The Lone Star Dispatch 2014_15 issue #6 by The Dispatch

James Bowie High School

the

Lone Star Dispatch Vol. 27

Issue 6

4103 W. Slaughter Lane Austin TX 78749

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

www.thelonestaronline.com

Votes are in and the elections come to a close, drum roll please

Looking to the future: Unaware yet that she will become the 2015-2016 co-president, Shelby Johnson stands surrounded by her campaign helpers. Many of the campaigners, in addition to advertising their election by putting up posters and passing out stickers, also brought food and other assorted treats. Photo by Jasmine Correa

Not quite my tempo: Brad Mayo pounds on the drums with fellow band mates to create drum beats, like the ones heard at football games during the Spring season, that can be heard around campus. Mayo and his friends stood out in the humid Texas air for hours to support the elections. Photo by Jasmine Correa

Shelby Johnson and Marcus Gallardo win election and take StuCo office

Granger Coats Photo Essay Editor

With the student council election votes cast, the race for class president has ended, and the winners of the election were Shelby Johnson and Marcus Gallardo. Johnson believes her passion and great interest for student council is why she was the best candidate, and that enthusiasm and readi-

ness to lead is the qualities that allows a class president to gain the respect of the students. “Student council actually matters to me and gave me something to be passionate about again after I left volleyball. I really enjoy it,” Johnson said. Johnson cares about student council and to her it means something special. “I really want to lead the student body,” Johnson said,

“We have kind of fallen behind in the whole pep part of high school and I want to bring some enthusiasm back to school.” Among the other candidates who ran for president were Jade Fabello, Dylan Jungmann, Cole Blagdam, and Noe Barrios. Fabello’s strategy of humor was prevalent throughout his campaign as in one of Fabello’s campaign posters he urged people to go against

their better judgment to vote for him. “I think humor is a good way to connect and reach people,” Fabello said. Other candidates also used this strategy of humor in campaigning. Gallardo used clever flyers and posters to help get his name out. James Ellerbrock the advisor and organizer of student council believe that student council is important, as they are the leaders of the

school. “Student council is a very special position, because it is an umbrella over the whole school,” Ellerbrock said. Only a certain group of kids can be effective student council presidents according to Ellerbrock, as he looks for distinct qualities in a class president. “Honesty, work ethic, ability to work with people, and the willingness to give up a lot of your time for vari-

ous projects here and around the school,” Ellerbrock said. The student council president is an important and crucial part of the school, requiring a truly special and driven student to be successful. As Eric Moe and Powell Henson leave office, and Johnson and Gallardo step in to take the presidency, only time will tell what the impact these students have on the community.

District in line to make major school schedule changes Annika Holm News Editor

art by Kamryn Bryce

The Austin Independent School District (AISD) has recently proposed a new schedule that would apply to all high schools in the district; the proposal would mean all AISD high schools would start at 9:00 a.m. and end at 4:20 p.m., for Bowie this would mean starting and getting out ten minutes later. This schedule has been created to work with the new student sharing program, which means that AISD students can take classes at other high schools that their school doesn’t offer. First period on A days will be the only period used for student sharing, and Flexible Instruction Time (FIT) will follow every first period; FIT will be used as a travel time for students using the student sharing program. The proposed schedule for next year would mean all Mondays are A days, all Tuesdays B days, all Wednesdays A days, all Thursdays B days, and Fridays would alternate between A and B depending on the week. Late starts would still be only on Thursdays. Because this is a district wide schedule change, it’s not completely up to individual high schools. But schools have been offered some freedom in choosing their bell schedules. “We have the freedom and the flexibility from 11:00 until 4:20 every A day to do whatever we want. On a B day we could have the same schedule, or we could structure it how we want,” principal Stephen Kane said.

Senior Tab

Senior staff members say goodbye to high school Four years goes by quicker than you’d expect and now 11 seniors settle their peace and prepare to go off into the world beyond Bowie’s halls

See “Senior Tab “ for more details

INSIDE

Kane has opened the choices up to teachers to vote and give their ideas and opinions, with the next meeting about the new schedule scheduled sometime next week. “I haven’t heard that much yet, I think that some departments are still discussing it and trying to figure out which is best,” Kane said. Kane has offered up two general choices of bell schedules: the common schedule and the revolving AB schedule. These schedules aren’t specific to Bowie and, according to Kane, could be adjusted to allow longer bell schedules and two lunch periods. “We could see something next week that doesn’t look like either of these schedules,” Kane said. This idea was originally introduced when students were using choice sheets to determine their classes for the 2015-16 school year, but the concept was not introduced to teachers until very recently. “I was probably first told about it in February. Mr Kane let the department chairs know that this conversation was happening at the district levels because this is an entire district mandate, meaning that the entire district would be on the same schedule,” history teacher Ruth Widner said. “We found out just about a week ago that the district had made a decision that kind of adopted the proposed AB schedule.” The schedule change has been proposed to make the student sharing work, but according to Widner there isn’t a guarantee that it will occur. Read more: “New schedules bring greater challenges on campus” pg. 2

Entertainment

Silver Star Spring Show brings Broadway to campus

Over 65 dancers leave it all on the stage as the team’s last show of the year commences. Seniors dedicate their last dance and perform for the last time. See page 4 for more details

Commentary

What ever happened to kids looking forward to school?

Teachers, administration, and students alike have lost the appreciation of childhood and treat high school students like working employees without pay. See page 7 for more details

News 2 Student life 3 Entertainment 4 Athletics 5 In-Depth 6 Commentary 7 Photo Essay 8

N ews

The Lone Star Dispatch Tuesday, May 26, 2015 Page 2

Color guard wins 4th in nation NHS induction brings new faces

Caitlin Devlin Student Life Editor

With their glittering gold jumpsuits and their curly, frizzy hair, the JBHSIPE Independent Open color guard surged the field as they danced acround their giant silver disco ball. The color guard, after placing first in many Texas Color Guard Circuit and Winter Guard International competitions in Texas, went to Dayton, Ohio, to perform in the WGI World Championships. Guard performed a discothemed show, ‘A World of Fools’, and competed against other color guard teams from all over the world, placing first in their preliminary round and fourth in finals. “I was really proud of us for getting fourth place. Even though we didn’t medal,” sophomore Mariana Medina said. “I was beyond proud of my team for having come so far in such a great season.” The guard set up their floor, listened to a few encouraging words from the directors, Joey Powell and Kimberly Shuttlesworth, wished each other luck, and performed what some said was the best show of their season. “In the moment, I did everything to the best of my ability. When I look back at the video, I think there are things that I could have made better,” freshman Shannon Ross said. “But I still wouldn’t change anything. My final run was my best run out of the whole season.” Their performance at Dayton was the last performance they would give of World of Fools. At

Michelle McDonagh Commentary Editor

Color guard takes the field: Senior Kara Shannon flips her flag while performing during a half time show. Color guard put in four months of practice into preparing themselves for nationals. Photo by Jasmine Correa

winter guard competitions, color guards are told to ‘leave their show on the floor’, that is, to leave all the experiences of that season and move on to their next season. “The second I got off the floor I started crying really hard because I knew that I wouldn’t have been able to do the same thing with the same people again.” sophomore Jessica Stachew said. “I loved everything about this season.” After performing their show for the last time the guard was able to go into the crowd and watch world class guards, known as Open World guards. “I loved watching Open World guards, it was so much fun. I’m joining the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum Corp this year, so I hope to

possibly join a world winter guard too,” senior color guard captain Lynmarie Weaver said. Later that night, the places and scores were unveiled. The Bowie Open Guard had scored a 92.150, earning them 4th place. “It was a little disappointing because we didn’t medal, but in the end our performance was so great, and everything about the moment was so amazing, and I’m really proud of my team and myself,” Stachew said. Last year, the open guard placed eleventh in their class with their show Noche de Lluvia, so jumping from eleventh to fourth place was a huge achievement for them. “It’s not everyday that a group moves from 11th to

4th in a year,” Medina said. The color guard achieved a lot this season and became one of the best guards in the state, and having to leave their whole show behind them left everyone on the team a little wistful. “It was really crazy to think that it was the last time we could all perform all of our stuff that we worked so long and hard on. It was definitely bittersweet knowing that disco really was dying after the season,” Medina said. Overall, the guard had what most could agree as being an extremely successful season. The guard relived the 70’s with their quirky costumes and dancing, reminding the audience that although the disco era may be gone, it can still be kept alive.

