EA Allen High School Issue 5 Volume 35 April 2018
popping the bubble Students, faculty at Allen discuss the pressures and ramifications of drugs on campus | page 10
> Reigning robots
A-team robotics head to world championships, wins award | page 5
> a year for the books
‘The Eagle’ editors reflect on yearbook experience | page 7
> work of art
Eleven original student pieces hang in new One Bethany office building | page 8
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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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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
NEWS/FEATURE
Briefly speaking.......................................................... 2 Q&A with Daniel Washington..................................3 Earthfest canceled due to cold weather....................4 Students, teachers reflect on first year of arena scheduling.....................................................................4 Reigning robots............................................................5 A story between the lines: Esther Drish...................6 A year for the books...................................................7 Work of art...................................................................8 Red, white and new.................................................... 9
COVER STORY
Online Editor | Natalie McMahon
Popping the bubble...........................................10-13 Students, faculty at Allen discuss the pressures and ramifications of drugs on campus. Turn to page 10 to read about why students use drugs, and what happens to our school with that culture.
Photo Editor | Tate Peterson
SPORTS
Assistant Sports Editor | Erik Young
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 by | Tate Peterson
Table of Contents
Spring swing...............................................................14 Ending on the right foot...........................................15
PHOTO ESSAY
Holi smokes...........................................................16-17
COMMENTARY
Tetherball....................................................................18 Staff editorial..............................................................19 Artists of Allen: Phoebe Zalenski............................19 Shuffle play................................................................ 20 Review: ‘A Quiet Place’.............................................21 Review: ‘AMERICA’.................................................21
Letter to the Reader
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ach April, it seems to be that we’re crawling to the beginning of June. Onepage worksheets seem cumbersome, and college, finals and AP exam stress is everlooming. The lack of sleep catches up, and naps become longer and more frequent. There’s also a sense of reckless abandon; it’s suddenly easier to not have any inhibitions and make unusual, if a little knuckle-brained, choices. As we go through high school, there’s a growth in how much more freedom we get, culminating in leaving the home you’ve had since forever to forge a new home somewhere else. And that freedom brings new, unknown, previously taboo experiences. This issue, we’ve covered the drug culture at our school, and how it’s impacted its students and staff. On our cover we used a pencil instead of a cigarette to illustrate the everyday apathy some members of our community have towards drugs; they use opioids the same way they would treat an ordinary writing utensil. We want to start and continue a conversation about drugs on our campus, and how a lack of concern spurs a growing problem into a crisis. Other conversations are starting at our school, too. We spoke with one of Allen High’s security guards to understand why he works to keep us safe amidst dangerous times, and what he wants us to do with that security. We interviewed an AP English teacher to find out what drives her to inspire students like ourselves for a living, and how teenagers can grow into informed young adults. Our personal column this issue focuses around mental illness and the societal discourse surrounding it, and why the words we speak, and the choices we make, have shockwaves of ramifications. If nothing else, take this away: your choices matter. Whether that’s a choice to fall asleep early and avoid doing a one-page worksheet, or pouring a few pills into your hand to make getting through the day a little easier. Everything you do has consequences, good or bad. All we ask is that you choose carefully. Sincerely,
News and Features | 1
Briefly Speaking
Compiled by | Caroline Tucker
Red Cross blood drive
Speaker of the House to retire
Conflicts with Syria
Allen, Texas | On April 17, another Red Cross blood drive takes place to help provide hospitals with blood to patients in hospitals. Students who are 16 and above have the chance to give blood and save a life.
Washington, D.C. | House Speaker Paul Ryan announced his retirement once he decided that he would not be running for reelection. The Republican Party scrambles for someone to replace him while fearing that they may lose control of the House.
Berlin | Germany has declared that it will not send any military troops to Syria but said that the use of chemical weapons is completely unacceptable. Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that it is important for Germany to remain in a united state against the attack on Douma that has been allegedly caused by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.
Unauthorized vaccine under Allen, Texas | During the week of April 16, investigation
A time of remembrance|
AHS celebrates the lives of students and staff members who have passed away with Remembrance Week. Several activities take place in honor of those who left an impact on Allen residents.
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Carbondale, Illinois | Southern Illinois University professor, William Halford, is being investigated by the FDA for supposedly injecting people with an unauthorized vaccine for herpes. Halford, who died in 2016, is just now being investigated for his experimental vaccines given to patients under unsafe standards.
Ancient fossil found Glastonbury | An extremely old jaw bone was found in Southwest England that belonged to a sea creature that existed back when the dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Fossil collector Paul de la Salle discovered the bone near Somerset in 2016, and it is just now being recognized as one of the largest animals to ever live on this planet.
QA &
Photo by | Parker Primrose
with DANIEL Washington
The Eagle Angle’s sports editor Parker Primrose talked with Allen High School security guard Mr. Washington to ask about his hobbies, ask him for life advice, and learn why he became a security guard.
How did you decide to be a security guard? Well actually it wasn’t my plan really. I think it was probably God’s plan over mine. I actually wanted to be a police officer, and I went to two different police departments and actually made it, but I didn’t make it in the end for weird reasons. So I ended up here. I started in ‘08, and I worked three years in the janitorial department. Then I got promoted and came over to security. I love it here. I drove big rigs across the country for a while. I could be doing a lot of other things. I’d rather be doing this, to tell you the truth.
What would you say is your favorite part of being a security guard here at Allen? I really do take you guys’ safety first, over everything else. I think that’s why I’ve lasted for almost 10 years, for that reason. It may not be the best thing about the job, but it’s what I treat as the most important.
What’s kept you here for 10 years? You guys. To see a generation graduate, 10 generations of students graduate, it’s a beautiful thing.
A lot of the people don’t know the names of the security guards, but everyone knows who Mr. Washington is. Why do you think that is? Because of the years that I’ve been working here, and I try to deal with all students fairly and equally. You kind of become popular when you do that. I’m not real hard on students or real strict. When I’m here, my first priority is safety, and after that, the rest is what comes with the job.
What do you like to do in your free time? Video games. Call of Duty. My favorite one right now is probably Team Bravo.
What’s one random or interesting fact you think no one knows about you? My time in the Marine Corps, what I did in the Marine Corps, stuff like that. I went in ‘77 and I was stationed in Hawaii. I got lucky in getting stationed in Hawaii. I did that for a couple of years, but if you know anything about Hawaii, if you kind of Google and look up the history of the Marines in Hawaii, a lot of things happened over there that people don’t hear about here in the states. Look it up. Very interesting, very interesting time. I enlisted because I wanted to go, to do my part for my country.
With everything that you’ve done and experienced, what advice do you have for someone who’s about to start out on their journey? Go to college or enlist in the service. Think about your future, your future’s important. Always try to think ahead. Look down the line at where you want to be in 10 years, and then try to strive for that. You’d be surprised how easy it is to get there. You talk to the right people, do the right things, and one thing will lead to another. You start doing one thing, you start realizing you’re taking another path, you look up and you end up doing a lot more things than you think you could or ever would have. You guys, for y’all’s generation, you have the opportunity to do a lot of things.
