sex ed in texas needs a new look // NEWS // staar testing pg. 2
// FEATURE // alma ‘matters’ pg. 5
// EDITORIAL // risky business pgs. 6&7
2 THE TORCH | JANUARY 2014
A
news
IS BORN
STAAR Testing and its radical changes beccaRIOS// staff writer
The Class of 2015 was the first to take the new modified standardized test: STAAR, also known as State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness. In 2012, STAAR replaced TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) and included annual assessments of Biology, English I, English II, Algebra I, and US History. In the spring of 2016, an additional set of assessments for English III and Algebra II will be administered. Like the TAKS test, STAAR employs standardized tests to assess students’ skills. The TEA states that, “The STAAR tests will be more rigorous than the TAKS tests and are designed to measure a student’s college and career readiness, starting in elementary school.” Difficulty level has not been changed according to the TEA, yet the STARR triples the exit-level load for high school students. “I think it’s definitely harder than the TAKS tests,” junior Xochitl Garcia said.
Materials for the new curriculum that incorporate the new standards for teachers and students have not been provided by the state. But Texas has taken the proper measures for future students. “We have attended STAAR prep classes, and we work with our instructional coach to prepare students,” US history teacher Mrs. Rodenberg said. STAAR test scores were required to count for 15% of a student’s grade last year, but as of 2013 that rule has been eliminated and does not impact a student’s GPA and class rank. “The pace for STAAR is much faster and more rigorous than TAKS. I have to complete the entire year’s curriculum with six less weeks,” Mrs. Rodenberg said. Additionally, the state has not determined the required cumulative score on all EOC’s to graduate. From fifteen tests to five the STAAR test requirements have changed but not much has been updated.
// UPCOMING TESTING DAYS // Freshmen Class of 2017: May 5 - Algebra I May 8 - Biology March 31 - English I Junior Class of 2015: May 7 - U.S. History Sophomore Class of 2016: April 2 - English II
JANUARY 2014 | feature | THE TORCH 3
feature fAustin Stangl is not your typical musician. Instead of operating with guitars, drums, or pianos, Stangl’s main instrument is his turntable, a mic, and a keen ear for good music. dddStangl, a senior, developed his interest in becoming a disc jockey, or DJ, at the early age of eight. “I used to live in England and I listened to DJs on BBC’’, Austin Stangl said. At 13, Stangl began saving money and eventually purchased vinyl records and other necessary equipment. “I didn’t really learn how to DJ from anybody, I taught myself.” Stangl said. Stangl was fortunate to have had a strong support group while he was forming his business. Stangl’s brother provided assistance and support and Stangl derived some of his inspiration from one popular DJ known as Jaguar Skillz. The most challenging aspect of Stangl’s new endeavor was not simply developing his skill, but applying it. Like many other entrepreneurs, Stangl discovered that trying to make his product known in the business world was the
STATUS
ARRAY ENTERS THE BUSINESS WORLD
Austin Stangl performing at a club Photo provided by: Austin Stangl
sanjanaMADAKSHIRE // senior staff writer
main struggle. Networking is a crucial aspect of business in order to land essential performance. “When you have a business, you have to meet a lot of people and talk to them about what you do so that you can get gigs.,” Stangl said. “That was one of the hardest parts for me.” Despite the initial setbacks, Stangl soon became known around the Houston area and secured his first performance at a nightclub in downtown Houston. ddStangl’s music ranges many genres from house music to dub step. Apart from playing at clubs, Stangl also performs at several Seven Lakes pep rallies and varsity games. Stangl hopes to continue to DJ at the many music festivals around the world such as Tomorrowland and Ultra Music Festival. “I want to continue my business after I graduate,” Stangl said. “My dream is to one day perform in front of thousands of people.”
LISTEN TO STATUS ARRAY EVERY TUESDAY AT 8 PM ON MIXIFY
SPARTAN SAVING$
4 THE TORCH | JANUARY 2014
Students balance their banks and dreams of college ethanPHAM & lorieKIESEWETTER // staff writers “It’s when a person becomes independent and has to learn how to value money,” Iqbal said. Many students have already begun to prepare for college by putting in hours at jobs and starting a small savings account. “I would always put half of my pay check to savings and the other half is mine” Serena Wilson, said. Some students, although recieving aid from their parents, know to begin saving to help pay for college later. “I have a job now so I’m just going to keep saving money to make sure I can afford everything” Tiffany Unverzagt said. Student loans are also another solution many students plan to utilize when planning to pay for college. With the huge bill of college looming students are help trying to prepare early to bring down the cost of education.
