EA Allen High School Issue 5 Volume 34 April 2017
Lost and found
Vet Tech classes take in newborn rescue puppies | page 4
Golden girls
Color guard places 16th at the World Championships | page 7
Caught on tape
The Eagle Angle reviews Netflix series ‘13 Reasons Why’ | page 20
Different, not less
Understanding the students and faculty of Allen’s special education program | page 10
ea Policy
The Eagle Angle distributes 1000 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 Kelly Juntunen, newspaper adviser, at 469-319-6216. 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. Allen High School 300 Rivercrest Blvd. Allen, TX 75002
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Staff
Editors-in-chief | Sara Schleede* Megan Shankle* Sr. Managing Editor | Bryn Chambers* Jr. Managing Editor | Julia Zaksek* News/Feature Editor | Divya Jagadeesh Commentary Editor | Felix Kalvesmaki* Sports Editor | Jackson Stone Assistant Sports Editor | Parker Primrose Online Editor | Makayla Nerpel Multimedia Editor | Josh Magpantay Staff | Nas Baclay, Brandon Barton, Corinne Chandler, Pauline Esguerra, Braylon Fernandez, Ella Geosits, Christian Hinton, Natalie McMahon, Maya Morriswala, Christine Odwesso, Tate Peterson, Coleman Pyeatt, Francis Salazar, Astrid Souto, Caroline Tucker, Audrey Vieira, Alyssa White, Erik Young, Mark Young Adviser | Kelly Juntunen *denotes members of the Editorial Board
theeagleangle
Cover design by | Sara Schleede
NEWS/FEATURE
Contents
Briefly speaking.......................................................... 2 Q&A with Maya Eyres and Samantha Rabino........3 Lost and found.............................................................4 Library life....................................................................5 New candidate for Allen mayor.................................6 Golden girls...................................................................7 A star in the making...................................................8 Animation takes flight............................................... 9 After prom canceled................................................... 9
COVER STORY
Different, not less...............................................10-13 Understanding the students and faculty of Allen’s special education program
SPORTS
Last push for playoffs...............................................14 Q&A with Bo Nickal................................................15 Sports briefs...........................................................14-15
PHOTO ESSAY
IB senior art exhibition........................................16-17
COMMENTARY
The cons of fitting in................................................18 Staff editorial..............................................................19 Building a better future............................................19 Flipside: Live action Disney movies....................... 20 Please, take my money..............................................21 Caught on tape...........................................................21
Letter to the reader
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ith the arrival of April showers, it’s time to start counting down the days to graduation (or summer, if you’re not a senior). Only one more grading period, and prom and AP exams are right around the corner as well. The yearbook has been sent off for printing, and we sat down with the two editors-in-chief to discuss their commitment to the book and its contents — speaking of which, it’s not too late to purchase one. Go to smart-pay.com and buy your yearbook today. In other news, the United Nations designated April 2 as Autism Awareness Day 10 years ago in an effort to raise awareness about autism spectrum disorders, and the United States followed suit by naming April Autism Awareness Month. That’s why we decided to focus our cover story on the far-reaching AHS Special Education program, which serves 10 percent of the student body with both visible and invisible disabilities requiring accommodations beyond what is usually offered in the classroom. We interviewed students and staff on their experiences within the program and the importance of treating others well because you never know who needs extra attention. In this issue, we also highlight several student groups accomplishing amazing things: Animation took 2nd and 6th places at the State UIL competition, and Color Guard journeyed to the World Championships in Dayton, Ohio, placing 16th internationally of 168 guards after making it to the finals. Other student organizations, like fashion club and Vet Tech, are awash with exciting and unexpected activities. Outside the high school, Naomi Emmett has announced her candidacy for Allen mayor, running against the incumbent Steve Terrell who has been in office since 1997. We also talked to several librarians in order to capture what life as an Allen civil servant is like. In our commentary section, we reviewed a new Netflix show which further drives home the encouraging message to always treat people kindly. We’ve tackled a lot of solemn and heavy issues in our magazine this year, but this time, we don’t want to leave you feeling gloomy. Instead, as you turn the final page, think about unity. And happiness. There are puppies in the world. And good friends. And best buddies. (Ha ha, get it?) Sincerely,
Letter to the Reader | 1
Briefly Speaking
Compiled by | Megan Shankle
The City of Lights Allen, Texas | The 2017 AHS Senior Prom will take place at the Allen Event Center on Saturday, April 22 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. Prom tickets are available for purchase for $45 each outside the cafeteria or online until April 19. Tickets will not be sold at the door, and seniors may purchase a maximum of two tickets.
Bannon removed from NSC Washington, D.C. | President Donald Trump has removed chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon from the National Security Council’s “principals committee” as of April 5. Bannon is the former chairman of Breitbart News and has been criticized for his involvement with the Trump administration.
Supreme Court Justice appointed Teacher of the Year Allen, Texas | Geometry teacher Catherine Gregory has been named the 2016-2017 Teacher of the Year. Gregory was honored with the award in a ceremony on April 6 in the library. A total of 34 teachers were nominated.
Washington, D.C. | Judge Neil Gorsuch was appointed as the 113th Supreme Court justice on April 7 by the Senate, marking the end of more than a year of partisan debates following the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in 2016. President Donald Trump promised during his campaign to appoint a conservative justice, and the final vote was 54-45 in favor of Gorsuch’s confirmation.
Stockholm truck attack Stockholm, Sweden | An unknown male suspect drove a stolen truck into a crowd of people and into a Stockholm department store April 7, killing at least three. The incident is being considered a terrorist attack, and the Swedish police have released a photo of the suspect wanted for questioning.
Missile strike on Syria Syria | President Donald Trump ordered a missile strike on the Al Shayrat airfield in Syria the evening of April 6 in response to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s chemical weapons attack, which originated from the airfield earlier that week. Fifty-nine Tomahawk missiles were fired by American aircrafts, and the Syrian Army reports six deaths as a result of the attack. Map courtesy of | Wikimedia Commons
2 | News and Features
QA & with maya eyres and samantha rabino Editor-in-chief Sara Schleede sat down with the yearbook editors-in-chief to discuss the stresses and delights of chronicling student life.
yearbook deadline is in april. How will it feel to finally be done? ME | It will be so nice to get to enjoy the people in the yearbook more. Right now we aren’t really talking to each other; we’re just working. So it will be nice to get to enjoy my time with everyone in yearbook. SR | Right now it’s just like, “Here’s your assignment. Work. Don’t talk to me because I’m busy.” Right now deadline looks like an unachievable goal, like the gates to heaven, but once I reach those pearly white gates and I step inside, that means I’ve died. I’ve poured so much of my soul into this book.
What has been the best part of your job? SR | The learning process. Talking to staffers. I’ve never been in charge of a large group of people like this, and it’s been really fun getting to know everybody and learning through trial and error [about] what works and what doesn’t. ME | Yeah I think it was nice starting the year with this class that was all mine and getting to know them over the year and working with them, and with the editors, too. SR | It might be because we have less editors this year, but our relationship among yearbook editors is really close, and I am so grateful for that. I love my team of capable, strong girls.
