The Shield

what’s inside Staffer investigates climate changes as 2012 is revealed as warmest year on record story on page 6

Students share personal experiences about driving accidents story in page 10

Staffer voices opinion on recent controversy over Internet censorship story on page 22

8th annual fashion show sparks creativity in models, designers

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story on pages 12-13

McCallum High School / 5600 Sunshine / Austin, TX 78756 / Feb. 8, 2013 / Issue 4 / Volume 60

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contents

feb. 8, 2013

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table of contents

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1. Dance majors perform in the dance show Walk With Me, Jan. 18-20, directed by Brazie Adamez. 2. Junior Cohen Lewis-Hill cries during the performance next to freshman Marilyn Connelly. “This show really taught me how very personal art can have a huge, widespread impact,” Lewis-Hill said. 3. Junior Ashlyn Eddy sits on an edge in the MAC lobby where the show was performed. Read more about the show on page 18.

save the date Febuary 01 09 14 16 24 28 28

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Students, teachers discuss controversial gun control proposals

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Parents, teachers, students weight pros and cons of new STAAR tests

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Language teacher returns to Japan after visiting McCallum

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Nikki Northcutt wins gold in first teacher pageant

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sports

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Players look forward to upcoming baseball season

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entertainment

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Staffer previews upcoming traditional male pageant

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opinion

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Staffer looks into internet censorship

March

Choir Guest Concert at 7 p.m. 11-15 Spring Break 21-23 Romeo & Juliet Fashion Show at 7 p.m.

21 Pre-UIL Band Concert Late Start 23 Battle of the Bands Mr. McCallum Steel Drums from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. 21 Piano Recital 29 School Holiday Late Start “Oklahoma” through March 3

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Sophomore Kate Pargaman and junior Yazmin Bautista practice walking the runway during rehearsal on Feb. 4, in preparation for the 8th annual benefit fashion show Feb. 9. Photo by Grace Frye.

Advertisement manager Seren Villwock heads to the kitchen for National Soup Month. Go to page 21 to see more.

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feb. 8, 2013

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Second amendment debated Students, teachers join discussion on gun violence prevention NATALIE MURPHY staff reporter

When AP U.S. History teacher Joe Underwood heard President Obama decided to crack down on gun control laws, he was not enthusiastic about the laws-tobe.

“Laws are followed by people who follow laws,” Underwood said. “Criminals are by definition not law followers. Stricter laws are not going to keep more people who would commit illegal acts from committing them.”

President Obama announced during his second term inauguration that he is zoning in on gun control laws and campaigning for Congress to strictly tighten gun ownership laws. The president released a 10-point plan explaining the action he hopes to take with Congress in the next four years. Obama’s plan includes more efficient background checks on weapon buyers; more efficient treatment offered to the mentally ill; better resources provided to public school officers and security staff; completely banning assault weapons and armor-piercing bullets; and restoring the 10-round limit on magazines.

Junior Josh Hagler said some types of weapons should not be legal.

“I honestly feel like no one needs an automatic gun,” Hagler said. “I think guns can be used for self-defense. But what would you need an automatic gun for? I have guns, a shotgun, but if it’s for self-de-

fense, you’re not going to use an automatic kids are living it. We’re part of it, but it’s their reality.” weapon. “ Reyes said AISD has prepared for vioThe National Rifle Association is defending the nation’s current gun laws lence that could occur in schools.

“Of course, you never want something by claiming the weapons used in recent acts of violence in the country should not like that to happen,” Reyes said. “That be blamed on the guns but on the lack of is why we run drills and we have officers security at the locations of the tragedies. on campus, so that we can be ready. You never hope it In response happens on to the shootyour campus, ing at Sandy but you alHook Elemenways want to tary School be ready just in Newtown, in case.”

Connecticut, Underthe NRA prowood said posed a plan there is no that would single solupost armed tion to the viguards around Josh Hagler olence issues every public the country is school in the Junior facing. nation, a plan “I completely agree that we need to that would ultimately cost the federal govhave a conversation about mental health,” ernment over $2 billion per year.

Assistant Principal Gabriel Reyes said Underwood said. “This woman, who’s son he thinks stricter gun laws would ben- committed these things in Connecticut, efit McCallum, but the school isn’t in any repeatedly asked for help for her son, but no one could do anything about him bemore danger than it has been in the past.

“We have two officers on campus, we cause he had not yet committed a crime. I have radios, we have drills,” Reyes said. think fixing that is a huge step in the right “We try to maintain a safe environment for direction. “ Hagler agreed. all kids. But it’s up to kids to take drills se“You can make all the guns you want ilriously and to do what we ask them to do, especially when it’s a real threat. I do think legal,” Hagler said, “but criminals are not most of our kids take it seriously. These going to obey gun control laws just like

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Criminals are not going to obey gun control laws just like they don’t obey any other laws.

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they don’t obey other laws. So the people who are going to obey gun control laws are not going endanger people with them.”

Though he does not think laws against gun ownership should be passed, Underwood said some actions discussed by the White House are credible.

“I own dozens of guns, and I have filled the background checks out dozens of times, and there is nothing to keep me from lying,” Underwood said. “I could easily lie and no one would be the wiser, so there’s obviously weakness there. Another thing the President did say that interested me is making it easier for states to communicate with the FBI, who ultimately deals with background checks, about any mental health issues, domestic dispute issues or abusive issues that a person may have.

I think that’s great; we can strengthen the background check. That’s a great idea. “ Underwood said the solution to people’s fears of violence is not gun control.

“There is nothing you can do about crazy,” Underwood said. “We live in a dangerous world. We need to take steps to make it as least dangerous as possible.

Generally, people are unwilling to accept the fact that there is nothing we can do about danger, so they find something to blame the danger on — the availability of guns is an easy target. Guns are tools just like any other tool. People are panicking, and the solution is not more gun control because guns are not out of control; people are.”

Graphic by Natalie Murphy.

Japan England America Mexico 710,000 registered guns

11 gun deaths per year

15,5000,000 registered guns

11,309 gun deaths per year

3,400,000 registered guns

40 gun deaths per year

270,000,000 registered guns

11,078 gun deaths per year

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STAAR Wars feb. 8, 2012

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New standardized test sparks public outcry; students, parents weigh affects CAITLIN FALK assistant editor

Senior Malini Riddle has performed commendably on standardized tests her entire life.

“While this was a comfort as I went through the process of applying to college,” she said, “it also disturbed me greatly, for my high scores mean one thing alone: I have never been appropriately challenged.

What would I be capable of if my teachers had spent their time challenging me rather than drilling TAKS preparation into my head? What could I have accomplished with the many hours I spent working towards that all-powerful test?”

These are the same questions that have been running through the heads of numerous parents, students and administrators as the new State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, was implemented just last year. Students entering ninth grade in the 2010-2011 school year were the last graduating class to take the former state standardized test, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skill, or TAKS, as the new test was phased in in the spring of 2012.

With the STAAR, students will be held accountable for answering more rigorous, open-ended questions in 15 subjects and for the first time be asked to complete the test in four hours. In addition, the assessment will count towards 15 percent of a student’s final course grade.

The wave of changes led to tremendous objection, and new advocacy groups were formed in pursuit of prompting a change in testing standards. Texans Advocating for Meaningful Student Assessment (TAMSA), a grass roots volunteer organization committed to improving public education, has gained momentum in light of growing backlash against the test.

unite in “saying no to under-funding and over-testing.” Texas Commissioner of Education Michael Williams said the system merely needs time to settle in.

“It’s important to remember that this is only the second year of implementation for the new tests and the first year of implementation for the new accountability system,” Williams said. “The Texas Education Agency is gradually phasing in the new passing standards to reduce the overall shock to the system, but these new tests do represent a significant increase in rigor.

I would advocate for giving the new system time to work. However, I would like to point out that every time our state has increased the rigor of its testing system, teachers and students across our state have not only met the standards but exceeded them.”

Williams noted why he believes the tests are a necessary procedure for the state to take.

“While not the only measure, testing plays an important role in determining how well your school is doing in teaching all its students, and where to focus resources to help those students who need help,” Williams said.

“The Texas Legislature has established a body of knowledge — in math, English, science and social studies —that all students Michael Williams are expected to have mastered Texas Comissioner of Education upon graduation. Testing helps us know if students in all parts of more sensible and provide better results our state have learned the important conin the long run. Requiring a student or cepts of these core subjects.”

Majcher said TAMSA is not against a school’s grade or ‘rating’ to be based on one set of tests does not give a complete using the test for the purposes of evaluation and information that Williams identipicture of strengths and weaknesses.”

The state has seen criticism from many fied.

“Parents who belong to TAMSA are concerned citizens in the form of protests, one which will bring thousands to the not opposed to testing that is diagnostic steps of the State Capitol Feb. 23 as they – testing that identifies where there may “TAMSA began when parents of last year’s ninth graders learned of the issues associated with STAAR — inclusion in grades and the number of tests to graduate,” TAMSA co-founder Dineen Majcher said. “It was clear that the testing regime had gone too far, so we joined together to work to effectuate positive change for our children.”

The development that has encountered the most resistance is the 15 percent rule.

Parents say this requirement can substantially affect an individual’s GPA and class rank and, as a result, alters their guarantee for entry to some universities.

“TAMSA is concerned with the overemphasis on high-stakes STAAR tests and opposes the inclusion of state standardized tests in local grades,” Majcher said. “We do believe that utilizing multiple measures for student assessment would be

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Preparing all students today will help strengthen your future and the future of our state and nation.

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be learning gaps in an effort to provide resources and training to address those issues,” Majcher said. “We are opposed to imposing greater stakes on students because that turns the system into one that is punitive to students, and ultimately will result in higher drop-out rates.”

In the 2012 school year alone, the state spent $90 million on testing. Commissioner Williams said, however, the benefits outweigh the expense.

“The economic landscape where you and your fellow students at McCallum will be competing for a job is very different from the one I faced when I graduated from my high school in Midland,” Williams said. “It’s important that we prepare all students for whatever step they want to take next — be it college, career or the military. I can tell you that institutions of higher education in Texas and across the country have an expectation that students coming onto their campuses are ready for a more rigorous college curriculum. And on those campuses, the classes you take may have only two tests or just one that determines whether you pass or fail. If you elect to go straight into a job, many professions will require a test for certification in that occupation or as a necessary step to management positions and higher pay. Preparing all students today will help strengthen your future and the future of our state and nation.”

Riddle, as a member of the Student Advisory Committee with Superintendent Meria Carstarphen, has had a number of chances to reflect on the transition to the STAAR test.

“I am skeptical of the need to spend such a large amount of money on such a small change,” Riddle said. “Just like college-bound high school students have the opportunity to choose the tests they take, fill out resumes, write personal statements

the shield and submit music or art supplements, so too should K-12 students be offered a variety of methods to display their skills.”

Riddle also mentioned these tests create negative outcomes when they do not cater to each individual’s level of learning.

“To borrow the words of my fifth grade teacher, ‘You can’t test a kid like you can test a car,’” Riddle said. “A car may be evaluated according to a checklist, but the developing mind of a child or adolescent is far too complex to be accurately understood through such one-dimensional means as today’s standardized testing. Not only are standardized tests discouraging and intimidating to lower performing students, but they are also frustrating to and unappreciative of students who score higher. But the impact of the tests extends far beyond the reach of the test itself. Forced to meet predetermined standards, teachers have to tailor their lesson plans to fit a structured curriculum rather than catering to students’ individual needs. The result is that some students are overwhelmed while others are under-motivated, and no one’s

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needs are met.”

