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JUNIOR JEWELER Student creates trendy earrings with unique materials
MISGUIDED MACHISMO The perils of a culture centered around toxic masculinity
pg. 5
pg. 8
OK BOOMER How a phrase illustrates the disconnect between generations
pg. 14
THE DISPATCH FRIDAY, DEC. 13, 2019
Pride in Publishing
TAKE OFF: Colonel Joanne Macgregor and her crew take off after finishing their demonstration. The Texas Army National Guard performs demonstrations at high schools throughout Texas. PHOTO BY Peter Dang
Texas National Guard demonstrates aviation to JROTC and STEM classes The morning sun shines across the field, the skies are clear, the air cool and brisk. From the Northwest a US Army Black Hawk helicopter appears, the air is filled with the chopping sound from the blades as they cut through the air as the helicopter approaches. The helicopter
circles the field and then descends onto the practice football field, grass is blown in every direction. The demonstration started as an offer to the JROTC from Bowie parent Colonel Joanne Macgregor who pilots Black Hawk helicopters. After getting school and district approval, STEM classes were invited to join the event
HANDS ON: Chief Warrant Officer Billy Black shows senior Walter Esparza the helicopter flight controls. Black was a cadet in JROTC when he attended Bowie. PHOTO BY Peter Dang
as well. “I thought it was a great opportunity to come out and share a little bit about what the National Guard does for our communities and to educate,” Macgregor said. “It was also a great opportunity to talk to students about science and engineering in aviation, and to talk to the Air Force JROTC cadets about opportunities in the National Guard.” For Chief Warrant Officer Billy Black, coming back to his high school to demonstrate his job is special to him. Black is a maintenance test pilot and maintenance manager for the Texas Army National Guard. He manages the health of the helicopters and verifies the airworthiness of their aircraft to make sure they are ready whenever they are needed. “I went to Bowie from 1995 to 1999, I was in the Air Force Junior ROTC,” Black said. “To be able to give back to the school that provided so much for me has been wonderful.” Black recalls deciding what he wanted as a career after going to a demonstration similar to this one. “I was recruited as a junior in high school through the Texas Army National
Guard program just like this, but the JROTC took me out to see the helicopters and instead of bringing the helicopters to the students.” Black said. “My hope is that some of the students are maybe thinking about this as a career and if nothing else they know a little bit more about what we do for the state of Texas.” In addition to the crew that flew to Bowie in the helicopter. A swift water rescue swimmer from Texas Task Force 1 also came. He brought his rescue gear to demonstrate how he works with the National Guard and its helicopters in search and rescue missions such as in flooding situations. “I liked the rescue swimmer from Task Force 1,” senior Derek Perez said. “It was really interesting when he was explaining how he connects people to the helicopter when rescuing them. It was really neat.” Students had many questions to ask the helicopter crew. Students were curious about the mechanics of the helicopter and the materials it is built of. Many had questions about what different buttons, switches and controls did when they sat in the cockpit.
“We had some really curious folks which I loved, they wanted to know everything about the helicopter,” Macgregor said. “I was very impressed with the level of their questions the students asked, they were very advanced.” After cadets were done with their tour of the helicopter, Macgregor asked cadets how many of them were interested in ROTC in college or in serving in the armed forces. Almost every cadet raised their hand. “I have already considered the military because they will pay for college,” sophomore Liana Tidwell said. “The National Guard is interesting because I like doing more local things.” For cadets, this is will not be the last time that they will get to spend time with the crew and around the helicopter this school year. “We are planning on giving cadets a ride in a helicopter in the spring because they are enrolled in ROTC they're allowed to fly in the back of a helicopter,” Macgregor said. “For cadets interested in aviation, they can get a sample of what it's like to fly a helicopter to see if that's something they want to further explore.”
Security improvements made in the past year Peter Dang Editor-in-Chief
One year after the school was vandalized by a delinquent who threw rocks and other items at windows and doors, security improvements have been made to the campus. These changes were made in response to the vandalism. Other security changes were made in response to safety concerns like “In terms of security enhancements, a lot of them have been in response to preventing school shootings and other tragic events like that,” principal Mark Robinson said. “Not necessarily what happened last December, which was more like a random act of vandalism.” After the vandalism happened, the Bowie PTSA worked with the administration to raise money for additional school security improvements beyond improvements allotted by the district. Money was raised through the yearly Build Up Bowie initiative. “Build Up Bowie is an annual project
INDEX
News 1 , 2, 3 Reviews 13
where the PTSA raises money for something tangible, we work with the administration in deciding what the project will be,” Bowie PTSA president Ashley Vavasour said. “In previous years we have raised money for water bottle refill stations and modernized the library.” Money raised from the project has mostly gone towards upgrading the video surveillance system around the school. “There have been additional cameras that were installed in some areas where there used to be blind spots,” Robinson said. “Cameras were very helpful in catching the perpetrator of the vandalism because the community was able to identify that individual with released photos and videos.” Other security changes have included oneway window tinting that only allows people inside the school to view what is outside the school but people outside of the school can not see inside the school. The tint is applied at exterior exit doors around the school.
READ MORE “Security” pg. 2
Feature 4, 5 In-Depth 6, 8, 9
EXIT ONLY: The exterior doors of the school have window tinting and stickers applied. The purpose of the tint is to not let people outside of the school see inside. PHOTO BY Peter Dang
Photo Essay 7, 16 Sports 10, 11
Dec. 20-Jan. 7 Winter Break Jan. 8 Classes Resume Jan. 20 MLK Holiday Jan. 30 Late Start
Vol. 32, Issue 3 www.thedispatchonline.net James Bowie High School 4103 W. Slaughter Lane Austin TX, 78749
Army Black Hawk touches down
Peter Dang Editor-in-Chief
coming UP
Entertainment 12 Commentary 14, 15
Behind the Fence
Tower crane proves usefulness Behind the fence that separates the old parts of Bowie and the new parts of Bowie, lots of work has been completed in the past semester. Construction has moved from the first floor of the garage to the second floor. “Since the school year has started, lots of work has been done,” principal Mark Robinson said. “It is amazing to see how much work has been done in this time.” Crews started pouring the first floor concrete slab at the end of November. The slab was poured in multiple sections due to the size of the slab. Crews started assembling concrete shores on top of the slab after the slab had cured enough to work on. Shores are vertical supports used to support the form work for the second floor. “Now that we are finishing up the first floor, we are starting on the second floor,” project engineer Jack Whaley said. “It’s exciting to start building up.” After the tower crane was constructed, crews have utilized the crane to work efficiently. The crews have set forms, moved concrete buckets, and moved materials with the crane. “The crane has been one of our biggest time savers,” Whaley said. “Now that we are working on the second floor, the crane is even more useful because the forklifts can only reach so far.” For students and staff on campus, some may have never seen a tower crane so closely like the tower crane on campus. “I have never seen a tower crane up so closely,” senior Connor Malone said. “It spins around really quickly for such a large structure.” Riggers who attach materials and forms use radio transceivers to communicate with the crane operator. Only certified riggers are allowed to work with the crane. Riggers have a sticker on their hard hats so that the crane operator can locate riggers from the cab of the crane. “The riggers take extra precautions to ensure safety when moving objects with the crane,” Whaley said. “The crane also has sensors to make sure loads are managed properly." Work on the second floor has been started and considerable progress will be made over the winter break. Rain and precipitation has caused some delays in scheduling but crews have been busy catching up to stay on schedule. "We plan accordingly for weather, we sometimes have to pick up days on Saturdays and find ways to kind of improve our process," Whaley said. "We are on schedule to finish next summer." STORY BY Peter
Dang
find us
@jbhs_dispatch
2 NEWS
THE DISPATCH FRIDAY, DEC. 13, 2019
Creating community at Posada Esperanza
SERVICE WITH A SMILE: (Left) Senior Carlos Canepa leads two kids in a computer lesson. The shelter uses volunteers to provide academic tutoring services for their residents. (Middle) Sophomore Cristina Canepa laughs alongside two children as they paint the sidewalk with chalk. When a student under 18 volunteers at the family shelter, they must have an adult present. (Right) Seniors Eden Reichert and Sarah Israel try to block a young boy from scoring a goal. Volunteers at Posada Esperanza are encouraged to interact with the residents to build relationships and community. *Identities of the non-high school students have been withheld for privacy reasons. PHOTOS BY Reagan Zuniga
Spanish and French Honor Society volunteer at a shelter for women and their children
Security CONTINUED from pg. 1
“The window tints and stickers also kind of give a uniform look to the campus in a way that I feel like is very appealing.” Robinson said. “It's a reminder about the ID policy, and where the entrances and exits are.” The administration is also enforcing the school’s ID policy which requires students to wear their student ID’s on a lanyard around their necks more tightly this year. “A lot of people think of the ID’s as a hassle,” senior Sami Nasreddine said. “But this may a step in increasing school security.” Following the vandalism incident, school was canceled for two days so that the asbestos contained in window caulking that got into the air could disperse so that air quality could improve. During that time, district maintenance workers installed temporary Plexiglas. After school was dismissed for the summer, the temporary glass was removed and permanent glass was installed. “Over the summer, we had the environmental management team come in, they had to wear hazmat suits to protect themselves from the asbestos,” Robinson said. “They replaced the broken windows with the permanent safety glass.” According to the PTSA website, the community raised $3,280 to support the campus after the vandalism incident in Dec. 2018. And in May 2019, the PTSA board voted to donate $11,000 which included all funds raised during Build Up Bowie 2019 and the $3,280 raised in December 2018. “As a community, we reacted to the tragedy of the school being vandalized and raised money to support it,” Vavasour said. “Hopefully we will not have to be reactive again in the future. We are very grateful for all the parents and businesses that support our community.”