Illustration by | Sara Schleede
What has it been like working together? SR | At the beginning of the year, Maya and I were just kind of cool friends because we sat next to each other and we would sing together a lot and we would suffer together and complain. We were casual buds and we knew we were going to be chiefs and honestly we’re just really close. ME | I’m really glad that I’ve been able to have her with me throughout this whole thing. I couldn’t have done this alone. I’m really glad I have Sam this year. She’s so good at this and she helps me with everything. She’s definitely been such a big help to me this year and she’s such a wonderful person. I’m so lucky to have her as my co-editor-in-chief.
why should people buy a yearbook? ME | I have given my life for this book. Please. SR | Your high school life is a journey and this journey has now been recorded permanently and this journey has now been recorded permanently in a publication that you can always turn through and look at, and that’s not an opportunity everyone gets to have — a little time machine in a book.
News and Features | 3
Top | A student bottle-feeds one of the rescue puppies. Middle | Senior Erin Anderson takes care of a puppy. Bottom | Students interact and play with the puppies. Photos by | Gabby Perez
Lost and found
Vet Tech classes take in newborn rescue puppies Story by | Divya Jagadeesh
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n Veterinary Science teacher Stacy Schertz’s classroom, students crowd around three puppies. Kids can fit them in the palm of a hand, but take extra care to carry the barely two-week-old animals. Some students feed the dogs through bottles and put in pacifiers when they’ve finished. When the other students hear how the puppies ended with Schertz, they are shocked and hold the babies closer. The three puppies were found by Security Guard Blair Benter’s rescue and are now staying with Veterinary Science teacher Stacy Schertz’s classes as the students take care of the newborns until they can be adopted through Tails from the Heart. “We think they were born on St. Patrick’s Day, which must have been very lucky for them because they were found on the side of the road in a trash bag,” Benter said. Tails from the Heart is a nonprofit organization that takes dogs from high-kill shelters and tries to find people to adopt them. “ [ T h e rescue] started about a year ago, and what w e do is
entirely volunteer-based; we run on donations and all of our dogs are in foster homes,” Benter said. The litter originally had seven puppies, but one passed while the remaining six were sent home with Benter and another volunteer from the rescue. “Since they needed to be fed every couple of hours, I needed to find a way that they could come to work with me,” Benter said. “And Ms. Schertz is all for having them as long as they can.” Schertz said she was willing to take them in so she could help the puppies and give her students a new, hands-on experience. “The interactions the kids have is such a neat experience for them, and as far as having [the puppies] in class, there’s always something going on whether it’s an explosion that needs to be cleaned up, a bath that needs to be given or a bottle that needs to fed,” Schertz said. “Everyone works together.” The students take care of the puppies during the week, and Benter takes them home after work. During school hours, the puppies are bottle-fed and given the attention they need as babies. “We feed them, and we give them lots of loving; we pet them because that’s important,” junior Krista Holmes said. “They need that. Human children need that, and [puppies] need that. If you don’t have your hands on them a lot, they won’t get used to that, so you got to get them used to interactions.” Holmes and Schertz both say taking care of the puppies helps with students’ training to become veterinarians.
“As a lot of us aspire to be vets, and veterinarians need to know how to take care of little animals,” Holmes said. “It also helps teach us how to be gentle with them, and how to care for them correctly.” When the puppies in Schertz and her students’ care are eight weeks old, Tails from the Heart will put them up for adoption. “The great thing is that these puppies are bringing awareness to the other dogs that need to be adopted,” Schertz said. “As soon as I heard the story of how they were found, my heart broke a little bit, but the compassion all the students have here is phenomenal, so they’ll take in anything.”
Junior Micaela Chaparro gives a pacifier to a rescue puppy.
Library life
A look into a day of an Allen librarian Story by | Natalie McMahon
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ibrarians are beloved for the way they spread wonder along with curiosity through education and knowledge in the lives of adolescents. It’s a widely respected profession that caters toward any interest; each day is spent serving the community. “There isn’t really a typical day at the library,” Claudia Wayland, Youth Services Manager of Allen Public Library said. “Part of the day is spent, for me, managing and making sure our scheduling is set for the upcoming days and weeks, answering patron questions through email and phone and then also planning for projects in the future like our summer reading club and things like that.” At the library, the days don’t blur together. With this job the work day differs, and not everything they do is recognized. “It’s a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into planning everything that we have going on, especially with summer coming up,” Rebekah Tissell, Youth Services Librarian of Allen Public Library said. “Right now we’re in a planning phase, getting ready for summer and all the craziness that will bring.” The library is known for their variety of programs and opportunities. Some of their more popular attractions are 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, Teen Anime Night, Story Time and Baby and Me. Story Time is a favored program at the library. It introduces kids to the joy of reading and inspires imagination. “It’s really funny what kids feel like they need to contribute in the middle of Story Time,” Wayland said. “One time I was reading a book about noses and one of the kids said, ‘My mom just got her nose done,’ and the mom was sitting in the back going, ‘Oh my God.’” This library has more of a community center-type ambiance, especially in the cyber era. Libraries have gone through major renovations, it’s not the strict, quiet, empty, desert stereotype that one may
picture in their head. “Whenever I say I’m a librarian you either get, ‘Oh, I like to read,’ or ‘Man, it must be really quiet in the library’, and people who come to the library know that it’s not a quiet place,” Wayland said. “We don’t shh people, we don’t wear buns anymore. A lot of us do wear glasses but it’s not because we’re librarians.” The library has steered away from this false stigma. This has opened the doors to new opportunities that welcome all ages, and with that comes different genres of crazy occurrences. “You never know what people are gonna use as a bookmark; I found an actual piece of bacon one time,” Wayland said. “Sometimes people will read where they shouldn’t be so you’ll see like a [piece of] toilet paper or things like that.” When it comes to returned books, strange and peculiar happenings aren’t rare to the librarians. “I found a dead lizard once; that was interesting,” Tissell said. “Someone had smashed it in between the book pages. Needless to say that book no longer exists in this library.” Anybody has access to books at the public library, so anything can happen. But, regardless, the library is still an enchanting spot to work because anything can happen. “It’s pretty much the perfect job,” Wayland said. “You go into this career because you want to help people and make a difference in the community.” The library is a place where most children grow up, teens volunteer and adults treasure. It’s a shared place where everyone is invited to come and marvel at the joy of reading. “I like working with kids a lot,” Wayland said. “I like making people happy and smiley, so when I can make a child smile that’s a really great feeling.”
