December 2020 Volume III Issue III
Dripping Springs High School, Dripping Springs, TX 78620
mydshs.com
The Paw Print
Easier Management 2 Tender Traditions 4 We Can Canvas 5 News 2 Entertainment 3 Features 4 Editorals 5 Sports 6,7 Student Life 8
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The Paw Print’s core purpose is to serve the students and staff of Dripping Springs High School, as well as the surrounding community, with the most meaningful news and content regarding our school’s culture and the student body that influences it. From students, to students. dshsstudentmedia
Cover Design: Evelyn Peterson
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December 2020
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News Easier Management District reveals new transportation system Alec Stuart News Editor
For the past few months, the school district in its entirety has begun to work on a new system for transportation, called “SMART Tags”. Essentially, SMART Tags are a new add-on to student IDs, enabling the school to know where a student is during transportation periods. This ensures that students get where they need to go. “We became aware of this product about five years ago and districts using the system have consistently shared positive feedback,” District Director of Transportation Pam Swanks said. “This was the primary reason for our recommendation for our district to use a ridership management system.” Indeed, the district had been planning to modify the school transportation system for years. With the ID card system, organizing students and safely transporting them could be made a lot easier. This also shows how schools are taking advantage of new technology to help aid faculty and students. “The system provides safety and security in several ways with the primary benefit of ensuring that students are getting on the right bus and getting off the bus at the right stop,” Swanks said. As of this moment, the system is nearly implemented, with plans to wrap up by the end of the year.
“As soon as students and drivers are familiar with and using the system with regularity, we will direct the company to activate the campus and parent portals,” Swanks said. “It is our hope to have this activated around the Thanksgiving break.” While COVID-19 has caused delays, the project has had no major difficulties. The “portals” mentioned will be online hubs for people to gather information on the new system. Think of them as customer service. Reflecting on the idea of the project, the end goal is to create a safe system to easily manage school owned transportation systems. “I am very excited about the benefits this technology will offer to our families and our district staff,” Swanks said.
Students use their ID cards to enter and exit the bus, enabling the school to ensure they get where they need to go. As of Nov. 13, the system has made considerable progress. Photos by Makayla Marley
512-858-7200 HeatherBobb.com
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The Paw Print December 2020
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Entertainment Favorite Christmas Movies
Abby Hernandez Staff Writer
Other 9.8% Elf 20.4%
A Charlie Brown Christmas 3.8% National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 10.6%
Polar Express 14.5% A Christmas Story 3%
Home Alone 26%
How the Grinch Stole Christmas 8.5%
Abby Tredway Staff Writer
Throughout quarantine, my music taste has developed a lot, leading me to discover new albums. Luckily, my friends have been going through this as well, and they stumbled upon the genius artist that is Emily Montes. As of now, she has released two albums and one EP. Her self-titled first album starts with five tracks that feature multiple variations of her name, and a sixth selftitled song comes on track 8, titled “Emily from the West”. To preface this review, Emily Montes is a 5-year-old Tik-Toker with 35,000 followers. Not to brag, but she does follow me on TikTok. This album starts with an absolute stunner, “Emily”. Heavily auto-tuned, this track is the best possible opening track for this album. She introduces herself, and mentions how the coronavirus has her “losing her mind.” To follow, track two, “Emily Montes”, keeps the same auto-tuned theme heard throughout the album, and also contains a more intense beat. On only the third song, “Emily Rose”, Montes disses Nicki Minaj and Chance the Rapper, singing “I only been rappin’ for an hour, some say I’m better than Nicki and Chance the Rapper.” On her second album, “Emily Rose”, Montes disses Nicki again, claiming she’s the new queen of rap. Then, the album takes a turn as Montes sings about an unfortunate breakup on Emily Montes (Breakup). Though this song only contains a few lyrics, all that needed to be said was beautifully sung by Montes, with the help of more auto-tune. However, she doesn’t stay too sad for long, as her next track “Emily Montes (Corona is Crazy)” features more upbeat music and happier lyrics. Montes comments on the state of the world, saying, “It’s the end of the world, boom,
boom, boom, blow up (Ayy, don’t worry about it).” Perhaps a more depressing lyric, the tone of the song balances that out, and Emily’s praise of herself after makes it impossible to be sad about the world. Though I love this album, the next song, “Frozen”, is probably my least favorite. As a stand-alone song, I would enjoy it, but compared to the rest of the album, it’s nothing special. This album would be perfectly fine without it, but I can appreciate it. The following track, “Untitled”, is more of the same for me. While it does feature a Travis Scott diss, it’s not one of the songs I listen to when I’m not listening to the whole album. However, “Emily from the West” brings back that excitement for me with her static-y vocals and lack of a beat. “Untitled 2” outdoes “Untitled” by miles, and features inspirational messages, as she states, “You’ll always be beautiful to me.” Next, Emily sings “If You Know You Know, If You Don’t You Don’t,” a beautiful song about missing someone, most likely the person she was singing about in “Emily Montes (Breakup)”. The next tracks are sort of unmemorable to me, besides the ending song “Roboticy”. I can’t even explain what it is about; it’s just so mesmerizing. “Roboticy” captures the essence of this album, and it’s the perfect song to close this masterpiece album. All jokes aside, I genuinely do listen to at least one song off this album at least once a day, so that tells you all you need to know. It’s the perfect mix of hyperpop and just a complete mess, and it makes my day hearing it. If you’re looking for a laugh and maybe a new obsession, you should check out “Emily Montes: The Album.”