After a long and hard application process, the new National Honor Society members were inducted on April 14 in front of their peers and their honored teachers in the theater. Getting selected to apply to National Honor Society (NHS) is difficult, and every student has to meet certain requirements, “The student has to have a GPA of a 3.75 or higher, or an adjusted one of 3.8,” NHS sponsor Vicki Hebert said. “Once they are given an application, they have one week to submit their applications, which are sent out through their English teachers.” Once a student submits their application with proof of at least eight hours of community service, Hebert sends out evaluation forms to teachers students put down on their application as teachers who the student likes or is close with. “Teachers grade these evaluations on the particular student’s character and

leadership qualities,” Hebert said. After the teachers return their evaluations of their students, Bill Russel crunches the numbers based on the students returned evaluation and based on their GPA. “Students are rated from one to five, one being really bad, and five being really good,” Hebert said. “They must have an overall rating of a four to move on to the faculty committee, consisting of principal Stephen Kane and other members, and those selected from there are the new NHS members.” Getting selected is a huge honor for students, because for them it is a huge honor. “It was pretty exciting news,” junior Hannah Willard said. “It shows all the hard work that I put into my academics and daily life has paid off.” The ceremony consisted of speeches from last year’s officers and students honoring the teachers that they selected as their most influential teacher at Bowie.

Weismantel wins award The Austin Independent School District announced late last week that Bowie Management Assistant to the Principal Nick Weismantel has been named the Classified Staff member of the year. Weismantel, a former Spanish teacher, has been in his current position for the past four years. “It was an honor to be recognized,” Weismantel said. “ To be up there and win the award felt really special.”

His award was one of six given out at an annual banquet, which recognizes some of the district’s outstanding team members for their dedication to student excellence and achievement in schools. “I constantly get compliments from staff about how great Nick is about taking care of their needs,” principal Stephen Kane said. “It is great for Bowie that he is one of the best employees in the district.”

New schedules bring greater challenges on campus “There’s a moderate chance that it won’t happen, it’s going to depend on how many students sign up for the student shared classes, and if they don’t have enough kids participating then they may do a modified version of it with only some schools in the district participating,” Widner said. Widner dislikes the schedule and argues that it would be unbalanced, and would create long stretches of time that students wouldn’t see their teachers. “One of my biggest concerns is that there seems to be some inequity between A day and B day classes because with the B day classes every other week they will be back to back,” said Widner. “Whereas A day classes will always have at least another school day or a weekend between them.”

Another of Widner’s concerns has to do with student athletes missing the same class weekly to make it to their games; the same is true for teachers who coach and would

“

the campus early to get to their games, and Tuesdays are always a B day, then they’re missing that class almost every single week,” Widner said. “It also means those

One of my biggest concerns is that there seems to be some inequity between A and B day classes... - Ruth Ann Widner

“

consistently miss the same class to attend games. “If you have a sport that always has games on Tuesdays and they have to leave

coaches who have to leave early for games and have a substitute for the last period of the day, or longer, the same class will always get hit week after week.”

Junior Jade Fabello attended a conference about how AISD’s social media will be a tool to reach out to students and inform them about changes going on in the district. He saw that Widner posted some concerns about the student-sharing program, which he responded to, then sent out to past teachers and others to get a response going. “My idea was to prevent it in some way, I mean they would have to acknowledge it in some regard if a lot of students shared their concerns,” Fabello said. Students also share similar concerns with the new schedule and how it could give different students a random advantage. “I don’t like it because we’ll go long periods of time without seeing our teachers and we’re going to have back to back B days, which won’t give us a lot of time to study and will force us to just focus on our B day classes,” sophomore Kendall Adams said.

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Student Life

The Lone Star Dispatch Tuesday, May 26, 2015 Page 3

At last, three months of Disney world welcomes sweet, sweet freedom choir and offers them the chance of a lifetime Caitlin Devlin Student Life Editor

art by Fuaad Ajaz

Summers spent traveling, hitting the gym, or working two jobs to get cash Alyssa Martinez Athletics Editor The sun is scorching, the water is cold, and the breeze is nice. Summertime is the time of the year where students aren’t in school. Some get the chance to sleep in and relax, while others see the summer as a way to explore and set some goals in order to prepare for the upcoming school year. “This summer I am going to get a job in retail. My parents told me I have to get a job to start saving up some money for myself,” junior Shayla Perez said. Perez is in color guard and has been since her freshman year. Preparing for color guard is going to be a struggle for her due to a knee injury that occured last month. “Color guard starts the last week in July. Since I injured my knee I have lots of physical therapy I am going to be attending this summer before guard starts,” Perez said. Last summer the Silver Stars went to competition in Hawaii, and this summer they get a chance to relax but for junior Silver Star, Amanda Stewart, relaxing isn’t something she does a lot. “I am actually going to Nicaragua for a week in July, I have some family that lives there so I am going to go visit them,” Stewart said. For some summer vacationers, the summer season can also be a time to exercise and go to the gym with friends to get the daily workout in. “Right now I am a lifeguard at Lifetime

Fitness Center. I expect to be working a lot during the week this summer, it is going to be very busy because it is always so hot outside,” Stewart said. Going to Nicaragua and being a lifeguard are some things Stewart is looking forward to this summer, but according to Stewart, being a Silver Star keeps her very busy, so she doesn’t get a lot of free time this summer. “The first week we get out of school I actually have line camp for Silver Stars. The second week we have officer camp and the third week we have pee wee camp,” Stewart said. “Pee wee camp is a week long and we spend that week with kids teaching them our football dances and we play lots of games, it is loads of fun.” Not only do the students get the summer vacation off but the teachers get a break from teaching also. Summer is going to be very memorable and it will be a lot of fun, according to English teacher Emily Davis. “The first three weeks of summer I am actually going to be teaching English for a summer school at Crockett, which won’t be too bad, but after that I plan on doing lots of fun stuff,” Davis said. In the summer, traveling is something many vacationers do. Students and teachers travel all over the world sightseeing and visiting family and friends. “In July, I am going to visit some family in Boston and then heading to D.C to hangout and visit some friends,” Davis said. “The best thing about summer is being in the sun and getting to hangout with your friends and relax,” Davis said.