Majcher agreed the tests can leave some students under-motivated in the classroom.

“There are many aspects of the high stakes that are problematic,” she said, “but perhaps the most troublesome is that it suppresses the true joy and passion that can and should be a part of a great education. We don’t want our children to be accomplished test-takers. We all want students who are excited and curious about issues, who are true problemsolvers and creative thinkers. Testtaking wastes precious instructional time and focuses students more on end results (a grade on one standardized test as representing their knowledge base) rather than the learning process.”

Texas graphic by Caitlin Falk. Answer sheet graphic by Caitlin Falk and Grace Frye.

The TAMSA organization, which many active parents from Mc- and other leaders in Texas. our children’s education is being impacted “This issue is so important because it in a negative way, it is important for us to Callum have joined to try and generate change, is working closely with schools affects the single thing we all care most stand up, say that the status quo is unacand had many meetings with legislators about — our children,” Majcher said. “If ceptable and work for positive change.”

news in brief AISD Board votes to fund single-sex schools

English teacher Flor Mota was named the McCallum Teacher of the year Jan. 26. Mota said her mother inspired her to become a teacher. Other finalists were photography teacher Carey West, history teacher Joe Underwood and technology teacher Andrea Moyers.

feb. 8, 2012

The trustees of the Austin school district approved plans Jan. 28 to introduce three new single sex schools for the 2014-15 school year. The board voted to establish an all-boys schools based on the blueprint of the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders. In addition, a proposal was voted on that would convert Pearce and Garcia, located in East Austin, to single gender schools.

“I think converting Pearce and Garcia is a good idea since it gives AISD students more options,” junior Bianca Breed said.

Breed said these types of schools can be beneficial for students.

“I liked the all-girls and uniform parts of [Ann Richards], which made classroom learning more focused and I didn’t have to worry about what to wear every day,” she said. “It also turned me into a really studious person and it offered great college help. What I didn’t like was they were overly strict about the uniforms and forced a ‘sisterhood’ on us.”

The Moody Foundation, located in Galveston, has donated $4.6 million for the development of an all-boys school in Austin.

“For middle school years, I think the big benefit is the gender separation,” Breed said. “You don’t have the distraction of the opposite gender, which I noticed makes the classroom environment more efficient. I think the separation turns into a disadvantage once it reaches high school years.”

Knights of Steel perform in Chicago The Knights of Steel performed with 40 other ensembles from around the world at the 66th Annual Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago over the winter break.

Senior Rose Banks said after the band’s performance, the audience gave the Knights a standing ovation for their performance.

“On the last day we were in Chicago, we

were shopping and people were picking us out, of thousands of people shopping, and were telling us how good we were and that they bought our CD,” Banks said.

On the trip, the group had the chance to see the Blue Man Group perform.

“We went to so many places,” senior Eva Trevino said. “I’m so happy I went.

All the extra rehearsal after school was so worth it.”

AVID students participate in scholarship workshop

Over 60 AVID students came to school on a Saturday for a Scholarship Workshop Jan. 26. The students showed up for six hours to learn how to write a scholarship essay.

“We basically learned what to write and what not to write on a college application,” junior Ceaser Munoz said. “I would say it’s worth it.”

Gerard Ochoa, an author and presenter on Path to Scholarships, spoke at the event. ”He talked about ways to get a scholarship, and he really made sense, made us want to try it and believe we could make it,” junior Leslie Garcia said.

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It’s getting hot in here Scientists’ research shows 2012 was warmest year on record BELLA TEMPLE

normal. According to the National Climatic Data Center, it was a full degree Fahrenheit warmer than the previous warmest year, 1998.

staff reporter

The numbers are in: 2012, the year with spring heat waves, severe droughts and a “Globally there is a clear pattern of devastating hurricane that caused millions warming that has been attributed to reof dollars in damage, ended with some lease of fossil carbon dioxide associated interesting with human news. Turns activity,” out it was the Charles Jackwarmest year son, a reever recorded search scienin the contitist at UT, nental United said. “When States. considerFreshman ing regions, Charity Coit becomes peland was more diffisurprised by cult to know the extreme what fraction Lily Hammer climate when of observed she went on change can Junior a family trip be blamed on during sumglobal warmmer break. ing and what “The lakes have been getting lower, fraction of the change is associated with and at my house we don’t have any grass other factors such as urbanization, changat all,” Copeland said “Last year, when I ing landscapes, natural fluctuations of went to Utah, they were having the worst weather and climate.” drought ever.”

Jackson researches on the dynamics of Last year’s average temperature was a changing climate and observing the nu55.3 degrees Fahrenheit, 3.2 degrees above merical models of the climate system.

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We need to manage water more effectively, and recycle when ever you have the chance.

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The hot year contributed to the lack of precipitation in 2012, making it the driest year on record.

“We had the worst one-year drought on record in 2011 with 40 percent of normal precipitation in the state,” Bridget Scanlon, a senior research scientist at UT, said, “reservoir storage down to 60 percent of normal and economic losses from agriculture of $7.6 billion.”

Scanlon’s expertise is in the evaluation of the impact of climate variability and change on groundwater resources by land use.

Texans also experienced their warmest year recorded last year, with a statewide average temperature of 67.4 degrees Fahrenheit, a tie with 1921. Junior Lily Hammer was forced to change her everyday activities due to the weather change.

“I can’t exercise outside as much, especially during the summer,” Hammer said.

“Texas has definitely experienced extreme temperatures these past few years.”

There are some speculations as to whether or not the severe weather changes contributed to the disasters there have been, such as floods.

“Because the soils get so dry,” Scanlon said, “any rain that falls gets absorbed by the soils like a sponge and does not runoff, so the reservoirs don’t fill up for a long

time, which will end in a flood.”

The drought itself has still not waned.

The dry conditions still cause damage throughout the United States.

“We need to manage water more effectively, and recycle whenever you have the chance,” Hammer said. “McCallum students should bike to school if you are in a short enough distance. “ The drought has sparked wildfires in the west, which charred 9.2 million acres.

But with the help of satellites, scientists are able to track the impacts of drought on water storage.

“The satellites indicate large changes in water storage in the soil zone and groundwater (67 – 73 km3) of depletion,” Scanlon said. “These have large-scale impacts on water resources.”

Even small actions can have a good effect to make the rising temperatures slow down.

“We can slow down the rising temperatures by emphasizing ‘green’ solutions to energy consumption,” Jackson said. “I particularly like the idea of painting or having very light colored streets/house tops as they will be more effective at reflecting solar energy rather than absorbing it. Nevertheless, the current warmth is a result of many decades of human activity.”

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feb. 8, 2013

Taking in the sunshine

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Austinites react to city-council’s debate over installing solar panels JENNIFER CASTRO

Two of the 15 solar arrays at the Mueller Center taking in the sun’s rays.

Photo by Jennifer Castro.

staff reporter

On Jan. 7, a city council-appointed group recommended that Austin begin applying solar panels to all major buildings around the city.

“I think it’s a good idea,” sophomore Natalie Viruegas said. “We keep depending on using fossil fuels, but what would happen if we don’t have them anymore? It’s better to start now than later (on using solar energy).”

Austin’s goal (if it were to add more solar panels around the city) is that by the year 2020, Austin can produce 200 megawatts, which would help power the entire city without having to rely on fossil fuels and have clean energy to all Austinites.

“I think (solar panels will make Austin better) because I think that green technology is an excellent way to go,” Physics teacher Kendra Flenniken said. “It’ll be clean energy and a teaching tool and set the tone for where we want to be.”

With Austin known as a “clean air city” for the city’s stringent no-smoking ordinances, and Austin’s decision of giving all of its residents recyclable bins a few years back, some say adding solar panels would be the next step in be-

ing more green-friendly.

“I think it will make (Austin) more green,” Viruegas said. “Since Austin always gets lots of sunshine, I think it makes sense to install the panels and use that energy into

something benefiting all of us, for those who are living here in Austin now and for those who will live here in the future.”

Sophomore Sheila Aguilar said she is concerned about the cost.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Aguilar said,” but think about it. Where do you think the money’s going to come from? If this does become official, who’s to say the city won’t raise taxes to help fund this project?”

Even with high costs, Flenniken said the solar panels are worth it.

“Yes, they are more expensive than, for instance coal burning, but the costs that have not been taken into account by burning coal are the costs of the environment and public health,” Flenniken said. “Solar is a viable option that’s cost-friendly because it is a clean technology.”

Since solar panel is clean energy, it could also lower the rate of pollution in and around the city of Austin.

“Pollution has become some sort of problem,” Viruegas said, “not only in Austin, but majority of the U.S. Since solar panels give us clean energy, we don’t have to use fossil fuels and coal burning into our ozone layer. True, we may have to pay more, and even though some may not like it, it can help our air be more fresh and clean.”

Colorless, tasteless, odorless danger Concerns raised about poisonous gas as winter months continue NATALIE MURPHY staff reporter

As the cold, winter season continues, carbon monoxide poisoning is again a concern. As property owners dust off their gas stoves and fireplaces, they unknowingly release carbon monoxide into their homes.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, tasteless, odorless gas that is released by the burning of any fossil fuels and is released into a contained space. The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning vary, but one threat is always present when the gas is release: death.

“The first step [of prevention] is to buy a monitor and put it up in your house,” school nurse Kathleen Thelen said. “It looks like a smoke alarm and can detect

certain levels of [carbon monoxide]. Also make sure there is some ventilation in your house. If you have a gas stove, make sure your pilot light is lit.”

Fifty-two percent of homes in Austin are heated with natural gas, and more than 53 percent of residents burn fossil fuels on a regular bases. Using generators, grills, camp stoves or other gasoline or charcoalburning devices inside a home can result in the release of carbon monoxide.

Recognizing that the gas is released is often difficult because it can’t be seen, so understanding the side effects of the poisoning can be crucial.

“A lot of people don’t notice anything other than they may have a headache,” Thelen said, “because you can’t really smell it. Oftentimes all it will do is cause

sleepiness.”

Building manager Mary Noack said though the school cannot detect carbon monoxide, the gas does not pose a threat here.

“We don’t have anything that emits carbon monoxide,” Noack said. “Our air system is all water heated, so there’s no gas or anything burning that could put off those types of fumes.”

Austin toxicologist Patricia Rosen said carbon monoxide poisoning is often the result of heaters that haven’t been serviced properly.

“Carbon monoxide poisoning is due to a by-product of a combustible substance,” Rosen said. “Typically when the cold temperatures hit, people turn on their heaters. If they are not functioning

properly, CO will be developed when the fuel being used, such as natural gas, is burned. There is an outbreak whenever there is cold weather although CO poisoning can occur at any time. At any time of the year, use of combustible fuels can cause CO poisoning such as occurs with the use of forklifts that are gasoline powered or floor polishers in an enclosed space.”

Rosen said the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to the flu.

“The symptoms occur in all those who are exposed at the same time,” Rosen said.

“Careful maintenance of heating units and adequate ventilation when operating gasoline powered tools helps to prevent CO poisoning. A CO monitor similar to a smoke monitor should be used in the home.”

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Head custodian moves on SEREN VILLWOCK

advertisement manager

On one of his last few days here, head custodian Hubert Clayton stopped in a classroom, remembering the years he has spent working at the school. Soon, he will retire from AISD and move on to continue his career at public libraries, a new challenge for him. For him, the future holds excitement for a new chapter in his career.