News and Features | 3
Earthfest canceled due to cold weather Story by | Morgan Pryor
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lunging temperatures have resulted in the cancellation of Earthfest 2018, planned to take place at Dayspring Nature Preserve behind Boon Elementary School on Saturday, April 7. The celebration was intended to promote the outdoors and the overall health of the community. Earth Day, with a worldwide date of April 22, emphasizes the importance of environmental protection and awareness all over the globe. For nine years, Keep Allen Beautiful has put on Earthfest — in addition to recycling programs and regular community clean-ups — to recognize the significance of community participation in staying green. This year, however, the celebration will not be rescheduled due to Keep Allen Beautiful’s already full calendar. “As it turns out, it was colder than expected. Cold temperatures in muddy conditions is a big deterrent to families,” City of Allen education specialist José Diaz said. “Families are our main focus.” With the goal of teaching Allen residents about preserving the environment and
improving the city’s appearance, education specialists were planning interactive activities dealing with water conservation, litter prevention and recycling. According to Diaz, each aspect has a real world effect on how municipalities manage waste and environmental resources. “I don’t think that people are aware of the different things people are fighting against,” Diaz said. “Even though we’ve had a record last two years on our annual Litter Index, fighting litter is a constant problem in Allen.” State organizations, such as the Texas Parks and Wildlife department, were hoping to shed light on the impact of hunting animals with displays and booths. However, the event is open to any group hoping to promote their cause, as long as they could operate it. “Groups who want to participate simply need to select a topic then put together a display and activity for the booth,” Diaz said. “We don’t charge non-profits to be part of Earthfest.” In addition to educating the community, civic and student involvement in events like
Earthfest are important to the Keep Allen Beautiful cause. At Earthfest, local scouts, school clubs and teachers were going to work together to reach as much of the community as possible with their projects. “Earthfest is made up of entirely members of the community and volunteers,” Diaz said. “Most of the vendors that come to Earthfest are non-profits, parents, students, educators and scouts. That’s why the education component is very strong.” All year long, Keep Allen Beautiful hosts many events to reach the environmental goals of the city, and volunteers play a major role in running most of these programs. Even though Earthfest won’t go on this year, the organization is already planning their next event: the Great American Cleanup on April 28. “We are looking for 60 volunteers [for the Great American Cleanup],” Diaz said. “I know there are a ton of students needing hours. We can accomplish great things with the right amount of volunteers.”
Students, teacher reflect on scheduling Story by | Divya Jagadeesh
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s course selection for the 2018-2019 school year draws to a close, Allen High School’s administration has a better indication of how the new arena scheduling process works, and what needs to be adjusted. Associate Principal Jackie Schornick said the small amount of help tickets put in by students was indicative of a relatively successful first run. “For a first-year implementation, you’re expecting a few [problems],” Schornick said. “Overall, I want to say we had a little less than 2,000 help tickets, so it wasn’t nearly as many help tickets that I was afraid we might get.” Some students, like junior Catherine Norton, said it was difficult to get the schedule they wanted even when they began working on their schedule as soon as it was available.. “I woke up at 6:30 a.m. when it opened, at 6:45 a.m., the eighth period off period was gone,” Norton said. “All the classes I
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wanted were really full, and it was just hard to get the classes you wanted.” According to Schornick, the amount of students who can have a certain privilege period has been limited for the past two to three years, but students weren’t aware of this until they began making their own schedules.
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I kind of feel like we were just thrown into it.
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- Junior Catherine Norton
“The school made a shift there,” counselor Donna Marshall said. “There are less spaces in those common privilege periods than there have been in previous years because it’s hard to run a school with so many kids leaving at 1 p.m.” Norton said she didn’t feel prepared for using the arena scheduling process because she didn’t know much about it.
“I kind of feel like we were just thrown into it,” Norton said. Marshall says a goal for next year is to make sure she and the counselors emphasize key information about the process. “That’s always our goal: to improve and build on what we can offer,” Marshall said. “Also with the STEAM center opening, we’re also going to be seeing more scheduling options open to students. Schornick says that some problems this year came from using the process for the first time, and from letting incoming seniors choose their classes first because they have a lot of choice in their schedules. “Anytime you implement something new, there are going to be things that you have to adjust,” Schornick said. “It’s nice, though, because while we’ve gotten some negative feedback, you still get information from that person, and you can use that to make things better.”
Reigning robots
A-team robotics head to world championships, wins award Story by | Alyssa Holloway
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llen High School’s Robotics team recently received the Chairman’s Award and got a ticket to Worlds, and showcases that Allen’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics, programs are extremely successful for students looking to pursue career paths in those areas. As a growing, successful club since September of 2014 and spreading Allen’s name through their multiple accomplishments, the Robotics team is for students who are looking for a fun and competitive way to demonstrate their creativity while being apart of a team. Dedicating every Tuesday and Thursday to club meetings in K214 after school, and Saturday meetings from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the members for Eagle Robotics Team 5417 stay dedicated to their cause and their club. Amanda Miller, a sophomore and a member of Robotics for her second year, joined the team because of her fascination with building things and seeing how things work.
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Knowing the judges picked you for what you’ve done for the community is amazing.
- Sophomore Amanda Miller “When we got the Chairman’s Award, it was really emotional,” Miller said “The team and I have dedicated so many hours — myself around 300 — to this, and just to have it all come together was really cool.” “Knowing the judges picked you for what you’ve done for the community is amazing, and people across the world come to these competitions to compete and cheer for each other. Robotics is about coming together, not destroying other people’s bots.” Eagle Robotics has won two tickets to Worlds for the team, one through winning the Chairman’s Award in Houston, and the other through their team captain winning the Rookie All-Star Award. Ashley Adams, a sophomore and a first-year member, said she joined robotics through recommendation from her engineering teacher.
Senior Ayush Agarwal works on a part of the club’s robot for competition. Photo by | Jacob Burke
“I didn’t think I’d be doing as much as I am, but I’ve learned so much in the time I’ve been in Robotics, and have gained more responsibility than I would’ve thought I’d get,” Adams said. “The first day I joined Robotics I was scared because they all looked so much smarter than me, but when I went there, everyone was super helpful and taught me a lot. [Getting a ticket to Worlds] was really fun, and we all started screaming when we got it. ” Robotics teams consist of one or more drivers, a human player, a technician and a captain. As the robot become more complicated, more drivers are needed to control the multiple functions of the robot. What happens during a competition varies on the game the robot participates in, but the students make the robots perform tasks of picking up cubes to gain points by placing them on a teeter-totter and making it tilt to their side. There is a showcase outside of K224 portraying their awards and success’ over the years, and continues to grow. “Robotics is really creative,” Miller said.
