portable “There are quite a few of the book that we all the lights should go in the theater. It tures. I use it for English to read. Some- device if I’m in a room with no computers. are in adoption right now that have web- helps me rather using a piece of paper.” times there are not enough books for them It’d be great for data collection, making Stahl said the iPad is helpful for com- to take home with them because there are graphs, sharing them and putting them sites where you can go. My concern has always been that there’s going to be a part pleting assignments in comfortable work- a lot of students. I just download the book into notebooks.” places. of the population to read whenever I want to in class or at Moyers said the iPads would cause mi“I use the home.” of the school that’s nor distractions but wouldn’t be anything quick office not always going Engineering teacher Audrea Moyers new.

What does one iPad in a app, and I use it said the iPad would be a great addition to to have access to “I think the iPad would [cause distracclassroom do? I can imaga lot for writing the classroom. a computer or an tions] a little bit,” she said. “But everyone’s ine if everyone in the classpapers,” he said. iPad. I’d be curious “I think if everyone in the school had getting used to that kind of technology, “Sometimes it is iPads, it would be pretty easy to inte- and yes, there are all sorts of games and all about who would room had it. Suddenly I more comfort- grate lots of classes. I think the problem that. I’ve seen in recent years that phones fund eBooks and can imagine us being able to able in a chair comes when you’re offered a set of iPads are still a distraction but in a different way the iPads.” do really interesting things or in my bed for one class or the teacher [only] has an when they were brand new.”

Noack said with it. writing a paper iPad. Our department gave each of us the school doesn’t She said technology is just another part than sitting at an iPad, and it’s hard to use it if the kids of the learning process. own the textbooks Audrea Moyers my desk. Also, don’t have it,” she said. “What does one here but still needs “As they become part of our lives, it’s Engineering teacher I send emails, iPad in a classroom do? I can imagine if a little easier to imagine using them with to pay the state if excel docs and everyone in the classroom had it. Sud- students,” she said. “Yeah, you’ll sometimes books are lost. what-have-you.” denly I can imagine us being able to do have to keep them from doing things you “The only time Stahl said the iPad would be beneficial really interesting things with it. I’d think don’t want. But part of that is just students we spend money on textbooks is when students lose them,” she said. “The books to students but can also be problem. it would be an interesting model to ex- of this generation learning how to work “I think that iPads would help students plore if everyone had immediate access to with being surrounded by technology. are on loan to the school districts from the state of Texas. We don’t actually own with access to the Internet or access to not just things online but also ways to re- When you get into college or the workthem. If a student does lose a student text- technology to do some assignments,” he cord video, photos and share them, word ing world, they’re going to be tempted by book, I have to pay the state of Texas to get said. “It can help with access to online documents and spreadsheets all at once websites and phones, and you’re going to it replaced. Last year we lost over $20,000 textbooks, and it’d be much easier to issue in an easy-to-transport device. I think I’d have to figure out how to manage your textbooks to students via iPad if everyone be very neat.” dollars in textbooks.” time with these distractions right at hand.

Counselor Lucia Facundo said the had one. [However,] the iPad is a potential Moyers said she could envision using I think that’s part of the learning process iPads would make information more avail- distraction. It depends on how strict the the iPads in one class more than the other. for the current generation of students: time teachers are. Phones are a distraction for able for students.

“I’d be hard for me because some of the management in the face of new distrac“I think if everyone had an iPad, it would teachers who don’t crack down on phones.” software I teach wouldn’t be on the iPad, tions.”

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The 20 turn, 5.516 km track will be run 56 times during the Circuit of the Americas Grand Prix race. Graphic used with permission from Circuit of the Americas LLC.

Race car ready International racing event could have huge impact on local economy MARY STITES photo editor

Only five days until the grand opening of the brand new, approximately $450 million, Circuit of the Americas Formula 1 race track, which will host 120,000 spectators a day from Nov. 16-18.

The construction of the 20-turn official Formula 1 race track, located nine miles from Austin Bergstrom International Airport, began in January 2011. The city council voted 5-2 in June 2011 to use state funding and endorse the Formula 1 race.

The first race was scheduled to be held in June of 2012; however, delays in construction postponed the opening day of races to November.

Economics teacher Patrick Youngblood said he recognizes the economic benefits the Formula 1 race will have on Austin.

“Austin businesses [hotels, restaurants and clubs] will get a lot of out-of-town customers,” Youngblood said. “We, as a city, will collect a whole lot of sales tax from these out-of-towners. We also have a separate hotel tax that is even higher than sales tax. This money will go to roads, parks and public services and will not have come from local consumers. So that is nice.”

As well as collecting revenue from local businesses and taxes that will directly benefit public services, more tourists will be encouraged to see the town even when a large event is not being hosted.

“In the long run, it’s also meant to expose more affluent travelers to the fun to be had in Austin,” Youngblood said. “This should encourage more year-round tourism into the city, not just limited to the Formula 1

race and other major events.”

However, Youngblood said the race will have many negative effects, too.

“A lot of people will be very inconvenienced that week,” Youngblood said.

“City services like police and EMS will be strained, and the traffic will be really bad.”

People trying to get in and out of Austin for reasons other than the race will also have to plan for traffic that was brought on by the event.