Positive Stories about Our Community Tia Davison Entertainment Editor
Paw Print alumni: Liana Solis
New App Allows Students to Bond
Liana Solis wrote for the Paw Print and graduated from DSHS in 2012. She went on to get her communications degree from Texas Tech, and, while there, she was a featured writer and editor for the El Toreador newspaper. Today, Solis enjoys her communications position at the North Texas Food Bank in Dallas. She handles media and social media areas. The North Texas Food Bank is the 10th largest food bank in the nation and provides millions of meals for the hungry North Texans.
Kailey Nutt Contributing Writer
Student council Staying Positive, Safe
All In
Emily Montes Album Review
Tell Me Something Good
Tiny characters’ footsteps echo throughout the ship. Crewmates finish tasks and try to stay alive. One impostor lies among them. The impostor has lies, schemes, and murder in their hands. Will they find the impostor before it’s too late? “Among Us” is a game that has progressively become very popular within the teenage demographic. The app has grown exponentially due to its growing exposure causing downloads to rise within September of 2020. “Among Us” has become the new way of bonding during these socially distanced times. “It’s a fun way to pass time because a lot of games we can’t do anymore because we have to stay six feet apart,” freshman Gabi Bastone said. “We can’t interact at this time because of COVID, so with ‘Among Us’ we can sit in our chairs, have fun and play.” Within the game, one to three imposers are chosen randomly while the remainder of the players are dubbed crew mates, and they must try to finish tasks and figure out who the impostor is before they are killed. “I guess it gives us teamwork because you are trying to work together in a way and it’s kind of fun in that aspect of working together on a video game. It’s kind of funny,” Bastone said. “Among Us” is not only a game but a teamwork building app for users to learn how to put evidence and clues together to figure out who the impostor might be. “It helps people get closer because you’re talking more,” Bastone said. “I feel like, with masks, some people avoid talking to other people.” With COVID-19 overwhelming our world, human interaction and bonding has become a difficult thing to accomplish, but “Among Us” allows students to talk, work together, and have fun while staying safe. “You have to work together to figure out who the traitor is, and you have to be smart about it because, otherwise, you sound suspicious,” junior Gideon Mullins said. “Among Us” has become the new app that helps people come together no matter who you are, and the app may be remembered for this. “There is so much to think about when you’re playing, so at the moment it is stressful, and it’s kind of fun to be able to think a lot,” Bastone said. “The fact that I talk to people that I normally wouldn’t, and I think those are the two best things about the app.”
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School Spirit and safety can come hand and hand. Student council (STUCO) works together to come up with safe ways to keep the school spirit going. The members of STUCO are communicating remotely and making sure to take advantage of technology to stay safe and continue to plan activities that students can participate in online and in person. Online pep-rallies are an excellent way to involve both online and in-person students. STUCO creates pep-rally streams that are played during Tiger Time on football home game Fridays. These streams include dance, cheer, and student speakers. Student body president Rachel Reeves is the MC. This year STUCO’s main goal is to create events that people can be involved in and show up in person and online while following safety procedures.
Four Teams Qualify for Area Ag LDE
The following students placed at the virtual River District qualifying Ag competition for the fall leadership development events: In Ag Advocacy fifth place, Emma Henson, Ginny Falls, and Kaylie Tipton. In Ag Issues third place, Peyton Allgyer, Hannah Ikels, Ali Gartner, and Megan Joost. In Greenhand Skills fourth place, Camdyn Crow, Farrah Herrington, and Caleb Flores. In Senior Skills fifth place, Angelina La Barre, Maddie Stevens, and Allee Kirkey. In Senior Chapter Conducting third place, Kate Tressler, Isabel Fernandez, Ginny Falls, Allee Kirkey, Ryan Kaiser, Emma Henson, Peyton Hipolito, and Paige Smith. In Greenhand Creed Speaking fifth place, Amanda Alderson. In Senior Creed Speaking fifth place, Carys Blackmon. Job Interview fifth place, Caroline Olson. In Public Relations fifth place, Hailey Weisman, Megan Crabb, and Ali Gartner. The following students placed as area qualifiers: In FFA Broadcasting second place, Billiekaye Vantrease, Hanna Tindol, and Caroline Olson. In Senior Quiz second place, Carys Blackmon (third place individual), Annie Terrell (11th place individual), Kate Tressler (fourth place individual), and Allee Rainey (25th place individual). In Greenhand Chapter Conducting second place, Kira Richardson, Chandler Latham, Alexis Brashear, Cole Sullivan, Christian Tripp, Alaina Rand, and Amanda Alderson. In Greenhand Quiz Chandler Latham (1st place individual), and Cole Sullivan (2nd place individual).
Robotics Team Helps Out
The Robotics team has been able to help out the Baylor Scott and White Hospital in Marble Falls twice during the pandemic. Recently they manufactured 16 face shields and replacement shields for the hospital.