“Even if your design fails, you can always fix what you did wrong. During meetings, we talk about what design works and what doesn’t, and we redesign and computer-aid design new designs.” Robotics is a fun way for students looking to pursue careers in the [STEAM] field, and the team-based side of it allows for development of character and exposure to others with the same passion. “Robotics has help me grow as a leader, and has allowed me to push myself further in the [STEAM] field.” Miller said. “Also, our team is very diverse with many different ages and religions, and we have grown into a family. We all get along and work together.” Adams says she feels similarly about her teammates, and said Robotics has been really fun for her. “My teammates are super supportive and will never belittle you,” Adams said. “I’ve learned so many new skills from Robotics, and it’s been an amazing experience.”
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The story between the lines: Esther Drish English teacher Esther Drish discusses her journey to teaching, her bond with students Story by | Caroline Tucker
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othing ever stays the exact same. People go through change; countries, politics, it all changes at one point or another. English teacher Esther Drish has had hands-on experience with the process of reaching her goal and where she wants to be in life. “I was not one of those ‘you know when you’re young’ type of teachers,” Drish said. “I knew I wanted to work with other people and I wanted to pursue counseling. That was the plan.” When life offers hints as to where a person belongs, some aren’t clearly read until the point of destination. Drish said she looked back at her time as a student and realized that her love for English was sparked by previous teachers. “Having the opportunity to work with younger people, feeling like I was influencing these young minds in some way,that’s what matters to me.” Drish said. “I had always enjoyed English in school, and I wanted to spread that passion.” Drish knew that she wanted to work with high schoolers because she wanted the conversation. But dreams that people strive for always come with hard work. Even after the goal is achieved, stress levels still remain high and the work does not get easier. “Teachers are on the front lines; it’s as if we’re on stage,” Drish said. “The minute those classes start, we are on stage, we cannot relax. You can’t say, ‘I don’t feel like teaching.’ You’re on high alert, like an air traffic controller.” Along with serving as a door to knowledge, Drish also fills the role of an emotional connection to her students who have sat at the tables in her English classroom. “I have wonderful students. I have kids that come to me years later, telling me how much I influenced them, sometimes on a personal level,” Drish said. “One little girl wrote me and said how I had taken her aside in San
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Antonio and lended her a dress. I don’t even remember doing that.” Within that mindset, Drish wants to establish herself as someone who serves as more than a teacher, but a role model as well. “All of my [favorite memories] revolve around my students, and that they learn to see me beyond the English teacher,” Drish said. “I love seeing the light bulb moment.”
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Teachers are on the front lines; it’s as if we’re on stage.
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- Esther Drish
Although the work can be distracting, Drish said she finds ways to bond with her students, establishing a connection with each of them. She said one thing she’s learned from teaching is that no single person can be judged by the way the look or talk; people have
Photo courtesy of | Esther Drish
no clue of what’s going on inside each individual person. “My first period came together before school to class, bringing their breakfast before school, we started calling it ‘the breakfast club,’ Drish said. “We would sit and talk about what was going on the world. When the kids aren’t afraid to express their opinion and learning how to do it with an open mind, I knew that I was doing what I was hoping to do.” Drish said she hopes to leave a mark on her students, to encourage them to embrace their passions and to pursue them like she did with hers. She aspires to encourage the young people who go through her class to go out into the world with a ready mind. “These are lessons you can carry outside the classroom, just in dealing with your fellow adults,” Drish said. “It’s about hoping to send you out into the world as critical civic participant in the world.”
A year for the books The Eagle editors reflect on yearbook experience Story by | Julia Zaksek
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s the school year draws to a close and students make their final memories for the 20172018 school year, the editors of the Allen High School yearbook conclude a long project of their own. The AHS yearbook, nearly four hundred pages long and growing every year, will soon be available for students. In its painstakingly crafted pages, students can relive their year, from Homecoming to a couple of the state games. “I didn’t know I would go into yearbook, but once I got into it, I realized I enjoyed designing and writing, and sometimes taking pictures,” yearbook editor-in-chief Aezra Jadormeo said. “It wasn’t something I thought I would one day lead in.” Jadormeo now oversees a staff of 25 students who all are encouraged to write stories on the happenings at AHS, design a variety of spreads and take photos of school events. “While I was in the [introductory] class, I really loved designing so I decided to join yearbook,” Junior managing editor Sanjana Reddy said. “Then, while I was in yearbook, I discovered I also had strengths in writing, so I’m glad that yearbook helped me discover new things about myself.” Creating a 300-plus-page yearbook takes nearly the entire year. Editors begin planning themes and layouts before school even starts, and they spend the entire school year, up until around mid-April, to creating the book. “I really do have a passion for creating things and then showing it off to people,” Jadormeo said. “Being the editor-in chief –– it’s not only helped me in designing and writing, but also being a leader in the school and for my peers.” The editors in particular dedicate time to the yearbook, typically having the class every day in order to maximize working hours.
Photo courtesy of | Aezra Jadormeo
“[The staff and editors] not only share the memories of the school year, but we have our own memories that we make in the classroom,” Jadormeo said. “One of my favorite parts of yearbook is just the relationships I’ve made with the old editors and the new editors.” As graduation grows near, Jadormeo says she hopes she will remain close with next year’s editors, just as she remained close with the editors of the 2016-2017 school year. “I still talk to the old editors, and I hope to continue my relationship with the editors now ” Jadormeo said. Photography editor Sarah Stevens says her experience as a yearbook editor has in part inspired her to continue her education in journalism. “I’m doing journalism as my major, and I want to do photojournalism again and work on the newspaper or magazine at my college,” Stevens said. “I’m also going to college with two [editors] and that will be really fun.” Stevens says she enjoyed attending and photographing school events, such as the state football championship game.
“At the state game when they won the trophy I was in the middle of everything, around all these professional photographers,” Stevens said. “It was really cool to be a part of all that.” Many small deadlines lead up to the final deadline, which the editors always commemorate with a celebration. “Creating something you worked so hard on and then sharing that with the rest of the school is something that not everyone can do,” Jadormeo said. “It’s just nice to make something you worked so hard on, release it, and have people appreciate it. As the year draws to a close and the books begin to return from the presses, the editors reflect on the importance of the yearbook to their high school. “You can’t remember all the things that happen in high school, and it’s something to look back on five, or ten, or twenty years from now,” Jadormeo said. “People usually think about high school as the worst time of their life, but it’s still a part of their life. It’s important to look back at these moments and see yourself grow from this weird freshman to an [adult].” News and Features | 7
WORK OF ART
Eleven original student pieces hang in new One Bethany office building.
