February / 2019
The Paw Print MY DSHS STUDENT MEDIA - DRIPPING SPRINGS, TX - VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 4 SNAPCHAT MYDSHSSNAPS
TWITTER @MYDSHSNEWS
ONLINE WWW.MYDSHS.COM
Photo by Cady Russel
How to Turn Your New Year’s Resolutions into Feasible Goals Giselle Galletti Co-Editor-in-Chief
Having a purpose in life is what keeps people going and the search for it, even more so. The path to that ultimate realization is a series of goals being set and fulfilled. Now, of course, there is the end all be all where you are supposed to go to school, become a contributing member of society in some way, and eventually die, but that’s not what I mean. Goals can be little things, such as waking up on time in the morning before school, eating more vegetables, or completing a video game, or big things like graduating high school, buying your own car, or leaving a bad situation. With the beginning of the new year comes new year’s resolutions, and according to U.S. News, 80% of people will fail by the second week of February. Quite often people use the excuse of their resolution failing to not pursue that goal again until that same time next year. That means that for 11 months each year, lots of people just stop trying. Goals aren’t just meant for Jan. 1; they are an
all year, or however long it takes, venture. And, they are ideally pursued in some way within the first 24-48 hours of their creation. You have to write your goals down, tell your friends and family, voice your goals in any way possible, and, most importantly, hold yourself accountable. Excuses are the number one destroyer of goals. >>> Continued online!!
In this issue: Lifestyle: Local Date Ideas pg. 3 Features: Space and Astro-Science Club pg. 5 Creative: New Year, New Meraki pg. 6 Opinion: How Texas Sex Education Sets Students Up To Fail pg. 7 Sports: Welcome to Cricket Club pg. 8 Front Page Design by photo by Camryn Horst
Giselle Galletti Co-Editor-in-Chief
A Dose of Kindness
A deeper insight into the PALS Ethan Everman program Contributing Writer Kindness. Such a simplistic word that seems to weigh so much. Kindness illustrates something primal, an unheeding force of purity and innocence made clear through actions and gentle wording. Yet, this moral often proves simplistically seen, it can be a quite arduous thing when rampant online bullying, large culture shifts, and bad home lives aggregates the modern culture. Though, as a shining light of kindness, an interesting helix of feeling and morality can be found in such a program as PAL. The organization known as PAL, or Peer Assistance & Leadership, constitutes itself as a program to which a high school person can provide and help elementary school kids. This program illustrates itself in kind acts and social bonding, a somewhat combination of both that creates a healthy environment where relationships and mental health blossom. Sponsored by Allyson Mayer, the PAL program emphasizes leadership and finding common ground with one another. “We get to help kids at the elementary school kids going through a rough time,” junior Jane Unger said. “I love to help people, and I love kids. That’s why I joined.” As a member of this club, Unger illustrates an ideal person for this program: kind, loving, and, in all meaning, extremely helpful. PAL creates an environment where these elementary students participate in productive pursuits with people like Unger using decision making and resiliency building. “My favorite part of being in PAL is bringing joy to the kids’ lives,” Unger said. “A lot of them don’t have that kind of stuff. Just seeing them
happy all the time and laughing and playing, it’s really fulfilling.” The ability to relate and help these children on their own level proves amazing in leadership building skills. One main focus of PAL conveys itself as a way to better oneself from issues that surround them. As said by the PAL website, the program utilizes a teaching style that helps its members create a central strategy that addresses outside information. “I think that I am good at getting through to the kids,” Unger said, “because a lot of them, when I first met them, were very shy and they didn’t want to talk to me, but after the first couple of minutes they really opened up and they were laughing, >>>Continued online!!
NEWS
February, 2019
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Students’ Fundraising Fight Cady Russell
From Jan. 10 till March 1, sophomore Makayla Banton and her team are fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), looking to raise $10,000. “I have a monetary goal of $10,000 for my entire team, but I want to get more. My ideal goal is $50,000 or more. Because that’s the point where you can name a branch of research that’s being funded, and you can name it after someone,” Banton said. Banton was recruited by Retta Ary, her counselor, to fundraise for the LLS campaign. “There were some other people she wanted to do it as well, but they declined, so I was like, ‘Sure, I’ll look into it,’ and we’re fundraising for cancer research and blood cancer specifically, and even though my mom just has a brain tumor, I feel like it’s still good to give something to the community of people who do have cancer and
Staff Writer
kind of give back in that way,” Banton said. Banton looked to her close friends for help with the fundraiser, explaining how the fundraiser was a chance to really change lives. “I would love to make the world a better place, so you know, just by donating and fundraising for LLS, I feel like that’s just a step closer to bringing people home from the hospital and taking care of people with blood cancer,” sophomore Melissa Richardson said. The LLS is the world’s largest voluntary health organization that is dedicated to fighting for a cure for blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. “I want to be a doctor, and I’m always interested in finding new cures, because I want to help people a lot,” sophomore Jonathan Bartling said. Each person in the 11 member team has a designated website where anyone can donate as much as they want towards the campaign. “Going to any one of those websites and donating even a dollar [is helpful],” Banton said. “Our big thing that I’ve been talking to my team about a lot is that every penny counts.” While the major fundraiser is happening over a six week period, donating doesn’t have to be restricted to the time period during the fundraiser. “You can pretty much donate whenever you want, because cancer research groups are always looking for money to fund their research,” Richardson said. The LLS doesn’t just raise money for blood cancer research, they also have a goal of improving the quality of life of patients and their families. “I personally haven’t been affected by people who have died due to cancers and other forms of disease, but I know how hard it can be for people who have loved ones who had to deal with that or they’re dealing with themselves,” Bartling said. “You can impact the world and the research,” Richardson said. “I think that it’s the idea that we can change the world.”
Hello! My name is Makayla Banton, and I am honored to inform you that the South Central Austin Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has nominated me as a candidate in their 3rd-annual Students of the Year fundraising challenge. LLS is an amazing non-profit organization whose fundraisers help provide research for blood cancers (Hodgkin’s disease, myeloma, leukemia, and lymphoma). I could not be more excited to make a difference in the lives of different cancer patients across the country with this fundraiser! Approximately 40% of cancerfighting therapies approved by the FDA were first approved to treat blood cancer patients and many of these have gone onto help other types of cancer patients as well. LLS offers support for patients, survivors, their families, and helps to advance the science behind other cancers through its research. Unfortunately, there is no early detection for blood cancers, only the search for a cure. My life was first touched by cancer when my mom was diagnosed with brain cancer
How You Can Help! 1. Donate Lend a hand to the cause and make a donation by going to https://events.lls.org/sctx/ austinsoy19/mbanton.