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anella.org. “I just feel fortunate that I have a community of students who want to make a change in the world and connect with their community,” Walsh said. “It makes me very proud to be their teacher.” According to casamarianella.org, the organization’s eventual goal is that all immigrants arriving to Austin “will have safe housing and access to the services they need to be successful.” “There is a big need for housing, especially for newly arrived immigrant populations, and I think we are looking to fill that need with increased capacity,” Eyman said. “For now, we have volunteers that are updating some of our rooms for us and we are looking into building a new shed for increased space.” In order to expand their interaction with Casa Marianella, the Spanish Honor Society plans to have a donation drive in the Spring for the organization. “By serving at Posada Esperanza, there is more than one lesson that can be learned from students opening up their mind to understand another culture or struggle that somebody’s going through,” Walsh said. “They get to learn what it means when somebody travels far to escape, to seek hope and a new future.” According to casamarianella.org, Posada Esperanza translates to “resting place of hope” in English. “I think the best way to be involved in your communities is to start with what’s close to you and what you care about,” Eyman said. “If immigration and Posada Esperanza interests you, then that is awesome. However, we have a lot of community partnerships, so if you work in a different area, it can help the whole community.”
ACT policy changes grant new opportunities Cade Spencer Managing Editor
As a high school senior assembles their college applications, standardized test scores, such as the ACT and SAT, can play an important role in their college admission process. When they are put into affect in September 2020, three changes to the ACT could make it easier for students to increase their testing scores. “The ACT and SAT are really important for college admissions because I think it’s one of the only things besides rank and GPA that colleges can compare for all students that apply to their school,” senior Jacy Lim said. “The standardized tests help [colleges] figure out where a student may be.” As of this year, students who wanted to increase their final score had to retake the entire test; however, one of the new policies would allow students to retake individual sections of the exam (the four sections
include reading, English, math, and science). “ACT is saying that these changes will benefit students because they will allow them the opportunity to focus on one section,” College and Career Advisor Carli Valverde said. “If you did good on your reading section, but you did bad on your math section, then you can focus on math, study for it, and then you can retake it.” In addition to the retesting of individual sections, students will also be allowed to take advantage of ACT super-scoring. Super-scoring is when students average their best individual section scores, from multiple tests, to create a new total score. “These changes might cause people to have new strategies to take the ACT, and it will be hard to compare everyone because it will be easier for people to increase their scores,” Lim said. “I feel like it is not fair unless the SAT changes to allow students to retake individual sections of the
ACT
What will change in 2020?
SECTION RETAKES
SUPER-SCORE
TESTING ONLINE
Students can retake individual sections of the exam (math,reading, science, or English).
Super-scoring allows students to average their best subject scores from multiple tests to create a new final score.
Students can take the ACT on a computer, allowing for scores to be returned within two days.
are higher than originally, because the ACT will have to take into consideration that they had to retest,” Valverde said. “I usually go to college updates held for college counselors, and it will be interesting to see how [colleges] will respond to the ACT changes.” Senior Katie Cole believes these changes could benefit students
because of the importance of standardized test scores in college applications. “I think a good ACT/ SAT score shows colleges that [a student] has the required skills in math, reading, and writing for college,” Cole said. “SAT/ACT scores are important to applications, but I don’t think they are deal breakers.”
exam as well.” In order to move towards more paperless testing, the final policy change will give students the option to take the test on the computer, which would decrease the time required to return scores to almost two business days according to act.org. “I do not know if these changes will affect the ACT, even if the scores
ART BY Shikha Patel, Shruti Patel, and Cade Spencer
The joyous sounds of a child’s laughter fill the air as a young boy attempts to score a soccer goal on a teen peer. Quickly, the ball approaches the goal until it escapes the grasps of the teen and hits the back of the net as the young boy erupts in cheers. At a local family shelter, these interactions between high schoolers and kids have been encouraged as an act of community uplift. Posada Esperanza, a branch of the nonprofit Casa Marianella, is a family shelter that aims to support new immigrant mothers and their children in the Austin area. “We work with the families to get their kids enrolled in school, to find medical insurance, get doctors appointments, apply for jobs, and eventually apply for apartments or other housing programs,” Family Advocate Stacey Eyman said. “Each family has different needs, so when something comes up along the way, we are able to help.” Recently, French and Spanish Honor Society have begun to volunteer at the shelter as part of their goal for increased community service. “This year is our first year we’re trying to make a point of every month doing something for them or with them, and at this point we go once a month and visit the families at Posada Esperanza,” Spanish Honor Society Sponsor Amanda Walsh said. “It makes me hopeful and excited that I live in an area where there are people organized to help others from not just our own community but from around the world, and I am looking forward to continue to work with them." Eden Reichert, a member of French Honor Society, volunteered at the shelter with fellow members of the two groups on Saturday,
Nov. 9. ianella and Posada Esperanza are Spanish “At Casa Marianella we played with all Honor Society’s non-profits of choice. the kids, helped with yard work, and cleaned “It’s pretty cool for students to use their around the house,” Reichert said. “Helping language and knowledge of Spanish in their at Casa Marianella made me feel good to community to help support the Hispanic know that I was able to help out in any way I community and promote what they stand could for these families.” for,” Walsh said. “The organization is servCurrently, Posada Esperanza is a collec- ing many people in Austin, and we really betion of four properties in East Austin that lieve that what they’re doing is good.” provide a home to 14 mothers and around When the organization was founded in 30 children. 1986, the shelter operated to care for survi“Some of the biggest volunteer oppor- vors of the Salvadoran War; however, today tunities at Casa MariPosada Esanella serves peranza are people from I just feel fortunate that I have a helping tuover 40 tor kids for countries. community of students who want to homework, “We have make a change in the world and connect practicing kids come English, doto us everywith their community. ing some day to look outings to at our calenAmanda Walsh the park, and dar for when then helping volunteers Spanish Honor Society Sponsor with general are coming,” cleaning or organizing here at the houses,” Eyman said. “It’s been really fun to see volEyman said. “It makes me very excited be- unteers get kind of embraced into the comcause I see the positive interactions happen- munity at Posada.” ing between the residents and the volunteers Canepa believes that it is important for here.” high schoolers to volunteer in their commuWhen she volunteered with Posada Esper- nity in order to expand their cultural knowlanza, sophomore Cristina Canepa spent time edge and exposure to diversity. with the residents and completed needed “I think that high schoolers get a better yard work. perspective on reality from community ser“I really enjoyed volunteering at Casa vice,” Canepa said. “We can learn the imporMarianella because the kids were energet- tance of helping others and doing our part in ic and I’m glad that we were able to hang supporting the members of our community out with them,” Canepa said. “The families that we don’t necessarily interact with everywere also welcoming, and I am happy that day.” we could help them out in whatever way we According to Eyman, if someone wants to could.” get involved with the organization, the best For the 2019-2020 school year, Casa Mar- way is to email posadaesperanza@casamari-
Source: act.org
Cade Spencer Managing Editor
NEWS 3
FRIDAY, DEC. 13, 2019 THE DISPATCH
Journalism program brings home big awards The Dispatch and Lone Star Yearbook both attended the NSPA convention in DC Amelie Hayne Dispatch Reporter
Awaiting the awards and honors the journalism team headed out to DC to attend the national journalism convention, with high hopes of returning with many awards. Twice a year both the Bowie Dispatch and the Lone Star Yearbook take a trip to attend the Journalism Education Association/ National Scholastic Press Association (JEA/NSPA) convention that was held in Washington, D.C in fall of this year. The journalism team flew to D.C for the convention that was held November 21 to 24, where both the Bowie Dispatch and the Lone Star Yearbook were up for nationally recognized awards. At the convention on-site competitions are available for students to enter, as well as a variety of educational sessions that were offered to teach students important journalism strategies and information. Although many of the students who entered individual competitions placed on a national level, both the newspaper and yearbook won very prestigious awards for the publications themselves. The Dispatch won a Pacemaker which is an award comparable to a Pulitzer Prize for scholastic publications that only 19 newspapers across the country received in 2019. In addition, The Dispatch entered second issue of the year and received First Place Best in Show for Newspaper Broadsheets. “I learned a substantial amount of skills and journalism techniques from the convention. I think one of the most interesting things I learned was a new 5-step plan for generating story ideas,” managing editor Cade Spencer said. “I was shocked by all of the story ideas I overlook every day. With the new plan, we could have new and intriguing story ideas.” Among the individual contestants, Peter Dang received an Excellent in Sports Writing and Amelie Hayne got excellent in Commentary Writing. The Dispatch was able to return with two honorable mentions won by Marisa Salazar in Editorial Writing and Amanda Zinni in News Editing/Headline Writing/Current Events. Cade Spencer won the newspaper's first-ever Superior Award in News Writing, which means he placed at the top out of everyone in his category. “I have always had a love for writing and it was really cool to win recognition for my writing. I think the awards are an amazing way to develop pride in your own work and the work of your program,” Spencer said. "However, winning the award also made me feel really grateful for my English teachers, my parents, and Mr. Reeves for all helping me develop my writing skills.” In the on-site contests, there were over 2,100 students who competed, and around 100 or more students competing in each category. There were only 144 superiors awarded to students, spread out among 43 categories. “The contest and convention made me feel that journal-
