EA Allen High School Issue 2 Volume 35 December 2017
> A story for the ages
The Allen Public Library celebrates its 50th anniversary | page 5
> New hope in a new land A look into the process of obtaining U.S. citizenship | page 7
> Year in review
Recapping the best pop culture 2017 had to offer| page 20
SHROUDED SICKNESS Understanding mental illness, its impact on Allen High School and why the stigma behind speaking up worsens an already grave problem. | page 10
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The Eagle Angle distributes 1,000 copies of each issue on campus to faculty and students. Contents may be viewed online at theeagleangle. com. Businesses who wish to advertise should contact Matthew MacVeigh, newspaper adviser, at 469-319-6258. The Eagle Angle reserves the right to deny publication of advertisements. Advertisements are not necessarily endorsed by the staff or administration. All editorials reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the staff, adviser or administration. The Eagle Angle is a member of Quill and Scroll, the Interscholastic League Press Conference and JEA/ NSPA.
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Staff
Editors-in-chief | Divya Jagadeesh* Felix Kalvesmaki* Sr. Managing Editor | Julia Zaksek* Jr. Managing Editor | Maya Morriswala* News Editor | Christian Hinton* Features Editor | Caroline Tucker Commentary Editor | Audrey Vieira Sports Editor | Parker Primrose Assistant Sports Editor | Erik Young Online Editor | Natalie McMahon Photo Editor | Tate Peterson Staff writers | Brooke Adams, Brandon Barton, Jasmine Davis, Sophia Forrester, Alyssa Holloway, Kaitlyn Ingram, Tea McGilvray, Christine Odwesso, Morgan Pryor, Francis Salazar, Stephanie Scarano, Maria Solis, Jenna Sturgeon Adviser | Matthew MacVeigh *denotes members of the Editorial Board
Cover design by | Maya Morriswala
Table of Contents NEWS/FEATURE
Briefly speaking.......................................................... 2 Q&A with Ms. Hughes..............................................3 Scheduling shift...........................................................4 Seniors direct original plays........................................4 A story for the ages.....................................................5 Help for the holidays...................................................6 A new hope in a new land..........................................7 Focusing on forensics..................................................8 Beyond blankets.......................................................... 9 Bearing in mind........................................................... 9
COVER STORY
Shrouded sickness..............................................10-13 1/5 of students in Allen struggle with a mental illness. 11/15 of students know someone who does. Turn to page 10 to understand why students struggle with them, how it impacts their lives and what you can do to stop the stigma.
SPORTS
A serving of success..................................................14 Remembering Adam Garry.......................................15
PHOTO ESSAY
One more time......................................................16-17
COMMENTARY
Hello? Anyone home?................................................18 Staff editorial..............................................................19 Artists of Allen: Trevor Slansky..............................19 Year in review............................................................ 20 Review: ‘Utopia’.........................................................21 Review: ‘Justice League’............................................21
Letter to the Reader
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llen High School has an enormous student body. And while we might not often consider them — at least, not beyond the intense crowding of G Hall during passing periods — a diverse and overwhelmingly huge pool of teeangers crammed into one building comes with consequences. The most ironic of which being the fact that a student can brush shoulders with 4,500 people every single day and still feel so intensely alone. This issue, we chose to shine a light the very sensitive topic of mental illness. We spoke to an Allen student and a local Allen alumna on how they dealt with their disorders throughout high school, as well as our crisis counselor on how the school tries to assist them. We also interviewed a local psychiatrist, who had particular concerns about our region, specifically. If anything, we wanted our student body to understand that these struggles are legitimate and all-encompassing, and that compassion and empathy towards our classmates is pertinent to creating a better environment for all of us. Don’t let pessimism encompass you, though. There is plenty of good in our community. We talked to Allen Community Outreach, or ACO, and the people that they seek to help, to better understand philanthropy in our town. We also learned about the Blanket Buddies club to discover how they spread their own brand of optimism (and with a name like “Blanket Buddies,” how could you not smile?). We photographed the final pep rally of the year, because highlighting the unity on our campus is just as important as understanding where we divide. We paid tribute to Adam Garry, who passed away last month after a battle with cancer. In our most trying times, the ways we can lift each other up and give each other a shoulder to cry on emphasize the love that our citizens have for each other. Speak up. Let yourself be heard. No one on this campus stands alone. And if you don’t believe us, just check out passing period before third. Sincerely,
Letter to the Reader | 1
Briefly Speaking
Compiled by | Christian Hinton
Eagles qualify for playoffs
GOP passes controversial tax bill
Missile launch successful
Allen, Texas | The Allen Eagles qualified for the UIL football playoffs, with their first playoff game in Eagle Stadium. The Eagles won the state championship every year from 2012 to 2014, and has been defeated in the state semifinal game for the past two years.
Washington, D.C. | The U.S. Senate passed a nearly $1.5 trillion tax bill the morning of Dec. 2. The tax bills in the Senate and House of Representatives, if passed, will be the first overhaul in more than 30 years. Democrats argue the bills made little positive change save for the tax cuts for businesses and the wealthy. Multiple polls also show that the bill is supported by less than 40 percent of voters.
Pyongyang | North Korea successfully launched its first missile with the capability to reach anywhere in the United States. According to North Korea, the missile reached an altitude of 4,475 kilometers (2,780 miles) and traveled a distance of 950 kilometers (1,529 miles). Prior to this launch, North Korea’s missiles only demonstrated the capability to reach western cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago.
Local “Nutcracker” to hit stage
Michael Flynn pleads guilty
Prince Harry engaged to actress
Allen, Texas | The Allen Civic Ballet will present its annual production of “The Nutcracker” in the Allen High School Performing Arts Center. The production will be accompanied by music from the Allen Philharmonic Orchestra. The twonight event will run on Dec. 16 and 17, at 7 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively. Tickets are available for $30 at allencivicballet.org.
Washington, D.C. | President Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about conversations with the Russian ambassador. Flynn became the first senior White House official to cut a cooperation deal in the special council’s wide-range inquiry into election interference.
United Kingdom | The engagement of Britain’s Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle was announced in a statement by Clarence House. The announcement ended days of fevered speculation by the British news media. The prince, 33, and Markle, 36, will marry in the spring.
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& QA with hEIDI HUGHES
The Eagle Angle’s sports editor Parker Primrose sat down with Phoenix teacher Heidi Hughes to talk about her relationship with her students and her career as a teacher.
Why did you choose to become an English teacher? One night -- in the middle of the night -- I just woke up to the word “teach.” It was scary because I didn’t have a teaching degree and that was going to be a long road. I’ve always been a teacher. In my jobs, that’s what I did. I was a marketing manager, but whenever anybody had a question or I was trying to solve problems, I was trying to teach people all the time. When I was skating competitively, I taught younger kids. It’s always been in me, I just failed to recognize it until later in life. So I bit the bullet and I went to the colleges around and I figured out what the degree plan was. I was afraid, because I’m so short, I was afraid to teach high school students and I thought I wouldn’t be good at it. But after volunteering in my kids’ classes -- my own biological children’s classes -- I thought, “there are a lot of bodily fluids involved here, and I’d rather not.” I also was an older person on a college campus and I was talking to people who were around a high school age, and I really enjoyed their company and the conversations we could have. So I decided that I was going to get my certification in eight through twelve. English was never really a question. I’ve always loved to read. I’ve always loved the English language; I’m a grammar nerd.
your class was very unique in that students actually wanted to come to class. What do you think makes your classroom so special? I respect the learners in my room. I want to create an environment that you want to come into, and I want to laugh every day. I want learning to be fun. I want it to be a great experience. There’s a lot you have to do that’s kind of the disciplined work of learning the material, but I’ve always tried to infuse some creativity into the work and some choice so that it’s more autonomous. A lot of it has to be driven because of the skills that we have to know, but a lot of it is also a matter of “how can I make this more interesting for students? What kind of seeds can I plant so that they can take those seeds and make it their own?” All of the stuff we do, some of it is a little dry, but if we can laugh and have a good time, I’m down for that.