2. Spread the Word
Even if you can’t make a donation you can help by telling your family and friends about the fundraiser!
A Message from Team Leader Makayla Banton
in March of 2012. She has gone through surgeries, radiation treatments, and now chemotherapy. Watching her suffer like this has motivated me to do something to help cancer patients, and LLS has provided me with this opportunity. My team, Cultivating Cures, has a goal of $10,000 and will be accepting donations from January 10, 2019, through March 1, 2019, payable by check or website. You can find my fundraising link here: https:// events.lls.org/sctx/austinsoy19/mbanton. If you have any questions or know someone who can help us reach our goal, please feel free to email me at banton.family.tx@gmail.com. I am always looking for more connections that I can form to benefit the great organization that is the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Thank you so much for your help, as everyone wins when cancer loses and it is your gift that makes a difference!
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If you want to get involved and do more, it’s a great idea to reach out and ask how. You can reach Makayla Banton at banton.
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family.tx@gmail.com.
Puppy Shower Success
On Jan. 11, the Paws club concluded the month long fundraising campaign to raise donations and supplies for a new litter of service dogs being raised by the Freedom Canine International (FCI) organization. The club was succesful in getting the students involved with the community and were happy to have reached such a high number of donations from the student body. “We chose to help this group because service dogs have such an important role in the life of the handicapped,” senior co-founder Rylee Kirkey said. “Being a new organization they needed help with their website, fostering the dogs, promotional videos, and even donations from the community and anyone who was willing to help.” The conclusion of their successful fundraiser ended with a puppy shower, where the service dogs that the supplies and donations are for were brought into the school for the students to meet and pet.
Jade Berry
News & Entertainment Editor
It means a lot to help out animals that really need it,” senior cofounder Alexis Burch said. “I have dogs myself, and they mean the world to me.” The dogs were brought in with the organization and set up in a small area near the Tiger Shack where they ran around soaking up the love and attention from students passing by and heading to their A-lunch. “I’m super happy with how the puppy shower turned out,” senior co-founder Jade Berry said. “It took a lot of planning, and a lot of emails but I’m really happy that the Paws club could have a positive impact on an organization like this.” The Paws club is excited and looking forward to volunteering at different animal shelters and creating more opportunities for students to get involved in their community.
LIFE & THE ARTS February, 2018
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Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Andrew Spiegel Staff Writer
Finally, a great animated superhero movie for everyone! Directors Peter Ramsey, Robert Persichetti Jr., and Rodney Rothman knocked this animated film out of the park. Beating all of the critics expectations, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” has grossed over 300 million dollars worldwide. Among its honors are a Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film. This animated masterpiece also has a killer soundtrack that includes some songs that have been on the Billboard Top 100 since their release. This new styled animated film broke barriers in the age spectrum. A majority of the time when an animated hero flick is released it is only popular with children. But with this film, there is enough action, comedy and emotion to be passed around with every member of the family.
Now let’s talk about the award-winning animation. The same type of film has been done several times in the same year of its release, so this film needed something to set it apart. The animation in this film is so unique, it’s mimicking the look of an actual comic book while still keeping the realistic integrity, which is why this film is blowing up the box office. Overall this movie was a web-slinging joy ride the whole time. The dialogue was hilarious but still on time with the plot, and the voice actors absolutely blew audiences away. The variation and representation of all the different Spider-Men and SpiderWomen was so amazing to finally see on the big screen. “Spider-Man: Into the SpiderVerse” was an amazing film and critics are excited to add this animated hero flick to the collection of iconic Spider-Man movies.
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If you chose this path, you’re not alone. The “Black Mirror” fanbase is almost torn in half with their opinions of “Bandersnatch”. The problem with “Bandersnatch” is that, with the interactive option aside, the story is generic. The achilles heel of this film is that this “Black Mirror” feature doesn’t hold a candle to the complex plotlines of the other episodes. The “Black Mirror” series has a reputation of making viewers sit and stay on the edge of their seat with the intricate and obscure plotlines, and this film simply did not have that effect on viewers. “Bandersnatch” was the first of its kind, bringing choice to the cinematic world. Unfortunately for “Black Mirror” fans, this was a swing and miss from Brooker. The option of choice is revolutionary for film, but in “Bandersnatch” when a wrong choice is made the programming behind “Bandersnatch” makes you restart and watch everything again. The repetitive feature in this film really loses audiences, because the same 20 minute segment is repeated with no change over and over again. The choices made only affect the plot in minor ways and sometimes not at all. The first choice presented in “Bandersnatch” is what cereal the character has for breakfast. A super minor decision that, for some reason, falls in the hands of the viewer. Brooker tried to put a dramatic and confusing spin on “Bandersnatch” like all his previous episodes have. Sadly, the twist he put on this one was not that shocking. When the character becomes aware that he is being controlled by the decisions that the viewer makes, he doesn’t really sell it. No discredit to the actor, all goes to the writer; the moment of self realization is a great idea and possibly could have saved this film, but it was poorly written and it just made everything worse. The spin put in “Bandersnatch” was the make or break and in an unfortunate turn of events, they chose the wrong direction.
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Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
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An Interactive Film Review by Staff Writer Andrew Spiegel
The series “Black Mirror” created by Charlie Brooker has captured the attention of Dripping Springs viewers since its Netflix premiere in late October of 2016. Before the American release of “Black Mirror”, it captivated viewers in the United Kingdom. Brooker’s most recent release, “Bandersnatch” is sweeping the nation, grabbing the attention of people of all ages. If you haven’t heard already, “Bandersnatch” is interactive, meaning the viewers can decides what the character’s next move is. Let’s try it here.