ABUNDANCE OF AWARDS: The Dispatch staff attended the National High School Journalism convention in Washington D.C., bringing home numerous awards. The Dispatch was awarded a Pacemaker and first place best in show. PHOTO BY NSPA Executive Director Laura Widmer
ism could definitely be a career option for me,” Spencer said. “The theme of the weekend was that journalism matters now more than ever. In a world where journalism is needed, I feel it would be amazing to be a journalist and help in the sharing of news and the truth.” The Lone Star Yearbook also came home with a big award for having the best yearbook spread of the year which was designed by 2018 graduate Mia Moore and senior Logan Dorsey. There were 1,134 designs submitted from 32 different states, that judges narrowed down to 100 finalists for the National Scholastic Press Association 2019 Design of the Year competition. “I remember when they were announcing my category and they were counting down to the number one place and after
PTSA workshops open to families Emotional learning opportunities are offered to parents and teens over winter break As the holiday season and other end of year activities approach, stress levels rise and students have trouble finding a moment of peace in the midst of the chaos. Bowie’s Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) has noticed this and is hosting a workshop to better educate teens and their parents on coping with stress. This workshop is called “Parents/ Teens Keeping It Together” and is taught by Tracy Asamoah, a licensed psychiatrist from the Austin Area. The goal of this event is to help students and their families find a balance this holiday season. “[The event] is just a night for families to come and learn more about stress-reducing activities and [for parents to learn how] to help teenagers with stress,” Guidance counselor Nicole Hepburn said. The workshop is January 9, 2020 from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. in the Bowie Cafete-
ria. Both parents and their teens are encouraged to go to the event together in order to ensure these skills enter the home. “This evening is designed so that families can attend together in order to identify strategies to manage stress and find balance,” a post from Bowie’s PTSA Website said. Only one ticket is needed per family. For members of the PTSA, tickets are $10, and for non-members, they’re $20. To get tickets, enter BOWIE2019 as the organization code at www.pt-avenue.com/login. asp. Tickets are also available at the door for $25. Tickets are available online from now until the end of this month. “Mark your calendar and get your ticket today through December 31,” a post from Bowie’s PTSA Facebook page said. STO-
RY BY Arushi Sharma and Sammie Thompson
the second one wasn’t me, I lost my mind and my heart immediately dropped and I just couldn’t believe I won on such a national level award,” Dorsey said. At the convention, the yearbook also received an honorable mention for their Social Media Promotion. Individually Emma Wake received an honorable mention for Student Life Yearbook Copy/Caption, Logan Dorsey received an honorable mention for Advertising Infographic, and Reagan Zuniga received honorable mention for her Sports Portfolio. “Winning spread of the year and being top-10 for social media promotion account was really exciting and to have three of our staff place in their on-site contests, it was a strong showing for the staff,” yearbook adviser Lindsey Shirack said.
Bee keeping brings all the buzz Wu receives grant to continue bee preservation on campus On Dec. 5 this year, junior Jayden Wu received a $1,500 grant from The Bee Cause Project and Whole Kids Foundation to start a beekeeping club at school. The club will allow students to handle bees kept on campus at the agriculture farm. They will meet twice a month in the afternoon to learn about hive management and honey collecting. The club is open to all students with no experience required. Wu was featured in the first issue of The Dispatch newspaper with full coverage on his beekeeping. He started this club because a lot of his friends had shown interest in keeping and thought it might be fun to teach the skills of preserving bees and their respected habitats. Wu found an interest in bees at a young age and with the help of this family was able to start a beehive in this own backyard. “I like honey and wanted to start mak-
02/15/20
ing it myself while helping to protect the bees,” said Wu. With this club, the students will collect and sell the honey that is made for Wu’s honey business called Jaydens Bee’s. Wu is excited about the new opportunity being brought to campus as it might bring awareness to the beginning endangerment of bees. “I’m excited to teach students that want to be involved in the club how to bee keep,” Wu said. Around 15-20 students have contacted Wu showing an interest in being in the club so far and the club continues to recruit new members. They are still looking for a teacher to sponsor them and help with any funding. If you are interested in being involved or are a teacher wanting to sponsor contact Principal Robinson or Wu before Winter Break. STORY BY Isabella May and Laney Combs
4 FEATURE
THE DISPATCH FRIDAY, DEC. 13, 2019
Photographer captures chic candids Mia Folkers Feature Editor
It was the middle of a warm day when she took the photo. She had the camera positioned just right, and all the settings of the camera were perfect. In just a few minutes she would capture pictures of all sorts of smiles and laughs. These moments captured in many images would be shared with family and friends of all kinds. Junior Tiffany Ard started a photography business at the start of the school year, specifically of portrait photos. “I got into photography freshmen year because I took photos for the school yearbook,” Ard said. “I went to a photography club, so I could learn to use a camera. Once I was in the club, I was extremely interested in cameras, which started the interest to become invested in photography.” This strong interest in photography is a characteristic that seems to run in the family, according to her mother Karen Ard. “I was always interested in photography and scrap-booking. I think she started following my footsteps,” Karen said. “She has always had an artistic eye and has always enjoyed drawing and painting. Photo editing seems to be in the same vein.” Tiffany commonly takes pictures of high school stu-
dents, and travels to multiple spots depending on the pictures she wants to take. “I take many customers somewhere fun like downtown or Zilker Park and I am always looking for unique backgrounds for my photos,” Tiffany said. “We mess around with different angles and overall I thrive in finding the perfect moments to capture for each picture.” For quality pictures, Tiffany works to capture certain facial expressions and communicates clearly to create the image she has in mind. “I definitely work with people all the time,” Tiffany said. “I usually give them something to think about to capture certain emotions, and I use lots of communication to capture quality pictures.” When most businesses have certain people taking care of each job in the business, such as scheduling or financing, Tiffany takes on these jobs all on her own. “The business is run by me, I do everything for the business beginning to end,” Tiffany said.“I book the customer, find the spot, take pictures and edit or process the picture to share.” With Tiffany running a business independently, this sets certain expectations she has for herself. Ard works hard to meet these standards for each customer, and aims to make the perfect picture for everyone. “ The goal is to capture
Tiffany’s Camera Facts average picture taken per session:
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a genuine moment,” Tiffany said. “ Your trying to create a personality all in one photo.” Photography is an interest that Tiffany enjoys, but her business takes a significant amount of time, and adds another large role to her other activities. “All of the photography takes a lot of time in my
Lens used for pictures:
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LAUGHING TOGETHER : Junior Tiffany Ard (left) snaps a portrait picture of junior Hope Bigbee with a outdoor background. Ard runs a photography business all on her own and travels to many different locations to create a unique photo for every customer. PHOTO BY Mia Folkers
EOS 80D
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ART BY Sammie Thompson
busy schedule, with Silver Stars and being a yearbook staffer, it’s a lot to take on,” Tiffany said. “I have to upload the pictures and find the good pictures. I take a total of 1000 to 2000 photos per person, then manually edit most of the photos.” Even with all of the extracurricular activities and major planning to keep Tiffany business running, junior Jenna Gura states that Tiffany still produces beautiful content for each of her customers. “Tiffany exceeded my expectations. She was very professional throughout the whole thing and had transportation, timing, location and poses all planned out in advance,” Gura said. “Her picture turned out even better than I thought they would and the overall quality was amazing.” With Tiffany running a business independently, this sets certain expectations she works hard to meet for each customer. “The goal is to capture a genuine moment,” Tiffany
said. “Your trying to create a personality all in one photo.” According to Gura, Tiffany creates genuine moments and quality photos by making the photo secessions a pleasant experience for whoever she is working with. “Tiffany was super fun and sweet during the pictures,” Gura said. “She is really high energy which made the whole experience a lot better.” With every business, there are always improvement and changes that can be made to better its success in the future. Ard works hard to set up new shoots to create more opportunity for the business. “I plan to expand my business for sure, I want it to get to the point where I am taking pictures of seniors full time during my senior year,” Tiffany said. “I also want to be given certain events to take pictures at like weddings or sporting events. I want to take professional portraits and make a job with a good income.” With all of Tiffany’s ac-
complishments and efforts toward the business, Karen could be happier of her work. “I am very proud of Tiffany to pursue this business,” Karen said. “She has always had entrepreneurial aspirations. I’m so glad to see these line up with something she enjoys so much.” Through this developing business, Tiffany sees her photos as more than just a job, but a way to save important experiences for all different people. “Photography captures a moment that will never happen again,” Tiffany said. “You catch a moments that you can keep forever.” Overall, having a passionate outlook on photography and seeing photos as an important memento for all people is important for business according to Tiffany. “Photography is an expressive and creative outlet,” Tiffany said. “You want to remember and document life, and the pictures are a perfect way of doing just that.”
