Election day is quickly approaching on Tuesday, November 5. Voters in Travis County will be casting their votes to determine who will fill federal office positions as well as state and local positions. The nations’ next president, Texas state legislation, city council and school board members of Austin, the passing of Proposition A, and many other races will be on the ballot. Voters will need to bring a valid form of identification to the polls. Accepted forms of voter identification issued from the Texas Department of Public Safety are a Texas driver's license, Texas personal ID card, Texas handgun license, or a Texas election ID certificate. The three accepted forms of identification that don’t need to be DPS issued are a U.S. military ID card, U.S. citizenship certificate with voter’s photograph, or a U.S. passport. If a voter is unable to obtain an approved ID, they are able to sign a reasonable impediment declaration
alongside a birth certificate, current utility bill, or paycheck when arriving at their voting location.
“I always have my driver’s license when I go to vote,” AP U.S. History teacher Dalton Pool said. “They take it and scan it real quick and it's a very quick and pretty easy process” In Travis County, voters are able to vote anywhere that is an established voting site and has a vote here/aquí sign. A location map of all available voting locations for Travis County can be found on votetravis.gov as well as an itemized list of
Buzzing bugs battle in Bowie
Crickets and other creatures causing chaos in classrooms
Bug
voting locations with the name of the vote center, city, zip code, address, and room in the building where voting is being held. A bus icon located next to the zip code indicates if the location is accessible by city bus route. Some local voting centers will be at Randalls on Brodie Lane, Mills Elementary school, and Bowie High School.
“I’ll probably be voting at Randall’s,” senior Haley Himebaugh said. “And I’m hoping to go to early voting to avoid the crowds.”
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is
running with his vice presidential candidate JD Vance against democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her vice presidential candidate Tim Walz. Some of the issues Trump would address if elected are rebuilding the U.S. economy, securing borders, stopping crime, and support for veterans. Some issues Harris she would address if elected include tax cuts for the middle class, strengthen and bring down the cost of healthcare, and make rent more affordable.
“Making sure we vote for the candidates that are making
these important decisions that affect our life at the national level is super important,” Pool said. “Voting is also a way to hold those elected leaders accountable.”
The position of U.S. Senator for Texas is on the ballot this November. Republican Ted Cruz, advocated for limited government, national security, and economic growth is running against Democrat Colin Allred, who has supported women’s reproductive rights, lowering the cost of healthcare, and in support of secure borders in Texas.
“When I’m researching who to vote for I’m looking at the candidates website,” senior Sienna Morris said. “I’m looking at what they’re saying they’ll do for the community and if their plans will benefit the community.”
Conducting research about the candidates prior to election day helps voters to really understand who they will be voting for and what they will do for the community they’ve been elected into office of.
“As Americans, voting is our way to voice our opinions,” Pool said. “It’s our way to voice what matters most to us, and what our priorities are.”
and many other people at school.
“The amount of crickets all over the building and in my classroom is unlike anything I've seen before,” social studies teacher Alejandro Garcia said. “Every morning there are always crickets around my door and inside the room.” The bugs around the school are causing students to struggle to stay focused during class and is impacting their school life. Garica feels that students may become distracted if they are scared of bugs and they see one near them.
“I'll just pick the cricket up and throw it out of my room,” Garcia said. “But it can be distracting to students who freak out when the crickets are next to them or jump on them.”
Sophomore Alessandra Ariza feels that the bugs can be distracting to teachers as well as students.
“The bugs around the school can be distracting to the teachers/staff and the students because of the frequent noise produced by them,” Ariza said. These bug infestations have caught people's attention more recently but these bugs have been a problem at Bowie for more than just a couple years. Garcia, who went to Bowie when he was a high school student remembers an incident he had with bugs while at school.
“A centipede crawled out of an AC unit onto my arm back when I was a sophomore in downstairs A hall,” Garcia said. “I've seen rattlesnakes, mice, rats, wasps, and just about every insect imaginable around this campus.”
Although the bugs are a serious problem at Bowie, students believe there are many solutions that could enable a decrease in the amount of bugs and insects around the school.
“I think what would help to fix the bug problem would be for more people to clean up after themselves,” Anderson said. “That would mean if you drop food, pick it up or if you see trash or wrappers on the ground and have enough time, pick those up as well.”
STORY BY Gracie Ruland
Marissa McGowan Review Editor
A deep feeling of dread fills a student's mind as she steps through the doors of her school. One notification after another pings on her phone, each one more alarming than the last, as her friends reach out to alert her about a threat of a school shooting directed at their school. Despite her fear and the growing tension, she decides to stay in school, determined to maintain her perfect attendance record. As the day drags on, she is left in a constant state of unease. School shootings have been a continuous issue in America. According to Statista, over the 53 years leading up to 2022 the number of school shootings increased by more than 12 times. This has caused schools across the country to be aware of the reality and enforce new rules and safety measures.
“Anytime there is any threat to the campus, it is reported to our campus SRO, Officer Mendoza.”
Academic Director Kaylin Brett said.
“Officer Mendoza then investigates the report on his side through the Austin ISD police department. Depending on the findings, we also notify the community. Fortunately, we have never had a credible threat.”
Research by Elsevier Science Direct shows that increased media coverage of mass shooters leads to a higher likelihood of future shooting incidents. In addition, Elsevier Science Direct states that the recent rise in mass shootings has been linked to the “media contagion” theory, which suggests that society's continuous news cycle has created a “copycat” effect on crimes.
“Kids see how much attention the school shootings are getting, and they want that attention too,” junior Harper Lang said. “News and social
media publicity is becoming too much, it's a butterfly effect of people wanting that attention.”
Lists have been circulating which feature the names of hundreds of schools, including Bowie, that are supposedly the focus of a school shooting threat. However, these limits are often false and often created anonymously by students.
“People are using social media as an echo-chamber of their thoughts,” business teacher Wendy Thomson said. “If you’re mad at school, then you're going to be in an echo-chamber of people who want to be school shooters. Kids can be aggressive while hiding behind a keyboard.”
Bowie High School serves around 2,900 students and has over 200 faculty and staff members, along with a campus that is spread over 60 acres. The administration is committed to making sure that all students and staff feel safe, regardless of the
campus size.
“The administration makes safety one of our priorities on campus,” history teacher Charles Stampley said. “However, a campus this large is going to be very difficult to completely secure, there's no such thing as a 100% secure place.”
In most cases of school shootings, there were multiple warning signs given by the shooter, such as isolation, violent obsession, becoming irritable or impatient, or stalking. According to Stampley, if parents know the warning signs and what their child has access to online, awareness could provide a more comfortable environment for students.
“Parents getting involved, and parents knowing what their kids are doing online, could reduce the number of school shooting threats,” Stampley said. “People need to be aware of what people are posting and doing online.”
ART BY Layne Foxcroft
ART BY Sophia Sepulveda Left-Leaning
new budget creates conflict
Budget cuts leave district scrambling to find creative solutions or cuts are likely to begin
Katie Grumet News Editor
Imagine entering the library and not being greeted with a warm smile from librarian Tara Walker-Leon. There’s no one to run the Battle of the Books Club, the Banned Books Club, or the Bee Club. Instead, a stranger is standing in her place—someone you’ve never seen or heard of and is in charge of this communal space.
The reality is that this could happen. In July, Austin Independent School District adopted a $1.69 million budget, which leaves over a $52 million deficit of what is needed to cover all expenses. One potential solution to reduce this deficit is to cut positions. Librarians, and school nurses are on the chopping block and they would be replaced with lesser trained individuals.
“There is a librarian shortage within Austin ISD, and so nobody’s applying for the jobs as a librarian,” librarian Tara Walker-Leon said. “Librarians are supposed to have a teaching degree and a master’s in library science but since no one is applying they have been filling the position with non-degreed people and they’re calling them media specialists.”
To be hired as a librarian, a person needs to be trained in library management. Walker-Leon has to manage what goes into catalogs, she’s also trained to teach classes and she hosts events such as freshmen orientation and book tastings. Walker-Leon believes that when someone with little experience or education in the field is placed in the librarian position
it could lead to problems in the library.
“If a student is looking for a book in an online catalog, and you look it up, it has to match up with what you’ve already told the computer where it's located. It seems like a small thing to do but if people don’t understand the system behind it, they won’t be able to manage the system and input information correctly so kids can access the correct books,” Walker-Leon said. “If someone comes in there and they don’t know what they’re doing, it can quickly become a disaster situation and to clean it up could take years of work.”
Walker-Leon has numerous responsibilities and roles that she is in charge of every day. Walker-Leon sponsors the Banned Books Club, Battle of the Books, and Bee Club. In the Banned Books club, Walker-Leon guides and offers support to the members of the club. She helps the students pick the books that they will read and assists with events such as preparing for the club fair.
“Last year she organized a trip to the library with another banned books club, and another to meet an author, and we even all got signed book copies of Finding Jupiter by Kelis Rowe," junior club member Jack Lowe said."If Mrs. Walker left, I'd be devastated. She's the backbone of all the clubs. She runs the entire library and the club would lose a part of itself with her gone." In the club, members discuss the book they are currently reading and why that particular book might’ve been banned. Walker-Leon takes a handson approach to this club by
participating in the discussions.
Currently, the club is reading The Handmaid’s Tale which was banned for “vulgarity and sexual overtones” according to Marshall University.
“In the club meetings, we cover some heavy topics and while discussing them it can be an emotional discussion but I believe that they are very important pieces of literature,”
Lowe said. “Every single meeting Mrs. Walker is there and participating in the discussion we are having and it's her passion behind the club.”
School libraries are not just a place to find books and resources but they’re also a place that is used to socialize, according to Walker-Leon. Through events such as mixers, book tastings, and club meetings, students can find a safe space at school where they can interact with people in their community they’re also a place where students can have access to enrichment opportunities that their teacher may not be able to provide.
“Just recently for Mr. Parente's AP Seminar class, he wanted me to show the students how to do a deep dive into research and I love that. It gets me so excited,” Walker-Leon said. “Something that is often overlooked is creating a welcoming atmosphere for students to come in and have a chance to reset so that they can have a better day.”
Walker-Leon has student library aides who are students who sign up for a library/office aid class period. They spend the whole class period helping out by sorting books and assisting fellow students to find and check out books. Being a library aid is also an opportunity to learn from the librarian herself about how the library runs and offer support within the library to help it be a useful and easily accessible place.
“We get to learn from the librarian so that we know how to properly find everything and then we help people check out books, so it's easier on the librarian too, so she can focus on more important stuff within the library," senior library aid Joshua Luk said. "I think a common misconception people have about books is that they are boring but after being a library aid, I've seen how many categories there are to explore."
Walker-Leon explains that a common thing that is asked of her is to help students find books that will be interesting to them. She hopes that by providing a bridge to connect students with books that suit them, she opens the door to the potential of students to develop a passion for reading. Walker-Leon believes it’s important for students to be reading throughout high school to better prepare them for college and adulthood.
“The best thing for me is
finding a kid who says that they don’t like reading and then they come back and they said they loved the book I recommended to them,” Walker-Leon said.
“And then, if they are reading in high school, they will do better in college and in the workplace, because they have some stamina to read and they can become an informed citizen.”
To help combat the discussion of removing librarians, advocacy groups are being formed to help raise awareness about this issue. Walker-Leon is a member of AISD Libraries. This advocacy group aims to “nurture a lifelong appreciation of reading and learning” and wants to ensure students and staff members have access to information and literature according to AISD Libraries.
“I reached out to a librarian at Ann Richards and we started organizing and putting out information together and dispersing that information to other librarians,” Walker-Leon said. “But now there’s an official advocacy group for Austin ISD librarians. We spoke about creating something called Friends of the Library where we could get parents, students, and any stakeholder that benefits from libraries involved with advocating for us.”
Through these groups, Walker-Leon and other advocates can raise awareness about this topic and encourage the community
to get involved in the fight. Walker-Leon believes advocacy is important because many people might not know that the discussion of removing librarians is going on.
“It has been shown repeatedly that schools that have librarians have an increased literacy rate and higher test scores. I think it's important for people to become informed on what's going on with the Austin ISD budget,” Walker-Leon said. “Then ask questions and then vote appropriately. I don’t think people understand how these decisions will affect our schools.” Luk believes that librarians are essential to the library experience and without them, students may struggle to find books to read or even struggle to feel encouraged to read in the first place. Luk states that libraries would not be able to function without librarians.
“If librarians were removed, it'd definitely be a lot harder to find the books that people would want to read, and then eventually, most people won't be willing to read if there's no one willing to help them find the right book for them,” Luk said. “The library would be a wasted space which could be filled with a lot of imaginary things, and the library is a good place just for people to hang out, to be able to be themselves here.”
Instagram launches teen accounts for youth audiences
Eliza Williams Dispatch Reporter
Social media is an active part of teens' lives all around the world. It allows them to communicate with their friends and to make new ones, find what interests them, and learn about recent or upcoming events. One of those many social media platforms is Instagram, which launched its very own teen accounts over a month ago on September 17. According to Instagram, these accounts come with a different set of rules than regular Instagram accounts, including downtime, in which the app shuts off for the night and kids can’t access it, and an automatic block of offensive content among other rules geared specifically towards youth usage. Owner of both a regular Instagram account and a teen one, sophomore Tilley Wooten believes these teen accounts to be helpful when it comes to viewing content.
“A lot of what’s posted on social media can be very dark, and sometimes it’s not okay to see,” Wooten said. “Teen accounts I feel like are a safe space for
teens because you don’t want to see all that on social media, all that dark stuff.”
Additionally, Bowie counselor Hunter Ruffin sees teen accounts as a way to protect students from predators and being preyed upon by people whose identity they aren’t aware of. He believes the use of teen accounts will prevent teenagers from being exploited in any way.
“There are a lot of predators on social media, people posing to be people they’re not,” Ruffin said. “And anything that we can do to protect kids from that, I think, is important.” These protections, however, come with restrictions to make it possible for kids to stay safe. In addition to hiding offensive comments and automatic downtimes, and kids can’t be messaged by anyone they don’t know. Another prominent restriction is that parents, if parental control is enabled, have full control of a youth's account and can see who they messaged over the past week, but not what the message said. BC calculus teacher Peyton Bobo found the restrictions to be reasonable for teens and is glad that students get some privacy when messaging.
“I don’t see any problems with any of those restrictions,” Bobo said. “And I like that parents can only see who teens are talking to and not the conversation.” Ruffin makes note of how some restrictions are more
geared towards emotional protection from predators, as well as from addiction. Ruffin found the restrictions that protect students from internet-oriented external threats to be the most crucial, such as limiting who they can message and who can message them.
“Limiting who can contact students, that’s the most important,” Ruffin said. “Because anytime we can put a barrier between a predator reaching out to students, that barrier is important.”