If You Hated It Follow Arrow 1
If You Loved It Follow Arrow 2
If you chose this path, congratulations, you are the majority. With a lot of speculation and buzz around Brooker’s latest film “Bandersnatch”, the scales of cinema lean in the direction that this is a solid film. Everything from the story to the actors to the debut of movies with a choice are projecting strong numbers from critics and viewers. The front runner in the many reasons that “Bandersnatch” was good is the option of choice. Giving viewers a choice not only keeps them engaged throughout the film but also connects them to the characters on screen. With the characters on screen making choices that the viewer believe are the right ones, the viewer then believes that he or she is acting as a part of the film. This revolutionary way to attach audience members to characters is something that a lot of people would like to see again. Not to mention the choice feature is done almost flawlessly. After the viewer makes a choice the film rolls straight into the corresponding path with no bumps or mistakes, as if it was written into the script. Another reason why “Bandersnatch” was so captivating is the unexpected twists and turns throughout the entire film. The crazy roller coaster that is this film is exactly what one would expect when watching a “Black Mirror” episode. The choices each viewer makes takes them on their own individual path, meaning the viewer has absolutely no idea what will happen next. Last but not least, the all-star cast and crew are a major reason for the success “Bandersnatch”. With supporting actor, three time MTV Movie Award winner Will Poulter on-screen, the film was destined to be spectacular. Next to Poulter stood the lead of “Dunkirk”, Fionn Whitehead. With the on-screen talent presented in the hands of crew members like David Slade (director of “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”) and the mad mind of Charlie Brooker, this film was without a doubt headed straight to the top.
LIFESTYLE love month Drive-in movie at Blue Starlite Austin- This mini urban
drive-in is located in the middle of the city and is perfect for a relaxing night out filled with stargazing, classic movies, and room for icebreaker questions. With a backdrop of trees and an excellent view of the downtown skyline, Blue Starlite is a great date option.
Blanton Museum of Art- If
you’re looking for some great photo-ops and a time to walk around while enjoying special, modern art pieces, Blanton is for you! Blanton is described as “Where Art Meets Austin,” so it is perfect if you want to learn more about the talent present in Austin while spending quality time with your significant other.
Peter Pan mini golf- Peter Pan Mini Golf is a wonderful opportunity for a fun, joke-filled date! It’s also a part of Austin culture and has been open since 1948. Peter Pan is a family establishment, filled with laidback staff, and snow cone stands! Simply put, this date idea is a hole-in-one! Mt. Bonnell- The breathtaking
views and active style make Mt. Bonnell a great bonding experience. Enjoy each other’s company alongside a beautiful panoramic of Lake Austin.
360 Overlook- Similar to
Mt. Bonnell, the 360 overlook is a perfect romantic outing, including a slightly challenging hike with quite the rewarding view, not to mention the incredible photo-ops and potential memories.
local date ideas Mozart’s Coffee Roasters-
Another “Austin original”, Mozart’s Coffee Roasters is an impeccable spot to just learn more about someone over a delicious latte and fresh-baked pastry, while listening to live music, all while hearing the calming sounds of Lake Austin. Mozart’s also takes pride in the fact that they are a spot where many first dates have occurred, a tradition we hope you will continue.
Zipline Tour- While on the pricier side, Lake Travis Zipline Adventure offers a three hour excursion, including all the equipment, boat transportation, as well as a time to allow your adventurous side to arise. Violet Crown Theatre- Violet Crown is a cinema designated to showing international and studio films, documentaries, as well as independent and indie films. They also offer food and drinks that you can enjoy while relaxing in their state of the art chairs and theatres! It’s location allows for time to explore more of Downtown Austin and also watch movies with your significant other!
Crux Climbing Center-
Adventurous, athletic, enduring, and challenging! Crux Climbing Center in Austin has free and harnessed climbing, bouldering, as well as yoga and fitness! Step, or climb, out of your comfort zone during this fun date idea.
Roast Marshmallows at Halcyon- Halcyon, defined as peaceful and carefree, is a coffee lounge located in downtown Austin. While the lounge turns into a bar
at night, there are also teen options, including roasting marshmallows for smores while being surrounded by beautiful Austin skyscrapers, while drinking delicious coffees and even trying crepes.
February Playlist Thinning Snail Mail
Lauren Men I Trust
The Love Club
Coming of Age
A Change of Heart The 1975
We’re Going To Be Friends
Same Ol’ Mistakes
Broken Clocks
Nellie
Angels/ Your Love
Junk of the Heart (Happy)
Lorde
Roller skating at Austin Roller Rink- Arcade games,
roller skating, flashing lights and throwback jams are all wonderful qualities of the Austin Roller Rink. Enjoy a night out full of laughter, and testing skills!
Austin Central Library- One of my personal favorites out of this list is the Austin Central Library. Within the six-story building are thousands of books, innovative learning centers, as well as a spot where you and your date can learn more about each other’s ideas and aspirations. After all, the library is described as an “incubator for ideas.” Bowling at Union Underground- Located on
the University of Texas campus, Union Underground bowling is on the cheaper side, price wise, and is designed to appeal to students. With frequent glowin-the-dark events, the 12-lane bowling site is perfect if you are wishing to show off your competitive side.
Food Truck Night- While there are many food truck options, a personal favorite of mine is Mellizoz Tacos. It is delicious and is located near South Congress, another place that is always exciting to explore. The tacos, street corn, and location allow for a relaxed date spot, room for conversation over good food, and an all around great date.
Foster The People
Rihanna
Mr Jukes
SZA
The Kooks
The White Stripes
Dr.Dog
Loving is Easy
Rex Orange County
Graphic by Jami Holms Staff Writer
Photo and Story by Camryn Horst Co-Editor and Lifestyle Editor
FEATURES February, 2019
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A Picture Paints A Thousand Words Growing Minds, Learning Signs
One Senior’s Interesting New Project
Hannah Gaither, Staff Writer
Madeline Tredway, Staff Writer
Maya Diaz pushes her glasses up, peering at a notebook as she flips through the pages. At a cursory glance, it’s just a notebook - green and faded, with a slightly worn cover. Upon opening it, however, it’s clear how much time was spent in these pages; there are countless notes on various academic studies, important answers to interview questions circled in red, and sometimes pagelong ramblings that can only be performed by an individual who truly cares about the subject they’re thinking about. Maya has spent the past year in this notebook, sifting through her mind on the blank pages in order to eventually sift through others’ minds. For her Cornerstone project, Diaz is designing an art therapy experiment for students to take part in. She has interviewed around 10 students at this point and hopes to interview more as she believes art therapy is unique in how it works. “Art therapy helps you engage in something that is tactile,” Diaz said. Art therapy is commonly used to allow the subject of a session to relax their mindset, so as to ease the fear of judgment from the therapist. “Art therapy actually accesses different parts of the brain than regular talk therapy does,” Diaz said. For this reason, art therapy acts as a particularly helpful technique among people who suffer major traumas, especially veterans. “The experiment is designed to where you are accessing people’s deepest thoughts,” Diaz said. “To do that, you need to allow someone to be vulnerable.”