Artisan makes fashion statement with unique earrings Sammie Thompson Dispatch Reporter
Miniature plastic babies, while commonly used as decorations at baby showers, are not typical in the world of jewelry. However, senior Chloe Bluemel combined these items to create her own style of jewelry. Since the beginning of this school year, Bluemel has been handcrafting her own “baby earrings,” each complete with a tiny baby figurine dangling from the end. The process of creating each earring is straightforward, and does not require any complex materials. “It’s gonna sound kinda morbid,” Bluemel explained. “But I get a safety pin and I heat it up with a lighter and then I stick it through the head [of the figurine]. Then I get these little screws and hooks, I screw it in through the hole, and I attach the earring to it.” The inspiration for these unique pieces of jewelry came to Bluemel, who is a member of the Bowie band, after she participated in a band activity. “It started out as just an on-a-whim type of thing. We got a bunch of these little plastic babies for a hat we make for band, for our littles, and I had some left over,” Bluemel said. “I didn’t know what to do with all the plastic babies I had left, so I just started turning them into earrings and they caught on.” Bluemel’s idea gained the attention of many people. Despite the “morbid” nature of the earring’s creation, the uniqueness of their execution is what initially drew some students in. “I think they’re pretty cool,” sophomore Coline Moutard said. “I’ve never seen baby earrings before.” Other students credited the growing popularity of the earrings within the band to their overall success among the general school population. “[The earrings] are definitely very odd and weird but they are sort of like a tradition
or trend in the band now, so I am definitely all for [them],” junior Bryce Pence said. The earrings not only intrigued students, but also teachers as well. Band director Jennifer Hanford was drawn to the creativity that Bluemel exhibited through her earrings. “I love the earrings,” Hanford said. “I think they are weird, creative and hilarious.” Regardless of the “trend” that they are now, the earrings weren’t necessarily a booming success from the start. They originally were only a thing in a specific group of people. “I think it used to only be flutes that had the earrings, but it then spread,” Moutard said. “My friend started making them and it became a band thing.” Bluemel worked hard to showcase her creation to everyone she could. She initially gave out pairs of her earrings for people to wear, which is what encouraged their growth at the start. “I started wearing them and I gave a pair to my friend so people saw us wearing them, and they were kind of giving us odd looks,” Bluemel said.“I gave one to my band director, Ms. Hanford, and then everybody wanted them.” Many students started to wear their earrings on Friday to football games and other Band events. This tradition was noticed by Hanford, who went along with the trend. “I do have a pair of earrings and wear them on Fridays’ like some of the students do. People usually laugh when they see them and ask why I have them,” Hanford said. Due to the growing interest of students, Bluemel started to sell her jewelry at school. The earrings are available to anyone and are fairly inexpensive. “I do sell them at Bowie,” Bluemel said. “They’re around five bucks for a pair and anyone can have them.” Despite the increase in demand for the earrings that quickly developed, many people are still not aware that they are a thing.
OH BABY!: Senior Chloe Bluemel inserts a hot safety pin into the figures head. Bluemel handcrafts her own earrings, which includes a tiny baby figurine to dangle from the ends. PHOTO BY Mia Folkers
People who own a pair of earrings are familiar with the reactions of people who do not understand the trend. “I do have a pair of earrings that I have only worn once and the reaction that nonband people usually give is just staring at you,” Pence shared. “In the hallways it feels like you’re always being looked at.” The “weirdness” of the earrings is an aspect of Bluemel’s creativity in creating them, which is admired and encouraged by teachers. “I love the creative and funny minds of the students at Bowie. I always encourage cre-
ativity even if that means making tiny baby earrings,” Hanford said. “Chloe made them very randomly, and I think they were just something funny and unique that students bought into as an unusual trend.” In the long run, the spur-of-the-moment idea paid off and the earrings are something that can be enjoyed by everyone in the Bowie community, according to Bluemel. “I kind of think it’s just a random thing that everybody can relate to,” Bluemel said. “ It can be a cute accessory and you’ll get compliments.”
FEATURE 5
FRIDAY, DEC. 13, 2019 THE DISPATCH
Junior debater dominates opponents
Nick Van Lente finds a passion in arguing about difficult issues and voicing his opinions Miranda Cardenas Feature Editor
Scrambling to prepare cases, waking up at 5 a.m. and running down unfamiliar school halls frantically trying to find the right room for rounds are all in a typical Saturday for anyone apart of the Forensics team. Junior Nick Van Lente, who competes as a debater, is no stranger to this familiar routine and has been devoting his Saturdays to these competitions for a couple of years now. “I actually first got into debate because I had a freshman teacher, who after a Socratic seminar took me to the debate classroom and insisted I joined the team right away,” Van Lente said. “I didn’t fight it and I ended up falling in love so that worked out really well.” Van Lente competes in various events of debate such as congressional debate, extemporaneous speaking, and world schools which just goes to show there are many different options for competitors. “Debate is a really open ended term for me because there’s so many different forms and variations of it so that everyone can find something that they’re passionate
about,” Van Lente said. Having gone to the state of Texas Forensics tournament in Houston earlier this year, Van Lente was able to win not only a national ranking in the event of world schools, but also a global ranking as well. “I’m globally ranked number nine in the world for world schools debate with my teammates from this school and two students from Anderson High School, Which is kind of a big deal,” Van Lente said. “We all worked extremely hard and it was very surprising we’re this highly ranked.” Aside from global rankings, Van Lente has also shown how much of a serious competitor he is by placing well in local tournaments. “Last school year I took first place at a congressional debate tournament held at the state capital, and I’ve also places top-5 for congressional debate numerous times last season and this one,” Van Lente said. Apart of Van Lente’s globally ranked world schools team is junior Katie Golson who shares his success and hopes of returning to state for a chance to place better than last season. “It was fun and really cool
and it was nice to win the place we did, but we’re going to do it again this year at the state competition and hopefully get better than ninth,” Golson said. Receiving their first ranking as sophomores, the team of debaters had never had much practice in world schools before they ranked so well. “Last year was the first year we ranked and we were sophomores, so coming in this year as juniors will add another year of practice and expertise to us that will hopefully be really helpful,” Golson said. Spending hours with one another in class and at various tournaments, the team relies on teamwork and cooperation to accomplish their goals. “Nick and I work really well together and so does the rest of our team so I’m very confident that we can place way better this year,” Golson said. “One of my favorite things about debate is being apart of leadership with Nick because we’re both officers so we have a lot of fun together.” Another person who supports and encourages Van Lente is his brother, freshman Luca Van Lente. “Nick has some of the best work ethic I’ve ever seen, he’s always working towards his goals and I really admire that,” Luca said. Preparing cases or memorizing speeches can look very different depending on the person, but Nick prefers to have actual feedback rather than just talking to a wall. “Sometimes if he has a speech that he needs to practice then he’ll present it to me even if I’m doing homework or texting I can always help him by being a practice audience or giving him my opinions on the issues if I know what he’s talking about,” Luca said. Many cases in congressional debate require research for clearer understanding, and topics randomly drawn in extemporaneous speaking require outside knowledge to already be known So to some, debate can look like a daunting activity. “I don’t think I could ever do debate just because a lot of the topics talked about tend to just go above my head and you have to stay really on top of current events,” Luca said. “Competing against my brother would be so intimi-
TROPHY HUNTER: Junior Nick Van Lente stands with some of the trophies he has helped bring home for the forensics team. Van Lente started figuring out his liking for debating after going to his first tournament. PHOTO
BY Miranda Cardenas
ORDER FROM YOUR PHONE.
FIRM VOICE: Taking a stance, junior Nick Van Lente argues about current events in front of the debate class. Van Lente has been interested in debate ever since a teacher suggested he would be a good fit for the class. PHOTO BY Miranda Cardenas
dating to me especially since ter what regardless if we win there’s already that healthy or lose,” Luca said. Debate teacher John Mast sibling rivalry and I feel like when he beat me I wouldn’t works one-on-one with students everyday be able to live in class to enit down.” sure the best With parpossible outents needed I realized that I comes for his to run the booster club, could succeed in team. “It’s an inprovide trans- this extracurricular teresting event portation to fairand from tour- activity really early that’s naments, or to on so I stuck with it. ly new that’s designed to say a quick pep incorporate talk before a Nick Van Lente current events round, having and real world that support Debate team officer experienced can also be as opposed to beneficial. factual jargon “Our whole family is super supportive which is different than a lot of him as well, my parents of other events available,” are always asking what he’s Mast said. Mast has confidence in his working on and we always cheer each other on no mat- team and continues work-
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ing with them to encourage them to place better at the state tournament this year. “They’re one of the best teams in the country and globally ranked, and considering they had never done the event before,” Mast said. Nick encourages others to look into debate if they’re interested because it helps with life skills that could be useful in the future. “Put yourself out there,I think there are a lot of people who think debate kids are scary but truthfully, it’s a pretty loving community,” Nick said. “It’s really important to put yourself out there, the purpose of a public speaking is to be more comfortable speaking around people because that’s an important life skill and people really find their voice.”
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6 IN-DEPTH
THE DISPATCH FRIDAY, DEC. 13, 2019
'Sometimes as a teacher... it feels a little like I am teaching half-zombies'
ART BY Sumin Kim
Teachers share their funniest stories about how they have woken up students sleeping in their classrooms.
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SLEEPING at SCHOOL
Karl Lauer Social Studies
I keep paper wads in my podium so if somebody is sleeping during my lectures, I can throw something soft at them. If I miss, usually students are good enough to pick the paper up and throw them at the kid sleeping.
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down,” psychology teacher Kris Grandinetti-Johnson said. “You will not perform as well cognitively and you certainly won't retain information as well. You tend not to handle stress as well when you are tired and that's going to affect your decision making.” Shumaker believes teachers tend to assume their class is a top priority for students and forget that teenagers have other classes that require homework, however students tend to prioritize extracurriculars. “It usually takes me several hours to finish my homework but that’s considering that I don’t work straight through all four hours or so,” junior Alex Johnson said. “Even if it is not that important to their grade, people just want to be done with all of their work. I think that people don’t plan ahead for more important things like tests, so they finish their homework but they don’t get enough sleep to do well on the tests.”
