2013 14 issue #6

The Silver Star spring show was centered around a theme of “I am” and empowering women.

Read more about the much discussed show on page 8.

Student Life

Photo Essay

James Bowie High School, Vol. 2013-14, Issue 6, 4103 W. Slaughter Lane, Austin, TX 78749, May 27, 2014, www.thelonestaronline.com

Dispatch

One Star L

Stars’ show amazes all

Prom goes monte carlo

This year’s prom was themed Monte Carlo, casino style with multiple activities on Saturday, May 17. Read more about prom night on page 4.

Stu-co president’s declared

The

Table of Contents

Commentary page 2 News page 3 Student Life

page 4 Trends/Culinary pages 5 Entertainment page 6 Sports page 7 Photo Essay page 8

News Briefs

All across campus, blue clad student’s spread abused children awareness On Friday, April 25 the courtyard was flooded with waves of students and teachers in blue lined up for cookies. But the motive behind the color coordination was more than just the sweet treats Blue out Bowie was a day organized by Alejandro Garcia and the PALS class in order to raise child abuse awareness and bring the whole school together to fight for an important cause.

“One of the things that the PALS class does is mentor young kids, so it’s a cause that’s very close to our heart,” Garcia said.

“We wanted to have everyone wear blue, to unify the school.”

The PALS, NHS, and child development classes also worked together to gather five huge bins of various supplies that were later donated to Austin’s children shelter, doubling the amount of goods the organization had to give.

Band gets pumped up for planned trip to London for New Year’s celebration In December the outdoor performing ensemble will be flying across the pond to London to perform at one of the world’s biggest parades: the London New Year’s Day Parade. With twice as many participants than the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, this grand procession attracts a worldwide TV audience of three hundred million and fills the streets with two thirds of a million live spectators.

The crew has filled their lives with all things London in excitement for the day they’ve been waiting for since their freshman year.

“I am ecstatic about England,” junior Meredith Warren said. “If you know me at all, essentially I only listen, breathe, and talk UK.” To live up to the expectations held by the millions of people worldwide who will watch the parade; the band plans to up their ante.

“I know this season is going to be huge for the JBHSOPE, so what we’re doing to prepare is just taking everything to the next level,” Warren said. “Practicing harder, focusing more and building up endurance.”

Four score and not so many days ago...

The atmosphere screams enthusiasm as Eric Moe’s supporters campaign for his votes. Blaring music blasted from Brandon Gorrie’s speakers and chants filled the air, student council presidential elections were held. Photo by Photo Essay Editor Isabel Rosales

Hinson and Moe share the title and prepare for year Rhythmic chants, cheers, and screams along with a booming set of speakers signify a rave-like presence of the presidential elections for student council.

Winners of the class of 2015 presidency are, Powell Hinson and Eric Moe. With a great amount of gratefulness and preparedness with his recent co-presidency win, junior, Eric Moe expressed his passion for making a difference and being a committed president. Moe spent approximately 40 hours creating campaign posters and used his talent of art to create something unique.

“I would like to be one of Bowie’s friendlier president’s; I don’t believe in the whole “popularity contest” associated with the Stuco presidency and everyone at Bowie should feel like they can approach me if they have questions or concerns about our school,” Moe said. “I hope I can use my artistic skills to design memorable flyers, banners, and invitations all year. My goal for next year (if they let me) is to repaint our school inside and out”.

According to student council adviser, James Ellerbrock, there have only been three other females elected to the student council presidency.

Junior Alisa Hoban ran this year with hopes of being the first girl president in over five years. She had a desire to influence the power of student voice.

“I think I would have made a unique student council president in many ways,” Hoban said. “In addition to student council keeping Bowie beautiful and clean, there

should be some kind of part in helping the students of Bowie have a voice in some of the decisions that happen at the place that they spend the majority of their time for four years. Not just make Bowie a better school, but BE a better school. I really believe there should be some kind of ability to help students in another area besides helping Bowie look beautiful.”

Ellerbrock stated that the final decision process of the presidential elections is solely based upon the votes of the student body.

With the image of the right president in mind, Ellerbrock gave his ideal leadership qualities behind the presidency.

“The student council president needs to be someone with character, great work ethic, and the ability to lead other student’s because there’s a lot of responsibilities of being a president,” Ellerbrock said. “I expect the president’s to willingly ‘take care’ of issues that I present to them and it is part of what being a president is. They need to be a good person with good character and a work ethic and people who are willing to work hard.”

Many memories were made at the student council elections. Moe shares his top favorite moments.

“My friends put up the giant posters while I was in class, so I didn’t actually see them until I walked into A-hall during a passing period,” Moe said. “People burst into laughter and applause the minute I stepped into the hall. There were so many moments where I was just awed with kind-

ness and enthusiasm Bowie students showed me during the campaign, but that

one was amazing.

Other notable things that happened: A kid who I didn’t know wrote “Vote Moe” on his chest and walked around the courtyard, and twenty five fanatical members of Team Moe Moe effectively cheered louder than Brandon Gorrie’s by speakers”.

Front page Editor Ashlee Thomason and by News Editor Maryam Hussain Mega-tastic Junior, Alexa Antoniadis roots for presidential candidates. The cheerleader used her abilities to win support of voters. Photo by Photo Essay Editor Isabel Rosales

Dr. Meria Carstarphen leaves AISD

After five years of serving as AISD’s superintendent, Dr. Meria Carstarphen leaves the district headed to lead an Atlanta school district that is in need of a change of direction.

With many concerns on her mind, Carstarphen choked up with tears as she attempted to say her farewells to the AISD district.

“When you love something it’s hard to let go,” Carstarphen said. “With a lot of challenges in a district it is really important for a community to be able to continue to grow. Atlanta needs someone with ability to recruit and help others with their turn around. When they reached out to me to work at Atlanta it was hard to say that I wouldn’t come back home to help my people,”.

Bowie Principal Stephen Kane offered his opinion about Carstarphen’s leaving.

“Dr. Carstarphen impacted not just Bowie herself but she had some very positive characteristics as far as campus support,” Kane said. “She always tried to make decisions that I

With many ideas in mind, Carstarphen gives her approach on school districts and student body choices across the school board.

“I believe students have a significant voice and across the district they lead and shape the district across the board,” Carstarphen said. “I think student voice should be the lead voice because we want to create environment of staying in school and able to succeed.”

Junior, Arianna Granado, stays informed on the AISD community and showed her concern for Bowie’s facilities Atlanta bound Meria Carstarphen leaves AISD and the key qualities desired for the new AISD superintendent. after five years as the superin“I hope that the new supertendent. In a phone interview intendent of AISD is a good with high school journalists, Carstarphen discussed her lega- leader who can make decisions that benefit both students and cy. Photo courtesy of AISD teachers,” junior Granado said. felt helped the campus. Cam- “I don’t think Dr. Carstarphen puses were her top priority. I made decisions that benefitted think all campuses benefitted Bowie because she rejected the bond that would benefit Bowie’s from that.”

Carstarphen hopes to influ- facilities. Our theatre is falling ence the Atlanta school district apart with the chairs breaking with her successful approach. as well as being very unreliable.

This bond would have given us money to fix these problems.”

Kane expressed his concern for the new superintendent of the AISD school board.

“To me they have to be personable, always have kids and what’s best for kids at the forefront,” Kane said. “That’s what we are in this business for, to make a difference in young people’s lives.”

Carstarphen delivered her ideal image for the new AISD superintendent with leading characteristics and qualities in mind.

“The new superintendent needs to believe in principal leadership and be someone with financial and budget experience, management minded, be able to understand what the situation in Texas is very quickly,” Dr. Carstarphen said. “ The superintendent needs to love Austin and not be someone who hides and has to be engaged. Be able to talk candidly and help lead the district to excellent levels.”

by Front page editor Ashlee Thomason

C

ommentary

The Lone Star Dispatch Tuesday, May 27, 2014 Page 2

Doubt about the next superintendent E

ditorial

Say goodbye to Meria Carstarphen boys and girls. The five-year superintendent of AISD is leaving us permanently to take a job as superintendent of the school district in Atlanta, Georgia.

The district does not need to choose another superintendent as they did Carstarphen. They need to be sure the opinions and goals of the new superintendent match those of the people of the city.

Under Carstarphen’s leadership the district has raised graduation rates, test scores have improved, and she helped balance the AISD budget in her five years, but some have raised question to her methods and practices.

After using radical means to save money, implementing more standardized tests, being noncompliant with board trustees and the public, and facing widespread criticism for her value of saving a few bucks over keeping teacher, it’s no wonder there is a large sense of distrust in the air.

With more and more teachers feeling pressure to focus on preparing for standardized testing and possibly with jobs at stake, student’s educations are getting less and less thorough. Student’s scores are going up sure, but what is the point of an education if it is restricted to something like exempting a subject as important as the American Revo-

lution on a US history EOC. Furthermore, instead of trying to improve a struggling school, she contributed to the closing of Pearce middle school on her first week on the job and Johnson high soon after. And instead of lowering her own near $300,000 a year salary, she decided to furlough more than 1000 people. That is not by any means, acceptable or efficient because it leaves more students being crammed into another nearby school, and the teachers at that school overwhelmed.

Yes, she has done good deeds as well, from increasing the English language learners that graduate from 37 percent to 64 percent, and balancing the districts budget after a $60 million annual budget reduction. But this is easily overshadowed by the widespread sense of distrust, annoyance, and incapability to appease many of the public’s demands that has been a mist in the air.

She also had trouble communicating with both the employees of the district and the community at large, arguing that it’s not easy to communicate with the near 90,000 people who involve themselves with the district.

How could a superintendent be efficient with the goals of the people if they can’t listen to 90,000 in a city of nearly a million?

From 60 percent of our portable classrooms being over 25 years old to publicly stating she had no plans to leave before her contract was supposed to end in 2015, she

made the public and even her own employees distrustful of whoever will replace her.