Photo by | Tate Peterson
A lot of teachers just assign work and step away, but you do an independent study project alongside the students. What’s been your favorite experience with ISP? I think anything that I assign I should value enough that I’m willing to do it. My independent study experience over the years has just been wonderful. So many students do such creative things. They create such wonderful products, and it blows my mind sometimes. My first year, I had a student who was heavily invested in media, and she created an amazing black-and-white, kind of 40s-noir music video that was stunning. From my own personal experience -- why I want to do it -- because if I stop learning, I start dying. It’s just not fun to be alive without some kind of learning happening. For three years I have worked to try to get myself ready to raise a colony of bees. I actually got my bees, and unfortunately I failed in that endeavor because my colony collapsed. But I love the example because it’s a true example of the process being more important than the product. I’m happy to say in front of my classes that I failed because it indicates I’m willing to take a risk and they should be too. This year I’m going to go back to sewing. I’ve got some quilting products that I’d really like to tackle.
What keeps you teaching after all this time? My students. They make me smile every day. They make me laugh every day. They are so gracious when they realize what we’ve done together in a year. They are so thankful. It’s crazy because they do the work. I’m simply the guide. It’s wonderful. They’re just really amazing young men and women and it’s so fun to go on this journey with them.
News and Features | 3
Scheduling shift
Allen ISD plans to implement arena scheduling in the 2018-2019 school year Story by | Divya Jagadeesh
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eginning in December, Allen High School will allow students to choose their classes for the upcoming school year with the arena scheduling process. This is the first year students and staff will use arena scheduling for their courses next year. Principal Jason Johnston described the new process as a way for students to have more choice and control in the scheduling process. “This gives us a lot of student choice and student voice,” Johnston said. “You put the information into the computer, and the computer doesn’t know the needs of your family, it doesn’t know the needs of the life you have.” Johnston said that students will choose the classes and privilege periods they will take the next school year before the end of the first semester, and in early spring, they will be able to build their schedule online from a shell and a master schedule. “You’ll tell us what we want, and we’ll make all of these pieces of the puzzle so to
speak, and then you’ll take the piece of the puzzle, and you’ll go in and fill in the shell for us,” Johnston said. Guidance counselor Donna Lincoln said that students can not only build their schedules around their family life or jobs, but also when they feel they learn the best during the school day. “I had a student in earlier who was excited because he wanted his math class in the middle of the day because that’s when he’s the most alert and happiest,” Lincoln said. “It’s suited toward making sure students choose what’s best for them and what works for their families.” While Johnston and Lincoln say they believe this will be beneficial to students, staff and administration, some students are hesitant about the changes and the distribution of knowledge. “I like it theoretically, but I don’t actually know how it will play out,” junior Marisa Chang said. “I know pretty much nothing except that, in general, you can
pick your classes and when you want to take them.” Students will learn about arena scheduling through a video shown in their math classes and through parent informational meetings during the first two weeks of December. “There’s a new Canvas that will be opening up, like an open canvas, that we’re excited about where you can go in and see the different endorsement areas,” Lincoln said. “There, you can have better access to information on the classes offered and what classes you need or want to take.” According to Johnston, arena scheduling will help reduce the stress of students and administration around the beginning of the school year and will make the scheduling and schedule change process less hectic. “It’s a win-win for all of us,” Johnston said. “This allows us to have a little more of a human touch, so we can be doing what’s best for our students and what’s best for our campus.”
Seniors direct original plays Story by | Brooke Adams
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any rigorous rehearsals were held as everyone rushed around in an attempt to reach perfection in such a limited time for this fall’s senior directed plays. Senior directs were held from 5-9 p.m. on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 in the Black Box Theater, and there were four unique stories told. “The Other Room” is the story of an autistic boy named Austin (Mason Buehner) and a girl he encounters named Lily (Kendall Hoefler). One side of the stage represented his brain while he interacted with Lily, and the other side of the stage showed their interaction, which didn’t always go smoothly. “My cast has done an excellent job at orchestrating chaos onstage, and it makes for a captivating scene to watch as an audience member,” senior director Matthew Phelps said. “An Easy Heaven” explained the struggles of a teenage boy named Toby (Christopher Firch) with a recently deceased father and the toll it takes on him, his friends and family, but how his life drastically changes when an angel lands in his kitchen.
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He unsuspectedly handcuffs himself to the angel upsetting his mother (Alleigh Jackson), his uncle (Braden Beeson), and best friend Stephanie (Kailaho Wright). “My favorite scene is the ending, it is such a plot twist and very emotional, I cried every time I saw it,” senior director Caitie Sotny said. “We worked on that end scene at least 100 times, and it turned out better than expected.” “All In Disguise” explained the chaos caused by a street performer and thief named Piporello (Brock Jones) and how he impacts the lives of the people he encounters. Despite all of his intentions being the wrong ones, he still ends up giving everyone the ending they deserve and leaves rewarded instead of unpunished. “[Piporello] mixes everyone up and manipulates them, but somehow he manages to unite two lovers and create new love,” sophomore Hunter Bowden said. “The story is essentially all of the characters in their own worlds chasing after what Piporello has told each of them, unaware that others are passing right by them.”
“The Butleress” is about an audition for a play where four women Katherine (Ariana Kelly), Marjorie (Ashley Woo), Charlotte (Lauren Secrest) and Tamara (Anya Krishnaswamy) are reading the roles of the play, only to realize they are in a real life reenactment of the play, and a killer is after them. “The actors really nailed everything and had me amazed every time, even though I was a director and saw it hundreds of times,” senior director Veronika Pitka said. Sophomore Christopher Firch said each senior directed play was interesting in its own way and hopefully everyone got the pleasure to see them and appreciate the work that had been put in. “All of the plays gave an amazing performance and did what theatre is designed to do, tell a story that evokes a unique emotion out of all who view it,” Hoefler said. “Being in a show and watching the other ones reminded me why I do what I do.”