Photo courtesy of | Creative Commons
News and Features | 5
New candidate for Allen mayor Parent of junior puts her name on the ballot Story by | Maya Morriswala
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unior Linus Emmett goes to school, hangs out with his friends and works a job like other students. However, while he is out, his mother, Naomi Emmett, is at home holding interviews to meet people who want to know more about her views. She is spending vacation days answering emails. Why? Because not only does she work as a chief fiscal officer at the University of Texas at Dallas, but she is also busy campaigning to become Allen’s next mayor. Naomi decided to run for mayor based on the high taxes she and other citizens had to pay along with other issues she noticed. “Well, I’ve been saying it, kiddingly, for a couple years,” Naomi said. “Then I decided, ‘You know what? The time is just right.’” The current mayor, Steve Terrell, is her opposition. He has held the position since 1997. Despite her lack of political experience, Naomi believes her election would benefit the community. “Our current mayor has done a decent job, but I believe it’s time for a new voice, a new energy,” Naomi said. Despite this, there are still some challenges with campaigning, specifically getting her name out. “I think trying to get to all the voters in Allen in a short amount of time is going to be difficult, so I’m trying to use social
What are the three most important actions you would take, if elected? 6 | News and Features
media as much as possible,” Naomi said. To be able to speak with these voters and businesses about the issues they care about, Naomi plans around everything that goes on in her son Linus’s life to make things easier for the both of them. “On Mondays, I’m doing an FCA leadership meeting and then I’m working, so she plans stuff on Monday nights when I’m not home,” Linus said. “Saturdays I work, so she’ll do it during my shifts. So the [campaign] hasn’t really affected me that much.” According to Naomi, local government elections often have low voter turnouts, so she reminds citizens that everything starts at the local level. “The things that are going to affect us the most are going to be right here in our city,” Naomi said. “And growing up, that’s what you know, that’s what you see. It’s critical to our lifestyle and everything else.” Her plan to give back to the local community involves listening to the people rather than following her own plan. “Sometimes we have politicians who are career politicians, and it’s their agenda,” Naomi said. “I don’t ever want to be like that. I want it to be the people’s agenda.” So does her son Linus see politics in his future due to his inheritance of these same values? Well, he doesn’t think he will be
following in his mother’s footsteps. “I mean, running for mayor, that’s awesome for her, I’m so happy for her,” Linus said. “But I don’t want to have to do that. I’m not that type of person, but I’m so happy that she wants to do it because, whatever she puts her mind to, she gets it done.” Naomi says that her role as mayor will not involve drastically changing Allen itself, but rather the people leading Allen. “What I do want is for the people to know that the City Council exists and that I am approachable,” Naomi said. “When you’re out at the grocery store, come up to me, tell me what you love about Allen, what you have issues with. I want to be an approachable person that people feel they can approach with any issue they may have.” Although Linus doesn’t want to go into politics, he says that his mother inspires him with her determination. “This mayor thing, she says she’s going to go run for mayor, woke up one day, started running for mayor,” Linus said. “Anything that she puts her mind to, she is going to do it. That’s what I have based my life around, trying to set my mind to something and get it done like she has done, and I don’t think anyone can beat her at that.”
tax reform
water supply
“First and foremost, I would begin a discussion on how we can reform the tax system. I would begin educating the council on the effective tax rate and how we can go about adopting it at the local level. This would actually save the tax payer money.”
“Second, I would seek to ensure the quality and adequacy of our water supply in the most cost efficient way. Information on water testing and cleaning should be both highly accessible and highly visible on the city’s website.”
transportation “Third, I would do a comprehensive review of regional transportation plans and how they will affect Allen. I would then reach out to our neighboring cities to learn how we can work together to ensure that our transportation needs are forward thinking.”
Information courtesy of | Naomi Emmett and Dallas Morning News
Golden girls
Varsity Color Guard places 16th at the World Championships Story by | Coleman Pyeatt
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llen High School is known for Friday night lights, but football players aren’t the only ones on the field. The Allen Color Guard is an important visual aspect of varsity football halftime shows, and they have earned an opportunity to prove themselves at an international level. The Varsity Color Guard headed to Dayton, Ohio, on April 4 to compete in the WGI Color Guard World Championships. The team placed 16th in the world after making it to the finals round on April 8. Senior Milia Piepenburg, captain of the varsity color guard, says she joined guard her freshman year and after a director change, the program became what it is today. “Our director, Clay Singletary, has believed in us since the beginning and has put a lot of trust in us, considering that we are the first color guard that he is taking to worlds,” Piepenburg said. “Everyone was excited when he announced that we would
be going to worlds this year, but we also knew that it was going to be a long year of hard work.” The Allen Color Guard rehearses every Monday, Thursday and Saturday. The practices are strenuous and consume a lot of time. “We practice a lot but it pays off,” Piepenburg said. Since the team spends so much time together, they have grown close and have even started new traditions. “This year’s varsity team is probably the closest we’ve ever been, and we are all pretty much best friends,” Piepenburg said. “And after every show we’ve always made plans to either go out to eat, go bowling or just do something fun. Guard is a lot of hard work, so it’s nice to have fun as a team outside of guard.” Senior Cato Jackson, another member of the Allen Color Guard, has been in guard since her sophomore year. She is ecstatic to
have made it to internationals and gives all the credit to their director. “Going to internationals is the biggest thing for us, especially being from Allen,” Jackson said. “We are actually a small community, so going from Allen to Ohio and competing against everyone is such an honor. ” The team returned from Dayton, Ohio with the honor of having placed 16th out of 168 other teams from around the world who traveled to the competition. The Allen Color Guard has never made it to internationals before, so placing so highly says a lot about the hard work and effort put in by Singletary and his team. “I am really proud of my team this year,” Jackson said. “We have grown into a close family this year and getting to share this with my team means the world to all of us.”
Varsity Color Guard competes at the Winter Guard International (WGI) Southwest Power Regional Finals in Denton on March 19. Photo by | Zach Ashcraft
News and Features | 7
A star in the making
AHS student’s designs selected for fashion show Story by | Caroline Tucker and Julia Zaksek
Juniors Ariana Kelly and Jenna Presser model Goodlin’s clothing line. Photo by | Melanie Essary
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ameras are flashing, models are walking down the catwalk, a never-ending sea of faces taking in every detail of the fabric on the bodies. This is the life of junior Jeanette Goodlin, a fashion designer in the making. Goodlin showcased her own fashion ideas earlier this year, and said she strives to do much more with her passion. Goodlin said that this is just the start of it all. “I first wanted to be an actor, and as a freshman I tried for the musical but I didn’t get it,” Goodlin said. “I knew how to sew, so I went for the tech part of theater, and I immediately went for costuming. Then my passion for fashion designing began.” Goodlin draws her inspiration from modern trends. When she catches sight of an interesting one, she finds a way to make it her own. “Right now, I really like the reemergence of denim: denim skirts, denim overalls, denim overall-skirts, all the accessories,” Goodlin said. With this open and dynamic state of mind, Goodlin said the possibilities are endless, and the ideas are always flowing. “When you look at a piece of clothing, there are so many different changes you can make to it,” Goodlin said. “For example, looking at a t-shirt, the design between long
8 | News and Features
and short sleeves is so different: the fabric, the color, the cutline. There are so many changes that can be modified.” Goodlin’s changes were noticed when she applied for a fashion show known as “The Pin Show.” Goodlin had to apply six months before the show, and she made it to the second round of interviews. After, a collection of designers are chosen to show off their clothing line. “My designs were so different from the others,” Goodlin said. “It actually made me very nervous because they all had a common theme while my clothes were just my ideas at random; people were either going to love it or hate it.” The extreme approaches to unique style creates both advantages and disadvantages for Goodlin. “A lot of times people are scared to wear things that they could be ridiculed for,” Goodlin said. “However, it also means that something I make isn’t available in stores; I’m the only source.” With Goodlin being 16 years old, the weight of representing her generation was upon her shoulders. In every professional career, age seems to be the limit of everything, but Goodlin managed to hold up the weight.