Furthermore, compared to the regular Instagram accounts, Wooten feels the teen accounts would be a good way to get kids accustomed to social media. Wooten also believes it to be helpful for teens to figure out who is their friend and who isn’t, and to keep away from negative environments in the process.
“Being introduced to social media can be very overwhelming,” Wooten said. “So, I think it would be helpful because you can find out who your friends are. You can be in a very positive environment, and I feel it won’t be as overwhelming because you don’t have to see all those bad comments and bad parts of social media.”
According to Bobo, whether or not someone is just getting into social media or has had it for a while, it can be distracting as well as overwhelming. He can see how it affects their time spent learning.
“Teens get distracted and just scroll,” Bobo said. “You just sit there and 40 minutes just went by and it didn’t feel that long, but 40 minutes did just go by, and you wasted time.” Ruffin believes, despite the use of social media, the teen accounts are a good way to keep kids safe from being taken advantage of, and to prevent addictions. He also thinks that it wouldn’t be helpful if other social media platforms were to implement them as well, if they didn’t already.
“Instagram is not the media form where people will get taken advantage of and where these students develop these addictions,” Ruffin said. “So, I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea for other companies to move towards teen accounts that have some level of not just restrictions, but protection from outsiders.” Even after having seen the differences between her regular account and her teen account, Wooten thinks of the teen accounts as a good way to enjoy social media in a positive and supportive environment. And even after she becomes an adult, a teen account is something she sees affecting her social media usage in the future.
“After I’m an adult, I’ll probably get away from that,” Wooten said. “But I’ll probably still have a private account, because I don’t want people knowing what I’m doing in my life. I feel that’s just very intrusive.”
FILING AWAY: Librarian Tara Walker-Leon puts away books in the library. This is one of the many responsibilities that Walker-Leon has on a daily basis. PHOTO BY Claire Ferrante
CELEBRATING HERITAGE: The library has a display full of books written by or about Latinos. The display will remain up for the whole month in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. PHOTO BY Andrew Covert
Multiple candidates line up for mayor
Five contenders, including the incumbent Kirk Watson, vie to represent the city of Austin
Savannah Riggins Politics Editor
The candidate takes a step toward the podium, the bright lights flare in their eyes as they fiercely look at the four competitors surrounding them. They swallow down the nerves as they face the moderators, prepared to take on their storm of questions.
Austin voters will venture to the election polls on November 5, this year. There, they will also be faced with the decision for the new mayor of Austin. Early voting was began October 21 and lasted until November 1.
“Early voting is great,” world history teacher Charles Stampley said. “It makes more people vote because a lot of people can’t get off on a Tuesday just to go vote.”
The responsibilities of the mayor include ceremonial head of government, city council member, city leadership, emergency management, budget oversight, and being a social figurehead.
“A big responsibility is the city budget,” Stampley said. “The mayor is also in charge of the police, the fire department and the EMT. They oversee everything from road construction, starting business and attracting people to the city.”
There are five candidates for this election cycle. These candidates are Carmen Llanes Pulido, Jeffery L. Bowen, Doug Greco, Kirk Watson, and Kathie Tovo. When selected the new mayor will serve a four-year term.
"I only know about some of the candidates in the election," junior Ella Scott said. "It seems like a really big deal though."
Watson is the incumbent, meaning he is the current mayor. He has been serving as mayor since 2023. He was also elected to the role in 1997 and served four years. In between his two terms he has was a part of the Texas Senate for thirteen years.
“I think he’s doing a fine job as mayor for right now,” junior Nick Forrest said. “There are definitely some improvements he can make to win this upcoming election.”
Llanes Pulido was born and raised in Austin. She is currently the executive director of Go Austin/Vamos Austin which is a non-profit that strives to strengthen neighborhood stability. Llanes Pulido is a former city commissioner who dealt with planning, quality of life, and redistricting.
"It seems like Llanes Pulido has a lot of experience in city planning," Scott said. "I think that it's really cool that she worked in a non-profit." Greco is a former teacher and previously worked for seventeen years with the Industrial Areas Foundation. He also worked for twelve years as the lead organizer for Central Texas Interfaith which is a coalition of labor unions, non-profits, and schools across Texas.
“It’s really interesting that he used to be a teacher,” Forrest said. “He seems to have a good background in advocating for people and getting their opinions into the public eye.”
Tovo is a former city council member. She served from 2011 to 2023. In 2015 Tovo was chosen by her colleagues to serve as the Mayor Pro Tem and remained so until 2019. A Mayor Pro Tem is elected by council members. They preside over meetings and act on the mayor's behalf when the mayor is unavailable.
"I think that Kathie Tovo seems like a good candidate," Scott said. "It looks that she has a lot
TEXAS SENATE RACE
of experience with politics and is familiar with the political landscape of Austin." Bowen served in the Air Force for more than twenty years and currently owns a construction company in Austin. He has never run for a political position before.
"Bowen seems nice," Scott said. "But, he doesn't have as much of a solid political background as some of the other candidates."
The race for Senator is a close battle
Sara Fowler Dispatch Reporter
Texans follow attentively as Colin Allred races Ted Cruz for a seat representing Texas in the U.S. Senate; as the race tightens, some voters ask themselves, could Texas turn blue?
This political race is marked by competitive campaigns. Texas is experiencing shifting voting trends, and tight polling margins between Cruz and Allred. These factors could pave the way for the first democratic candidate elected statewide in three decades.
“It's going be a close race,” social science teacher Charles Stampley said. “But traditionally, Texas has been a Republican state.”
During Cruz’s last re-election in 2018, he beat Democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke by a margin of 2.56 points. Now, running for re-election to his third term as U.S. Senator, Cruz faces a comparatively tight polling margin running against Allred. According to the FiveThirtyEight polling average as of October 29, Cruz is 3.4 points ahead of Allred, well within the margin of error.
“I think Ted Cruz is surprised at how close the race still is,” government teacher Ruth Narvaiz said. “I think he just assumed he would win because he always has.”
Campaigning in this
race, Cruz has emphasized to supporters the perceived threat Allred poses. Currently, Cruz’s campaign is running an ad stating that Allred wants to let men into women’s spaces. Some of Cruz’s most recent YouTube videos, as of October 29, are titled “If Democrats Flip Texas, the Republic is Lost,” “Colin Allred is a Radical Leftist,” and “Colin Allred is Kamala Harris.”
“Cruz is resorting to a very old tactic,” Stampley said. “The number one motivator for people to vote is fear, and so he is trying to use that to get his supporters to vote.”
In Allred’s 2018 election to the U.S. House of Representatives, he flipped Texas’s 32nd district, which had previously only voted red. Allred has now held this congressional seat through three terms.
“He's already a member of Congress, that should give him an advantage,” Narvaiz said. “He represents Dallas, that's a big part of the voting block in Texas that has already elected him.”
Allred’s campaign has presented him as being moderate in comparison to other democrats, such as O’Rourke. Allred’s campaign currently runs an ad, titled “All Hat No Cattle,” showing Allred with
border patrol agents, criticizing Cruz’s opposition to a bipartisan border bill earlier this year, which simultaneously portrays Allred as supporting bipartisan solutions.
“His [Allred’s] campaign is a lot more friendly to the people who are very democrat opposed and liberal opposed,” senior Adeline Mosel said.
“He might be something Texas needs right now. I think his policies will win people over more than Beto’s will.”
On Friday, October 25, Allred spoke at Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’s rally in Houston, Texas, the first time Allred and Harris have campaigned together. Previously in his campaign, Allred has not strongly associated himself with other democratic candidates, such as Harris, and
has, at times, been critical of the Biden administration.
“He’s been smart in Texas to distance himself because this is traditionally a red state,” Narvaiz said. “To not focus so much on ‘look I'm a democrat, I'm from the left’ but him as a person is going to increase his chances of winning.”
With the overturning of Roe v Wade, abortion is a bigger issue among voters than in previous elections. Cruz, who has previously been openly anti-abortion, has been comparatively quiet about the topic during his campaign.
“Poll after poll shows abortion rights are very important,” Stampley said. “He’s kind of on the wrong side of that, so that's why he’s trying to downplay things.”
The Senate is one of two parts of the Legislative branch of the U.S. federal government and acts as a check on the executive branch. Therefore, how the Senate’s party majority aligns with the executive branch impacts what actions the future presidential administration will be able to take.
“Who controls the Senate could be a big deal depending on who the president is,” Narvaiz said. “If Ted Cruz loses, it's a big deal for the country as a whole.”
Currently, Democrats hold a thin majority in the Senate, 51 to 49. However, it will be challenging for Democrats to hold their majority because in this election, as a third of the seats in the Senate go up for re-election, Democrats are defending 23 seats, two of which are predicted to flip red, while Republicans defend ten seats.
“To keep even a tie, they'd have to get Ted Cruz’s seat in Texas,” Stampley said. “So, it's the most important race in the whole country.”
On October 17, the five candidates faced each other on the debate stage. According to the debate video from KXAN “each candidate [was given] 60 seconds to answer those initial questions, 30 seconds will be offered for rebuttal, and if a response needs a clarification, we will extend 15 seconds for that.”
The number one question on viewers' minds was the concern over housing availability. The candidates all gave a wide variety of answers. According to KXAN, one viewer wrote “Austin is unaffordable to many longtime residents who own their homes, " the viewer said. “We struggle to pay basic bills.”
In the debate Llanes Pulido highlighted that all of the additional developments done in the past few years were made under the existing housing code, not the recent changes.
“I noticed in the debate that she didn’t quite answer the question given,” Scott said. “She kind of made it sound like she didn’t have a plan for increasing affordability yet.”
Tovo suggested looking at the bills that are impacting the family budget. Examples of these bills are utilities, transportation, and childcare. She wants to try to push back on the costs in an effort to reduce the strain on homeowners.
“I love her approach,” Forrest said. “It’s very unique and it’s smart how she thought about how bills are impacting the ability for families to afford their homes.”
Watson, the current mayor, discussed the changes that he has made while in office. Watson said that he prioritized affordability for the city.
“When I came into office the city of Austin was stagnant in terms of being able to make the kinds of changes that we needed to make in order to get more affordable housing stock,” Watson said during the KXAN debate. “We have instituted changes that people didn’t think we were ever going to see.”
Bowen was asked about a recent lawsuit and why Austinites should trust him to make the city more affordable. The lawsuit was against CodeNEXT. CodeNEXT was the city's attempt to rewrite zoning laws. The court ruled that the City of Austin had ignored state law so the program was scrapped.
“The lawsuit for me was about protecting my rights,” Bowen said. "As for trust, I’m out there fighting for your rights. You need to understand what those rights are and that they are not to be taken lightly by someone else who is trying to silence you.”
The mayor is in charge of a lot of things that happen in the day-to-day lives of Austin residents. Voting for mayor has the potential to impact Austinites on a large scale.
“Voting for mayor is important because the mayor has a large effect on your lives specifically,” Stampley said. “While voting for people like the president and senator is also important but they don’t affect you day to day the same that the mayor of your city does.”
Students
High schoolers have been given the opportunity to earn money at their local election polls
Current High school students who are at least 16 years old can work at the voting polls as election clerks. Students can serve during Early Voting and on Election Day
“Student election workers are often used to make voting more accessible,” senior Julia Low said. “These workers make it easier by reading out what’s happening and allowing the voter to make their decision.”
As election clerks, students' responsibilities include: organizing the polling location, making sure that only registered votes are allowed to participate, checking in voters, handing out ballots, and giving instructions and assistance if needed.
“Election clerks can be used to make sure that elections go smoothly,” Low said. “What this can look like is making sure that ballets are filled out correctly and making sure all fields are corrected and accounted for.”
Student Clerks are eligible for this job if they are current public or private high school students, or if they are home-schooled. The students must be U.S. citizens and have consent from their legal guardians and principals.
“I think students having a voice in the system right now is very important," social studies John Mast said. “There is going to be a change age-wise because a lot of the people currently governing are on the older end.”
BY Savannah
However, there is a circumstance where a non-registered student can participate If the student has just graduated high school but is not yet 18 they are eligible to work. They are still required to submit their consent form to their legal guardian.
“As the current government officials retire they need to have a voice,” Mast said. “Someone who will represent them at both state and national level.”
Working at the polls also pays the students who are there. They will get $20 an hour for their services. Not only is this job paid but also gives students an addition to their resumes or college applications. The purpose of this program is to allow students to get hands-on experience in the electoral process. They are given the opportunity to learn about the responsibilities of voters.
“If you have an interest you should take part,” Mast said. “Because I know that when I first turned 18 I didn’t vote because I didn't know the process and I didn't take the chance."
Julia Low, 12
ART BY Lane Foxcroft
ART BY Sofia Sepulveda
PHOTO
Riggins
work at polls
Senior steals the spotlight on and off stage
Isabella Verette Senior Editor-in-Chief
Stealing and soaking the spotlight in, senior Bubba Infante never fails to put on a show. Embracing his naturally bubbly personality, Infante is a striking figure on campus that draws people in. Born Ephraim Infante, Bubba was a nickname gifted to him by his family.
“Growing up Bubba was the name my parents thought fit me better because it was cute and fun,” Infante said. “Ever since then, that’s what I’ve gone by with admin, friends, and at activities.”
Heavily involved with the fine arts programs and other clubs around school, Infante strives to be an active role model in the Bowie community.
“I’ve always been a proactive and very involved person,” Infante said. “I’ve always been involved in theater and choir along with other programs on campus that I have taken leader ship roles in.”
Being a part of a big family gave Infante the strive for independence that has propelled him to achieve it. Being co-president of the class of 2025 council, co-president of the Bowie choir, a member of the Tri-Music Honor Society, and head of the Bowie equity counsel.
“I am one of five children, and my parents are business owners,” Infante said. “We grew up being taught to have a very independent mindset, so I’ve always been pushed to learn how to lead and grow on my own.”
From a young age being drawn to the arts Infante was the outlier in his immedi ate family.
“All of my siblings play sports,” Infante said.
“I’m very grateful that my parents gave up their hopes of me being an addition to that and let me pursue what I was passionate about.”
While all of Infante’s siblings were athletes, his parents saw the direction he was gravitating toward before he could voice it to them.
“My mom always says I sang before I spoke and once I could speak, I had a tendency to use big words,” Infante said. “From so young I was always an expressive person, and I was never afraid of being big and bold with my personality.”
While Infante had always had a bubbly and big personality, he didn’t discover his love for the arts until he joined a church production.
With a family full of sports players, Infinite gravitated toward his dad’s side of the family’s talents.
“My dad’s side of the family is very musically inclined and they have their band,” Infante said. “They play at Christmas and family gatherings, and my mom’s family wasn’t musically inclined.”