A story for the ages
Allen Public Library celebrates fiftieth anniversary Story by | Christian Hinton
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n 1967, three women founded a public library in what was then a town of less than 2,000 people. Heavily based on volunteers and donations, the Allen Public Library evolved through five decades in five different buildings and now serves a city of more than 9,000 citizens. In October, the library celebrated its 50th anniversary. Throughout its 50 years, the Allen Public Library has connected with the youth of Allen with its activities and volunteer programs. “The initial library really didn’t have programs, it was focused on the books, and even in larger libraries that was true to a large extent back in the mid-’60s,” Allen Public Library Director Jeff Timbs said. “Once the library got into the ‘90s, there was an idea of doing more programs for children who were not preschoolers then eventually trying to get into teen programs and preteen programs.” The Allen Public Library has since broadened the range of programs it offers. The latest library building has a large children’s section and a smaller section for young adults called TeenScape. It hosts events targeted towards teenagers, such as Nerf gun wars and water gun fights, pop culture-themed events for subjects like Harry Potter and Doctor Who, an anime night and a volunteer program for teens. “I think it’s a thing they don’t normally
get to do in other places,” Youth Services Manager Claudia Wayland said. “The public library tries to be the bridge between learning and entertainment, and teens are looking for the place where they’re not treated like little kids but they don’t have to hang around adults. We let them do the things that they want to do.” The library also manages its high participant VolunTeens program. VolunTeens is the public library’s volunteer program for ages 13-18. Volunteers apply for through an online application, and once accepted to the program, can sign up for shifts to volunteer , similar to a part-time job. “I wanted to help out people and I wanted to be part of the community,” junior and library volunteer Justin Pham said. “It helped me be outgoing — helping people and talking to people has really built my social level, helping me get better skills later in life.” VolunTeens can provide students with service hours for school service organizations. Some volunteers such as junior and library volunteer Michelle Tran participated in activities at the library when they were young. “When I was little I did activities here, and in middle school I came to their film nights,” Tran said. “I have a family friend that did this when she was a teen and told
me that it was fun and easy to get hours I do enjoy the library and volunteering and interacting with the kids. I think it’s important to have programs like this, it helps kids meet other people and interact.” Despite many changes in the past 50 years, Wayland believes that the library and its programs continue to keep with the quality that was initially present in 1967. “The women who started the Allen Public Library were very driven, focused on offering the best services and library for the community, even if it was very small at the time,” Wayland said. “They were educated women who wanted what was best for Allen, and I feel like we still try to keep the residents of Allen in mind, we try to do the highest quality possible with what we have.” Historically, the community of Allen has shown support for the public library. Since 1967, the community has approved four bond elections to build a bigger library, with a bond to expand the current library approved in 2016. “It’s really a grassroots support,” said Timbs. “Each time, they’ve very easily passed those bond elections to say ‘Yes, we think the library’s important, and we want to see the library continue to grow and expand and be able to meet the needs of the public.’”
News and Features | 5
Help for the holidays
Allen Community Outreach teams up with DECA to help families in need Story by | Francis Salazar
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t’s that time of year again, when holiday music is playing too early and Texas flips between winter, fall and spring. The time when students aren’t sure if they can wear dresses to school or if it’s time to bring out the sweaters and sweatpants. The time of year where Allen High School donates to Allen Community Outreach.
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Knowing that ACO is preventing hunger is indeed not only the mission, but the best part of helping our neighbors. - Marjorie Vaneskahian
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Around this time of year, it’s difficult time for families that struggle economically to provide food or other needed supplies for their families. Allen Community Outreach (ACO) and DECA -- the Distributive Education Clubs of America --have come together to collect 3,000 cans for these families. “We don’t really have a can count,” DECA sponsor Heath Duncan said.“We just really want to get as many people involved as possible and to gather thousands of cans to be delivered before the holidays.” Last year the high school held several
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can drives for ACO at the same time, this year DECA is leading the charge for the donations. The students behind the can drive are seniors Hope Fortner and Brendan Roethel. “We did this as a competition for DECA to host a community project,” Roethel said. “Instead of doing our own food drive, we’d invite the entire school to raise more cans for our community.” According to Duncan, this year’s can drive collected more cans than were collected last year. Duncan said he believes the school needs to support our community, and one way is to support ACO. “I think it’s been a lot more effective this year,” Fortner said. “Since all the clubs are doing it together I think it’s been more effective this year; we raised more cans than last year.” Due to the several food drives concurrently occurring, DECA suggested to the other clubs that everyone should hold a collaborative can drive together instead of doing several can drives at once. “We feel that as a business organization, that our gifts are management, marketing and advertising, so we’re putting that to good use by putting all the student organizations involved, and we’re all kind of collaborating,” Duncan said.
ACO has supported our community for a long time and Allen has supported ACO throughout the years.
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We just really want to gather thousands of cans to be delivered before the holidays. - Heath Duncan
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“The impact that the students and their families make to provide food is vital,” ACO’s Chief Operating Officer Marjorie Vaneskahian said. During the holiday season, ACO has helped more than 400 families and about 100 families every month. “Knowing that ACO is preventing hunger is indeed not only the mission, but the best part of helping our neighbors,” Vaneskahian said. The holiday season isn’t the most important time to donate or volunteer, the need is year round. There are several times and opportunities to donate, such as in August with “Fill the Bus” drive for school supplies. “Families struggle to pay bills, keep employment, and feed their children each day of the year,” Vaneskahian said. “No doubt that the holidays bring added stress to families so some needs due change in November and December.”
New hope in a new land A look into the process obtaining of U.S. citizenship Story by | Caroline Tucker
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merica, the land of the free, the free as in the ones who were born here. Obviously, not everyone in America originated here, but the change from life in a whole other country brings many complications, making for a hard and very complex system that can take years to complete. Junior Hannah Falk is just another normal student walking the halls of Allen High School. The thing that makes her different from everyone else? She is a citizen of a whole other country. “It’s a long and hard process to be a citizen,” Falk said. “I first had to apply to be one, fill out a lot of paperwork, take a lot of medical tests to make sure that I don’t have any diseases, drug problems or major mental disorders. Then I have to take an actual test to show that I can be trusted.” According to travel.state.gov, if a person wants to apply to live in America, they have to be given a visa. This allows them to work and get paid in the new country, along with being able to buy a house and live there. “We originally were not supposed to stay here,” Falk said. “The plan was three years. We only relied on my dad’s work visa for a long time until we all got our green cards.” Applying citizens obtain their green cards after living as residents under a visa card for five years. According to the
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, USCIS, a green card does not grant citizenship but gives the person the right to permanent residency in America. “We’re permanent residents, and it’s easier to now cross the border between Canada and America,” Falk said. “But in order for me to earn my dual citizenship between both countries, I have to pass the test.”
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I think I can say I’m ready to be an American. - Hannah Faulk
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The citizenship test is performed by an orator who asks ten questions from a list of 100 questions, and in order to pass the applicant must answer six of them correctly. Overall, the people applying to be a U.S. citizen have a 91 percent passing rate. “It’s difficult because you have to study a lot for the test,” Falk said. “The process is just so long, I mean I’ve been working for it since I was younger than 14.” If an applicant fails the test the first time the USCIS makes an appointment that will take place several weeks away. If it is failed again, the applicant is denied naturalization. “Even though it’s a really hard, long
process, I’m glad I’m reaching the end of it,” Falk said. “Even though I am nervous for the test, I’m looking forward to my life being easier as a real American citizen.” The process for citizenship is an alien system to people who are born in America. The system has just become a part of her life, since she began so young, it’s a natural thing Falk explains. “My parents don’t want to become citizens, because of the time and effort that goes in,”Falk said. “But they support me and my brother’s want for dual citizenship.” Falk says she’s excited to be a citizen, but that she’s extremely tired of having to prepare for all the applications, the interviews, the tests, and every other tiny, but overwhelmingly large detail involved in the system. “There’s a lot of things for preparation, too much,” Falk said. “I’m ready to have this all done with because this process is just so extra.” Coming from Canada doesn’t cause a huge geographical change for Falk, but that doesn’t mean it made leaving any easier, Falk explains. “I will always miss Canada, it’s where I’m from, but it’s not like I’m an ocean away,” Falk said. “I’m glad to be here; I’m nearing the end of the process. After these five years, I think I can say I’m ready to be an American.”
News and Features | 7
Focusing on forensics A look into the world of science in Allen related to legal matters Story by | Morgan Pryor Photos by | Jake Burke
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group of students are hunched over a microscope, peering through the lens with rapt attention. They talk animatedly about the subject of their study, and upon closer inspection, one discovers that they are examining their own hair follicles. This is a common sight in the forensic science classes at Allen High School, where there is no shortage of curiosity concerning the elements of crime scene investigation. The 2017-2018 school year marks the second year forensic science has been offered to students. It provides an alternative option for juniors and seniors who wish to take an untraditional route for their fourth science course. The course has become more popular than last year due to its hands-on curriculum and interactive nature. “Last year we only has three sections, but this year we have seven,” forensic science teacher Tara Allgood said. “I would say that it’s a pretty popular selection for kids who don’t really want to do AP, or maybe they have done AP and want to do something else.”