“There will be locals who miss flights, appointments, because they don’t understand how bad the traffic jams will be,” Youngbood said. “[The traffic will be] especially bad between downtown and the track, which is located in Southeast Austin.”

The wealthier attendees of the event will find alternative methods of getting themselves to the track while trying to avoid the downtown traffic.

“A lot of the wealthy out-of-towners are said to be chartering helicopters that go between downtown hotels and the race track,” Youngblood said. “The city is even having to anticipate dealing with this helicopter traffic. It is just on example of the strain on the local resources that will be hard to anticipate.”

Even with the strain the race will put on the locals who aren’t attending the race, Youngblood said there are ways to address the problems that the event will cause.

“My personal opinion is that there are a lot more direct ways to provide services to people,” Youngblood said. “It seems to me that the city council and state officials were seduced by the allure of this very wealthy, very European event.”

The Austin City Council had to de-

cide whether or not to endorse the race by agreeing to be part of a 10-year contract with the Circuit of the Americas and management of Formula 1. This trust fund requires the city to give $4 million in state funding every year for 10 years, and the city will receive $25 million after 10 years.

However, the race is expected to have an economic impact of up to $300 million per year.

“State and local officials, like our former mayor Kirk Watson, wanted to be the people that made Austin a stop for this elite race,” Youngblood said. “Whether the city will get enough business and tax revenue to offset the inconvenience and strain on local services remains to be seen.”

Along with the economic benefit, Austin City Council members were attracted to the idea of hosting the race with the proposal of an environmental agreement.

This agreement between the city, the local Formula 1 committee and facility developers consists of tree planting, a community garden and $5 million in green technology research. Along with the garden and green technology research, generators and waste cars will be spread out around the venue to produce energy and to promote proper disposing of trash. Formula 1 organizers and the Austin City Council are working to pave a path for all cities with tourist attractions to go green.

Even with the work towards environmental benefit, the increase in use of vehicles used in the Austin area, lights, electricity and air-conditioning units will be a toll on the local environment for the time of the race. As well as more use of electricity, Austin Bergstrom International Airport is expected to have an extra

80 flights throughout the weekend. The city anticipates there will be many domestic flights coming into ABIA, as well as a great deal of foreign flights from countries such as Brazil, China and France. These foreign flights will have a large impact on carbon-emissions. Online carbon calculators estimate that one foreign flight from France will produce over two tons of carbon emissions.

The city council’s decision had been pushed back a week due to the number of people who had come both in favor and against the endorsement of the race. Once the results of the voting were announced, many citizens were surprised to hear that officials had voted to endorse the event because of Austin’s pattern in events.

“When the Formula 1 deal was announced, a lot of people were surprised to hear that officials had been courting the most elite of auto races,” Youngblood said.

“It’s funny to see because, to many locals, this event is inconsistent with Austin’s character as a city. We think of our identity with SXSW, UIL tournaments, UT, Texas Relays, ACL, etc.”

While the idea of hosting and having the state endorse the Formula 1 race was not as popular in the beginning, Youngblood’s opinion has changed after seeing the potential for economic benefit that Austin will receive.

“If there had been a vote, I would have voted against, but now that it’s happening, I’m very curious to see what it’s like,” Youngblood said.

“And, most of all, I hope the tax revenue from this wealthy crowd manages to filter down to the communities that really need it.”

the shield TS: What has been the hardest part of the season?

TT: I think coming together as a team, it took us a while. We have a really young team, only three seniors, so just really working together was probably the hardest part for the team. Once we came together as a team, it got easier to improve on the skill portions of the game.

TS: Who was your biggest competition in district?

TT: It used to be Crockett, but I think Ann Richards was a bigger game for us. I don’t think we were expecting them to be as strong as they were, but the first time we played them at home, they were really scrappy and a very strong team. After that, we worked really hard towards winning the game against Ann Richards so that we could win district. They had never been in an AISD athletic district before, so nobody really knew what to expect.

TS: How did this season compare to your other years?

TT: I’ve really had to step up this year because I’m one of the only three seniors on the team and I’ve been on varsity the longest, so I really had to take a leadership role for the team this year. I haven’t had to do that in the past.

TS: What is it like being captain?

TT: It’s pretty cool because it shows that the rest of the team believes in you and wants you to represent the volleyball team. They expect you to step up for the team when we need it. I think Coach Brodbeck expects me to encourage the team when things aren’t going right and tell everyone what we need to do, if it’s to calm down or whatever it is at the time

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TS: How has Coach Brodbeck helped you as well as the rest of the team?

TT: Actually, it’s a funny story. When I was a freshman, she would always talk to me and tell me that she was looking at me for the varsity team for next year. I would always tell her that I didn’t want to be on varsity if I was just going to sit on the bench. She would tell me, “Tiara, if I move you up and you work hard, then you will get to play.”

So I took that and ran with it and worked really hard. My junior year I got injured, and she was there for me and she has always been encouraging me.

TS: What was the team’s biggest accomplishment this season?

TT: My biggest goal was to help the team in any way that I can. If I needed to play middle I would play middle. If I needed to play outside, I would play outside, right side.

Whatever it was, I would do it.

TS: How do you prepare for a game?

TT: As a team, we go out into the hallway and play games. We do this thing where we if you’re an odd number we scream odd and if you’re an even number we scream even. We also do this thing where we go “Shawtay!” and then we dance. It’s pretty cool, actually.