“I grew up in a mega-church and we would put on a lot of differ ent productions there for holidays throughout the year,” Infante said.
“My uncle was our stage manager, so I even ended up learning some tech stuff, along with singing with the Away from his performances Infante was learning and discov ering who he was not only as a Latino but also as a gay man.
“I sort of knew that I was trying to figure out who I was, I’ve just always grown up and to do that weren’t necessarily
he is and where he fits into the world he prioritizes, the people in his life and makes them feel supported and as though they belong when they are with him.
“I’ve been friends with Bubba
been surrounded by un derstanding and very supportive people
even now, I’m still trying to figure out where exactly I fall in society, where we
Even though Infante has rounded by support, it hasn’t always been that way.
dle school, I wouldn’t say I got bullied horribly but on a minor scale and it wasn’t the best experi ence,” Infante said. “Coming out to my mom was also a tough moment for me, not because she wasn’t supportive but because I was scared she wouldn’t have been.”
for four years and we do everything together,” senior Morgan Rademacher said. “Bubba is such a good listener and is so good at making people feel validated, heard, and appreciated.”
While Infant is figuring out who
Ava Weaver Dispatch Reporter
When you’re one of two girls in a STEM based classroom, you feel obscured by the boys that make up the majority. While those around you question what could a girl know about STEM, you are left to question, why does my gender define me? The longing to have a place where your mind could flourish without restriction based on gender. These are experiences that Maya Dudek has faced.
Dudek is the co-president of the Society of Women of Engineering club and with her help the club aims to surround members with a positive community that differs from an everyday STEM classroom. Leadership of this club, co-presidents Maya Dudek and Madigan Pound, along with vice president Brooke Schneider constantly strive to provide a safe space for girls to succeed in the engineering industry.
“A lot of women feel left out in their engineering or math class,” Dudek said. “So, joining the Society of Women’s Engineering club is a great step in getting out there and being who you want to be.”
Last year the club brought in guest speakers from students at Texas A&M and UT and they plan to continue that this year. They even got the opportunity to hear from a woman who works at NASA. This year the club is organizing field trips to the Samsung lab and the Texas A&M Society of Women Engineering high school conference in January where students will have the chance to put themselves into this industry.
“I originally joined this club because I thought it would be a great way to connect with other women engineering students, girls like me,” junior Kate Snyder said. “However I think it’s also a great opportunity to meet and get to know professionals in the industry.”
An every day club meeting is filled with mind-activating challenges to allow these girls full reign to use their mind. The girls in the club have the challenge of building the highest structure with only a few spaghetti noodles and marshmallows, with only 20 minutes to execute. Members put their minds together to construct and design their own spaghetti buildings, with the tallest one
Even though Infante is extremely welcoming to anyone he meets, the arts aren’t always as welcoming and open-minded as Infante.
“I think sometimes it sort of sets me back in the sense that I’m being typecast,” Infante said. “It prevents me from being anything other than a gay person. But I understand why they do it that way. They want a gay person playing a gay character and not a straight person playing a gay character.”
While it’s harder for Infante to be cast as the main character in theater shows and musicals, he makes up for it, throughout his life outside of theater with his friendliness and leader-
“Bubba is charismatic, friendly and he’s not afraid to take charge when someone needs to,”
CTE teacher and class of 2025 co-sponsor Shelby Pennington said. “He’s involved in multiple things and interacts with so many people he’s great at pulling people in and making them want to be involved in various activities.”
Being a natural-born leader isn’t the only thing that makes Infante successful with his classmates and various organizations, it’s also his passion.
“He can talk to anyone and figure out who to do anything,” Pennington said.
“He also makes it clear that he truly cares about what he’s doing, not only after the fact but during.”
Due to Infante’s determination, leadership, and passion for the arts, there are multiple options that he is considering after this year ends and gradu-
“I’m considering quite a few schools on the East Coast for more musical theater since that’s where things like Broadway are, and a lot more musical directors are there,” Infante said. “Versus schools on the West Coast that are more for film and that side of the performance
Another option that Infante is considering is a more traditional path and one closer to home.
“I’m also considering taking an off year, but it wouldn’t
be like a gap year because I would be attending ACC because it’s free for us,” Infante said. “During that time I’d be working to start saving up money and I’d be prioritizing private instructor lessons for both vocals and dance.” Divided on what the future holds and which way to turn at the fork in the road, Infante is letting fate and college visits make his decision for him.
“I don’t care whether it’s on stage or film, I just want to be able to perform and be part of a professional production,” Infante said. “I could care less if I’m a lead character or something in the forefront, I just want to be a part of it and immerse myself in it.”
As Infante plans for the future and what’s after high school, the people in his life are excited to see which [path he chooses to take.
“He is a natural leader,” Carney said. “I can’t wait to see his accomplishments through the rest of this year and what he does in the future.”
being three feet.
“I love seeing the younger girls, like the freshmen and sophomores, that want to go into engineering come into the club to find a community,” Dudek said. “Seeing their eyes light up being able to follow the engineering pathway like mine did, so it’s nice to be that role model for them.”
While utilizing their mind, leadership provides snacks and refreshments for members to eat. With the comfortable space created members aren’t afraid to speak their mind and push
for their ideas to be applied.
Walking into the room giggles can be heard as they work and applauding when another member succeeds at making what they imagined a reality.
“I joined because as a girl, I like to feel empowered among my own gender, it helps me push boundaries of men dominated fields,” senior Madison Coleman said. “It’s also a chance to make friends and interact with other people with similar career plans, and I really enjoy it so far.”
LOCKING
PHOTO GALLERY BY Cole Wong
Sophomore stitches new clothing line
Sebastian Pelz’s journey into fashion entrepreneurship creates new styles and unique designs
Charlotte Schwarte Feature Editor
One hand on the paper to hold it steady, his pen winds around and around. A slash down, and then up, and then more marks are set next to it. As the logo begins to take shape, so does the dream in front of him.
For the past six months, sophomore Sebastian Pelz has been the sole founder and owner of his clothing line, Basti Clothing and Design. He started the business in May of 2023, and has been in production since, with the first clothing piece open for orders on November 20.
“I’m a guy who hates the feeling of being stagnant in life,” Pelz said. “Starting a clothing brand was a way for me to grow, get better, and chase a goal in a field I’m passionate about. It brings me stability and joy knowing I’m slowly working towards something I love.”
Pelz originated the idea of starting his own apparel line after co-owning a cloth ing business with friend Chase Delk. They started by thrifting clothes and reselling them online, which led to Pelz finding inspiration in the pieces he was exposed to.
“I think that he found a passion in clothing and as he had a bunch of clothes around him, he figured ‘well, there’s all this stuff I want to do with this’,” Delk said.
The Basti catalog can be found on the online store, shopbasti.com. Pelz designed the website by partnering with Shopify, a commerce platform that allows him to sell his products, build a website, handle all monetary transactions, and ship the orders.
“I’m a high school student, so I don’t have a lot of money, and I have to work for it,” Pelz said. “There’s a lot of trial and error in a business, which means a lot of that money goes to waste. But it’s worth it.”
As Pelz is under 18, navigating the choppy waters of finances, licenses, and taxes is additionally difficult. He is currently in the process of attaining his Employer Identification Number (EIN), which is required for the government to issue him the appropriate taxes.
“It’s harder for me to gather the information I need for finances and government tax purposes, but I get my parents or my sister to help,” Pelz
Pelz’s clothing pieces currently carry trendy themes popular to many high school students, such as camouflage and waffle knit patterns, but he takes further inspiration from the vintage clothes he’s dealt with previously.
“I’m trying to bring a kind of retro style.” Pelz said. “It’s more modern, because most of the vintage clothing you find are actually vintage, and you can’t buy it new. So, I’m trying to bring some of that flare into modern clothing.”
Outside of his family members, Pelz has a supporter in his basketball coach, Nathaniel Haynes. Athletics and fashion are usually considered to have a divide, but the junior varsity coach dispels this theory.
While Pelz does not sew himself, he is still an integral part of the clothing design process. This consists of him either online or physically illustrating mock-ups of his items, and then partnering with a manufacturer overseas, who is able to produce his ideas.
“I design and hand draw each one of the products using inspiration from my imagination, other brands, and vintage clothing,” Pelz said. “Sometimes I research the article of clothing, or find small details I enjoy about certain pieces and incorporate them into my sketches.”
Pelz has manufactured three high quality pieces so far. His Basti Waffle Knit Shirt is dropping next month, and he has produced a pair of loose sweatpants and a hoodie that have yet to be released.
“There are so many sketches I hate and so many I love,” Pelz said. “I sort through the ones I love and those become real pieces.”
“I think any athlete has a great chance to make it in business because you face a lot of the same adversities starting and maintaining a business that you do starting and maintaining an athletic career,” Haynes said. “To be successful at either one, you must outwork the competition.”
When not on the basketball court, Pelz focuses on his own personal clothing style, which he has been cultivating since middle school.
“In seventh grade, that’s when I started to gather inspirations, develop my fashion taste, my style, and it’s much different than it is now,” Pelz said.
Pelz’s fashion translates into his athletic life in an unconventional way. When the team is dressed in uniform, Pelz finds a way to portray his unique expression through the way he holds himself.
“I usually see him in practice gear, but I would expect him to have a good sense of fashion based on his personality,” Haynes said.
Of this personality, both Pelz’s coach and friends give strong statements about, and how it only furthers his chances of success as a business owner.
“He’s a caring guy,” Delk said. “He’s been my friend for a long time, and he’s trustworthy.”
Delk has been crucial in the Basti design process, giving Pelz advice and critiques on his work. Pelz states that the Basti brand has affected his social life as well, with people approaching him about the brand showing interest.
“Running a business has impacted my life heavily as it has become a part of my everyday life,” Pelz said. “It’s something I work on everyday, if it’s making videos and ads, reaching out to content creators, working on my website,
working with my manufacturer, and working with finances.”
Pelz has spent the past six months laboring over his project, learning the monetary tasks and legalities of business, to create real-life designs in a field he loves. He eagerly anticipates the release of his first piece and the reaction sur-
CREATIVE INK
“If I saw someone wearing my piece of
it would mean so much to
Pelz said. “Watching someone wear and enjoy the work I’ve worked so hard at for months would bring so much joy.”
Years of admiration for art manifest into tattoo designs
Alice Goss Dispatch Reporter
Sharpie in hand, mind running fast, Madeleine Vollmer quickly thinks of a design to etch onto her friend’s arm while they wait for their turn at the local summer swim meet. A simple task young Vollmer used to pass time has grown into a passion.
The Shady Hollow Stingrays are a local swim team which has a large membership with varying levels of experience. The team’s current design for their temporary tattoos was created by Vollmer, who has been a swimmer on the team for over 14 years and is now a junior coach.
“I started designing tattoos during my summer job, after freshman year,” Vollmer said. “I drew a flower on one of my coaches once and after that moment I’ve drawn on at least 40 people at every swim meet.”
From a young age, Vollmer has had a passion for art and it has evolved as she has grown up. According to her father, Andrew Vollmer, Madeleine’s early talent and unique way of looking at the world were not left unnoticed.
“Madeleine began expressing herself through drawings and painting at a very early age, around three years old,” Andrew said. “Even her early drawings were typically advanced for her age and she had a different way of looking at the world.” Bowie has a plethora of art classes available for students, and Madeleine has utilized them to improve her technique and develop her personal style during her time here at Bowie. Art teacher Mindy Le Jeune teaches varying levels of art classes and has been Madeleine’s teacher for the past two years.
“She was quiet at the start, but then her personality really started to shine in class,” Le Jeune said. “It reflected in her artwork too, and she wasn’t afraid to try new styles or
explore different techniques.”
As Madeleine’s style became more personalized and her confidence grew in sharing her art. A friend, senior Xander Pratt also noticed and approached Madeleine about having her design a tattoo for him.
“It meant a lot to me that someone trusted me to design their tattoo,” Madeleine said. “Because I believe a tattoo is an extension of someone, their experiences, and their beliefs.”
Pratt and Madeleine have been friends for many years, and after seeing her art, Pratt knew she was the only one he trusted to design a tattoo with so much personal meaning.
“When I saw the style that she used with all sorts of different designs and colors, I was really impressed,” Pratt said. “I knew that I needed her to design my tattoo.”
The process of designing a tattoo and working with a client is extremely
important, as the product is intended to be satisfactory to them. A lot of time and work is put into the designing process, with the designer listening intently.
“Most of the time I design a rough draft on paper and then transfer it onto my iPad so I can trace it and make sure it is symmetrical,” Madeleine said. “I would create multiple rough drafts and then send them over to Xander, he would explain what he wanted changed and what he loved. I would take his critiques and make new versions of the design, we would go back and forth like this about five times until we created something he was happy with.”
Madeleine enjoys doing art with friends, especially her art buddies, seniors Sophia De Kruyff and Luke Johnson. Madeleine says the three love to create art together and see how each other’s styles are developing. With their long lasting friendship, they are able to treat each other as a stable support group.
“Madeleine is an amazing person, she is really thoughtful, talkative, and obviously very artistic,” De Kruyff said. “When any kind of creative project comes along she blows it out of the park and I can recognize any of her art instantly because of the amount of detail she puts into her work.”
Madeleine speaks very highly of her parents and the support they have given her, even with the knowledge that her interests are not traditionally well paying or stable.
“We really love the strong independent young lady that Madeleine is becoming,” Andrew said. “Madeleine’s mother and I both decided very early we really wanted to provide the love and support for our kids to be themselves. This doesn’t mean most high paying jobs, to us this means finding a path where you are happy and fulfilled beyond monetary goals.” With the support of her parents,
Madeleine has tried many different forms of art and is extremely grateful to the opportunities they have offered her.
“I love creating art for people,” Madeleine said. “In some way it’s how I give back to the people who mean a lot to me and have always supported my artistic passion.”
As senior year rushes by, Madeleine is planning out where she wants to go for college and whether or not art will be active in her future. Currently she is creating a website for her work and has been collecting art for the many portfolio requirements going into college applications.
“I want to use my website for a blog style kind of process, and maybe eventually sell my artwork,” Madeleine said. “But in college I might focus on marketing, art directing, or graphic design.”
While trying to decide what major to choose, Madeleine struggles with the reality of expenses of living and the competitive art industry. She, like many artists, wishes she could follow her passions without the weight of the world holding her back.
“I would create artwork for free forever,” Madeleine said. “But sadly, there will always be bills to pay and art supplies to buy.”
But even as Madeleine has grown, her style has changed, and she has been faced with making decisions about the rest of her future. Madeleine also recognizes her accomplishments, like designing a tattoo for her friend and successfully starting her own website; and it has been those moments that remind her why she does art.