Students dip the brush in the powder, and as shown by senior Trevor Slansky, they then uncover fingerprints left on select objects.
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Students have the opportunity to delve into the complexities of forensic science with a wide range of topics, according to forensic science teachers Darren Hayes and Allgood. The class explores careers, alcohol and drugs, blood spatter and human remains, just to name a few subjects. The extensiveness of the course helps students improve in every area of study.
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[The curriculum] enhances critical thinking, problem solving and diligence to detail. -Darren Hayes
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“Any time you have to produce evidence of something, it helps in banking; buying a house; keeping your checkbook,” Allgood said. “Those are all life skills. It’s somewhere you have to dot all your i’s and cross all your t’s, so I think that forensic science helps you capitalize on that.” Forensic science is student-centered scientific inquiry through experimentation, as said by Hayes. The course is extremely hands-on in its approach, including simulated crimes scenes with fingerprint analysis and ballistics. Like all science courses, evidence is required to confirm a claim. Its emphasis on documenting and producing evidence can assist students in convicting or exonerating somebody. “[The curriculum] enhances critical thinking, problem solving and diligence to detail,” Hayes said. “It’s also a sense of accomplishment when you do come up with the right product.” The class provides students with a different approach to learning, and even those not particularly interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement can benefit from the extensive experimentation. Any student who is eager to learn, enjoys participatory work, and is self disciplined has the ability to thrive in this fourth science option, according to Hayes. For those interested in other scientific fields, forensic science provides new information and helpful analysis skills that can be applied to other areas such as biology and chemistry.
Senior Blake Edwards using powder and a brush to find finger prints on various objects.
“I think that this class is just as useful as other science classes because it is a specialized course that is able to teach students that are interested in forensics,” junior Bailey Monzingo said. “It also opens up new opportunities for students who are curious about different fields in science.” Students study real-life crime scenes extensively throughout the course, including talks with FBI agents. An upcoming field trip to the Dealey Plaza — John F. Kennedy’s assassination location — will allow students to utilize the skills they have been honing over the last semester. Students will also participate in an interactive investigation, during which they will examine the evidence and determine the perpetrator of the crime. “I took forensic science because it was something completely different from any class that I’ve taken before,” Monzingo said. “This class is a lot more hands-on than I initially expected, which makes it even more interesting and fun to learn.”
Beyond blankets
Allen students joing together to create blankets for those in need Story and photos by | Tea McGilvray
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llen High School students have found a new way to connect a variety of different personalities to the community: making blankets. The Blanket Buddies club makes blankets for various organizations. They meet the second Tuesday of every month in A106. The club was started by senior Mary Mikula and sponsored by her mother, Christine Mikula, a teacher at Lowery Freshman Center. Their current project is making blankets for the Heritage Assisted Living Facility. “Knowing that our first round of blankets is going to a nursing home, they have a special place in my heart,” Christine said. “Anytime you can do something, service to others, it’s a good thing.” According to Mary, the club was made for those who enjoy community service, and claims it’s also about giving back. “I’m in clinicals, I work in nursing homes and they [the elders] really enjoy getting things from students,” Mary said. “I thought this would be really nice to do
for them.” Blanket Buddies is an opportunity for anyone, regardless of skill level, to make blankets. Christine said that she is not crafty, but that’s what makes the club so unique. Not only do the several skills come together to make it different, but the variety of members in the club who are there for many different individual reasons. “I simply wanted to make blankets for people who deserve extra love,” junior Jennifer Peters said. AHS Blanket Buddies will make their very first distribution of blankets in December to the Heritage Assisted Living Facility. “I can’t wait to see their reactions when they receive the blankets.” Mary said. “I’m so glad that we have the opportunity to provide joy and happiness to members of the Allen community.” Right: Students gather for the first blanket buddies meeting and get busy making blankets.
Bearing in mind
A new club creating a place of no stress within the high school Story by | Julia Zaksek
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s the year progresses and the stresses of assignments, college applications and the holidays mount, students can find refuge in one of Allen High School’s new clubs––Mindfulness Club––held every Monday after school in A204. The club originated as International Baccalaureate senior and club founder Olivia May’s Creativity, Action and Service project, a requirement of the IB curriculum. The club is based around what May learned in her IB psychology class. “We’ve created an environment centered around relieving daily stress,” May said. Merriam Webster Dictionary defines as the process of bringing one’s attention to emotions and personal problems and addressing any stress that arises from them. Practicing mindfulness signifies a confrontation of feelings and fears, instead of avoidance. “Everyone needs to be a part of this and be mindful of their emotions,” May said. May said club members can participate
in a variety of relaxing activities, such as painting, music therapy and yoga. The club is open to discussion about members’ anxieties, both personal and academic. “I feel like [Mindfulness Club] shouldn’t just be limited to people who are stressed,” senior Klaire Perez said. “It’s open to anyone who Seniors Tess Newton and Winta Berhane pose with a poster representing their club. just wants to relax Photos by | Olivia May and talk.” Perez said that the club is open to created some really unhealthy ways to deal students in every grade, regardless of their with stress. We need safer, more productive school or extracurricular workload; it is not ways.” exclusive to advanced academics students. “No one should be living with all this stress,” May said. “We have unfortunately
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SHROUDED SICKNESS
Understanding mental illness, its impact on Allen High School, and why the stigma behind speaking up worsens an already grave problem. Story by | Felix Kalvesmaki and Maya Morriswala
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n some days, Makayla Nerpel felt invincible. She could conquer the world, she could take the earth by storm and nothing would be able to stop her. She was productive. She was outgoing. No matter where she was or what she was doing, she was buzzing with drive and ambition.