Instead of focusing on how to guess on tests, our students should be focusing on actually understanding the topic. Instead of closing entire schools, our district should be finding out why they are failing and fix the problems. Instead of shoving them into a closet and caring so much about the next bond, we should be caring about the students who are struggling to pass their classes be-

art by Elyas Levens

cause there is no in-between with over the top Pre-AP and under cut regular classes.

The new superintendent must be willing to comply with public opinion. This district is always available for improvement, and a school board, superintendent, and community that can work together could change it for the best. It is time to unite the people of this city and fix the things that Carstarphen couldn’t alone.

EOC becoming irrelivant Finals stretching limits and need to be changed For many students, every year after third grade has the same overall structure. In elementary school, everyone is taught the importance of passing whatever the year’s standardized test is, TEKS, TAKS, STAAR, the state decides. I personally believe that this is ridiculous.

In high school, this divide continues to widen. The seemingly endless testing somehow impacts the schedule of most everyone, and things become more complicated.

As a student, you must deal with many things that are brought up by the annual standardized tests. Many of

these were a surprise to me.

Let me begin by saying: I attended a magnet middle school. Getting in to such a school essentially automatically proved that you met, and exceeded, the state’s expectations. With this said, I spent three years having the idea ingrained into my brain that the STAAR test, or whatever low-level test is thrown at me by Texas, is to be interpreted as a joke.

Entering high school at an above average public school was quite a surprise.

As we began to near the end of the year, and the beginning of testing, we stopped making progress in classes like algebra and biology. At this point, yet another divide becomes clear in the student body: those who need the weeks upon weeks spent reviewing, and those that

interpret the time as useless.

A number of changes could be made to make them less terrible. Simply focusing less on the exam would make a huge difference; the once one-sided question of “satisfy the state’s desires, or let the teachers do their jobs?” would be answered, or at least balanced further.

In sum, I still don’t take this testing seriously.

Throughout the often-changing ways of preparing for the highly dreaded standardized exam, it has always remained clear to me that people are put under too much pressure for something that is essentially purely for statistics.

The least that we could do is pay evenly distributed attention to both regular academics, and whatever else the state throws at us. by Staff Writer Michaela Norton

D ispatch Staff Returning/New Editors

Graduating Editors Co-Editor-in-Chief Rachael Crawford Co-Editor-in-Chief Meagan Prehn In-Depth Editor Nancy Tran Student Life Editor Sandra Cuadros Entertainment Editor Blaine MacMorran Trends/Culinary Editor Marisa Marquez Photo Editor Ashley Stroud Graduating Staff Selma Sanchez Shannon Wiedemeyer Advisor | Michael Reeves

Lauren Blevins - Entertainment Kamryn Bryce - Student Life Annika Holm - Sports Maryam Hussain - News Elyas Levens - Commentary Paige Rife - Trends/Culinary Isabel Rosales - Photo Essay Ashlee Thomason - Front Page Returning Staff Writers

New Journalism 1 Staff

Fuaad Ajaz Stephanie Hernandez Santiago Michaela Norton

Michelle McDonagh Sophie Mora Gabby Bourgeacq Shelby Becker

E ditorial Policy The Lone Star Dispatch is the official student newspaper of James Bowie High School. It is published six times a year, generally once per six weeks for the school’s students, staff and community.

The Lone Star Dispatch is an open forum for student expression. The Lone Star Dispatch is not reviewed by school administration prior to distribution, and the advisor will not act as a censor. Content represents the views of the student staff and not school officials.

The Lone Star Dispatch will work to avoid bias and/or favoritism. We will strive to make our coverage and content meaningful, timely and interesting to our readers. Our articles will reflect our genuine objective of reporting news and will be held to a high standard of quality.

We will make every effort to avoid printing libel, obscenities, innuendo and material that threatens to disrupt the learning process or is an invasion of privacy. We will avoid electronic manipulation that alters the truth of a photograph.

Staff editorials represent the opinion of the editorial board arrived at by discussion and will not be bylined.

Bylined articles are the opinion of the individual writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Lone Star Dispatch staff or administration as a whole.

The Lone Star Dispatch welcomes reader input. Please send any letters, articles, comments or corrections to bowie.journalism@gmail.com or mail them to 4103 W. Slaughter Lane, Austin, TX 78749 or drop them off in room F-203 with advisor Michael Reeves or an editor. Letters must be signed, and emailed letters will require verification before publication. We will not necessarily publish all letters received and reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.

The Lone Star Dispatch does not necessarily endorse the products or services of advertising.

It is entirely unfair that as a student body our GPA can be crucially affected by taking one test.

Students are required to sit through a particular number of hours and classes during a school year. These hours include taking a test which all students dread known as the final exam. It is unfair that we are required to sit through lessons eight hours a day, for approximately 180 days a school year and can do well each of the six weeks they are present for and then have the possibility and worry of failing a semester due to one test.

It seems as if the older you get in high school the less likely it is that students should rely on teachers to create final reviews to refresh the classes’ memory on what they’ve learned.

Some teachers do offer reviews and briefly go over the information and reasoning behind it but there is a large percentage of teachers who will leave you with, “Go through your binder.

You should have the information still,” as if every high school student has all of the papers they’ve received from each subject stored and well organized.

A percentage of driven teens stay awake until unnecessary and unhealthy hours of the night to finish the loads of homework they’ve been given or to study for one test that they are determined to do well on, yet can still suffer a lower GPA or semester average because of one test that crucially effects their grade by taking up 25 percent of it.

As a student body we are told both by our school and guardians not to let personal problems effect school work but it tends to be a common excuse.

If students must obtain information from up to 18

weeks back teachers should at least take their time to spend a week with the class to actually go over what the test will cover. Even the students with straight A’s cannot always remember a lesson they learned weeks ago because they simply forgot or didn’t take interest in the subject.

If teachers don’t want to spend class time going over information because they have other lessons to teach, there should be handouts created covering past lessons or lectures that students may have lost.

The way final exams are run and put out have not proven to be fair and could be inaccurate of a student’s knowledge for many different reasons. If one day they are put together differently, or take up a smaller percentage of a person’s average.

I believe they could be far more accurate, necessary, and not as stressful for students.

by Trends and Culinary Editor Paige Rife

The fight for prom rights

Annual event should be open to all students regardless of any beliefs

With the looming end of the final six weeks, semesters, and overall school year, come many things.

For the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, most of the eventfulness ended with the STAAR testing. For seniors, the buzz of prom has been around for months, leading up to the Monte Carlo-themed bash.

Though Austin’s liberal values counter those of traditional Texas, there is still some push concerning whether or not gays, or those associated with the LGBTQ community should be allowed to attend their prom.

Of course, though a majority of people at school would go down the route of approval, there still remains some slight hesitance; a confirmation that gay is, in fact, okay.

These are where my

problems begin. Though we’re lucky to be free of the bigotry found in some of our neighboring areas, an unnecessary hesitance still remains, and it is one that I don’t completely understand.

Must we really ask ourselves if two members of the same sex can go to prom together? There are countless comparisons that I could make. Questions like allowing certain races to attend, for example. Regardless, this sort of rethinking makes the pro-queer message seem halfhearted, and in a way meaningless.

One of the many types of news stories that are popular around prom season are those about proms denying gay students access to the dance. There are multiple different responses to these stories. On one side, gay or otherwise unaccepted students could attend the prom anyway, or separately from their date.

On the other hand, they could organize their own open prom, which I don’t

exactly understand.

In Austin, there was an Out Youth Gay Prom in April. In any context other than simply having one so a number of individuals can get together and express themselves, holding a separate prom just for alternate sexualities or identities seems counterproductive.

As a whole, many aspects of prom seem unnecessary to me. Why would anyone want to track if two members of the same sex were going to a dance together?

Again, this seems to be useless. Simple things come to mind with these issues. I see no real point. Is their dancing more homosexual than that of other students?

Infectious, one might say?

Obviously not.

Regardless, it can be taken for granted that we live in such an accepting area of an at times hateful state. We should acknowledge the fact that we can have a relatively unquestioned prom where no one

by Staff is excluded.

Writer Michaela Norton

N The Lone Star Dispatch

EWS

Tuesday, May 27, 2014 Page 3

‘Bee’coming international champions

What’s all that ‘buzz’ about?

The color guards pose in their bee theme attire after winning the top spot at the Texas Color Guard Circuit championships.. Both the open guard team and the A guard team won the TCGC state championships and now hold the title of Texas Color Guard Regional champions. Photo Courtesy of Julie Zucker

Color Guard achieves first place at TCGC scholastic open championships

After competing amongst 50 other guards from throughout the nation at the Texas Color Guard Circuit (TCGC) championships, Bowie’s color guard made it past preliminaries and finals earning the prestigious title as international champions.

“Our motivation from our directors is what got us there. They pushed us really hard to catch our stuff persistently and constantly,” senior Alex Matthews said. “They’re always striving to make us better.”

The team worked countless hours to perfect their two shows, “Noche de Lluvia” and “Bowie’s Regional Spelling Bee.” They practiced twice in the week for three hours and five hours on the weekends.

“Many times, the long practices and uncomfortable costumes make the program seem as if it’s not worth our time, but once we step out onto the floor and see the hundreds of people who have gathered to watch our passion unfold it all makes sense,” junior Laurie Bengoa said.

Bengoa believes color guard is more than just flags and rifles; it’s a whole art form of its own.

“We are able to combine many fine arts into one show where we take on a persona and act, cheer, dance, and spin equipment all while maintaining technique,” Bengoa said.

But this art form goes even deeper; it creates bonds stronger than friendship.

“There are no boys in our guard so we always thought of each other as sisters. We always help each other out, and we always share each other’s stuff and have each other’s back,” Matthews said.

Together these ‘sisters’ cherish the countless memories they have made through their color guard experiences this year. Their favorite is from a performance at Westlake.

“We were performing part two and all of a sudden when we go put our stuff away it started pouring down rain and then when we grabbed our rifles and stuff it was so slippery and so hard to see cause of the rain that was falling down and we all started laughing and it was so much fun and we just looked

at each other and laughed,” Matthews said.