“When I draw something I try to look past the ground level value of it and think of what that thing embodies,” Madeleine said. “That is what I’m really passionate about, getting into that playful head-space and letting the embodiment of things come onto the page.”
rounding it.
clothing
me,”
INSPIRED OUTFIT: Two of Pelz’s articles of clothing are featured, in a possible outfit to be worn. The back of the sweatpants are shown to display the Basti logo Pelz designed. PHOTO BY Charlotte Schwarte
LOVE FOR ART: Madeleine Vollmer holds in front of her face a drawing she illustrated. Vollmer has been creating and drawing since a young age and continues to express herself through it. PHOTO BY Arlo Stockstill
POSED FOR SUCCESS: Standing in the Bowie hallway, Pelz holds two of his manufactured, but not yet released for sale, clothing pieces. He partners with a manufacturer oversees to produce his drawn designs into the physical items shown. PHOTO BY Charlotte Schwarte
REACHING
A new club climbs its way to campus
Students
Essay Editor
The rock climbing club is a new addition to the 2024 school year with Jacob Slaughter, an advanced chemistry teacher, as the sponsor. Junior Andrew Lee is the founder and club president. Lee has been rock climbing at the Austin Bouldering Project (ABP) at Westgate since May of 2024.
“I heard that Mr. Slaughter was a rock climber from a couple of my friends so I asked him if he would be interested in being the sponsor and he said yes,” Lee said. “To promote the club, I went around asking people for the first couple of weeks and then at the club fair we got about 30 people from just handing out candy.” Club meetings occur during FIT in Slaughter’s room on the first Monday of every month, but attending these meetings isn’t required. After school every Monday and Friday, the rock climbing club goes to the ABP to climb. Austin has two ABP locations, but the club goes to the nearest one on Westgate. Sometimes, the club goes to McKinney Falls in the morning to swim and climb the area. “I climbed for about half a year before we started the club at the beginning of school,” vice president Noah Dougherty said. “My favorite part of the
club is the community and the friends I’ve made so far this year.”
A monthly membership at ABP costs $85, but they offer club members a discount of just $55. If students are hesitant to join, ABP also offers day passes, or climbers can receive a guest pass from a member.
“I went to ABP before the club but always just used day passes,” junior Gray Montgomery said. “I joined because all of my friends were there and I wanted a good place to get a workout.”
ABP offers different difficulty levels for their members, these levels can be differentiated from the color of the holds on the wall. Yellows tend to be the easiest while whites are the hardest. ABP also includes a built-in gym, yoga center, and custom rock walls.
“I joined because my good friend Andrew made it and we got into rock climbing together,” junior Colton Demetri said. “I like climbing the blues and blacks because I can do a lot of them, but they’re still difficult.”
ABP has a diversity of walls such as dyno, canvas, and campusing. In rock climbing, dyno walls are obstacles that require the usage of upper arm strength to jump from one hold to another, campusing refers to an obstacle that doesn’t require feet, and a canvas refers to a basic wall that needs all four
limbs for.
“Andrew had invited me during one of the first weeks of school so I decided to join,” junior Seth Zuniga said. “Sometimes I go to ABP outside of the club with my brother. Right now, I mainly do greens, but I’ve been trying to do more advanced stuff than that.”
On October 18, juniors Noah Dougherty, Colton Demetri, Elisa Morgali, Jack Calvin, and Reed Watts were chosen as the club vice presidents.
“My passion for climbing encouraged me to co-found this club and help others grow as climbers,” Dougherty said. “I didn’t have to run for vice president because I was already elected since I co-founded the club. As vice president I make fliers, lead meetings, and lead climbing sessions at the Austin Bouldering Project.”
The rock climbing club accepts everyone, regardless of their experience or skill level. To be a part of rock climbing club, join the GroupMe chats, come to ABP during one of the meeting times, and begin climbing.
“I wouldn’t say I met new people from the rock climbing club,” junior Colton Demetri said. “But, I’ve gotten to be friends with people that I already knew but I hadn’t talked to in awhile so I kind of got to rebuild a friendship with them.”
TOWARDS
Zuniga
GOING UP: Rock climbing member Gray Montgomery climbs up a blue at ABP. Montgomery has been in the club since the beginning and is also a part of another club called Country Kickers. “I’ve been slowly progressing,” Montgomery said. “It’s less about strength and more about learning how to use what muscle you already have.” PHOTO BY Ryan Zuniga
THROUGH THE ROCKS: Gray Montgomery climbs up rocks alongside the water at McKinney Falls. McKinney Falls is a state park that is popular for rock climbers. “I started on greens when I first started,” Montgomery said. “But, now I’m trying to focus on hard oranges and blues.” PHOTO BY Ryan Zuniga
Ryan Zuniga
Photo
GETTING A GRIP: Junior Colton Demetri attempts to climb a dyno at Austin Boudlering Project. Colton had been going to ABP for awhile before the formation of the club. “I usually go to ABP a lot outside of the club,” Demetri said. “My favorite part is the cave area, especially when there are good colors”
PHOTO BY Ryan Zuniga
A CLOSER LOOK: Climbers get chalk hands when climbing for a long time. Rock climbers use chalk to get a better grip when climbing up obstacles
“The chalk helps a lot when climbing,” junior Seth Zuniga said. “Sometimes the holds get too chalky and then it gets easy to slip, but ABP offers cleaning tools for that.” PHOTO BY Ryan Zuniga
2024 ELECTION ISSUE
Behind the ballot
The presidential campaign and election process in America
Liberty Pittman Junior Editor-in-Chief
Around the world, voting is used as a tool by governments to make important decisions. The American voting system was developed by the founding fathers in the 18th century and allowed the U.S. public to elect the first ever president of the United States, George Washington. Since then there have been many changes to the American election process, and technology has had a major influence on how citizens learn about candidates, interact with them, and even cast their votes for them.
“The election process is a little bit confusing, because there's a lot of different things going on,” senior voter Natalia Portilla said. “However ultimately, I think it's fun and exciting to see the different sides of the election and the ideas that each side is trying to push forward to get people to vote for them.”
CAMPAIGNING AND DEBATING
To be president, one must be at least 35 years old, a natural born U.S. citizen, and have lived in America for 14 years. As long as someone meets those requirements they can register to run for president with the Federal Election Commission. According to a poll of 397 Bowie students 30.2% of Bowie students believe that there should be more requirements in order to be president, and 15.6% believe there should be less requirements.
“It's up to the people to determine whether or not a candidate is qualified to be president, and if we put too many qualifications or restrictions on the office, then it's not a true decision for the people,” AP U.S. History and Government teacher Dalton Pool said. “I wish that we as Americans had higher standards for the office, or maybe understood the office better to better judge who's qualified for it, but I think that's on our education system, the media, and on US citizens themselves.”
Once registered, politicians campaign gathering attention and spreading information about their political values and plans.
Candidates will often craft campaign slogans to emphasize what values they bring to the American people, one popular example being “Make America Great Again” which was popularized by Ronald Reagan in his 1980 campaign, and then brought back to popularity by Donald Trump when he used in his 2016 campaign.
“A lot of political campaigns are kind of fictionalized in a sense, and really over dramatic in terms of drawing voters' eyes,” senior voter Barrington Young said. “If someone really reads into the campaigns, and looks at past presidencies and the policies candidates make, that's a better representation of how the actual candidates will run in office.
I'm not a big fan of sitting and watching the debates and seeing absolutely everything candidates post online, or on social media. It's fictionalized, and it puts America in a bad spotlight.”
as the Democratic or Republican party, or lesser known parties such as the Libertarian or Green parties. According to the Bowie poll, 62% of students would vote based on the political party if they don’t know much about a candidate.
“If you don't have a major party backing you, you basically have no chance of winning,” Pool said. “Today, the two major parties are Democrat and Republican, and both of those parties have developed a primary system where each state has their say in who the eventual nominee for president should be. This presidential cycle is a little different, because Biden was presumed to be the Democratic nominee, and Trump has such a firm grip on the Republican Party that he easily won the Republican primary. The wrench that was thrown in there was, of course, Biden dropping out of the race due to health concerns, polling concerns and his bad performance in the debate.”
On June 27, Donald Trump and Joe Biden participated in the first presidential debate of this campaign cycle. Following the debate polls by 538 and Ipsos Showed that 60.1% of viewers believed Trump won the debate. Later Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Kamala Harris, who had her first debate with Trump on September 10. Following this debate CNN polls showed that 63% of viewers believed Harris did a better job in the debates.
“I don't watch debates anymore because I get so frustrated watching them,” Pool said. “Very little is said that isn’t already known or people haven't heard from sound bites of the rallies, and a lot of times the candidates are just trying to get one little clip or sound bite that can then be put onto social media. Very little policy or substance is actually discussed, and that's on the candidates mostly. Additionally it's hard to fact check live.”
In past years there have been more debates allowing candidates ample opportunity to defend their ideas for the future of America, however Trump has declined to participate in further debates with Harris. Outside of the debates, candidates hold rallies and create online platforms to keep voters informed. Both Trump and Harris have a website where they bring in donations, have information about their campaign plans, and sell merchandise. They also both have multi-platform social media accounts.
“I think politicians persuade people a lot by making big promises and proposing big changes on issues that they feel people are not happy with at the moment,” Portilla said. “They just promise a lot of things that they know that the people would want to see happen, and some of them follow through on that while others just say it so people could get on their side.”
The media's coverage of presidential candidates throughout their campaign process can help citizens stay informed, and polling can allow citizens and candidates alike to see how the nation is leaning.
“Polls can drive important decisions for candidates as far as how they're going to spend money and which states they're going to campaign in,” Pool said. “Polling is also used by the media to let the people know how the candidates are doing and the direction the election is going. Polling was critical in Biden's decision to drop out, because it was showing Biden trailing in all the key states and nationally.”
PRIMARIES AND CAUCUSES
Around six to nine months prior to the presidential elections, states hold primary elections to decide who each party's nominees are going to be. The two ways that those elections could be held are primaries and caucuses. Primaries are typical voting with a ballot and a ballot box, while caucuses involve structured debate and may require people to stand on one side of a room or the other to show which candidate
Candidates often try to receive the backing of some sort of political party whether a majorly known party such
“Caucuses are very democratic, and they include a lot of debate,” Pool said. “It's a cool process that can educate a lot of voters and can drive political participation, but it's also a process that can really limit
its audience to those that are most engaged and care the most about politics. There are a few states that still have caucuses, but most states just have a primary, which is basically identical to what election day looks like. Everyone votes in private and a ballot, and then all of the party tallies all the votes.”
According to CNN in the Texas primaries Biden was chosen as the Democratic nominee, winning 84.6% of votes, and Trump was chosen as the Republican nominee with 77.8% of votes. However primaries do not just determine the president, they determine all of the party nominees. After caucus and primary results are in, parties hold national conventions to announce who the nominees for the party are.
“The national conventions used to matter a lot more, because that's where the decisions were made,” Pool said. “The parties come together to try to gain a lot of attention from the media, and get their message out. They're also voting on important agenda items or platform decisions. All the states send their top party officials and delegates that have volunteered or worked within the party for a while to represent the state. It's a party, It's an event, and in some cases it's an area where important decisions are made.”
BALLOTS AND VOTING
For every state the names and races that will appear on the ballot can be different, and can appear in a different order. Ballot access laws are different from state to state, but in Texas candidates wishing to appear on the ballot need to either collect a certain number of signatures or pay a fee. States are also in charge of ballot design, and deciding things such as whether or not ballots will be paper or digital.
“The states get to decide how the ballot is organized, and this can be challenged in courts, and it often is,” Pool said. “In Texas, Republicans are in charge of our state legislature so Republicans will be listed first in every single race. It's little things like that, that might affect the outcome. There's not a lot of controversy as far as how ballots are built or designed at this point, especially since they're not really paper anymore. Every time I voted, they've been very intuitive and self explanatory.”
One of the most common ways people vote is in person, whether on election day or during an early voting period. For many Americans that means either filling in a ballot on paper or digitally. Many states, although allowing people to fill out their ballots digitally, will then print them out in order to have a paper record of the information for voters to review and then turn in. Mail-in ballots are another form of voting which was heavily utilized during the Covid-19 pandemic due to health concerns over in person voting.
“Election results are often contested these days even though our election integrity is super high, especially compared to other countries,” Pool said. “Certain political candidates have questioned results in the past, which has caused conspiracies to go around and people to not trust the systems that are put in place at the state level and at the local level. So, it's good to have a record of the votes, both digitally and paper.”
Millions of American citizens vote in the presidential elections, and according to the Pew Research Center over 158.4 million people voted in the 2020 election. However this is only 62.8% of those eligible to vote in America meaning 38.2% of those eligible did not have votes. This year election day falls on November 5, and there are voting locations all around Travis county for those who wish to vote.
“Voting should just be viewed as you getting your word out,” Young said. “You're saying what you want to say. You're expressing your opinions. You're expressing your ideals. To think that your vote doesn't count just because you're one person doesn't make any sense. You have an opinion, and people have fought hard and long for that opinion, for you to be
ART BY Sophia Sepulveda
From the Vote to the White House I VOTED
ELECTORAL COLLEGE
It’s November 5, families all over America sit in front of the television and flip the channel to their trusted news program. A fast-speaking news anchor stands in front of a screen pointing and updating viewers of real-time results. Red and blue flash across the screen, as Americans get closer and closer to finding out who will run their country for the next four years.
There’s a lot more going on behind the scenes, though. From the moment an American citizen casts their primary election ballot, the American election system works to transform each vote into a result that brings a president into the White House for a new term.
THE VOTE
Prior to the general elections, is the primary election, where each political party chooses its final candidate within that party. In the months following, in between the primaries, and the general election, candidates from each party have the opportunity to prove why they should be the United States’ next president.
“Everybody in this country has their own opinions, has their own morals and their own values, and they are able to connect that to someone that they think can support them in the best way possible,” senior Jayden White said. “So, maybe it’s not 100% aligned with your values, but someone who you think would fairly represent what you want to see.” Then, after candidates have had time to advertise themselves to the American people, registered voters will cast their vote in the general election. Voters can choose to get a head start in early voting during late October, or to vote on Election Day.
“It should be important to vote for everyone because, it’s the state of the country in your hands, it’s in everyone’s hands,” senior Adelaide Mossel said. “People who don’t vote kind of have the idea that it doesn’t matter. Imagine if everyone had that idea.” Each vote is counted and tallied to calculate the candidate that has the majority in each state. Although the eventual winner of the presidential election is based on the Electoral College, the popular vote calculated in the general election decides where those Electoral College votes go.
“I absolutely think every single person’s vote counts, because they all go into this system,” White said. “If one person thinks they don’t have to vote, then that might affect the mindset of a lot of other people, and then we might not get a fair representation of exactly what this country wants.”