TS: How has last year’s injury affected you?

TT: Well, last year I broke my leg, and it just made me want to work harder because I didn’t get to play last year.

And since I didn’t get to play last year, I was really ready for this season to start. I’ve had to work harder than ever before. I’ve never broken anything before, so it just made me want to push myself.

TS: What is your favorite part about tennis?

Kyle Teseny: I like tennis because it is an individual sport. Everything that you do relies directly on you, and there isn’t anyone to back you up if you make a mistake.

The individuality of the sport is really what makes it cool.

I like that I am responsible for everything that happens on the court.

Tiara Tate MARY STITES photo editor

games more often. Singles are my favorite because I like the individuality of a singles match. I like that you don’t have to rely on anyone else and everything you do.

TS: What do you hope to accomplish individually this season?

KT: My biggest goal for the season would be to do really well in the district competition so that I can have the opportunity to advance to regionals.

TS: How long is the tennis season?

KT: Basically, tennis is a year-round sport. We started TS: What do you hope for the team to accomplish this in August when school started, and the fall season will end in late November. The fall sesaon is followed by a season?

KT: I hope that the team can also advance to regionals spring season. Once we come back from break, we will start up again in February and continue all the way unitl as a whole, and I hope that everyone is able to get better throughout the year. late May.

Kyle Teseny

TS: How has the coach helped you as well as the rest TS: How long have you been playing tennis?

KT: I have been playing tennis for a little over two and of the team?

KT: He adds a different aspect to the game. He looks for a half years; I started playing tennis when I was in about consistency in our games. He is looking for volleys, and seventh grade at my middle school. he really wants us to get in our best shape so that we can beat our opponents on the court.

TS: How has the team changed since last year?

KT: Last year we had a lot of seniors on the team and TS: Who is your biggest competition in district? they graduated. Most of our varsity was seniors and they KT: Definitely LBJ. They have the biggest and best team, left, so we have been getting a lot of new people on the team. Some of the new players are beginners. Everyone and they have beaten us for the past two years, so it would has been working really hard so that they can advance be great if we can beat them to win district. in the future years.

TS: How do you prepare for a game?

KT: You have to figure out how your opponent plays and TS: Do you play singles or doubles?

KT: I play both singles and doubles. I play single base your game around them so that you can beat them.

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Lady Knights volleyball team named 2012 District Champs WES JOHNS staff reporter

The Lady Knights varsity volleyball team finished the season as district champs after a slow start to the season. At the start of the season, many of the girls on the team didn’t know how to trust each other on the court.

“After the first round of district, they got used to one another and used to each others skills,” varsity coach Amy Brodbeck said. “They depended on one another in a way to become a team.”

The toughest team this season was Ann Richards. This was Ann Richards first year playing UIL volleyball, and that team challenged the Knights for the district title.

“It was fantastic knowing we beat Ann Richards to win district because the first time we played them, they came to our place and beat us,” Brodbeck said. “We went there the second time we played and just dominated.

“Being district champs helps the team build up confidence,” Broadbeck added.

“It helps them know they can not only be the best in our district, but also that they can at least try to play some of the teams outside the district and be successful.”

Junior Desiree Hamilton was selected as the district’s Most Valuable Player, and junior Chaundra Brown was the Most Valuable Hitter. Hamilton, Brown, Cami Hawn and Tiara Tate were selected to 1st Team All District. Grace Frye, Chloe Murray and Eboni Clayton-Mitchell were selected to 2nr Team All District.

Next year the team will have nine returning players and a very strong JV team to help add talent to varsity. After Thanksgiving, the team will start off-season training and will continue that through the spring.

Many on the team will play club volleyball in the offseason to keep their skills sharp.

“Next year I hope we can finally get past the first round of the playoffs,” Brodbeck said. “I’m tired of getting knocked out so soon.”

Varsity volleyball team huddles up before a game. Photo provided by McCallum Yearbook Staff.

sports in brief Swim team takes 5th overall at swim meet on Nov. 2-3

is the highest we’ve placed as a team while I’ve been on the team, so having a really good meet also I think brought us together as a team.”

The swim team is competing in the AISD invitational today. The team has a new coach this year and is continuing to improve before the District swim meet in January.

The swim team competed in a meet in Burnet last weekend and placed 5th overall, with the girls coming in 4th and the boys 5th.

“The results from this meet were really good for our team,” junior Hannah Henry said. “We had swimmers that were placing in their individual events, which in the past has been very rare because our team was so small.”

Sophomore Jessie Wooley-Macmath came in 1st place in both the 200 IM and the 500 free. Junior Chris Germain placed 3rd in the 200 IM, and the boys relay team placed 3rd in the 200 free-relay.

“The meet was an overnight meet, so we got to really be together and that was great for team bonding,” Henry said. “Also, this

Varsity football district champs, looking toward playoff game Nov. 15 The varsity football team was crowned undefeated district champs after winning all five games in the district. Heading into the playoffs, the team’s official record is 7-3.

“Beating LBJ was really exciting considering how they were talking [about us] on Twitter and Facebook,” junior Kris Reyes said. “No one really expected us to win, but we pulled through in the end.”

Junior Robert Brown said winning district was a huge relief.

“It felt really great to win district,” Brown said, “because now there isn’t as much pressure on us to keep winning district games and we can focus on the upcoming playoff games.”