“Just seeing everybody have such a great time performing made it even more special cause then at the end we won first place and it was pretty awesome.”

This past year has taken the team through all sorts of struggles and challenges but left these champions with so much more than just a title.

“By the end of the season, not only do we go home with medals around our neck but with a renewed sense of pride and accomplishment in that we have achieved a wonderful season with new skills and new friends,” Bengoa said.

by News Editor Maryam Hussain

Encore! Encore! Miss Saigon hits the stage at GAHMSTA On April 17, musical theatre students from various counties across central Texas came together to show off their talents at the Greater Austin High School Musical Theatre

Awards (GAHMSTA) in Long Center. Since only one musical and one cast per school are eligible to compete, the cast for Miss Saigon represented Bowie at the ceremony.

Bowie was nominated in thirteen of the fifteen categories that were being judged and won first place in light design, direction, and orchestra. The competition provided students with a greater platform to perform and recognition from programs across the state.

“First of all, it was incredible to go and perform at such huge and professional stage but once the show started running and we got to really socialize with people from other schools it felt amazing,” sophomore Jenny Harms said. “Just being around people you know have the same interest as you and knowing that they have worked really hard on what they want to achieve is breathtaking.”

When they weren’t performing, students got the opportunity to network with people from other schools and appreciate their artistic productions.

“My favorite experience about this event was getting to see so many young Drama Queen and talented performers in Texas and getSophomore Paige Bradbury, who was nomiting to work with them because sometimes nated for the best actress in a lead role award we forget that we aren’t the only company is plays the role of Kim, one of the main char- and that there are so many other talented acters in Miss Saigon. Kim was a Vietnamese performers in our city,” sophomore Paige prostitute who fell in love with an American Bradbury said. soldier. Photo courtesy of Michelle Michel At the end of the night the cast was

Symphony of rising stars Main actresses from the musicals in all the participating schools perform a grand medley of theme songs from assortment of their school musicals. Sophomore Paige Bradbury represented Bowie’s Miss Saigon in the traditional red kimono. Photo courtesy of Michelle Michel

grateful for the amazing experience and to have gotten to perform their favorite musical of the year one last time.

“I have to say we’ll really miss performing Miss Saigon, I gained a lot of experi-

ence also the musical had such a moving and powerful story line. It made us realize a lot of stuff we had forgotten,” sophomore Juliana Davis said. by Staff Writer Stephanie Hernandez

Bulldogs stride to promote awareness and change Walk for Water and Color Run participants show a lot of determination Throughout the past few years, Austin has hosted lots of unique races and walks.

Most recently The Walk for Water and the Color Run have occurred here. The Walk for Water is a walk for raising money for developing countries, while the Color Run is a colorful 5k to promote healthiness, happiness, and individuality.

The Walk for Water is a foundation that promotes the awareness of the distance children in developing countries must walk in order to get access to clean drinkable water. The walk is a fund raiser, using the money for a clean water supply for the Songa region of Burundi, Africa. The walk took place at the Burger Center Sunday, April 27.

Throughout the race, participants may choose to carry heavy jugs of water in honor of the developing countries.

“Bowie kids walked as a group and dispersed through the group were people carrying the jugs,” senior Emma Seal said.

“When one person would get tired someone else would help them.”

The foundation’s goal is to create a clean water supply for these developing countries so that they don’t have to endure the long walks.

“They said that all of the money we raised goes directly to Burundi and none of it goes to a third party,” Seal said.

Participants could walk as long as they desired, and Bowie students showed a lot of dedication.

“I believe Bowie raised the most money,” Seal said. “We walked about four times around and we had a huge group of people, they even recognized us for it.”

Participants were able to donate money for the cause.

“Before, during and after the walk, people would be able to donate money at designated areas,” Seal said.

Although Bowie was about the largest groups, others participated as well.

“I saw elementary schools, middle schools and high schools there,” Seal said.

Over all, it was a successful accomplishment for Bowie and its students.

The Color Run, on the other hand, is a 5k where colorful chalky paint is tossed all over the runners creating an exciting fun environment to run in. The race took place on April 19 at Bowie and its goal was to raise money for the Bowie Band.

“It was a fund raiser for the Bowie Band,” junior Jordan Dinkins said. “We are going to the UK next year. We’re performing in the New Years parade.”

This fund raiser is just one of the many fund raisers the band is doing this year to benefit their trip. The Color Run however, was a particularly special one to the students.

“We all bonded while running together,” Dinkins said. “It was an effective way to raise money for the organization while having a lot of fun.”

While the cause was important, some students ran it for the sake of having fun.

“I’m a cross country runner and I’m training for next year,” junior Emma Hull said. “I thought it would be a fun little warm-up.”

The race helps participants forget about the running and just have fun.

“It kind of sounds cheesy,” Hull said.

“But in a way it made me run faster around the areas that didn’t have the color so I could get more color and get there faster.”

The Bowie band directors were the ones who got to throw the paint at the students running. This made for an exciting experience for both the students and the directors.

“They blew a whistle for us all to start, and all of the band directors started throwing the colors at us,” Hull said.

Both Races made for successful fund raisers as well as a successful fun experiences for students. by Staff Writer Shelby Becker

S

TUDENT LIFE

The Lone Star Dispatch Tuesday, MAY 27, 2014

Page 4

Prom dares seniors to ‘step into the legend’ as they experience a Monte-Carlo casino night The day has come for seniors to start getting ready for the big day. On May 17th Prom for James Bowie High School was held at the Palmer Event Center.

Senior Madi Hacking was well prepared for this big event coming up.

“Getting my dress was actually not as hard as I thought, my grandma works at a formal wear store in Utah that sells modest dresses and since they are so hard to come by in stores here she kindly sent us some,” Hacking said. “We’ve actually accumulated quite a collection of formal dresses, some donated by various people. We love to lend them out to anyone looking for a beautiful, more modest dress. When my grandma sent the blue dress I wore I instantly fell in love with it and saved it for my senior prom.”

According to Hacking, her group of friends got at her house to take pictures but then got to the actual event around 9 p.m.

She got escorted to prom by her prom date Trevor Oldham.

“As far as I know the best part about this prom was the opportunity for everyone to dress up and feel special for one night and to just have fun as a senior class,” Hacking said.

They all arrived at the Palmer Event Center in their Camero limo.

“Something that I thought was innovative and unique at Prom was the opportunity to create a flip book that transformed a seven second video into a print out booklet that you could flip to see the movements. Trevor and I had fun doing some swing dances moves for ours,” Hacking explained.

Later on that night at prom, the king and queen were announced. Zach Cootes ended up winning for Prom King and Aubrey Goodwin won Prom Queen.

At the end of they day everyone went home remembering that special night. “The only thing I would change is making the night last longer,” Hacking said. by Staff Writer Stephanie Hernandez

Watch this Seniors and other dance attendees fill the room in various styles, colors, and types of prom wear. Outfits varyed from formal JROTC uniforms, suits, tuxes and cowboy hats, dresses, and so much more. Photo by Student Life Editor Kamryn Bryce

Everybody clap their hands A large group of seniors ‘cha cha slide’ to the cupid shuffle as prom was just getting starting. Many of the students dressed in formal attire put a Texas twist on prom by wearing cowboy hats. The DJ started off the dance with throwbacks like Jesse’s Girl and Shout, then ended the night with more current music like Lorde and Katy Perry. Photo by Student Life Editor Kamryn Bryce

Spencer Cobb showcases Dreams within reach for ‘power of the written word’ college ready seniors Savellos and McEntee

Rhyming, reading, and constantly staying inspired junior Spencer Cobb uses her inner creativity to spur her natural gift of writing as she enters contests to showcase her talents.

Cobb recently won an Honorable mention through The Alliance for Young Artists and Writers organization for a poem success.

Contributing to Cobb’s writing is her ability to take what she sees in her mind and craft it into a piece of art with nothing but a pen and her creativity.

“I think that there are a lot of universal truths that all kind of writers try to tell, but the way that we tell them sets us apart,” junior Cobb said. “I try to keep what I write simple, but full of meaning. Every word I use symbolizes a bigger picture. I also try to include several different messages in what I write, and I think that as I grow older and mature, this will become easier to do.”

Creative writing teacher, Bree Rolfe, has allowed Cobb’s writing to excel with encouraging feedback and support along with maintaining a great teacher-student relationship full of inspiration.

“A student like Spencer is every teacher’s dream—she’s gifted, thoughtful, passionate and always a willing participant in my class,” Rolfe said. “She is not only gifted, but she understands that being gifted is not enough for success in writing or life for that matter. She works hard to improve her writing and I think that is even more important than having natural talent.”

Cobb’s ability to write comes equipped with a fervent passion and random ignites of imagination.

“I draw inspiration from everywhere and generally, when I get an idea, it’s pretty random,” Cobb said. “I write a poem four or five separate times, and take pieces and chunks I like from each version to put them together.

I have a small journal filled with the most random ideas, but it helps to go back and read when I’m suffering from a particularly stubborn bout of writer’s block.”

Fellow student, senior Guthrie Schoolar, admires Cobb’s sense of work ethic and level of maturity by rooting for her on the sidelines as she continues to make an impact.

“Spencer tends to keep what she writes about on her free time to herself, but she of-

Writer’s block? Not a problem Creative writing student and classmate of Cobb, Lindsey Sageser works on a writing project for the class. Creative writing students practice their skill with free write assignments and story writing. Photo by Student Life Editor Kamyrn Bryce

ten tells me her writing has a lot to do about me, so I take that as a compliment,” Scholar said. “Spencer has constantly been changing as a person throughout high school from a shy little bookworm to a wonderfully polite and humble woman. She is on a maturity level of her own, very much above the rest of the junior class, and it shows in her writing and compassion towards others.”

Cobb summons up her energy and aspirations of writing into hoping to spread her own unique message throughout her work.