“As a young artist, I’m not experienced so being at the show, I had to gain knowledge from the professionals who were there,” Goodlin said. “But it was also difficult; I wasn’t seen the same as the ones who have been in it for years.” Goodlin doesn’t want to stop at fashion shows; she wants to continue down this path and make a career out of it, after pursuing her education. “I want to go to school for science,” Goodlin said. “Long term, I want to be a designer, but I’m not taking the educational route I’m taking.” She says she hopes that one day, her name will be known and that this show was only the beginning. “In 10 years I hope to have my own line and be producing two collections per year, for the spring-summer and fall-winter seasons,” Goodlin said. In regards to young artists, Goodlin has only one piece of advice. “Put yourself out there, there are so many opportunities to take advantage of,” Goodlin said. “You can’t be afraid of rejection because nothing will happen, [and] no progress will be made in achieving your goal.”
Animation takes flight Students win 2nd and 6th place awards at film competition Story by | Felix Kalvesmaki
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wo films created by animation students, “Flightless” and “Cowboys and Candles,” placed at the State UIL competition on March 1. “Flightless” took direction from senior Sarah Fonville, while “Cowboys and Candles” was directed by junior Ben Phillips. Upon hearing her students’ achievement, animation teacher Karen Adams said she was thrilled. “I was just excited,” Adams said. “I was very, very, very excited for this team. I know how hard they worked.” “Flightless” placed second, while “Cowboys and Candles” placed sixth. The students started working on the awardwinning films early in the school year and put hours upon hours of time into the films. “All the kids started in August,” Adams said. “And they pretty much worked all the way from August until right up to when it was due, which was the second week of January. They put in a lot of hours.” In order to finish their films, Adams said the students stayed at their computers well after school. Their longest sessions
Flightless follows the journey of a young bird who is missing part of his wing.
stretched into the darkest hours of the night. “Animation is generally tedious,” Wilson said. “It’s kind of fun for me, but I can imagine for others it might be a little tedious. But overall, I think it turned out pretty well.” After finding out they’d advanced to the state level, the two teams traveled to Austin to watch their work screen at the Paramount Theater. They stood among their fellow finalists and examined their competing works. “It’s like a red carpet affair,” Adams said. “We drove down on a Wednesday, and came back on Thursday. They have an awards ceremony, everybody gets all dressed up, it’s really pretty cool.” Wilson, who has been a member of the animation program for three years, said that despite the hard work, he’s more than enthusiastic to be a member of the team. “I always think it’s worth it.” Wilson said. “Even if we don’t finish it, I think it’s worth it. It’s really good practice, really good work experience on artwork.”
After prom canceled The annual post-dance party will not be held this year Story by | Julia Zaksek
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fter Prom, the parent sponsored lock-in party and game night, will not be held this year. “Attendance the last few years at After Prom has been declining, [and if] you lose interest by students, [you] lose the of interest by parents,” financial math teacher and Student Council adviser Jason Thompson said. The tradition has long been a part of many students’ prom experience and is typically financed and planned by parents of the senior class. However, this year, a lack of volunteers and support for the event
lead to its cancellation. “When you don’t have a big enough volunteer group, it’s just not feasible,” Thompson said. “You can’t have just a small group do it all.” Volunteers were responsible for ticket sales, ensuring the donation of raffle prizes, creating activities for students and chaperoning the event. “For the past couple years I’ve heard about a lot of fun things happening at After Prom, so I really wanted to go,” senior Adrienne Wells said. After Prom featured games, raffles and
other activities for students, usually tied to the prom’s theme. “Sometimes you’re not the most comfortable person at a dance; you just wanted to go as a kind of social requirement, but then you have something fun to do afterwards,” Wells said. However, the possibility of AHS hosting After Prom in the future is not completely out of the picture. “I’m sure that if there’s a group that wants to do it next year, the school will fully allow it,” Thompson said.
News and Features | 9
D
Different, not less Understanding the students and faculty of Allen’s special education program Story by | Christian Hinton
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n a school of more than 5,000 people, it would be hard to go anywhere on campus without finding a diverse student population. It’s clear that no single student is alike—they all have distinct backgrounds. They all have different beliefs. They all face different challenges. Some students are different because of physical or mental disabilities that can make their life more challenging, but that doesn’t mean they’re less of a student than anyone else. At Allen High School, there are many ways to ensure that all students feel accepted.
Accommodating and Accepting
Thirteen percent of public students nationwide, and about nine percent of students in the state of Texas are enrolled in special education. At Allen High School, the Special Education program serves 10 percent of students. That percentage consists of students with disabilities ranging from minor behavioral or social disabilities to more significant challenges. “A lot of times when people think about special ed, they’re thinking about the students that you can notice have a disability, which is a small population of what we actually have here,” Allen High School Support Services administrator Brian Neely said. “It’s important to understand that when you’re talking about special education, it mostly consists of students with disabilities that aren’t as noticeable.” These disabilities are things such as reading disabilities, math calculation disabilities, attention issues, social or emotional issues. They may not be as noticeable, but they still have an impact on many students’ lives. “In most of your classrooms, there’s probably at least one kid who’s in special education and you have no idea, and you may never know,” Neely said. “That’s why I think it’s important to never judge a book by its cover.” According to the its mission statement,
the Allen ISD Special Services program seeks to promote successful learning for all special education students through effective instructional level interventions, access to the general grade level curriculum and experience with appropriate life and career skills. “We all have hurdles and challenges, and students with disabilities, theirs are just more geared to the academic and educational process,” Special Education Department Chair Cyndi Parent said. The Support Services program manages all modifications and accommodations that are available on campus, such as having a handrail installed, getting extra time on a test, or sitting at the front of the class to reduce distractions. More significant disabilities allow for vocational and occupational preparation classes to help students become independent. “We don’t water down education, that’s not what this is about: it’s about making things accessible,” special education paraprofessional Alex Mathis said. “It’s about bringing out all the characteristics needed and filling in those gaps that may exist due to disability. We want to help them be independent and accepted and be able to function as anybody would.” According to Mickenzie Hatzenbuehler, senior and Best Buddies Vice President, the separation between the students in general education and the students in special education can cause some to look down on students with special needs. “Something that most people don’t seem to realize is that these students are just normal teenagers,” Hatzenbuehler said. “[They’re] no different from you and me, no different from anyone in this school just because they have this disability.” Simon, a sophomore in the Best Buddies program, enjoys spending his free time the same ways as many of his peers. “In my free time, I just like to go on my phone and tweet or use Instagram,” Simon said. “Other times I go to the library
and read. I especially like to just go home and nap or watch TV, as long as I’ve done my homework.”
Befriending and Supporting
Acceptance and support are not exclusive to staff and administration. From Partners PE, to Peer Coaching, to Best Buddies, or just being a friend, there’s a variety of ways that students can support and befriend their peers with special needs. “I signed up as a Peer Coach in the sixth grade,” Hatzenbuehler said. “My original plan was to do it for just one year, but I had no idea I would fall in love with it.” In programs like Peer Coaching and Partners PE, students are paired with their peers with special needs to help with schoolwork and physical education. “You learn things better from your peers than you learn from your teachers any day,” special education teacher Tia McVey said. In Peer Coaching, students can tutor and support during the school day as part of an actual class. Peer Coaches will join the students in one of their functional academics class or in one of their electives. “In Peer Coaching, it’s mostly just bonding with them. It’s not just you sitting there and teaching them,” Hatzenbuehler said. “You want to build a friendship, and it’s really hard not to.” In the Best Buddies organization, students are paired up with a student with special needs who they hang out and go to extracurricular events with. It allows them to build friendships outside of a school setting. “My Best Buddy is pretty cool,” sophomore student Ashley said. “I like having her in my life. She’s my Best Buddy, but she’s also my friend.” Students in Best Buddies create these friendships by hanging out at schoolplanned events as well as planning their own outings.