“I started at elementary schools and moved up to middle schools, and finally McCallum,” he said. “Now I’ll be starting a new adventure working at the public libraries. I’m excited to be moving on the next level in my profession.”

While looking into the future with excitement, Clayton also shared a feeling of nostalgia looking back on his years at McCallum.

“My first day at McCallum actually got off to a rocky start,” Clayton said. “I had to knock on the front door because I didn’t have my keys yet, and nobody would let me in. I had to wait for somebody else to walk in, and I followed them and entered that way. At first I was thinking, ‘Oh boy, this is how it’s going to be.’ But everyone

was friendly to me In fact, he said right away. I saw it his encounters was a great school, with animals were and now two of my the strangest kids go here, too. thing he has seen I love how diverse in the hallways of the school is. I’m McCallum. going to miss my “I’ve seen co-workers.” raccoons, rats, Clayton added ants and all sorts after his retirement, of things,” he said. the thing he will “One time in the miss most about cafeteria, some working at the students let crickets school is the and little white atmosphere that mice loose. The working with mice were jumping students brings. around everywhere “I’ve really trying to catch the enjoyed the Head custodian Hubert Clayton crickets. All the students here,” in his yearbook photo. Clayton is students stood Clayton said. “I’ll soon to retire from AISD. Photo up on the tables. probably have some courtesy of 1st Photo Texas.

I didn’t want to interaction with touch them, so the students working with the library, but not students had to try to catch them again. It as much. Working at a school is different was definitely the most bizarre thing I’ve every day. You never know what’s going seen working in housekeeping.” to happen when you come into work. It Over the years working at the school, could be anything from a cafeteria spill to Clayton said he has seen an improvement a raccoon in the band hall.” in the cleanliness of the school and the

Glowing compliments SEREN VILLWOCK

advertisement manager

Somewhere in the halls of McCallum, an anonymous student is working toward making the school a better place by spreading positive thoughts over social media. Inspired by a project at LASA called “LASA Compliments,” this person created a Facebook page where students can send anonymous compliments to each other. The creator of the Mac Compliments page is unknown, but the idea has taken off with McCallum students on Facebook. The page was created in mid-December and has since had hundreds of compliments sent in by students.

Students who are “friends” with the Mac Compliments page can post an

anonymous compliment by messaging the page with the compliment, which the anonymous creator will then post and tag.

“I think that with so much negativity, on the Internet, especially, it’s important to have a safe place where students can feel supported,” the anonymous student said. “Although I love McCallum, it is easy to feel lost with so many people around. I hope that Mac Compliments provides a sense of connection and community to everyone who participates.

My goal for creating the page was to make people feel like their best traits aren’t going unnoticed. For example, the idea that somebody is inspired by your good attitude could inspire you to stay positive.

It just seemed like such a purely positive

attitude of the students.

“Not necessarily because of me, but overall I’ve seen the school’s rating go up,” he said. “We have an inspector come in every year come and look in the halls, the restrooms and the classroom. In AISD, McCallum is now one of the cleanest schools. Our rating is excellent now. I’ve seen the students learn to keep the school clean, too. I love when I see the kid start to take responsibility for their classrooms and hallways.”

Clayton said working at McCallum was not just a memorable experience, but also one that has taught him a lot.

“I’ve learned that people have a set way of doing things, and in my profession, you have to work with them,” he said. “Like in one room, a teacher used to use tape on the floors to line the desks up, but it was hurting the floor so I worked with her to find a different solution with small pieces of tape on the walls instead. In my job, it’s things like that you have to work with people and communicate. I feel like I’ve grown a lot over the years. I think any experience where you’re not learning and growing isn’t worthwhile. That’s why I’m excited to move on to the library and have a new set of experiences.”

Anonymous student creates Facebook page to spread positivity idea, and I was excited to bring the idea to McCallum.”

Though the page has gotten a lot of attention among McCallum students on Facebook, the creator said he/she is not surprised.

“I know most of the students are very loving and encouraging people,” the student said. “I am not surprised, just lucky to be the one to get to see it all. I have heard people talking about it at school, saying both positive and negative things. I have gotten a lot of really nice messages on Facebook about what the project means to them, and it cancels out any doubts or worries I have about the page.”

The creator pledged to stay anonymous and maintain the anonymity of those who submit a compliment to post on the page.

“Anonymity is important to me because I don’t want anyone to feel judged or concerned about the compliments they send in,” the student said. “I don’t plan on ever telling anyone who I am. The only one besides me who knows is my pet.”

The only rules on the page are that hate messages and profanity will not be tolerated. The page’s description suggests that students compliment people they don’t talk to otherwise as well as people they talk to every day to spread some love.

“I so admire all of the complimenters, especially those who compliment someone they only know peripherally or might be afraid to talk to in person,” the creator said. “I think every single person who has taken the time to submit a compliment has done something very important.”

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feb. 8, 2013

Mixing cultures

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Mac welcomes Japanese exchange teacher VIOLET ACEVEDO staff reporter

It was a hot and simmering day in July when a group of Japanese women stepped off a plane in Texas. They were sent here by their government to study American teaching methods and improve their English. Among them was Yoshioka Megumi.

“I wanted to go to America for a long time; unfortunately, I couldn’t [before],” Megumi said. “So I applied [for this program].”

As a part of the Japanese Ministry Program for English Teachers in Japan, Megumi gained a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience America first-hand. She was in the country for six months, spending her last weeks at McCallum High School. She left Jan. 17.

“I hadn’t [known she was coming] before Sensei mentioned her,” senior Rozlyn Roberts, a Japanese student, said.

Japanese teacher Sensei Toshio Nishida was the primary host teacher for Megumi. However, since Nishida is only at McCallum on B days, he needed another teacher to help out, so he went to Spanish teacher Karen Kasmiroski.

“I did it because I lived in Japan for fiveand-a-half years,” Kasmiroski said.

After she knew who her host teachers were going to be, Megumi was able to focus on her learning. “[I saw] how different and similar people are. [In America], they have confidence and it looks very cool,” Megumi said. “In Japan, sometimes for me, I hesitate. In America people can do whatever they want to do. It’s very liberal and free.”

Some of her opinions came from sitting in on numerous classes, including those of English teacher Eric Wydeven as well as those of dance teacher Rachel Murray and science teacher Nicole Sorto and many more.

“I was surprised of the differences between Japanese and American students,” Megumi said. “They say their own opinion in class.”

This unique perspective is what Megu-

Yoshioka Megumi shows off her “treasures,” good-by notes from the Japanese class. Photo and graphic by Violet Acevedo. mi has shared with McCallum. Besides great experience to know how people are observing classes, she taught lessons about like on the other side of the world. It’s imher country and culture, spending the ma- portant for everyone.”

Including Megumi. She said it was jority of her time in Nishida’s class.

“She taught [us] about mostly Japanese important to be given the chance to view culture,” Roberts said. “She taught us how American culture.

“Whenever I learn about another culthe Japanese school system differed from ours. The differences were interesting. ture, it makes me think about my own culture,” Kids [in Megumi Japan] are said.

“To in charge accept other of cleaning cultures their own is imporschool, cook tant. I want for and cater [American to each othstudents] to er at lunch.” be proud to Megumi Yoshioka Megumi be of their also got a Japanese exchange teacher American chance to culture beteach students in other classes, including those of cause Americans are awesome.”

She was this enthusiastic about the English teacher Alissa Bell and business whole experience. She brought a positive teacher Richard Fidelman.

“There’s been really good feedback attitude to each class she visited, giving from students. They all enjoyed it. The her the strength to get over language and students all seemed really interested,” Kas- culture barriers.

“She spoke English pretty well, but it miroski said. “For some she’s the only real Japanese person they’ve talked to. It’s a was definitely still in the works,” Roberts

“

I want to say thank you to everyone...

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

”

said. “She mostly just skipped words here and there. [But] I thought she was very nice, polite and positive. She did not get discouraged when some people talked during class, and held her own in teaching the class and keeping us interested.”

In fact, overall, in Megumi’s opinion, the majority of people who interacted with her were very friendly.

“The students and teachers were kind all the time. The most impressive thing was the people in Austin. They were always smiling,” Megumi said. “They were so kind. Whenever I got lost, they helped me. Some would take me to that place.

They were very friendly. Super sweet.”

That is what Megumi treasures the most about her trip here. Out of the many things she gathered in America, her “treasures” are the calligraphy and good-bye notes the Japanese class gave her before she left.

“When they give me my treasures, I was almost crying. I’ll show my students,” Megumi said. “For them, it’s almost unbelievable.”

But Megumi was not the only one who enjoyed her brief stay in America.

“I would like to learn more in-depth about her culture,” Roberts said. “It was a joy to be around her.”

Kasmiroski feels the same.

“I’ve enjoyed seeing her and being that person that she talks to about her experiences,” she said. “It reminds me of when I was in Japan. It brings back pleasant memories for me. It’s a pleasure to think that hopefully I was doing the same for her. It’s been a lot of fun. She’s very dedicated. I hope that we can keep in touch.”

Whether or not that happens is unknown, but there are some parting words Megumi wished to give the students and teachers of McCallum.

“I want to say thank you to everyone,” she said. “Kasmiroski and Nishida. The foreign language [department]. The teachers that accepted me to have a presentation even though they were very busy. [And] all the students in McCallum High School.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

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feb. 8, 2013

Tales from behind the wheel

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Students share stories of wrecks while they were driving VIOLET ACEVEDO staff reporter

Teens never seem to think about it.

They get it into their minds that they can outlive anything, that they can even beat death.

However, based on the most recently available figures, car accidents are the leading cause of teen deaths between the ages of 16-20. In fact, according to the CDC, teens are three times more likely to get in a wreck compared to their adult counterparts.

McCallum students are no exception.

Numerous Knights have been in the driver’s seat when their car has been hit. Three of these students are sophomore Tabitha Copeland, junior Violett Beane and junior Ashlyn Eddy.

Tabitha Copeland The highlights of hundreds of cars were outshining the stars that night downtown during the Formula One race. Copeland had only been driving a week. After meeting her friends for dinner, she was heading home on Cesar Chavez. She was passing through an intersection when she was hit by a drunk driver making an illegal left.

“I didn’t see him at all because there were so many headlights,” Copeland said. “He didn’t stop and I didn’t either.”

After the accident, her knees were so swollen she couldn’t walk on them for two days. However, it could’ve been much worse. At the time of the crash she was driving a ‘60s station wagon with no airbag.

“I should’ve been driving a better car,” Copeland said. “The only thing that kept me in the car was the seat belt.”

Surviving the wreck was only half the battle.

“Ever since then, I’ve been afraid to drive. I try to avoid driving at all costs,”

Violett Beane It was a dreary, drizzly day. Clouds were in the sky, and the highway was in its normal busy state when Beane was on the road. She was coming off the on ramp when the worst happened: her brakes failed. She tried to swerve off onto the shoulder but didn’t make it.

She crashed into another car.

“I thought I’d died because my air bag came out and there was all this powder everywhere,” Beane said. “For a split second I thought, ‘Is this heaven?’ I got out and I was crying. But the guy was really nice about it.”

Things would’ve been different if Beane had known at the time what exactly went wrong. The brakes didn’t

she said. “When I drive through an intersection, I’m much more cautious. I don’t drive during rush hour. If I do, I don’t drive on the highway or on big roads. I know exactly where I’m going so I’m not wondering around. I try not to drive with more than one person even if they’re family. I do try to drive with one other person, though, so I have two sets of eyes.”