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Story by | Maya Morriswala
fter weeks and months of hard work, was the only parameter that they gave us, 11 Allen High School student artists not even a size, just the word large.” won a competition hosted by Kaizen To Pang, the submitted works seemed Development Partners and the Allen High to be mostly abstract works, a trend that School Arts Department. As a result, those she followed in her Andy Warhol-inspired artists’ original pieces now hang in the One prints. Bethany East office building, which is in its “[Warhol’s piece] was called ‘Flowers final phases of construction. 1961,’ and basically, it was this really bright, Senior Rae McGraw won first place colorful set of prints, so I wanted to make for her piece “Reflections in Glass” which, mine look like a set of prints, and I wanted according to McGraw, was inspired by the to keep the flower motif,” Pang said. “I glass installation in Kaizen’s buildings. decided to make it look like road tracks “I was thinking about something that were going over the flowers, so I called it would look well in a modern building and ‘Flowers By The Road’ as a nod to ‘Flowers looked at some of the other stuff Kaizen 1961,’ and I basically, tried to follow the has done,” McGraw said. “They had a lot of same kind of color scheme.” glass installation so I was like, ‘okay, I want to do something with glass.’ So I went to the storage room, and I saw some wine bottles, and I was like, ‘Okay, here’s my inspiration.’” McGraw took about a month on her piece, even coming to school over Christmas break to work on it. As she worked in the beginning and middle stages, she experienced some doubt. “There were many times I was like, ‘this is awful, but that’s just kind of how making art works,’” McGraw said. “Then you get to the end, and The 11 honorees of the Kaizen art competition pose for a photo. you’re like, ‘wow, that really Photo courtesy of | David Hicks looks nice. I’m so amazed that it came At the unveiling ceremony on March together like that.’” 5, Kaizen announced the winners to the Another challenge for McGraw was students, parents and teachers. McGraw color mixing since she said that many of said that she was not surprised, and she the colors she needed did not come straight cited her effort as a contributing factor to from the bottle. Yet another challenge was her success. the size of the art itself. “I have talent, but that’s definitely not “I [made] sure the image didn’t get really what came into play here,” McGraw distorted because it was an eight foot by said. “I was up here every single chance I four foot,” McGraw said. “Also, covering got, and I had the time to go in and work large areas at once was a bit of a challenge on it. Even if I didn’t have the time, I went because it was such a large work.” in and I made the time.” Art size was one of the few requirements Pang, on the other hand, said that she given according to junior Dora Pang, who was really surprised by the results. received an honorable mention for her piece, “[My piece] took about two weeks, “Flowers by the Road.” three hours per day, but I know some “I really have no idea how the selection people that were working on it for months process went down because they said they on end, and they didn’t get it, so I was really wanted large pieces of art,” Pang said. “That shocked,” Pang said. “And I knew they
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were going for abstract, but I thought mine was way too out there, but I guess not, so I was really, really shocked actually.” Another student whose art is hanging in One Bethany, honorable mention winner junior Piper Roman, created “Mind and Body,” a piece including portraits of many of her classmates. “I’m super happy not just because it got into the building but because this was the largest project I’ve ever made, and those were by far the best portraits I’ve ever done,” Roman said. “I was overjoyed [when I was selected] because I was anxious for weeks about this. [I] didn’t cry, but I called my mom.” Roman, Pang and McGraw alike have something they believe distinguishes or differentiates them from other artists, allowing them to come as far as they had. Roman believes she differs in deciding what art to create. “I don’t do stuff that has big meaning,” Roman said. “I just do it because I like it.” In contrast to Roman, Pang feels she is different more in the sense of her lifetime experience with art and her openness to experimenting with new things. “I know for a fact that most artists have not had the same lifetime journey that I’ve had with having [an] art teacher since I was barely able to walk,” Pang said. “I think what really differentiates me is the fact that I’m willing to go out and try new things. I just switched to a new art teacher, and I just started new mediums right when my art is most important.” However, McGraw believes what makes her different does not have to do with her talent, but rather her work ethic. “I’d be up at 5 a.m. drawing and planning stuff, so I don’t really think there’s something that really distances me from other artists other than just, I’m willing to really go in and work on it,” McGraw said. “I don’t sleep much, so I’m doing art instead of sleeping. I’m one of those people who once I can get my hands on something, I can take it and run with it.”
RED, WHITE AND NEW Tallenettes bring in a new director before annual showcase Story by | Jenna Sturgeon
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he Tallenettes are a dance group known for their energetic performances and sparkly outfits in red, white and blue. As part of the Allen Eagle Escadrille, the Tallenettes perform at pep rallies and during the halftime show of the Friday night football games. Recently, the Tallenettes have undergone a major change in their program by hiring a new director, Sarah Pilukaitis. “My previous job was at Anderson High School in Austin, Texas,” Pilukaitis said. “I thought it was going to be my job forever, but life happens and here I am.” Pilukaitis previously danced as a Kilgore College Rangerette and has experience teaching a variety of dance styles. “I started when I was about three years old, just tap and ballet to start with,” Pilukaitis said. “Over time I was just shot into several other styles and [have] primarily studied jazz, ballet, modern and contemporary.”. After moving to the Dallas area, Allen stood out the most to Pilukaitis when choosing her next position as a dance instructor. “Allen has an amazing reputation, not only the dance program, but the school in itself,” Pilukaitis said. “I [also] really liked the facilities here at Allen. A lot of dance instructors don’t have their own studio and gym, so that was really awesome.” Even though she has only been at Allen since late February, Pilukaitis has been able to tell the Tallenettes are hard-working girls ready to take on any challenge. “[Due to] the reputation the program has, I always heard really great things about it,” Pilukaitis said. “The things that I have noticed [since being here] are definitely [that the girls are] hardworking, kind spirits, [with] really sweet personalities.” One of the accomplishments of the Tallenettes group is their ability to build and train leaders. “Teaching [the team] parts of life like responsibility, integrity and showing up on time [are] things [they] need for the real world,” Williams said. The Tallenettes dance styles vary from jazz and hip hop to contemporary and
lyrical, depending on the time of year, but they have a signature move that lasts all year: their kicks. “I would say that one of their strengths is their kick technique and kick ability,” Pilukaitis said. “Where I am from, we didn’t really focus on [kicks]. We were more of a dance team.” Most students know the Tallenettes for their sharp drill team-style performances during football games. “Our field routines, our jazz routines and our kick routines, they are very precise counts, everything has an angle [and] everything has a look,” Williams said. Although she hopes to bring out the more competitive side of the Tallenettes, Pilukaitis plans to keep the spirit of Allen strong in the group. “I think the traditions they have are really strong,” Pilukaitis said. “I would definitely like to stick to those traditions because I know that is important to the kids.” Senior Vivienne Williams, the captain of the Tallenettes, began dancing at a studio in kindergarten and joined the Tallenettes her freshman year. “I had never really been involved in school,” Williams said. “I had seen them dance, and the uniforms are beautiful, so it just seemed like a good organization to be a part of.” After working at her previous job for
six years, Pilukaitis is most looking forward to the challenge and excitement of adapting to her new role. “[I] get to see a different way of doing things and a different set of kids,” Pilukaitis said. “Getting to know the community and the kids a little better, that is what I’m really excited about.” The Tallenette members include freshmen up to seniors, but they still strive to be an inclusive and welcoming group according to Williams. “We try to instill that connection and friendship with everyone,” Williams said. “We just try to be as tight knit as we can be.” In the spring semester, the Tallenettes change gears to focus on their competitions and showcase, which will be at the Performing Arts Center on May 18 and 19. “But competition and showcase really allows us to go into more of our lyrical and contemporary and allows us to truly dance and feel the emotion,” Williams said. The Tallenettes earned second place overall at their spring contest with first place in the team open category and first place for the officers in the contemporary category, along with some solo and small group titles. “In the end, if you work hard, the fun and the happiness come with it,” Williams said.