“I have a very imaginative mind; I’m one of those people who create entire stories in my head when I’m trying to fall asleep,” Cobb said. “I write because there are messages and values that I believe are important, and I want to spread them in a way that’s entertaining and fun to read. I think it’s my way to make an impact on the world.” by Front Page Editor Ashlee Thomason

It’s that time of year when seniors start saying goodbye to high school and hello to college.

For many seniors, their dream is to get into their favorite college, and that dream came true for two seniors: Zoe Savellos and Ian McEntee. Savellos got accepted into Stanford University, and McEntee got accepted into New York University.

“I applied to Stanford because of its academic reputation, welcoming environment and how it will be able to give me the education I need to follow my career goals,” Savello said. “The nice thing about Stanford is that I don’t have to declare a major until my junior year. At this point I know generally what direction I’d like to go in, but I don’t know what specific major I want to go into.”

Even though Savellos got accepted into the college of her dreams, she struggled through the process.

“The application process is really tough.

It requires so much time and attention to detail, and I definitely had moments where I thought I would never finish,” Savellos said.

To get where she is now, Savellos spent a lot of time on her grades and volunteer work to strike a good balance, Bowie also helped.

“High school, Bowie especially, has given me my work ethic. In addition, it’s taught me how to manage my time and work with different kinds of people,” Savellos said.

Savellos could not have done this by herself though. She had wonderful teachers guide her and help her achieve her highest goals.

“All my teachers have been wonderful.

The two that impacted me most were Mrs. Hebert and Mrs. Widner. They both taught me so much and opened my eyes to new ways of learning. I will always be thankful to have been their students,” Savellos said.

Savellos’s best advice for incoming seniors applying for college is to stay focused but make sure you’re still having fun.

McEntee is thrilled to start his college experience.

“Because I’m into acting, NYU is the

perfect fit for me and I love the vibe of New York City,” McEntee said.

McEntee has been part of Bowie Theatre for four years and is going into the theatre department at NYU. Theatre has always been McEntee’s passion and hobby.

“STC has really helped me decide what I wanted to do because it helped me realize that no matter what, nothing will ever top my passion for theatre and acting is truly what I love to do,” McEntee said. “It helped me develop a thick skin by preparing me for the real word.”

Even though McEntee is ecstatic to go to NYU, moving away from his friends and family doesn’t seem to appeal to him.

“I try not to think about moving. I’m moving halfway across the country. I just pretend its not happening and probably won’t think it’s happening until the day I move,” McEntee said.

Just like Savellos, McEntee’s application process was very stressful.

“The hardest process when applying for college would probably be my scores and preparing for the SAT and ACT. But the worst part was waiting to see if I got in or not,” McEntee said. “My best advice would be to apply early. All my applications were done and sent in by October 1.”

One teacher that helped McEntee get to where he is theatre teacher Betsy Cornwell, who has been the theatre teacher at Bowie since the school opened.

“Cornwell always has a good heart and loves her students. She has really helped me grow,” McEntee said. “When I got my email from NYU I was so nervous to read it and I wanted Cornwell to be there because no matter if the news was good or bad I wanted to share it with her.”

These two seniors couldn’t have reached their goals if it weren’t for their hard work, the help of their teachers, their commitment, and of course, their dedication and passion to go above and beyond. by Staff Writer Gabby Bourgeacq

T The Lone Star Dispatch

rends & Culinary

Tuesday, May 27, 2014 Page 5

Culinary bakes up spring goodies Chefs raise money for their cooking department by selling baked treats The first annual spring bake sale was a success.

The Fall Bulldog Bakery has been going on for 15 years.

Head of the whole production was Chef Richard Winemiller.

“I like to think that our culinary events are part of creating a community feel at Bowie where a lot of people come together to share in a common experience,” Winemiller said. “I think it’s important that my students are involved in the public customer service side of the culinary industry, not just the cooking.”

The culinary chefs were able to expand the menu and come up with new items to sell this year.

“We go to pick the items we wanted to make for the students this sale,” senior Laura Philips said. “For this bakery we got to do cakes and cupcakes rather than doing quick breads or muffins that we do at the Fall Bakery, so it was fun to do new things.”

For the students, it was a time to enjoy delicious baked goods prepared by the culinary department.

However, for Philips and the other chefs, it was a time of anxiety and hard work, but it all paid off.

“Since this was the first year, there was definitely some rough patches and it didn’t go as smoothly as we hoped, so it was pretty stressful throughout the week, but it all turned out okay,” Philips said.

The stress didn’t just affect the chefs.

“This particular version actually lost money due to some issues with planning and kitchen production,” Winemiller said.

The money raised goes to the department to keep it running.

“Most of our events are designed to basically break even, providing enough money to pay for the ingredients so we can continue to cook,” Winemiller said.

“My goal is to provide my students with as many opportunities to cook and serve as possible as that is the absolute best way to learn and hone your culinary skills.”

Prior to the sale, the chefs started preparing a month in advance by writing recipes

and planning. They began baking and final prep the week before the bake sale.

“I always like the kitchen aspect of every event because I enjoy cooking, baking and the fast-paced environment,” Winemiller said.

“While it is not the most exciting part, it is the planning that is probably most important overall. In culinary, it’s called Mise en Place.”

The treats were sold to students during first and second lunch. Cakes, cookies, pastries, pies and many other unique desserts were sold, but one was the most popular throughout the campus.

“Cupcakes sold the most but that was because they were one of the cheaper options,” junior Colin Zibelin said. “Those were totally wiped out by the time we were done selling to classrooms.”

Overall, the bakery raised a lot of money for the school and was a way for students to acknowledge the culinary department for all their hard work and effort. The department plans on making it an

by Staff annual event.

Writer Lauren Blevins

Preparation for the bake sale Senior Will Hampton begins the procedure to make some treats. The money raised from these treats is to keep the department running. Photo courtesy of Edeline Ong

Game craze sweeps across the student body While students walk the hallways and wait for their friends, a lot of them are on cell phones. While some are checking their Instagram or Twitter for new updates, most are playing 2048.

The goal of the game is to keep sliding different colored tiles across the screen, first two tiles of two together to make four, then two of those four tiles to get eight.

Multiplying them in increments of 2, the players eventually will reach the victorious 2048 tile.

A lot of students find themselves sliding the tiles across the screen in a fury to reach this tile.

“So many people play this game because it’s challenging and addictive to play,” sophomore Abby Clayboss said. “After starting, my mindset quickly turned into ‘I want to win,’ then quickly

changing to ‘I have to win!’”

Some people who have played for months have yet to join the elite who have won, while others have won within weeks of starting the game.

“It took me two weeks to beat the game. Now, I beat it basically every time I play,” freshman Meredith Edelmon said. “You need to be patient.”

This trend has caught on with a lot of people. From boasting rivalries to twitter posts, everyone now seems to know about the game.

“I heard about this game from other people playing the game in other classes about a month ago,” Clayboss said.

There are others, though, who have never previously heard of the game.

“I think this trend began because it seems like a fun

concept and it caught on when people saw others play.

It’s challenging and fun, but still possible,” sophomore Juliana Davis said.

Part of what fueled the popularity of this game was the fact that unlike some games you can get on the app store, there is a possibility of winning.

“It’s a fun pastime between class periods,” Davis said. “It creates a goal for the user to achieve the high score and it strengthens player’s math skills in a fun way.”

Those who have claimed victory did not join the bandwagon of those who now play. Most started playing before the game was even popular.

“I play games that I enjoy, whether or not it’s popular,” Edelmon said.

Some who play 2048

have now stopped playing altogether.

“It took up too much of my time. I had other, more important occupations than winning,” Clayboss said.

Those who have claimed victory in this game have their ways of winning, each one unique to them and their views of how to win the game.

“Keep the largest number in the bottom left corner, and don’t randomly swipe- it gets you nowhere,”Edelmon said. “There are also tons of other strategies.”

2048 is a game designed to be a simple concept of sliding tiles endlessley until you win. For some, the game is the last thing on their minds, while for others the game is an obsession that cannot be underlooked or

by Staff Writer overseen.

Michelle McDonagh

Filled to the brim Freshman Christopher Lockard shows his skills at the game 2048. He has beat the game numerous times. Photo by Staff Writer Fuaad Ajaz

Kendra Scott proves to be a success with teens

Kendra Scott, a nationwide jewelry shop, has been satisfying customers since 2002.

Originally Kendra Scott began by using $500 to create a mini-collection of fine

Passion for Fashion Senior Kaleigh Wenzloff shows of her Kendra earrings. She picked this pair out because it is her favorite color. Photo by Trends and Culinary Editor Paige Rife

jewels that later turned into a success.

Today, the name and brand Kendra Scott is recognized by women worldwide.

Originating in Austin, Texas this jewelry has spread globally and has became a fashion statement to many others as well.

“I bought my cousin who lives in San Antonio some earrings for her birthday and she had never heard of them before,” sophomore Anna Olson said. “Ever since she started wearing them more people at her school did as well.”

With the range of styles and designs, customers are given a large variety to choose from and aren’t left empty handed.

“It’s always fun to go to the Kendra Scott store because there are so many options. There’s a jewelry bar where you get to pick out what colors and styles you want,” Olson said. “It’s so cool because they put the jewels on right in front of you.”

Out of all of the different options provided there are certain styles which are favorites and most commonly seen being worn.

“My favorite are the Danielle oval earrings, they instantly class up any outfit,” junior Ashley Ellis said.

Differing, some students prefer to wear styles not commonly seen to change the trend up.

“I love Kendra Scott, but I try to veer away from the styles that everyone else is wearing and try her other styles to shake things up,” junior Alexa Antoniadis said.

Kendra Scott is a wide variety of simple yet elegant jewelry that helps some women’s outfits look more classy. It is a style a lot of young teens and other women are willing to pay for.

“There’s a lot of girls who wear them everyday.

You can walk into any class and there would be at least one girl wearing them,” Ellis said. by Trends and Culinary Editor Paige Rife

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The Lone Star Dispatch Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Page 6

Singers show off their skills Madelyne Martinez wins Bowie Idol after her second year of performing People quiet down, a spotlight appears on a person standing on the stage, and that person becomes the center of attention.