On other days, Makayla couldn’t get out of bed. The shower was just so far away. The schoolwork she
knew she had to do could wait a day or two. A month or so. A year, give or take. The idea of pulling herself from the comfort of her sheets and comforter, throwing herself through the trials of the day to come, only sunk her deeper into depression. “I felt like I was crazy because no one else seemed to be having the problems that I was having,” Nerpel said. Nerpel, an Allen High School alumna, struggled with mental illness throughout high school. Her diagnoses included bipolar disorder I, borderline personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). And she is far from alone. According to a Nov. 29 poll of 150 students conducted at Allen High School by the Eagle Angle’s staff and editors, 1/5 students have a mental illness, and 11/15 know someone who has one. Furthermore, 23/30 believe those who are diagnosed with a mental disorder have a stigma attached to their condition. Mental illness is not hypothetical or unverified, it is undeniably a real problem. The questions that need answers are: why are these students affected by these conditions? How does it impact them? And what can the community — and on a larger level, society — do to resolve the issues involved with how we talk about mental illness? 10 | News and Features
The root of the problem
Dr. Shahla Ali, a board certified psychiatrist based in Allen, said that mental illness in adolescents has no single source and no single symptom. There are, however, common threads between many teenagers who are affected. She said there are a few disorders that are among the most common diagnoses. “In adolescents, the most common ones these days -- and they’re constantly increasing in intensity -- is depression, anxiety and to some extent, OCD,” Ali said. “Depression is the most common one. I would say I have never seen such a high ratio of adolescents, especially in this area in Allen, Plano. I see kids from Allen High, I see kids from McKinney Boyd, Frisco, you name it.” Mental disorders are holistic in nature. Ali said that some ailments can lead to the flare up of others, snowballing into more problems than initially seen. “A second common one would be anxiety, and anxiety and depression go hand in hand,” Ali said. “Sometimes I see kids who have anxiety first; and they were so anxious that it debilitated them to a point where they became depressed. So I see both of them.” Nerpel said that her own experience with mental illness is similar, and her diagnosis with bipolar I and borderline personality disorder were concurrent and intertwined. However, the road forks when it comes to possible remedies. “Bipolar I and borderline kind of go hand in hand because they’re both centered around very drastic mood swings,” Nerpel said. “But the treatment is a lot different. Borderline can’t be treated with medicine as well as bipolar disorder can.” According to Ali, both a prescription for the disorder and therapy are necessary in treating mental disorders. However, parents sometimes are uneager to put their children on medication. “I’ve seen it many times, parents will not accept or agree with the treatment,” Ali said. “There is a common misconception out there that, once you start taking antidepressants, you have to take them for the rest of your life, they’re habit-forming,
they’re very dangerous; stuff like that. They are reading the blogs, but they aren’t consulting the experts. So my first job is to educate them.” According to Ali, there is often something in the teen’s life that has led to the onset of depression or anxiety, whether it be from school or home. “Most of the time there is something,” Ali said. “They are being bullied, they are very reluctant to tell me what’s going on at home. Recently, I have also seen this trend where in a few cases, the kids -- especially the teenagers -- they are not sure about their gender. So they were transgender, and they were so reluctant to share that with their parents. I could see that by reading them in the first meeting, and somehow, their parents missed that.” The time of the year also has an effect on the rate of depression. Ali said that for her practice, November and December are the worst months for depression for people with seasonal affective disorder. “There are people that are OK throughout the year, but this month is darkness, these days without sunlight,” Ali said. “It is not just my impression or my personal opinion, it’s the national data. Last year, total number of suicides just in the month of November had surpassed the amounts throughout the year. So it’s the same every year.” With the complexity of each mental disorder and their symptoms, students need to know exactly what they have, what they will experience and how to get help. Jennifer Atencio, AHS crisis counselor, recommends coming to a counselor in order to address issues that arise in all aspects of life. “Some students check WebMD — and I don’t encourage that — and they try to self-diagnose by doing research online, or talking to friends that they know have been diagnosed,” Atencio said. “That may be one place to start, but I encourage them to come to their counselor or to me. We can not only address the concerns of a student in a school setting, but outside of school as well.”
Every morning, every night
According to Ali, mental illness can encompass every aspect of an adolescent’s
waking hours, from their schoolwork to their social life. “Oh, it impacts their lives,” Ali said. “There is an image of professionalism, you have to look perfect physically, and your grades. I see that kids are very competitive, if their grades are a little bit less, I see them start worrying about it. Even if they don’t go to advanced classes, they worry about it.” Senior Hallie Platt said she endures the difficulties of PTSD, anxiety and manicdepression, and she believes it definitely impacts her academics. “If I was in a particularly low depression, I still had to go to school,” Platt said. “I’d go into the bathroom and cry because there’s nothing else to do. I can’t control it. I’d go home, and I’d sit there and stare at my work and not know what to do. Being anxious about work overwhelms you to the point where you can’t actually do that work. And depression, overall, just makes it difficult to do anything active at all.” Nerpel said the mania and depression associated with bipolar disorder made it difficult for her to function like an ordinary student would. “School was stressful because I would have those really depressive days where everything felt like such a chore,” Nerpel said. “Getting out of bed, taking a shower, everything felt impossible to accomplish. But, on the other side, when I had manic days, I felt untouchable. And while that was a good feeling, the bad side of it was that I was able to do what I needed to do, but I wasn’t able to finish it. I was scatterbrained, I was jumping around from thing to thing.” According to Ali, the knee-jerk response to testimonies like Platt’s and Nerpel’s is to just keep swimming, to continue the climb until you get to the top, but Ali claims it’s not that simple. “A lot of times they are told by society, ‘just get over it,’” Ali said. “‘Just get over your depression. Just get over your anxiety.’ So I want to tell all those kids that have that stigma and they’re reluctant to go to a psychiatrist that please know, depression or anxiety, they’re just like any other medical problem. Just like you can not tell somebody with high blood pressure that they need to
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Identifying the problems A brief breakdown of the mental illnesses mention in the story Compiled by | Maya Morriswala and Tate Peterson Depersonalization-derealization disorder Characterized by ongoing feelings of detachment from actions, feelings, thoughts and sensations as if they are watching a movie (depersonalization) or feelings other people and things may feel like people and things in the world around them are unreal (derealization). Depression A common mental disorder characterized by persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities, accompanied by an inability to carry out daily activities. People with depression normally have several of the following: anxiety; indecisiveness; feelings of hopelessness; and thoughts of self-harm or suicide. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) GAD is characterized by excessive worry about a variety of everyday problems. They typically have difficulty calming their concerns, even though they realize that their anxiety is more intense than the situation warrants. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) BPD is characterized by pervasive instability in moods, interpersonal relationships, selfimage and behavior. A person with BPD may experience intense bouts of anger, depression, and anxiety that may last for only a few hours to a day. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) PTSD is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. Bipolar disorder A brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels and the ability to carry out daily tasks. People can experience periods of unusually intense emotion and changes in sleep patterns, activity levels. Those diagnosed will experience mood episodes, which is when a person will display moods and behaviors that are drastically different from the mood and behaviors that are typical for the person.
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just get over it, or someone with a fractured arm to just get over it. This is a medical problem and unless you treat it, it’s not going to go away on its own.” Nerpel said she agrees. Earlier this year, after struggling to accept help from her friends, family and a psychiatrist — she said she struggled seeing one without a therapist for emotional support — Nerpel said she attempted suicide. However, she stepped back upon hearing her fiancé come home, and asked to go to the hospital. She spent a week working on herself in inpatient care, and says the fact that she pulled herself away and chose to survive has changed her outlook on her disorders. “I think the most important part is now that I’ve been at the edge, and I could’ve ended it, and I chose not to, I know it’s possible now,” Nerpel said. “I know it’s possible to get better. And I’m hopeful for the first time in a really long time. It’s a battle, but once you take that first step and you realize ‘this isn’t all in my head, there is something wrong with me, medically, and I can get help for it,’ you understand more that, yes, it is a big battle and you have to do it for the rest of your life, but there are things that make it worth it. And you just have to find those things.” Atencio said that one of the most important measures to take in assisting students with mental illness is to talk to a trusted adult or a medical professional as soon as possible, and that waiting to take action only worsens the issue. “On average, [the time] from first symptom to actual diagnosis, is nine years,” Atencio said. “Oftentimes — using depression as an example — they will tell me, ‘I started feeling depressed in fifth grade.’ And they’re sitting on my couch as a junior. So, I try to encourage parents to see that if you can get these things addressed, their mood will improve, and there’s a correlation with academics. Their work will also improve, they will feel motivated to get work done.” Platt discussed her experience with mental illness using a similar sentiment to Ali: mental health is just as important as one’s physical well-being.
“A mental illness is just as severe, if not more severe, than a physical injury,” Platt said. “Because, with physical illnesses, you take medicine for that. You go to a doctor. Why aren’t people doing the same thing with mental illnesses? The brain is such a sensitive thing, it’s so delicate, and if you have a chemical imbalance, that needs to be fixed for you to have the life that you want to live. Talk to counselors. Talk to therapists. Talk to your doctor about what you’re going through. It can be helped.”