Despite her new self-enforced safety rules, when she contemplates her chances of getting in another wreck, she takes on a rather pessimistic tone.

“I think my chances are very high,” she said. “People are stupid; I’m stupid at times. I don’t pretend it won’t happen. Better to drive with that mentality because it’s safer.”

This experience has taught her a lot, making her more aware of the dangers of driving, dangers she wishes to share to others.

“Don’t drive drunk. Don’t text while driving,” Copeland said. “But enjoy driving, and love other drivers even though they can be stupid.”

completely fail. Bubbles were in the brake fluid, reducing the hydraulic pressure and making it difficult for the brakes to do their job. If she had only pumped the brakes, she would’ve been able to stop.

“I didn’t think about letting go [of the brake pedal]. I didn’t know to pump the brake,” Beane said. “I couldn’t even put on the emergency break; it was happening too fast for me to think of it.”

Despite experiencing something that would put many people off driving, Beane is as excited as ever to get behind the wheel. But this time, she does so with more knowledge and awareness.

“I love driving, [but] I use more caution now,” she said. “Hopefully [my chances of getting in another wreck] are zero, when it’s my fault at least. I can’t stop anyone else

Ashlyn Eddy When Eddy set off that morning, she had no idea her day would contain an event which to her was the unimaginable. It happened near the McCallum campus, on her way to Thunderbird’s coffee shop. She was turning left towards the shop, mind elsewhere, when it happened: Her car was hit.

“I was shocked,” Eddy said. “I didn’t understand. I didn’t believe what was happening. It took me a second to process what happened. I was freaked out about it. I just started driving three months before.”

While she was turning, someone, a person she didn’t see, collided with her passenger side. No one was hurt, but Eddy did get a ticket and went to court.

“It sucked because it was my fault because I didn’t yield the right of way,” she said. “[When I was turning] I was like ‘I don’t see anyone.’ I didn’t process it.”

Like others, this experience has changed the way Eddy thinks about

For more info, visit KeeptheDrive.com

from hitting me.”

It is because of that realization that she has some words of advice for her fellow teen drivers.

“Be careful on roads,” Beane said.

“Every day you get in a car, you risk your life. A lot of people don’t realize that that the car is like a weapon, like a gun.”

her driving decisions, even making her think twice before getting behind the wheel.

“I’m scared to drive now because of this. I’m really trying to prevent it from happening again,” she said. “You just have to be aware of so many things at once, pedestrians, other cars coming into your lane and more. You have to learn to be really good multi-tasker [to drive].”

With her heightened attention to the dangers of the road, Eddy is doing all she can to prevent a repeat of her accident. And through her vigilance, she has realized important realities about driving. “[I realized] you can get in an accident,” she said. “You are vulnerable.

You are not in this safe box carrying you around. Don’t think you’re never going to get in an accident. I thought, ‘Oh, it’s not going to be me. I’m not one of those teens that’s in a wreck their first year.’ Just be safer than you think you have to be.”

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feb. 8, 2013

11

Teachers and Tiaras AV Club produces McCallum’s first faculty pageant lum,” she said. “I’m new, so I was flattered and surprised.”

Northcutt said her favorite act was English teacher Flor Mota’s salsa making.

“I liked Ms.Mota’s act because it reminded me of a Robert Palmer video from the ‘80s,” Northcutt said.

Many McCallum teachers participated in the pageant.

“At first we we’re thinking about holding some sort of voting system, but in the end we just tried to get as many teachers as possible, so if they want to they can join.”

Magnison said.

Lots of preparation went into putting on the new event.

“We had one rehearsal which was the day before, so it was kind of hectic. But other than that it was mostly just getting everything ready, preparing questions and thinking about how we we’re going to structure the pageant,” Magnison said Northcutt also prepared for the event.

“I did (rehearse) embarrassingly in my car,” she said. “I also had to go to Dress

Barn and find the ugliest, shiniest dress I could find, and then I had to go to DSW and find some drag queen-sized shoes, and I had to buy a karaoke version of Queen’s “We are the Champions” on iTunes, and that’s about it. My students were very supportive. I’d like to thank Laura Rodriguez for letting me borrow her dozen roses to hold while I taught class the day before.”

There are plans to continue the pageant and make it an annual McCallum tradition.

“Hopefully, we’re going to try and get the teachers to do it again,” Magnison said.

“Hopefully we’ll have more creative questions and maybe even some sort of judge.”

Northcutt said she was not sure if she would participate next year.

“I’m not sure on the rules,” she said. “I think I might have to hand my tiara to the next person, so I’m not sure if I’m allowed to compete next year.”

Magnison said the pageant was a success.

“I think we made well over $600, so that will definitely help,” Magnison said.

Math teacher Scott Pass, Assistant Principal Sophia Sherline, orchesta director Ricky Pringle and English teacher Nikki Northcutt dance in a segment of the teacher pageant.

History teacher Bill Staples, decorates a cake as his talent. The cake was later auctioned off as part of the fundraiser.

GINGER BICKLEY staff reporter

English teacher Nikki Northcutt won the first-ever teacher pageant Jan. 24.

Members of the AV Club came up with the idea for the teacher pageant as a fundraiser.

“We we’re looking for ideas for fundraisers, to raise money for a new recording studio and other equipment,” sophomore Thomas Magnison said. “One of the ideas that came up was a pageant for teachers, It was just kind of funny, and I knew kids would love to see their teachers perform their talents and wear crazy costumes.”

The audience selected Northcutt after she performed karaoke as her talent.

“A lot of the audience members probably enjoyed her performing,” Magnison said. “She sang “We are the Champions,” which was probably really popular.”

Northcutt said she was surprised by her win.

“This is my second year here at McCal-

English teacher Nikki Northcutt sings Queen’s “We are the Champions” as her talent at the teacher pageant. “I just really like to sing bad karaoke, ” she said. Photos by Tiffany Scott.

Spanish teacher Juana Gun dances as her talent.

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8th annual benefit fashio Directors

1.

1. Senior Gobi-Kla Vonan displays a menswear design by senior Danbi Heo in the second act of the show.

2. Junior Violet Beane struts a custom design in the second act.

3. Sophomore Kate Pargaman and junior Yazmin Bautista walk the runway together.

4. Directors Sophie Levy and Maeve Richards and sophomore interns Megan Jones and Caitlin Sconce discuss the model lineup during the intermission break.

5. Directors Levy and Richards.

6. Co-head model Leila Willis-Newton and Heo during a last minute fitting.

7. Sophomore Sophia Stout and junior Katie Sanchez parade their clothes.

4.

Photos by Grace Frye.

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3.

The ever-present Spark.

The fire it lights.

The memories it creates.

This ambiguous creative fuel is what designers in the eighth-annual McCallum Benefit Fashion Show hope to capture.

“Spark is a lot of things,” senior codirector Sophie Levy said. “The whole idea of our show was for the designers to show us what sparked them in life and reflect it in a fashion line. We want to bring out the spark of inspiration in the designers, audience and models that makes life exciting. We think the theme is very much about confidence and personal inspiration.”

The show, entitled SPARK, is co-directed

by Levy and senior Maeve Richards.

The pair, who have been involved in the fashion show since sophomore year, are finally able to express their “spark” in a show they can call their own.

“This year we really wanted to focus on the designers and what inspires them in art and in design,” Richards said. “We are using a very simple set, mostly black, that leads back to the designers and their creations. For the models we really wanted to focus on natural beauty and a clean, fresh face. We really wanted girls and boys who exude confidence and natural beauty; models that find beauty in themselves and are completely okay and comfortable with themselves.”

According to Levy, the years as intern and assistant director were well-spent and helped the directors to execute their plans this year.

“Planning the show is extremely complicated and time-consuming,” Levy said. “Bringing Maeve’s and my vision to life involves meetings with local store and boutique owners as well as our sponsors and crew. It’s not something one could do without already having seen it done twice. It’s also one of the most fun things I’ve ever done.”

Keeping with the tradition of donating the proceeds from the fashion show to a charity of the directors’ choice, Levy and Richards have decided to donate this year’s proceeds to the organization Dress for Success.

“We’re donating our proceeds to the Aus-

tin branch,” Richards said. “Dress for Success provides resources to women re-entering the workforce after being in a disadvantaged situation; they have access to professional clothing to help empower them while looking for work.

We think this organization has a great mission: to empower women and to create a stronger support system for people looking for work.”

To prep for the show, the models, designers and directors have been busy with fittings, rehearsals and much more.

“The audience will see myriads of talent from McCallum students as well as an extremely exciting performance,” Levy said. “Our whole team of models, designers and crew makes this show extremely professional, and the show will be executed in a really exciting way. The audience will not be bored.”

Levy and Richards said they love the support they get from everyone, especially Mary Ghazi, their faculty sponsor, and senior Leigh Kim, their technical director.

“Every year the show improves; that’s always going to happen,” Richards said. “But, this year, the designs are really off the chain; our designers have really raised the bar. What really makes the show special is how many different people contribute to it. We definitely want to add a big thank you to Ms. Ghazi. She’s so amazing for staying through all of the rehearsals.”

Models

Confidence. Poise. Attitude. Strut. These are what it takes to be a model, co-head model Corina Santos said.

“Originally, I was interested in being involved in the fashion show so that I could have a more leading role, like my sophomore year to be an intern, so to get my foot in the door I tried out to be a model,” Santos said. “But, I found that being a model you’re just as involved and in a much different way. I feel like you really get to connect with the people who make your clothes because this is an extension of their personality and how they want people to see it is how you are going to present it; and I think that is really important.”

This is Santos’s third year as a model and first year as a head model.

“As head model for the model workshops, I helped out coaching girls who were inter-

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on show explores natural beauty, individual inspiration ested in modeling for the fashion show with their walks, helping to boost their confidence and giving them positive criticism that would improve their walking,” Santos said. “Leila Willis-Newton, who is the other head model, worked with them on posing; and then for their audition the goal was for them to successfully combine both of those in a unique walk that would really appeal to the directors and designers that would show that they were really strong at walking.”

Inspiration can come from anywhere, Santos said. She auditioned because of her like for a popular television show.

“I had always watched ‘America’s Next Top Model’ and been like, ‘I could do that, maybe one day,’” Santos said. “I thought that it would be really fun to wear clothes that people who actually went to my school had designed.”

Santos said one of the biggest fears of a model is tripping on the runway. The high stress of opening night is thrilling.

“I get really bad nerves that night of the show,” Santos said. “I remember my first fashion show my freshman year. I was so tense and kept thinking, ‘I’m going to trip on the runway, or something bad is going to happen,’ but as soon as I got out there I experienced the biggest adrenaline rush I’ve ever had. The people are cheering for you and they’re clapping and you know that they’re enjoying your presence on stage, and that just really gives you the attitude and the energy and the confidence to do the best walk you’ve ever done and you get to show off the clothes.”

On Saturday the Mac will be buzzing with models, designers and tech crew all waiting for big show, she said.

“Opening day we’re usually instructed to braid or curl our hair the night before. That’s usually the texture the hair stylists want to work with,” Santos said. “We get to school really early, like 7 or 8. Last year we had hair and makeup come to us, this year we are going in groups to a salon to get our hair and makeup done. That’s really fun because you get to relax. Most of the beginning of the day the designers are doing last minute fittings, and then we’ll just hang out because we have to stay at school. We eat lunch at school, and then we do a run-through,

like a total dress rehearsal with changes and everything. Then it’s just waiting until the show is supposed to start. I can’t wait. It’s always so fun, and it’s proven itself to be an experience twice in a row for me that I don’t want to stop doing. I am definitely really excited.”