After ballots are counted and verified, each state will almost always have a winning candidate within that state, typically one that is Democratic or Republican. According to the result of the popular vote within a state, that state will cast an established number of votes in what is called the Electoral College. Typically, the party that wins the state selects electors that will cast the state’s electoral votes when the time comes.
“The Electoral College System, counts votes by state, and it’s a winner take all system,” Government and Economics teacher Ruth Narvaiz said. “So, whoever wins a state, regardless of how much, gets all of that state’s electoral votes. The number of electoral votes are assigned based on the size of your state’s population.”
The Electoral College was originally established in 1787 as a means for compromise between officials who believed Congress should elect a president and those who believed the popular vote should decide the president. Since the first Constitutional Convention, when this system was established, the size of the United States population has increased to 100 times what it was at the time. Because of this, the ease and accuracy at which the government can calculate the popular vote has changed.
“The way a country runs, versus like a club at school, is totally different because of the size,” Denman said.
“Instead of a representative democracy, it’s more of a direct democracy, because if there’s only 25 people, there’s not enough of a group situation to split off like the Electoral College.”
Many people in America often debate whether the Electoral College is an effective and accurate way to elect our president. Many against it claim that the popular vote would be accurate to what the people of our country want. In elections like the one between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, where votes in many states are predicted to yield very close results, a candidate may end up winning the Electoral College but not the popular vote.
“I think that going by majority vote might actually work better,” White said. “Because I think that we could end up with some unfair representation if a state has people who would vote one way in the Electoral College and more people who would vote another way that actually aren’t an accurate representation of what people are voting throughout the entire country.”
An argument made by those who support the Electoral College system is that it provides influential representation for smaller rural areas. This is because states with large populations typically have big cities and people argue that those states shouldn’t have more representation just because of their size. The Electoral College allows rural areas to have more representation.
“I personally don’t really like the idea of the Electoral College, but
I know that it is helpful in states with smaller, or more rural populations,”
Denman said. “So, understand, in practice, that the Electoral College is important, but I think that there could be a situation where the country could run effectively without it.”
SWING STATES
One reason the Electoral College causes controversy among American citizens is because of swing states. Swing states are states in which it is hard to predict the winning candidate of the state until the votes are actually counted. The concept of a ‘swing state’ is based on the two party system, a system of government that is dominated by the Republican and Democratic parties.
“So, right now, the election is going to come down to seven states, and those are the swing states that have the most Electoral College votes up for grabs,”
Social Studies teacher Dalton Pool said.
“For example, here in Texas, 55% of Texans could vote for Trump and 45% could vote for Harris, but whoever wins the majority gets all 40 of our Electoral College votes, which can skew the outcome of the popular vote versus the Electoral College.”
In swing states with a large number of electoral votes, presidential candidates focus efforts on those states rather than states that are certain to have their electoral votes allocated to a party from the beginning.
“It may do away with the emphasis on the swing state if it were a popular vote,” Narvaiz said. “For example, in Pennsylvania, I think they have 19 electoral votes, but they are swing states.
Some years they are red, some years they are blue. So, that’s where everybody’s campaigning because the winner takes all the system. You want those 19 votes.”
Swing states create conversation about the accuracy of the Electoral College because of the reality in large population swing states. For example, in this year’s election, states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and North Caroline are all swing states with a significant number of electoral votes. It is predicted that these states could lean either way, meaning their votes could be incredibly close, but whoever gets that possible 1% ends up getting every electoral vote.
“We pretty much know how every other state is going to vote at this point, which is frustrating to a lot of people,” Pool said. “It doesn’t feel like a national decision. It feels like a swing state decision.”
This concept of a swing state is based on the two party system because it describes whether the state leans to the Democratic or Republican candidate. In addition, whichever of those two parties the state’s candidate ends up being, all the state’s electoral votes go to that
party. Meaning smaller parties like the Green Party or Libertarian Party, almost never receive any electoral votes.
“I think the way that our political parties have been set up, like the Libertarian Party, the Green Party, other parties besides Democrat and Republican, have kind of been shoved to the side,” Denman said. “People think that the way that our Electoral College system has been set up, If you vote for those other parties, it almost feels like your votes are being erased.”
ELECTION NIGHT
Although early voting takes place in late October, November 5 is when many Americans will cast their vote. November 5, or what we refer to as ‘election day’ is the last day registered voters can cast their ballot. While final votes are counted, news outlets all around America provide real time coverage of how results are progressing.
“What has traditionally happened in the U.S. is media outlets go to polling places all over the U.S. and throughout the states that they know are going to be competitive, and they conduct these exit polls,” Pool said. “Exit polling data has proven to be very accurate, because you’re literally asking people that come out of the polling locations, how did you vote?....The early votes usually get calculated pretty quickly, and as more and more results come in, just based on statistics and math, you can make a call as to which way the state’s going to vote.”
At the end of the night American citizens usually know who the new elected president is. However, sometimes it is still undecided by the morning of November 6, like in 2020. This situation can cause a lot of discomfort among the American people.
“As certain candidates have challenged results in the past, that’s caused these media organizations to lose trust with the American public,” Pool said.
TRANSFER OF POWER
When the House of Representatives verifies the Electoral College votes, and the President-Elect is announced, preparations for transferring the power between the outgoing and soon-to-be President are immediately initiated.
Inauguration Day, which takes place on January 20, the newly elected President is sworn into office, and gives the inaugural address, pledging change to the citizens
they will serve for the next four years.
“I mean, a big responsibility of the president is just to keep the country safe, because their responsibility is to do things when the country needs them,” Denman said. “The president’s kind of the big guy in the chair.”
Many Americans vote in hope of changes that a candidate advertises and policies they claim they intend to enact.
Once a president is elected, though, it takes a while for them to make change.
Because of the separation of powers in the United States, the president’s ability to put a campaign plan in act involves more than just their intention.
“Some candidates have, In the process of a campaign, actually written down a platform plan,” Narvaiz said. “But to make it happen, once they get elected, they have to work with Congress, because Congress allocates the money.”
Although a ‘peaceful transfer of power’ is a concept that has been expected of presidents since the first election, disputes over election results in recent years have caused tension during the process of the transfer. Because the election is just as close this year, and includes a former president who didn’t attend their successors inauguration, many worry how peaceful this election’s transfer will be. “A peaceful transfer of power is 100% necessary,” Mossel said. “I think the popularity of social media, and people being online, has largely ruined that, or made it a lot harder for people to transfer president. can’t imagine what they would do if a woman is elected president, but I truly hope that it stays peaceful.”
Superstar athletes fill the Bowie halls
Bulldog student-athletes continue their academic and athletic journeys through college
One of the Bowie Bulldog commits is senior golfer Michael Vien neau. Vienneau is currently the top golfer at Bowie. Vienneau chose Gonzaga over North Carolina State, the University of Nevada, and Seton Hall University.
“I chose Gonzaga because of the coaching staff and because I already knew some of the players,” “I also really liked the athletic and golfing facilities on campus.”
Vienneau had high hopes to commit to a competitive university. He was overjoyed when he finally was able to secure his dream.
“I was excited about the whole thing,” Vienneau said. “It was stressful because I had to make a big choice, but in the end, I am super excited it worked out.”
Vienneau has always had a passion for golf since the young age of seven. He started getting serious at 11 when he started playing in competitive tournaments and has loved it since.
“I love golf because it is a really fun thing to do,” Vienneau said. “I play with a lot of my friends, and I enjoy how my dad likes to watch me.” Even though Vienneau is now
Bowie girls soccer is stacked with talents and upcoming potential. Ava Grosso leads the way with her Division One commitment to the University of Texas-El Paso.
Grosso has been playing soccer since she was a young girl. She speaks of her biggest supporters that have kept her motivated to continue the sport she loves.
“My biggest support system is definite ly my parents,” Grosso said. “They’ve always supported me through my soccer career and just everything.”
Most athletes know from a young age if they want to continue their talents throughout high school and college, and it is no different for Grosso. She explains how she knew that soccer was what she wanted to dedicate her life to.
“I have wanted to play soccer my en tire life, like ever since I started playing for Lonestar Junior Academy,” Grosso said. “It always has been the plan to play in college and at first it wasn’t super achievable but then I reached my goal.”
It is a lot of effort and work to be able to carry on with a sport in university. Grosso has been
committed to a Division One college, that doesn’t mean he can start slacking off.
Vienneau believes that you always need to keep pushing to be the
“The sport pushes you to always keep improving and upgrading your game,” Vienneau said. “If you don’t practice, you get worse really quickly.”
According to Bowie golf coach Karl Lauer, Vienneau is always putting in his best efforts. He describes Vienneau’s exemplary work ethic.
“Not only does Michael work hard in Bowie practices, but he puts in countless hours outside of them as well,” Lauer said. “He is on the course multiple times per week and plays in numerous tournaments in addition to the ones we play as a team for Bowie.”
Vienneau isn’t like the average golfer, he stands out from the red. Lauer expressed how Vienneau differs himself from the rest of the players.
“Michael has a great grasp of how to not get inside his head and to stay calm” Lauer said. “This is something that many golfers struggle with.”
working extremely hard and she describes how she was able to commit to such a top universi-
Bowie has a strong softball program, which includes junior Josie Busceme. Busceme has committed to the University of Texas at Austin. Busceme has always wanted to be a Longhorn from a young age.
“There were other schools but it was always Texas from the begin ning,” Busceme said. “Since I was little it has been my dream school because of the culture and the atmosphere there.”
“I spent a lot of time throughout my entire life playing soccer,” Grosso said. “I currently play on three teams right now, high school and then two club teams.”
On top of working hard and striving to do her best, Grosso also helps the team succeed as much as possible. Senior soccer teammate Ava Singhurst praises Grosso for her
“Ava is always positive and keeps everyone’s mentality up and productive,” always making sure everyone is okay and Grosso is a standout star on the Bowie girls soccer team. She is always putting in her best efforts. Singhurst explains how Grosso is different from the rest
“She cares just as much about her team and the people around her as she does the game,” Singhurst said. “It makes her really likable to the entire team and she is really inspiring and everyone loves her.”
JOSIE BUSCEME
Busceme has been playing softball since she was very young. She credits her friend as the one who provoked her love for the sport.
“I started because one of my friends in second grade started playing,” Busceme said. “She was my best friend so I thought it would be fun to join her and play with her. I really liked it so I decided to continue playing.”
Busceme always has a high work ethic and strives to continue to improve. She explains what pushes her to succeed and get better.
Busceme said. “I always want to be the best so the people around push me to succeed.”
“I think having other competition and knowing there is someone better than you pushes me,”
Junior swimmer Rowan Cox is another future Longhorn. Cox competed in the U.S. Olympics trials this past summer and is committed to the top swim university, the University of Texas.
difficult and strenuous but she also knows that she will have lots of fun and will improve a lot. She is looking forward to playing
-
petition which is going to be a good competition,” Busceme said. “I am wanting to win a lot and I am just excited for this next step along with making new friends. I am also excited about the college culture and
To be able to fight hard against top notch competition one needs a strong work ethic. Bowie softball coach Elizabeth Wissel praises how determined “Josie works very hard. She has since she was a freshman,” Wissel said. “The practice, on her own time, shows up in her game. This is a big reason for her success.”
ROWAN COX
SWIM - UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
The Bowie Bulldog volleyball team does not lack talent. With the presence of senior middle Simone Baskin, who is committed to the University of Miami, the team succeeds.
SIMONE BASKIN
Baskin has known that she wanted to play college volleyball since she was twelve. She remembers the moment when she finally realized volleyball was her passion.
“Watching the older girls practice when I was young and seeing how hard they would hit, how high they would jump, and how much fun they were having did it for me,” Baskin said. “I just knew seeing it in their faces that this is what I wanted to do.”
Since Baskin knew she wanted to play col legiately, she had to decide where to continue volleyball. She wanted a college that was going to be competitive for volleyball.
“When I went on my visit to Miami everyone was excited and the connection was good,” Baskin said. “They did pretty well in their last season so I knew I’d be going to a program that was competitive and can get to the NCAA tournament.”
To commit to a top Division One college, the athlete needs to be able to stand out on and off the court. Bowie volleyball coach Ashlea McGill describes
One sport not known very conventionally is the art of rowing. However, Bowie hosts one of the most talented rowers in the country. Senior Olivia Branch committed to the University of Texas at Austin.
Baskin’s strengths and dedication to volleyball and away from the sport.
“Baskin’s power and strength is evident on the court. She hits the ball with such power and is one of the best blockers in the area,” McGill said. “Off the court, Baskin is a leader within the Bowie community. She is involved in many activities all while being a top student in the senior class.
A characteristic of a great athlete is leadership. Coach McGill outlines how Baskin pushed herself and the team to succeed on the court.
“Baskin is a leader through both her work ethic and being a voice on and off the court,” McGill said. “She leads by example by working hard in practice. She encourages her teammates, helps them when they it, and holds them accountable.”
Before Baskin heads off to college to start her new journey, she has to finish her last high school season. She is looking forward to ending this senior season on a high note.
“I would love to make the playoffs and win out for the rest of the season,” Baskin said. “I want a good final run with the team and for me to reach 1000 kills.”
OLIVIA BRANCH
Most rowers start when they are young, but for Branch she got introduced to row ing in a unique way. She elaborated on how she got into the sport.
“My friend did rowing and they had a ‘bring a friend to rowing’ day and she ended up bringing me,” Branch said. “After that day the coaches kept telling me to start coming to actual rowing practice and I ended up loving it.”
Since that day when Branch started rowing, Texas has been her number one school to go to. Texas is currently the top school in the country for rowing.
“Texas has always been my dream school. My great-grandparents went there, my grandparents went there, and my parents went there,” Branch said. “As well, the rowing team was a big part of the reason I wanted to go there, they were always a big inspiration to me.”
Mentality is a big part of an athlete’s life.
Having a good mentality and strong surrounding
Not only is Josie a softball star, so is senior Valeria Feeney who is committed to Texas State. Feeney revealed the reasons that she chose Texas State to host her for the next four years of college.
Cox is one of the best swimmers in the entire country so it is no surprise he has decided to continue his swimming voyage as a Texas Longhorn. He explained the reasons as to why he chose the longhorns to be his next home.
“Texas has a really historic swimming program with many national championship titles,” Cox said. “The coach is one of the most famous coaches of all time and the facilities at Texas are way nicer than anywhere else.”
One cannot only succeed alone, they need their special people surrounding them. Cox said his supporters were his team, his family, and his friends because they propel him to do his best.
“My biggest supporters are
definitely my teams, my club team and the team here at Bowie are amazing,” Cox said. “My family and friends outside of swimming also are great supporters of my swim career.”
Swimming has always been Cox’s passion since his youth. He has always had this dream of being able to continue his talents in college.
“I have always wanted to swim in college,” Cox said.