Stopping the stigma
However, according to Ali, getting help for mental disorders is not easy because of the stigma associated with it. She emphasizes that people are sometimes ashamed of their illness enough to seek help far from where they live. “It’s not easy to talk to someone about their most personal stuff, so that is one reason why they are so reluctant to come and get help for that, and they don’t want anybody to know,” Ali said. “I get patients from Houston and Sherman and far-off areas because they don’t want to go to a local psychiatrist over there. They’re afraid that it’s going to be known.”
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This is a medical problem, and unless you treat it, it’s not going to go away on its own. - Dr. Shahla Ali
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With students in particular, Atencio says one issue is a teenager’s fear that they may not be heard by their parents. She urges parents to approach the situation with a compassion and an open mind. “I would try to get parents to understand that if you can get this one issue addressed, so many others will be resolved,” Atencio said. “Your child will be more engaged in learning. Ultimately, parents want their children to be happy, and when you have a child who is clearly unhappy, let’s fix it.
These are largely treatable illnesses, so why not treat it and ease your child’s suffering?” Ali echoed Atencio’s sentiment, praising those with mental illness for their bravery. She disagrees with the societal connotation of mental illness, believing those who are affected are courageous, not cowards. “Mental illness and asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of great courage and strength to come forward and say, ‘I need help,’” Ali said. “Psychological pain is worse than physical pain. So if there is one thing I want to tell them, I want to tell them, you are very brave. What you are dealing with is not easy. It’s a very brave thing to do. It is not a sign of weakness. So come forward, and maybe once you get better, join me and join others who are in this field and help.” Platt emphasized the importance of self-care, claiming that keeping yourself healthy is a crucial step in getting better. “I know school makes us all really busy, but in the time that you have, take care of yourself,” Platt said. “Take care of your body. Because, even though you might be really anxious or really depressed, you might not want to eat, but you have to eat. You have to take showers. These things are so important, and they help you feel better. Taking care of your body is so important, and so is taking care of your mind. Relaxation, giving yourself time to breathe is so important.” Nerpel said she knows that teens like her with mental illness may find it hard to do these simple things as well as find a will to live, but she promotes finding ways to feel happy despite the struggle, the impacts and the stigma of mental disorders. “There is a way that you can enjoy life again,” Nerpel said. “You may not want to live right now, but in my opinion, it’s not that you don’t want to live right now. It’s that you don’t want to live like this. So you have to kind of find the way that you do want to live. I’ve got mine. And I am relatively happy. And it’s only going up from here.”
Getting perspective
= 10 students (of 150 polled)
Do you have a mental illness?
Does someone you know have a mental illness?
Do you believe there is a stigma or bad perception of those with mental illness?
Do you believe the media portrays mental illness accurately?
= Yes
= No
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A serving of success Allen tennis team looks back at their season
Story by | Parker Primrose Photos by | Lily Smith
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he Allen High School tennis team concluded their season with a 10-3 loss to defending state champion Plano West High School in the 6A Region 1 Final on Oct. 27 in Abilene, Texas. The team finished their season with a 24-4 record overall, and ranked as the second-best team in the region. “I think it was a fantastic season,” head coach Justin Quest said. “A lot of people thought we’d be down. I think if you’d told us that we’d be in the regional final and 244, I would’ve taken it gladly.” On their path to the regional finals, the Eagles went 44-18 in individual matches during the playoffs. Along the way they became the 6-6A district runner-up, bidistrict champions and area champions. “We came out and surprised a lot of people,” senior Michael Rampulla said. “I’m pretty sure it’s the farthest we’ve gotten in five or six years. It means a lot.” The Eagles graduated 14 seniors in the spring, almost enough players for an entire team. However sophomore Jaci Walker said that the team knew they had to rise to the
Junior Sidu Nambiar returns a serve against McKinney Boyd on Aug. 29
occasion. “Knowing that we lost those seniors, I think that it made us work even harder,” Walker said. “We were just going to go into the season and just play our hearts out and see what happened, so the fact that we accomplished [what we did], it almost blows my mind a little.” For the season, the team went 358107 in individual matches. With only four seniors, underclassmen made up a large part of the team and according to Rampulla, were integral to the team’s success. “Credit to all the underclassmen, they really managed to put a lot of time in,” Rampulla said. “I know some of them were putting in upwards of nine hours a day during the summer. They improved a lot, and thanks to them we got the depth back in the line-up that we needed.” Rampulla said the team’s win against Plano West in the district round-robin will be one of his lasting memories. In a match where the lights went out and the team had
to relocate three times, the Eagles came out on top 10-9. “[West] was close to 200 wins in a row against district opponents, and we snapped it,” Rampulla said. “It was amazing.” Going into next season, almost the entirety of the Eagles’ lineup will be returning. With a year of experience and success in sight, Walker says the team will only get better. “I think we can go to state,” Walker said. “Especially with how far we got this year, I think we fully believe in that going into next year.”
“We were just going to go into the season and just play our hearts out and see what happened, so the fact that we accomplished [what we did], it almost blows my mind a little.” -Sophomore Jaci Walker
Sophomore Macie Wu prepares to serve against McKinney Boyd on Aug. 29
14 | Sports
Adam Garry 1999-2017
Photo by | Sarah Stevens
Thank you for your positivity and passion about life. Fly high, Adam.
Sports | 15
One more time The band and cheerleading team welcome the football team to the floor.
High school mascot Tuffy takes the stage.
AHS cheerleaders perform for students.
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Junior Janay Barnett poses during the color guard perfomance
Photos by | Tate Peterson
The Tallenettes complete their dance routine (below).
The Allen band plays the Allen Alma mater (above).
Senior Brock Sturges encourages students to attend the Friday game
Senior Parker Primrose warms up the crowd.
Senior Keierik Tolbert laughs after being pied.
Photo Essay | 17
Hello? Anyone home? Personal column by | Alyssa Holloway
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our phone buzzes somewhere off in the distance, but somehow you hear it and you rush to retrieve it. It’s a natural instinct; it calls, you obey. Almost like a trance, your phone beckons you with promises of importance, when in reality it’s probably a streak photo from that one girl who sat behind you in class one time. Another buzz, but this time there’s no notification on the screen. “What? I swear I heard it buzz. I’m not going crazy,” you say to yourself. No, you’re not. You’re experiencing Phantom Vibration Syndrome, a psychological issue which approximately 90 percent of millennials have experienced at least once in their lives, according to independent.co.uk. In recent a study at Indiana University-Purdue University, 89% of the undergraduates claimed they had experienced this syndrome about every two weeks. The cause for this? Our brains have gotten so used to having our phones somewhere on our bodies that we mistake the lack of vibrations, such as silence or boredom, as our phones buzzing. Why is this? Do we crave the little notification icons so much that we imagine them? Or is it that we always need something to occupy or brain with, and we convince ourselves that there’s something there in moments of silence? When our phone buzzes, our brains get a hit of dopamine and serotonin, chemicals linked to happiness. Does this mean we try to imagine happiness for ourselves, or that we enjoy getting notifications so much our brains have linked them to happiness? I myself have experienced phantom vibrations, and I’ve come to realize that I become confused and disoriented every time there’s no notification on my screen. Does this prove we’ve become so addicted to our phones that our brains have learned how to imagine attention? Do we get nervous every time our phone isn’t near us? When not in
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use, my phone has a permanent assigned seat under my leg, and if it’s not there, I panic until I find it and return it to it’s usual place again. That dread consuming you when your phone isn’t on your body is the same dread a smoker experiences when they don’t have a pack of cigarettes near them. The same feelings, those same heartsinking anxieties, can be associated with a cancerous addiction such as smoking, and an addiction we almost all have now -- the cell phone addiction.