Designers

The spark is different for each designer.

That is what the show is capturing; the individual concept of each designer of his or her perception of modern beauty, head designer Joe Van Overbeek said.

“One new thing that fashion show has started doing is that they have become a lot more lenient on theme, which is a really good thing,” Van Overbeek said. “They are making it a much broader scope so the designers have more freedom to do whatever collection is relevant to them rather than what is relevant to the theme.

In past years, the theme has been really limiting, like they’ve done Maude or India, stuff like that, and it really restricted what the designers could do. So this year, and last year too, they’ve got a new trend. Freedom is really what fashion is about. It shows something new, the new talent of a small sect of the McCallum Fine Arts Academy.”

As head designer, it is Van Overbeek’s job to oversee all of the designers and help them when it is needed.

“I think the biggest part is that as head designer you are more of a figurehead to the younger designers; you get to offer them help that they need that they wouldn’t be able to get from other younger designers,” Van Overbeek said. “It’s really about having all of your stuff together and being on top of things and being a role model for the other designers. Of course, along with that, there are the basic things like choosing the incoming designers and getting to close the show and that kind of stuff, and you have to be a little more on page with the rest of the heads. I also do designer checkups, when to check on the designers and their progress.”

As the years go on, Van Overbeek said the show evolves with each new set of directors.

“Each year, each show, it’s like the rules are redefined by the heads and so it’s kind of the heads thinking like, ‘Well I want to do things this way, but I still need to follow these old

rules,’” he said. “So, I think it’s like this every year. There are certain decisions the head designer gets to make, and then there are ones that they don’t. Like this year I didn’t have a ton of model input, but I’m having a lot more input about the lineup of the models. After a certain point the head designer is just another one of the designers because they are eligible to win the competition, so there has to be an even playing field.”

Van Overbeek said he thinks the changes in the fashion world are well represented in his line this year.

“I think there are different kinds of fashion design, but the one that is really relevant to me right now is fashion design as an art form,” he said. “Because for a long time there was a consumer industry and there was a couture industry, and that was like the really impractical pieces. And now, as haute couture is kind of dying out there is more of an interest in surrealism art as fashion, it is not so much a consumer industry as it is an art medium.”

According to Van Overbeek, the talent in this year’s show is different than the past years.

“Last year’s talent was a lot of seniors who had been doing it since their sophomore year, so it was very controlled, a little more controlled,” Van Overbeek said. “And this year it’s a lot of new, first-year designers. So I can’t really define the difference in tier of the talent, but there are definitely some fresher faces and new experiences to be had.”

Overall, Van Overbeek said the annual fashion show is an important part of the McCallum community.

“I think fashion show is a really incredible thing,” he said. “I know some schools are trying to replicate it through their fashion clubs, but McCallum is like one of the first high schools to have a fashion show, which is just really incredible. And we are so fortunate because we have this incredible theatre, and these incredible art students designing beautiful collections and these really organized heads doing great stuff.

It’s a really incredible experience, and I think a lot of people undervalue it, and I think everyone should come to fashion show because it’s just really fun.”

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GRACE FRYE editor-in-chief

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feb. 8, 2013

TS: How long have you been swimming?

Hannah Rudy: I’ve been swimming competitively for nine years.

TS: What is your favorite stroke? Why? HR: Freestyle or backstroke because it’s the main stroke, and backstroke probably because it is easier than breaststroke and butterfly.

TS: How does McCallum swimming compare to other swim teams you have been on?

HR: I like it a lot more than any other team I’ve been on. Everyone gets along really well, and it is more fun.

Since we are all around the same age, we compete with each other in practice, which is fun and a good way to get faster. It’s really nice to be around the same level as most of the other swimmers because we are able to pace each other, which is nice because when you get to competition you are swimming against them and you are able to pace yourself based on what they are doing.

TS: How has the team changed since last year?

HR: We have a lot more people, and we have a different coach. We definitely work a lot harder than we did last year, which has made people’s times drop a lot. We have also been able to go to more meets, so people have had more opportunities to get good times.

sports TS: What has been the biggest accomplishment so far?

HR: I broke 30 seconds in my 50 freestyle, which was awesome because I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.

But all of my times have gotten drastically better, especially my 200 free.

TS: What is your favorite part about swimming?

HR: Parkas, they are the coolest thing ever. It’s cool that we get to practice at UT because you get to say that you swam where Ryan Locate and Michael Phelps have swum.

TS: What do you look forward to the most?

HR: Helping people drop their times at regionals. Next year I hope we can get first at district.

TS: How will the team prepare for regionals?

HR: We are practicing a lot harder because regionals are on [Friday], so it has been a lot more intense and we are doing sets that are more specific to our events.

TS: What teams are in the district for swimming?

HR: Just LBJ and Ann Richards for the girls. But LBJ’s team is bigger than ours, so they already have an advantage. Even if we win every event, because they have so many entries, they have the ability to get more points.

TS: How long have you been playing soccer?

Bobby Pellegrini: I’ve been playing since I was 4, so for about 12 years.

TS: What position do you play?

BP: I play center defender, which is also called sweeper, but we refer to it as center because sometimes we play flat back, so I am the defender in the middle of the defensive line. I prefer playing outside defender, but center defender is the leadership position in the defensive line. It is nice to be able to control what happens in the defense.

Bobby Pellegrini

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TS: How has the team changed since last year?

BP: Last year we lost about 12 seniors, so we have a completely new team. We are a lot smaller but we are also a lot faster, so it will be an interesting season. I think we have done pretty well adjusting to the new team; a lot of the newer players have been playing with each other for a while, so the chemistry was already there. We just need to step up to the level of varsity play.

TS: What do you hope to accomplish this season?

BP: I really want to make sure the other teams don’t get any silly goals, but an all-district award would be nice. It is definitely a goal I would have, but I’m not going to be upset if I don’t get it. I would rather have a good defensive season and play my best than worry about an award.

TS: What do you hope for the team to accomplish?

Hannah Rudy MARY STITES photo editor

BP: It would be awesome just to make it to playoffs.

We don’t have to win every game, but making it to playoffs would be great because we have such a new team.

Last year was the first year we had made it in a very long time and we lost 2-1, but we still played really well, so I hope we can make it back this year.

TS: What has been the hardest thing for the team to overcome this season?

BP: Definitely grades, making sure we are on top of our school work so that everyone is eligible to play.

TS: What is your favorite part about soccer?

BP: I just love the game. It is always moving and it is really fast-paced. It doesn’t start and stop like a lot of other sports, which is cool. It is definitely a challenge to know where you have to be at all times.

TS: How does school soccer compare to club soccer?

BP: School soccer is not as intense as club soccer, but I have more fun playing high school soccer, probably because it is more relaxed. When I’m playing club soccer, it’s more long-term success whereas every game is its own game in high schools soccer, which is nice.

TS: How do you prepare for a game?

BP: I have a rather vulgar playlist full of music that gets my heart rate going that I listen to before every game. It’s mostly rap and dubstep music. That playlist gets me really pumped and excited before a game.

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feb. 8, 2013

15

Knights prepare for fresh baseball season WES JOHNS staff reporter

Last season, the Knights varsity baseball team beat LBJ in a winner-take-all district championship game after the two teams split their regular season meetings.

“They claimed to be co-district champs last year, but we were outright champs,” senior Jacob Haggerty said.

Haggerty, junior Kris Reyes and senior Andrew Childs all said the district opponent they wanted to play most was LBJ. “We just hate those guys, and they’re the biggest competition in our district,” senior Eric Counts said.

The Knights began their season the last weekend of January when they held tryouts. Coaches observed the players as they threw, ran, hit and took in-and-outs.

Some players had the added benefit of being in the baseball class throughout the school year; this added time with the coaches helps them to understand the im-

JV soccer team to play LBJ tomorrow The JV soccer team sits with 2 wins.

The Knights last game resulted in a 3-1 loss to Crockett.

“We played well in the beginning,” junior Kiran Joyce said. “Once the second half started, they scored, then scored, then scored again.”

With a large portion of their schedule ahead of them, the Knights have plenty of time to improve their record.

“We started the season with only a few returning JV players,” Joyce said. “Now we’re playing a lot better.”

The team’s next game will be Saturday against JBJ at Nelson Field.

Swim team competes in regionals this weekend The Knights swim team is preparing to bring their season to a close with their regional meet in Magnolia this weekend. Eigh-

Junior Eamon Umphress and the rest of the JV team warm up with longtoss before practice. Long-toss helps to warm up the players arms and build arm strength. Photo by Wes Johns. pact they’ll have on the team.

The varsity squad will have seven new players and eight returning members.

“The hardest thing for guys their first year on varsity is that they aren’t used to the pitching and the speed of the game,” Hag-

gerty said. “There is a big advantage for kids who are in the baseball class because they are more mentally and physically prepared for the season.”

Coach Russell Houston started the year with getting his players in shape.

sports in brief teen swimmers progressed from the district meet that was held at UT in February.

“We had a really good season this year,” swimmer Hannah Henry said. “We have lots of kids going on to regionals. It was a great season, especially because there was a lot of new people.”

Girls soccer heads into big match against LBJ With the most anticipated game of the season against LBJ tonight, the girls varsity soccer team hopes to step up. Coach Nancy Honeycutt said the outlook looks good for the season.

“We had a whole bunch of seniors graduate last year, so it’s been a whole new leadership goal for the new group we have now,” Honeycutt said. “The biggest thing we are trying to work on is communication and teamwork. We tend to want to sit back and let them have the ball and then

try to take it from them instead of us taking control at the beginning.”

Honeycutt said the players enjoy being around each other and are supportive of one another.

“They support each other when they’re on and off the field,” she said. “They hang out together a lot and like each other, so it’s been really good and a lot of fun.”

Softball team ready for new season The JV and varsity softball teams were announced Jan. 18. Varsity player Hannah Smith, who was accepted onto the team as a freshman, said the try out process was harder than she thought it would be.

“We had to try different positions on the field,” Smith said. “We were timed running the bases, we were given pop flys and grounders to catch, and we did a lot of hitting.”

Smith said the team really enjoys play-

“We ran 96 miles, literally,” Counts said. “It was the worst thing ever.”

During the off season, the players in the baseball class kept their skills sharp with live inter-squad scrimmages. Scrimmages allowed the players to stay in shape and gain more experience with live pitching. Drills run in practice helped to develop skills at certain positions and helped prepare players for situations they will encounter during the season.

“The thing we need to work on most is hitting,” Counts said. “What is going to get us far in the playoffs is hitting.”

The last two seasons, the Knights have been knocked out of the playoffs in the first round, but players have hopes of getting past that roadblock this season.

The team will start the season by playing in scrimmages against other schools before they enter tournaments in Fredricksburg and Georgetown. District play for the Knights will start in March. The first match-up with LBJ is scheduled for March 25.

ing together.

“We have a great team this year because everyone is talented and focused, but we’re all still easygoing,” Smith said.

The team plays its next home game Feb. 19 against the Wimberley Texans.

JV girls soccer continues despite low player turn out The Lady Knights JV soccer team, and new coach Tom Gammerdinger, faced some tough competition early in the schedule, including Anderson and Bowie.