Walt Disney World, the happiest place on earth, just became a little happier. The Bowie show, jazz, and women’s choir were all invited to go perform in Downtown Disney and take a trip to Disney World and Orlando. Everyone that was in choir was invited to go to Disney World, but only a small group of people ended up going. The whole trip cost $800. “I loved this trip so much and this really envigorated me to want to keep singing,” junior Nikki Hicks said. The entire week before the trip, the choir practiced their music everyday after school. In order to “Disney-fy: their performance, the choir added little motions and dances to their songs and plastered big smiles on their faces. “We had practices everyday after school. We practiced our songs and added little motions to our songs,” sophomore Isabel Arana said. A group of 10-12 people flew to Disney World. The choir stayed a total of four days in Orlando, and spent the first three days having fun in the park. “I went on all of the big rides, like Space Mountain and all the classic ones. I met my favorite princess, Tiana,” Hicks said. The choir was invited to see many shows, and even got special passes to see behind the scenes. “I definitely liked getting to see the Fantasmic show up close. Getting to see the show was really changing,” Hicks said. On the last day of their stay in the parks, the choirs performed for the Disney crowds. “I didn’t really think about it beforehand

until the day of, because I realized that I had been screaming so much that my voice was gone and I needed to save it,” Hicks said. The choirs performed in downtown Disney on a stage by the water. No one was specifically invited to go watch their performance, but many families and park visitors came and watched while waiting for their rides. There wasn’t a specific crowd we were targeting, they were just people who were walking around downtown Disney, and they stopped and watched,” freshman Tate Cheshire said. The show, jazz, men and women’s choir all performed together. “We had to smile way more and get way into it because it was in front of a crowd we didn’t know, but it was really fun,” Arana said. Their performance at Disney was the first time they had performed in front of a crowd of complete strangers, which for the performers was both a stressful and and exhilarating feeling. “Whenever you have a performance at school, you don’t really think about what other people are thinking because it’s just another performance, but at Disney you really think about how other people are watching you and you need to smile,” Hicks said. Overall, the choir’s trip to Disney was an unforgettable experience for the members of the choir, and filled their lives with princesses, “It felt really exhilarating seeing people that just came to go ride their rides sit down to come watch us, just a little school from Austin,” Hicks said. “It was really fun because they cheered us on seeing it all come together finally.”

If you wish upon a star: The Disney Performing Arts Center at Disney World gave the show choir an award for their performance in downtown Disney. The trophy has taken residence among the many awards the choir has won. Photo by Jasmine Correa

Seniors on route to the big, tough world Kilah Foster Staff Writer With graduation just around the corner, seniors are saying bon voyage to the world of high school and moving on to a world totally unkown. Graduation can be a time of relief or nerve-racking realization. Students who were just children yesterday are nowbecoming the adults that high school has molded them into and are headed off into today’s world. “I am really ready to be out of here. It feels scary to be graduating, there are many existential crises,” senior Samantha Graybill said. Seniors are having many different views and feelings about graduation. “Graduating feels so surreal. The realization hasn’t really set in yet,” senior Jenae Lewis said. Even though students may complain about their teachers or just having to attend school in general, some of them admit that they will, in fact, miss a little of both. “It feels bittersweet to be graduating. I am done with high school but I won’t get to see some of my friends again and some of the teachers I really liked” senior Sam McCarthy said. There are also those who are excited to leave the stress of high school and experience the adult world. “All of the work we have had to do has given me and my

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art by Fuaad Ajaz and Caitlin Devlin

friends nervous breakdowns from stress. We almost never have the time to get together outside of school due to homework or having to study” senior Courtney Marshal said. “There is no way on earth I am going to go through another year of the high school drama and frustration,” Though there are many students wanting to leave, many seniors say that they will miss being a Bowie Bulldog. Many friendships have been formed at this school, and many of those friendships will be broken as seniors part ways. “It feels wonderful to be graduating, I’m so happy that it’s over.” senior Ben Patterson said. “I’m going to Reed College

in Portland, Oregon but I don’t really know what my career will be yet.” Everyone’s high school experience is unique to them beaacause of their teachers, friends, and emotions. The way that really sets a person’s experience, however, is the way that they react to the people and situations high school gives. “My high school experience was overall good, there were those moments where bureaucracy stuck its ugly head out, but other than that it’s been pretty great” Graybill said. As students near graduation they have to start to think about what they will do with their future, and many plan for college in the fall. ”After I graduate I am heading to the University of Texas at Dallas to major in arts and technology,” Lewis said. Even though they might know where they will attend college, not everyone has figured out exactly what they will want to major in. “I plan to go to Texas State in the fall but I don’t know what I want to major in yet,” Graybill said. Everyone has their own experiences in high school, some good, some bad, but overall everyone’s experience is unforgettable. “I wish that I had more committed teachers to mentor me over the years, and also that the administration would trust us kids a bit more,” Patterson said. “But all of that is pretty circumstantial compared to the great friends I have made and kept over the past four years.”

E ntertainment The Lone Star Dispatch Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Page 4

Silver Stars take NYC Fuaad Ajaz Entertainment Editor

BEST OF WEEKEND ONE:

BEST OF WEEKEND TWO:

-FOO FIGHTERS -DRAKE -THE STROKES -THE WEEKND -DISCLOSURE -DEADMAU5 -BASSNECTAR -ALT-J -HOZIER -ALABAMA SHAKES -OF MONSTERS AND MEN -TAME IMPALA -STURGILL SIMPSON -A$AP ROCKY -GARY CLARK JR. -BEN HOWARD -BRAND NEW -TV ON THE RADIO -WALK THE MOON -BILLY IDOL -TWENTY ONE PILOTS -NERO -DWIGHT YOAKAM -FATHER JOHN MISTY -VANCE JOY -GEORGE EZRA -LORD HURON -FLOSSTRADAMUS -CHERUB RUN THE JEWELS -GLASS ANIMALS -NATE RUESS -ECHOSMITH -ROYAL BLOOD -YEARS & YEARS -THE DECEMBERISTS

-FOO FIGHTERS -DRAKE -FLORENCE + THE MACHINE -THE WEEKND -DISCLOSURE -DEADMAU5 -BASSNECTAR -ALT-J -HOZIER -OF MONSTERS AND MEN -MODEST MOUSE -TAME IMPALA -STURGILL SIMPSOM -THE DECEMBIRISTS -A$AP ROCKY -GARY CLARK JR. -CHANCE THE RAPPER -BEN HOWARD -WALK THE MOON -BILLY IDOL -TWENTY ONE PILOTS -NERO -BRANDON FLOWER -CHERUB RUN THE JEWELS -GLASS ANIMALS -SHAKEY GRAVES -ECHOSMITH -MISTERWIVES -RHIANNON -ALBERT HAMMOND JR. GIDDENS -MOON TAXI -MILO GREENE -WOLF ALICE

Art by Kamryn Bryce

The words “God I hope I get it” rang out as over 70 girls perform songs from award winning productions like Annie, A Chorus Line, and The Lion King, each girl bound for Broadway. For Silver Star director Jennifer Dawson the last shows of the year was a new memory she would cherish. “The last Spring Show was amazing it was such an emotional show especially for our seniors,” Dawson said. “There were many incredible performances and lots of emotion going around the stage.” For senior Lieutenant Rachel Stone she was a part of many dances ranging from a fast tap to a flowing contemporary. “I was in the Fosse dance, the beginning opener, all the tap dances, The Lion King, and Jazz Co.,” Stone said. “I had a lot of dances this year so it was a little crazy but overall all of them went pretty well for me.” The performance that took the most practice was the opening number, which was a chorus line. The

opening number was about the girls auditioning and trying to get into Broadway. “The piece that took the most practice had to be the opening performance which was a tribute to a chorus line, our show was Bound for Broadway so there was no better way than a chorus line which had singing, dancing, and acting in that one piece, and its probably the dance we spent the most amount of time on,” Dawson said. For Stone the most memorable part of the show was the finale where the Silver Stars did their signature high kick. “My favorite part of the show would have to be finale, and at the end when we all did our jump splits everyone from the crowd just jumped up and were just going crazy, and just seeing that made me really happy,” Stone said. During the Central park dance something had fallen but it was not a dancer it was a gas lamp. “Live theatre always has unexpected happenings we did have a lamp fall over during the Central Park dance,” Dawson said. “We reacted very quickly and calmly, we closed the curtain