Challenged by the prospect of an unknown way of communication, senior Grace Staggs has created a solution to bring inclusion and unity to her school. As she goes through her daily life, she often runs into people with hearing loss that communicate using sign language. Eager to communicate, she promotes inclusion through teaching others how to sign as well. During her junior year, Staggs drew inspiration from her history teacher, Lee Harlicker. He signs often while speaking due to his daughter being deaf, which sparked Staggs’ curiosity. “I wanted to learn sign language,” Staggs said. She took this idea and transformed it into a club to inspire others to learn this way of communication. Staggs believes it’s important to be able to communicate with everyone. “[I want] to teach people a language that is very important so that they are able to communicate with people around them that have hearing loss or who are deaf,” Staggs said.
photo by Vasi Bjeletich
Although the process is kept significantly under wraps in order to keep students’ responses unbiased, Diaz says that there are six different steps with each one designed to help the subject express themselves safely. “Part of the process is to let people open themselves up to me,” Diaz said. “That can’t be done without the art portion.” Diaz smiles as she recollects the reason she started this project in the first place, aside from her interest in psychology: a desire to hear people’s stories, and the desire to understand. And to hear people’s stories, she needed to allow others to be vulnerable. “I’ve always really liked people,” Diaz said. “I think that’s what it really comes down to.”
She found a way to learn sign language along with her peers by asking Harlicker to contribute his skills. “Mr. Harlicker teaches us words and phrases we can say,” Staggs said. With his help, she is able to raise awareness about the importance of being able to include and participate in conversation with everyone, no matter if they can speak or not. “It’s not just learning another language,” Staggs said. “It is another form of communication with people you will see every day and people who are different.” This is the first club of its kind at the school in recent years, but its message is lasting. Staggs thinks it’s important to introduce unity and promote education of a form of communication in order to interact with those in the community. “We want to be able to form relationship with people who are deaf,” Staggs said. “Learning sign language is necessary so you will be able to communicate with them.”
From Norway to America, From Field to Field One Foreign Exchange Student’s Outlook on a New Country Cady Russell. Staff Writer A staggering 5,000 miles away from home, instead of snow there’s grass and instead of heavy jackets, there are spring sweaters. Instead of speaking Norwegian, the majority of people speak English. It’s a totally different world. Junior Marie Eldhuset, an exchange student from Norway, transferred to Dripping Springs from Idaho mid November. “School’s different, very different [in Norway],” Eldhuset said. “We didn’t have any school teams. We don’t want to be at school at all really, so when school’s over, we just go home and do our different stuff. We play for club teams no matter what.” Eldhuset plays goalkeeper for the both the JV and varsity girls soccer teams, but cannot play varsity in district until her papers from Idaho get transferred. “I was at school in third grade, and all the boys were playing soccer, and I didn’t have a lot of friends,” Eldhuset said. “So, I just jumped in and started playing with them.”
Since then, Eldhuset has embraced soccer as one of her passions, talking about the thrill of saving a ball. “We had a tournament where we were in [the] official national championship,” Eldhuset said. “We were in the quarterfinals, and there were two people coming towards me, and I saved it, and we won the game. Then, we won all of it, so we became official Norwegian champions.” After winning the national championship, Eldhuset has gotten more opportunities in soccer. “From then on, it’s just gone up,” Eldhuset said. “I started playing for the women’s team, and it’s just been amazing.” While the game of soccer is the same in both America and Norway, the social and cultural differences far outweigh the similarities between the two countries. “In Norway, you don’t talk with people unless you know them in a way,” Eldhuset said. “And here, if you meet someone, and you think their pants are cool, you say it to them, but that would never happen in Norway. You’d maybe take a sneak picture of it and then text your friend, ‘I love those pants,’ but you wouldn’t say it to them in person.” Soccer may not change based on how it’s played, but there are different rules regarding things like clothing worn. “If we had maroon shorts, you have to have
maroon spandex,” Eldhuset said. “But in Norway, I would usually just use black. I don’t care about the color. And goalies are allowed to wear a cap whenever it’s sunny during a game so we don’t [get] blinded.” Though many differences exist between Norway and America, they serve as a chance to explore an exciting new lifestyle. “I’m so thankful for this opportunity,” Eldhuset said, “and it’s just been so fun.”