“We played really hard against Bowie,” sophomore Allie Faulkner said. “We really fought for the ball at the end.”

The team has struggled with losing players due to grades and not showing up to practice.

“A lot of the girls started the season without knowing much about soccer,” Faulkner said. “Now, they understand the game a lot better and have better control.”

The Lady Knights host LBJ tonight at 7:45 at House Park.

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sports

feb. 8, 2013

the shield

Cooperstown keeps out suspected PED users Decision by Baseball Writers Association keeps steroid debate going WES JOHNS staff reporter

Superstars have always dominated the history of baseball. Cy Young, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, the list goes on and on. Most of these legends are separated from the rest when they are elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Every year the Baseball Writers Association of America meets to decide which players will be forever enshrined in Cooperstown.

When the BWAA met in January to vote this year, they were faced with a group of players from what is known as the “Steroid Era.” Baseball players have always looked for an edge during their weary travel schedule and demanding 162-game season, and some turned to drugs Just two weeks ago, the Miami New Times obtained a list of names from a Miami area anti-aging clinic that linked players and coaches across multiples sports, including Alex Rodriguez, Yankees third baseman; Melky Cabrera, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder: Jimmy Goins, strength and conditioning coach at the University of Miami; boxer Yuriorkis Gamboa; and professional tennis player Wayne Odesnik.

During the ‘60s, the usual drug choice of players was amphetamines in the form of pep pills. During the 1980s, steroid use began to gain popularity in the major leagues, but many turned a blind eye to the practice.

One of the first moves against the use of drugs was a memo sent in 1991 by baseball commissioner Fay Vincent which specifically banned the use of illegal drugs,

“

including steroids. The memo threatened permanent expulsion from the game for players who were involved. Unfortunately, this memo was not enforced and nothing really changed in the Major Leagues.

When Bud Selig was made commissioner of baseball in 2005, he imposed a very strict anti-drug policy on minor league players only.

The new policy allowed for random drug testing, Mike Piazza. education and strict penalties for those caught.

The early 2000s were full of ex-players revealing the truth about the effects of steroids on their careers. In 2002, Ken Caminiti admitted to using steroids during his National League MVP season in 1996 and for several seasons afterwards.

Caminiti died in 2004 from a heart attack from the combined effects of cocaine and opiates, but coronary artery disease and an enlarged heart were contributing factors.

Other players including Jose Canseco, Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield have admitted to either knowingly or unknowingly using steroids, but still countless others deny any use of drugs.

The name most baseball fans think of when they hear steroids is Barry Bonds.

Bonds owns the records for most home runs in a season (73), most homeruns in a career (762), most MVP awards (7), and dozens more, but many feel these records are tainted due to Bonds’ link to steroids.

Bonds’ largest connection was his involvement in the BALCO scandal in 2003.

Greg Anderson, of the Bay Area Labora-

The ‘Steriod Era’ took some of the attention away from clean players on the ballot like Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, and

”

tory Co-operative, had been Bonds trainer since 2000 and was indicted by the Grand Jury and charged with supplying anabolic steroids to athletes. Bonds came under suspicion during this time because there was no mandatory testing in Major League Baseball. Bonds insisted he was innocent and said his change in physique and his increase in power were due to bodybuilding, diet and legitimate supplements.

While Bonds was testifying before the Grand Jury in 2003, he admitted to using a clear substance and a cream he received from then personal trainer Anderson, who had told him it was flaxseed oil and rubbing balm for arthritis. Some leaked grand jury testimony showed he admitted to unknowingly using “the clear,” a designer steroid THG, and “the cream,” which is designed to mask hormone ratios and beat drug tests.

In 2006 reports came out that Bonds was under investigation for whether or not he committed perjury during the BALCO investigation when he testified the clear product and the cream, given to him by Anderson, were flaxseed and arthritis balm. After a series of delays to his trial, Bonds was sentenced on Dec. 15, 2010, to 30 days of house arrest, two years of probation and 250 hours of community service for obstruction of justice in his grand jury appearance in Illustra2003. The case tion by Wes is currently under Johns appeal.

If Bonds truly did not take steroids, it cements him as an all-time great in baseball history. He played at a high level

throughout his career and deserves to be in the Hall of Fame ONLY if he truly did not take steroids.

When the HOF ballots were counted and no players were elected, for the first time since 1996, it was a sign that steroid use will not be viewed lightly in the eyes of the voters. This vote decided how steroids would be viewed in the HOF, and they made the right choice. Steroids give players an unfair advantage over others, and boost their performance to higher levels. Despite their connections to steroids, suspected users still had support from some voters. Bonds, Clemens, and McGwire each got more than 16 percent of the vote.

The hype around the “Steroid Era” took some of the attention away from some of the clean players on the ballot like Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Mike Piazza and Curt Schillings. Biggio was the closest to the 75 percent needed for enshrinement with 68.2 percent, but in the end none were elected. This has happened before, but it draws further attention to the question of steroid use. The voters have decided that players who have connections with steroids have no place in Cooperstown. Still, the problem continues as the investigation in Miami proves.

I hope next year Biggio will be voted in because he was truly an outstanding player. Biggio had 3,060 hits, 291 home runs, and 1,175 RBIs in his career. He played with the Astros his entire career, and because of this he never won a World Series, but he did retire with plenty of accolades.

He moved positions to accommodate the changes his team made, but wherever he went he put up numbers. He played 1,800 straight games before ever going to the disabled list, and he rebounded from tragic injuries, tearing his ACL and MCL in his left knee in 2000. If Biggio is never enshrined, there is a serious problem with the system.

opinion

the shield

Stepping up to the plate Staffer remembers pros, cons of playing baseball, softball CAITLIN HENSON staff reporter

I grew up playing baseball at a ballpark called North Austin Optimist, or NAO. I started with T-ball, and then I moved up to Pinto. At NAO they have divisions; in order, they are T-ball, Pony, Pinto, Mustang and then Bronco. You start T-ball at the age of 4, and can play up to Bronco until you’re 18.

When I played T-ball, we had a set of twins, Nina and Tina, on the team, and they were my best friends. I remember when Nina slid to home base and landed on her arm. She broke it. The ambulance drove onto the field and then I became dizzy. I fainted. But no one knew. Everyone was so focused on Nina, they didn’t know I had fainted until a mom saw me and brought attention to me. I remember waking up in the ambulance and freaking out immediately, like any 6-year-old would do.

But that didn’t stop me from playing. I The Blue Diamonds in 2006 at the closing ceremony. Our team had just continued to get hit; every kid does. Half run from first base to home plate to retrieve our trophy. Every year we have the kids dropped out because they got hit. an opening and a closing ceremony at the beginning of the year to welBut my theory is that if you play right, and come and end the year. Photo used with permission of www.naopt.com. if you hit and catch the ball, you won’t get hit. Practice makes perfect. If you don’t ball was pitched and the ball itself. two innings. At the end of the game, I got practice, you’ll get it.

The whole idea of softball felt wrong high fives and “good jobs” and a lot of “not I stopped playing when I hit Pinto. to me, so I asked a coach I was close to bad for a girl” jokes.

When if I could practice with I wish they could have a girls’ baseball girls finish his team. His team was team at MAC, or at least let a girl try out of Pony, they baseball, guys’ baseball. the guys’ baseball team. move up At first the guys thought Next year, I might join the softball Every day is a new to Pinto I was a joke, a blonde team at Mac just to see how they play. Not softball, girl playing “big boy” all teams are all the same, so I’ll give it a opportunity. You can but I kept baseball, as they put shot. I can’t judge softball just on what I getting hit it. But once they saw played years ago. It might be hard to get build with the me hit the ball to the back in the game, but I will put my best efball and outfield I gained their fort in, and I’ll see where it takes me. couldn’t respect, not because I I guess what I’ve learned is that you hit it, so I simply hit a ball, but be- can’t give up on something that you failed dropped cause I wasn’t afraid to at once. Just because you fail doesn’t mean out. Baseshow them up. you can’t do it. My dad used to say, “Every ball runs Once they saw how I day is a new opportunity. You can build in my family, so I didn’t quit because I pitched and how fast I ran, I played a prac- on yesterday’s success or put its failures sucked; it just wasn’t something I didn’t tice game with the team. I will admit the behind and start over again. That’s the love anymore. I loved it until I started soft- guys didn’t hold back, so I didn’t either. I way life is, with a new game every day, and ball. Softball was so different, the way the ran three homeruns and six outs in the first that’s the way baseball is.”

“

yesterday’s success or put its failures behind and start over.

”

feb 8, 2013

17

Differences between Softball and Baseball

A softball is 11.88 and 12.13 inches in circumference and weighs between 6.25 and 7.00 ounces; A baseball measures between 9.00 and 9.25 inches in circumference and weighs between 5.00 and 5.25 ounces.

When pitchers throw from 35 feet, the bases typically are 55 feet apart; when pitchers deliver balls from 40 feet, the bases usually are 60 feet apart. The smaller base paths in turn create a smaller infield area, which affects the defense of the infielders.

In baseball there are 9 innings (7 in high school) and in softball there are 7 innings.

In baseball, the ball is pitched overhand; in softball, the ball is pitched underhand.

Images from www.free-clipart.net

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entertainment

feb. 8, 2013

the shield

Take a ‘Walk with me’

Dance Department performs 2nd annual cancer survivor show

Left: Dancers act as cancer cells to represent the struggle choreographer Brazie Adamez’s son Drew went through. Right: Sophomore Deniz Vega and junior Cohen Lewis-Hill organize photos to symbolize reminiscing the past. Photos by Haley Hegefeld.

GAGE WANN staff reporter

Last year, dance teacher Brazie Adamez choreographed “Walk With Me,” a story told through dance about Adamez’s son Drew, who had undergone chemotherapy to kill a rare soft tissue tumor called Rhabdomyosarcoma.

“It is a dance production about our journey from diagnosis to treatment and what a family goes through,” Adamez said.

According to Adamez, her inspiration for the show came from her son and their family. Adamez chose to express how she felt in the form of dance, which is started the idea behind “Walk With Me.” “Right after when he was still a baby, five months after his treatment, I created a small section of it, a couple of pieces,” Adamez said. “I have been building up over the years, and we did it last year for the first time.”

The dance performance targets family emotions of the audience members and the unity of loved ones. Returning cast member Leila Willis Newton said the dance connected with her on a personal level.

“This is my second year performing,” Willis Newton said. “I think that it is a beautiful dance After all the chemotherapy, Drew is still cancer free.”

“My grandma was diagnosed with can“The dance is more of a modern style, cer, but luckily she was able to survive it,” which basically you take ballet and mix it Willis Newton added. up with more arm movements and expresAccording to Adamez, 20 percent of sion,” Hegefeld said. “The dance is called the proceeds gained from admission tick- ‘Walk With Me’ because when the narraets went to tor is telling help cancer the story, the patients in dancers are Austin. walking you “I want though the the dancers scenes.” to experience Returning the emotion cast member and know that junior Cohen they can heal Lewis-Hill through art said the prepand expresarations that sion,” Adamez went into the Brazie Adamez said. show were exAudience tensive.