College cash flow, the caveat to thousands of acceptance letters. It’s a problem that clouds over many junior and senior classmen, sending them into an unavoidable frugal state. The fact is that bank balances make all the difference when considering how to pay for college. “College is a greatly significant aspect in everyone’s lives,” senior Sana Iqbal said. “I started preparing for it my junior year in high school when I got my first job and began to earn a decent amount of money.” Spartan students plan ahead, filling their time with jobs and applying for scholarships and student loans. “Basically, go to Barnes and Noble or Books-a-Million, they have actual scholarship books. They’re thick and have thousands of scholarships in them,” senior Julian Santos said. “Pretty much do that and you are just cashing in money.” Preparing for college also provides a financial insight that students will later use in life.
5 JANUARY 2014 | feature | THE TORCH
how would you In your spare time, what would you be describe your found doing most of the time? college years? STUDYING IN THE LIBRARY
58% what comes closest to how you would describe the SATs?
a stepping stone to your career path 40% 2%
not worth the hype
51%
A SUCCESSFUL EQUILIZER 26% does your university degree align with the subject you’re teaching?
77%
YES
34%
7%
kamiaRATHORE // editor-in-chief
‘MATTERS’ teachers reflect on their college years
66%
33% 13%
41%
NO
university’s
fight song?
No, it’s still equally as difficult No, it’s easier to get into selective colleges now
i love them, give me more!
46%
do you know all the words to your
Yes, it’s harder to get into selective 65% colleges now
did i even teach this kid?
what best summarizes your sentiments regarding college recommendations?
YES
EATING IN THE CAFETERIA
ALMA
NO
23%
27%
the best years of ATTENDING PARTIES your life 20%
A WASTE OF TIME 23%
A NECESSARY EVIL
WANDERING AROUND CAMPUS
46%
2%
is it harder to get into selective colleges now than it was before?
too many, too little time
*57 teachers surveyed for all questions
6 THE TORCH | JANUARY 2014
business
Isn’t it time we change our approach to dealing with the birds and the bees? daniWARDINSKY // editor-in-chief
Does anyone else find it strange that in a state that has the highest teen birth rate in the nation, Texas legislators chose to reject $4.4 million for comprehensive sex ed funding? (Public Health Degree) As a country, we have changed dramatically over the past several decades. America has essentially thrown the rule book of our ancestors out the window and we have ventured into a melting pot of new social norms and sexual attitudes. Between many Hollywood movies that base the central plot on the ups and downs of pregnancy - Baby Mama, Juno, and Knocked Up - and the changed perspective on sexual relations outside of marriage, it is hard to
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argue that society has NOT glorified sex in recent years because these movies make sex (that leads to an accidental pregnancy) something to laugh about in life. Yet, network TV (MTV) rather than Hollywood has taken most of the blame for the glorification, turning teen moms from the popular reality shows “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom” into overnight celebrities. The supporters of these shows argue that the dramas show the realistic events of teenage pregnancy and thus they help prevent teens from having sex. Although these shows may accurately depict the hardships
that follow unplanned comprehensive parenthood and do help students understand the e d u c a t i o n possible consequences of programs* unprotected sex, are the The statistics are shows really stopping clear. According to teens from having sex? Public Health Degree, The answer is no. teens who receive comprehensive sex ed are 50% less likely to get pregnant than teens who receive abstinence-only. Texas has the highest teen birth rate in the nation, and it could be suggested that the That’s why rate is so high because we turn to parents and 96% of Texas schools education to do the job; teach abstinence-only. however, they need to (Public Health Degree) work in tandem because The Guttmacher parenting approaches to Institute research “the talk” differ as much indicates the rise in as the students who need teen pregnancy may the education. be due to increased So will anything slow funding for abstinenceteens down? only programs in schools * c u e instead of promoting
ates im t s e C D C e Th 46% of all high school g students are havin sex, but only 61% of s. those use condom
safety alternatives like condoms and birth control. The Texas Department of State Health Services wants instruction and course material that revolves around the method of “delay[ed] initiation of sexual activity”, in other words - abstinence.