News and Features | 11
Lending a hand Organizations dedicated to helping and raising awareness for different disabilities Compiled by | Felix Kalvesmaki
National Association for the Deaf Founded in 1880 to advocate for Deaf people’s rights, the organization continues to help those with hearing loss. To donate or for more information, go to nad.org.
National Down Syndrome Society
For over 30 years, the National Down Syndrome Society has worked to promote rights for those with Down syndrome locally and nationally. To help, go to ndss.org.
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder
This organization works to spread awareness about ADD and ADHD, and increase accessibility for those affected. To learn more, go to chadd.org.
“My Best Buddy and I, we go and do stuff all the time,” Hatzenbuehler said. “We’ve gone to restaurants, we’ve gone to the movies, we’ve gone to sporting events, we’re constantly doing things. It’s just hanging out and being friends, and they just happen to have special needs.” Partners PE is an organization similar to Peer Coaching, but it takes place during physical education class. “A lot of people don’t even realize that we offer Partners PE,” said Jerry Best, coach for the Partners PE program. “It can be difficult to teach because of the wide range of disabilities, but it helps the students become more confident and learn how to deal with adversity.” There isn’t a long list of prerequisites required to be a Peer Coach, PE Partner, or Best Buddy. It only requires students to have the willingness to work and be patient. “I think everyone has the capacity to be able to do it, but it depends on if you’re willing to sacrifice your time and be patient,” Hatzenbuehler said. “You just need to be comfortable enough to step forward and say, ‘I like this, I want to do this, and I think I can do it.’” Programs like these attract students for a variety of reasons, but according to Hatzenbuehler, many people join because they have someone in their life who has a disability. “My youngest brother has autism, but he lives in West Virginia, so I never really got that chance to get to know him,” Hatzenbuehler said. “I signed up for peer coaching so I could get to know him in an alternative way.”
A “Win-Win” for All
According to Neely, students with special needs aren’t the only ones who benefit when it comes to friendships like these.
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Just because they’re different doesn’t mean they should be placed outside of everyone else.
“You can learn so much from these guys and how they treat people with the compassion they have towards everybody else,” Neely said. “It’s a win-win for both.” Hatzenbuehler said that students involved often learn a lot about themselves, and how to have a better outlook on life. “They’ve taught me so much about myself and to not really stress the little things,” Hatzenbuehler said. “They’re not happy all the time, no one is, but even with everything they have to go through, their outlook is so positive–no matter what.” Students with special needs are often underestimated or misperceived, said McVey. “People tend to think it’s going to be scary or sad, but it’s really not, it’s actually amazing,” McVey said. “I know a kid who has Down Syndrome, and he doesn’t really talk much or communicate verbally, but he is so good at bowling that adult bowling leagues want him to play for them.”
Disabilities in the media
Characters who bring representation to screens big and small Compiled by | Julia Zaksek Photos courtesy of | Creative Commons Professor Xavier Charles Xavier has spent his appearances with the X-Men in comics, movies and TV shows in his wheelchair. Paralyzed from the waist down, he still remains a powerful mutant with his telepathy and leadership often saving the team. 12 | News and Features
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— Mickenzie Hatzenbuehler
Julia Julia is “Sesame Street’s” first puppet with autism. She made her first appearance in a digital storybook for autistic children. Stacy Gordon, who voices Julia, draws on her own experiences raising her autistic son for inspiration.
Students who can’t join programs can still get to know their peers with special needs simply by reaching out and being friendly. “When you see those guys walking in the hallway, just reach out and say hello to them,” Neely said. According to Mathis, many students have had their lives significantly impacted by these programs. “These are just some of the most compassionate and truly caring kids I’ve ever met, and you all get the chance to get exposed and work with them,” Mathis said. “We have senior Peer Coaches who spend all their off-periods here. Nobody’s making them do that; they would just rather be here than anywhere else, and I think that just speaks for itself.” Hatzenbuehler said that she believes every student should take the opportunity to reach out to the special education community. “If you have the time and you have the energy and it’s something that you might like, do it,” Hatzenbuehler said. “If you like it, you’ll probably fall in love with it.” Working with the special education program has influenced students like Hatzenbuehler, who plans to be a special education teacher in the future. “I love the saying ‘different not less,’ because it’s true; just like there are differences in races or religions, these kids are different,” Hatzenbuehler said. “Just because they’re different doesn’t mean they should be placed outside of everyone else.”
Walter White Jr. Walter White Jr., the son of “Breaking Bad’s” Walter White, who struggles with identity and independence throughout the show. RJ Mitte, the actor who portrays White, also has cerebral palsy.
Going for gold A rundown on Special Olympics Texas Compiled by | Bryn Chambers What is Special Olympics Texas? A year-round movement with more than 300 events at the area, regional and state levels. They provide athletic training and competitions in Olympic sports for kids and adults with disabilities. Notable people Ian Rawn is a 34-year-old figure skater from Plano who competed in Special Olympics Texas and the 2017 Special Olympics in Austria, where he placed fourth in the men’s singles figure skating finals. Future events Special Olympics Texas is holding the Greater Dallas Spring Games on April 28 and 29. The games will include athletics, soccer and tennis. For more information, go to sotx.org/area10.
Volunteering information Volunteers for Special Olympics help in timing, score keeping, helping the athletes and general event support. Volunteers must be older than 15 years old to volunteer alone. For more information, go to sotx.org.
Becky Jackson Becky Jackson is one of the four characters with Down’s syndrome on the TV show, “Glee.” She is a member of the cheerleading team and coach Sue Sylvester’s, assistant. News and Features | 13
Sports Briefs
Compiled by | Jackson Stone and Erik Young
Last push for playoffs Lady Eagles softball team fights to make playoff spot
Photo by | Sarah Stevens
Story by | Mark Young
Girls Soccer The Allen Eagle girls varsity soccer team lost in the third round of the playoffs against Flower Mound Marcus by a score of 3-2. Junior Ally Jackson was the team’s season leading scorer with 13 goals, with 10 coming in the regular season and three in the postseason.
Track and Field The Allen Eagle varsity track team will compete in the district competition on April 12 and 13. Senior distance runner and UT commit Jake Johnson broke his 3200m record and the girls team placed first overall at the Eagle Relays.
Golf The Allen boys golf team tee’d off districts on April 4 and finished fourth overall. This ended the boy’s season, but the girls team will participate in districts on April 11. The team is led by senior Amber Park who has had five top-three finishes and two tournament wins.
All information is accurate as of April 11.
14 | Sports
Sophomore Kelsi Delap gets ready to deliver a pitch in a 9-6 loss against Denton Guyer on March 17.
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ow halfway through district play, the Allen softball team has lost seven of their last eight games. Allen’s overall record is now 11-14, with a 2-7 record in district. The team’s rough patch has not been all bad though, as in six of the seven losses they had a lead for at least two innings.