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December 2020
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Features Tender Traditions Spanish teacher shares memories of life before
Sophia Portillo Staff Writer
“I remember for Christmas when I was younger, my would cook. We even had mariachis a couple times family and I would always go to church either in the which made the environment lively and fun.” United States or Mexico, and we always had Nativity For some it’s the food that’s most important, but for scenes under the Christmas tree,” Spanish teacher Rene others, memories of the colors and life found only during Rodriguez said. “All of my family believed in the Three Christmas time become the highlight of the year. Wise Men. We honored the 12 days of Christmas too; “The trees were always filled with color. It was always the however, we never went to Midnight Mass when I was a traditional green, white, and red, and mixed in with the child.” mariachis,” Rodriguez said. “Almost every Christmas, we As part of traditional Mexican culture during Christmas would have mariachis that wore black outfits with shiny time, participants celebrate instruments like the bass or the the holiday called “Los guitar and the big hats. It was very Posadas” which means multi-colored and very lively with “inn” or “shelter” and lasts white lights on trees. I remember for eight days. The tradition they used to illuminate the sky commemorates the journey when we would play soccer or do that Joseph and Mary made fireworks.” from Nazareth to Bethlehem While memories may last in search of a safe refuge forever, traditions can die where Mary could give birth especially with age and distance. to the baby Jesus. It also “My traditions are very different features a wide range of now, especially since I live in the foods unique to the culture. United States,” Rodriguez said. “We always had tamales “In Mexico, we used to have 50 for Christmas growing up,” or 60 people all in one house As a young child, Spanish teacher Rene Rodriguez said. “It was a for Christmas, and I remember whole experience with beans Rodriguez enjoys Christmas with his grandmother my grandmother had a very big and rice. The ladies would start in Mexico. “We used to have 50 or 60 people house. Now that I’m older, my son all in one house for Christmas,” Rodriguez said. has grown up and has moved on, everything in advance and Photos provided by Rene Rodriguez make the dough with sugar leaving a fracture in our family. and pork. It happened all at When my Grandmother passed my grandmother’s house.” away, the deep-rooted Latin and During Las Posadas, first comes the piñatas and the Spanish traditions that we had at Christmas went away. I fireworks, then the food. The traditional Posada fare miss it, but it is what it is now. My cousins from when I was includes tamales, buñuelos, atole and café de olla. younger are still in contact with each other through text, “I remember as a young boy getting together at but it’s not the same from when I was younger.” my grandmother’s house in Mexico,” Rodriguez said. Christmas today remains the most popular holiday of “We would get together with all of my cousins and eat all time. Many look forward to the holiday year round tamales and mole. We had piñatas and fireworks too. and build once in a lifetime connections with family and The older people would play Dominos and the women friends.
Abby Hernandez Staff Writer
Cautious Christmas Coronavirus changes normal holiday plans
The harsh, cold wind blows outside, snowflakes fall from the sky. A red and orange glow comes from the blazing fireplace as it warms the house. The scent of freshly baked cookies and other sugary treats fills the air. The house inside and out is decorated in bright white, red, and green decorations. In the living room, there is a large Christmas tree with ornaments and garland on it, ready for yet another holiday season. This year Christmas may look a little different for some. Due to COVID-19, some may not be able to see family members or go on trips. Thankfully for most, they have little to no change to their plans, so this won’t stop them from enjoying the most wonderful time of the year. Christmas is the time for cheer and why not make the most of it. No matter what happens people’s love for Christmas is still very much alive. “Christmas is a time of peace and joy; a time to spend with family during the holidays - or at least it used too,” senior Anastasia Thomas said. “I enjoyed the time I got to be with my family, how fun it used to be.”