News flash: teens are NOT going to delay sex.
The official legislation says, “All programs incorporated by a state must ensure that abstinence from sexual activity is an expected outcome. States are encouraged to identify programs that have demonstrated effectiveness in delaying initiation of sexual activity or promoting abstinence from sexual activity.”
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The requirements sexual activity, if for instruction are as used consistently and follows: correctly, is the only that is 100 1) present method percent effective in a b s t i n e n c e preventing pregnancy, transmitted from sexual sexually diseases, infection activity as the with human immunodeficiency preferred choice virus or acquired of behavior in immune deficiency relationship to all sexual syndrome, and the activity for unmarried emotional trauma associated with persons of school age; adolescent sexual (2) devote more activity; direct attention to 4) to a standard abstinence from adolescents of behavior in which sexual activity than to abstinence from sexual any other behavior; activity before marriage (3) emphasize is the most effective way that abstinence from
to prevent pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and infection with human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency
6% More than 9 of Texas school districts teach abstinence-only programs.
HOW
syndrome; and (5) teach contraception and condom use in terms of human use reality rates instead of theoretical laboratory
JANUARY 2014 | spotlight | THE TORCH 7 rates, if instruction be the bearer of bad on contraception and news, but this means condoms is included in that teachers are left curriculum content. with limited options to (f) A school district may teach an incredibly a not distribute condoms vast group of students in connection with whose personalities and instruction relating backgrounds differ by to human sexuality. large measures. So in With no doubt, other words, abstinenceabstinence is the only programs just don’t ideal method that cut it anymore. Statistics, the high protects teens from (STD’s, unwanted teen birth rate, and logic pregnancy, etc) that tell us that abstinencecondoms or birth only instruction in Texas control cannot one is not working. It’s time to find a hundred percent prevent. It should be taught as the different approach to first preferred method of teaching about the birds staying safe. and the bees. We can’t put all our eggs in one Agreed. However, I hate to basket.
STACKS UP COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE NATION
Gov. Rick Perry
^
62 out of every 1,000 teen girls
^
15.3% of teens in 2011 had had sex with four or more people during their life
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Images and statistics courtesy of Public Health Degree, licensed under a Creative Commons License
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8 THE TORCH | JANUARY 2014
life&style
FROZEN MELTS HEARTS Disney flick defies gender expectations charlesLIU // guest writer
Disney’s Frozen is a marvelous addition to the studio’s long line of animated pictures. Its animation is vibrant, colorful, and energetic, and the characters are unbelievably cute. The makings of a classic fairy tale are all here, but Frozen proudly stands apart from other princess films. The main characters are Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel, who rose to prominence playing Elphaba in Wicked), daughters of the king of Arendelle. Elsa has magical powers that allow her to conjure ice out of thin air, and as children, she and Anna are the best of friends. After an accident occurs while they play with Elsa’s powers, the girls’ parents decide to separate the two of them. Time passes, and Anna and Elsa grow up isolated from one another, devastated that their relationship has been destroyed. Anna becomes a freespirited young woman bursting with life and yearns to be loved, while Elsa resigns herself to a sorrowful, lonely existence. When the latter’s coronation day finally arrives, the joyful Anna manages to spend little time with the new queen, who remains reserved throughout the celebrations. Their reunion is cut short when Elsa accidentally reveals her powers in the midst of an argument
with Anna and brings about an eternal winter. Elsa flees to the mountains, and Anna, along with the mountain man Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), his noble reindeer Sven, and the adorable snowman Olaf (played hilariously by Josh Gad) set out to find her. Frozen is smartly written and the voice acting is superb, crafting endearing personalities for the film’s central heroes. A few pleasant (and unpleasant) surprises lie in store for those expecting just another Disney film, especially Anna’s independence — she, in fact, does most of the rescuing. She’s perky and naive, but she can certainly put up a fight when she needs to. Elsa, on the other hand, needs to be saved from herself: as a result of a life lived in isolation, she’s imprisoned by her fear of being discovered for what she really is. One of Frozen’s most satisfying moments occurs when she sculpts a palace out of snow, finally free to be herself. The film focuses on Anna’s love for her sister, not for her potential male suitors as the opening number with the charming Prince Hans (Santino Fontana) would suggest. This is an fantastic subversion of expectations that takes Frozen in a direction few other films of its genre have traveled. Though the budding romance between Anna and Kristoff threatens to overshadow the sisters’ relationship during the third act, Frozen doesn’t stray off its path. The memorable songs, written by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, stand out as some of the Disney’s best in recent years; “Let It Go,” “For the First Time in Forever,” and “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” in particular are emotional and breathtaking. Heck, “In Summer,” a song in which Olaf dreams of all the things a snowman can do under the hot sun, is actually funny instead of annoying. My biggest gripe with Frozen is its main villain, who isn’t much of a threat and feels really tacked on. It seems as if the writers wanted to justify an inevitable decision by Anna, removing any doubt she made the right choice. The film would have been much more interesting if the sole enemy had been Elsa’s inner demons. This one misstep is forgiven, though, for the villain himself is another welcome subversion of a common trope. Wonderful in every way, Frozen is more than just an adorable flick — it’s a moving story about what true love is.