EXTRACURRICULARS
During the last couple of days before a show, known to theater students as tech week, technicians and actors tend to rehearse until 9 or 10 p.m. in order to complete finishing touches on the show. People involved in shows have stayed as late as 12:30 a.m. during tech week. “I would say that during tech week, I get around four or five hours of sleep each night, which definitely affects me during the day,” Shumaker said. “It becomes harder for me to go to classes and get things done. But, I put up with the long rehearsals and little sleep because the end product of the musical is absolutely worth it. In my future, tech will be a part of what I want to do. Learning how to manage that time is important.” Students like Johnson as well as Shumaker find it difficult to spend time with their friends outside of school activities due to excessive amounts of homework and attempts at getting enough sleep. “Homework can
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It is a never-ending cycle. Waking up after snoozing your alarm multiple times. Rolling out of bed. Getting ready for school and rushing out the door, forgetting to eat breakfast. Wearily staying awake during four long classes before attending practices after school. Watching TikTok until realizing you should start on your homework. Sleeping for a short amount of time. Repeat. After the 4:30 bell rings, most students make their way home to begin homework or spend time with friends, but junior Alyssa Shumaker still has assignments to finish at school. After a long day of
classes, technical theater rehearsals, debate practice and homework, Shumaker rarely gets more than six hours of sleep a night. “For me, everything is focused on the future,” Shumaker said. “I'm just kind of sucking up being super busy with homework and extracurriculars right now because everything that I do is important enough to me that it's worth sacrificing sleep. However, I definitely find that it's harder to pay attention in classes when I'm tired or when I've stayed up late.” Insufficient sleep and tiredness, also known as sleep deprivation, has been affecting students mostly since their middle school years. According to the National Sleep Foundation, teenagers should be getting around eight to 10 hours of sleep each night, while in reality, only 15 percent of high school students get eight and a half hours of sleep. “Lack of quality sleep basically can underlie almost any condition, any sickness, or illness in a person’s body and break it
Kaylin Brett Social Studies, Student Council
I had a student sleeping, who happened to be the principals son, during my first year teaching. I had three of his friends get up on chairs with AP textbooks to drop and scare him. He jumped up, tripped over his chair and fell flat on his face.
THE BODY WITHOUT ENOUGH SLEEP BRAIN: A person might become less coordinated after getting little sleep, since sleep deprivation slows down the signals sent to the brain. Not getting enough sleep can lead to increased risks for anxiety, depression and a 55 percent increase for dementia. HEART: People who do not get enough sleep are at risk to get cardiovascular disease, a heart attack or a stroke. Not getting enough sleep causes people to have a higher blood pressure than normal.
Sources: healthline.com, aasm.org, sleepfoundation.org, hopkinsmedicine.org, nhlbi.nih.gov
Ethan Moyer, 9 5 a.m. 6 a.m. 7 a.m. 8 a.m. 9 - 11 a.m. 12 - 4 p.m. 5 p.m. 6 p.m. 7 p.m. 8 p.m. 9 p.m. 10 p.m. 11 p.m. 12 - 4 a.m.
sleep sleep get ready for school choir Silver Sound school school rehearsal rehearsal rehearsal choir practice homework sleep sleep sleep
Rauno Meneses, 10 5 a.m. 6 a.m. 7 a.m. 8 a.m. 9 - 11 a.m. 12 - 4 p.m. 5 p.m. 6 p.m. 7 p.m. 8 p.m. 9 p.m. 10 p.m. 11 p.m. 12 - 4 a.m.
sleep sleep get ready for school get ready for school school school orchestra rehearsal orchestra rehearsal dinner practice instrument homework homework sleep sleep
Colton Perry Tech Theater
I had a student that was sleeping in class one day last year. He would always end up falling asleep in my class. We talked about it and he knew that I needed to keep him awake, so I got the class real quiet and I slammed both of my hands against his desk.
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Makenna Haynes, 11 5 a.m. 6 a.m. 7 a.m. 8 a.m. 9 - 11 a.m. 12 - 4 p.m. 5 p.m. 6 p.m. 7 p.m. 8 p.m. 9 p.m. 10 p.m. 11 p.m. 12 - 4 a.m.
FACE: A lack of sleep can cause a person to have dark circles underneath their eyes and irritation of their eyes. Sleep deprivation can lead to more wrinkles on a person's face. Additionally, people who get little sleep tend to look sadder than a well-rested person.
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM: People who do not get enough sleep have a 50 percent higher risk of obesity than others. This is caused by their body releasing less of the hormone leptin, which tells their brain when they have had enough to eat, and more of the hormone that stimulates their appetite, ghrelin.
Students involved in multiple extracurricular activities are often too busy to get the nine hours of sleep recommended for teenagers. These are the schedules of four students who are involved in activities like choir, orchestra, volleyball and theatre, as well as advanced academic classes.
SLEEP VS SCHOOL
The American Academy of Pediatrics found that as many as 73 percent of high school students are not getting enough sleep at night. With this high percentage, many students become less focused and more distracted during school hours. “Students’ attention spans are getting shorter,” Grandinetti-Johnson said. “Sleep affects attention and [the] level of interest even in things that are pretty interesting on a universal level. Sometimes as a teacher, I’m looking at the group, and it feels a little like I am teaching half-zombies because there have kind of a blank stare with not a lot of emotion or interest in anything.” A study done at the University of Kentucky concluded that coffee was the most commonly used substance that alters brain function, called a psychoactive drug. The study found that 76 percent of students use coffee to combat sleep deprivation. “If it is several days in a row, getting little sleep can affect me during school, but if it’s just one or two nights, I can drink a bunch of coffee and I’ll be fine,” Johnson said. “But if it’s several nights in a row, even if I drink coffee, I will still be slow and I won’t do as well in school.” In order to lessen the amount of stress students receive from school work and sleep patterns, Shumaker suggests that teachers become more understanding during busy times in students’ lives, and Johnson suggests that teachers make more homework assignments non-mandatory. “I feel like a lot of homework is just practice and the students that want to do well in the class will do the homework anyway,” Johnson said. “I think a lot of homework, especially ones that are just practice problems, should be made optional. I think teachers should just keep homework to what is strictly necessary for class the next day.”
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY Faith Lawrence
IMMUNE SYSTEM: Sleep deprivation can prevent a person's immune system from fighting off viruses and bacteria that are harmful to their body. Not getting enough sleep can lead to having a longer recovery time from illnesses and an increased risk for conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
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get piled on really fast and is something that I sometimes cannot prepare for so I usually have to stay up late to finish it,” Johnson said. “I often have nights where I get around three hours of sleep a couple nights a row. I just find moments whenever I can but often hanging out with friends means sacrificing time doing homework. If I want to go out with my friends, I have to cram for school work later.”
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Faith Lawrence Managing Editor
SCHEDULES GLANCE
at a
Students sacrifice suitable sleep
sleep sleep get ready for school get ready for school school school volleyball volleyball work work work work homework homework/sleep
Ashlyn Dahl, 12 5 a.m. 6 a.m. 7 a.m. 8 a.m. 9 - 11 a.m. 12 - 4 p.m. 5 p.m. 6 p.m. 7 p.m. 8 p.m. 9 p.m. 10 p.m. 11 p.m. 12 - 4 a.m.