Tribute to Fosse: Seniors Micaela Jiminez, Rachel Stone, and Kate Channel Stand in a line as they end their dance dedicated to Fosse. The dance was for famous Broadway dancer/choreographer Bob Fosse. Photo by Fuaad Ajaz

A Night in the Park: Senior Megan Tetzlaff, Junior Julia Giroux, and Sophomore Caroline Teaxaira perform their contemprary dance around a bench.The dance was dedicated to nature and one of New Yorks biggest Parks, Centeral Park. Photo by Fuaad Ajaz

cleaned up the glass and lamp and continued on with the show” During her last Spring show, Stone had realized that this was going to be her last performance with the Silver Stars. “At first I was just really happy to get through all the dances and on the Saturday night all I could do was just sit their and cry because I was jus thinking about how my time in Silver Stars was just over, which was really emotional for me,” Stone said. For the incoming Silver Stars their first dance had many things incorporated in it from solos to acting. “Our dance had solos in it and in each solo the dancer got to do their solo and the spotlight was shining on them,” Smith said. “The people who weren’t doing the solo had to stay in the position they were in and not move a muscle so it was pretty intense.” Preparing for the shows this year was a little crazy

for Stone but at the end all the hard work paid off. “The Spring Show this year for me were really crazy just because so much was going on. Because when we started preparing for it we didn’t have much to work with, “ Stone said. “But at the end being able to perform and do the show just felt really good.” Not only did the opening performance take the most practice but also the Fosse dance took many hours of practice to get it down just right. “We prepared for hours and hours for the Fosse dance, we actually had two past Broadway stars come and teach the girls that dance and prepare them for it,” Dawson said. “We wanted this dance be a tribute to Bob Fosse who was a famous Broadway choreographer.” With almost every seat filled for all three days of their shows leaving the audience filled with emotion. “Bound for Broadway”, was a audition that went well.

In Review: Avengers Age of Ultron Kamryn Bryce Editor-in-Chief Filled to the brim with cheesy one-liners, tight spandex, and sheer awesomeness, Age of Ultron takes to the big screen this month and, for those like me, the film debuted more than once as I just couldn’t resist going back and seeing it again. The highly anticipated sequel to Marvel Studio’s Avengers was released this past May and has already raised an astounding total of over one billion dollars in the three weeks it’s been out and is, on track to set the record for the biggest box office hit in history.

Expires: 9/01/15

New additions to the team created a more developed, richer plot compared to that of the first Avengers film. In addition to the original crew: Captain America, Iron Man, The Hulk, Black Widow, Hawk Eye, and Thor, the Avengers team welcomed new members, Quicksilver (Warning:Spoiler Alert... QuickSilver joins the ‘good side’ untill he later dies at the end trying to save Hawk Eye), the Scarlet Witch, and Vision. The newest film introduces a background look into many of the original members lives, allowing the audience to become more emotionally invested in the show rather than simply impressed

by its epicness. As we see the backstories of Black Widow, a young innocent girl trained, disciplined, and beaten into the assassin she is today (love it.), the deep, putrid fears that haunt Thor, and the happy surprise that Hawk Eye is in fact a father of two with a sweet, country wife and a baby on the way. Aside from the sweetness produced from the character’s personal stories in this film what must really be praised is the action, which is what we all came for in the first place let’s be honest. Nearly three hours simply jam-packed with explosions, fist-fights, and even cyber artificial intelligence

battles… I don’t fully understand it either. In the two hours and 21 minutes the movie is rolling I never once looked away or even let my mind wonder. Not even on my second go around, I was that involved. The movie finished with a satisfactory win for the Avengers team against Ultron and all evil alike since, isn’t that the appeal, of all great Marvel comics? The ending not only obviously prepared the audience for the next sequel in the series, which is scheduled to be released May 4, 2018, but also allowed for a bit of speculation as to which characters will be featured in the upcoming film.

It has been rumoured that some characters may be left out, as in the original comic series the Avengers is in actuality an ever-changing and rearranging group of superheroes combating evil instead of the necessary static team that paying audiences have forced it to become. Marvel Studios is paving the future for action/super-

hero movies as they prepare worldwide audiences for films like Ant Man, releasing July 17, 2015, Captain America Civil War releasing May 6, 2016, and Doctor Strange releasing November 4, 2016. As for Avengers 2, Age of Ultron, it will remain a movie that set standards for the cheesy, yet epic films we’ve come to love.

Avengers 2 Age of Ultron

Director: Joss Whedon Genre: Action/Adventure, SciFi/Fantasy Opened: May 1, 2015 Box Office: $1,148,986,835 Staff Rating: /5

S ports The Lone Star Dispatch Tuesday, May 26, 2015 Page 5

Spring ball winds down to an end

State bound; the ‘ Dawgs make the most out of the season making it to round three Casey Shrout Staff writer The 2015 baseball season has dragged on with every players’ heals in the dust. With twenty wins stuffed in their gloves, the team’s dedication has put them on a road of much success leading them to quarter finals as area champions. The team has suffered some losses however that didn’t hold them back from fighting to get the state championship. The players are all now side by side in the third round of the playoffs and the nerves of each member have spiked as their season has been winding down to an end. “It’s been a long year, and an especially long baseball season but it’s definitely been a good one,” junior Bradley Dorrer said. Each athlete is crucial to this team of bulldogs, every pair of eyes and hands have unique talents that every baseball team needs. This year their loyalty has been tested putting them to a challenge. “I’m proud of them though, for handling all that

Pitching through the season: Senior Kyle Gray pitches against Austin High winning the game. Gray is the main pitcher for the varsity team. Photo by Fuaad Ajaz

stress and coming this far,” former player junior Dylan Imler said Even for a former baseball player, Imler loves going to watch his fellow dawgs play and give them all the support needed because he remembers the stress he went through as he once stood out on the field being watched by the fans in the crowd. “I’ve been playing baseball for as long as I can remember and I loved it, I still love it but the Bowie team just wasn’t for me anymore,” Imler said. Out in the stands the crowd watches as the athletes are out in the dust, standing on the mound, catching and throwing that ball back and forth, and most for the last time in the high school career. I’m so happy for them and their success this year, it was a great way for all the seniors to say goodbye,” Ramos said. Bringing the season to a devastating end at round three Oak Ridge came running in to steal the title, winning the playoff game 4-0. “It was a disappointment, but not a total loss,” Englehardt said.

Sticking their way through the season, making it to the top Alyssa Martinez Athletics Editor

being the sponsor is watching them play out on the field,” Rasmus said. The season went really well for the girls and better than expected, according to varsity Johnee Wolter. “This season we really grew as a team and played together as a family. We had lots of wins and that was the best part. We are losing lots of seniors this year so continuing next year will be different but we are definitely ready to show them what we’ve got,” Wolter said. Wolter is currently a junior and plans on working on her leadership skills since she is going to be a senior next year. “I really want to finish off my senior lacrosse season with a bang and just improve on my skills a lot,” Wolter said. There are many differ-

The girls’ lacrosse team dominated their way to the top and made it all the way to the state game in Houston. While they were not victorious at the game in Houston they are the fifth best team in the state. Algebra 2 teacher, Robert Rasmus is the sponsor for the team and was there for them whenever they need or have any questions to ask. “I’ve been a sponsor for 11 years I give them the ability to be able to play and use the school name,” Rasmus said. Although Rasmus isn’t the coach, he still supports the girls from the sidelines at games and attends the banquet at the end of the year. “My favorite thing about

ent positions to fulfill in Lacrosse but the goalie must be quick on her feet and be willing to go after all the loose balls that go towards her to clear the area to prevent the other team from scoring. “I am the main goalie for varsity and my highest ever was 19 saves out of 21 for the season. My percentage for saves was about 70%,” varsity Alyssa Alvarado said. Alvarado has been playing lacrosse for five years. She started with a club in the eighth grade and has played for Bowie since she was a freshman. It has become a part of her life, but there are other things she wants to accomplish after high school, according to Alvarado. “I’ve had many colleges’ come up and ask me to play but I just don’t think I could do it for another four years.