Junior Marie Eldhuset plays goalie for both varsity and JV girls soccer. photo provided by JV girls soccer
Food For Thought
Students’ Opinions on Chick-fil-A Controversy Jami Holms, Staff Writer On Jan. 10, the long awaited Chick-fil-A opened just outside Dripping Springs, creating much excitement for those looking for a new place to eat. However, for some students, the opening of this chain restaurant brought only sour feelings. It is widely known that Chick-fil-A reportedly puts their money toward anti-LGBT organizations saying it goes against their religious beliefs. For senior Lily Sethre-Brink, these actions strongly affect where she puts her money. “I refuse to eat at Chick-fil-A. I won’t give them my money,” Sethre-Brink said. “Their CEO [Dan T. Cathy] is very homophobic.” Sethre-Brink doesn’t feel this way just because of the CEO’s beliefs, but because of the company’s actions and the money they provide to certain organizations. “There are allegations that they wouldn’t hire people that are gay,” Sethre-Brink said, but although these allegations were proven false the senior “doesn’t necessarily agree with the evidence they have for that.” However, Sethre-Brink isn’t one to go around hating on restaurants, and even says that she thinks that their chicken tastes great. When it comes to social issues though, she has to do things that won’t affect people negatively. “There are a lot of social issues that are
discriminatory or that spew hate, and that’s not anything that I want to support,” Sethre-Brink said. “[No one should] enforce their morals on another person.” Although these are issues Sethre-Brink focuses on, for some students like junior John Mihaly, these opinions don’t really affect where he puts his money, whether they agree with his views or not. “There are more important things to be concerned about than a company’s affiliations,” Mihaly said. Sometimes, he said, he is a bit more concerned with a company and their religious affiliations. However, Mihaly said the Chick-fil-A controversy doesn’t affect him a lot. Although he doesn’t mind people that have strong feelings towards the company, he suggests they shouldn’t put their money towards the company if that’s how they feel. “I think, we have a lot bigger things to deal with than to get upset about someone who eats fried chicken,” Mihaly said. For Lily Sethre-Brink, there are also much bigger problems to deal with as well, but, according to her, starting with a company that highly promotes against a certain thing is just a start. “A much larger problem is child labor and average things like that or not treating workers correctly,” Sethre-Brink said. “That is a much
larger problem, and it is sometimes harder to find out which company does that without really researching.” Although Sethre-Brink and Mihaly have opposing views, they agree there are far larger problems to be focusing on concerning issues that go beyond the food world. “That is something I could really use improvement on,” Sethre-Brink said, “knowing which companies are committing human rights abuses.”
FEATURES February, 2019
Q&A with:
Hope Mcfarlin
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Shooting for the Stars
A Look at the Space and Astro-Science Club Katie Haberman, Features Editor
Junior President of Young Women’s Club By Ava Painovich, Ethan Everman, Sophia Portillo
What do you like the most about the club? “I like how close we become and how connected we stay and how diverse the club is.” What will you do with this experience in the future? “Have more community involvement probably and do more things. Involve more club members.” How does the club benefit the school? “Having a positive atmosphere and courageous example for young women.” What’s your favorite memory? “Doing Yoga in Zilker Park last year.” What do you contribute most? “The positive atmosphere and how connected everybody can be.” What does the club have planned? “We have multiple coffee talks every month, and we’re going to do a banquet at the end of the year. So, having a kind of little get together for everybody.”
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In a nearby small classroom, a group of students brainstorm, spitting out ideas with fervor in order to get each one across. With a strong interest in engineering and the expanses of the universe, the members of the Space and Astro-Science club join together weekly to work on out-ofthis-world projects and discuss potential problems and their solutions. The Space and Astro-Science club, which meets on Tuesdays in room C.202, first got its legs in 2016, when its founder noticed something missing on the school’s list of clubs to join. “I was looking for an astronomy club, but the school didn’t have one,” junior Megan Hitt said. “I actually started the club.” To kick off the school year, the club participated in a competition known as Cities in Space. “We choose either to be on the moon, on Mars, or an alien planet, or in space, and we chose to be [in] free-floating space,” sophomore David Pieper said. “We developed a colony with a thousand
starting people to grow and be able to survive in space.” The club happened to win first place with their design, becoming the first team from the school to do so. “At my old school, we competed in the Cities in Space competition, and I really wanted to do that here,” Hitt said. “I knew that doing it here, we could do so much better than at my old private school.” Presently, the Space and Astro-Science club has its hands full with a difficult engineeringbased project that needs the brainpower of each member, new and old alike. “We’re going to send it off into the atmosphere and it’s going to take pictures of the curvature of the Earth,” junior Madeline Brandt said. “Getting the materials and actually figuring out how to put them together, that was probably the hardest part.” Aside from physical projects, the club often discusses solutions to difficult problems. These include feats of engineering, talks about space, and different innovations that could potentially further humanity, though some answers come easier than others.
“We were trying to come up with a way to get water filtration and someone just goes, ‘Well, you could just run it through a filter,’” Pieper said. “We’d been trying to think of really advanced methods of doing it, but sometimes simplest is best.” The club also plans and hosts community gatherings known as ‘star parties,’ with the next one set for Feb. 22. “A star party is where we’re going to get the school’s planetarium out and all of the telescopes,” Hitt said. “We’re going to get them all out and invite the entire community and just invite them to come stargaze with us.” Within the Space and Astro-Science club, members have a place where they can discuss their bright ideas to likeminded peers who match their gusto for problem-solving. More information about the group can be found on their instagram @dshs_space. “My favorite thing that I get to do is just to build and design these really cool ideas and technologies that we could possibly use one day,” Pieper said. “It’s very interactive, and there’s a lot of cool things you can do and think about.”
What would you tell new members? “Don’t be afraid. Don’t be intimidated by it. Anybody can be involved. You don’t have to make every single meeting or every single coffee talk. You can have one meeting and one coffee talk a semester and still be a part of it.”
Q&A with:
Natalie Thompson Hi-Stepper Captain By Raegan Garibay What made you join the Hi-Steppers? “I wanted to be a Hi-Stepper ever since I saw them in second grade. It was the girls in white on the football field, and I was like, ‘Oh, my god, I want to do that!’ So, I started doing little steppers, and it just became a really good program.” When did you start dancing? “I’ve kind of been dancing but not in a studio. I really started dancing in 6th grade, and I took dance class, and from there, I’ve just stuck with it.” Who is your favorite dance influencer and who do you model your style after? “I try not to model myself after anybody so that it’s my own. My dance influencer is probably not a famous person, definitely just a past captain last year. Sadie Chanley was such a amazing person and an amazing dancer. We’ve had a lot of really cool officers and captains that change your life.” What is the fondest memory of this season? “Football games, especially home games, [and] especially when we have time to get ready. It’s so fun, because we’re all goofing off and being stupid - just getting ready and getting our makeup on around the mirrors.” Do you plan on pursuing dance after high school? “Yes, but I don’t want to make a big deal about it. Yes, I want to pursue dance after high school, [but] probably not as a major or minor. I want to join Kilgore Dance Team. It’s a really hard try-out process.”