Some people, this year, are lucky and get to spend their Christmas like every other year despite all the new challenges that have come up. “I don’t have to change my plans this year, because we usually tend to stay home and we don’t usually go anywhere fancy,” sophomore Riley Rivas said. However, for some people, Christmas has had to be adjusted slightly because of COVID-19 and how things must be done more safely. People have had to be more cautious especially if they’re around family members who are older or higher risk. “My Christmas should be relatively normal,” junior Eli Craddock said. “The only difference that I could predict is having some family members not being able to attend the annual family gathering to avoid possible contamination.” With new rules added to everyday life because of COVID-19, it has not only affected the Christmas holiday, but also the time leading up to it too. “I feel like corona has affected the events that happen before Christmas the most for me,” junior Ariana Flores said. “With people not holding
Fun, Frost, and Family Students share their festive traditions Christmas is a time to spend time with family and friends. Maybe it’s hanging around the fire, gift giving, or eating delicious meals. Some people have changing Christmas traditions while some have the same. Christmas traditions have been around for centuries - decorating the tree, baking treats, etc. “For Christmas, my family and I wake up super early in the morning to open Christmas presents,” sophomore Amelia Medina said. “We don’t really do special meals for Thanksgiving, but we go all out for Christmas with ham, this one green bean dish, sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top (they’re not my favorite but still pretty good). After lunch, we usually tend to go our separate ways for a while until dinner, when we have leftovers or easy-to-make food, because we’re still tired from making lunch.” Some popular Christmas traditions that many do around the world include Advent calendars, sending yearly Christmas cards, elf on the shelf, and more. “My whole family is Christian, and I follow Christ’s ways of teachings and law strictly on some certain occasions. I am a traditionalist Christian, so Christmas is very important to me and my family,” sophomore Trenton Anthony said. “Our usual tradition is starting up the gas fireplace on Christmas Eve no matter the temperature outside, and then we watch either a Santa tracker, or we watch a classic Christmas film like ‘Home Alone’, or any other cool Christmas movie. Come morning, if our dad is home, we all wake up at 8 a.m. and sit down patiently on the couch and begin selfishly opening up our stocking filled with candy and small gifts. Then, we begin opening up presents one by one that is selected by our loving parents. Then, we begin cleaning up after the day is over. We all say a prayer before feasting on our Christmas Day meal that is specially cooked, and we thank God for the
Christmas parties and secret Santa exchanges, there will be fewer things to look forward to this year and that’s a little disappointing.” Despite all of the events that have taken place this year Christmas has been something that brings joy, and some have learned to appreciate it even more. Especially with how 2020 has gone, it has allowed people to reflect and think. “Just seeing so many people pass away because of COVID, I feel like it makes me more appreciative of what I have and just being alive,” Rivas said. Something about the holiday season too is that it has been able to help people feel grounded in a sense. Some families have traditions that take place every year and this has allowed them to have some type of constant in their life. This has given people something to look forward to. “A tradition that I and my family do every year is make tamales for Christmas and Mexican wedding cookies which my grandma tries to make for every special occasion,” Flores said. “Her tamales are so good that I have yet to taste any other tamales that compare to them.”
Sierra Trbovich Staff Writer
amount of love he has given us this year. Before the 25th of December, we hang up lights on our house and use huge snowmen as blowups in our front yard. Christmas is the most special holiday in our family as it celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.” There are different traditions all around the world - lots of people celebrating different things, and what might seem insane to us is normal for them. In the Philippines, during the holidays, they do a giant lantern festival, while in Austria they do something called Krampus where a demon roams the city streets and scares people into the spirit. “Pretty much every year, we alternate between my mom’s parents and my dad’s parents, and if we don’t go to one of them for Christmas, we go to their house for Thanksgiving,” sophomore Emma Vannoy said. “On Christmas Eve, when we are with my mom’s parents, we go to church that night then come home and have a huge meal; then, we all get matching pajamas that we get to open on Christmas Eve, so we wake up for presents in the morning all matching. That’s the only thing I can think of that happens at Christmas, but something else we usually do is just my mom, grandma, sister, and I, we pick a day around a week before Christmas and bake every single kind of cookie you could imagine. My favorite kind, and the one we make the most of, are called meringues, and they are the best thing ever, and we only make them around Christmas, so they’re very special.” If you don’t have a Christmas tradition, why not try finding one? It’s never too late to start something new. You can reach out to friends and family and find out what they do and take ideas from that. Don’t be afraid to get into the Christmas spirit.
Local Love
Mallory Neff Staff Writer
Supporting small buisnesses Shopping local is the most effective way to support the community rather than going to big chain companies. The impact that the consumer can have on small local businesses in the community is big, and people can really help them out by participating in their events, buying products, or even just talking about them to others. At the start of the pandemic, it was difficult for Grand Slam Pizza and the owners, the Lees, to adjust to slower business, especially because it was shut down. They were on track to close, but luckily Cheryl Leonard who owns Magic Make Readies ATX, an apartment maintenance business, came to the rescue with a fundraiser and a plan to help the Lees. They decided to sell sponsorships for tables handmade by Emily Hunt. They also renovated the space by adding new floors, paint and chairs. “Business was much slower from before, but because of the Dripping Springs community, how much they chipped in, and how they were dedicated to supporting local businesses, it had been better than what other businesses might have been going through,” Lily Lee said. “Because it’s been going on for so long, it’s like a pandemic fatigue, and the business is slowly going back down but we are trying to handle it the best we can.” Many different businesses and entrepreneurs came together to support this beloved place in Dripping Springs. This is an example of the power of a dedicated community. The owners of Grand Slam are so thankful to the community not only because of the financial support but also because of the love that the community has shown them during this time. “I want to thank everyone in the community, because I don’t know if I could even go through this without their support they are showing us, and their prayers,” Lee said. “I hope we can go through this pandemic together.” Another small business with a dedicated group behind them is Crossfit 737. This gym is an all-inclusive familyowned, family-friendly space that offers many programs to athletes to help them grow stronger physically, mentally and spiritually in order to be able to lead their communities through their actions, not just words. “We feel very blessed to have a strong community of people,” owner Chris Bodman said. “Not only did most of our members remain loyal and committed during the shutdown, they came back ready to work hard and increase their fitness abilities.” This business was also forced to shut down due to COVID-19. They decided to look at the bright side and find ways to improve their facilities. When their customers and athletes came back, they wanted to make sure everyone felt safe and welcome. They underwent lots of renovations, as well as small changes such as updating their website. New COVID-19 policies were established as well in order to keep everyone healthy. “The pandemic caused our business to close our doors for 60 days,” Bodman said. “This was a scary time for us business owners, but we took this opportunity to focus on resetting our intentions and focusing on the back end systems and facilities while staying in full communication with our members.” While some businesses struggled, boutiques were prospering. Revel Wilde and Vintage Soul moved online and grew during the most challenging time of this pandemic. Revel Wilde is expanding into the building next to their current shop and are expecting to sell larger pieces there. “Strangely, our business has grown during this time,” Vintage Soul owner Julie Crawford said. “When COVID-19 first shut down our area, we quickly realized that we needed to still be able to reach our people but in other ways. We pivoted by ramping up more support for our online business and encouraged everyone to shop online and tried to make it as easy as possible.” On Dec. 5, Christmas on Mercer is going to be the main holiday event hosted by the small businesses on Mercer street. Crossfit 737 will be hosting their annual charity toy drive and workout - Naughty or Nice. The charity supports and serves local children and families in our community by collecting toys and raising money for children in need. “Local small businesses help connect the community,” sophomore Carly Murphy said. “When you support small businesses you also support their families and everybody else in the community. They do so much for schools and other things too. Just try and shop local.”