Brown said he is looking forward to

the playoffs but said Leander will be a big competition.

“Playoffs will be fun,” Brown said, “but the most challenging part will be playing Leander because they have a very strong and athletic defense.”

The football team will play Leander Nov. 15 at House Park.

Tennis team places 3rd in tournament, starts to plan for spring season With only one tournament remaining, the tennis team is at the crest of its season.

It participated in district Oct. 10, placing third overall, and in a dual match with LBJ Nov. 6.

“We played really well,” coach Oakley Barber said. “We had some really great games, and I’m proud of how we did.”

This is Barber’s first year to coach tennis. The first season so far has been a challenging and enjoyable experience, he said.

“I really like getting to have students in

an environment outside the classroom,” he said. “Tennis is something that I really enjoy doing, and I’m glad to be able to spend the last part of the day outside playing tennis. I’m hoping to improve the team as a program, which means developing the advanced and the beginning players and getting more funds for practice equipment and resources. I’m learning how to be a better coach, too.”

After the tournament, the players in tennis class will continue to train over the winter and then start again for the individual season, where players advance as individuals instead of as a team, beginning in late February. One thing the team is looking for in the spring is more players.

“I’m hoping we’ll have a bigger roster next semester with more players to participate so we can pick a traveling group to play tournaments,” Barber said.

The upcoming tournament to end the season is Nov. 15 at Westwood.

“It should be a great tournament,” Barber said. “I’m expecting it to be a nice environment and be really fun. It will be a great end to the fall season.”

entertainment

the shield

nov. 9, 2012

21

Fashion frenzy Students anticipate opening of H&M DANIELLE GARTNER

A classical art Theatre students tackle opera SAMANTHA ROGERS

making rehearsals even harder to work with.

“I’m glad these kids are multi-talented, Opera is not a typical music genre most but it’s been challenging,” theatre teacher high school students listen to, let alone aspire and director Joshua Denning said. “It’s hard to get good rehearsal time during the school to sing.

“In high school you’re not really ready to year with all the academic demands on the sing opera,” junior Lillian Allen, who dreams students.”

The theatre students work together very of being an opera singer one day, said. “It takes time for the voice to develop and ma- closely as they are always spending time toture. It’s a lot of work vocally. It’s difficult but gether rehearsing.

“Theatre is like having another family, and not impossible.”

However the theatre program will take you have to make sure it’s a functional family on opera with “The Secret Garden,” to be and everyone has to get along,” sophomore Janine Dworin said. “Everyone is close, and performed tonight I’m very glad for through Nov. 11. that.”

When auditionThis show is a ing for a musical Theatre is like having lot more vigorous theatre role, the than the other students have to another family and productions that prepare a 32-bar you have to make sure have taken place cut of music. In at McCallum. the case of “The it’s a funcional family.

“I have the Secret Garden,” highest expectait was classical tions; we are domusic. If the direcing a very chaltors like what the Janine Dworin lenging show,” students did, they Sophomore Denning said. would bring them “‘The Secret Garin for a call back.

“We find a song that was in the style of den’ is an opera based on a children’s book. the play we were auditioning for. In the call My expectation is that there will hardly be backs they usually give you a song,” junior any difference between this show and a proJasmine Bell said. “I didn’t know I was go- fessional version.”

Dworin said the opera makes this producing to get the role of Mary because I usually get the mother role, but for some reason they tion more challenging.

“So far this is definitely the most challengthought I would be cool as an 11-year-old.”

The theatre students rehearse after school ing musical I’ve been in. It’s an opera, which from 5-7, and on weekends they rehearse from is an entirely different experience,” Dworin 1-9 p.m.. Most of the students also have other said. “It’s been fun, though, just very chalafter-school activities they participate in, lenging.”

staff reporter

“

attracted to the wonderful clothes outside.” staff reporter H&M doesn’t have factories of its own, but they work with a variety of independent Construction in the Domain has begun designers and suppliers. With a variety of for the much-anticipated H&M, a multidesigners comes a large array of clothes. national retail clothing company. The two“The clothes don’t lean toward one cerlevel store will be over 24,000 square feet. tain trend,” Joynt said Although is the first one in Austin, H&M The company incorporates trends from has been in business for 12 years and has an the U.S as well online website. as Europe and “I believe the other countries.

Domain made a I love the fact that “I love the good decision buildH&M is so diverse. fact that H&M ing an H&M,” is so diverse,” freshman Hannah You can change your Joynt said.

“You McChesney said. style and still shop at can change “It will encourage a your style and lot more shoppers the same place. still shop at the to come and check same place. Alit out as well as the Sedona Joynt most anyone restaurants and othSophomore can get what er stores around the they’re looking area.”

Many students have stumbled upon for because they don’t design it for one type H&M by going to one in other parts of the of customer. They have lots of different world, and they said it’s time the company styles.”

In addition to the different styles, the came to Austin. clothes tend to be a low price when com“I found out about it when I went to pared to many designer brands.

California,” freshman Sofia Mock said. “I “I love it,” McChesney said. “I can allove how unique the clothes are.” ways find cute, cheap clothes that are pretEven with so few stores in the U.S., the ty good quality.” company still displays its clothes in many The Domain has yet to release any news American magazines. as to when the store will open, but it’s ru“I was flipping through pages of Elle mored to be sometime in the fall. magazine and saw their advertisement,” “So many people have been waiting,” sophomore Sedona Joynt said. “ I began to Mock said.