“We emphasize winning each day with great attitude and effort.” This year’s squad has had to adjust to new head coach with Philip Spaniel. Spaniel was the head coach for the Lady Eagles for 13 years before leaving for a stint as Rowlett’s head man, but now that he’s back it has been a change in culture for the team. With Spaniel back, Allen softball has taken a step in rebuilding the program. “I’m very fortunate to be back in Allen,” Spaniel said. “Allen ISD is a special place to me and my wife. Having been here before and having a familiarity with the Allen way has been great.” Allen softball has not been to the playoffs in 13 years, but even though things are not going so well record-wise, a change in attitude is present. “I was very fortunate to inherit a group of hardworking and hungry young ladies,”
Spaniel said. “We emphasize winning each day with great attitude and effort, only focusing on the things we can control and not worrying about the things we can’t.” The players have kept a positive outlook and believe in the process their coach has instilled in them. “We have a process to stay focused on. We have a great team this year and can compete with anyone we play,” senior third baseman Hannah Shockey said. “We have the ability to get fourth in our district. We just have to stick to our gameplan and believe.”
Allen Softball Schedule 4/11
Denton Guyer
AWAY
4/13
McKinney
HOME
4/18
Plano East
HOME
4/21
Wylie
AWAY
**All games start at 7 p.m.
QA &
with Bo Nickal
Assistant sports editor Parker Primrose caught up with former Allen High School wrestler Bo Nickal in order to get his thoughts on his national championship and reflect on his time at Allen High School. Nickal graduated from Allen High School in 2014 and is now a redshirt sophomore at Penn State. While at Allen, Nickal won three wrestling state championships as well as one championship runner-up while accumulating a 183-7 record. At Penn State, Nickal recently won the national championship for the 184-weight class and received the 2017 NCAA Championship’s Gorriaran Award. Nickal is also a two-time NCAA All-American and has an overall record of 59-3.
What was the national championship experience like?
having awesome times with them, getting to travel around the country and compete and wrestle and hangout with these guys. I really feel like I still have close relationships with some of the guys that I competed with, so it’s just awesome to have those relationships turn into lifelong things where it’s more than just wrestling. I can truly say those guys are going to be my friends for life.
What has been your favorite collegiate moment or collegiate memory up to this point?
If you could go back to Allen and go talk to some freshmen wrestlers right now, what would you tell them?
It was pretty awesome. It really was a weird feeling because I’d visualized it and dreamed about it so many times that when it happened it was really weird, but it was pretty awesome to accomplish one of my goals and something that I’ve worked so hard to do. It felt pretty amazing.
This last NCAA tournament, it was incredible just seeing my teammates go out there and succeed. Since we won five weights in a row, there’s really nothing like that. Getting to experience that and just have everybody around me and all of my family there and all of my best friends, that was really unexplainable and I’ll never forget that. It was an awesome moment.
As someone who helped lay the foundation for the current success of the Allen wrestling program, what’s it like to see team continue to succeed?
It’s great. It makes me really proud to be an alumni of the school. You see the incredible tradition that’s being built there, and it’s just awesome to see how much we dominate year-in and year-out. It’s really cool to have been a part of that myself and I’m really proud to have gone through that program.
What would you say was your favorite memory from wrestling at Allen High School? Oh man, there’s so many. The things that I remember most are just my teammates and
I would say just have fun with wrestling. It’s going to be tough and it’s not always going to be the easiest thing to go through the workouts and all that stuff, but just focus on having fun and putting out your best effort. It’s not necessarily so much about whether you win or whether you lose, just focus on how hard you compete and enjoy the moments. The way I look at it now, I’ve only got so many years left where I get to continue wrestling, so I’m just going to make the most of each moment and I really am just grateful for the opportunities that God blessed me with. So if I could impart just one thing to focus on, it would be gratitude.
For you, it’s almost like you’ve already done it all. So what’s your next goal, what’s next for Bo Nickal?
I’m definitely going to work on improving, just improve a little bit everyday. I’m planning on making some senior-level world teams and the Olympic team a couple of times. I just want to keep wrestling and having fun with it.
Lacrosse The Allen Eagle boys lacrosse team is currently 5-7 after a recent loss to St. Marks by a score of 13-7. They currently have five games left in the season and are out of playoff contention.
Boys Soccer The Allen Eagle boys soccer team lost in the second round of the playoffs with a 4-1 loss against Irving Nimitz. This was the team’s first playoff appearance in seven years and it was highlighted by a 3-0 victory against Flower Mound Marcus in the first round.
Baseball The Allen Eagle varsity baseball team is currently sitting at 16-8 and first place in districts with a 7-1 district record. The team has six games left in district play before playoffs, with seniors Dylan Ditzenberger and Ronnie Taylor leading the way.
IB SENIOR ART EXHIBITION Photos by | Josh Magpantay
Top | Friends and family come out to enjoy the show. Right | Orchestra students Miguel Gomez, Brandon Kim, Eric Jang and Ashley Hong accompany the event with music. ARTISTS AND THEIR ART | Matt Cobaugh, Avery Bonham, Ariel Salazar, Hannah Martinez, Sheridan Hines, Crystal Moulden, Hector Salas, Jade Karp, Lexi Norris, Angelo Moncion, Laeryn Plankley, Kevin Yang
16 | Photo Essay
Photo Essay | 17
The cons of fitting in Column by | Alyssa White
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don’t know where I belong yet. After celebrating my 16th birthday, the realization hit me forcefully. My friends told me happy birthday, like they’re expected to, and made it feel like I made a meaningful piece to their lives. To many others, it’s endearing, but when my friends make the effort, I get anxious. If you’re like me, and you finally find a place where you belong, that’s when you start feeling lonely again. The phenomenon could be loosely described as fearful avoidant attachment, the term used to the type of attachment associated with social anxiety at a young age. This is simply just a type of living, something that cannot be changed easily, if at all. Avoidant attachment lives are characterized by being fearful of being too close or too distant socially with friends and family. Unfortunately, this promotes insecurity, and with insecurity comes isolation, holding its hand and never more than a step behind. Being so vulnerable, I find it nearly impossible to have a close connection with people, even with friends I’ve known for years. There’s a constant cycle of wanting to be quiet, but ultimately failing when anxiety-ridden thoughts become a burden, and it all comes out. When it comes to describing someone that experiences avoidant attachment, the words “brash” and “selfish” come to mind: brash because they think quickly in order to please others, and selfish because they want to help themselves first before thinking about the people around them. I regret meeting one of my friends. Let’s call her Jane. Now, calling us “friends” is a stretch because there had been something between us, but not a relationship. Friend is just what we called each other. I feel guilt when I think of her not because she was the one who hurt me, but because I could not stop hurting her. When Jane and I met
18 | Commentary
through a groupchat, everything had been just fine. There had been a sort of balance; we weren’t talking every day, but when we did talk, everything was comfortable. She was there when I needed her, and while she insisted she didn’t need any help, I always offered it. While I did know what avoidant attachment was at the time, I didn’t think I had it. My therapist had taught me to believe that my past failed friendships were not because of me, and that I could be upset. Blaming myself before was not possible for me, let alone caring about how deeply I could affect others. Almost a year after we had become friends, Jane and I were talking for as long as we were awake. More comfortable with each other, we began to forget our differences and filters. Still, I was not blaming myself for anything, living an egocentric life, and I began to lean on her more. Jane was still hesitant, and only reflected what she felt in short bursts, usually angrily. To this day, I’ve only seen her sad twice. When we had finally confessed our feelings for each other, it had been the both of us crying and looking for help: she had been feeling lost, and I had been desperate for affection. At this point, we had still never fought. However, instead of a fight, one time she had told me to stop bottling things up when I got frustrated. Jane explained to me that it wasn’t healthy and it wasn’t fair to our friends who got caught up in the middle of my anger. For her, I made the effort to communicate my feelings. It was after this that the fights began. They were nasty, truthfully. Both of us had said horrible things, myself holding back from swearing at her until she called me selfish. Together, we came up with horrible names and used them when we
ran out of arguments. We were angry, but now that I look at it, I don’t think it was at each other, at least for me. The first couple of times, we made up on our own, tearful and regretting what we said. However, this quickly disappeared, and soon, I put our mutual friends in a difficult position. One of them is still one of my closest friends today. The others? I don’t remember who broke it off. Maybe it was me. Maybe I had stopped being their friend when their interest in my problems dissipated, and I only received generic replies, if not silence. Either way, we don’t talk anymore, and I know they don’t talk to Jane either. At the time I began writing this column, Jane and I had been okay. Recently, the fights returned, but they are no longer loud like the storm outside at night. They are silent. We avoid each other in the same group chats, and I try not to use her name when I talk to our friends about the situation. Even if I had apologized genuinely, more than once, I do not blame her for not forgiving me. Right now, I sit in the original position. Surrounded by my friends, I fill a role, but I don’t feel like I belong. I joke around and provide commentary my friends remember for the next conversation, but whenever they talk, I can’t remember anything because I’m stuck thinking. While their lips move and I do not hear them, I look at my friends, and think about when I’ll mess up our friendship for good. There will be a day when that happens, it’s inevitable, but that’s fine. For now, I’ll try to fit in with the rest.