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It’s way more difficult to play in college and I don’t think I want to put myself out there just yet. But I am going to go to ACC and I plan on coming back to Bowie to help out the goalies here,” Alvarado said. This is the last year to play in high school for some of the senior girls and the memories are something that will be missed a lot, according to Alvarado. “Overall, being in the game is something I will miss the most. The rush I get from after making a save is great, I love the adrenaline feeling and every time you get a save everyone cheers and goes absolutely crazy. The sound of the girls and the people in the stands screaming is awesome, so I am going to miss it a lot,” Alvarado said.

Run and scoop: Freshman Cat Munoz aggressively guards the goal as she scoops the ball beofre letting it enter the goal. Munoz is currently the main goalie for the junior varsity team and is on her way to becoming the main goalie for the varsity team next year. Photo by Jasmine Correa

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I n-Depth The Lone Star Dispatch

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Page 6

Crowds bring chaos to cafe

Olivia Glenewinkel Staff Writer

Scattered groups, some alone, sit in corners of the halls, beneath lockers, and in the courtyard. Students enter classrooms during lunch to munch on their food as they rush to finish a paper or study for an upcoming test. But no matter what they’re doing, students tend to find a comfort in having lunch and it seems this period isn’t just to eat nor is the cafeteria the place to be. “We usually don’t sit in the cafeteria, we usually walk around or sit outside,” sophomore Kalia Aquino said. Aquino described her daily lunch experience as a social time. “We usually don’t eat, we talk,” Aquino said. “It’s like a catch-up time, when you don’t have classes with friends.” When school becomes too much, places like elective classrooms and outside are options students take into consideration. “Kids usually hang out in the rooms where they are involved in,” sophomore Samantha Robarts said. “If you’re in an organization you can go and eat there. In the Yearbook room, we’re always working while we’re eating.” Each week holds new assignments and upcoming events,

making lunch time turn into a study time. “We usually sit with a group of friends but we have a test next period so we’re going to study for that and we don’t want to be with a bunch of people at the same time,” Robarts said. The cafeteria is just not the ideal place for certain students. “It’s really loud in the cafeteria, there’s a lot of people,” sophomore Joey Brown said. “There’s a lot more space outside.” When it comes to space, freshman Jordan Frank says the cafeteria is too crowded during lunch and it’s stressful. “I seek space because it often gets too crowded in the hallways during lunch,” Frank said. “I prefer sitting in the courtyard, there is more space out there.” With over three thousand students on campus, people from all grades have transitioned to eating outside as its more comfortable and easier to find a place to eat at. “It’s hard to find a table when eating in the cafeteria because of the crowds,” Frank said. While some may talk with friends, others use lunch as a time to chill out from the pressure of classes. “School is stressful,” senior Meiry Lopez said. “During “A” days I usually relax during lunch. Lunch gives me time to think. I’m so stressed, I need it.”

Proposed food truck idea makes a mark

Genny Beard Staff Writer

would have food that they actually want to eat,” Lopez said. Individual students have expressed their own opinions on why they would stay on campus. “If we had good food trucks I wouldn’t go off campus because we would have full access to the food we like,” freshman Viviana Smith said. Staff also expressed their input on the positive effect the addition would have. “I think they are a good idea because we could get different types of food brought to Bowie,” Geography and United States history teacher Karl Lauer said. Administrators have never proposed the idea of bringing food trucks to the school because they don’t want competition. Students and teachers suggest reasons

All around Austin people find food trucks, for some it is their favorite type of food because of it’s versatile and creative take on regular food. Food trucks are a popular choice for many students because they are local and unique. Some students choose to sneak off campus during lunch time because they want an alternative to the cafeteria. Sneaking off campus is a big problem because it makes it so that administrators don’t know where students are, which could lead to liability issues. Freshman Val Lopez thinks that food trucks help persuade students to not leave during lunch. “It would keep students on campus because they

why they have not yet. “I honestly don’t think that AISD is really going to let this happen because they don’t take our opinions seriously and they want to keep us eating the food that they provide,” Lopez said. Smith had a view that supported this idea on why administration would not allow food trucks to come on campus. “I’m not sure if the administration at Bowie would allow food trucks on campus because they probably don’t think we can handle it and also I think that they feel unsure because there are pros and cons to having food trucks on campus during our lunches,” Smith said. Accountableness is something that students hear all the time whether it is sports or basically any other school supported event.

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Lauer pointed out why it could be a problem for the school in this situation. “There would be a couple of liability issues like for example if a student were to get sick from the food trucks,” Lauer said. The cafeteria is a source of income for Ausin Independent School District (AISD), whenever students buy the food money goes back to them, without this source of income AISD would certainly lose money. “They think people would only eat food at the food trucks and not go to the cafeteria to get their food,” Lopez said. Smith touched on some advantages that would be a contributing factor for the addition of other food sources into the school. “The good things about food trucks are that the students will have access to the food they want on campus and will not have to sneak off campus to get it,” Smith said. If they were to bring alternative food to Bowie students and teachers expressed what they would like to see come to the school. “I would like to have either a taco food truck or a Bar-B-Q food truck because that would be tasty,” Lauer said. Lopez wanted popular desserts to come to Bowie for various reasons. “I really like ice cream trucks, or snow cones trucks like Sweet Caroline’s because it’s local, affordable and delicious,” Lopez said.

The Newspaper staff would like to thank our seniors for their contribution to the paper... Zuha Lateef Ethan Archbold

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C ommentary

Student sharing has many flaws

The Lone Star Dispatch Tuesday, May 26, 2015 Page 7

Editorial

Recently, the Austin Independent School District (AISD) staff announced a new schedule for next year. Mondays and Wednesdays will always be “A” days and Tuesdays and Thursdays will always be “B” days. Fridays will be alternating. Along with the new schedule, comes several problems and issues. First is the complication and confusion of getting used to a whole new schedule, which is a big mistake. This all started because a small number of students wanted to go to different schools for different classes that Bowie doesn’t have available, like cosmetology at Crockett and video game design at Travis. But, shouldn’t it be about the other 3,000 students? We all have to adjust to a completely different schedule for less than 20 people in the south area. The students aren’t the only ones who have to adapt, teachers have to change their lesson plans as well. On some weeks, there could be up to five days of no instruction in some classes. This could become unfair when some students have a night to study for tests and finish assignments and others have four nights. Another problem is the fact that late starts only occur on Thursdays. With the

new schedule, “B” days would always be cut short and teachers would lose about 200 minutes of instructional time. That also goes with having Monday holidays. The teachers would have to conform to having fewer days to teach their lessons. This will result in teachers having an uneven amount of time with their “A” day and “B” day classes. Another change for next year is potentially having Flexible Instructional Time (FIT) every day. FIT can be functional if used in the right way. It can be either a quiet place to study or a good way to catch up on missed tests, quizzes, and assignments. In theory, giving students an equal opportunity to participate in the exchange of classes offered at different schools is a sound concept, but logistically it just can’t work. The transportation will take a lot of working out and may have kinks that must be fixed on top of everything else. For athletes, games occur on certain days of the week. With the new schedule, athletes will miss their “A” or “B” day classes weekly and make up the work for the same missed class constantly. It is still being decided how the lunch period would change. Principal Stephen Kane gave all teachers the opportunity to vote on whether we have two 40-minute lunch periods or one school-wide hour-long lunch. The hour-long option would require teach-