“I’m glad they finally came to shop on their online store, and when I eventheir senses and built one.” tually I went to one in San Francisco, I was

“

”

”

Site of new H&M in the Domain. Photo taken by Danielle Gartner

22

photo essay

nov. 9, 2012

the shield

1

Magic and Make Believe Boys, girls choir perform annual fall Cabaret 1. Mixed girls and boys choirs perform “Circle of Life” from “The Lion King.”

2. Junior Connor Bar sings “I’ll Make A Man Out of You” from “Mulan.”

3. Senior Sophie Levy sings solo and is accompanied by the varsity girls choir.

4. Sophomore Jacob Roberts-Miller dances to “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” as the chorus spells out the song and dances along with the letters.

5. Senior Sydney Holt performs the finale of “Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” for the audience.

Photos by Mary Stites

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3

4

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entertainment

the shield KAYLA GREGORCYK staff reporter

Shield: How do you overcome butterflies when you are about to perform?

Janine Dworin: You go out there knowing what you’re about to do, and you know that you have been practicing it for a very long time, that you can do it in your sleep.

After that, you trust that you made the right decisions. You have to kind of put everything in the wind. Throw yourself into the performance.

Shield: What is your dream job?

JD: It is more of a dream situation. I would really like to continue in the art past high school. It would be either in opera or musical theater. I’d just really like to perform or have some aspect of my job to do with performance. That would really be the best.

Shield: When did you get into musical theater?

JD: I have always done choir and I have always done theater, and I think it was only a matter of time until the two worlds collided.

Shield: What was your first musical?

JD: My first musical that I was ever in was “Cabaret,” last year, which is interesting because I have been in other summer programs. “The Sound of Music” at Zilker Park was my first professional performance that I have done.

Shield: If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?

JD: I would like to make a round trip from New York to London to Italy to Germany and then back to California. I would

really like to go around and see the world.

I would like to perform in different places, and you would get so many opportunities.

Plus, the food is really good.

Shield: Who is your idol?

JD: My idol right now is Alan Cumming. He is a Scottish musical theater actor. He throws himself in every single role he does. He continues to be fabulous at everything he does.

nov. 9, 2012

23

On the arts

Shield: If you could be in any musical, what would it be?

JD: I would really like to be in “Phantom of the Opera.” I come from a classical musical background, and sometimes with more temporary you get the show tune sound.

“The Phantom of the Opera” sounded like an opera, and that sounded really cool. I also fell in love with the storyline.

Shield: Where to you plan to live when you are older?

JD: I think it depends on where I go to college and where jobs take me. I might stay here. A part of me really wants to go to Chicago; a part of me wants to go to New York. At heart, I am a Texan.

Shield: What inspired you to go into musical theater?

JD: Well, my dad was a theater major.

He has always been involved in music and theater. He did a theater program at my elementary school. I was the Wicked Witch of the West and that summer we went to go see “Wicked,” and I realized that I wanted to be in musical theater. My parents have always been completely supportive of this decision.

Shield: Where do you like to go in Aus-

A moment with

Janine Dworin tin?

JD: I like going to Barton Spring, Zilker Park area, because they do a musical every summer. It is really fun to watch the musical and also I was in it last year.

It was a great experience. Around Zilker Park area I meet some really interesting and cool people.

Shield: What is your favorite type of music?

JD: My iPod has music from Disney sound tracks to dark songs. I hesitate to give any genre, but it is pretty much alternative.

Shield: What do you eat/drink before you perform?

JD: I drink these emergency packets, which give me energy to perform, and I have a granola bar and about a gallon of water.

Playbill

Dworin, junior Connor Barr and senior Molly Wear perform in “The Beauty and the Beast.” Photo by Mary Stites.

Students in 2nd period performance theatre study their scripts. Photo by Kayla Gregorcyk.

Sophomore Ben Dickerson and Dworin perform in “The Beauty and the Beast.” Photo by Mary Stites.

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nov. 9, 2012

the shield

25 years? Inconceivable!

Students talk about ‘The Princess Bride’s’ anniversary VIOLET ACEVEDO

staff reporter During the New York Film Festival on Oct. 2, the surviving cast members of the cult classic “The Princess Bride” reunited to celebrate the movie’s 25th anniversary, bringing up memories for both the cast and their fans.

“I was at my dad’s house when I first saw it,” senior Heather Reynolds said. “It was amazing and hilarious.

I immediately fell in love with it.

I thought it was really funny.”

Full of “fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles” and more, this classic love story has become renowned since its release in 1987.

While not hugely popular upon its premiere, grossing a modest $30.8 million in the theaters, its fame and status rose after its home video release.

“I was 13, maybe 14,” junior Sierra Barnett said.

“My sister showed it to me.

I really liked the grandpa.

He made the movie for me because he’s a lot like my grandpa.”

Told by a grandfather reading to his sick grandson, the story is about how Buttercup and Westley’s true love conquers all. With a plot centered on love, the movie

Have fun storming

!

the castle

finds most of its fans among girls, young and old.

“Like most girls,” Reynolds said, “I like Westley. Why? I mean, have you seen the movie?”