“Although I didn’t necessarily know where I wanted to swim till I got on the campus at UT and it was amazing.”
Cox’s effort is nothing short of lengthy. He practices constantly over the week and always puts in maximum effort. He knows he has to keep this up in college to succeed with the team.
“I practice about 15-20 hours per week and I have been swimming for six years,” Cox said. “I am going to continue what I am doing and I will be with the team and we’ll be working together.”
“I chose Texas State because their softball program is really good, for the past four years they’ve been ranked as a top-20 team in the country,” Feeney said. “It also has the best campus in Texas along with it being close to home and I like the
For an athlete to play a sport in college they need to love the sport they play.
Feeney absolutely loves playing softball. She illustrates why she enjoys the sport so
“Since softball is such a low success rate sport, when you do well it feels amaz ing to celebrate with your teammates.”
Feeney said. “There is a lot of compe tition out there and it is especially special when we beat good teams.”
Playing a sport might be exciting and exhilarating for some, howev er the journey of the commitment process can be daunting and scary. Feeney reflected on how her road to
group in ones sport can help one succeed.
“I feel like I have a lot of internal motivation to push myself to the extremes because I want to see what I am capable of,” Branch said. “The team that I am on right now is a really great support system. We all push each other because the faster each individual is, the faster we go.”
Lots of times teams are split up once everyone goes to college but that is not the case for Branch. She stated how one of her closest friends is going to Texas and her excitement over it.
“I am super excited to be on the team and be able to use all the resources and the coaching,” Branch said. “I am also excited because one of my best friends is also recruited to Texas with me.”
Despite having her best friend along with her in her commitment process, Branch recollects her emotions during that time. She described her feelings while committing.
“It was definitely a little scary. I had to get used to talking to adults and coaches,” Branch said. “I got better at it and got used to it.”
“It was definitely a long road, when the coaches come to your game it is a lot of pressure,” Feeney said. “I play on a team where there are power four coaches at basically every tournament and watching us play”
After completing the gruesome process of committing Feeney has now become very excited for her college experience. She described what she is looking forward
“I want to win a lot of games while playing softball and show that it doesn’t have to be a power four school to be a great softball school,” Feeney said. “I think it is super important and exciting to just have fun playing softball.”
Feeney is always striving to make herself and the team better. Coach McGill points out how she helps the team dominate.
“Valeria pushes her teammates by example. She is a clutch player and wants to win at all costs,” McGill said. “She pushes them to be better and will pick up her teammates when they need it.”
OTHER COMMITS
D2 - JUCO
Macy Scott - Soccer - St. Edwards - Division Two
Sam Rabb - Soccer - St. Edwards - Division Two
Miranda Sullivan - Soccer - St. Edwards - Division Two
Ava Bara - Soccer - Schreiner - Division Three
Ava Singhurst - Soccer - Schreiner - Division Three
Maddie Mayronne - Soccer - Schreiner - Division Three
Travis Herrington - Baseball - Galveston College - NJCAA Division One
Benton Tso - Football - Grinnel College - Division Three
The Dispatch wants to make sure to acknowledge all college commits. Please contact us at bowie.journalism@gmail.com if you have signed to play sports in college.
PHOTO BY Will Olenick
PHOTO BY Will Olenick
PHOTO COURTESY OF Ava Grosso
PHOTO COURTESY OF Olivia Branch
PHOTO COURTESY OF Josie Busceme
PHOTO BY Will Olenick
PHOTO COURTESY OF Rowan Cox
SCAN TO SEE MORE
VIDEOS BY Will Olenick
All stories by: Caroline Baxter Sports Editor
JUNIOR FOOTBALL CAPTAIN
Junior captain commands playoff run
Standout defensive lineman Jackson Lang anchors the ‘Dawgs quest for a playoff bid
Michael Viennaeu Sports Editor
As the playoffs looms closer, the ‘Dawgs football team has been centered around a new, pivotal player: junior captain Jackson Lang. With a season marked with lots of success, Lang has emerged as an important leader on and off the field. The star defensive end was selected as the lone junior captain this season.
Senior linebacker and corner, Dustin Fahrenthold has been teammates with Lang for two years. Fahrenthold has attested to the growth of Lang through his success in areas that may not be seen on Friday nights.
“Jackson is an absolute leader in practice,” Fahrenthold said. “He goes 100 percent in every drill and rep. This motivates and pushes all the guys to go harder and be better. I think this goes overlooked in a lot of ways when it comes to the success of the team.”
Despite starting the season 4-0, the ‘Dawgs have dropped three of the last four games in a grueling stretch of games against some of the toughest teams in Texas football. Nevertheless, Fahrenthold remains optimistic about the team’s chances as the season’s final game approaches.
“I think we can definitely turn it back around,” Fahrenthold said. “It was a tough stretch for us, but I still think we are playing really well at the right time. We have lots of leaders on this team, like Jackson, who brings us together like family no matter if we win or lose.”
Jeff Ables
since the beginning of the season.”
June 15 of this previous summer marked the beginning of college recruitment for the class of 2026. Lang has been extremely vocal and productive during this time period, going to several big name, high-profile football camps at local schools such as Texas State, Texas Christian University and Texas A&M.
“The college recruitment process has been difficult but also fun in a lot of ways,” Lang said. “I have done my best to email and get in contact with coaches from all over the country, I think camps have also helped me a lot in terms of just meeting coaches, that experience is super valuable.”
Senior outside linebacker Wyatt Barnes is currently playing his third year on varsity, he is second on the team in tackles and has been a key contributor for the defense along with Lang. Barnes has been playing football since elementary school.
“I really like the role that Jackson plays,” Barnes said. “A lot of football kids are really loud, and express their passion that way but Jackson doesn’t really do that. He puts in tons of effort and works really hard which is underrated, but doesn’t go unnoticed by most of the guys.”
"Our whole staff believes in Jackson and his leadership. He leads by example and sets a tone."
Athletic Director
Lang’s football journey began in 7th grade, where he was a standout in the weight room and on the field. He began playing both on offense as a tight end, and on defense, as a defensive lineman, before focusing solely on defensive end in high school.
“The biggest thing I have done throughout my football career is to make sure I show everyone how much I care,” Lang said. “Just doing whatever the coaches say and not goofing off has allowed me to continuously get better.”
The ‘Dawgs have found some new profound motivation this year. After losing in heartbreaking fashion last year to Austin High 31-27 on a last second touchdown by the Maroons, the ‘Dawgs are looking to bounce back and get their revenge this year, with Austin High being the last game of the year with plenty of playoff implications.
“We definitely need to make the playoffs,” Lang said. “We have Austin High as our last game of the year before the playoffs and we want that game to be special. If we win that game we should be in a really good position to make a run in the playoffs, which is what we have set out to do
Barnes has been under the helm of head coach Jeff Ables who has been coaching at Bowie for over 30 years. Barnes describes Ables coaching style as strict and firm while also being fair and by the book.
“He expects a lot from his varsity players, especially in the classrooms,”
Barnes said. “The coaching staff gets disappointed if something goes wrong whether it be grades or even just absences. This definitely helps us all do better in the classroom. We all take leadership and accountability and strive to be the stable pillars in the classroom.”
Ables is wrapping up his 23rd year being the head coach for the ‘Dawgs. During his tenure, the ‘Dawgs have been playoff bound nearly every season, including the last four seasons in a row dating back to the 2019-2020 season. The team is looking to add to that streak this year. “I really enjoy the position I am in,” Ables said. “I get to work with new kids and coaches every year and also play a part in helping other coaches in other sports. I think this team is somewhat special compared to teams I have coached in the past. They are a really group of guys who give a ton of effort, and seem to be on the quiet side, they don’t talk a lot, but they do everything they are supposed to, which makes them very coach-able.”
The team’s next and final focus is when they play against Austin High on Friday, November 1 at Hyde Park. The game is regarded as a true “win
and you’re in” scenario, unlike the previous ten games, this one holds the most significance.
“We gotta win this next ball game against Austin High,” Ables said. “If
we win, then we are in the playoffs, and from there anything can happen.
Our whole staff believes in Jackson and his leadership. He leads by example and sets a tone on how our
guys should perform. He’s always consistent on and off the field and he will continue to be a leader for the rest of the season and the rest of his career as well.”
LEADING OUT THE PACK: Junior captain Jackson Lang carries out the flag as the ‘Dawgs take the field vs Dripping Springs. The ‘Dawgs narrowly lost the homecoming game 38-35. PHOTO BY Andrew Covert
Students kick to a country beat
A way to take a crack at their western roots while making new friends and experiences
Bentlee Toland Entertainment Editor
The bright lights shimmer off the towering mirrors in the dance room. The boots slide and shuffle, immersing students in the rhythm of each note. Students watch their every subtle movement while picking up the dance steps to an old country tune.
“My goal of creating the club was for people to have fun,” junior Kynnadi Bryan said. “I like to teach people, how to dance. And I love the community in dance, I get to enjoy myself.”
Line dancing has been a part of Western American culture for decades. Byran aimed to motivate others to embrace that tradition by starting the Country Kickers Club.
“I grew up going to Hunt Texas frequently,” Byran said. “There’s a little country place called Criders, that I used to go to. They do line dances, and country dances there. I enjoy going country dancing because it forms a community.”
Though Kynnadi felt anxious about starting a new club, worried that no one would show up, she was pleasantly surprised as person after person made their way to the courtyard for the first meeting.
“I wasn’t expecting that big of a turnout for our first one,” Bryan said. “In our first club, we weren’t able to use the room that we were originally going to do, so we had to dance out in the courtyard. There were so many people, it was
super fun, because I got to be at the top, while everyone was in the pit, looking at so many people.”
There are 43 people in the band app for the club, which gives information on where to meet and when. But regularly, around 25 people are actively involved in the club meets according to Byran.
“I love meeting new people,” sophomore club member Juliette Blossom said. “Everyone has different styles of dancing so you kind of get a sense of everyone’s personality when dancing with them. When I find the right partner it is so much fun to dance with them, it makes me feel so beautiful and lively. I love dancing so much.”
The country kickers meet every Wednesday during fit at the old dance room G112. English teacher Jameson Roberts hosts the club. Not only do they dance in school, but club members meet outside of school at the Broken Spoke almost every Friday.
“I have been country dancing for about one or two years now,” Blossom said. “But I wanted to join the club because me and my friend went dancing to the Broken Spoke one night then it was brought to my attention there.”
The Broken Spoke is one of Austin’s oldest and most famous dance halls today. They serve food along with drinks but also play live music. It was opened by James White in 1964 and was voted “Best Dance hall in Texas” by Texas Highway.
“I have met so many nice and interesting people going to the Spoke every other weekend with the club,” Blossom said. “Dancing is so much fun; not only the line dancing but the two-stepping is special especially if you join with a friend or partner you get to bond.”
Although a fun aspect of the club is meeting to dance outside of school, the club also meets during FIT to learn different dances beforehand. FIT sessions involve Bryan slowly leading the crowd to kick after kick, ensuring that fellow members have it down. Once they have the moves down participants partner up getting ready to grove.
“The first dance they taught me was the first line dance I have ever learned,” senior Avery McMahon said. “The student leaders will teach us a line dance they’re super patient and make sure everyone has got the moves down before moving on.”
Typically, line dancing lessons range from $6 to $10 per class, depending on the instructor and venue. The Country Kickers Club offers a free alternative, making it an accessible way for newcomers to get involved.
“I’ve done regular dance and country dance since I was a little kid, and it makes me feel happy,” Bryan said. “It is a fun place to meet people and where you just get to enjoy your time. And Why not have fun for free with the club.”
Dancing, offers numerous physical benefits, enhancing endurance, balance, coordination, and
flexibility. However, what resonates most with students are the improvements in mental health and social skills.
“There is a general sense of togetherness created by the people in the club, “junior Gray Montgomery said. “I now have something to look forward to on the weekends dancing just makes me feel relaxed, like I’m just out to have fun and I don’t have to worry about whatever else is going on.”
STAMPLEY’S ARTISTS
Sofia Yordanova Dispatch Reporter
Squinting to see the tiniest details, Miniature Gaming Club members add the final touches to their figurines. One table over, students lay out boards with complex structures and terrain. With their freshly painted warriors and intricate sets, students prepare to battle.
“I have people that love to come in and just assemble models and paint, and have some that do both painting and playing,” club sponsor Charles Stampley said. “So, that involves, not only do you have to put the models together, you also have to paint them and then plan out what you’re going to do.”
The Miniature Gaming Club members play games like Warhammer 40K, Age of Sigmar, historical games, and gothic and high fantasy skirmishes with miniatures that are painted by
hand by Bowie students. The club meets every Thursday after school. In the fall, games are played in Stampley’s room B108, and in the spring members also play in Michael Reeves’ room F214.
“There are definitely people who go from game to game,” senior Will Kulczar said. “But I feel like most of the club members stick to one thing.”
Warhammer 40k is a tabletop war game set far in the future with human fighters and aliens. The games involve humans and a diverse array of alien factions and races that battle in a dystopian world.
“I’ve always been a fan of miniatures, Warhammer and magic, more of these nerd type games,” junior Kaden Beard said. “I was just kind of looking around to see if the school had any clubs like that, and so then I came here.”
The miniatures are made with plastic bases which can be bought online
or at local gaming stores and then painted to perfection. The club was started last year and focused mainly on historical war games. For the 2024-2025 school year, club members are exploring the multitude of games that can be played with these figures.
“Last year we focused more on historical miniatures, like World War II, historical stuff,” Beard said. “And now this year [we’re focusing on] more of the Sci-Fi aspect.”
According to BoardGameGeek, a popular online gaming forum, Warhammer 40k is currently the most popular miniature war game, but materials required can cost as much as $150, and some miniatures are subject to price gouging. To play, students must first procure the complex bases and materials.
“The miniatures in general are pretty expensive overall,” Beard said. “So, it’s not just a hobby you can really get into.”
The miniature gaming club has the benefit of support from the gaming community in Austin. According to Stampley, Fellowship Hobby and Games on FM 1626 in Buda has provided collectibles, pots of paint, brushes, primer, crating supplies and donations to the club. The club received a particularly large donation from an anonymous donor of more than $5000 last May. That donation, along with ones from local businesses, have allowed the club to participate in more games and experiment with new painting techniques.
“Nobody needs to spend anything,” Stampley said. “I actually tell people, if this [miniature] is 50 bucks you don’t need to pay, I’ve probably got two of them.”
Students are able to explore every aspect of miniature gaming, from playing to painting and assembling. According to Beard, painting the miniatures requires intense focus and specific techniques.
“You have to be gentle because the slightest brush can have too much paint, or too little,” Beard said. “You just have to get used to painting something small and delicate.”