“On the Christmas tree, we have one ornament that looks like a tiny nutcracker holding an even smaller nutcracker and I’m not sure why, but it makes me very happy to look at it. There is absolutely no backstory to it other than my parents bought it with a set and ever since then it has been my favorite.” - Amelia Medina “My most favorite decoration is the angel; the normal secular Christmas tree is fake or real with a star on top, but my family uses an angel that has been used ever since my parents got married. It holds much value because it represents the ways of God and allows us to remember its history as it has served us ever since I was born.” - Trenton Anthony “An ornament that means a lot to me is actually one that I made myself. In preschool, 11 years ago, they gave us sand dollars for us to decorate; however, we wanted to turn them into ornaments. How did I decorate mine? I doused it with light pink glitter. Every year, I get excited when I see the shimmery sand dollar sitting in the ornament box waiting to be hung up. Nothing screams 4-year-old me more than a glittery pink sand dollar, so I really get a kick out of the nostalgia.” - Taylor Barnett
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December 2020
Editorials Misinformed Masses Standing up against “fake news” Thomas Jefferson once wrote to Richard Price stating that “wherever the people are well informed they can be trusted with their government.” An informed public is the keystone of our Democracy, and today we find a public more misinformed which has become disenchanted largely from the truth. This fact is one to be studied and talked about, so let’s do just that. Surveys show that there is a gap between the trustworthiness of different sources of news. According to Poynter, “NPR and Sunday morning political talk shows are the most informative news outlets, while exposure to partisan sources, such as Fox News and MSNBC, has a negative impact on people’s current events knowledge.” Current ratings in 2020 show that America is split on who to trust, with NPR totaling 57 million listeners and Fox News totaling 56.9 million. Similarly, tight margins can be seen in the
Logan Moore Contributing Writer
2020 election, another clue as to how influential media has been on American governance. Polls have always shown a distrust of mass media, but modern polls show at least a 5 percent increase in people who have absolutely no trust in the media. In total, 33% of those polled said that they had no trust whatsoever. This means that for 33% of Americans, there is not a means for education on modern topics that can help guide their principles and decisions. A reform in journalism is required to solve this issue. Too many Americans don’t have a news source to trust, and too many people find themselves in the dark. Ultimately the first step towards a solution is to have a conversation about the problem, so we must acknowledge this to be a problem. A government ruled by the people works a lot better when the people aren’t akin to headless chickens.
Infographic by Brooklyn Hagblom
Being Covid Cautious 1 Wear mask over nose and mouth.
2 Avoid close contact and maintain six feet between you and anyone not from your household.
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We Can Canvas New program makes positive impact on school Macey Abramson learned unexpectedly what she was capable of in the face of a pandemic while sustaining her education. The regular morning to afternoon day at her school ended unprecedently as for everyone else at the end of the school year of 2019-2020, and the reliance on learning through an online platform increased. The learning tool is known as Canvas, a course management system that enables assignments, calendars, and anything education-based a school may need to be put on an online site, was utilized to the max. This was also the first year Canvas was adopted as a replacement for the notorious Google Classroom. The problem with the first attempt at transforming the school to a complete online system was that it was all sporadic, along with less communication between students and teachers outside of emails, that would take an abundance of time to answer to each student. This year, there have been positive upgrades from the school. Modules are organized by week and entail subsections for each day. At least that is the standard. Assigned daily assignments is the closest thing to the essence of a teacher putting a list of things to do on the board as a non-virtual class would, the previous normalcy.
Another major change is the homepage of each teacher’s class. Before, although Zoom meetings were not mandatory for students, every class, besides free-periods for a mild portion of the student body, is obligated to attend a call with the teacher. Having a dedicated time for instructions from the teacher enables a sense of discipline that is a life skill any student and person can learn in their life. Even if someone is operating virtually for school at home, they are held to a certain standard of performance as a student. As for in-person students, since the only thing necessary to bring is their device, writing utensils, and other needed materials, a paperless and wasteless phenomenon due to massive prints of paper being less and less needed. Students and teachers are learning the alternative from physical ways of learning a language, a formula, or even an event in time, a time like this. Canvas only requires an internet connection and a device, the versatile mold it has for all learners, for the environment, and its use of it that has been a positive change for the school.