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Art by Michelle McDonagh ers to be assigned lunch duty to monitor over 3,000 students. Not many, if any, teachers will voluntarily want to watch students, so it is highly likely that lunch will be 35 to 40 minutes. The decision should be made based on what will help the students academically. Lunch is used by students to study and make up work for classes and that can’t really be done in 30 minutes. If the schedule must changs, the adminstrators should allow an hour-long lunch. An hour-long lunch would allow students to

relax, catch up on work, and it would allow seniors to go off campus for lunch, which is a privilege for seniors. AISD administrators should also make late start days all be on Fridays and include FIT every day to accomodate for lost time. If late starts were always on Fridays, then it would alternate between shortening “A” and “B” day classes, as opposed to always shortening “B” day classes. This would help to equalize the disparities between “A” day and “B” day classes brought about by the new schedule.

Letter to the editor: Re: Who’s Who needs changes I am writing on behalf of the Who’s Who Committee in response to Justice Capello’s editorial in the last edition of the Lone Star Dispatch. While the committee did not agree with many of Mr. Capello’s opinions, we did agree that, perhaps we need to be clearer about what the award is for, as well as how the process works. After more than two decades that have seen generations of both students and teachers at Bowie, we realize that many may be unfamiliar with exactly what Who’s Who is, and why the award was created. Thus, we created a FAQ Sheet to address questions about this unique honor. What is it? Who’s Who is the one honor that Bowie faculty bestows annually. There may be other student recognitions made by outside entities (scholarships, trophies, medals, etc.) for academics, athletics, and community service, but Who’s Who is awarded solely by the faculty. Who’s Who is NOT exclusively an acknowledgment of academic achievement. Instead, it recognizes students who are well rounded. Some past valedictorians and/ or salutatorians did not make the final 24. Who’s Who may not be the strongest students academically, but all are leaders in the classroom and in Bowie extracurricular activities.

WW is the faculty’s recognition of 24 seniors who have made a positive and obvious impact in terms of making Bowie a great school and advancing Bowie’s culture through their contributions to the school and the greater Bowie community.

FAQ Sheet - WW Process:

1. Nominations: The entire faculty is invited to nominate senior students whom they feel qualify in academic standing, leadership, and character. The first list goes out, and if a faculty member notices that a student has been overlooked (usually because each teacher only gets to nominate five students; sponsors are allowed to nominate 10 students), faculty can ask that the missing student(s) get added to the list. That’s why there is usually a revised list within 48 hours of the original. 2. Applications: Those nominated students are required to submit three current or past academic teachers’ and two extracurricular sponsors’ names for evaluations. The students must submit a resume consisting of academic scholarship highlights, Bowie service activities, and Bowie leadership positions during their Bowie HS career. The third component of the application is one

Why can’t teens have fun? Kamryn Bryce Editor-in-Chief Somewhere on the road to that vast, unnerving world that waits for us just beyond the doors of high school we lose the simple enjoyment of growing up, of just being, and trade it for gravity. What ever happened to the sweet, smiling kids that lined the halls of elementary schools, single file, ready to take on the world one step at a time? When did we become machines, forced to perform at a standard that exceeds expectation, holding ourselves together with worn metal and rusty bolts? I must have missed the assembly where they told us that school would cease to be the highlight in a kid’s life and become the unpaid job for over-worked teenagers that it is today. I don’t recall my teacher’s names, the classes I sat

sics

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in every single day, or even the subjects we studied, although I know that my education was shaped by my earliest teachers. What I do remember is the excitement I wore on my face every single day I walked through the doors of my elementary school. Now a decade later, I step out of my sturdy, white truck, juggling a mass of junk I need to bring each day, and say to myself, “just get through the day.” One week out of the year at Lago Vista Elementary School, just a few miles from the evaporating Lake Travis, the students were treated to what I remember as the best week of the year, ocean week. Each day was filled with something unique, celebrating the bodies of water that occupy more than 70 percent of our earth. Day one, we ate shrimp and crawfish outside in the sweet Texas air. Day two, the art teacher’s painted bright, cerulean seahorses and guppies on our cheeks. Day three, the whole school danced the electric slide in B I O

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the cafeteria, and so on. I understand that in a high school of 3,500 plus it can be near impossible to accommodate a festival like that, but on a smaller scale we have to realize what we are emphasizing as ‘important’ to students. The pressure to be ‘perfect’, the perfect student, the perfect friend, the perfect daughter or son, is ridiculous. There isn’t a day that passes by that I don’t question why I work so hard, why we all work so hard. I get to school at eight-twenty in the morning and sometimes don’t leave until 11 p.m. at night. I do my homework in the period right before the class it’s due. The stress and pressure that students endure is something I always expected in college but never in high school. Teachers tend to hold our hands when it comes to responsibility but expect us to reach the moon when it comes to performance on tests and the herculean workload we have to complete. If we stopped to appreciate that, despite popular belief, we are still just kids and every once in awhile if we celebrated the work we do or acknowledge how hard students are working just to be average then maybe so many kids wouldn’t feel left behind, like they can’t keep up.

essay about their contributions to Bowie OR how they would like to be remembered by the Bowie community. This is the first reduction in numbers, since many students choose not to take this step.

members do not know every candidate and teacher comments are invaluable. Every comment about the candidates is shared. Each committee member votes privately and anonymously on a ballot. The voting continues until the 24 are finalized.

3. Evaluations: The five faculty members chosen by the candidate evaluate that student on a 1-10 scale. Once those evaluations are submitted and calculated, the Who’s Who committee (current and former Teachers of the Year, and department chairs) meet to discuss the evaluation numbers (not the students!) and a cut is made that usually reduces the number to roughly twice the final number who will be chosen.

6. Recognition: The final WW recipients are recognized at an annual reception, where teachers, students & families are invited to celebrate the accomplishments of these outstanding students. Additionally, Who’s Who are recognized at the Trustee Awards Assembly. Their pictures are hung in the Outstanding Room Only in the Bowie library where they remain for four years, at which time they are placed into a scrapbook with other past Who’s Who recipients.

4. Faculty Input: A member of the committee prepares binders that contain the resumes and essays of the candidates still in contention. Those materials are made available to each department, the counselors, and the administration to read and make comments. At this point, each staff member has the opportunity to advocate for those students they believe are worthy of the honor. 5. Final Decision: The WW Committee meets and discusses the positives of every candidate in the binder. The committee

As a government teacher, I applaud Mr. Capello’s use of the media to attract attention to an issue that may need discussion. This is one of the finest roles of the media, that of igniting public concern that may result in more transparency and policy assessment by government. Sincerely, Carlen Floyd AP US Government & Politics and AP US History

EDITORIAL 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 without indicating that the photographer is an illustration. 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 any 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.