Dance Instructor members “To prewere also afpare physifected by the cally for the show. shows, I did a simple warm up and stretch “The play connected with me on a per- series to avoid injuries,” Lewis-Hill said. sonal level,” sophomore Arvind Hathaway “Preparing emotionally to tell such a persaid. “My uncle was diagnosed with pros- sonal story was much more difficult. This tate cancer, so seeing Ms. Adamez’s dance year my role was less emotional, so medimade me think about him.” tative exercises were usually enough. Last Freshman Haley Hegefeld said the year, though, my role involved crying and dance incorporates more contemporary breaking down for 20-30 minutes. That techniques. involved digging into some pretty dark

“

I want the dancers to experience the emotion and know that they can heal through art and expression.

”

places and bringing much more of me to the performance, which wasn’t always easy or enjoyable.”

Lewis-Hill said she agrees with Adamez that dance is an important medium of self-expression.

“Dance is unique for its absolute immediacy,” Lewis-Hill said. “Dance takes the most basic things we know—space, time and bodies—and uses them to externalize the internal in beautifully complex ways.

Because dance is a physical action in time, it doesn’t last forever, and that immediacy makes it that much more rare and effective.”

Lewis-Hill said she joined the show for the uniquely challenging dance experience and to help Adamez tell her story.

“This show really taught me how very personal art can have a huge, widespread impact,” Lewis-Hill said. “All you know is your own experience in this world, but when you’re willing to share something so intimate, it gives your art a very authentic quality and gives audiences a very strong connection with the artist. This was completely Ms. A’s story, but it touched everyone who heard it. Everyone could connect, and that’s really beautiful to me.”

With additional reporting by Grace Frye.

entertainment

the shield

The lore of dancing

feb. 8, 2013

19

Student shares her experiences with ballet folklorico VIOLET ACEVEDO

bull,” she said with a smile, “and I get to dance with the bull and the kids [we perstaff reporter form in front of] are like, ‘Ah, a bull!’”

The ballet folklorico ensemble perYou can hear the ballet folklorico dancers sometimes after school in the empty forms mainly around Cinco de Mayo (the cafeteria, practicing. The Hispanic beats, anniversary of the Battle of Pubela) and the rustle of fabric, the tap of shoes, and Dieciseis de Septiembre (Mexican Indethe sound of Spanish teacher Señora Juana pendence Day). They’ve performed at the Gun’s voice encouraging and instructing state capital as well as various elementary can be heard echoing off the scuffed tiles. schools around the city.

“It’s great to see the children’s [reacAmid the jumble of dancers is senior Crisel tion]. They’re like, ‘They’re so pretty,’” SuSuarez.

“I started sophomore year,” Suarez arez said. “I especially like turning because said. “I thought it would be a great expe- the skirt goes up, and the audience gets to rience, and I wanted to learn more about see how dresses are. The flowers [on the skirts] are really pretty.” different regions and traditional dances.”

One of the highlights of the year for SuBallet folklorico is a type of dance ensemble that was started in Mexico City in arez is the Pan American Student Forum of Texas Confer1952 and has ence in San Antotraveled to the nio. It is not a comUnited States petition. Instead, with immiit is similar to a grants.

Its showcase where purpose is to high schools across showcase the the state come and various tradiperform and show tional dances off their knowlof Mexico, edge of Mexican something culture.

Suarez is inCrisel Suarez “I’m really exterested in.

Senior cited,” Suarez “[Ballet said. “This year it’s folklorico] reminds me of Mexico and all their culture,” March 22-24. Last year I lost my voice for she said. “I was born there and moved here two days. I couldn’t talk; it was annoying.

[But] our performance had glow-in-thein 2005.”

Since moving here, Suarez has become dark [aspects] and that was cool.”

But those “cool” costumes take a lot of a dance major and is well experienced in different types of dances. She finds the preparation to pull off. “[Before a performance] you have to dances of ballet folklorico, however, some have time put on your hair piece and make of her favorite. “[The dances are] not stressful,” Suarez sure it doesn’t fall,” Suarez said. “The said. “You don’t have to be strict like some make-up’s also important so [the audience] can see you under the bright lights.” others. It’s more relaxed.”

For women, the ballet folklorico cosThe different dances the ensemble performs come from various regions in Mex- tume consists of elaborate shirts and hair ico, including Veracruz in east Mexico, pieces meant to reflect the culture behind Jalisco in the west, Nayarit in the south- the dances they are performing. But Suwest, and many more. Suarez’s favorite arez is quick to say things don’t always dance, El Torrito, is from the Chiapas work the way they should with the costume. region.

“It was on a Cinco de Mayo field trip,” “Someone gets to wear a mask of a

“

High school would’ve been boring without ballet folklorico. I really like dancing [in it].

”

Senior Crisel Suarez performs at Webb Middle School. Photo courtesy of Juana Gun. she said. “I was wearing one of those heavy braided [hair pieces], but it wasn’t tight enough. So when we were spinning, it fell off. It was funny because the same day someone else’s hair piece fell off [too].”

This memory is only one of many Suarez has gained during her three years in ballet folklorico. She has gained many more thanks to the friends she has made while in the ensemble. “[The ensemble’s] pretty close. We always try to help the newer kids,” Suarez said. “We tell them, ‘It’s okay; you can do your schoolwork. We can help you. You don’t have to come to practice.’ With that support we have, we make [the ensemble] successful.”

But ballet folklorico is more than just showing off the bright colored costumes and making friends. In the end, it all comes

back to the reason it was first started: showing people the dancing heritage of Mexico.

“Some people have the wrong idea of what Mexico is,” Suarez said. “They don’t think of the culture. They think all Mexico is, is a huge drug cartel. They mostly think about the crimes they see on the news and they don’t think about the cultural aspects of the country. [That’s] important to remember.”

Suarez plans to continue dancing in ballet folklorico ensembles after she graduates from McCallum. She’ll either join St. Edward’s ensemble or Texas’s ballet folklorico company, Roy Lozano’s Ballet Folklorico De Texas.

“High school would’ve been boring without ballet folklorico,” she said. “I really like dancing [in it]. It’s a good experience.”

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feature

feb. 8, 2013

the shield

Man of the Knight

Senior boys prepare for their Mr. McCallum 2013 debut MARY STITES With just over a week leading up to the annual Mr. McCallum senior boys pageant, Student Council, the senior class and participants are working to get their routines done and put on the finishing touches. Whether audience members are laughing at or with the contestants, senior boys have been preparing to woo the crowd with their Mr. McCallum debuts Feb. 16.

Since the first Mr. McCallum show in 2009, the male pageant has become a standard fundraiser the Senior Class puts on with the aid of Student Council and English teachers Flor Mota and Diana Adamson. The show consists of standard pageant activities that will accent the boys’ personalities and skills.

“Mr. McCallum is the senior boys pageant where they get to show off their talents, answer funny, thoughtful questions,” senior Hannah English said. “They also get to show off their bathing suit bodies and all of that jazz.”

With the show quickly approaching, Senior Class officers have been staying late after school, coordinating meetings and practices and running errands to prepare for the show.

“I’ve been helping with the photo shoots, getting the guys together for the pictures and meetings, making sashes, getting the crown, all of that stuff,” English said.

“I’m the Senior Class secretary so I just do whatever Ms. Mota or Ms. Adamson needs me to do. I have just been getting everything together.”

Mr. McCallum, in conjunction with various other fundraisers the Senior Class does, benefits the senior prom, Grad Night and baccalaureate. The events the

Senior Zoe Whitworth photographs senior Sam Hagood for the Mr. McCallum 2013 calendars that will go on sale to raise money for the Senior Class. Photo by Mary Stites seniors plan end up being expensive, but the fundraisers will give them a bigger budget for the events.

“The sales for the tickets will go to Grad Night, where we get locked into Dart Bowl after graduation,” English said. “So all of the ticket sales will go to making our Grad Night fun. And we made a deal with Whataburger this year; if you go to Mr. McCallum and then go get food from Whataburger, part of the money will go to Grad Night. ” Usually the Senior Class has a senior auction, where parents and companies donate their products and various other things to be auctioned off to benefit the class.

However, this year the Senior Class has chosen not to do

the senior auction.

“Since we aren’t doing a senior auction this year, this is one of the biggest fundraisers we will do,” English said.

“Everyone likes to go and see the guys do crazy things, so we are hoping that we can raise lots of money for our Grad Night.”

The contestants are all very involved in different activities, which has put a delay on some of the things that must be done to prepare for Mr. McCallum. The big challenge Student Council and the Senior Class has had to work with is scheduling and getting everyone to the same place at one time.

“So far the biggest challenge has been getting all of the guys together for pictures,” English said. “A lot of the guys have sports and other activities going on after school, so it’s been hard to find a time that works for everyone.

We have had to put a delay on the calendar because we still have to get so many pictures and Photoshop them, but we have been working really hard to make sure that everything goes smoothly.”

Even through the complicated schedules and long hours, English said she has enjoyed being part of the Mr. McCallum planning.

“I like being able to have a sneak peak of what is going on,” English said. “I like knowing how funny it is going to be and how interesting of a show it will be. I like that I have been able to help out and have things go smoothly.”

While many boys will reveal their hidden talents and amaze the audience with insightful answers, the contestants are expected to put on a good show.

“People should expect funny talents, interesting questions, funny answers, having a good time and laughing with or at the guys,” English said.

“People should expect to be moved in their soul by my performance. I don’t want to tell you exactly what I’m going to do, but I am singing a meaningful song about love and self-esteem.”

-Gobi Vonan

“People will be so surprised. I’m doing a duet with Griffin [Stuesser]. We have been trying to keep it pretty low-key. We have been practicing our talent a lot.”

-Wil Smith

“I’m doing two routines. One I will keep a secret, but the other has something to do with ‘Mean Girls.’ I know ‘Mean Girls’ by heart, so I have been practicing my surprise talent the most.”

-Brandon Corpus

photo editor

opinion

the shield

Soup’s on!

feb. 8, 2013

21

Staffer celebrates national soup month in the kitchen

SEREN VILLWOCK

advertisement manager

With winter’s chill setting in, now is the perfect time to celebrate national soup month with delicious new recipes.

I made four different soup recipes this month, each using a variety of different flavors from my recipe books to make some unique soups. The great thing about these recipes is that anybody can easily make a gourmet meal for his or her whole family with the right ingredients in the kitchen and a wooden spoon on hand.

In part of my cooking exploration this month, I talked with Taye Cannon, a soup chef in the Central Market kitchen, and learned about how the soups there became a classic Austin tradition.

The Shield: How much soup is made daily in the kitchen?

Taye Cannon: We make about 1000 pounds of soup daily. You need really big kettles that stand up from the ground and can hold 100 pounds of soup at a time. There are also lots of different commercial utensils that you need, like spoons, whisks, strainers and knives.

S: What ingredient is used most often?

TC: We use at least 40 pounds of onion from local purveyors or the market daily in the soup-making process.

S: What’s the most popular type of soup?

TC: Chicken Tortilla Soup or Gumbo.

S: What is the kitchen atmosphere like?

Find more pictures, recipes and the full interview online at macshieldonline.com

Winter squash soup with maple-cinnamon cream Impress your family by making this gourmet, honey-sweet soup look so easy. With the frozen cubes of squash you can find at Central Market, this soup is a breeze. This soup is perfect for winter with its creamy and sweet flavor. To all the tofu-phobes out there, I dare you to try this one.