During the night of Bowie Idol people lined up to get into the theatre to watch performers sing, dance, and put on a show for the audience.

Bowie Idol is an annual talent show that was held on Saturday April, 12th in the theatre and was organized by the choir and student council. The event shows all the different talents that Bowie has to offer.

Junior Alexis Antoniadis went to Bowie Idol for the very first time this year.

“This was my first year going,” Antoniadis said. “I almost didn’t want to go because I didn’t want to watch people sing for two hours. But, I got my money’s worth because it was amazing and I loved it.”

Bowie Idol raises money by selling tickets and concessions. The money goes directly to campus groups.

“This year in Bowie Idol we raised about $4000,” Student Council advisor Jimmy Ellerbrock said. “The money we raised for Bowie Idol gets split between the Student Council and Choir because they both do most of the work for the event.”

The winner for this year Bowie Idol was Junior Madelyne Martinez. Martinez has participated in Bowie Idol before and did not win but tried again this year and succeeded.

“I sang “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele, last year in Bowie Idol and got second place,” Martinez said. “This year I played piano and sang a “If I ain’t got you” by Alica Keys. I was very surprised when I won Bowie Idol because there was so much great talent and I thought everyone was good.”

The winner for Bowie Idol is announced in order of finish with first read last and Martinez was shocked by each runner-up.

“When they were announcing the winners they were going by runner-ups so after each runner up I was just happy they did not say my name, but when it was down to the two runner-ups and they were the comedy club and me and that was the point where I was just waiting to hear who was going to take home that trophy and gift card because we were both great,” Martinez said.

The stage is alive with the sound of music Senior Joshua Stout and Senior Aubrey Goodwin sing their hearts in the packed theatre.

They sang “Compass” by Lady Antebellum and were accompanied by a guitar player.

Photo by Photo Editor Ashley Stroud

During Bowie Idol there were some problems with microphones not working.

“The only problem with the shows was the microphones. They were either way too loud or extremely quiet. This only happened a couple times so it didn’t completely ruin the show,” Antoiadis said.

People think that Bowie Idol is not an only for singing, since it sounds like American Idol but that’s not the case.

“Bowie Idol is not just a singing competition, and we don’t want it to look like just a singing competition.” Ellerbrock said. “ Bowie Idol is like a talent show. Not only do we want singers we want dancers, performers, skits, and many other performers to and I do not like how it is advertised because it makes it look like a singing and that is not what I want to show.”

The morning of the event Martinez had a problem with her voice, it was gone.

“The morning of the event I had lost my voice and I was so scared because I didn’t know what would happen like would I go and perform or would I not. So, I drank a ton of water and hot tea so my voice would come back and it ended up coming back and I sounded better in the performance than I did in the rehearsal,” Martinez said.

The winner of the show is split between judges and the audience. Judges pick the top groups and the audience votes online.

“To pick the winner of the event we first have judges experienced in many different categories, so at the end the judges pick five people who they thought were really good and then we have this website where the audience texts in the name of the person the wanted to win and then we would see who had won by the time voting was over which is about fifteen minutes,” Ellerbrock said, “This is the second year out of all ten years we have done this type of voting usually we would have the students circle a name and drop it in the vote and see who had won.

This way is faster, accurate, and easier.”

Ellerbrock said.

The event filled the auditorium seats and was a way for contestants to show off their

by Staff Writer talents and personalities.

Fuaad Ajaz

Orchestra finishes season with exemplary in UIL

Seven strings, four violins, three violas, two cellos, and a number of wind and brass players assembled into the pit.

Orchestra received the first ‘best orchestra’ award ever given by the Greater Austin High School Musical Theatre Awards (GAHSMTA).

In addition to the GAHSMTA award, the UIL season also brought recognition and achievement to the orchestra company.

“Every year in the spring we have a couple UIL contests, one is the solo contest where students go and play for a judge, that takes place in January. Later on in the spring we have four orchestra contests, end of February to the beginning of March, then we also have the string orchestra contest.” orchestra director Dr. Giovanna L. Cruz Pifano said.

Many organizations, like theatre and forensics, have five levels to the UIL competition. Starting with Zone, then District, Area, Regionals, and ending in State. For orchestra, all competition is thrown into one day.

“For orchestra there is actually just the region contest, which was held at Westlake for the full orchestra while the string orchestra was at McCallum,” Pifano said. “The contest lasts all day, but the portion that we participated in took 40 minutes for concert and half an hour for sight-reading.”

Orchestra students are flung into an event called sightreading in which they play a piece of music without any prior knowledge of it.

“Sight-reading is where you go into a room and you see the music for the very first time, you’ve never heard it before, you’ve never played it before. I have them ‘shadow play’ to the music, where they pretend to play but they can’t make any noise. It’s very stressful,” Pifano said.

During the UIL season the company works hard to prepare for the intense competition.

“We have rehearsal during class every day, but during the UIL contest, starting in January until the contest was over, we did two extra hours a week after school,” Pifano said.

When the performance comes, even though it can be stressful, it’s the best part according to sophomore Miranda Salazar.

“Oh, I love performing,” Salazar said. “when you rehearse

you’ve heard it a hundred times, but when you get to perform it and the audience has never heard it before it’s amazing.”

Although, hours can be long and competition tough, the achievement makes all the difference. The company finished the season with an exemplary award in concert and superior in sight-reading. UIL orchestra ratings go from one to five, one being superior, two excellent, three average, four below average, and five is poor.

“There’s a lot of time invested and early mornings, but when we get that exemplary rating then it’s all worth it,” Salazar said. “I got a one, which is the highest you can get for my quartet.”

The orchestra program ended the UIL season and had a campus showcase on Tuesday, May 13.

“We played a really intense class five piece, but we handled it pretty well and we even played a piece composed by one of our bassists, Evan Spake,” Salazar said.

Many orchestra and band members are introduced at a young age, according to Salazar.

“I’ve been playing the violin for five going on six years.

I got started because my piano teacher when I was in fifth grade was also teaching violin,” Salazar said.” I gravitated towards it and just loved it, the next week I bought my own and started practicing.”

Students involved in orchestra or band may borrow from the school for certain instruments, but many buy their own.

“My violin was probably $250, however over the course of owning two violins I’ve gone through four bows and I go through lots of strings,” Salazar said. “But people dance because they like to dance, or act because they like to act. I just love playing.”

While orchestra students prepare for their upcoming placement exams, the directors begin working on next year’s season and thinking about the new kids who will soon become apart of the company.

“The whole program has 125 students and there are certainly talented kids, but hard work is the most important thing, talent only gets you so far,” Pifano said. “You could have all the talent in the world but if you don’t use it, it goes to waste.” by Student Life Editor Kamryn Bryce

Play me like a bass Junior Ty Tuttle practices a song on the stand-up bass.

Tuttle has been in orchestra playing the stand-up bass for three years. Photo by Photo Editor Ashley Stroud

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S The Lone Star Dispatch

PORTS

Tuesday, May 27, 2014 Page 7

Baseball team advances to state

Shutout game Junior Kyle Gray throws a pitch during the team’s second game against McNeil High School. The team won the game with a final score of 3-0. Photo courtesy of Bob Herbert and Beth Towns.

The Bowie baseball team slid into the district championships for the second straight season after compiling a 10-3 district record.

The team ended up winning both the bi-district title and area championship before losing in the Region 2 state quarterfinals.

“Yeah it felt pretty good to win all that stuff,” junior and pitcher Chris Logan said. “It made us really confident going into playoffs.”

The team made it to the regional quarterfinal playoffs and lost to 17th ranked Klein Collins High School, two games to one, leaving players disappointed.

“It was a bummer when we lost to Klein Collins,” Logan said. “We played really well but it just wasn’t enough.”

The Bowie team who were ranked 25th in the state, lost 9-8 in the final game of the three game set, when Klein Collins pitcher Hunter Strawn struck out seniors Austin Eschenburg and A.J. Lionberger.

“When we made the comeback it was exciting,” Logan said. “It was like a feeling of adrenaline pumping through your veins.”

With the regular season over coach Sam Degelia still felt great about his team.

“Our regular season has come to an end,” Degelia said on his website. “On and off the field I have gotten nothing but compliments about this team.”

This is Degelia’s first year as the baseball team coach, and it could be considered very successful.

“Coach Degelia did really well his first year,” Logan said. “If you had a question you could ask him, and he’d be there for you when you needed help, I feel like he was a good choice, and he helped lighten the load on coach Alvarez.”

Retired varsity coach Rudy Alvarez retired from Bowie last year after coaching for over 40 years, but still assists the team throughout the year.

“Coach Alvarez seemed a lot less stressed this year,” Logan said. “He spent a lot of time with us and we will miss him a lot when he stops coaching.”

In the final, down 9-4, senior Jake Moore jacked a three-run homer, leaving the team down one run and with only one out.

“I thought we could really pull it off there,” Logan said. “I didn’t pitch as well as I wanted to in the end, but I feel like it did what I could do to help the team, and if it wasn’t enough then I’ll do better next year.”

This season the team will graduate a large number of seniors.

“I hope we do well next year, we have got good pitchers and catchers,” Logan said. “I just hope the kids come out well if they can stay focused I think they can do pretty good.”

The team is already excited about next season.

“We’re excited about next year,” Logan said. “We like a big crowd too-it helps to get us going.” by Commentary Editor Elyas Levens

A loss in the district finals ends season for girls The Bowie girl’s lacrosse team ended their season with a loss of 11 to 10 against Georgetown in their last game of district finals.

“We ended up going to district finals and losing in the last second to Georgetown,” Senior Carolyn Smith said. “The game was very intense, and I haven’t seen the team work so hard for something in my whole lacrosse career and it was amazing to see how we handled the game.”

Because the score was so close, many athletes were disappointed with the last game of the season.

“When we played Georgetown the final score was very close,” sophomore Johnee Wolter said. “It was a shame that we lost; all the girls played their hearts out.”