P hoto Essay

The Lone Star Dispatch Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Page 8

Museum hosts a historic evening

Prom royalty: Prom king Preston Wheeler and prom queen Kayla Rodriguez dance to “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeren. Rodriguez face was filled with excitement when she won. “Winning prom queen felt great,” Rodriguez said. Photo by Granger Coats

Snap the picture: Seniors Lauren Guilette and Clarie Smith-Salgado pose for a picture.The students enjoyed the excitement and atmosphere of the museum. “My favorite part about prom was being able to get all dolled up for the night,” Guilette said. Photo by Granger Coats

Black is classy: Chelsea Hummer and her boyfriend Auggie Buerkle enjoyed dancing at prom. They stand surrounded by the 300 plus couples who also attended the dance. “I liked the location and decorations,” Hummer said. Photo by Granger Coats

A prom to remember; socializing, dancing, and life long memories Jasmine Correa Photo Essay Editor A night at the museum, lights shinning all over the dance floor, people shouting and greeting others they know as they walk in, and flashes going off from phones that are taking photos. Girls came in dresses, and guys in tuxedos to enjoy a night of dancing at the Bob Bullock museum on May 2, 2015 for the annual prom. The class of 2015 elected senior Kayla Rodriguez prom queen, and this made her feel so proud to be well known by her peers. “People saw the posters my friends and I worked on, and I was in so much shock when I won,” Rodriguez said. “To me it means people see I’m nice to my friends, my teachers, and it makes me feel popular in high school.” Math teacher Jeffrey Henson explains the process of preparing this special night. “Planning starts fall of junior year. You discuss

themes, venues, and then in the spring of junior year you go out and see the venues and sign with which ever one we go with.” Henson said. Henson helps out with signing any papers that need to be signed. “I signed the paper work, but the officers helped with all the planning.” Henson said. “One of the mom’s was the one that actually decorated the place.” For crowned prom king Preston Wheeler, prom was certainly a night to remember. “The Bob Bullock museum was really nice, and prom was a very fun experience. Everyone dressed up very nice,” Wheeler said. Wheeler will take a memorable prom experience with him. “I thought it was pretty cool to win with Kayla, seeing how excited she was made me get more excited about. As well as being able to see how emotional she was when we were dancing is something I will always remember,” Wheeler said.

Dancing the night away: Junior Kahn Le dances with friends. Although they lost their limo, Le and his group still made the best out of the night. “The most memorable part of prom was getting kicked out of our limo,” Le said. Photo by Alyssa Martinez

Dance floor vibes: Juniors Courtney Hodnett and Martha Allain get their grove on, on the dance floor. Hodnett danced all night long with her date Nick Winfrey and some friends. “I loved everybody that was there and how we all vibed together,” Hodnett said. Photo by Granger Coats

Historic evening: The Bob Bullock Museum awaits the mass of prom goers who began arriving at 7 p.m. The museum had it’s first two floors completely opened to the students encompassing a photo booth and a dance floor with a DJ. “The Bob Bullock museum was decorated very nice for the night and the DJ was good as well, my friends and I got there a little later then others but still had fun,” Wheeler said. Photo by Alyssa Martinez

It’s prom time!: Students arrive at the museum and wait in line to get entry wristbands. As more and more students arrived, the laughter and excitement grew. “The whole building was so beautiful and I liked that our prom got to have a more unique venue than had been chosen in the past,” Alisa Hoban said. Photo by Granger Coats

Prom dates: Alisa Hoban and Nick Keaveny walks up the steps to the second floor of the Bob Bullock Museum. After dancing on the dance floor they studied the view from the museums upper floor. “My favorite thing about prom was getting to spend time with some of the greatest people I know, “ Hoban said. Photo by Alyssa Martinez

XV Arrividerci

~30~ ~30~

Maryam Hussain With my high school career coming to an end I can’t help but reflect on how many monumental life events it has marked for me. It’s the time period in which I made some amazing friends, learned to drive, got my first car, decided where I’m going for college, figured out what I want to do for a living in the future, and so much more. It’s crazy to think about how incredibly fast time has flown by and how

much I’ve learned and grown from all my experiences, mistakes, and adventures in the past four years. Just days from now I’ll be walking across the stage an entirely different person than I was when I walked across school the first day of freshman year, nervous and confused, desperately trying to find C hall. Since then I have gained a whole new level of selfconfidence and managed to make

Editor-In-Chief

one of the biggest decisions of my life: choosing to wear a hijab (head scarf) the summer before my senior year. Of course I was extremely nervous about it but no one was judgemental about it and I couldn’t be more grateful for that. I think the moment I stopped constantly thinking about what’s on my head and what people must be thinking about it, and began focusing on what’s within my head, is the

moment that best symbolizes my high school transformation. High school was a good time for me, and thinking back at all the memories makes me happy, but now I’m ready to move on to greater things. Next year I will be attending The University of Houston as a journalism major and I couldn’t be more excited and anxious to see what the future holds for me. SO LONG BOWIE, I’M OUT!

Ashlee Thomason

Ever since I was a little kid I knew that I had a passion for all things creative. Whether my passion was writing, dancing, reading, art, photography, music, or film my parents have always supported me. I am lucky to have had the privilege to express myself in two of my passions throughout my high school career: dancing and writing. Journalism allowed me to explore the written word and dancing on Silver Stars as well as

Managing Editor

through a studio gave me an opportunity to create art through movement. Silver Stars and newspaper helped me figure out who I am as a person. I am so privileged to have had such a loving group of friends and family because they are a fantastic bunch. Even though high school was tough and not really my thing, I had help with friends, family, and music to help me get out of the ridiculous high school funk. I did learn a lot about myself through-

out my high school career and the music I listened to frequently. This fall I will be attending Arizona State University and majoring in film (visual)/audio production. I am ready to move on with life and accept new opportunities and challenges with an open mind. Hopefully the next time you see me I will be directing the next cult classic or I will be channeling my inner Tarantino for creating a rockin’ sound track.

Justice Capello Dear Reader,

After constant thought, I have decided to dedicate this letter to those of you who will support me on my quest to change the world. In 10 years time I plan to be opening my own school, which will be a testament to progressive educational reform for mankind as a whole. I.W.M.J.C. I will be opening my own jewelry store in which I will design a majority of the jewelry that is

available there. I will be having my own clothing brand that will be a testament to the universe I am creating. By the age of 30 I will win an Oscar for the film I will be directing. In two years I will own my dream car, a 1997 BMW M3 Coupe which will have all white exterior with black detailing, chrome rims, halogen lights, cream tumbled Italian leather interior as well as some type of drawing that will represent the uni-

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verse. In five years I will have at least one Grammy under my belt. In four years I will be releasing the album that is going to get me this Grammy. I will change the world. I will not let materialism blind me. I will not end up like Fatlip. This is a prophecy that I will symbolically get tatted on me in the coming months. If you doubt me, Google me in two years and see what you find. Nothing can stop me.

Paige Rife It’s almost as if yesterday I was entering these now familiar halls for the first time and getting fishy necklaces thrown over my head. It won’t hit you your first day of senior year, nor will it hit you half-way through. Being at the end of the tunnel and now planning for graduation, packing up the past 18 years of my life to move out, and starting to say my goodbyes is when it is all finally starting to settle in. It is a bitter sweet moment to be saying

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goodbye to this school, and knowing there are faces I will never see again; but it is time to open up the next chapter in my life. Students spend everyday wishing the school year would go by faster, and we all continue to say we cannot wait for it to be over. I would love to give an individual shout out to each person who has stood by my side and shared this crazy journey with me, but each of you know who you are and the love I have for you. These

four years have helped me grow so much as an individual but I am beyond ready to take the next step and walk the stage with my class and family that I have grown with for all of these years. My advice to anyone for their senior year is to jump at each opportunity thrown in front of you, and spend as much time with your class as you can. Friends are the next closest thing to family. “It’s never goodbye, only see you later.”