Healthy Holidays
Wash your hands often and carry hand sanitizer.
Staying safe during break
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Sam Moore Co-Editor in Chief
Avoid contact with anyone who is sick or may be sick.
5 Avoid touching your eyes nose and mouth.
All information is courtesy of the CDC
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Our upcoming holiday break looks a little different this year, and in true 2020 fashion, celebrating the holidays comes with new obstacles. Enjoying the holidays this year will need to include more precautions to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important that during this special time of the year, we do not lose sight of the current state of global health. Traveling during the holiday season poses extra risk this year than in years past; it is important to remember that and not get swept up in the holiday. The CDC recommends wearing a mask over the nose and mouth and social distancing while traveling in public places. Many families in Dripping Springs have decided to celebrate the holiday season from home. In a recent Instagram poll, out of 55 students, 71 percent of them said they were not traveling for the holidays.
December 2020 Volume III Issue III
The Paw Print
While some families have chosen to stay home, based on the same student poll, 21 percent of students are traveling out of town this holiday season. The CDC recommends following their guidelines to decrease the possibility of getting COVID-19. If taking the necessary precautions recommended by the CDC and health professionals, it is possible to have safer travels this holiday season If you are planning to travel, it is important to research how to keep yourself, your family, and those around you safe. Decreasing COVID-19 cases is a team effort in our community and we need to work together to achieve this. When traveling, please keep in mind that if you aren’t being safe you may be endangering yourself and those around you.
Teacher Pop: 144 Student Pop: 2175
Letters
The Paw Print encourages the student body to submit letters to the editor. Letters, guest columns, and all material submitted for publication must include the writer’s name and stay under 400 words. The Paw Print does not guarantee to print or online publish work submitted. The meaning of any submission will not be altered, however The Paw Print reserves the right to correct spelling, grammar and punctuation when necessary, as well as condense. Additionally, The Paw Print refuses to print criticism which is not constructive or unsupported by credible evidence. Email submissions to dshsstudentmedia@dsisdconnect.com.
Editorials, Columns, and Letters my_dshs_news
Gabriella Plasencia Staff Writer
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dshsstudentmedia Dripping Springs High School, Dripping Springs, TX 78620
Opinions expressed in editorials, columns, and letters are those of an individual and not The Paw Print, Dripping Springs High School, or its faculty.
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The Paw Print’s core purpose is to serve the students and staff of Dripping Springs High School, as well as the surrounding community, with the most meaningful news and content regarding our school’s culture and the student body that influences it. From students, to students.
Awards NSPA Best of Show 2020 ILPC 2018-2019 Honor CSPA 2018-2019 Second Place ASPA 2018-2019 First Place
Meet the Staff Co-Editor in Chief Sam Moore Co-Editor in Chief Evelyn Peterson Features Editor Sports Editor Sam Moore Cady RusselL Online Editor Cady Russell News Editor Alec Stuart
Entertainment Editor Tia Davison Opinion Editor Sam Moore
Student Life Editor Evelyn Peterson Staff Writers Brooklyn Hagblom, Abby Hernandez, Mallory Neff, Gabriella Plasencia, Sophia Portillo, Sierra Trbovich, Abby Tredway Byline Illustrator Advisor Cat Covatta Jessica Stamp The Paw Print is inserted inside the Century News, and distributed to racks next to the front office, CL&I, and the student media room. 2,000 copies are printed.
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The Paw Print
December 2020
mydshs.com
Sports Committed to Play Seven Seniors Sign National Letters of Intent Cady Russell Sports Editor On Nov. 11, seven seniors signed National Letters of Intent, committing to play their sport at the college level. Every year, DSHS holds multiple signing days, and the events have only grown, first staring in the library, then being moved to the gym, and now out in Tiger Stadium. While this year’s was a little different, with more masks and less treats, the enthusiasm was still the same, with friends, families, and teammates coming out to watch and cheer. • • • • • • •
Charleigh Phipps laughs as Coach Perrine tells a funny story involving chicken nuggets. Phipps played goalie. Photo by Cady Russell.
Charles Hunt: Virginia Military Institute for lacrosse Cameron O’Banan: University of Texas at Austin for baseball Brennan Frickel: University of Houston for baseball Sam Miethke: Concordia University for golf Ally Beck: Trinity University for basketball Madyson Torres: Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts for softball Charleigh Phipps: Texas Lutheran University for soccer
Cameron O’Banan fist bumps his club baseball coach after signing to UT. O’Banan was a multiple sport athlete. Photo by Cady Russell.
Brennan Frickel embraces his club baseball coach after signing to play baseball at UH. Photo by Cady Russell.
Senior Megan Nolley embraces long-time friend Phipps after her signing on Nov. 11. Phipps signed nearby with TLU. Photo by Cady Russell.
Coach Wahlers brags about Sam Miethke’s achievements in her golf career. Miethke signed with Concordia. Photo by Cady Russell.