In the film, Westley, the dashing and handsome hero, valiantly saves Buttercup numerous times from a variety of characters. From an overconfident Sicilian, to a cowardly prince, to a “Rodent of Unusual Size,” Westley is always at hand to rescue his true love.

“My favorite part is when they’re in the [Fire Swamp] and Buttercup keeps falling into these traps,” Barnett said. “It’s the damsel in distress thing. People in movies and real life who are like that fascinate me because I’m not like that.”

The film is based on a book published in 1973 by William Goldman, the same man who wrote the screenplay for the movie years later.

“I was pleasantly surprised by how well the book worked with the movie,” Reynolds said. “Instead of extra scenes, it supported the back stories of the characters. When I watched the movie again, I was like, ‘Wow, that was what they were referring to.’”

But probably the most well-known aspect of the movie is the quotability of the lines. Local theater Alamo Drafthouse has hosted several quote-alongs, and famous sentences such as “Hello, my name is Ingio Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die” and others have

Hello. My name is

Ingio Montoya.

You killed my father.

Prepare to die.

You keep using that word.

Life is pain, Highness.

Anyone who

been put on everything from T-shirts to bumper stickers.

“My ringtone is ‘inconceivable,’” Reynolds said. “[But] I don’t have a favorite [quote] because every part of the movie has something amazing in it. To choose a favorite would be an insult to the rest of the movie.”

Whether it is because of the quotes or another aspect of the film, “The Princess Bride” has lasted the test of time despite its out-of-date sets and special effects.

“I feel like it’s a low budget movie compared to what we see now,” Barnett said, “but it’s such a grabber.”

The movie has caught the attention of more than just fans, though. The Writers Guild of America named it the 84th best screenplay of all time. The American Film Institute also put it on its list of 100 greatest love stories. But for all the official acclaim, devoted fans are often the most enthusiastic in their praise.

“It’s new every time,” Barnett said.

“I’m not really a movie person, which makes this movie so special because I really like it.”

Reynolds agreed.

I do

not think it means

what you

says differently is

selling something.

think it means.

“It’s one of those few movies I could happily watch several times a day,” Reynolds said, “because every time you watch it, it’s like there’s a whole other dimension to it. It’s a stereotypical love story, and I love it. Besides, the constant one-liners are hilarious.”

Fun Facts: >Director Rob Reiner was the voice of the Rodents of Unusual Size. >Mandy Patinkin (Ingio Montoya) says the only thing he injuried while filming was his ribs from stifling laughter. >Arnold Schwarzenenegger was considered for the role of Fezzik. >Whoopi Goldberg campaigned for the role of Princess Buttercup. >There was a real “Dread Pirate Roberts” in the 18th century by the name of Bartholomew “Black Bart” Roberts. >The castle in the film was built around 1065 and still had its original tapestries on the walls. >The two kingdoms in the movie, Florin and Guilder, are named after two former Dutch curriences, the Florign and Gulden. >The character Vizzini shares his name with a small town in Sicily.

entertainment

the shield

nov. 9, 2012

25

New shows offer something worth watching JENNIFER CASTRO staff reporter

“American Horror Story: Asylum”

As it was last season, this new season starts with terror, gore and all the rest that go well in a horror show. “American Horror Story: Asylum” begins with a new story plot and characters with some old actors from last season.

It starts with a couple exploring an old insane asylum, looking around and having fun until suddenly something attacks them. The rest of the episode takes us back to 1964 with the incarceration of Kit Walker (Evan Peters), known as Bloody Face, being put in Briarcliff Manor.

Then we see the introduction of Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson), a reporter who tried to expose the truth of Briarcliff Manor by showing how the inmates were mistreated physically and mentally. After being caught for trespassing in the area, she gets committed by director Sister Jude (Jessica Lange). People believe she was committed so they could cure Lana’s homosexuality, but in reality, it’s Sister Jude’s way of pun-

ishing Lana for lying to her, since she originally came to do a story about their bakery, and trying to ruin Briarcliff’s reputation.

I must say this first episode has me wanting more. I love how Evan Peters, who was troubled bad boy Tate last season, is now playing a different role as Kit Walker. I think what got me hooked is how this season is very different from season one, giving a new tale about the inside horrors in the insane asylum, and how Sister Jude is portrayed as a sadistic nun who also is a tyrant to everyone who works in Briarcliff but has her own demons to deal with.

The theme also intrigues me as how the show mainly deals with sanity and trying to retain normalcy. I want to see how each character deals with his or her own inner demons while being imprisoned there and wanting to know what happened in Briarcliff Manor, as to how the couple looking around in present day get attacked by a disfigured man.

The episode was good. It literally had me screaming of fright as the episode continued on, making me want to keep watching to see the fates of all the inmates and understand what happened in the haunted insane asylum. All I have to say is I loved

the pilot and recommend watching this if you love horror and drama together.

Rating: 9.

“Arrow”

This series is about the origin of DC character “Green Arrow”. The pilot starts with Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) witnessing his father’s death during a shipwreck, and Oliver is later discovered to be on a remote island.

Five years pass until he returns to his home, Starling City, to be welcomed by his mother Moira (Susana Thompson), younger sister Thea (Willa Holland) and best friend Tommy Merlin (Colin Donnell). But as the show progresses, they realize Oliver has changed from how he used to be.