The Tallenettes get in position for their half-time performance on Sept. 14. Photo by | Sarah Stevens
News and Features | 9
Popping the bubble A closer look at drug culture in Allen. Story by | Natalie McMahon and Christian Hinton
10 | News and Features
D
uring senior Sara’s* junior year, her ex-boyfriend got addicted to Xanax. He would miss school. He would miss work. He would forget entire conversations. He would spend money on drugs rather than save for things like gas money and college. It wasn’t until she gave him an ultimatum that he gradually stopped. That same year, senior Bryan* started experimenting with drugs. He began with vaping with his friends. Eventually, he went onto psychedelics such as LSD and MDMA. Drugs did not have the same effect on Bryan. To him, drugs magnified his appreciation for life. * Names have been changed to protect identity
Teenage drug culture Graphic by | Caroline Tucker
= 10%
Information courtesy of | Archives of General Psychiatry
Had Opportunity to try drugs
Actually did drugs
Drug abusers
This study, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, looked at a representative sample of 10,123 teens between the ages of 13 to 18. News and Features | 11
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 7.9 percent of adolescents in 2016 were users of illicit drugs, the lowest in decades. Support for recreational drug use has increased significantly in recent years with 64 percent of Americans supporting legalization of marijuana, according to Gallup polls. Crisis counselor Jennifer Atencio said students turn to drugs for a variety of reasons, such as stimulation to improve academically, as a way to cope with trauma or mental health issues, or because it’s socially acceptable. “[Peer pressure is] probably the biggest [reason], but I would say the second closest would be stress, depression, [or] anything that’s going to cause problems at home [such as] parents going through a divorce, grades are terrible, applying for colleges, making huge decisions at such a young age where you don’t feel like you’re mature enough to make those decision, and you have a lot of pressure on your head,” student resources officer John Booth said. “Stresses, depression, peer pressure — that would be the reason why people turn to drugs.” Bryan said social norms regarding drugs have evolved significantly in the past few decades regarding marijuana legalization and the different stereotypes that follow. “I would say that I did it because of friends, but I feel like that can carry a negative connotation of peer pressure, but then I’d also say that you can apply that to all sorts of positive things in your life,” Bryan said. “If you have a friend that flies remote-controlled airplanes and you think that’s really cool, and you take it up too, that’s not a bad thing. Almost everything you do, almost all your passions are derived from other people who had them before you.” Sara said that the main influences
that led her ex-boyfriend to become addicted to Xanax were social media and his friends who also used the drug. “I have conversations with students who do their best to persuade me that marijuana is a positive for them,” Atencio said. “The TSH content that available in marijuana is significantly higher than what was even available ten, fifteen years ago, and so I think that not enough research has been done on what drug use -- and you can cite particularly marijuana use -- is going to have on students. Every year, [users] continue to expand the time at which the brain becomes fully developed, which I think at this point, it’s your early twenties, so if you’re introducing a substance at age 15, 16, 17 and you continue that usage while your brain still developing, there is just a lot we don’t know about the impact that it’s going to have.” Atencio said that drugs can disturb a student’s life in ways that can affect future decisions and opportunities in more ways than a student can understand.
“Stresses, depression peer pressure — that would be the reason why people turn to drugs.” - Student Resources Officer John Booth “They impact them very negatively, and it keeps them for learning,” school nurse Benny Bolin said. “It keeps them out of school, slows them down negatively and just messes up their whole life.” According to Bryan, the negative impact of drugs causes an issue with a loss of motivation and impact on productivity when people start using drugs.
“I definitely see it affect people in not trying as hard with schoolwork, not putting in the same amount of effort as you’d expect to get,” Bryan said. “It’s a bit of a productivity decrease— [drugs are] kind of their new objective.” Students can also be affected significantly by criminal charges related to drugs, which Booth says can hinder the ability to get a future job and affect college enrollment. Senior Connor* says that he was arrested last year when he stayed up doing drugs one night. “It was all kinda hazy, and I fell asleep after I parked my car so then people inside the establishment saw me passed out in my car, thought I had overdosed and called the police,” Connor said. “They searched my bag and my car, found a bunch of things I wasn’t supposed to have and then that was basically that. They took me to a hospital and all and then they made me wait three weeks.” Connor said it was later that he saw his warrants and turned himself in. Booth said the most common drugs found in Allen High school are pillrelated, mostly because they don’t put off an odor like marijuana does. “It comes in spurts. We’ll get a bunch at once and then it’ll be awhile before we get any more,” Booth said. “It just depends. I know it’s here every day, but we don’t always find it.” When a student is thought to be on drugs, Bolin says he can do a certain number of tests to figure out if they are on drugs, such as if they can stand up with their eyes closed without falling over, if they’re shaking, or if they have a certain blood pressures, heart rates, and body temperatures. “I can tell you that there are people under the influence daily. Every single day I can point out somebody,” Bolin said. “It’s not huge, but in my opinion,
* Names have been changed to protect identity
Graphics by | Maya Morriswala 12 | News and Features
we have a drug problem if one kid is on drugs.” Student resource officers can find out if someone has drugs by anonymous tips and student reports. Booth says that school enrollment involves signing a consent form that allows the school to search belonging or vehicles whenever relevant. “The main things [are students] are not in class, they can’t think straight, they miss class, they get in trouble and all that kind of stuff,” Bolin said. “It negatively impacts them. I think they think that [drugs] are fun and they’re cool, but by the time they figure out that they’re not, they’re hooked and they can’t get off.” Bryan said that he researches every drug he does carefully, and knows all the effects on the body in order to do so safely. “Initially, [drugs] give you a better appreciation for things, because whenever you do a drug, it causes euphoria, bliss [and] feeling really good and really happy,” Bryan said. “One of the things I like to say about myself, about my life, is I’m a pilot — I like to do dangerous things in a safe manner — and I apply that to drug usage as well, because obviously it can be very harmful if you don’t do it responsibly.” Irresponsible drug usage has led to addiction in cases such as Sara’s exboyfriend. Sara says that his drug usage began to completely take over his life. “Some students may have the genetic component within them that may drive addiction to be present, so the minute they try something they are automatically drawn to it, and need it in order to function,” Atencio said. “Other times, I find that many of the students who use [drugs] are using as a coping skill. They’re trying to address maybe undiagnosed depression or anxiety.”
According to Sara, she feels as though some people are able able to do drugs and not get addicted. She says her ex-boyfriend was not one of those people. “He’ll start using it as a crutch, and you get addicted very fast,” Sara said. “He has a very hard time coming to terms that he has an addiction. He says ‘no, I’m just doing this for fun,’ and I’m like ‘no, you’re addicted.’ I think now he has [acknowledged it] after the multiple conversations we had, but he didn’t come to terms with that to quit. He didn’t quit because he wanted to, he quit because I made him.”