However, head coach LV Johns is happy with the way the team played this season.

“The girls had a phenomenal season,” Johns said.

Senior athletes on the team played their last game against Georgetown. Carolyn Smith thinks that the team, especially seniors, should be proud of the hard work they put in all year.

“It was an emotional game considering it was our last game for the seniors and we

Tough competition Junior Carolina Reis runs up the field in a game against Vandergrift on April 17. Bowie won the game with a final score of 11-7. Photo courtesy of Judy Bienvenu

wanted so bad to win,” Smith said. “I definitely think we worked our butts off and that we should be proud of how far we got this

season.”

With many new players joining the team this year, the athletes quickly formed close

bonds.

“My favorite part [of the season] was playing the games with all the new girls and I think that we worked together the best,” Wolter said. “We’re a very tight group and we all knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses.”

This season the team believes its greatest strength was in its resilience and determination.

“I think our team was really good at making a comeback, when we got knocked down a peg we always came back twice as hard,” Bienvenu said.

Seniors Carolyn Smith and Reilly Fraizer will be playing Division III lacrosse in college next fall.

“I’m playing at Hendrix college in Arkansas,” Fraizer said. “The coach is amazing and I could really see myself doing well on that team.”

Smith will be playing at Huntingdon College in Alabama next year.

“I’m going to play with Huntingdon college. I decided to play there when I stayed the night with the team,” Smith said. “I got to know the girls and the coach is awesome.

That along with the school just won me over.” by Sports Editor Annika Holm

Mountains bikers compete Varsity softball finishes in state championship race season with close game

Bikers come together from across the state Mountain bikers compete in the Texas state championships meet. Bowie biker Jason Hart (#446) roderode in the race on Sunday, May 4. Photo courtesy of Joe Cepeda

New club makes impressive debut This year marked the first appearance of the Mountain Bike Club. Overall, the team finished in 10th place in the state. The season began in February and ended in early May. The team has a total of five races in various cities and they take place on private ranches.

Coach Ryan Logan sponsors the team and appreciates biking as well.

“I like to mountain bike and I had a students that was already competing individually and had a couple of friends that went to ride also, so they approached me about sponsoring the team,” Logan said.

The student founder, sophomore Chad Bobbitt, wants to share his hobbies with the rest of the school.

“I started the club to bring

something that I enjoyed doing to my friends and classmates so they can do it too,” Bobbitt said.

The athletes get along on and off the course.

“My favorite part about the club isn’t so much the racing but being able to hang out with my teammates and ride bikes together,” Bobbitt said.

Members encourage students to join in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

“It’s a fun club to be in and a great way to stay in shape,” freshman Justin Curci said.

Every practice the riders pick up on new techniques.

“I enjoy learning new things in practice that I can use in races,” sophomore Stephen Demerson said.

by Entertainment Editor Laruen Blevins

The medal stand Sophomore Chad Bobbit celebrates his win on the medal platform. Bobbit earned second place out of the 84 bikers who participated in the race. Photo courtesy of Joe Cepeda

After their loss against The Woodlands, Bowie Softball 2014 season came to an end. Varsity softball coach, Catherine Johnson Landers, is proud of the team despite the loss.

“I wouldn’t change anything about that game, they played well and hard. We could’ve beat them if the ball bounced different ways, but they gave it their all,” Johnson said.

Coach Johnson thought that the bond the team formed this season was a very special one.

“It was a great season because the kids have done well and came together as a team, they’re like family,” Johnson said.

The team ended the season with a record of 21-11.

Athletes say that the team is closer this season than they were in previous seasons.

“Compared to all the other years, we’re a lot closer,” senior Sam Flores said. “It would’ve been nice to go longer, but it was still a very nice season.”

Flores has achieved many things she did not expect when she first began playing softball as a freshman.

“I just tried out, I didn’t even know I was going to make it,” Flores said. “My main goal freshman year was just to make the team, but then I made varsity my sophomore year, which was very great.”

Flores will not be playing softball in college; instead she will be focusing on her future. She is attending Midwestern State University next year and is plan-

An eye on the pitch Junior Ashli Lotz prepares to hit the ball in a game against Stony Point in the Bi-district playoffs. The team went on to win the game with a 4-1 score. Photo courtesy of Linda L.

ning on majoring in physical therapy.

“I’m going to miss the team because we’re all so close and we meet new people each year,” Flores said.

Senior Brittany Patton will be attending Navarrow College in Corsicana, Texas where she will study to be a coach, though she will not be playing softball.

“What I’m going to miss the most is my teammates.

At the end of the last playoff game, we were all so emotional and it touched me because I saw we were family,” Patton said, “I feel like I contributed to the team in every way possible. I felt like a little mentor.”

Torres not only played softball for Bowie, but was also active in the theatre and in choir department.

“It was very stressful.,” Torres said. “My mornings consisted of choir then sprinting to softball morning practices, then after school

softball practice, then to theatre.”

Torres is attending the University of Texas at Austin, but isn’t going to continue playing softball.

“I’m not going to continue for college, but for club sports because I enjoy playing it so much,” Torres said.

Junior McKenzie Kane is already looking forward to the season next year.

“I’m going to miss the seniors’ leadership and influence, but I’m also excited for next year. We’re going to have a lot of seniors and a very good team,” Kane said.

The coaches have a prediction saying that 2015 is going to be the year they win the state championship.

“I think it could happen,” Johnson said, “They’re a great group of girls that work very hard. We just got to have harder practices to meet that goal,” Johnson said. by Staff wrtier Sophi Mora

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hoto Essay

The Lone Star Dispatch Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Page 8

Silver Stars shine in final stage effort The Bowie Silver Stars presented “I Am” their spring show production on April 24 – 26.

The Silver Stars were under direction of Jennifer Dawson and Jennifer Bennett.

The theme of the spring show was “I Am” honoring women before who showed courageous actions.

“The theme is celebrating women in history and the women of the future feeling the need to empower young women” Silver Stars Director Jennifer Dawson said.

The directors decide the theme of the show however the dancers were able to tell a story form 2 simple words “I Am”.

“It was a good theme because it showed us as young women that we have the power to become what we want and it could empower other women to become the things they want to be,” Sophomore Silver Star Mary Moore said.

In preparation of the show the Silver Stars have had end-

less hours of practice to ensure a flawless show.

“Well first off we started practicing for the spring show in December which helps us not have to do as much practicing during the time of show because we have already drilled those dances into our heads. It was hard because we were on a time crunch for learning and remembering the new dances,” Junior Silver Star Olivia Wigley said.

For the seniors it was the last time performing in their uniform, and it was also the baby Silver Stars first performance.

“It is so emotional because it is the seniors last time performing, spring show means so much as a Silver Star because it’s our last performance of the year, and performing finale in our uniforms is such a good feeling because it is so upbeat and so exhilarating” Moore said.

The theme “I Am” is represented through words that all the Silver Stars come up with in which they describe them-

selves or what they strive to be later on in life.

Throughout the opening dance a bottle containing those five words is passed around. The bottle travels from the back to the front until it gets to Silver Star Captain Madi Hacking who then opens the scroll with those five words and watches everyone transform into those five words.

“At the end of the dance our captain Madi opens the bottle reads the message and watches us as we all become the things we want to be,” Moore said.

The Silver Stars overall were very happy about their performances and thought the show was a big success considering thousands of people went to see them.

“The show went extremely well. In dance its kind of a hit or miss, you either know you did really good or you didn’t do good enough,” Wigley said.

by Photo Editor Isabel Rosales

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1. I Am Mary Moore strikes her ending pose in the “I am” opening dance. A bottle was passed on stage and it traveled as if it was on a wave of water. “It was our last performance as a team and had a huge impact on a lot of people,” sophomore Mary Moore said.

2. It’s Raining Men Silver Star escort, senior Graham Case jumps in to the arms of the escorts while dancing. This group of boys have accompanied the Silver Stars throughout the entire year.

3. Captain’s solo Madi Hacking leaps in mid-air, performing her solo . Hacking is the Captain of Silver Stars and works hard every day during practice for the improvement of the team.“I’ve worked so hard on and celebrated, struggled through, and enjoyed and all of my years were all left on that stage,” senior Madi Hacking said.

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4. Officer Jazz Performing to “Fierce” Kaylee Edwards and Micheala Jimenez get sassy. Senior Kaylee Edwards put lots of hard work and time into her last year as a Senior officer. “I made sure to perform every show with lots of energy and passion,” senior Kaylee Edwards said.

5. Let the Dance Fall Out Junior Micheala Jimenez shines on stage as she dances to the “Brave”. This was Jimenez’s first year dancing in Spring Show. She will be 1st Lieutenant next year on Silver Stars.“The whole show meaning of “I Am” meant a lot to me. Every dance we did was empowering and I wish I could have done them over and over,” Jiminez said.

6. Filled with Passion Senior Madi Hacking holds the scroll close to her heart. While Hacking reads the letter the other Silver Stars become those five words. “I poured my whole heart into that show and I think I got a lot of it filled back up with the love and energy,” Hacking said.

7. Shadow Within Intensely staring at the crowd Olivia Wigley dances to their kick routine. Wigley battled her inner shadow though out the dance. “This spring show was very memorable, I watched our team come together at time when the stakes were high,” Wigley said.

8. Finale Silver Stars appear in their traditional uniforms and end with a grand finale. The tallest girls on the team kicked their legs to the ceiling. “This Spring Show is something I will never forget. This was one of the highlights of my year,” sophomore Erin Ellis said.

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9. Jazz Company Senior Cassidy Blalack strikes a pose as she dances to Jazz Company’s, “Woman”. Blalack has achieved many solo finalists awards throughout her dancing career along with being on Bowie Company.