sleep sleep get ready for school get ready for school school school rehearsal/debate rehearsal dinner homework get ready for bed talk with friends sleep sleep
PHOTOS BY Faith Lawrence
PHOTO ESSAY 7 FRIDAY, DEC. 13, 2019 THE DISPATCH
Designs bloom out of new floral class
DELICATE HANDS: Sophomore Ava York places the final touches on an arrangement. It is York’s first year in the class and according to her, she has made lots of memories about arranging the flowers. “My favorite flower is probably baby’s breath I guess there just really tiny and pretty and underrated,” York said. PHOTO BY Anna Holme
DECIDING WHERE TO PLACE THE LEAF: Sophomores Ava York and Colette Waid discuss how they want their floral design to look. Both decided to join the class because they wanted to work with flowers. “I’d really like to work in a floral nursery or floral shop in the future,” Waid said. “So this was the best option for that.” PHOTO BY Anna Holme
Students learn to arrange flowers in the Floral Design and Horticulture classes Abbey Repka Photo Essay Editor
This year a new course was offered in the agricultural pathways. Floral design was created to help inspire kids’ creativity and to allow students to be hands on with floral arrangements. Floral Design teacher Shelby Stephens created this new course to help kids stay in agriculture while also having fun. “Floral design is a great class because you get to work with, be creative and create wonderful pieces of art with floral materials,” Stephens said. Floral design is the second course that was created to give students more chances according to Stephens. “We only had one pathway, animal science, and I wanted to give more opportunities to students who wanted to stay in AG but not do the animal pathway,” Stephens said. “There was more interest in floral design than in horticulture, so I went with it,” For some students, it is their first year taking an agricultural pathway class, however junior Hannah Shepard
has had lots of experience in the pathway classes. “I did the horticulture class last year so that made me want to join it,” Shepard said. “I already take AG classes as well so I had lots of knowledge on what the class would be like.” Students get to be handson with all the floral materials and then making the finished products. “The students make the arrangements and deliver them,” sophomore Ava York said. “We recently made a Thanksgiving one, however they were only offered to the teachers.” Besides just making floral arrangements, students in the class learn about many different topics. “We cover a variety of topics, such as how to handle floral materials, principles and elements of design, floral history, floral industry and marketing, how to price out and plan arrangements, and of course creating arrangements,” Stephens said. The students in the classes help to make the holiday arrangements to send out to teachers. “Mrs. Stephens chose the arrangement design but we were the ones to replicate
WRAPPING A BOWL WITH BURLAP: Junior Gina Grasso helps to wrap bowls for the arrangements. Grasso has taken many agriculture classes before so she new she wanted to take floral. “[My favorite part about teaching the class is] the creativity of creating designs, and getting to work hands on with my students in the floral shop,” floral teacher Shelby Stephens said. PHOTO
BY Anna Holme
it so that we could give it to people who ordered the arrangements,” sophomore Colette Waid said. Some students helped to make specific arrangements, however, according to Shepard, most students helped with a little bit of everything. “I help to make a couple small tin arrangements and centerpieces for the Thanksgiving arrangements,” Shepard said According to York, she has already made many memories in this class and she can’t wait to make many more with all her friends in the class. “My favorite memory from the class is probably when we made our last arrangements, which were the firsts one we sold because it was just a lot of fun,” York said. In the future, Stephens and the rest of the agricultural department hope to expand the floral design class outside Bowie. “Some of the schools in Austin ISD have a floral shop and do weddings, events etc,” Stephens said. “I would really like the Bowie-Austin FFA Floral shop get to that point,”
ASKING FOR HELP: Getting advice from floral design teacher, Shelby Stephens, sophomore Chloe Walrafen asks about the roses. Stephens created this class to allow students the chance to work with flowers. “With floral design I can also offer my students more certifications that can help them get jobs after high school,” Stephens said. PHOTO BY Anna Holme
CREATING AN ASSEMBLY LINE: Placing flowers into the small tins, sophomore Ava York helps assist in an assembly line. The process of making the arrangements starts with placing leafs around the tin then leads to placing the flowers from the center to the outside. “I wanted to take the class because it sounded fun,” York said. “Also working with flowers sounded cool.” PHOTO BY Anna Holme
PREPPING THE TINS FOR FLOWERS: Sophomore Chloe Walrafen and junior Maysen Leal place floral foam into tins where the flowers will be placed. Floral foam can be bought at any craft stores for around $5 a block. “Floral foam keeps the flowers in place,” sophomore Ava York said. “Also you can make the arrangement any shape you want with the foam.” PHOTO BY Anna Holme
FINISHED PRODUCT: These floral designs were available for teachers and staff to buy over the break. The floral arrangements were sold for between $15-50. “I would love to see [the class] become a full pathway with an operational floral shop,” floral design teacher Shelby Stephens said. PHOTO BY Anna Holme
IN-DEPTH 9
8 IN-DEPTH
THE DISPATCH FRIDAY, DEC. 13, 2019
FRIDAY, DEC. 13, 2019 THE DISPATCH
Societal stigma surrounding stereotypical male behavior challenges the definition of masculinity Marisa Salazar linity as the tendency for males to suppress their MASCULINITY IN FEMINISM Editor-in-Chief emotions to appear more manly or to give them a sense of self-identity. As a baseball player, he While masculinity and femininity can be On the brink of a new decade, traditional gen- commented on the connection between expec- viewed as polar opposites, Co-President of the der norms may be regarded as having undergone tations in athletics and the masculine behaviors Female Empowerment and Motivation Club semajor progressions in the past ten years. While expressed by male athletes. nior Katie Cole expressed the necessity to disthere continues to be a divide between those who “Especially for athletes, there’s a general idea cuss the two in relation to each other, since some embrace new liberal gender ideologies and those of us all being meat-heads who only lift weights,” believe men who express their feelings are femiwho prefer the normative, the evolving state of Brown said. “As an athletic jock, you’re supposed nine or spineless. gender expectations continues in prevalence. to fit a certain stereotype as this big strong guy “Young men feel the need to treat women a An issue associated with modern analysis of who doesn’t have emotions or a big dumb brute certain way because they don’t want to be seen as how gender roles affect those placed into them who’s just goes up there and swings a bat or gay or weak,” Cole said. “They feel the need to be is toxic masculinity, which English teacher Matt scores touchdowns.” strong and athletic and be a stereotype because if Flickinger defines as a behavior or expectation In regards to the methods used in athletics to not then they’re deemed weak and bullied for it having to do with traditional ideals of maleness motivate and encourage players, Jackson under- sometimes.” that can be in any way identified as damaging. Flickinger related the physical strength differstands the intention however believes that the “I teach a class on gender, race and ethnicity,” expectations in the ences between men Flickinger said. “As part of the curriculum, we get dynamics between and women, cominto a lot of discussion where toxicity is decon- coach and player menting that there What makes a man in this area is often is no longer a need structed, but it also reveals itself in the discus- may be detrimensions that we have in the form of privilege where tal to physical and affiliated with the expectations that certain to seriously distinthe boys tend to justify their actions or their hu- emotional health. guish genders based sports and certain behaviors manifest. on physical prowess mor in some way.” “I can see how in modern times. Kara Jackson, who is an on-campus licensed coaches use strat“The male race specialist in school psychology, emphasized the egies to toughen Matt Flickinger objective divide between toxic and non-toxic players and get is stronger so they English Teacher masculinity, stating that the perception of toxic- them back out onto were physically reity within the individual is a contributing factor. sponsible for so the field to focus much,” Flickinger “There’s traditional masculine and feminine on winning a game, traits but at what point does it become toxic?” which could be used in a positive way to moti- said. “Now we get into gray areas when we talk Jackson said. “I think it kind of depends on the vate athletes, but I can also see how that could about the nature of strength. I would say that the individuals and what they’re experiencing. I’m be harmful,” Jackson said. “Check on how some- strongest people that I know are females, because sure everyone has different experiences and some one’s feeling and if they’re like mentally ready to they’re much better with their emotions. I think people may not really see it as a problem and get back into the game.” that there’s power dynamics at play now and to some people could be more affected by it.” As stated by Flickinger, the inflated sense of continue in that mindset is ridiculous in 2019.” According to Flickinger, a key aspect of toxic entitlement perceived from athletics can contribCommunication is another subset of limitamasculinity is the need for males to put on some ute to the manifestation of toxic traits and mind- tions associated with toxic masculinity, which sort of facade. Additionally, he notes that there sets within males in a society that can idolize hy- Jackson thinks can be overcome through practice are numerous factors contributing to the learned per-masculine athletic behavior. of more open and accepting dialogue for males toxic behaviors which support the idea of males “Most often in these positions of power dy- in regards to expressing more personal feelings. adopting pseudo-masculine traits. “If your friends aren’t being vulnerable with namics, there’s a sense of entitlement to male “I think South Austin has a lot of worship athletes that provide them with some false ego of you, then you’re less likely to be vulnerable as towards things that tend to breed toxic mascu- bravado,” Flickinger said. “I think we often see it well,” Jackson said. “Typically, when it’s more accepted for you to talk about your feelings and linity,” Flickinger said. “Conventional Christian- in some of our rituals, like pep rallies.” ity being one of them, as well as football. What While the idea of a ‘jock’ still remains preva- talk about the challenges that you have, the more makes a man in this area is often affiliated with lent, Brown asserts that athletes like himself no you talk about it. Opening up that dialogue and the expectations that certain sports and certain longer need to fit a certain mold of traditional being the first one to be vulnerable is the right behaviors manifest. I think it has to do with stereotypes. way to go.” For those struggling with toxic masculinity some sort of hardwired southern value aspect.” “You could say that you’re still a jock, but it’s definitely not as controlled as it used to be. issues, Cole would tell them that even though TOXICITY IN SPORTS There’s opportunities to be more they may believe that there is strength in silence, Sophomore Trey Brown defines toxic mascu- than just a jock,” Brown said. there is even more strength in opening up and
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being comfortable sharing things with others. “I feel like for girls, it’s more socially accepted and kind of expected that you’re going to talk through things,” Cole said. “I definitely feel like that’s true in high school, where girls feel a lot more comfortable talking about feelings with their friends.”
sports and everything, but I think my dad wants what’s best for me. I don’t think he’s pushing any expectations for his own benefit or for what he wants for me, I think he wants what’s best for me and knows what I want in life.”