“He says ‘No, I’m just doing this for fun,’ and I’m like “no, you’re addicted.’” - Senior Sara Sara said she believes that the bad drugs outweigh the good. She said she has taken drugs before and believes that one can be around those influences, but that she didn’t feel the same pressures that her ex-boyfriend felt. “[My attitude] towards drugs in general: just don’t start, because especially with gateway drugs like Xanax, it’s going to lead to more things: coke, and then acid, then ecstasy and then before you know it, you could be addicted to meth or something like that,” Sara said. “People who are addicted to meth, they started somewhere.” Booth said it’s important to understand what students are putting into their body and understand the legal consequence that could follow if found. “It’s a bad day if you have to take somebody to jail from this point, but sometimes we have to,” said officer Booth. “Just be smart. Educate yourself.” ea
Decoding Drug Addiction Compiled by | Maya Morriswala Information courtesy of | Above It All Treatment Center
1) Drug addiction and abuse costs the American taxpayers an average of $484 billion each year. 2) Drug addiction and abuse can be linked to at least ½ of all major crimes committed in the United States. 3) 2/3 of those found in addiction recovery centers report sexual or physical abuse as children. 4) According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the largest at-risk group for inhalants such as paints, glues, gas and other chemicals, are adolescents ages 12 – 15. 5) Though a great many people tend to focus their attention on alcohol and illegal drug abuse, the most addictive drugs are often found in the medicine cabinet.
News and Features | 13
Spring swing
Eagle baseball team primes for the playoffs Story By | Parker Primrose Photos By | Sanjana Reddy
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hen people talk about Allen sports, they tend to gravitate toward the championships that define the football, basketball and wrestling programs. But let it be known: Allen’s baseball program is no joke. With an overall record of 18-7-1 and a district record of 7-3, the Eagles are off to a hot start that has them sitting in second place in the district with regular season coming to a close. “We’re off to a really good start,” senior second baseman Mason La Plante said. “We’re really finding out what kind of team we are. We’ve been in a lot of big games, playing some really tough competition early on. We’ve got some great leaders on the team. Not a lot of experience, but a lot of guys who know how to play the game the right way.”
“When you win, you learn to win and expect to win.” - Head Coach Paul Coe Last season the team went 24-13 overall with an 11-3 record in district play, leading to the team’s first playoff berth since 2015. That team was 16-10 at this point in the season last year, meaning that this year’s team is off to an even better start. “When you win, you learn to win and
you expect to win,” head coach Paul Coe said. “Last year really helped us step in that direction as far as expecting to go out and win, not just hoping to win.” The Eagles have averaged five runs per game while giving up three runs per game, resulting in a run differential of plus47. The team has hit four home runs this season, led by sophomore first basemen Cole Latos with two. “We’re just trying to do what we do,” Latos said. “What we do is win, so we’re going to try to do that.” This year’s team is marked by an entirely new pitching staff, as all of last year’s pitchers graduated. One of the players stepping up to fill that void is freshman pitcher Brett Tanksley, a starter for the Eagles. “I’m just helping the team whenever I can, however I can,” Tanksley said. “We’ve been practicing hard every single day. We’re staying relaxed through it all.” According to Coe, an important factor in equipping younger players to be successful is having quality coaches. “We’re blessed in Allen to have a really good coaching staff,” Coe said. “A lot of the schools in the state of Texas, they’ve got football coaches who coach baseball. Well, we’ve got guys that love baseball too.” With 22 upperclassmen on a team of
Junior pitcher Jake Flowers warms up for a scrimmage against Rockwall on Feb. 16.
27 players, several of Allen’s players have played baseball together for all of their lives, a fact which Coe says has helped the team be successful. “No matter what talent level you have, you’ve got to have team chemistry,” Coe said. “We’ve got some guys who pull for each other, that are good friends on and off the field, which always leads to success. I think that’s the big starting point for any good team, and I think that’s kind of what we have with this bunch. ” In a school where teams have won state in sport football, basketball and wrestling, playoffs have a special kind of pressure for Allen teams. But according to La Plante, that’s just a part of playing at Allen High School. “Every team that we play wants to beat us because of the football program,” La Plante said. “We haven’t won as many state championships, but we feel like we’re on the rise. We talk about developing a culture at Allen, in every program, in every sport, and the culture and the expectation is to win a state championship, and it’s no different with us.”
All information in the article is accurate as of April 16. Junior catcher Joey Crisci with a hit in a scrimmage against Rockwall on Feb. 16.
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Ending on the right foot Track team tunes up for podium push
Story By | Erik Young Photos By | Michelle Cristancho
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earing the end of the regular season for the boys and girls track team, both teams are looking to have a successful run to state with some returning runners, led by both senior sprinters Asante Fazarro and Glenn Bender on the boys team and junior jumper Tosin Alao on the girls side. After reaching and winning district for the fourth consecutive year, a select few from both track teams will get to experience going farther into the playoff race. Of course, sticking together as a team is big key for success.
“There are only a handful of us who have experienced the thrill of area, regionals and state.” - Junior Tosin Alao “I think a lot of us are scared,.” Alao said. “There are only a handful of us who have experienced the thrill of area, regionals and state. We have a lot of underclassmen who never really been in this position before, but I also know that when the time comes, they will give it their all.”
Junior Jevon Henderson high jumps during Eagle Relays on March 2.
Currently holding the boys record for the 100-meter dash, Asante Fazarro is looking for another chance at his own record and much more into the season. With regionals and state coming up for the Eagles, records are looking to be broke. “My goals are going to state and being a state champion in the 100-meter,.” Fazarro said. “Running a personal best of 10.35 or lower.” With track season almost near the end, Alao said there were too many memories to just pick one. She said conversations in the
car on the way to meets were among her most memorable. “Being able to talk to your teammates for hours and distract yourself from track for a little bit is priceless,” Alao said. Although several senior key contributors graduated last year like Chelsey Cole and Victoria Neville, that seems to be no issue for the Eagles, as the predecessors have handed down the torch to the underclassmen. “We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores that stepped up, and although they have big shoes to fill, they were tenacious and performed to the best of their ability,.” Alao said. “As a team, our biggest goal was to stay healthy all year, and make our run at a team title in Austin at state,.” Bender said. “Along with a three-peat in district, which we did last week, and three-peat in area.” With regionals and state around the
“As a team, our biggest goal was to stay healthy all year, and make our run at a team title in Austin at state.” - Senior Glenn Bender corner, Bender says the team has lofty expectations. ‘[We want to] bring home our first regional and state team title home.” Bender said. Junior Tosin Alao long jumps during Eagle Relays on March 2.
Sports | 15
Holi smokes Photos by | Tate Peterson
“
Rooted in Hindu mythology, Holi celebrates the triumph of good over evil — symbolism that correlates with the passing of winter. Amid vibrant bursts of color, a troupe of dhol players — a traditional wooden drum played in South Asia — dance around and splash each other with water and powder colored red, yellow, blue and green. The scene depicts the classic Holi traditions of family and friends coming together to laugh, dance, and feast. My goal at Allen High School was to bring this celebration, festival of colors, to a community far from home to increase cultural awareness and involve the people around us by doing so.