Medical Marvels
HOSA Provides Students With Opportunities To Explore Healthcare Isabella Roske, Contribuitng Writer Healthcare remains an extraordinary career filled with some of the most impressive people around. Jobs in healthcare are some of the most rewarding and fulfilling careers today, and yet some of the hardest to obtain. Over the past few years, medical opportunities have popped up all over the United States, but even then the field is difficult to thrive in, let alone to start anew amongst. Students who desire a career in healthcare usually fight tooth and nail for the ability to work in the field. For those who are unsure about pursuing a healthcare career path, there is a very practical opportunity on campus with handson experience in the realm of all things medicine. This opportunity is HOSA, otherwise known as the Health Occupation Students of America, which was formed to help students who want to follow a health career path later in life. “HOSA allows students to make connections with people in the medical field,” junior Cassedy Fuselier, HOSA historian, said. “It gives them experiences that will help them once they start their careers.” Opportunities come in a wide variety when it comes to HOSA; they can range from community service, to field trips, to medical clinics. “We also provide HOSA students who participate in the club the ability to participate in their chosen events across a wide variety of disciplines in the healthcare field,” Lauren Milner, Health Science teacher, said. “We have already done that this year through the local competitions. We now have several students who have made it to the state level.” Participating in events and competitions for HOSA can also help students earn scholarship money and provide them with something to put on their resume. “They want to provide these opportunities for everybody in HOSA to reach out to as many of them as possible, make a difference, and help them find out where they want to go in the healthcare field,” freshman Chloe Dane said. The abilities and opportunities that HOSA provides help students learn and grow in the healthcare field but also assists other families and communities. “They recently did a toy drive for Dell Children’s,” Dane said. “They brought students to Dell Children’s hospital and gave a tour of the hospital as well as donated toys for Christmas. It’s a lot of opportunities like that where you get to go see real world healthcare professionals.”
With a wide variety of opportunities in which to engage, HOSA has expanded and become a large student-led organization within the past few years. “[HOSA] is going to give you such a great experience,” Milner said. “You will get to go on field trips to nursing schools and field trips all around the area, connect with other students in other high schools who are also studying health science, and you will learn about all of the careers that are available, and you might just find the one that you were meant to do.”
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New Year, New Meraki Students share their writing with the world
By: Samantha Moore
Comics By: Jade Howe
The modern Greek word, Meraki, describes doing something with creativity, love or soul and putting something of yourself into your work. The advanced creative writing class started putting together this year’s literary magazine the Meraki. Every year they work to produce a book of students’ original writing and art. “The Meraki is our symbol,” junior Madison Johnsen said. “It’s what we strive towards during the year. The Meraki is our product, and we are proud of it.” The advanced creative writing class breaks into teams: submissions, editors, design, production, and InDesign in order to produce this book. “The process is a long one, but it all starts from the student really,” senior Thomas Prendergast said. “Our submissions team seeks the best works from around the school and notes if they’re worthy of the work or not. From there, we work with the technical side of things like editing and creating the book itself. But there’s no process without the writer; without that especial content created.” The creative writing departments accepts student submissions from outside of the program. There are flyers posted throughout the school. “Every year, we add new things to the Meraki,” Johnsen said, “and each year, it becomes more like us.” The creative writing classes put a lot of pride and hard work into this book. “For me,” creative writing teacher Travis Crain said, “it’s this unique thing that I get to be a part of that really celebrates the community of writers we have on this campus and celebrates their creativity and their passions. At the end of it, we are left with this cool relic that we get to refer to and have in the form of a book.” The Meraki is included with a Tiger Cry yearbook purchase at Balfour.com, but will be available by itself as well. “We’ve seen lots of praise for the Meraki over the years,” Prendergast said, “and, obviously, we hope to continue that praise. But, we’re hoping the new concepts we’re juggling take readers by surprise in an elegant way as well. I’d also love to see more and more submissions from previous years, especially as the years go on.” The Meraki encourages regular creative writing students to submit their work and let the school see writing and art they take pride in. “It’s a chance for me to express myself in a form that other people will be exposed to,” sophomore Lauren Sanders said, “and try out new forms of writing.” There are QR codes posted throughout the school to submit art work and writing. “I hope the public enjoys everything we have done this year,” Johnsen said. “I hope we get new writers from this experience."
The Ghost
By: Julia Junker I don’t know when I started sleeping with a ghost. It must have been at least a year ago, or at least that’s when He forgot to come home sometimes. I brushed it off, attributed it to late nights at work or one too many drinks at the bar. But soon enough nights became days, and I grew more attached to the ghost than I ever was to Him. The ghost gave me flowers for no reason, attended every party with me, danced with me under the stars. The ghost kissed me with purpose, held me close, lit a fire through my veins. Once I started my affair with the ghost, He never came back to me. He whisked a doxy away to Europe never to be seen again. The ghost and I espoused under an arch woven with all the flowers that had been gifted to me. Our honeymoon was set in a cabin out in the woody winter, just the two of us. It was the only weekend where I had ever been truly happy.
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It was then I knew the only thing I could ever trust was the ghost by my side.