As Oliver tries to make amends with everyone, he secretly masquerades as the vigilante archer “Green Arrow” to stop crime and restore the city as his father had it before his death. Later, we realize Oliver’s mother has an agenda planned

against her son to discover what happened the night of the shipwreck.

I recommend this to anyone who is a major fan of DC (like myself), but I feel that CW should have done a superhero show with a different character.

Anyone who watched “Smallville” would understand how having a different hero would have been better, considering that Oliver Queen was a main character on “Smallville” and seems to be nothing new.

But I do see how different this series is from “Smallville” as it gives more of a positive Oliver as he tries to make everything right by becoming a vigilante.

The series introduces new characters such as Oliver’s mother, sister and best friend, who are played amazingly by their respected actors. The script seemed to be written well, with the dialog matching each character, and the way the plot moves forward makes it easy and simple to understand what is going on. I wonder how the series will continue as the show progresses, hopefully introducing more heroes.

Rating: 7

Movie trailers leave viewers anticipating new releases JAUNYA TOUCHSTONE staff reporter

“Wreck It Ralph”

(P-G): When I saw this movie trailer, I thought it was very awesome because it seems like the movie has action, adventure and comedy. I think this movie is very imaginative because it was about a character (Ralph) who doesn’t want to be the bad guy anymore.

“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2”

(PG-13): This looked OK, but I’m not a big fan of “Twilight.” This movie did have a scene where a girl takes down a mountain lion, and I thought that was pretty cool, but it would’ve been better if the mountain

lion was a snow leopard instead because snow leopards are just plain cooler in my opinion.

“Vamps”

(Pg-13): This movie seems pretty awesome and funny. I like the comedy in this movie and the situations in the movie are pretty cool. The movie is about a lady who is a vampire who wants to get married, but her fiance’s dad thinks she’s a vampire and wants to get her in the sun.

I think this movie is going to be really popular.

“Rise of the Guardians”

(P-G): When I saw this movie trailer I thought it was really imaginative because in the movie the characters are from holidays. The creator of this movie decided

to put them into a family comedy for everyone to enjoy. I really like the character Jack Frost because he added some action to the movie.

“Red Dawn”

(PG-13): This trailer made the movie look really awesome. “Red Dawn” is about problems with the government and how a handful of people help to bring it back.

This seems to be a really sad movie. Josh Peck, from the Nickelodean show “Drake and Josh,” stars.

“Chasing Ice”

(Pg-13): When I saw this movie trailer, it amazed me because the polar ice caps are melting and we may never get to see them, but in this movie this man has filmed and photographed the ice caps melting.

“Amber Alert”

(N R): After watching the trailer, I kind of didn’t know what was going on. Some people found a car on the road that was a murderer’s car, and so they decided to chase it. It looks like it will be a sad movie because the characters chase a kidnapper.

“Lincoln”

(Pg-13): This looks pretty cool because this movie is about the end of slavery and how Abraham Lincoln helped to bring it about.

“Skyfall”

(PG-13): When I saw this movie trailer, I liked the action in it and also I like the actor Daniel Craig (Bond, James Bond).

This is the 50th anniversary of James Bond movies.

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oct. 5, 2012

the shield

Little Deli in the Brentwood neighborhood offers veggie burgers. Photo by Grace Frye.

Escape the bland food rut Many local restaurants include vegetarian options that will please even meat-eaters DANIELLE GARTNER

cious and has a clean atmosphere. The menu included a variety of classic meat staff reporter dishes transformed into delicious vegetarBland food, boring vegetables and ian ones. The first time I visited Mother’s I a rumbling stomach are exactly what I ate their chili melt, layer upon layer of black thought of when I tasted my first piece of beans, rice seasoned with Indian spices tofu. It was my attempt at becoming a veg- (also known as Basmati rice), corn tortillas etarian. I could barely get the mushy thing topped with verde sauce, an assortment of down, and as the vegetables and aroma of perfectly jack cheese. seasoned chicken This is a great I could barely get the floated around dish for meat me, I pined for eaters because mushy thing down. the BBQ sausage of it’s filling that I loved. palatable inIf saving animals was The worst gredients. this hard, then I didn’t part came when The fresh my family and I and tasty inwant to do it. ate at a restaurant gredients inI had previously trigued me, loved, but the and I returned dish I used to love was not on my diet. If to Mother’s a second time and tried one of saving animals would be this hard, then I their trademark dishes, BBQ tofu. didn’t want to do it. Today I continue to The tofu is baked in a tamari-peanut eat meat- free and have discovered a variety marinade and topped with homemade of restaurants that have menus for vegetar- BBQ sauce. The best part was the sage ians and even some that are completely potatoes served on the side. They took meat free. typical mashed potatoes and transformed Mother’s Café and Garden was among them by adding bits of sage throughout the first restaurants I tried. It’s very spa- the fluffy, whipped potatoes. Mother’s has

“

”

a great variety of vegetarian/vegan dishes that are perfect for new vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

In many burger restaurants and delis, a common dish is a veggie burger. P.Terry’s is a popular burger restaurant known for its good burgers and cheap prices. However, their veggie burger was sub par. To me it tasted like a Morning Star Farm burger warmed up in a microwave and slapped on a stale bun. Nothing about this burger made me want to go back. While their burgers may be good, their veggie burgers are lacking.