Male perspectives on
Dominant
Emasculation
Tough
Macho
Degrading
EXPRESSING PROGRESS
Despite the immense issue of toxic mascuINTERGENERATIONAL linity affecting expectations of males, Flickinger Reminiscing on the difference in mindset be- observes male students in his classes who are between himself and his centrist English professor coming more open and willing to talk about toxic father, whose “old world” ideals clashed with his behaviors that they may have and the repercusown, Flickinger expressed the evolution of gen- sions associated with them. erational perspectives regarding masculinity and “I’m seeing signs of hope,” Flickinger said. “I the expected roles of males. have had many interactions with boys who are “I think it does come down to a generational willing to identify that perhaps their behavior is a thing,” Flickinger said. “But it also comes down result of some stuff that’s been ingrained in them to religion and continuing to hold on to these that is potentially toxic. I’ve also had students old world ideas because it’s difficult to let go. who, through the discussion of these kinds of beFor some people to change, I think it takes expe- haviors, reflect change a lot of their behaviors.” rience and a willingness and openness to know To Jackson, a possible solution to issues of that maybe there isn’t a direct answer.” toxic masculinity in teenagers lies in communiBased on prior experiences working with fami- cation, which she belies can open up deeper conlies of struggling students, Jackson has identified versations relating to problems of suppression in that fathers sometimes realize that the masculine males. expectations they project on this sons can nega“A lot of teenagers in general, but especially tively affect their student performance and emo- boys more often than girls, have a harder time tional expression. accepting that they need help or recognizing that “I’ll be having a meeting with parents and they need to seek it out,” Jackson said. “If you’re dads sometimes recognize when maybe they’ve not seeking help when you need it, then that’s passed along certain ideas to their kids,” Jackson only going to exacerbate the problems that you’re said. “But I think facing. If you don’t it does depend on ask for help as much the relationship or accept weaknesses, In the past, it was more restricted with that can lead to emobetween the parents and the kids. what a man was supposed to do. Now-a- tional problems.” When parents can Campsmith chaldays, things are a little bit more fluid. lenges the limited be more vulnerable with their kids perspective that come than that shows with problems of toxTrey Brown the kids that they ic masculinity. He Sophomore Baseball Player can be vulnerable believes that labeling too.” masculinity as “toxSenior Trey ic” is ultimately detCampsmith expressed that the expectations set rimental to how people perceive masculinity and by parents are not always detrimental, since he masculine traits. believes his father has the best intentions in en“I don’t think masculinity is inherently a bad couraging him to excel in the activities that he is thing,” Campsmith said. “To label it toxic is kind involved in. of a misconception, because when people hear “There’s always expectations that both your toxic masculinity they start to think of all mascuparents set for you,” Campsmith said. “Your dad linity being toxic. I just don’t think that’s right, wanting you to do good in school and do good in not all masculinity is toxic.”
”
Aggressive
Violent Unemotional
Serious
Suppression
Provider
Expectation
Data based on a December 2018 survey of 1,068 men aged 18 to 24 of all income, educational, and ethnic groups – as well as from urban and rural settings – across all geographic regions of the United States.
Afraid
Source: https://promundoglobal.org
30%
and Marisa Salazar
Think men should really be the ones to bring money home to provide for their families, not women.
Claim women don’t go for guys who fuss too much about their clothes, hair, and skin. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY Sumin Kim and Marisa Salazar
Y Sumin Kim
17%
STRATION B
Believe it is very hard for a man to be successful if he doesn’t look good.
PHOTO ILLU
35%
Agree that men should act strong even if they feel scared or nervous inside.
24%
Words given by students when asked what comes to mind when hearing “Toxic Masculinity”
10 SPORTS
THE DISPATCH FRIDAY, DEC. 13, 2019
ATHLETES ASSERT
Steph Curry’s injury has put the Golden State Warriors in a predicament Liam Spencer Guest Sports Columnist
As many of you know, on October 30, Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors broke his arm against the Phoenix Suns. He suffered a hand injury to the second metacarpal of his index finger, which has required surgery. He may have to get a second surgery, and he is predicted to have a minimum recovery time of three months. Widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best, point guard in the league, the loss of Curry is catastrophic for the Warrior’s season. With his incredible shooting range and ball handling skills, Curry helps the Warriors offense tremendously. Even before the loss of Curry, the Warriors had struggled with the loss of small forward Kevin Durant and shooting guard Klay Thompson. Durant was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, while Thompson was lost as a result of an ACL tear in his left knee. Not to mention, D’Angelo Russell recently suffered a sprained thumb injury and will be out for over two weeks. With the loss of so many crucial players, the Warriors have been a shadow of the team they were for the last five years. In the last several seasons, the Warriors have undeniably been the dynasty of the NBA. After years of continuously dominating the league, many NBA fans began to yearn for the fall of the Warriors. And it seems, to the joy of many, that time has come. The team is 2-12, placing them last in the Western Conference. This kind of performance is more than shocking coming from a team that has made the finals every year in the last four years and won championship titles in 2015, 2017, and 2018. So now we must ask ourselves, what are they going to do? The Warriors really only have one option for this season. If they want a chance at rebuilding, they must tank the rest of this season. With Curry out for three months, they should choose to sit him, and take a year to hopefully get a lottery pick in the next draft. Having a disappointing season could pay off in the long run if they are rewarded with higher draft picks. This way, they could work to rebuild around a healthy Curry, and Klay Thompson. This is a very good option, as a good draft pick could fix their lack of interior prowess. While this would eliminate them from any playoff run for the season, it would give them the chance they need to be contenders in the years to follow. If the Warriors are smart, they should do what is best for the team in the long run.
Cheerleaders crush competition
All three teams attended UCA Fall Regionals and won bids to nationals Lauren Joy Dispatch Reporter
When cheerleading comes to mind you may think of the football field and Friday night lights, but throughout winter, high school cheer teams continue competing in competitions to show off the routines they have been working on through the winter months. “We practiced for many hours each day,” head coach Catherine McCallum said. “We condition inside and out of practice. Our routines are very rigorous. We would run through each routine perfecting every count, drilling the counts of the music and the movement of each step into our bodies and brains as each day went by, getting close to competition.” Perfecting the routines is a large time commitment that pushes the team to perform at its absolute best.
ATTACK THE CROWD: Madison Noe calls out a cheer and engages the crowd. The JV team placed 2nd in the UCA Fall Regional competition. PHOTO BY Rae Gray
“It requires an immense amount of perseverance, passion, and dedication,” McCalllum said. “These athletes worked very hard physically and mentally to prepare for their competitions.” All of the athletes hope their tremendous amount of work will pay off in competition, so performing can be very stressful and nerve racking. “The most difficult thing about competing is the stress that comes before it, the stress that is trying to make sure you hit your routine to the best, that way you don’t let your team down,” sophomore Varsity and Traditional Varsity team member Jenna DeVetter said. The teams prepared their routine months in advance in order to perfect their various stunts, tumbling skills, and formations. “Every year is different, no matter the circumstance,” McCallum said. “This year has been an extremely successful year due to the closeness of the team, their leadership, their support, {and the] love and constant encouragement they have shown one another through very tough but rewarding seasons so far.” With the pressure so high, some athletes have individual rituals to help themselves be prepared for competitions. “I personally prepare by getting in the mindset and trying to focus on my teammates rather than the routine so I don’t psych myself out,” freshman JV team member Olivia White said. The UCA Fall Regionals competition is important to the team and coaches because it determines if the team will get a bid to The National High School Cheerleading Championship in
Orlando, Florida where they have a chance to compete against the best teams in the country. “This competition is extremely important because this is the very first time our routines are being shown to anyone other than our coaches,” White said. “It is also important to us because we can get a chance to move onto the [one of the]most prestigious competitions in this sport.” On November 16, Bow-
ie’s small JV Gameday Team, large Varsity Gameday Team, and their Varsity Co-ed Traditional team will compete against other high school cheer programs. “My favorite part of competing is going onto the mat and knowing I’m not doing it alone and that I have my entire team to back me up and cheer each other on,” White said. All three teams ended up getting a bid to advance onto nationals. The JV Gameday
Team placed 2nd, the Varsity Gameday Team placed 11th, and the Varsity Co-ed Traditional team placed 1st. “I think that all the teams did an outstanding job no matter what place we got because we all tried our hardest and we all had fun doing it,” DeVetter said. “So overall I think that all three teams did amazing. I love being a part of this special bond that the girls have together and I love being a part of all the traditions that they have.”