OPINION
February, 2019
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How Texas Sex Education Sets Students Up To Fail Teenage pregnancy is a heavy topic, one that no one seems to want to talk about. The birth rate for teens aged 15-19 is 22.3 for every group of 1000 women according to the Centers for Tessa Stigler Disease Control Opinion Editor and Prevention (CDC). Our district talks about teen pregnancy once in our education, squished in with our 7th grade science classes. Texas public schools’ sexual education course range between abstinence-only, abstinence-plus, or no course at all. The majority of public school districts in Texas are abstinence-only taught. According to a report released by the Texas Freedom Network Education Fund in 2017, 58.3% of Texas public schools teach abstinence-only sex education, 25.1% have no sex education course, and just 16.6% teach an abstinenceplus education. The abstinence-plus program is a sex education course that provides information on condoms and other forms of protection as well as the prevention of sexually transmitted infections within the context of pushing abstinence according to the same report. Abstinence-only programs, which omit accurate contraception information, provide an incomplete sexual education experience. Districts that teach abstinence-only curriculum have to resort to third-party sex education courses with the most-used a textbook called Lifetime Health. Lifetime Health provides an online program available to the public. The textbook, which does not address reproductive health until the sixth and final unit, teaches ways to prevent STDs. The first answer is to practice abstinence, and the second to last being educating yourself on STDs and STD prevention. It’s quite obvious that staying abstinent will greatly
prevent your chances of becoming schools in the Hays and Travis County pregnant. When sex isn’t involved, it is area on their website. pretty difficult to get pregnant. These These crisis centers are quite abstinence-only programs aren’t controversial, mainly for their helpful to the students. Teenagers reputation of misinforming expectant have sex, and telling them not to isn’t mothers. Organizations like NARAL going to stop them. All that these Pro-choice Texas that are opposed programs achieve is unsuccessfully to pregnancy crisis centers often preparing students for their sexual point to a pamphlet handed out health, where they will not have in some pregnancy crisis centers the information that they need on called a Women’s Right to Know contraception and prevention of STIs which is created by Texas Health and and STDs. Human Services. The issue claimed With public schools dropping the within this pamphlet is that it provides ball, places called misinformation Q&A with Debra Wehmeier pregnancy regarding the Founder of Heart of Texas Pregnancy Center crisis centers or risk of developpregnancy ment of What kind of void do you think that these types of resource breast centers can fill in our society? centers cancer “It’s almost like a one stop shop, you know. So, where began to related is there a place where a women can come and find pop up to aboremotional support? I really don’t know. Where they can around tion. The just come and talk, hang out as long as they want to visit? There are a lot of lonely women out there, and it public high pamphlet is just such a blessing to offer those things. Everything schools. reads we offer is free. And we don’t take state funding. We’re Pregnancy that if the just funded by people who see what we’re doing here crisis expectant at the fruit of it. I don’t know places that offer that centers are mother type of physical support and emotional support and nonprofit “give classes. Being able to just come take classes in a sweet orgbirth to environment and get stuff for it. It’s kind of like a one anizations her baby” stop place of support.” that that she is Read the rest of this Q&A online at mydshs.com/news commonly “less likely focus on to develop counseling a woman to consider breast cancer in the future” and that abortion alternatives, as supported by “research indicates that having an the aforementioned sex education abortion will not provide you with this report. Heart of Texas Pregnancy increased protection against cancer.” Research Center is located within However, according to the American walking distance from our high school Cancer society, scientific research and advertises services such as studies have not found a causepregnancy testing, individual support, and-effect relationship with abortion a baby boutique, medical referrals, and breast cancer. These resource adoption referrals, and parenting centers do provide an adequate life skills classes all at no cost on their support system for teens questioning website. They have two locations, one pregnancy however, these walking distance from the high school organizations do not successfully fill and another located within walking the gap that exists in sex education distance from Reagan High School. According to the 2017 annual In addition, Heart of Texas Pregnancy Texas STD Surveillance report, almost Resource Center offers directions to two-thirds of new chlamydia their two centers from 20 different high infections inside the United States
Why Students Should Start Caring About Classic Novels
It is safe to say that Hemingway’s words do not ingrain themselves easily into the mind of adolescence. In fact, students actively rebel against works of classic literature, opting instead to look up the answers to reading questions and shove the book out of their minds once they’ve passed the test. Although this monotonous practice is a sign of the times in high school, the process is becoming far less painless as times change. Students refuse to read classics for their age, for their frustrating complexity, or for a lack of excitement. A foreboding conclusion has been reached from this attitude; students should not be required to delve into these classics if they possess no interest. The renowned classic, Fahrenheit 451, counters this attitude by supporting that the absence of great literature in a young person’s mind proves to be a sword they will plunge into their own heart. Adversely, the presence of this novel is a weapon they wield against the world. A student would never learn this, however, without reading and analyzing Fahrenheit 451 in class. Classics hold a trove of ethics and morals that are necessary to be gathered by a maturing mind. So what constitutes a classic? According to Italian author Italo Calvino, a classic book comes to represent the entire universe. A classic presents itself as a singular experience but comes to be understood as something much more. A classic, in short, bleeds outside the confines of geographic barriers and withstands the test of time. Reading Anne of Green Gables in 2019 does not reflect the same context because the
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protagonist grows up Madeline Tredway within the Victorian era. However, the central Opinion Editor theme of conflict between societal expectation and imagination still echoes clearly. The thing that sets classic novels apart from other works of literature is that they are timeless. When you strip classics down to their very cores, they prove to be eternally relatable to everyone’s experiences. If schools as a whole halted teaching classic novels, it would be as if an ancient talisman were lost to an entire generation. However, it is reasonable to argue that a book touting the title of “classic” has no more value than a book written single-digit years ago. The thing about books is they all hold a myriad of meanings to a myriad of people, and to hold one book up as a greater work of literature than another is looked down upon. Yet there is a quantifiable value of how well written a book is, and another item that sets apart classics from other novels is this value. A meaning is just that: a meaning. But, the nature of the writing that explores the meaning within the book is just as important as the theme itself. It is for this reason that we do not read Dr. Seuss in high school. What makes classics different is that they are worthwhile. To live without at least one classic under your belt is to live within the constraints of four gray walls, and to live with knowledge from one of these classics is to live within walls adorned with color and eccentricities, chin held high knowing the words of a thousand worlds are behind you.
Editor-in-Chief Giselle Galletti ‘19 & Camryn Horst ‘19 Features Editor Katie Haberman ‘20
Creative Editor Jade Howe ‘19
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@myDSHSnews @myDSHSsports @my_dshs_news
My Love-Hate Relationship with Valentine’s Day
Hanna Gaither Staff Writer
Valentine’s Day: the one day a year to celebrate and focus on the people we love most. In my observation, some people love it, and most people hate it. I fall in-between, and here’s why: I absolutely love the idea of celebrating love. I am a big fan of stuffing my face with chocolate, stuffed bears, the color pink, and all other things that scream “Valentine’s Day”. I love cherishing the people in my life and getting a day specifically dedicated to those I love, but for all the other singles out there, the romanticization of Valentine’s Day still remains. The unspoken expectation that Valentine’s Day is for couples creates a silent exclusivity surrounding this day. For some, including myself, it is just a day that reminds people of their loneliness. If Valentine’s Day was not centered around romantic love, maybe, just maybe, no one would hate it. Another issue that arises in my mind when thinking about Valentine’s Day is the fact that this is the only day a year that is dedicated to appreciating the ones around us. Whether it is platonic or romantic, loving those around us should not just be a one day event. In a way, it lessens the importance of showing love to the people around us. A solution I propose, is that we- as singles, couples, and everything in between- make this day our own. Let us celebrate the mushy-gushy love if we please. Let us celebrate the people we love. Let us stuff our faces with chocolate, and cry over chick flicks all night long. Let us hate Valentine’s day, or love it. So while I prepare myself for the overload of “Happy Valentine’s to the best boyfriend/girlfriend!” that will undoubtedly flood my feed on every social media app I own, I remind you to make this day what you want it to be and surround yourself with those you love. Cady Russell and Teagen Krewson embrace. Photo by Evelyn Peterson.