Poster for 2014 film Frozen. Copyright Walt Disney Pictures.
RATING:
Front row: Mason with his parents Leslie and Rob Kukowski. Back Row: Ted Vierling, SLHS Principal, Lydell Wilson, SLHS Athletic Coordinator, Chad Payne, Head Baseball Coach, James Morris Assistant Principal for Senior Office
Ellis Bitar Cornell Baseball
Front row: Ellis with parents Melissa and Sam Bitar, was also accompanied by his brother Eric. Back Row: Chad Payne, Head Baseball Coach, Ted Vierling, SLHS Principal, Coach Tony Mardirosian and Lydell Wilson, SLHS Athletic Coordinator
Rachel Grooms Louisville Swimming Front Row: Rachel was accompanied by her parents Mindy and David Grooms, also by her brother Davis. Back Row: Ted Vierling, SLHS Principal, Jordan Beck, Head Swim Coach, Lydell Wilson, SLHS Athletic Coordinator and Coach Kristin Mayfield
photos courtesy of SLHS Athletic Department
Mason Kukowski Yale Baseball
national //SIGNING// day
JANUARY 2014 | life & style | THE TORCH 9
Cole Jackson UL Lafayette Baseball Front row: Cole with his parents Jane and Steve Jackson Back Row: Ted Vierling, SLHS Principal, Lydell Wilson, SLHS Athletic Coordinator, Tony Mardirosian and Chad Payne, Head Baseball Coach
Susan Hagger HBU Golf
Front row: Susan with her parents Paul and Tina Hagger. She was also accompanied on this day by her brother Jonathan and her Golf Swing coach Kevin Eger. Back Row: Ted Vierling, SLHS Principal, Sean Ewing Head Golf Coach and Lydell Wilson, SLHS Athletic Coordinator
Lindsay Shabet TCU Swimming Front row: Lindsay with her parents Christina and Alex and her brother Jake. Back Row: Ted Vierling, SLHS Principal, Jordan Beck, Head Swim Coach, Coach Kristin Mayfield and Lydell Wilson, SLHS Athletic Coordinator
SPARTAN Sidelines JANUARY 2014 | sports | THE TORCH 10
UPCOMING SPARTAN SPORTING EVENTS Boys Basketball // 1.28.14 Seven Lakes @ Cinco Ranch Girls Soccer
// 1.31.14 Seven Lakes @ Katy Taylor
During a game earlier this season, the Boy’s Varsity Basketball team keeps their eye on the ball. Pictured: Jacob Ranta, Paulo Otero, Jake Terry, and Blake Johnson. Photo Courtesy Barbara Lundahl
Boys/Girls Track // 2.25.14 Varsity Bubba Fife Relays @ Tompkins H.S
With the season just beginning to fire up, the track and field team begins thier practices.
Boys Varsity Basketball
The Seven Lakes Boys Basketball program will square off against Cinco Ranch High School this Tuesday. The Spartans are 20-6 overall and 8-0 in district. Cinco is 19-6 overall and 6-2 in district. Seven Lakes is looking for its 10th consecutive win to stay undefeated in district 19-5A.
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Seven Lakes High School 9251 South Fry Rd Katy, TX 77494 281.237.9543
Contact for more info at: jenlizbethjrisien@katyisd.org
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