Painting the figures can seem daunting to new members, but Stamp-
As the sole leader of the club, Bryan teaches line dancing, country swing, and a few fun tricks. She also manages the Country Kickers’ Instagram account.
“Kynnadi is the best person to be president,” Montgomery said. “I feel the club’s leadership is superb. It’s obvious that those people put a lot of effort in the way of learning dances to teach us on their own time She’s a great friend and leader because of her enthusiasm and helpful nature.”
ley and senior members are passionate about teaching the skill. The specific techniques range from beginner friendly to incredibly technical.
“They’re always very nervous at first because the models are so small, but then once you show them that they’re actually a lot easier to paint, they get interested and that’s what makes me happy,” Stampley said. “They start coming back, and then later we can add things like ink and wash and different shading over different colors, so that’s my favorite.”
While some members prefer to paint, many participate in the games themselves, and most do both. While the most popular game is Warhammer 40k, the club facilitates games of Dungeons and Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, and historical games like Bolt Action.
“We’re setting up for a game called Bolt Action, which is World War II,” Stampley said. “It’s Americans versus Germans, so there’s a history side to it as well.”
Historical games such as Bolt Action also provide an academic benefit. Bolt Action puts the player in command of famous battles of World War II. In order to engage in the game, Stampley provides educational
resources for students.
“We do historical lectures on the topics we cover in the games,” Stampley said. “So, it’s really a little bit for everybody.”
Students may play games set in the past, but the miniature gaming club has their eyes set on the future. According to Stampley, the club anticipates more donations to allow them to continue playing and learning.
“Everyone is completely willing to teach people how to play the games, and just give people resources,” Kulczar said. “We have a bunch of people who are willing to just let people learn and play.”
JUNIORS TAKE A DIP: Line Dancing Club president Kynnadi Bryan dips junior Angelina Prieto during their Wednesday meetings in FIT. Last week, the girls taught a spin dip and variations of the Cotton Eyed Joe.
PHOTO BY Sophia Dudich
DANCERS TRUST FALL: Club members Ryan Zuniga and Joaquin Flores stare into each other eyes. Students hold each other up while they focus on learning a new dip move. PHOTO BY Sophia Dudich
SENIOR STUDIES HIS MASTERPIECE: Bristle by bristle Quinn Wilkinson puts the finishing touches on his scrap yard piece for figures to have cover in battle. Club members will often design tiny pieces to fill up the table. PHOTO BY Reagan Tso
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Young talent shines super bright at ACL sic
Olivia Hunter Dispatch Reporter
Fried chicken is popular for its crispy and juicy flavors, with a blend of seasonings that create mouthwatering tastes. Deep-fried chicken became popular in the 18th century when Scottish immigrants brought the dish to American plates. So, what popular fried chicken locations around Austin are really worth visiting?
When it comes to fried chicken, Chick-Fil-A, Raising Cane’s, Golden Chick, and Bush’s Chicken all offer something unique that turns first-time customers into regulars.
Raising Cane’s is a famous fried chicken restaurant, serving chicken finger meals nationwide. The company is influenced by Todd Graves’ childhood desire to create a fun environ-
ment that serves high-quality food.
Founded in August 28, 1996, in Baton Rouge, LA, Raising Cane’s began as a business developed through a college course that aimed to exclusively sell chicken fingers.
Raising Cane’s, located at 3201 Bee Caves Rd,. Austin, TX is open Monday through Sunday from 9 a.m. until 11 p.m. It uses a relatively small menu, serving only chicken finger meals and soft drinks.
The building’s atmosphere is casual and welcoming, with a focus on fast service and a clean environment.
After walking in, you are greeted with a simple but high-quality menu and a polite staff. There’s no overcrowding in the parking lot or eating area so you can easily order at the register and comfortably enjoy your food.
maintained her relevance for an impressive amount of years. She rose to fame in 2017 with her self-titled first album. Her music is an inescapable kind of dance pop. I can sing her most popular songs word for word but couldn’t tell One difference in Dua Lipa isn’t her lack of popularity, but her lack of a cult-following that we see with so many mainstream celebrities. This is due, in part, to her lack of interaction with fans or world-building beyond her mu sic. She is a popular celebrity that remains
Her music has a tendency to sound repetitive especially after the first listen, but this doesn’t take away from the over all enjoyment. Dua Lipa is a great artist in moderation. She exists as an artist that’s fun enough, disco enough, and celebrity enough. Her set-list is fun, memorable, and nostalgic. What she creates beyond that mold is to be When I was ten years old, my hamster Avocado died. I played Chris Stapleton’s Tennessee Whiskey at his funeral. I hadn’t really listened to his Honestly, I was surprised. I real ly enjoyed Stapleton’s set-list. It has a solid beat to it, and an interesting theme that isolates it from other modern country music. On princi ple, I don’t love modern country
and interesting. It reminded me
Tyler, the Creator, will always be a crowd favorite. He’s like licorice and Wes Anderson movies, you either love him or you hate him. You either get it or you don’t. He’s one of those artists that still feel underground. When I listen to his music, I feel like the only person on earth. That’s what I love about his music. It’s immersive. I’ve spent countless hours watching fan theories on his albums, piecing together the narrative he creates. All of his albums are interesting, and what else can a musician hope to be but interesting? Tyler, the Creator is a captivating example of both a musical and social oddity. He wears colorful statement pieces, has an affinity for waffles, and creates enriching music that millions of people love. His persona is almost as Well, this year’s line up is nothing if not diverse. It’s a good mix of new voices and familiar favorites. It’s also impossible to truly take into account how important social media is in the
I ordered the three-count chicken finger meal, which included crispy crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, a creamy pinkish-orange Raising Cane’s sauce, and juicy chicken tenders. Although the food was very good and cooked well, my so-called freshly squeezed lemonade was watered down, leaving the drink with minimum to zero flavor. While the food was delicious and satisfying, the disappointing drink dropped the overall rating for the restaurant’s quality.
Chick-Fil-A is a world-wide fast food restaurant chain with two locations in South Austin, 161 W Slaughter Lane and 5033-D US 290 W. Austin that is open Mon-Sat 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. They serve Chick-Fil-A classics like chicken sandwiches, waffle potato fries, chicken nuggets, and more.
Founded by S. Truett Cathy in 1946, Chick-Fil-A has gained fame for its top notch customer service and food quality. Their menu offers a wide-range of fresh items for everyone including salads and wraps. While Chick-Fil-A excels with customer service, the atmosphere feels overcrowded and less maintained during their peak hours. The dining area’s tables are too close together, which creates tension within the space and a lack of cleaning between each customer causes a more chaotic dining experience. Upon entering, there are long lines of customers waiting for service. I ordered the eight-count chicken nugget meal. The nuggets came in small portions but were crispy and flavorful, the fries varied from either being potato skin or regular waffle fries, and the lemonade was very sweet and had a lot of pulp causing a conflicted texture. Overall, while the meal at Chick-Fil-A had many highlights, such as the crispy nuggets, but the inconsistent portion sizes and overcrowded atmosphere left much to be desired.
Bush’s Chicken was founded by Keith Bush in 1996 in Waco, TX. With over 75 restaurants Bush’s Chicken aims to be family-oriented and community-friendly. Compared to other nation-wide food chain franchises, Bush’s is only located in Texas. The two South Austin locations are 9815 Brodie Lane and 12336 Ranch Rd 620. Both are
discovery and fame of musicians. Chappell Roan and Benson Boone are great examples of this. Both artists spread like wildfire after their music started trending on social media. This attention has both created and destroyed artist’s careers and the ever present influence of “spreading the word” can be both a blessing and a curse. These rapid rises in fame are a product of this attention, contributing to the overnight success stories that were displayed
This most recent ACL weekend shows the excitement that pop lovers worldwide are feeling. As new names emerge and old names come back in style, it’s no surprise that dance music is making a resurgence. We aren’t just seeing this in pop genres, though. This year we’ve seen new music from artists like Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé, Ye & Ty Dolla $ign. Despite your individual opinions of these projects, each new single and album contributes to an evolution of music that we’re seeing at
Music has recently felt bigger than ever, creating movements like Brat Summer and viral stars like Chappell Roan. Still, I’m left wondering how it’s possible for artists to seemingly slip under the radar. What truly defines an instant pop star? It’s no secret that we are divided, not even just as a country or a state or a school. There’s an inner division within our own character. Social media has brought us beautiful things, but the constant surveillance can feel all-consuming. There’s a sort of stigma around pop music, an elitism that we can all fall victim
Ultimately, music has the ability to change that. What may seem like a random assortment of trending artists is, in reality, a reflection of new voices that break away from the framework of what is considered “good music.”
Another shift is in the tone of new music. As a society, we aren’t in the mood for heartbreak or sappy love songs. New artists are coming out with exciting new music that shows a cultural shift in the type of music we yearn for. We see Chappell Roan wearing dramatic drag looks and marvel at Sabrina Carpenter’s exciting new shows. This is what we crave. I may hate Benson Boone. His music may irritate me, his publicity may irk me. And yet, people gain popularity for a reason. Benson Boone was once a young artist that wanted to make it big. Despite my somewhat harsh criticism, Benson Boone was chosen by the people that saw something in him. And how can you be a hater of progress?
usually open on Mon-Sat 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with consistent menu offerings like chicken tenders, chicken sandwiches, and fries.
The environment at Bush’s Chicken offers a mix of negative and positive experiences, depending on location and time. The location I visited had an outdated interior that was overcrowded and noisy. Although the atmosphere wasn’t enjoyable the staff were incredibly polite and there was fast service. The menu offers a variety of classic fried chicken options with a straightforward ordering system of either dine-in or drive-through services. I purchased the traditional chicken sandwich, which had a very crispy texture and soft bun. Overall, the chicken sandwich was a satisfying choice but the restaurant’s environment wasn’t my favorite.
Golden Chick was founded in 1967 in San Marcos, Texas by Howard and Jacque Walker. The company has over 230 restaurants that all serve flavorful chicken. Restaurant hours vary, but most locations open Mon-Sun 10 a.m. to 10
p.m. With a headquarters in Richardson, Texas there are multiple locations in South Austin including 616 W. Stassney Ln.
The setting within Golden Chick depends on how efficient the staff is during peak hours. The restaurant I reviewed was so relaxed to a point where the service time was incredibly slow and the interior was messy. Despite the setting being slow the food quality was good.
Golden Chick offers a diverse menu featuring their famous golden tenders and catfish. Their tagline is “The Original and Still the Best” to reflect their longtime commitment to chicken. I ordered the original chicken sandwich, which was cooked nicely but needed more flavor. Overall, Golden Chick was average and an unmemorable experience. While each restaurant had its own unique offerings, I found that Raising Cane’s stood out the most because of the clean environment, fast service, comfortable seating, and food quality that focuses on their signature chicken fingers.
CANE’S COMBO: Raising Canes chicken fingers wins against three other fried chicken restaurants. Being the best in taste, speed and cleanliness. PHOTO BY Cooper Ford
ART BY Olive Trevino
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2024 ELECTION ISSUE
The Dispatch recommends
EDITORIAL
Americans across the political spectrum are eager to know the results of the upcoming election. To give readers more information about these highly contested races, The Dispatch offers the following endorsements for president, senator, representative, railroad commissioner, mayor, and a stance on local Proposition A. On October 17 and 18, newspaper staff members voted anonymously in a mock election. The endorsements reflect which candidates received the most votes in each category.
PRESIDENT
In what has been described as one of the most critical presidential elections in our nation’s history, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump face off in pursuit of winning the presidency. At the top of Harris’s agenda are issues of reproductive rights and restoring economic stability. She has advocated for the passage of legislation to restore the protections established under Roe v. Wade. Additionally, she plans to implement an increased child tax credit and ensure that no individual earning less than $400,000 a year experiences a rise in their taxes.
In contrast, former President Donald Trump has boasted about ending Roe v. Wade. He campaigns on goals to improve the economy by lowering the prices of everyday purchases and “slashing inflation,” but many of these objectives lack substantial explanation of how they will be achieved.
The Dispatch endorses Kamala Harris for president. One reason for this is that Harris would restore access to reproductive healthcare. This would ensure that women are able to receive life-saving care and make decisions about what is best for their own body. In order to improve the economy, we need a president with clear cut goals, not concepts of a plan. With specific objectives outlined to make the cost of living more affordable, Harris is better equipped to address economic concerns.
Finally, Harris would strive to unify the American people. While Trump delivers hateful rhetoric and misinformation about marginalized communities, Harris’s messaging conveys that all Americans are deserving of equal rights and, if elected, her policies would reflect this.
proving the immigration system and expanding access to healthcare, Allred firmly believes in a woman’s right to choose and will work to pass legislation that restores this right in Texas.
Furthermore, he will fight to increase access to over-thecounter contraceptives. This will have a significant impact in Texas, which has the eighth highest teen birth rate in the U.S., according to Healthy Futures of Texas. Texans need a Senator who will fight to protect our rights and show up in times of need, and Allred is the best choice to fulfill this criteria.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Republican candidate Jenny Garcia Sharon opposes Lloyd Doggett in the race for a seat in the House of Representatives. Doggett believes the increasing prevalence of gun violence cannot be tolerated and has fought for common-sense solutions such as eliminating gun sales loopholes and implementing universal background checks. He has also worked to ensure fair elections by voting for the For People Act which promotes election integrity and security.
SENATOR
In what is panning out as an incredibly close race, Colin Allred challenges incumbent Ted Cruz for a seat in the U.S. Senate. Cruz pledges to improve the immigration system by constructing a border wall and supporting border patrol agents, yet he voted against legislation aimed at securing the border in February of this year. He plans to make healthcare more accessible through expanding Health Savings accounts but has also indicated his intentions to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Colin Allred is committed to finding bi-partisan solutions to pass immigration reforms and ensure the safety of border communities. In the House of Representatives, he worked with members on both sides of the aisle to pass legislation such as the Dream and Promise Act. He plans to make healthcare more affordable through expanding Medicaid, and lowering prescription drug costs.
The Dispatch endorses Colin Allred for Senate because he prioritizes the people of Texas over partisanship. In addition to im-
Garcia Sharon, on the other hand, doesn't outline specific efforts to protect Texans from the growing threat of gun violence or acknowledge the fact that the right to keep and bear arms has come at the expense of individual’s lives. She pledges to ensure legal and accurate elections but doesn’t lay out how she plans to accomplish this.
We endorse Representative Lloyd Doggett because of his loyalty to his constituents and extensive experience. His willingness to take action on the issue of gun violence is crucial to preserving the safety of Texans. Furthermore, by working to ensure just elections and protecting the fundamental right to vote, Doggett makes clear that he will defend our Democracy and the principles of liberty, representation, and equality that it has established.