Coach Womack describes Madyson Torres’ softball accomplishments. Torres took her talents to the east coast. Photo by Cady Russell.
Coach Cafferata describes Hunt’s lacrosse story, which has been filled with injury and hard work. Photo by Cady Russell.
Coach Payne brags about Cameron O’Banan’s accomplishments as a baseball player. Photo by Cady Russell.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT Senior Ally Beck, Varsity Girls Basketball Cady Russell Sports Editor Where did you commit and why? “I committed to play basketball for Trinity University. My freshman year of high school, I looked up the best colleges for pre-med and Trinity checked all of my boxes. It is small, close to home, and they have a fantastic academic/athletic program.”
Charleigh Phipps signs her National Letter of Intent on Nov. 11 to play soccer at TLU. Phipps had been committed since sophomore year. Photo by Cady Russell.
What advice would you give to others hoping to play college ball? “The most important advice for anyone trying to play college ball is to choose the school that will be best for YOU. I chose Trinity in the first place because of their amazing academic programs, and they also just happened to have a fantastic athletic program. Athletes should do what is best for them. ” Who has been your biggest supporter? “My parents have been my biggest supporters. My dad coached my games when I was younger and helps me get better by watching film with me. My mom is my rock. She has always been there for me when I am having a hard time, and I am so grateful for that. At least one of my parents are always there to watch me play, and I do not take that for granted.”
What was the process of committing like?
What has been your basketball journey?
“The process of committing to play college basketball was very exciting for me. You are always told that the experience is different for everyone, which is so true, and I am very grateful for all the help and guidance that I received along the way.”
“I began playing basketball in kindergarten at the YMCA and have not looked back since. I played other sports growing up, but I became a single sport athlete when I was about 11 years old. I love the game so much, and this is what drives me to keep doing my best.”
What were some challenges you faced? “My recruitment process was pretty stress free thanks to the help I received from my high school coach, select team coach, parents, and friends who also went through the process of committing.”
What is the work that you have put into playing college ball? “To play college basketball, I need to constantly work to maintain my fundamental skills, become stronger, and become faster so that I am ready to compete at the next level.”
Ally Beck signs her National Letter of Intent on Nov. 11. Photo by Cady Russell.
Basketball senior, Ally Beck embraces Coach Norris after he finished a talk about her accomplishments and how she became a varsity player. Photo by Cady Russell.
mydshs.com
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The Paw Print December 2020
Sports
Hoops and Hopes
Yale Statistics
Senior Caroline Gamble Highlights Student-Athlete Life
$55,500
The thudding of the basketball, the swish of the net. Shoes squeak on the floor and the heavy breathing of players can be heard. The whistle sounds, practice is over. It’s dark by the time she walks out of the school. That night, she’s hunched over her desk, studying for a test the next day. This is the reality of a student athlete, and senior Caroline Gamble has worked hard to be where she is varsity basketball player and third in the senior class. “Oh, it’s so hard. It’s really hard,” Gamble said. “What really helps is that basketball is in the morning. And, so, it’s from 6:30-10. That really helps, because I don’t do my homework in the morning anyways. But there’s these few couple-week periods where we’ll have after practice. So, that’s so difficult because we get out around 7 [or] 6:30-ish, and I’m exhausted, and I don’t have enough time. I have so much more to do.” Gamble has to make sure that she plans out her week accordingly, scheduling time to do homework between practices and events to stay where she wants academically. “My dream school is Yale. I’ve wanted to go there for such a long time. It was partly inspired by Rory Gilmore. She is the mold. I just want to be her. That was part of inspiration, just I want to be there,” Gamble said. “I’ve talked to people who went to school a lot, and they’re like, ‘You won’t have as much fun here.’ But, it’s going to be really rewarding. That’ll be worth it for your career. And, so, that’s why I want to go there.” But, it’s more than just the school that draws Gamble to Yale, also its academics. “It’s one of the best schools in the country to go to for economics, mathematics, and political science. It’s just a really challenging thing, the curriculum. And it’ll really help me grow academically,” Gamble said. “Also, you have an open mic. You can choose the classes you want to take. You don’t really have required courses.
Gamble catches the ball during warm up at a morning practice with Gesena Mitchhart, 12. Photo by Cady Russell.
6%
Tuition cost
Cady Russell Sports Editor
Acceptance rate While I’m pursuing my major, I can also learn French, just for fun, or take a European history class. I just think that’s so cool.” Combined with her high academic pursuits, Gamble has been an athlete for years. “I initially started playing soccer at age 4. And, I originally was awful at it. I played it for around 7 years,” Gamble said. “I started to pass my peak soccer performance, and I was like, ‘I think I’m done with this now.’” Gamble had also been playing basketball since third grade, and as she fell out of love with soccer, started to look at other sports, touching on cross country and track. “I loved cross country for so long until I got tendinitis and then couldn’t run anymore,” Gamble said. “And, so, everything kind of led back to basketball. I always had some really great friends in basketball. I always loved it even when we had hard practices and just look forward to scrimmaging, and it’s just been great all around.” And basketball has been an amazing experience for Gamble. “Honestly, I do remember one of our games very vividly. It was against our arch rival in the district. It was the only team that was like that, but it was such a fun game,” Gamble said. “The gym was absolutely packed. There were no seats left. It was loud the whole time. I felt like I was playing in a professional game, because it was just so loud. I never experienced a high school game like that.” Gamble has put in tons of effort into both her sport and her academic career, sacrificing normal high school experiences. “And I’m honestly just working hard and spending as much time as I can, sacrificing going to a football game to, you know, study for my huge APUSH test - things like that,” Gamble said. “It’s going to be worth it in the end.”