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Stars

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Photos by Fuaad Ajaz and Isabel Rosales

2 0 14 The senior Lonestar staff

Dispatch

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Good Vibes and Goodbyes

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on s r Yea

ff a t S

Rachael Crawford

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on s r Yea

ff a t S

Sandra Cuadros

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f taf S on s r Yea

Blaine MacMorran

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f taf S on s r Yea

Meagan Prehn

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on s r Yea

ff a t S

Nancy Tran

1

on r a Ye

ff a t S

Shannon Wiedemeyer

1

f taf S on r Yea

Marisa Marquez

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on s r Yea

ff a t S

Ashley Stroud

1

f taf S on s r Yea

Selma Sanchez

Meagan Prehn Editor-In-Chief I can’t believe I finally made it. As sad as it is to be ending my senior year I’m so ready to close this chapter in my life and start a new one at Texas A&M. Mama & Papa Prehn – Huge shout out to the both of you. You’ve always been there to encourage me to never give up whether it was in school or my injury. You taught me how to make a positive out of a negative. You’ve shaped me into the person I am today and I can’t thank you enough for that.

I know I always complained about you constantly being on my back about my grades and school but, seeing that acceptance letter to Texas A&M made me appreciate you pushing me to always do my best. I apologize for not realizing that sooner. I know you both want what’s best for me so thank you so very much for everything.

Mr. Reeves - Most importantly thank YOU for being one of the most crazy, fun, awesome, inspiring teachers I have ever had the pleasure of being mentored by. You truly are a character and by far one of the coolest teachers Bowie has ever welcomed. Thank you for

Rachael Crawford Editor-In-Chief

believing in me and always encouraging me to push myself and more importantly believe in myself. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to help positively change the way students and faculty look at our newspaper. Thank you for showing me and the rest of the staff that the newspaper is not just a coupon book but an opportunity to be apart of something bigger than ourselves. Last but not least, thank you for a year filled with great memories and lessons that I can take with me as I enter a new chapter in my life.

Rachael Crawford - We certainly made a good team this year, didn’t we? I’m so grateful to have been the Editor-in-Chief along side you this year.

It’s been a hectic but fun year on staff and something I will never forget. I’m really going to miss our inside jokes, little arguments when we were both so stressed, laughs when we were too delirious to focus anymore, gossip sessions when we should’ve been studying and just seeing you every other day in newspaper. I wish you nothing but the best of luck at OU. I love you so much.

The BABs (Victoria Saenz, Sandra Cuadros, Lexie Ramirez, Anna Orlowski, Reilly Frazier, Amber Weir and Lexi Pizzuti) – Wow, where do I

High school has definitely been a crazy experience, and it’s bittersweet to be graduating. I am very proud to say that I will be attending The University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma in the fall. But before I walk across the stage, there are a few people I need to thank for helping me succeed during my high school career.

Reeves, my senior year on newspaper staff would not have been the same without you. I wouldn’t have enjoyed newspaper as much if you weren’t our teacher this year. Who knew it was so much fun to be at school at 9 a.m. on a Saturday? I can’t believe that the year is over when it feels like just yesterday we published our first paper. Thank you for teaching me about how to be responsible and how to manage my time, even though I’m still not the best at that. I can’t wait to come back and visit you next year and see how the staff is doing!

Madison, Ashley, and Katy and Julia, I know this has been a rough year with us but I am just so glad to call you guys my best friends. Thank you for being there for me and loving me even when I’m a freak or I’m annoying or whatever. You guys are the best and I’m going to miss you guys next year when we are miles away from each other. Julia, have fun during your senior year. It definitely goes by fast. And Ashley, I know you’ll miss us too even though you pretend you won’t. I love you guys so much.

Momma and Daddy, I can’t thank you enough for

even begin? I will forever be thankful for our friendship. I seriously couldn’t have gotten through high school without you guys. Ya’ll are an amazing group of girls and I will never forget the crazy inside jokes we’ve gathered throughout the years. The most important thing you’ve taught me was to never let my disability get in the way of anything. I appreciate you always finding a way to make it work with me whether it was carrying me up the stairs, pulling my hand when I got tired, or taking time out of your busy schedule to

raising me to be who I am. I am so lucky to have grown up with parents like you guys. Thank you for putting up with me even when I’m a brat and for supporting everything I do. Mom, I can’t believe we are both Sooners now!

I feel honored to be able to go to the college you attended and be a Sooner legacy. Dad, good luck finding gifts for mom without me.

Meagan, Thank you for being my partner in crime this year. I couldn’t of been Editor-In-Chief without you by my side every step of the way. You have been one of my greatest friends through all four years of high school through thick and thin. No matter what happens you’re always there to hear my ridiculous stories about pretty much everything. I am so glad we got to work together this year as editors. I’m going to miss you so much next year but you are going to have a great time as an Aggie!

be there for me through countless surgeries and hospitalizations. Thank you for giving me four years worth of crazy, fun, unforgettable memories that I will cherish forever. I love ya’ll so much.

P.S. “This isn’t a goodbye but just a see you later…”

Marisa Marquez I Trends & Culinary Editor I 1 yr on staff Senior year has come and gone much quicker than I had expected. Even though I’ve only been at Bowie for two and a half years, I’ve had so much fun meeting all of the friends that I have today and making all those memories that I will cherish forever.

Michael Reeves: Thank you Reeves, for everything you have taught me within this one year that I’ve been in your class. It’s gotten kind of crazy at times but I’ve enjoyed every single moment of it and I will definitely miss being one of your students.

Newspaper Staff: I’ve had so much fun writing stories and designing the newspaper with you all. This was one of the few classes that I actually looked forward to going to because of each and every one of you. I’m going to miss my computer spot in the back row with all the editors. Some of the funniest memories that I have from senior year happened in that class and I’m glad that I have that to share with all of you.

Friends: There are so many friends that I want to thank individually, but that would make this far too long. There have been a lot of people that I’ve met here at Bowie who have impacted my life in a positive way and have taught me a lot in the short amount of time that I’ve been here. I am so thankful for the friends I have today because I don’t know where I’d be without them. Thank you Alexa Boone, Karla Castro, Jeremy Ellsworth, Reilly Frazier, Sarah Hall, Gabe Hernandez, Christopher Muyshondt, Tinofa’atasi Phillips, Chris Regalado, Carolyn Smith, Derek Thomas, Taylor Vasquez, and Gerrit Willoughby. I love you all.

Sandra Cuadros l Student Life Editor I 2 yrs. on staff

It’s crazy to think that I am coming to that final mile of my senior year.

The big finale of my high school career approaches and I still can’t wrap my head around it.

Just yesterday, I was walking into the front doors on my first day of school receiving fish tags. Four years later and I never thought I would be where I am today.

I’ve screamed to the

top of my lungs, I’ve jumped off bridges, I’ve traveled to interesting places, I’ve met amazing faces, I have lived a lifetimes worth in just these past four years and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

I am pretty pleased with where I stand and I look forward to the next chapter of my life.

To all of the people who have ever contrib-

uted to my life and high school career, thank you.

My journey wouldn’t be half as great as it has been without you and I hope you the best in your next chapter. It’s a bittersweet feeling leaving Bowie for good. It feels so great to leave but the fact that I am growing up and these years won’t last don’t come so easy to me.

Mom & Dad: You were my strength when

I was weak, my eyes when I couldn’t speak, you were my lift when I couldn’t reach and you and continue to see the best in me. I thank you so much for everything you do. I have been blessed with two tremendous parents out there. I love you guys!

I will miss some of my favorite teachers including Mr. Reeves, Mrs. Shan and Mrs. Shu-

mate. You teachers have put me in my place and I can’t thank you enough for all you do for your students.

I would not have been able to make it through this year without my very best friends: Meagan Prehn, Amber Weir, Lexie Ramirez, Anna Orlowski, Carolyn Smith, Victoria Saenz, Lexi Pizzuti and Reilly Frazier. All of you girls are amazing and I thank you for all the memories I will forever cherish.

In life we do things, some we wish we had never done, some we wish we could replay a million times in our heads but they all make us who we are and in the end they shape every detail about us.

Throughout these four years, I have definitely learned to step outside my comfort zone. Life begins there. Sometimes you have got to go ahead and take the gamble. You have nothing to lose except the chance to win.

Nancy Tran

There were countless amount of times I have wanted to walk through the dreadful concrete hallways for the last time. At times school seemed unbearable, but the memories I have created, even through rough times, have made high school one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

In a matter of days I will be parting from the place I have met inspiring individuals, created many memories, and learned things that will not only prepare me for college but for life.

In four years, I have done things I never expected to do when I first stepped on campus. I have held the vice president position for Key Club and National Honor Society, took part in the varsity tennis team, was an editor for the Lone Star Dispatch newspaper for all three years on staff, and became passionate for volunteering.

Through the various organizations I was in I met friends that I plan to make more memories with in the future. Without them my high school experience would not be one worth remembering. We have shared countless laughs, stressed through classes together, and complained about

In-Depth Editor

school at every given opportunity. Thanks for being supportive, loving, and caring.

Teachers are not credited enough for the impact they have on students’ lives. At times the curriculum seemed unbearable, but with their help I was able to succeed.

Thanks for the support and knowledge you have given me.

Joyce Brisco - I would like to thank you personally for teaching me a lesson I will continue using for the rest of my life - never be afraid to speak up. The things I have learned in your class have opened many doors for me.

Lastly, I would like to thank my parents for everything they have done for me. You have educated me about the importance of friendships, love, trust, and family, supported and loved for me, and guided me through life.

J.M. Barrie once said, “never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.” Bowie, you have made a lasting impact on my life, I can only hope I have done the same.

These past four years of my life will certainly never be forgotten. Thanks for everything.

Selma Sanchez

“I don’t think I’d have been in such a hurry to reach adulthood if I’d known the whole thing was going to be ad-libbed.” – Bill Watterson As I evolved with age I have morphed from an awkward, introvert to...well in a sense somewhat similar to a Geode. Because beneath the rough, gray and dull outer lining there remains various lustrous and colorful crystals, as I’d like to call it the spectrum of weirdness.