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You’ll see and notice so much more when you’re experiencing it through the lens of your eyes, not the lens of your phone.
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Pretty horrifying, right? According to Martin Lindstrom on fastcompany.com, when a smoker observes someone else smoking, a mirror neuron starts a chain reaction in the smoker’s brain and induces craving sensations. The same study was then observed from a group of high school friends; once one person checked their phones, soon, everyone else followed and did the same, even if they had no notifications on their screens. We’ve begun to rely more and more heavily on our phones, although, in defense, we are encouraged to by adults and teachers. Schoolwork is now mostly online -- flipped classrooms, homework access, quizzes, tests, grades -- and due to the device being easily portable, we can carry it everywhere with us and be able to access everything we need whenever we may need it. Not only does this begin the addiction of always having it with us, it also shows that it’s not just our generation that’s at
fault for ‘always being on their phones’. We generally are in school for around 13 years. If we’re exposed to technology immediately from kindergarten until 12th grade, aren’t we going to become accustomed to it, and think it’s okay to always use it? We rely so heavily on them because it’s an easy way to find out anything and everything in less than a tap, in less than a click. I’m not claiming school has begun the cell phone addiction millennials have -- heck, I didn’t even own a phone until 5th grade -- I’m just claiming it’s definitely encouraged us to use them more and more frequently to keep up with work and grades. What is there to do about this ongoing issue now? Our phones keep us connected; they keep us united with our friends, updated on the latest news, informed on school affairs and entertained when we’re bored. We can’t just get rid of our phones, but we can learn to not be so dependent on them. Instead of Snapchatting every moment when you’re with your friends, why not use your own mind to record it, keeping it in your own personal ‘memories’ instead? Your friends might sometimes be in the screen, but it’s less important than whenever they’re sitting four feet in front of you. Keep your eyes up and your phone distanced. If it buzzes, phantom or not, don’t check it. The only vibrations that matter are the loud laughter that bounces off the walls, or the blasting music that echoes throughout the house, or the words that are exchanged between friends. Stay in the real world when you’re with real people. You’ll see and notice so much more when you’re experiencing it through the lens of your eyes, not the lens of your phone.
Staff Editorial: The Eagle Angle stands against unwarranted pleas of not guilty by reason of insanity In recent years, increased representation and advocacy have raised a greater awareness of mental illness. The legitimacy of the struggles many people face as a result of depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and a myriad of other psychological ailments is recognized more than ever. However, there has concurrently been a rise in the number of criminally accused who plead not guilty by reason of insanity. While this defense is sometimes valid, the claim is frequently misused in an attempt to deflect guilt and avoid harsh sentencing. The Eagle Angle contends that pervasive misuse of mental illness as a predominant cause of criminal behavior, particularly
The Eagle Angle stands against unwarranted pleas of not guilty by reason of insanity
violent crime, characterizes the mentally ill as malicious and undermines the legitimacy of real disorders. Examples of the insanity plea include the Aurora, Colo., theater shooter James Eagan Holmes, and several notoriously known serial killers such as Jeffrey Dahmer and John Wayne Gacy. A common response to cases of homicide, both current and past, is the offhand condemnation of the perpetrator as crazy. Decades of common correlation of violent acts and mental illness formed a heavily-relied-upon association between crime and the mentally ill, effectively presenting a negative representation of group that is already marginalized. The poor, yet popular view, blocks progression and hinders positive change. The common
fallback on insanity characterizes mental illness as fraudulent and excusatory. When those who plead not guilty for reason of insanity are found competent to stand trial, mental illness is viewed at best as a flimsy attempt to evade justice, and at worst, an inventive fiction. Those whose illness truly impacts their lives and behaviors can be discredited and disbelieved. Mental illness is at a precarious point. More and more people are receiving treatment, attention, and having their voices heard. However, problems in the criminal justice system concerning mental disorders are hampering progress. Common reliance on pleas of insanity need to be limited in order to preserve the integrity of claims by those truly affected.
Artists of Allen: Trevor Slansky
Compiled by | Kaitlyn Ingram
Q A
: What do you like to write and read?
: I love writing fiction about non-fiction stuff, along with fantasy and sci-fi. I also like to read history books. I think that there are a lot of great stories laced throughout history. I read a lot of philosophy and a lot of deeper meaning books. But that is more for personal interest rather than artistic inspiration. : What’s your favorite part of your writing process? : I like the planning more than I like the actual writing. Because I know how the story goes in my head, and I love it, but it’s all about making the reader see what I see. One minute I think that I’m a genius, and the next minute I’m like, “How do words work?”
Q A
: What is the hardest part of your process? : It’s usually after I finish writing, and then realize that people actually have to read this, and I don’t necessarily want people to read it yet. So I have to go back and make it as perfect as I can. There is no such thing as perfect, but there is always that voice in your head telling you “Oh, this is too vague, this is too specific, this is moving too slow.” You just
Q A
have to assure yourself that you are in the right. It also feels very awkward and scary for people to read my writing. That’s why I’ve been very slow getting my work out. It’s so surreal and awkward when people read my work and they know that I came up with every word that they are reading. It makes me feel vulnerable, almost.
Q A
: Do you have any finished works?
: I don’t have any finished work out yet, but I have one novel that should be complete before the end of the school year. It’s a mix of religion, mythology and folklore. What if every religion was the right religion? What if every myth from every country was true? Now what happens when they all interact with each other? What are the consequences? What happens if somebody dies and they go to the wrong afterlife?
the creative form. Just like any other artist, you have to create things like they create their works. Just as a painter has to come up with his masterpiece, a writer has to think about what they want to write, the meaning behind it. Just as drama requires emotions and planning and working together, writing requires working with an editor to get a publication done. And I feel like it’s a strange viewpoint that we have in society where we kind of put writing in a box when it doesn’t fit into anything else, and try to call it everything but what it is. It’s art.
: Do you think that your writing is a form of art? : Yes, I do think that writing is absolutely a form of art. People try their hardest to separate writing from the “fine arts” as we call them: music, painting, drawing and acting. We act like they’re different, but they are often not that different. Especially
Q A
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CULTURE
A Year in Review: Narrowing 12 months of music, movies and moments down to the Compiled by | Audrey Viera 10 that defined 2017 is no easy task. We witnessed falls from grace and redemption arcs, brand new faces walk into the spotlight, and seasoned cultural veterans show that old dogs can learn new tricks. Without further ado, here is the best of pop culture that 2017 had to offer.
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For me, 2017 didn’t start with a bang. It started on February 1. I finally stopped writing “2016” on my schoolwork out of habit. I rushed into fourth period and shouted, “Beyoncé’s having twins!” I spent the first half of the year anxiously wondering whether she’d welcome boys or girls and when the twins would arrive. As 2017 now slows to an end, I adore her nearly six-month old twins Rumi and Sir Carter, and wonder if they know of their mother’s talent as a performer.
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“It” arrived in theaters on Sept. 7. Based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name, the film became a pop culture phenomenon during the Halloween season. Despite its R rating, “It” earned $688 million and made box office history as the highest grossing horror of all time, unadjusted for inflation.
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Harry Styles made his debut as a solo artist and actor, releasing a self-titled album in May and portraying terrified soldier Alex in Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk,” which arrived in theaters in July. Both projects showcased sides of Styles I never noticed before One Direction announced their hiatus. I almost failed to recognize him upon seeing his album’s pastel pink aesthetic and hearing its classic rock influences, but now see his talent as a performer more clearly than ever before.