Staff editorial: The Editorial Board stands against Autism Speaks
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n solidarity with April’s Autism Awareness Month, special needs foundations, especially on the autism spectrum, hold various events. Autism Speaks is no exception. Autism Speaks is one of the most well-funded organizations for autism awareness. Despite their prominence, Autism Speaks often misallocates their funds and disregards the needs of the group they are supposed to represent. Autism Speaks raises millions every year, but only gives half to aid families with autistic children. The remainder is almost equally distributed between salaries for the board members and other employees, some in the six figures, and research to discover the currently missing connection between the direct causes of autism and genes, symbolized by a blue puzzle piece. Improper appointment of funds is disappointingly common for charitable organizations. While many individuals work hard to support their foundation, at the heart of philanthropy is sacrifice. After all, one cannot expect others to make compromises in their finances to support their charity if they aren’t willing to make
cuts in their own. At best, the excessive distribution of donations to employees is an exercise in egotism, and at worst, it is a deception of supporters. Until October of last year, Autism Speaks was dedicated to “curing” autism, not helping the families impacted. Sure, “was” is past tense, but their rhetoric has made a lasting impact. When the White House went blue in solidarity of those with autism, President Trump made a poorlyreceived comment referencing a cure. This is why their past continues to cause trouble, despite their backpedaling. While autism is a lifelong disorder that can cause numerous challenges for the person and their loved ones, the mistake we must correct is assuming that those with autism are broken. Just because something is difficult does not mean that it should be brushed aside as wholly negative. Those with special needs often face the world with pride, rather than any sort of shame, and rightfully so. Therefore, Autism Speaks’ riddled past of antagonizing autism continues to do harm. Autism Speaks’ approach to this issue is insensitive; their focus on finding a cure and
Building a better future
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long the outskirts of Dallas lies a safe haven for women and children who fear their abusers. These individuals have suffered tremendously and fled unexpectedly with little to nothing besides the clothes on their backs. The Family Place serves as a temporary home for these now homeless women and children and provides them with all the goods and services they need to get back on their feet and living on their own. As for the location of the highly secure building, it must remain confidential to all those besides volunteer group leaders and trustworthy visitors/family members in order to protect the abused from their batterers. These women and children feel trepidation about being abducted by the individual they escaped from and the most cautious measures must be taken in order to preserve their new, healthy lives. Recruiting volunteers and donors, which is how the program receives most of the goods required to sustain a free shelter,
not on the needs of the autistic community is also revealed in the fact that there are only two members of the Autism Speaks board who are on the autism spectrum— out of 31. Ironically, autism is not speaking. Granted, understanding the intricacies of living with any disability is difficult, but many organizations begin by ensuring that as many people with the disability are a part of the process as possible. Most importantly, many people on the autism spectrum have expressed dissatisfaction with the work of Autism Speaks, claiming that it does not support their interests and is more concerned with public appearance. The opinion of those being represented and aided matters the most. To those who still want to contribute to the cause, donate to the Autism Research Institute, the Asperger-Autism Network or the Organization for Autism research. Autism Speaks is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and to truly assist those with autism, the best course of action is to ensure they don’t get a cent of your money.
Column by | Astrid Souto
is quite difficult due to its private status. However, most volunteers arrive in large groups or have some past experience with domestic abuse which motivates them to frequently lend a helping hand. This has been the volunteer recruitment program for a decade. As for donors, there are several well-known branch facilities of the shelter that will collect any donations and deliver them to the abused women without exposing their specific residence. Initially, volunteers commence their work by completing intermediary tasks and taking tours of the facilities, which is what I experienced upon my first visit to the shelter. They had my group of 15 people working on a simple task: painting walls. This relatively easy job allowed us to paint an entire hallway and schedule a tour of the facilities with plenty of time still to spare. As we lathered the walls with gray paint we could not help but notice the abundance of children’s artwork hung up. The heart wrenching tales of fear and escape
contrasted with the artwork that portrayed a new, safe life brought tears to my eyes. I was in disbelief at the thought of a man or a woman actually laying a deceitful, manipulative hand on their spouse and children. I have always sympathized with victims of domestic abuse, but never really went the extra mile to assist them. Now that I have taken the first step in my volunteer work, I have no doubt that I will return. My goal is to work with young children in the facilities’ free school and provide them with a chance to stimulate their learning until they can attend public school, as their fear-inducing abusive experiences have most likely hindered and distracted from their educational experience. These women and their children are terrified and in hiding, but at least they are not alone. They have been taken in under the care of The Family Place and will leave healthy, happy and ready to begin their independent lives.
Commentary | 19
Flipside: Live action Disney movies
Be our guest
How long must this go on?