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Ethan Archbold From the very beginning you’re taught in English not to use words such as “I” or “we” or absolutes like “never” or “always,” but this isn’t any essay, nor is it a simple short answer. This is a creation, an idea, four years in the making. This is my personal message. Something I never thought I would be able to share with you. I have a long list of friends I’ve accumulated over the years. Too many to mention in the space allotted to me. But I wanted you all to know

Zuha Lateef

It seems senior year has gone so fast. It seems like yesterday was the first day of school. There are only a couple more weeks till graduation, and I want to get a chance to say what my friends and family mean to me. So this is a chance to thank them for being my friend and how much they mean to me. Before I say goodbye to my friends, I want to thank my mom for being there for me. I am really happy

that I’ll always cherish the years we had here at Bowie. Thank you guys. So, after my four years at Bowie do I feel adequately prepared for the real world? Well, no. No one really is. Nothing can prepare you for the real world like the real world. Am I scared? You can bet I am. There are so many questions I’d still like to ask. So many things I’m not prepared for. Will I be okay? Of course. Without a doubt. Scared or not, prepared or not, as big and vast and complex as the world is, I know things

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will work out. Thank you to all the teachers who had the patience to deal with me on a regular basis without bludgeoning me with the nearest blunt object. I know it wasn’t easy to avoid a prison sentence with me around. To my best friend Sam McCarthy, my rival and close friend Samantha Graybill, and my bro(?) Jared Brymer, a special thank you for being the best to me, though not always, and being good friends. Thanks for being awesome. Good bye, Bowie.

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to have you as a mother, because you always been there. You’re the reason that I am the person today and I just want to thank you for it. Then my sisters, who I want to thank the most. You two know how to make me smile and I have the best time with you. Second are my friends, Amber Jaycox, Truc Pham, and Rosa Hibbs. You guys are the best friends that I

could have. There are no words that I could say to thank you for being my friends and I will remember the memories that we made. Third I want to give a shout out to my fifth period English class. You guys are the best class I could ever have. I will never forget the memories and the fun that we had. You guys have been there for each other and protect one another and I will never forget that.

Shelby Becker

High school to me was a time to form myself. To form opinions about life and issues and everything in-between. I think back to who I was freshman year and cringe because I feel like that person wasn’t even close to the person I am today. I joined the theatre company my freshman year and it was the absolute worst. I didn’t make any shows while all of my friends did. So for me high school didn’t have the best start, but I stuck it out and kept trying. It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t always fun, but four years of ups and downs pass, and I am now an officer of the theatre com-

pany. Even though the difficulties and rejection wasn’t easy to go through, it made me appreciative of what I have earned, and not take anything for granted. I joined the newspaper staff my senior year and I was actually really nervous. I was approached about being an editor and I freaked out because I didn’t want that responsibility and I didn’t think I could handle it. Somehow, I was convinced to say yes. Now, I’ve worked on five newspaper issues and I don’t have a single regret. I have had so much fun being an editor; my only regret is not doing

Gabby Bourgeacq For many people, high school is where you find your best friends, your first love, and incredible memories. My high school experience was an up and down roller-costar, but I couldn’t be happier with the obstacles I’ve overcome and the lessons I’ve learned.

My freshman and sophomore year I went to a private school then transferred to Bowie. Going from private school to public school was a huge change for me, but going to Bowie was ultimately the best decision I made. I had no idea what

Student Life Editor it sooner. What high school has shown me is that you aren’t always going to get what you want, and you may have to work your butt off for it. Yet other things might just be handed to you. In either case I think my best advice for anyone is to always work hard for what you want, but also be open to other experiences. If you say no, you may miss out on something truly amazing. So keep an open mind, and say yes to opportunities when they arise because they may surprise you and you may surprise yourself.

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to expect from Bowie. But I found such a huge interest in journalism and had an incredible passion for theatre. If I didn’t go to Bowie, I wouldn’t have met some of my closest friends, I wouldn’t have met my awesome journalism teacher, and I wouldn’t have made

all these great memories. Because of Bowie, I have made unbreakable relationships that I will forever be thankful for. I know for a fact, I could not have grown if it wasn’t for my friends, and that is what I’m most thankful for.

Shout-out to my friends, you guys rock. NEVER let anyone affect you or your decisions. You determine your own future, and I couldn’t be happier with the way mine is turning out just because of my decision to come to Bowie and my positivity.

Samantha Perry

High school was one of the biggest challenges. For me it had its ups and it had its down. Sadly it had more downs than ups. High school was definitely an eye opener for me though; it really made me grow up. My freshmen through junior year was the hardest, I didn’t take school seriously therefore

I had a lot of fixing to do. I wish I could go back and restart high school all over again, but thinking back on it I wouldn’t be grown up and taking care of my business. I have many people to thank for that, my amazing counselor Nona May. She has been there for me all these years and

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has stayed by my side and helped me, thank you. Also my newspaper teacher Michael Reeves, He was there to help me my junior and senior year and he was always pushing me to do my best. Last but not least my algebra 1 and path to success teacher Coach Hahn, he was ultimately my fa-

Sophia Mora

What was high school like for me? I feel like my entire high school career has been pretty different than most people… At the beginning it was pretty rough, certain people telling me certain things that messed with my confidence, but my fandom was there to put me back on my feet again. My fandom has always been there, through the worst of times and the best of times. I haven’t gotten the pleasure to meet ALL of them yet, but one day I just want to travel so I can finally meet the rest of them. Though, the ones that I have met already are the best people I know. I get to see them every

vorite teacher through the years. Coach Hahn you are the best and made me actually like going to school and trying to learn. If it wasn’t for these people sticking by my side I don’t think I would walking the stage. Thank you Bowie, its time to start my life.

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month and they never cease to put a smile on my face. I’ve gotten to meet a lot of wonderful people all because of my page (including my fandom, After Romeo, Skillet, IM5, Jose Altuve, and many more). I have no idea if I will continue owning it in the future but I do know that when I look back at high school, I will think of all the wonderful opportunities that happened to me because of it. I used to think that high school was such a horrible thing, but after I made that page and all these great things started happening, I don’t think I ever want to forget it.

Elyas Levens

I’ve absolutely adored my experience in the public education system. The people, the food, the aromas, the sleeping arrangements, all exquisite. You never really know just how wonderful people can truly be until you’ve been called names and pushed around for eight school years, then completely ignored in the next four. The teachers, the lovely teachers. All the ones that make you wonder exactly what the reason is their class still existed, because you did nothing for the entire period and still passed with an A. Oh, the food, the pleth-

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ora of delicious choices all melting in your mouth quite literally, and you don’t know how wonderful cheese can be until you’ve tasted cheese made of plastic. The amount of free time they give us is absolutely fantastic, even with all the sleepless nights you’re allowed to catch up as much as you need in class and exit school ready to take on the world. For some reason my back decided to give out halfway through the year, I don’t know how that could be if all I do is sit down on hard chairs six hours a day, and am exposed to no hard physical labor, unless you

consider the walk from Bhall to the portables a trek. If that’s the case get some exercise, with all the free time you’re given at school you could run a marathon, but once you’re home go to work, do your chores, homework, and use the remaining few minutes to do whatever you like, then sleep a few hours until the morning rolls back around. I rated these past however many years a five on yelp, I’m too tired to count them because as I’m writing this I took five AP tests within the course of a couple weeks, and am suffering from exhaustion.

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