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Jaden Smith certainly kept busy in 2017. He first starred as Dizzee Kipling in Netflix original series “The Get Down,” which was unfortunately cancelled after just one season, and later voiced bachelor Kaz Kaan in “Neo Yokio,” an original Netflix anime created by Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig. However,
20 | Commentary
Smith especially surprised me when he released his debut album “Syre” on Nov. 17. I found his skills as a rapper and the visuals for his songs absolutely stunning, especially for a 19-year-old debut artist. While Smith has yet to announce a followup, I hope he continues pursuing his musical career.
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After finding myself disappointed by “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Suicide Squad” in 2016, watching “Wonder Woman” finally gave me hope for the DC Extended Universe. With intricate exposition, a phenomenal cast, and an overall theme of empowerment, “Wonder Woman” is more than simply the one DC film I truly enjoyed - it stands as my favorite superhero movie.
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when it gave these musicians their fan bases and made many of my favorite summer memories.
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Until I heard about 21-yearold rapper Lil Peep (real name Gustav Åhr) and his rise to fame on free audio streaming site Soundcloud, I never believed emo and rap could blend together in a single song, or gain popularity with fans of the two genres. His debut album “Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 1” achieved both those tasks. Unfortunately, Lil Peep passed away three months later after an apparent overdose in his tour bus. As musicians including Charli XCX, Dua Lipa and Diplo mourn the tragic loss of Lil Peep, his emo-rap movement continues with more artists following his lead in breaking the boundaries of genre.
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On May 12, Paramore dropped “After Laughter,” their first studio release in four years. The album contrasts upbeat synthpop instrumentals with emotional lyrics detailing depression, forgiveness and lost friendships. Hearing vocalist Hayley Williams sing, “Reality will break your heart / Survival will not be the hardest part” on the album’s sixth track “26” still makes me tear up every time I listen.
Lorde finally released her sophomore album, “Melodrama,” fittingly titled for its heart-wrenching ballads and theatrical reprises. The album earned the two-time Grammy winner a nomination for Album of the Year at the 2018 Grammies, Lorde’s fifth nomination at just 21 years old. If she continues releasing albums as powerful as “Melodrama.”
Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman announced that the traveling music festival’s 2018 tour will be its last, citing low ticket sales and rising production costs as the reason for its end while promising a final lineup of bands he says “embraced the Warped Tour lifestyle.” As a past Warped attendee, I nearly gasped upon hearing the news of its end. Warped Tour was where artists such as Fall Out Boy, Paramore, Bebe Rexha and even Katy Perry began their musical careers. I’m disappointed to see it shut down, especially
Taylor Swift parodied her negative media portrayal once before on the satirical single “Blank Space” in 2014, but her newest album “Reputation” embraced it when it hit shelves in November. The lead single “Look What You Made Me Do” addresses her 2016 feud with Kanye West, and serpent-themed album merchandise reclaims the snake emojis flooding her social media after the scandal. Still, Swift’s declaration of the death of the “old Taylor” failed to make me support her reigniting a rivalry from 2009.
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Review: “Utopia” Review by | Felix Kalvesmaki
B
jörk’s “Utopia” is a world of its own. The ability to craft entire planets out of melody and tempo is a defining talent of the 52-year-old Icelandic musician’s decades-long career, and it seems singularly pertinent with the release of her latest record. “Utopia” is its own landscape and society, surmised fairly accurately by its title. It lives and breathes, inhaling the tragedy of Björk’s history, respiring wisdom and serenity. Björk described this album — her tenth since her first release “Debut” in 1993 — as her “Tinder record.” “Utopia” picks up on the heels of her last release “Vulnicura,” a comparatively solemn and intensely sobering LP. This is well-evidenced in the two-song vignette comprised of tracks three and four: the mystifying, atmospheric lead single “The Gate” and the wondrous, effervescent title track “Utopia.” These two songs are the best of what “Utopia” has to offer, wrapped within ten minutes of glorious production and lyricism.
A
“The Gate” is aptly-titled. It’s a transition from the unsettling, electronic abstractism of “Vulnicura” into the woods-y magic of “Utopia.” Eerie and slow-burning, the sparse depiction of love tugs at heartstrings with Björk’s desperate cries for reciprocation. Transcendence is quintessential in describing this album, but the album’s fourth song truly encapsulates the meaning of the word. As mentioned earlier, “The Gate” is transitional. Nothing makes that more obvious than the contrastingly lush topography crafted within “Utopia.” Flowers blossom, birds chirp and Walt Disney-esque flutes whistle along throughout the track, while Björk sings of the utopia beneath her feet. “Utopia/it isn’t elsewhere/it’s here,” she sings, later crooning, “Purify/purify/purify/ purify/toxicity” with a peaceful, but firm, insistence. This is the seed and the sprout of Björk’s visions. This is idyllic and warm and bizarre, and it represents growth in its purest form.
Björk is a prophet on “Utopia.” Not of philosophy or sociology, but instead of her own life. She does not let herself wallow in the melancholy of her past, rather she grows past it like an oak tree, creating a better life for herself out of nothing but will. The album earns a well-deserved A, not only for Björk’s trademark innovation and eccentricity, but the emotional evolution depicted that proves “Utopia” is within all of us.
Review: “Justice League” B Review by | Sophia Forrester
A
s I sat down in the theater with my extra-buttered popcorn and my blue raspberry Sour Punch straws, I felt a wave of suspense hit me. “Justice League” is the movie I’ve been anticipating since August. With “Wonder Woman’s” success in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), I was beyond excited for “Justice League.” It isn’t exactly another DCEU flop, but I still left the theater disappointed. Though the movie did better than most of the previous DCEU movies, it still didn’t reach my expectations and left me a bit hoodwinked. “Justice League,” directed by Zack Snyder, is the first movie in the DCEU to include all the famous superheroes who we’ve read about as kids and seen on TV. With an amazing cast including Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Ezra Miller and Jason Momoa, the movie got overhyped. Something Snyder did beautifully was capture the League together as one team. Throughout the movie, we see them warming up and working together. When watching the trailer, I was a bit skeptical because the graphics and CGI looked too artificial, but Snyder came through, and the CGI and graphics looked a lot more
realistic. One scene I found particularly stunning was when The Flash (played by Ezra Miller) runs on the side of a sewer, touching Wonder Woman’s (Gal Gadot) sword so it’s pushed back into her hand, instead of falling down the sewer. The 360-degree footage was flawless, and I haven’t seen anything like this unique directing of an all-around scene before. The scene “sparked” magic, unlike the rest of the movie which is very grounded. Unfortunately, there are more cons than pros with “Justice League.” The dialogue felt forced throughout the movie, hardly ever feeling natural. For example, Aquaman barely spoke, and when he did, it was an attempt to either sound clever or serious, which led to the lack of his character development. Comedic attempts failed, feeling unnatural and forced into the screenplay. “Justice League” was also predictable. From the trailer, I could tell what was going to happen and I often felt depleted because I wish there was more to those scenes that were also in the trailer. The scenes chosen to give insight on the new members who didn’t have previous movies were poorly chosen. I’ll just have to
wait until all of the three superheroes’ solo movies come out in the following years, however I wish I didn’t have to, to get a clearer understanding of the characters. I was let down by “Justice League,” but hopefully, with this prerequisite out of the way, the members of the League can shine in their own movies. “Justice League” hasn’t discouraged me from the future of the DCEU, but my expectations won’t be as high. If the movies can be as amazing as “Wonder Woman” was, I will be captivated. Overall, I give the movie a B for the cast that I adore, but also for the poor screenplay.
Commentary | 21