”
- Senior Meghana Nadella From left to right, top to bottom: > Cebert participates in the activities. > Participants pose before the celebration. > Senior Winston Fang is hit with colored powder.
> Fang and Nadella pose after starting the celebration. > Nadella plays with the colored powder.
Photo Essay | 17
Tetherball A story about depression and delusion. Story by | Felix Kalvesmaki
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’ve been depressed for a long time. I think I first started to feel it when I was 12. But middle school is hard for everybody, isn’t it? I wasn’t bullied any more or any less than any other introverted, closeted gay kid was in seventh grade. When I was 16, more severe symptoms started to take root. Paranoia became my overwhelming emotion. I could’ve sworn that someone had bugged my room. Maybe installed cameras, too. I was hooked on that idea. I couldn’t shake it. No matter how much I tried, I felt as though I was being monitored. By whom? I don’t know. But it had to be true. It had to be. I’m 17 now. About a year after that incident, I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder with psychotic features. It differentiates from ordinary depression in the sense that those who suffer from it experience psychosis along with the symptoms the crisis counselor tells you about once or twice a year on the announcements. I’ll break down psychosis for you, in case you aren’t familiar. I wouldn’t blame you if you weren’t. Psychosis is often confused with psychopathy — an entirely different disorder — which spurs confusion. Psychotic symptoms are characterized by the presence of hallucinations, delusions or both. I’ve never personally struggled with hallucinations, so I can’t provide a firsthand account, but the most common example presented is that of hearing voices. However, all five senses are susceptible; patients report feeling nonexistent bugs crawling on them and seeing people who aren’t truly there. Have you ever sworn you’ve heard your parents shouting your name when in fact, no one said anything? Multiply that feeling by a thousand and you’ve got an idea of the confusion those who suffer from hallucinations experience. The other form of psychosis is delusions; I struggle a lot with these. Delusions are defined as false beliefs that the sufferer accepts as fact. Some people have delusions that they are Jesus or the President. Others have delusions that they’re constantly being followed for some convoluted, nefarious scheme. The latter has been a struggle for me since my symptoms first started appearing, and only got worse with time. I think my lowest points came from last December to this past February. I was kneedeep in delusion at any given point in the day. When I was driving home and someone started to follow me for too long, my heart
18 | Commentary
would start to race because I felt that the second I stopped, they’d hop out, put a gun to my window and let my brains splatter. Or something worse, if you can imagine it. The human mind is very creative, and we don’t give it enough credit. Untethered is a good word. Did you ever play tetherball when you were a kid? Imagine a game of tetherball. You’re hitting that ball as hard as you can, it’s swinging around on its rope, everyone’s having a good time. Until the tether breaks. Maybe the ball rolls down a hill, and someone has to run and get it. Maybe the ball hits someone in the face, knocks out a tooth or something. Maybe you can’t tie the ball back to the pole, and the fun is over for everybody. Sometimes, I was rolling down hills. Speeding down mountains, really. Every day I would wake up and feel worse than I did the day before. Whether it was my depression or my psychosis, I could never get a freebie. I couldn’t focus on any work for any of my classes — including the paper you’re reading, of which I’m the co-editor-in-chief — because I either lacked the motivation, couldn’t focus long enough to get anything done or got sidetracked by an intrusive, psychotic thought. It got, correction, it still gets, incredibly difficult to power through my symptoms sometimes. I have to run and get myself. Sometimes, I hit people in the face. Not literally, I don’t think I’d admit to it if I literally just socked someone. But sometimes, I’d get agitated. I’d be deep in thought trying to figure out how to unfurl the conspiracy being plotted against me, and someone would pull me out of it, right as I was making some progress, and I’d snap. It’s a very unique and esoteric frustration, I understand. But have you ever been woken up from a great dream? It’s the dark universe version of that. And in my darkest moments, I wasn’t sure I’d manage to tie myself back to reality. I thought my tether was broken, and that was it. I was gone. Which is a scary feeling, because that means that not only am I falling apart, everything else is too. My friends — my social life — are gone, my academics fall through the floor, my passions become distractions. I can only think about how absolutely terrified I am. The fun is over for everybody. So, if all of this scares you, good! It scares me too. As I said earlier, after a year
or so of this, I decided I didn’t want to feel like this anymore and made appointments with a therapist and a psychiatrist. Now, I understand that you might wonder: “Did you not consider asking for help at around, I dunno, month two?” Well, I wanted to. But it’s kind of overwhelming to approach your parents, or your doctors, to tell them you’ve lost contact with reality. For one thing, I didn’t even realize I was delusional for awhile. Everything felt hauntingly real. Once I pinned down that I was, I didn’t want to talk about it because of the severe, intense stigma that comes with the word “psychotic.” There is a societal misunderstanding of what that word means and what its sufferers are — and aren’t — capable of. We have 20th century serial killers and Alfred Hitchcock to thank for that. Obviously, I know I’m not an unhinged maniac with a thirst for blood, but I was deathly afraid of being branded as one because of what I would be diagnosed with. So it took awhile for me to step up, to admit I had a problem and work to solve it. But I did it. I’ve been working through therapy and trying to adjust to my medications. My antipsychotics make me gain weight, and I don’t think my antidepressants are working as well as I want them to. And sometimes I really, really don’t want to go to the strenuous task that is therapy, but these things take time. Rome wasn’t built in a day, etc., and things, overall, are better. Better than they’ve been in a long time. And when it comes to mental illness, better is the best I can ask for. I’m looking forward to the day when I can say I’m doing good, and mean it with my entire heart, but for now, I’m better. That’ll do for now.
Graphic by | Audrey Vieira
Staff Editorial: Should medical marijuana be legal? W
ith the recent opioid crisis and crackdown on drug dealers, all types of drugs seem to be under attack. While there are drugs that we agree should be illegal like methamphetamines, cocaine and LSD, medical marijuana should be legal due to its purpose of healing and treating those who may have no other option. There is a certain stigma when we hear the word “drugs.� Some of us may think of teenagers partying and getting high, while others may think of a man sitting in jail with no aspirations, staring blankly into space. While this schema can prove correct, people who use drugs do not fall into these categories much of the time. Rather, drug users can often be people who are sick and looking for a cure. This is certainly the case for those who use medical marijuana. Though more research on the benefits
of medical marijuana needs to be done, it is clear that there are legitimate medical uses for marijuana and potential in the main chemical components of marijuana: cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotropic drug which activates serotonin receptors in the brain without the high, and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is the pain-relieving chemical responsible for the high. There is surely use for these chemicals in the medical field, and it would be horrible to turn away from researching this drug just because it is, well, a drug. Yes, we can ban medical marijuana along with all other types of drugs, but it would end up further harming the health of many and only protect a few. If a drug is used for medicinal purposes and prescribed by a doctor, there should not be any issue with the patient using the drug. Of course,
people could falsify illness in order to obtain this marijuana, but the same person could also find a drug dealer with the drug and buy it off them. The point is, people who want drugs will almost always find a way to access them, as there will almost always be people to supply them. Hence, there is no point trying to keep medical marijuana from people who need it just because people that aren’t supposed to have marijuana can get it. All in all, we believe that an individual using drugs generally does not harm the public and, if anything, only harms themselves. Therefore, medical marijuana, which has an actual medical purpose, should certainly be legalized because not only is it harmless to others, it can also bring health benefits to those who need them most.