Of all the veggie burgers I tried, only one made me go back and eat it over and over again. The Little Deli in the Brentwood neighborhood is a local restaurant serving basic deli foods. Their garden burger is a delicious veggie patty topped with pickles, onions, tomatoes and yellow mustard served on a crispy Kaiser roll. The creamy mayo and strong pickles complete the perfectly seasoned rice patty.

Today I continue exploring Austin restaurants to find re-creations of my favorite meat dishes as well as new vegetarian ones.

One may think vegetarian food doesn’t vary and has little taste, but don’t let that stop you. Take a chance and try something new.

Mother’s Cafe and Garden is a favorite of vegetarians. Photo used with permission of Mother’s Cafe.

editorial

the shield

nov. 9, 2012

27

Americans need to learn to be more tolerant Religious and racial controversies occur repeatedly. Tolerance, whether it is of race or religion, has found itself under the national microscope again, and again it is not very flattering.

The overarching problem, it seems, is an utter lack of tolerance. As a nation we have slowly desensitized ourselves and manipulated our policies into those that are driven by personal agendas and beliefs.

While one may perceive another religion or race in a negative light, people need to take a step back and look at the picture as a whole.

From a racial standpoint:

From a religious standpoint: Many branches of religion are so set in their ways they cannot even fathom the idea that there could be a different way.

This is fine; however, because of some irrational insecurity in their faith or themselves, many people have made it their mission to decree their religion as better than anyone else’s. That idea is so outdated it is bound to fail. We live in a nation with over 300 million people, and we do not all share the same beliefs.

Take, for instance, cheerleaders in East Texas placing Biblical verses on school signs. While meant to help and inspire students, it has turned into one man’s fight to uphold the law pitted against the city’s narrow views. Students may have

Cartoon by Tillie Walden. their beliefs, but rather than pushing it onto everyone at their school, they should learn to hold their beliefs sacred to themselves and not worry about what their

shield staff

peers believe. Religious tolerance means allowing people to have their own beliefs and not judging them because they’re not just like you.

the

A.N. McCallum High School 5600 Sunshine Dr. Austin, TX 78756 (512) 414-7539 fax (512) 453-2599 shield.newspaper@gmail.om

editor-in-chief Grace Frye

assistant editor Caitlin Falk

online editor Baron Heinrich

photo editor Mary Stites

advertising manager Seren Villwock

The Shield is published by journalism students in the Newspaper production class.

Although students work under the guidance of a professional faculty member, the student staff ultimitely determines the content.

Students may not publish material that is obscene, libelous, or that which will cause a “substantial disruption to the educational process.”

When faced with racial intolerance, it comes down to the issue still planted deep in the U.S. Our past gives us a unique look at what has happened and what will happen if we continue to hold ourselves above our fellow man.

The recent incidents near the UT-Austin campus where minority students were targeted with bleach-filled balloons provides a stark example of how some people have no respect for those who are different than they are. Intolerance is just another form of ignorance.

Tolerance literally means having a fair and objective attitude towards those who you do not agree with or do not particularly like. To live in a civilized society, this is necessary. Prejudice will continue to be an issue, but if we want to live free, we need to do it in the healthiest way possible. To live life with hatred and bigotry is possibly the worst outlook anyone could have.

In an effort to rid ourselves of intolerance, the American people need to look at what is important, which is not condemning your neighbors for their beliefs or race. Rather than focusing on skin color or one’s origin, the focus needs to be on the real person. Religion may be a driving force in some lives, and others may be oblivious to it, but the bottom line is to live and let live.

reporters adviser Rhonda Moore

Content that may stimulate heated debate is not included in this definition.

The Shield operates as an open forum for exchange of ideas. Opinions expressed in editorials are the ideas of the staff. Opinions expressed in the columns are that of the writer’s alone.

Letters to the editor are encouraged and must be signed. Positive identification may be

VIOLET ACEVEDO, GINGER BICKLEY, JENNIFER CASTRO, BRIANNA GARCIA, DANIELLE GARTNER, KAYLA GREGORCYK, CAITLIN HENSEN, WES JOHNS, NATALIE MURPHY, SAM ROGERS, JAcOB STRAIGHT, JAUN’YA TOUCHSTONE, GAGE WANN, JAMAICA WONODI, LINA WOSTMAN, KOLTON ZABODYN

required when a letter is submitted. Letters may be edited. Letters that are critical of the newspaper staff’s coverage of events or that present information that may stimulate heated debate will be published.

Letters that contain malicious attacks on individual reporters, the adviser, or the principal will be rejected.

Anyone interested in purchasing an ad should contact Rhonda Moore at (512) 414-7539.

The Shield is a member of the Interscholastic League Press Conference, National Scholastic Press Association and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

28

nov. 9, 2012

photo essay

Just Dance

the shield

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1 3

4

Majors perform Dance 2012 for the annual department fall show 1. Cumbia Cruisers pose for the audience in between movements.

2. Senior Leila Willis Newton poses during the ribbon dance which was based on a piece from the rhythmic gymnastics of the London Olympics.

3. Dance majors sway to the music while performing.

4. Cumbia Cruisers Frana’Zhea Ragan and Caitlin Falk perform a segment from the Cumbia Cruisers dance set.

Photos by Mary Stites