Early on in high school I began to miss those nap times, when no one wanted to actually nap. It was such a tedious task to sleep since so much was yet to be done, so many adventures to uncover, so many memories yet to be made. This seemingly insignificant act we now know comes in handy. As we are all well aware the twenty-four hour day is no longer sufficient to genuinely do it all. Back then, sitting limbo, better known as time-out our thoughts changed. We couldn’t wait to have freedom and the liberty to attempt to do it all. Being independent is what we longed for.

And so we go on about our lives manipulating time, bending the clock hands and

Staff Writer

treating the pendulum as a metronome. Fast forwarding through the years, not so much enjoying it but merely going through the movements, as a soulless machine would.

Once we are granted independence, the inner child in us wishes for it all to slow down a bit, actually more than a bit. Our thoughts then shifted again. The new wish is to have the gears of time be internally damaged by mounds of molasses, impaling it forever. Sadly, this cannot be done, no matter how much one wishes.

I believe that we are all granted one single wish throughout our lifespan. The opportunity arrives with no instruction pamphlet, no suggested use, no nothing but the wish itself. Some choose to have it granted in monetary value and others simply ask for wisdom. It is ultimately one’s own decision on what the wish should be.

Since I’ve already used my one wish as most of us already have, we must thoroughly indulge in the time of now, loving the ones who surround us, laughing at nothing and inhaling the pure essence of life itself.

For before we know it, we may too lose the ability to breathe.

Blaine MacMorran l Entertainment Editor l 2 yrs on staff

Coming into high school, I had never expected to be a part of the newspaper staff. As a freshman I had very poor writing skills and no motivation to get better at it. At the end of my sophomore year I was looking for something new to do. I had done concert band for several years as well as sports. I felt that I had accomplished all I wanted to in those particular areas in my life.

When it came time to sign choice sheets, I had no idea what to choose for my new extracurricular activities. I

had always found design to be interesting, so I signed up for graphic design and illustration. Little did I know this “graphic design and illustration,” was actually newspaper.

Before this, I had never really given journalism much thought. Fortunately, my curious nature gave me a reason to pursue this.

When I began writing my first story, I didn’t expect for it to be published.

To my surprise, that story was good enough to run in the paper as well as

earn me a title; Entertainment Editor.

With help from my advisors, I developed a style of writing. Although I am not the best writer on staff, I am proud of what I have accomplished in my two years of being on staff.

It was a really unique experience to be able to publish things that interested me. This being my last year on staff I was more than excited to do a music review. This gave me the opportunity to share different kinds of music with others. I usually did reviews on bands

that inspired my band, Tropian’s, style as well as me.

I hope that the reviews of albums that I did, inspired others to give these bands a chance.

I credit Michael Reeves for expanding this newspaper and keeping the staff, as well as myself, motivated.

I honestly feel that no one else could have done as good of job as he did. To have an advisor such as Reeves, and a staff full of good writers/photographers, the Dispatch is lucky.

Shannon Wiedemeyer l Staff Writer l 1 yr on staff Up until the age of fourteen I had a very skewed sense of what high School was going to be like. Being the film aficionado I am, I prepared myself by watching all of the John Hughes movies I could possibly get my hands on.

However, entering Bowie I noticed there was not a divide that was emphasized in those films.

The dweebs, the jocks, and the weirdos were not at war and everyone seemed to get along.

I was not picked on for wearing goofy clothes or being in four choirs, I was accepted. There’s a general kindness among the students that made my experience here unique and surprisingly pleasant.

Throughout my years of high school I had the great pleasure of being taught by extremely intelligent indi-

viduals. All I really ask for out of a teacher is that they are intellectually stimulating and that they have passion.Every year I’ve had teachers who have fed my need to be creative in the classroom.

I had a German teacher, Herr Horton, who made me love the German culture in a holistic way. When I showed interest in film, he provided me with German movies that I would appreciate.

Another teacher that I’ve known briefly, but changed my high school experience was my creative writing teacher, Ms. Rolfe. I was going to drop Ms. Rolfe’s class at the beginning of the school year because I felt it was important that I focus on my screenwriting. However, after some persuasion, I decided to stay in

the class and in return Ms. Rolfe would edit my script for me. Not only was I able to get fantastic feedback by a talented writer, but I was also able to become a stronger writer by broadening the genres in which I write, something I will forever be in debt to.

I was also fortunate to have my oldest and dearest friend of mine, Amber Weir, by my side throughout my high school career.

Amber and I have been through so much together, but remain to keep our close bond. Words cannot describe how excited I am to be continuing our journey to the University of Texas as roommates!

Lastly, a huge part of my high school experience was spent in the journalism program. In photojournalism, broadcast journalism, and newspaper I gained

skills that will carry me throughout my filmmaking career. However, this year Mr. Reeves has made everyone more eager to write for the newspaper and read the product. This newfound passion in the classroom has been wildly inspiring.

The freedom Reeves has given to the students, to make creative decisions and make a product that the students can be proud of has resulted in a great, award winning paper.

Although I am not an expert on journalism writing, I have been able to observe and partake in something bigger than anything I’ve been apart of at Bowie. I will forever be grateful to have been able to work with this amazing staff and be apart of the family that has been created within the classroom.

Ashley Stroud Photo Editor

In these years that I have been at this school I must say that my time here has been the best four years of my life so far, I have been inspired by many teachers, I have found my passion and most of all I have made great memories with nine girls that will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Gypsy Dogs: You nine know who you are. I adore and love each of you and I wanted to thank you for being the best of friends that any one could ever ask for during these four years we have been at Bowie. My time here would have been lame if I didn’t know y’all, I could write pages and pages about all of you guys and all that you have done but I only have such a small space. Just know that you guys have made one of the biggest impacts in my life. Much love xoxo Y-von & Ernest: You both rock so much and have made me the person I am today. You both have watched me grow up to be who I am and have supported me with every decision I have made, and not questioned it. Your support has meant so much to me through these four years of me figuring out where on earth I am going with my life. I love you both so much and I appreciate you for everything you have ever done for me.

2 Years on Staff Michael Reeves: You have only been here for a year, but I feel like I have known you longer than that. I appreciate all of your help with my photography and all the tips and criticism you gave me over the year. You were that one teacher I could always go to talk to if I had a problem or big news and you listened, that’s the most that any teacher has ever done for me, so thanks for that bro.

Newspaper Staff: I adore you goofs, I can’t wait to see what and where you are next year. Seniors I will miss you guys so much, but I can’t believe that in just a year we grew pretty close.

Deanna Dellana: I wanted to thank you for all that you have done for me, if you hadn’t trusted me to be an Elite photographer I would have never gotten into newspaper or photography, you encouraged me to take bigger steps and do bigger things, you always knew how to push me farther and farther with my work, thank you for all you have done.

My time spent here was made memorable by the people mentioned here, along with a few others it’s hard to say goodbye, but I know we will see each other again.

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” ― A.A. Milne.

This isn’t a section I normally contribute to because this is supposed to be for the kids, the seniors, as they head off into the real world. In fact, I hardly ever contribute anything to the newspaper besides editing every story that comes across my desk for slander and libel. But this time is different, I feel like I need to brag on this group of seniors and on the paper itself.

When I was hired last summer I knew that I wanted to transform the newspaper into something new, something that hadn’t been done in a number of years here at Bowie. I wanted to revive the broadsheet look, and I wanted to get back to what I think is quality scholastic journalism.

If you had asked me what to expect, I couldn’t have told you when school started, but in retrospect, I couldn’t have asked for a better year.

The editor-in-chiefs Meagan Prehn and Rachael Crawford have been amazing. They took everything in stride, no matter what I asked of them, it got done with very little complaint. I know they will both be very successful in the real world. I know they may not be journalists, but I do know that they will use the skills they learned in this program in the real world.

One editor I really had no clue about was Nancy Tran. She ended up with the In-depth page, a completely blank page with nothing on it, and somehow issue after issue, she filled it with quality work. I have been impressed with her the entire year.

I knew Sandra Cuadros was a good writer, but I wasn’t sure how she would turn out as an editor. There were a couple of glitches, but she has worked out quite

Advisor Michael Reeves well. I am happy with her growth and contributions.

Marisa Marquez was also an unknown because she signed up for the class as a senior with zero journalism experience. She has also turned out to be an excellent addition to the paper and when we had another editor move to different state, Marisa eagerly picked up the slack.

Blaine MacMorran started the year as a co-editor, but by the time the first semester was over, he had gotten his own page and did a nice job getting it done each issue. I appreciate his work.

Finally there is our photo editor, Ashley Stroud.

Photography is my area of expertise. Ashley also knows photography. I basically stole her from the yearbook program and without her we wouldn’t have had very many pictures in the paper. She is one of the best photographers I have ever had in my time teaching journalism.

Our two senior non-editors were both first year students, Shannon Wiedemeyer and Selma Sanchez. Both contributed throughout the year and both had multiple stories published. I wish they had been around longer so they could have done even more.

As they leave and the class of 2014 chapter closes, I look forward to next year when a new batch of as-

piring journalists comes through the door. The new editorial staff has produced this last issue. They are eager, learning and I expect even more of them. As the program grows and develops the bar will go up, but the class of 2014 has set the mark awfully high.

In closing there are a couple of adults I need to thank for an outstanding year. First, thank you to Stephen Kane for hiring me and putting his trust in me to run this program. Journalism is a scary thing for administrators because kids really do say the darnedest things. He understands that the newspaper is a student product and that there might be things he wishes weren’t in the paper, but that students have opinions and when done correctly they can share those opinions with the community.

Second, I have to thank Deanna Dellana. I know the newspaper and yearbook programs weren’t very friendly in the past, but today we are gratefully beyond that. Without her support, this year would have been very different. I love having a fellow journalist to chat with and someone to bounce ideas off of.

Thank you for all you do.

Finally I want to thank both Vicente Trevino and Richard Winemiller for been excellent leaders. Mr. Trevino has been one of the best AP’s I have worked with and I have been so happy with the leadership of Mr. Winemiller in our department. Both have been very supportive of me and the program as a whole.

Thank you for a great year and while I know we weren’t perfect, we are trying to do the best we can to cover the entire Bowie family each and every issue.