Artists of Allen: Phoebe Zalenski Compiled by | Morgan Pryor
Q: What is your favorite part about special effects makeup? A: My favorite part about special effects makeup is the art of realistically changing yourself
into anything you could ever imagine. There is so much variety and creativity that goes into special effects looks, and there is something about painting on skin that I find so much easier as opposed to painting on a canvas.
Q: What are your aspirations for the future? Do you hope to pursue a career as a makeup artist? A: My aspirations for the future are to work Photo courtesy of | Phoebe Zalenski
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unior Phoebe Zalenski differs from most artists at Allen; instead of using a canvas or paper, she creates her pieces on her own sk n. Everything from evil clowns to pop art zombies, Zalenski completely transforms herself into otherworldly creatures with body paint and liquid latex.
in the special effects makeup industry and do special effects makeup for scary movies. I would absolutely love to work for a big production of a scary or action movie, and I also hope to launch my own line of body paints and special effects products once I work for a few movies.
Commentary | 19
SHUFFLE PLAY
Editors Felix Kalvesmaki, Audrey Vieira and Caroline Tucker listened to 12 different genres of music to determine which one is best
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Pop - Pop may be the one of the more mainstream genres of music, but rightfully earns popularity for its memorable melodies and versatility. - A.V. Country - A mix of Folk and Western music, country takes the signature sound of the South and makes a beat out of it. It’s more than just a party in a cornfield. - C.T.
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Alternative - As angsty, emotional
lyrics connect with listeners and cultivate counterculture, alternative music demands — and deserves — to be played loud. - A.V. Rap - There’s unmatched talent in the ability to tell a story through rhythm and rhyme. Breakneck and proud, rap is a pick-me-up everyone should take on. - F.K.
Folk - Folk music most often speaks to the middle American, but it’s far from a dog whistle. There is versatility in folk music, and folk musicians — both old and young.F.K.
- A timeless sound that can 11 Classical either make you fall asleep or dance a whole ballet, classical music takes you through a musical rollercoaster. - C.T.
You can hear how Felix, Audrey and Caroline decided to rank these genres in the five-episode podcast “Shuffle Play” at theeagleangle.com.
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Electronic - Not only do these artists have to understand songwriting, but they need to be able to break new ground with innovative production and unique sonic textures. - F.K. R&B - The genre as smooth as cheesecake. It’s chock-full of warm melodies and swelling choruses, and it’s guaranteed to make your heart flutter. - F.K. Jazz - It’s such a unique noise that no other genre attempts to include. It’s a relaxed, smooth sound that gets you lost in the music and the feels of jazz music. - C.T.
Soundtrack - More than mere
background music for movies and other media, soundtracks serve as storytellers both on and off the silver screen. - A.V.
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Metal - Metal isn’t an inherently bad genre, but it’s an acquired taste. Still, those who appreciate rapid riffs and guttural screaming should definitely give it a listen. - A.V.
Writers’ picks: Felix: Björk | Homogenic Caroline: Dolly Parton | Jolene Audrey: Michael Jackson | Thriller Graphic by | Caroline Tucker
20 | Commentary
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Rock - It’s known for its catchy riffs and melodious beats that makes it impossible to remain still. Rock always provides contagious energy. - C.T.
Review: A Quiet Place Story by | Christine Odwesso
T
he silence was deafening. “A Quiet Place” was terrifying, brilliant and unexpectedly heartbreaking, but not in the way you’d expect. I will admit that I’d spent a good chunk of the movie peeking through my hands or with my face buried in my brother’s shoulder, but the fear I felt was different — my fear was rooted in my love for the characters and was always felt with a twinge of hope. Hope for their survival and hope that they’d defeat the ugly demogorgon look-alikes. The scene opens and a title card tells us that it is day 89 since the monsters invaded, and we watch as the Abbott family creeps along a deserted supermarket. In this post-apocalyptic world, silence is survival. A brief background of the story is told through news clippings and the father Lee’s (John Krasinski) intricate research boards detailing what they’ve learned about the monsters and how to defeat them. We learn how truly clever the family is through their ability to adapt to life in oppressive silence, communicating only through sign language and brief whispers while using lights to warn each other of danger.
A
Silence is a unique key element in the film. It forces the audience to pay attention to facial expressions in a way we’ve never had to before, making the audience more emotionally invested in the film. I particularly enjoyed watching the daughter (played by Deaf actress Millicent Simmonds) battle her grief, doubt and anger as her father attempts to extinguish her desire for independence. It was nothing short of nerve shredding watching the wife Evelyn attempt to outsmart the monster, while she was about to give birth. Although at times it seems like the story doesn’t make much sense, asks too many questions, and the plot seems to fall apart, where’s the government? Is everyone else dead? How many monsters are there? However, this fault seems insignificant when you consider the breathtaking cinematography and
outstanding performances. “A Quiet Place” is unique, simple and undeniably brilliant. It was emotionally taxing (but what great movie isn’t?), but worth the hype and its grade A rating.
Review: America Story by | Audrey Vieira
F
ive years after their last release, “Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams,” Thirty Seconds to Mars has returned to the charts with “America.” However, this new release takes a drastic departure from the band’s early emo material, trading pop-punk for mainstream pop. Personally, I have no issue with previously pop-punk artists making such
a switch as long as the new music retains the quality of older material, no matter how much the sound changes over the years. Thirty Seconds to Mars flawlessly fulfills this standard with lead single “Walk on Water,” which opens the album by reflecting on America’s chaotic current political climate. Combining the political and religious allusions of the lyrics with catchy choruses makes “Walk on Water” an intriguing listen, an arena-ready anthem and an exciting introduction to the new era of Thirty Seconds to Mars. However, while “Walk on Water” marks the start of something new, the remainder of “America” recycles the same sounds throughout each track. Even the collaborations — including production from Zedd (“Dangerous Night”), vocal features from A$AP Rocky (“One Track Mind”)
C
and Halsey (“Love Is Madness”) — fail to add the variety this album so desperately needs. Although A$AP Rocky’s rap bridge breathes some life into “One Track Mind,” his verse isn’t enough to make the otherwise dull single shine, and Halsey’s part in “Love Is Madness” merely repeats lyrics already sung by vocalist Jared Leto. Repetition is especially rampant on “Love Is Madness” and “Dangerous Night,” which replace proper bridges with the same prechorus listeners have already heard twice before. The absence of originality is evident throughout these tracks, and even the most talented collaborators aren’t enough to fix this problem and make “America” great. Though “America” introduces itself as an exploration of intriguing concepts and new territory, it only aims high enough to earn a C. If this album represents the next era of Thirty Seconds to Mars, I’ll declare my independence.
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