Ingredients: 2 10-oz packages of frozen squash 6 cups vegetable broth 1 carrot 1 yellow onion 2 chopped celery stocks Olive oil

1 package soft tofu 2 tsp cinnamon 2 tbsp maple syrup ½ tsp chopped thyme Fresh thyme for garnish

Run the bags of frozen squash under warm water and set aside to thaw. Peel and chop the carrots and celery into small chunks. Next, slice and sauté the onion in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Heat the broth in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Puree the contents of one of the squash packages in a food processor, scraping the sides or adding some warm water when necessary to achieve a smooth consistency. Add the puree, the contents of the other squash package, the carrots, the celery and the onion to the pot. Heat and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often.

Meanwhile, prepare the tofu cream. Blend the tofu in a food processor until smooth. Add the maple syrup and cinnamon and blend to combine. Stir ¼ cup of the cream and the thyme directly into the soup.

Swirl the remaining cream on top of each serving, topping with a pinch of cinnamon and fresh thyme garnish if desired.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Roasted vegetable soup with herb dumplings This delicious roasted vegetable soup combines flavorful ingredients for a smooth, comforting winter meal. The herb dumplings add a fragrant and refreshing touch for a small bite of flavor.

Ingredients: 3 carrots 1/2 butternut squash 1 sweet potato 2 leeks 2 medium turnips 1 yellow onion 4 garlic gloves, unpeeled 6 cups vegetable stock 1 bay leaf

1 cup flour 2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt 2 tbsp margarine or butter 1 tbsp finely chopped marjoram 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley 1 tbsp finely chopped thyme ½ cup plain soy milk/dairy milk Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Prepare the vegetables by peeling and chopping the carrots, butternut squash, parsnips, sweet potato, and the white and light green part of the leeks into 1-inch chunks. Quarter the onion. Spread the vegetables and the unpeeled garlic cloves out on two baking sheets. Spray with cooking oil or toss with olive oil to coat the vegetables evenly. Sprinkle with two pinches of salt and pepper, with chile powder if desired, and roast at 400° F about 40 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Squeeze the roasted garlic from the skins. Use a food processor to puree the vegetables in batches. Add some of the vegetable stock when needed to get a smooth consistency. Next, heat the remaining vegetable stock, the puree and the bay leaf in a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often.

While the soup is simmering, whisk the baking powder, flour and salt together in a small bowl to prepare the dumplings. Add the margarine and use a fork to mix until the mixture appears crumbly. Stir in the herbs and the milk to create a dough-like consistency. Drop round, bite-sized spoonfuls into the simmering soup, carefully using a spoon to immerse the dough in the soup. Cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes to allow the dumplings to cook through. Makes 6 servings.

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opinion

feb. 8, 2013

the shield

Keep the Web world-wide Providers should not be allowed to censor Internet JACOB STRAIGHT staff reporter

Here in America the Internet is one of the only places where our freedom of speech is truly used, and you can always speak your mind. This isn’t the case in many other countries, especially those that don’t grant their citizens rights as strong as ours. Since the Internet is shared by the whole world, people shouldn’t have the right to prevent others from experiencing it.

Freedom House’s 2011 report surveyed 15 countries on how free the Internet was in those countries. They found four countries had “free” Internet, seven had “partly free” and four other countries had Internet that was “not free.” The report also found five of the countries were moving to more free Internet and nine lost freedom.

Recently in France, a debate emerged over a controversial move by the Internet provider Free, which is rated in most polls as the second most popular in the French market. The provider allowed advertisements to be blocked when users upgraded the software.

This has created many problems. Advertisements create most of the revenue for websites when companies pay to get their ads posted on the website. Since this provider blocked ads, no users could see them. If you can’t see ads, there’s no reason to pay a website to put them on their page.

If websites aren’t getting money from ads, they are not generating a profit.

Free agreed to abandon the policy, but this issue sparked debates on many websites over whether anyone has the right to censor the Internet. A popular technical website, tech.in.com, surveyed 47 countries and found that since 2011, at least 19 countries made policies to censor the Internet. This can cause large amounts of controversy within these countries, and can even cause a small revolution or protest.

A similar issue occurred when Internet Explorer 8 came out. It had a setting that gave advertisers your location. This

was turned off by default. Because it was turned off, advertisers were less likely to pay for an ad that would have something to do with location. This also caused a loss of profit for many websites.

Governments shouldn’t have the right to restrict information from their citizens.

These restrictions could cause the same effect as the ad- blocking incident, creating an unfair loss of revenue for companies that rely on viewers from many different places.

A U.N. treaty was signed by nearly 90 countries on Dec. 14 to give greater control over the Internet to governments. However, not every country agreed to this treaty.

Over 20 countries sided with the U.S. and refused to sign the proposed protocols.

Many countries already have some sort of Internet restrictions in place. Some censor and guard their citizens from the outside world.

North Korea is the most restricted.

Here, most of the country’s 24 million inhabitants are unable to access any Internet at all. Some residents can connect to an internal Intranet, which only connects to government media. Imagine not being able to Google that question that has been irking you for days. That would be frustrating.

In Iran there isn’t much in place to block users, and anything there can be gotten around with a proxy server or other widely used methods. The main things are Western media sites, including Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. This is a prime example of censorship for the reason of keeping citizens from the ideals of western society.

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China has its own filtering system, dubbed “The Great Firewall,” which censors blogs, social media and politically abrasive material. Searches for any controversial material, like the jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo and any corruption scandals, respond with an error message. Again, these are bypassed with proxy servers.

These restrictions on searches are unfair towards citizens. They should at least be able to know the bad things their country has done. Think about what it will be like to those people if they ever do find out their country isn’t perfect.

Imagine if we didn’t know about all the bad things that happened here in the U.S., which we see every day on the news.

Here in the US we don’t have a completely free Internet. Copyright and other infringement issues can still give the government a reason to shut down a website.

This keeps Internet piracy down but also can restrict small amounts of information, making the Internet not truly free.

In the Gulf Arab states, political sites are often deemed “threats to the state” and are blocked. Any bloggers who post opinions that are considered offensive to rulers or users who call out for a political reform are jailed.

Many of these punishments or restrictions are way over the line, ranging from fines to even incarceration. From the perspective of other countries, I can see why you would block websites that go against the beliefs you have taught and believed in for centuries. Other places don’t have these long-held beliefs. Their censorship is usually focused on keeping occupants from the ideals of western civilization.

Freedom of the In-

ternet is a right and a value that should not be put into jeopardy.

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Many companies and school systems have some sort of restriction to most websites, which can go either way. On one hand, you are restricting their rights to information, and if they do get caught on unproductive websites, that can be dealt with. Some of the blocked website may have information the workers need, depending on the job. This could create many different issues.

On the other hand, blocking websites prevents workers from visiting unproductive websites, which can effectively increase the productivity. If workers are more productive, the company is going to be more successful. Censorship for the reason of productivity is a completely other issue. Here in Austin ISD, we have are own censored servers. Nobody argues against it because this is a place for focusing and not for random Internet videos or games.

Restricting the Internet basically makes the whole original idea of a “World Wide Web” irrelevant because it wouldn’t be world-wide, considering many parts of the world wouldn’t be able to connect.

Another issue is that it wouldn’t have the endless websites full of information because the information would be censored by countries and providers.

Another thing countries do to limit the freedom of Internet usage is inspect the emails and any other information sent online. Many countries do this, including the US. This is seen by some as an infringement of our right to freedom of speech.

However, others say it can help solve and prevent crimes. Emails can be used as evidence and greatly reduce the amount of time it takes to solve these crimes. This is fine as long as it its used for good purposes and not taken advantage of.

The web can also be used by activists to get help for an issue. In 2011, protesters in Egypt used Facebook to plan out protests.

They also posted videos to YouTube to raise awareness of their protests.

Freedom of the Internet is a right and a value that should not be put into jeopardy.

editorial

the shield

Putting the system to the test

­As a wave of controversy has washed over the issue of standardized testing, one must ask whether these tests are even posing the right solutions, much less asking the right questions. The answer is they don’t. Nearly three million students in Texas each year slump down behind a desk for annual standardized testing that will take hours of their time. This high-stakes testing faced developments in recent years as the class of 2015 welcomed a new standardized test: the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, or STAAR. The STAAR was designed to improve upon its predecessor, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS).

With a compilation of more rigorous questions, this test emphasizes “readiness standards” to evaluate skills deemed important for success in later courses. And for the first time, students will be placed under a time limit of four hours to complete the test.

The number of changes demands scrutiny. Precious teaching time in the classroom is wasted on hours spent on predetermined testing days to distribute and take these tests. Instructors are already forced to cover nearly impossible loads of information in a limited time even without consideration of the numerous hours spent

in testing rooms. In the midst of all of these downsides, it is important to remember one seemingly small but significant consequence of this test: educators are forced to narrow their curriculum to fit only subjects which are tested and exclude any exciting aspects of the subject unlikely to emerge on the test. This stifles the discovery and enjoyment that comes with education as teachers feel obligated to advise on numerous testing strategies throughout the year instead of instilling a love of learning in every student.

In 2012 alone, the State of Texas spent close to $90 million dollars on developing and putting into effect the new STAAR test. The money used to administer and create this test would more effectively be used if it were directed towards sufficient teacher training and resources to aid student learning. Too much money is exhausted in improving these tests when there is a clear lack of funding in public education.

In addition, the law that launched the STAAR test requires that the end-ofcourse exam count for 15 percent of one’s course grade. This is perhaps the most objectionable aspect of the STAAR. Because the test now factors into an individual’s GPA, his or her class rank can, in addition,

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online editor Baron Heinrich

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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.

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Cartoon by Tillie Walden. in the system with these tests, the public should have faith in teachers and their ability to know how to do their job as long as they’re provided with sufficient economic funding and resources from the state. As of now, even that needs mending.

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

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shield staff

be greatly affected.

Other students in states not under this system have a clear advantage in applying for higher education. Their GPA is not forever influenced by a single test taken in a matter of hours.

Now, not only does the test waste teaching time, but it directly affects students’ possibilities of acceptance into out-of-state universities.

It isn’t that the state should not be held accountable for its students.

Standardized testing does allow for the state to recognize gaps in service to different socioeconomic groups. The test should remain operating only for that purpose. And if it is to stay, the illogical 15 percent rule must be abolished. Instead of obsessing over discovering deficiencies

feb. 8, 2013

editor-in-chief Grace Frye reporters adviser Rhonda Moore

cause a “substantial disruption to the educational process.” 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.

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feb. 8, 2013

photo essay

the shield

Kicking the ball and taking names

1 Lady Knights varsity soccer team takes third win in play against Crockett, giving the team a 3-0 record in district 1. The Lady Knights varsity soccer team beat Crockett 4-0 for the third district win at Burger Field Feb. 1. Senior Grace Siegel watches senior Tania Salgado go for a ball coming off of a punt from the Crockett goalie.

2. Coach Nancy Honeycutt congratulates Salgado after her goal on the sideline. “I like playing midfield because I get to score a lot of goals,” Salgado said. “But I also get to have a bunch of assists.

Of course scoring goals is fun, but it’s fun to be able to help someone score a goal and be a part of the play.”

3. Senior Katie Gernsbacher dribbles the ball towards the goal.

“We had a comfortable lead on Crockett,” Gernsbacher said. “Once we are ahead of the other team, we get to try different things, put people in different positions, and work with different plays to see what works.”

4. Senior Molly Price and Gernsbacher run side-by-side down the field. “We have a really good group of players in our midfield,” Gernsbacher said. “Everyone is able to play good balls up to the forwards, go up and dribble the ball themselves and they are able to recognize what works and what doesn’t, so we can really take advantage of our strengths. They are also really good about hustling back to defend.”

Photos by Mary Stites

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