OPINION
MEET THE STAFF Sports Editor Rigley Willis ‘20
occur to persons age 15-24 years old. Abstinence-only programs do not work, and students cannot be too sure to trust every adult that comes at them with sexual health information. Students are left to fend for them-selves, shifting the responsibility from the schools to their own resourcefulness regarding sexual health. Students have the choice to either listen blindly to the often incomplete or inaccurate programs taught or seek out sexual education for themselves. None of this is going to change unless we shift our views on sexual health and education. Our sexual education programs in Texas are not making enough impact on students with the way they are written, so I urge you seek your own education through either talking with your parents, speaking to your health care provider, or searching for accurate sexual health information online until Texas public school districts change.
Opinion Editor Tessa Stigler ‘20
News & Entertainment Editor Jade Berry ‘19 Staff Writers Hanna Gaither, Jami Holms, Samantha Moore, Evelyn Peterson, Cady Russell, Andrew Spiegel, Collin Spires, Madeline Tredway, Mitchell Williams
The PawPrint welcomes reader viewpoints through letters to the editor and guest columns. Opinions expressed in PawPrint are not necessarily those of the Dripping Springs High School or Dripping Springs ISD administration
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SPORTS 8 Welcome to Cricket CLUB February, 2019
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Qasim Aziz explains the intricacies of the world-wide sport Collin Spires Staff Writer
Trying to turn a club into a competitive sport takes a special personality with dedication and a vision. That is the case for founder Qasim Aziz, and the rest of the players. The club is fairly new, but Aziz has a lot of plans for the club for the future. “I started this club last year before the start of winter break, I believe, so it’s been around for about a year and a half,” Aziz said. Cricket has began to travel across the world. The sport began in England, but has also been spread to other countries such as India, Pakistan, and Australia. “The matches are long and very competitive with one team trying to rally up as many points before they either run out of balls (there’s a limited amount of times the batting team gets the ball thrown to them) or have exhausted all of their outs,” senior Varun Verma said. “There are some amazing plays that occur, and the sport requires a great level of skill to excel.” While the club for now is for students to simply come out and have fun with their friends, Aziz
and the group would like to start playing competitively against other teams in the near future. “I like to play it for fun, but I hope that in the future our cricket team evolves to the point where we are able to compete with other cricket teams, if they even exist, so we’ll see how that goes,” Aziz explains. The team has had a large growth in players coming to the club to compete. They are always looking forward to new members and hope to keep getting bigger and bigger. “It’s definitely gotten a lot bigger, and it’s definitely gotten a lot more mature in the sense that when people come to the cricket club, they know what’s going on, and they know what they should be doing, and how basically how the sport’s play,” Aziz said. “There is no one who comes and doesn’t know how to play now, but, I mean, that’s still fine. Ifsomeone comes and doesn’t know how to play, we’re still willing to take new members and to teach them how to play, because it’s a sport that we want to include everyone in.”
The cricket club in 2017 and the cricket club in 2019. photos provided by Qasim Aziz and PhotoTexas Photography
Austin, Texas welcomes the MLS
Major League Soccer announced Austin as newest city to join rapidly growing league
Austin, the live music capital of the world, will be adding a new source of entertainment to the already diverse, “weird” city. Major League Soccer, better known as the MLS, has announced an expansion bid to the capital of Texas. “Austin FC” is to join as the 27th team in 2021. There are many positives when it comes to hosting a franchise in an area like Austin. Obviously there’s the income that will come with ticket sales and merchandise, as well as the job opportunities that will arise with the construction of the building, but bringing the community together and improving the overall culture within a community. Austinites tend to connect through art, music, and literature but it is finally time to add professional sports to that category. The negatives are glaring, however. First of all, the tax dollars that come with building a Major
League Soccer stadium are pretty significant. Why spend tax dollars on a stadium, which will cost roughly $200 million, when we could use the same money to improve the inner-city schools or fill potholes? Secondly, the new stadium will not be in the heart of Austin and instead on the outskirts in North Austin, causing possible transportation issues. After weighing the positives and negatives, it seems that Austin FC is simply for the best. Looking towards the future, the soccer team will generate a lot of income for the city as well as strengthening the already diverse culture that Austin has. Have any thoughts or questions over the topic? Tweet us @mydshssports to have your questions answered. Rigley Willis Sports Editor
Boys Basketball Continues to Rise Junior guards, friends look to prove the doubters wrong In a poll produced in the Austin-American Statesman in late 2018, the boys varsity basketball team was given low expectations heading into their fist season in a new district. The team felt disrespected by the article and have used it as motivation since. “We looked at those standings, and we said we are going to fight and prove those people wrong,” junior guard Hayden Shields said. He explained how the team felt they were better than they made the team out to be. “As a team, we talk about it is almost every day, because we know what we are capable of and we know that what everyone says out there is wrong,” junior guard, Xavier Phillips, said. “We use it every day because we know we can be ranked. Individually, it motivates me too, because, to me, it
says they think there is no one good on this team, so I see it as a challenge to prove them wrong.” The team is off to a good start in district, dropping just one game in the first round of play and beating basketball powerhouse LBJ. As for facing the low expectations presented to them, the team apparently relishes the idea that they might be seen as underdogs. “[We] knew [district] was going to be a fight,” Shields said. They have gained a lot more respect from the Statesman and the new district as a whole since the start of the season, but they still have a ways to go to cement the idea that they are state contenders. The team thrives on student and fan support and appreciation of their efforts to prove the naysayers wrong. Mitchell Williams Staff Writer
Xavier Phillips (#13) swings the ball to Kyle Rioux (#14) against Lake Travis High School, photo by Carmen Comparan
AUSTIN FC