Column by | Francis Salazar
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isney has long been a part of people’s childhood. From Mickey Mouse to Moana, Disney has been there. Every year Disney expands their presence, and this year it’s through “Beauty and the Beast,” the live action version. This “tale as old as time” is well known, which is why it’s a classic. We know the plot, we know and love the characters, so why wouldn’t we want to see our favorite actors and actresses in these iconic roles? It’s not like seeing live-action versions of different things is weird; it’s actually kind of normal. From “Arrow,” originally a DC Comic, to “Harry Potter,” a fantastic book series, this trend has become so popular, why wouldn’t Disney try it for themselves? Disney has opened up a whole new world of amazing CGI, and they’ve casted actors we know from other things that play the characters we love. As someone who loves Beauty and the Beast, the animation version will always hold a spot in my heart. However, seeing it as a live action movie brings a whole new realness to the film. I remember hearing about the movie and I thought to myself, “we’re getting to see the castle, the rose, the dress.” The live action brings all that to life and more. The movie itself was an amazing blend of CGI and real people. The storytelling was just as good as the original animated movie. From the very beginning to the very end, “Beauty and the Beast” did a great job at retaining the nostalgia and adding something entirely new to the story. While yes, we have heard the story and we’ve seen how it
20 | Commentary
Column by | Alyssa White
plays out, there’s a reason why this trend is so popular. Many times we’ve seen our favorite books and comics transform into something more modern. Although the story was pretty much the same, seeing it with actual humans and not a character that’s animated brings a new type of magic to fans all over the world. Disney has several liveaction movies already planned, and while they run the chance of being boring and stretching things out, they also bring a chance of more kids seeing the movies and having the Disney movie magic in their life. The live action movie is bringing Disney to the newest generation, keeping the story but adding something new to the story, and these movies will be the forefront of that.
S
ince Cinderella saved Walt Disney, the audience has either hated or loved the company. As more princesses were released with every new “Once upon a time,” their popularity grew and it became an expectation to watch Disney, worship Disney, breathe Disney. “Beauty and the Beast,” among many of the other classic princess tales, became a childhood staple. So far, there are 22 live action films planned. Previously, there was “Snow White.” Now, we have “Beauty and the Beast.” Later, we will supposedly have “Mulan,” brought to life on a big screen to retell the story many of us know by heart through the original animated film. Soon, we’ll see Disney princess movies the way we do
superhero movies: drawn out, milked and repetitive. When superhero movies became the trend, it was exciting. Plenty of fans were overjoyed when all their favorites were coming to life, rightfully so. However, when it was revealed that plans for superhero movies were going to to at least the year 2020, many realized that the live action was not meant for the fans of the original story, but to make new fans by creating a modern version. Welcome to the future of Disney, everyone. Once the first few films do well, Disney will quickly escalate into creating movies for sequels and prequels that may not even officially exist with the animated version. The fans will have to face movies that aren’t made for their enjoyment, but to make money off a trend that will surely be stretched out for several years. Admittedly, I didn’t enjoy Disney as much as a child as my friends did, but I do enjoy a few movies. The stories are cute, and I wouldn’t turn down watching one with my little cousin if they asked. The intention of Disney with these films is to not please the fans, although I acknowledge no business decision is solely for the fans, but these films are nothing but a grab for your money. If you enjoy the new live action Beauty and the Beast, I’m glad. Be careful with your expectations, however, because in a few years we might just find ourselves in the shoes of DC and Marvel fans when Disney begins making movies about Ariel’s daughter.
Please, take my money ‘Don’t Take The Money’ review Review by | Felix Kalvesmaki
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fter three years without any new material, the Brooklyn-based indie pop project Bleachers released the debut single from their upcoming sophomore effort. “Don’t Take The Money” is an easygoing, ascending ode to intimate moments and late night conversations, with the familiar ‘80s charm and booming choruses that have defined Bleachers’ sound. To start off, the lyricism is stellar. Reportedly co-written by Lorde (who also contributed vocally—more on that later), the lyrics read with a colorful and clever perspective. The couplets don’t seem to follow a particular rhyme scheme, a daring but rewarding move on behalf of Jack Antonoff, the lone man behind Bleachers. The second verse doesn’t rhyme at all, and it initially caught me off guard, but it gives way to an unadulterated expression of emotion. Rather than focusing on conforming to structure, Antonoff just wants to sing what he feels and that honesty is satisfying.
Sonically, the song could soundtrack a John Hughes movie. There’s a “Don’t You Forget About Me” vibe laced in the production, from the synths and the rolling bassline to the echoing guitar. The booming drums, along with their trademark vocal layering brings the single to stadium-size proportions. Antonoff is extraordinarily talented at capturing emotion in his music, both lyrically and sonically. “Don’t Take The Money” just sounds euphoric, like it could carry you into space and speed you through galaxies. It’s road trip-worthy music that runs away with you. One of the more intriguing aspects is Lorde’s role in this song’s creation. As previously mentioned, she has a writing credit, but by the last chorus of “Don’t Take The Money,” it’s practically a duet. But this isn’t a complaint; Lorde’s voice compliments Antonoff’s extraordinarily well. Their harmonies are beautiful and add even more flair onto this uplifting and anthemic track.
Caught on tape ‘13 Reasons Why’ review Review by | Corinne Chandler
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he Netflix original “13 Reasons Why” made its debut March 31, and if you’re anything like me, you finished all 13 episodes promptly. I am all but ashamed to say that I binge watched the entire season in a single weekend. A series like this deserves a devoted binger like myself to dissect this all too real phenomenon. The series covers every excruciatingly painful topic under the sun. It’s relevance begins with suicidal 17-year-old Hannah Baker. In retro fashion, she deliberately leaves behind 13 cassette tapes explaining the reasons why she took her own life. These “reasons” just happened to be people in her life. Sexuality, multiple sexual assaults, domestic violence, gun violence and alcohol abuse all play a role in our society, where brushing these issues under the rug is often the suggested solution. Perhaps this is why I am so incredibly smitten with “13 Reasons Why,” because of its intense and deep realness. This show reveals the consequences that come along with
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However, there are a few things that give me pause. For one, there’s a lack of vocal samples. Little spoken-word cut-ins sprinkled Bleachers’ debut record “Strange Desire,” with little “Hey!’s” or “Go!’s” in the back. However, those seem to be missing here. Secondly, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of growth from “Strange Desire” to this newest release. Sure, it’s one single, but as of now, I’m a little worried about a potential plateau of growth. I’d really just like to hear Bleachers’ sound develop more. Overall, this track showcased a powerful launch into their upcoming era. Bleachers deserves a solid A for the emphatic and glorious “Don’t Take The Money.”
A
pretending like these problems don’t exist. Alongside Clay Jensen, the boy hopelessly and quietly in love with Hannah, we listen to her horrible stories of what her peers have done to her and others. Clay appears on tape 11, given the tapes by person 10, and is supposed to pass them onto the person on tape 12. Clay gradually loses himself in the tapes and is overridden with guilt, unlike the rest of the “reasons.” At first glance, it was easy to label her peers as immoral, but the lesson became clear with tape three. In order to hide her sexuality, the third person on the tapes creates rumors about Hannah in efforts to mask her own struggle. Throughout the rest of the show, the characters took the option to protect themselves and hurt someone else. While I was not appreciative of the occasionally sub-par acting, I felt that the characters and storyline discussed touchy topics in the most tasteful way possible. I completely honor a medium that has the maturity to talk about girls being assaulted
or boys getting kicked out by their own mother. Being able to present these topics to teenagers in a way they can appreciate, like Netflix, is something hardly done anymore by media. On a scale of one to 10 “13 Reasons Why” deserves a, well a 13. Targeting it toward teenagers is the perfect way to communicate valuable messages deeming it worthy of an A.
Commentary | 21
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