350 Student organizations
Y Graduate in four years
5,964
6:1
Student/faculty ratio
84%
Undergrads living on campus
Undergraduate size
19
92% Out-of-state
Women’s sports
35,307 Total applicants
10-19 Class size
118
Stats from Princeton Review
Foreign nations
Gamble tosses the ball to a teammate during a three-man shooting drill first period. Photo by Cady Russell.
COVID Competition
88%
Gamble practices free throws before her 8:30 a.m. practice on Nov.18. Photo by Cady Russell.
How will COVID affect your fall and winter season?
Students React to COVID-19 Impacts on Seasons
“We don’t know if we will even have a season. Our fall and winter seasons were pushed back a few months.”-Catalina Miller, 12, wrestling “We don’t have any tournaments to play, so we are just practicing and hoping when the real season starts we are ready.” -Evelyn Peterson, 12, lacrosse
Cady Russell Sports Editor As one season ends and another begins, the question of if students will get to play hangs in the air. Those finished with their seasons reflect on the changes that came, and those just starting are hoping for any sort of competition.
“We have less swim meets, and most of the Tri-Meets were canceled due to COVID. Also, it is still undetermined how districts, regionals, and state swim will play out.” -Savannah Karas, 11, swimming
How has COVID affected the athletic department this year?
“COVID could very likely shut our season down since we do not start district games until Dec. 1.” -Ally Beck, 12, basketball
“We have had to make our teams smaller in practice. So, it has made it a little bit more competitive, but also a little bit more distant.” -Rafe Vickery, 12, cross country/track “COVID has literally ruined everything. Sports seasons are changed; there’s so many regulations. I can’t even wrestle during practice. We don’t know if we will have a season this year.” -Catalina Miller, 12, wrestling “As for swimming, we are to wear our masks up until we get in the water. At swim meets, it is very strict on having your mask on until getting on the starting blocks, having it by your lane, and putting it on after your race. We also are split up into groups, so there is less interaction between varsity and junior varsity swimmers.” -Savannah Karas, 11, swimming
Rafe Vickery, 12, races at the Hays Invitational meet. Photo by Savannah Karas. “It didn’t affect our cross country season, so let’s hope it doesn’t affect track season.” -Rafe Vickery, 12, cross country/track. How has COVID affected your coaches’ expectations of you during play time? “They have been understanding but require us to still work just as hard.” -Catalina Miller, 12, wrestling “We need to be cautious of our contact with each other and try to limit it to when we are actually playing. And, masks are on whenever we are not actively participating in a drill.” -Evelyn Peterson, 12, lacrosse
“We had to limit the number of people allowed in the summer strength and conditioning program, have to wear masks to workout (harder than it looks), and we are not allowed to participate in travel tournaments where we would stay in a hotel overnight. The strangest part would probably be not being allowed to high-five teams after the game.” -Ally Beck, 12, basketball
Julia Carter, 11, takes a breath at the Nov. 7 meet. Carter was a varsity swimmer. Photo by Savannah Karas.
How is training in the workout room different due to COVID?
How do you train without putting your health at risk?
“It’s been fairly the same, except I do have to take breaks as breathing in a mask heavily isn’t so easy.” -Erich Burmeister, 10, tennis
“We wear masks when we aren’t lifting or running, but can take them down while moving. My club teams take our temperatures and require us to sanitize.” -Catalina Miller, 12, wrestling
“My team doesn’t do gym workouts together. That’s an onyour-own thing. But, I go to the gym almost every day I’m not at practice. I’m supposed to wear a mask the entire time while I’m at the gym, so I have to take longer breaks. For girls, it’s better if they do a high intensity workout with little breaks for results, but it is hard to do that with having to wear a mask and also clean everything before and after using it.” -Evelyn Peterson, 12, lacrosse
“I attempt to come to practice a bit early, so I can distance myself from others when the do come.” -Erich Burmeister, 10, tennis
Ava Williamson, 10, an outside hitter for varsity volleyball, strikes the ball at the Oct. 20 game. Photo by Max Levey.
“We take all the necessary precautions. We wear masks, socially distance, and constantly sanitize our hands and equipment. We also try to do school from home unless a player has no ride home from practice or has a difficult class that they need inperson teaching for.” -Ally Beck, 12, basketball
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The Paw Print
December 2020
mydshs.com
Student Life Photo By Ariela Barron
Senior Faith Daniels ran the one mile color run covered in an assortment of different colors thrown at her by fellow classmates and local townspeople.
Color Color Run Run Senior Elle Billiot receives some red causing an explosion of color during the 2021 Project Graduation color run. Photo By Ariela Barron