RAILROAD COMMISSIONER
Progressive Katherine Culbert is running to defeat Christi Craddick, the current railroad commissioner. The railroad commissioner oversees Texas’ oil and gas industry and Craddick, a conservative, has used her position to ensure that these industries face minimal regulations. She believes in state-led decisions and opposes federal government involvement in the management of these industries. Culbert disagrees with this perspective. She believes in holding large corporations accountable to prioritize the health and safety of workers as well as communities. She will also work to increase transparency in the oil and gas industry and implement more environmentally conscious policies. Due to her forward thinking, The Dispatch endorses Katherine Culbert. Culbert is not afraid to question the actions of large corporations to protect the best interest of Texas residents. She also understands the serious threat that lax regulations pose to the health of communities and the climate. Culbert will act effectively and urgently to preserve the well-being of Texans.
in Austin. He also has goals to combat climate change by closing the Austin-owned portion of the coal-powered Fayette Power Plant and removing Austin from the coal industry. Watson will fight to improve the quality of life of Austinites and preserve the ideals that define our city.
PROPOSITION
A
Travis County Proposition A proposes a tax rate increase which would go towards generating more funding for the Austin Independent School District (AISD). If passed, Prop A would generate around $171 million over a one year period by raising taxes for homeowners. The district would only retain $41 million of this funding due to state recapture. Some of the funding would be allocated to increasing the pay of 85 percent of AISD staff members, with more experienced educators receiving higher wages. Critics of the proposition argue that this is only a temporary solution to the budget issues that the Austin Independent School District is experiencing.
While it is understandable that some may have reservations surrounding this proposition, we endorse voting in favor of Prop A. Educators and integral AISD staff members are severely underpaid for the work that they do to shape future generations. The passage of this proposition would secure long-overdue compensation for these individuals.
MAYOR
Watson and Kathie Tovo were the two candidates who received the most votes in the mayoral portion of our mock election. As mayor, Watson has fought to make living in Austin more affordable through land use reforms. He also worked to improve emergency response times by staffing the police department. Watson does face criticism from some that believe his executive approach to decision making can create a disconnect between himself and city council members. Tovo has indicated that she would increase affordability through the expansion of affordable housing. She has promised to keep the police force fully staffed, and improve police cadet training to keep communities safe. Tovo has faced some criticism for her thorough decision making process which can, at times, slow down the implementation of policy. While both candidates display intriguing agendas, we have decided to endorse Watson. In addition to land use reforms, Watson promises to implement housing reforms to provide relief for families experiencing the high costs of living
Finally, voting is not just a civic duty; it is a way for someone to be a part of the change they wish to see in society. When someone casts their ballot, they are participating in our long-standing democracy by electing officials who will represent their perspectives.
It is also important to remember that, while it may seem like the role of commander-in-chief is the most crucial, members of Congress write the legislation sent to be signed by the president, local and
officials decide on
impact
ART BY Sophia Sepulveda
Don't give them your tireless support
Parasocial relationships with politicians is dangerous and should be completely avoided
Bode
Everyone has at least heard of a fandom, even if they aren’t a part of one. There is a fandom for almost everything today; Marvel, Harry Potter, Taylor Swift, and Kanye West are just some of the few unlimited fandoms that fans can create. Being part of a fandom used to exclusively mean that you are just a fan of someone, but thanks to the internet and easy communication between passionate fans, it can now mean that you are a super fan, or "stan", and that you could possibly have a parasocial relationship with a celebrity.
A parasocial relationship is a one-sided relationship someone has with someone they don’t know personally. Having a parasocial relationship with a celebrity is already slightly concerning, but if you mix fandoms and imaginary relationships with politics, it can become downright dangerous. Having a parasocial relationship with a politician can be threatening to our political system and should be avoided at all costs.
As citizens of the United States, it’s our job to be skeptical of our political leaders in order to protect our safety. Questioning their policies and beliefs is important because it gives us a better understanding of their goals for when they are in office and if we should be looking to them for help with problems our communities are facing. If someone were to have a parasocial relationship with a politician, they are more likely to look at the person’s character rather than their policies and could possibly result in electing someone with conflicting or even possibly dangerous values.
We don’t have to pick a candidate and support their every move until the grave. Just because you agree with one policy, that doesn’t mean you’ll agree with the rest of them. Parasocial relationships with politicians lead to people blindly agreeing or supporting a cause without knowing what they are advocating for just because their chosen candidate is supporting it.
Evidence of political parasocial relation-
ships have been popping up online recently because of the upcoming presidential election. People with a social media presence go around presidential rallies and ask voters questions about why they are voting for the candidate they are supporting. By doing this, they have caught people defending candidates for completely illogical reasons because they have decided to give them their unwavering support.
One creator on TikTok named Dean calls out specific Donald Trump supporters. In one of his viral videos, he told a Trump support that President Joe Biden said he would date a ten year old in ten years, and the Trump supporter responded saying “That would be pedophilia.” When Dean revealed it was actually Trump who said that, the voter got very upset and started yelling at him. He said that Dean was spreading false information and that he was a communist.
The Trump supporter clearly had his mind set on defending Trump at all costs, but what he failed to understand is that it isn’t his job to support Trump’s every claim. It’s obvious he has a parasocial relationship with Trump because he is defending the comment only because Trump said it. If Biden had really said that, the voter would have believed him to be a pedophilia.
One could argue that it’s important to show support for a candidate and keep up with their life because it keeps you more involved politically. While showing support for the candidate you like the most is perfectly reasonable, keeping up with both candidate’s actions and policies is extremely important. Only observing your chosen candidate is risky. Looking at all view points from the available candidates gives you a better perspective of the controversy, and once you make your own decision on policy, you can align yourself with the policy of one of the candidates. If you only keep up with one politician, you are only going to be fed one perspective for each issue. Showing support for a politician is perfectly fine if you are aware of the slippery slope down to blindly supporting them.
Parasocial relationships are a danger to our political system. Always be aware that politicians are trying to get your vote and that they do not know you personally, even
ENDORSEMENTS
I’ll be ready for when you call me, Mr President!
if they are acting like they do. It is our job to be critical of politicians and their actions in order to protect the rights and safety of the American public. Even if you are in full support of a specific candidate, don’t blindly support their every move and pay full
Strengths of celebrity endorsements
As election season rolls around and voting booths open, celebrities and major music artists have begun voicing their opinions by endorsing politicians. With these endorsements, many voters' political decisions may change with the information given, while others are left with the question of what positive or negative effects these endorsements may have on the election. Celebrities endorsing politicians can sway the votes and opinions of other American people. Although many may argue that celebrities endorsing politicians is wrong, these endorsements are highly beneficial allowing celebrities to voice their political opinions and inform other voters on the issues at stake. When celebrities endorse
politicians, Harvard University studies show that their media posts inform others to vote.
Research from Harvard shows that celebrities' voices are astonishingly powerful when talking about politics, changing poll numbers. In 2018, major music artist, Taylor Swift, posted an Instagram story to her 140 million followers endorsing current President Joseph Biden and encouraging her fans to vote. In just 72 hours, Vote. org had over 250,000 new registrants.
This doesn’t mean that all 250,000 new registrants voted for Biden, but shows the impact that Swift had on the election with her endorsement. Because of her endorsement, Swift has encouraged fellow American people to register to vote for their rights and use their voice.
With the ability of celebrities being able to endorse politicians, it allows celebrities to state their political
opinion and viewpoint. Many celebrity endorsements not only shine light to certain politicians running in an election, but can also state their viewpoints on the overall election process.
Although many people may have different opinions on celebrities speaking about politics or endorsing politicians, these endorsements simply allow celebrities to voice their political opinions and inform other voters on the issues at stake.
Celebrity endorsements also help bring attention to the politicians running in an election. In certain endorsements, they may mention what politicians want to achieve during their term.
These endorsements help politicians because the celebrities' fame can grab the attention of their fans, helping the political figures running and bringing more awareness to themselves. With the politicians having fellow voters' attention, viewpoints people may have and votes being cast may change with the information given.
With the wide variety of ages registered voters are, certain celebrities endorsements may reach a certain generation's audience more than others. British pop artist Charlie XCX posted “Kamala IS brat” on the platform X. With the popularity her album Brat had all over the internet during summer of 2024, the post attained over 54.5 million views, reaching Gen-Z and millennial groups. Her endorsement had a major contribution to the Harris drive on social media.
Using platforms like social media and pop culture references are a very powerful way to reach younger generations, who are on
social media more than older generations. These posts help grab the younger generation's attention and help bring more awareness to the politicians running in the election.
Although celebrities endorsing politicians comes with many benefits, fake celebrity endorsements have recently been created with Artificial Intelligence (AI). Many social media apps have lately allowed AI-generated images to be generated in the app and posted, causing fake endorsements and information to spread rapidly throughout the internet.
Previously, an AI image was created and posted of actor Ryan Reynolds wearing a pro-Kamala Harris shirt. The post caused hesitation throughout social media. These false endorsements and the spread of misinformation have caused confusion all over social media, and can create conflicts in the overall election.
As a solution, voters should be conscious of what information we trust on social media. Don’t trust any posts you see online unless you have done your research and it comes from a trusted source. Another solution is to simply wait for celebrities to speak about certain politicians running in the upcoming presidential election, or acknowledge the AI images being spread on social media.
Celebrities endorsing politicians comes with many benefits in an election. With the attention celebrities have, it not only allows celebrities to state their political opinion and viewpoint, but also helps bring more awareness to the politicians running in the election.
attention to all candidates’ political actions. If you do so, you will be protecting yourself and your community from falling into the trap of parasocial relationships. You do not know that politician, and they certainly do not know you.
BULLDAWGS SPEAK!
Who do you believe is the better presidential candidate?
INTERVIEWS
Kamryn Gutshall Senior
I would endorse Kamala Harris because I don't think a convicted felon should be a president.
Aubrey Smith Sophomore
Kamala Harris because I feel like Trump would become a dictator and control more than just what people think.
I care a little bit more about the economic state of the country currently, so I am leaning towards Donald Trump.
I think that Kamala Harris is the better candidate. She has a lot of opinions I agree with and she stands up for women.
& PHOTOS BY Sam Bode
Phoenix Ruxer Freshman
Willa Bock Junior
ART BY Layne Foxcroft
ART BY Layne Foxcroft
HOMECOMING COURT
Crowning senior homecoming court
Students commend royalty and tradition
Arden Ray Photo Essay Editor
Homecoming week is full of special events for the Bowie community. From Dress up days and Pep Rallies, Bowie students have the opportunity to come together to celebrate the school and the people in it.
One of the biggest homecoming week celebrations is the announcement of the Senior Homecoming Court during halftime at the football game. Senior Kate Bookidis was crowned homecoming royalty alongside her boyfriend Clayton Migl.
“My friends actually helped me make the decision to run,” Bookidis said. “I went along with it and decided I would run mostly for fun, and for the experience.”
Prior to homecoming court voting, students can nominate who they want to be considered for voting. Bookidis and Migl ran together and were nominated together.
“My friends were the ones who thought of me and my boyfriend when they were asked to nominate someone,” Bookidis said.
Students being able to nominate who they want gives everyone an opportunity to run for homecoming court. Anyone can run to represent their class and students can nominate their peers that they think deserve to be homecoming royalty.
“I think senior homecoming court gives students a chance to participate in a fun tradition and choose two of their classmates who represent the senior class,” Bookidis said. “However, it may not be so positive in some cases because
the winners may get votes due to popularity versus character.”
Every homecoming court nominee gets to walk on the field and be applauded by the students and families and be escorted by their family and friends. Senior Caden Delk was a homecoming court nominee and ran alongside Layla Burns.
“I think homecoming court is a fun thing to participate in but it could make students who aren’t as socially involved feel alienated or what not,” Delk said. “Overall though, I think it’s an important tradition to carry on in the future.”
Being chosen for homecoming court can bring a sense of leadership to the nominees because they were chosen by their classmates to represent the class.
“I’m proud to represent and be a part of our class and to celebrate our long yet quickly-diminishing youth,” Delk said. “I love all the people I’ve spent my entire life growing up with and wanted to be as involved with them as possible before I can’t anymore.”
Unlike other schools, Bowie hosts the homecoming dance two weeks after the homecoming football game. Many other schools host their homecoming dance the same weekend of the football game.
“The dance being two weeks after the game doesn’t make any sense and I hate having to explain that our school doesn’t have homecoming at the same time as the game,” Delk said “I guess it’s good though because we usually lose our homecoming games, so it gives us time to forget about that before partying.”
Students are not the only people who question the two
week gap between the homecoming game and dance. Teacher and class of 2025 sponsor Kelly Langdon sees the confusion of why homecoming events are scheduled like this every year.
“I don’t know if it’s a Student Council decision or an administration decision,” Langdon said. “Maybe we should just have an earlier homecoming.” Even without the dance, homecoming week was still full of activities for students and staff. Langdon and other 2025 class sponsor Shelby Pennington awarded the homecoming royalty winners with flowers and sashes.
“This year all we had to do was show up at the game,” Langdon said. “It was less this year, but we had more duties around all the voting and everything the previous years.”
With the help of class sponsors, parents, and bowie faculty, homecoming week and the senior homecoming court presentation went off without a hitch.
“I enjoyed the fun themes of homecoming week and the anticipation leading up to the game,” Bookidis said. “The days leading up to the announcement were full of excitement and I was looking forward to the event of getting to dress up and walk out on the field.”
SENIOR
SENIOR SWEETHEART: Senior varsity football trainer Manning Adkins accepts flowers from senior Carlos Ortiz in honor of being named Senior Sweetheart. The varsity football team chooses a Senior Sweetheart every year. “Walking onto the field felt magical and made me really appreciate the friendships I have made,” Adkins said.
proud of myself and all the hard work I put in to get to that moment.” PHOTO BY Arden Ray
BAND SWEETHEART: Senior drum major Sophia Thollander stands on the field with her escort while being named Band Sweetheart. Thollander ran for homecoming court alongside Bubba Infante. “It made me happy that I was given the opportunity to walk out and represent the band,” Thollander said. “It was super cool to dress up and walk out on the field with everyone.” PHOTO BY Arden Ray
POINTING TO THE CROWD: Senior Caden Delk points to his friends as he is escorted on the field by his parents. Delk thanks his good friends, family, and favorite music artists for his nomination. “My favorite part was getting to fill out the homecoming court sheet and hearing them announce my plans to become the king of Fiji,” Delk said. PHOTO BY Arden Ray
CELEBRATING ROYALTY: Teacher Kelly Langdon hugs senior Kate Bookidis congratulating her on winning homecoming royalty. As a class of 2025 sponsor, Langdon brings flowers and sashes to the homecoming royalty elects. “Some seniors were almost campaigning to be nominated, which I thought was really interesting,” Langdon said. “I didn’t know that people did that.” PHOTO BY Arden Ray