Ultimate frisbee team soars toward the season Naya Tillisch Sports Editor
The crowd watches anxiously as it flies through the air towards the end zone. It was a hail mary thrown by senior player Luke Broderick to win the match, and luckily his teammate catches it for the win. Football? It sounds a lot like it, but Broderick is actually one of the two captains of the ultimate frisbee team. “I found out about ultimate through a camp called Tusc Elite,” Broderick said. “I did not know about ultimate before playing for Bowie, so coming here was a very exciting and new experience.” Senior captain Caroline Myers joined the team as a freshman with
Questions? Concerns? Want to share your opinion? Contact: Email: bowie. journalism@ gmail.com Room: F203
SCHOOL SPIRIT: The JV team performs their routine for a panel of judges. The judges critique each team’s technique, routine difficulty, and stunt quantity to determine scores. PHOTO BY Rae Gray
CAPTAIN STATUS: Senior Caroline Myers catches the frisbee during practice. She played ultimate in middle school before joining the Bowie team. PHOTO BY Arushi Sharma
some of her friends and has now been involved with ultimate frisbee for several years. “I was introduced to the ultimate frisbee team by a couple of my teammates on the swim team who were recruiting girls to join the team,” Myers said. “I had played ultimate frisbee for a little while in middle school and thought it would be cool to become a part of the ultimate community again.” Spanish teacher and ultimate frisbee sponsor Kelly Tagle became sponsor of the ultimate frisbee after her son played, but she doesn’t play herself, so her favorite reason for coaching revolves around the students. “The kids are awesome,” Tagle said. “They’re just very good, sweet kids. I love spending time with them and supporting their efforts.” Tagle explained how ultimate frisbee is similar to football in that there are two end zones where the team scores points. However, the only offense comes from passing because players can not run with the frisbee. “Pass, pass, pass is what it’s about,” Tagle said. “It depends on the tournament, but we typically play the first person to get about 13 points wins.” Anyone can play ultimate frisbee, but it takes a lot of practice to consistently play well. “Ultimate Frisbee requires a willingness to run a lot, patience, and the highest level of sportsmanship because of the Spirit of the Game,” Myers said. “The best ultimate frisbee players know how to adjust their throws based on the strength and direction of the wind, which takes lots of practice and experience.” The Spirit of the Game is essen-
tially the guiding principles and rules of ultimate frisbee. “What’s cool about ultimate is that they self affiliate,” Tagle said. “There aren’t referees. The students call fouls and have to work it out together as opponents. Spirit of the game means you play ethically, fairly, and respectfully. I enjoy seeing the kids put that into practice.” Tagle adds that ultimate frisbee is a coed sport, which teaches students to work well together and be mature. “I think playing alongside each other as teammates with boys and girls playing together is really unique because I don’t know of another sport that does that,” Tagle said. “I think the kids get a lot out of that. I think they gain a lot of respect out of that, and it kind of forces them to put aside their differences.” The ultimate frisbee team typically practices once or twice a week. “We practice every Wednesday and Sunday and usually just scrimmage if the coaches aren’t there, but if they are, we do drills that are also very, very fun,” Broderick said. The team attended their first tournament in Waco on November 16. Although the team lost their three games, Myers believes the team grew from the experience. “We [played] against teams from both the Austin and Dallas areas,” Myers said. “This is the first competition with our 2019-2020 team, so our goal for the weekend is to get familiar with our competition and to find areas which we need to work on over the next couple of months.” Broderick appreciates the inclusive environment of the team. “My favorite part of the team is being able to meet new people and playing with my friends,” Broderick
EYES ON THE PRIZE: Junior Christian Garcia Pecina looks for passing options during practice. He has been on the team two years. PHOTO BY Arushi Sharma
said. “Ms. Tagle is amazing. I would recommend that you at least come out to a practice before deciding if you want to play or not.” Myers has loved her time on the ultimate frisbee team, and she encourages anybody looking for something fun and active to join the team. “Joining ultimate frisbee [is] one of the best decisions I have made,” Myers said. “No matter what sports you have experience with, if any, or what other clubs you are part of, there is a place for you on the Bowie ultimate team.”
coming UP in SPORTS D e c e m b e r 1 4 B o y s v a r s i t y b a s k e t b a l l v s . L a k e Tr a v i s @ L a k e Tr a v i s December 21 Wrestling Hill Country Invitational @ Vista Ridge
January 3 Girls varsity basketball vs. Austin High @Austin High
J a n u a r y 1 0 G i r l s v a r s i t y s o c c e r v s . L a k e Tr a v i s @ L a k e Tr a v i s
J a n u a r y 1 7 U I L S w i m D i s t r i c t s @ J a m a i l Te x a s S w i m m i n g C e n t e r January 18 Boys varsity soccer vs. Del Valle @Del Valle
SPORTS 11
FRIDAY, DEC. 13, 2019 THE DISPATCH
Bowie’s standout student athletes
Making the decision to play D1 softball at just 14 years old Kateri Jaquette Sports Editor
Softball players are all familiar with the mud-covered cleats, dirt-stained pants, and blistered hands that come with playing their sport. For junior Abbey Smith, these things have been apart of her life since she was four years old and will continue to be throughout high school and college. “Because both my brothers and my dad played baseball, my parents knew they wanted me in softball so I started playing when I was really little,” Smith said. “I played volleyball and did gymnastics for a few years but found softball to be the most challenging so it was the one I decided to stick with.” Throughout her years playing softball Smith became a very talented and skilled player that caught the attention of some D1 college coaches when she was still only in middle school. In March of her eighth grade year, the then 14-year-old received her first offer to play college softball at Auburn University. “I was at a camp called ‘Select 30’ when Auburn invited me to come play at their winter camp that year,” Smith said. “Auburn
ABBEY SMITH D1 C OMMIT
wasn’t really a school I had in mind at first but after the camp and my official visit I was really interested in them.” Although she was still only an eighth grade student when she committed, Smith put a lot of thought into her decision. “I really loved the coaches because they really knew what they were doing,” Smith said. “I liked the campus because it’s small and the school has really good academics too.” Making a big decision about her future at such a young age had placed a large amount of pressure on Smith during the process of being recruited. “It was a lot of pressure trying to decide where I wanted to be four years from then,” Smith said. “I wasn’t sure if I would still want to play there after four years because the school could change and coaching could too.” Although she initially struggled with the pressure of making a decision, Smith had a strong support system from a number of close people in her life that helped her overcome it. “My parents have always been really supportive of me and made sure I knew that I had
time to change my mind and that I could be uncommitted if I needed to,” Smith said.“My coaches were also really supportive and told me I had other places I could go and that it wasn’t my only option.” Only one short month after her official offer from Auburn, Smith made her decision to make a verbal commitment to play softball at the university four years before she would even step foot on the campus as a college student. “My commitment happened a little faster the some other people my age,” Smith said. “I ultimately decided I really loved the school and that D1 softball was what I wanted to do.” Karl Lauer, the assistant varsity softball coach at Bowie, has worked with Smith over the years since she started playing for the Bulldogs. Lauer is familiar with how the pressure to commit can effect young players. “I think some players feel pressure to get a scholarship but it also helps them work harder,” Lauer said. “In cases like Abbey Smith, hers was well deserved and she continues to work hard to make sure she is worthy of such an honor.”
Bosio helps varsity remain undefeated her first year Kateri Jaquette Sports Editor
As the goalie throws the ball down-field, the mid-fielders scramble to get open, receiving the pass to send it towards the offensive attackers, scoring yet again. This year the varsity girl’s lacrosse team has been flying through the fall season undefeated. Last year the team finished the year near the bottom of the standings, but the team has improved significantly. There are a number of new players joining the varsity team this year, including senior Cheylee Bosio, a former McNeil student, and first year Bulldog. Bosio began playing lacrosse as a sophomore at McNeil High School in north Austin. She decided to continue her lacrosse career at Bowie this year with a completely new team and program. “McNeil was a Division 2 team so it wasn’t as competitive as this team is,” Bosio said. “I really like the new competition because it challenges me more than I was before and makes me feel like I’m getting better.” Senior Sydney Heim has been a team captain for two years now and has years of experience playing highly competitive lacrosse in
Texas and across the country. She has seen the team through a number of wins and losses. “We went undefeated this fall which was really exciting,” Heim said. “We gave ourselves a good benchmark for this upcoming spring.” Although the team is performing better this year, there have been almost no changes made to the team other than the few new players like Bosio. “We really haven’t made any changes because we essentially have the same team as last year,” Heim said. “I think we have been doing a lot more scrimmaging in practice that has prepared us for the season.” Heim recognizes the significant contribution that Bosio has made to the team this year. While the team has worked hard for their wins, Bosio’s speed, strength, and skill have been an important factor in their road to success. “She is so competitive which is amazing for our team atmosphere because it pushes everybody else on our team to be better too,” Heim said. “She’s also a really valuable player on the circle because of her aggression and
ability to handle the ball.” While Bosio’s transition onto her new team has been seemingly successful, she came across a few challenges, like the change in her playing position. Instead of letting these changes set her back she has taken them and used them to her advantage during the game, displaying her versatility as a player. “I usually played high attack and midfield at McNeil but now the Bowie coaches have me playing just attack,” Bosio said. “I feel like I have more control now that I am running less and conserving my energy for taking shots and assists.” Their success against other competitive teams in the division like Westlake High School in the fall, has left the team ending their season on a positive note. While the team enjoys their time off before the spring season begins in January, players like Bosio and Heim have begun to consider what goals they want to accomplish in the upcoming months. “I think it would be really cool if we make it to district and win,” Bosio said. “We really want to make it to state this year.”
C H E Y L E E B O S I O R O O K I E
Wrestling captain Cajuste trains hard for a spot at state Kateri Jaquette Sports Editor
Z YA H
STAT E
C AJ U ST E DR E A M S
The referee blows his whistle as the frenzy of movement between wrestlers on the sweat covered mat comes to a stop. Another win for Zyah Cajuste. The junior captain of the varsity wrestling team has competed and won a total of 27 matches during her time at Bowie. “I started wrestling my freshman year and made it to regionals my first year which was really exciting,” Cajuste said. “I am trying to get to state this year and hopefully next year too.” Cajuste puts in hours of conditioning and practice into wrestling every week in order to improve her skill and strength. “I go to the gym on my own a lot to build up my strength,” Cajuste said. “During the pre-season we practice in the wrestling room then go to the weight room to lift.” While her success on the mat is important, Cajuste values her teammates and the support they have provide her with. “If I didn’t have a good team I probably wouldn’t come back to compete every year,” Cajuste said. “I really enjoy how we are all really close and how we always make each other
feel proud and accomplished of what we did that day.” Cajuste’s practice partner, junior Ninabelle Sitler, has been wrestling since her freshman year. Sitler works closely with Cajuste during practice and has benefited as an athlete from her strong leadership skills. “She always pushes me during practice and encourages me to push her too,” Sitler said. “She’s a really great leader for the team.” Between her skill, strength, and support system, Cajuste has been highly successful in her sport, qualifying for regionals every year, but hopes to do even better in the upcoming season. In hopes competing at the state level this year she has stepped up the intensity of her training. “I have been working really hard during practices and asking for help from my coaches,” Cajuste said. “A lot of my focus has been on attention to detail and the technical stuff.” While the junior is confident in her abilities to perform at the top of her game, there are still highly challenging aspects in the sport of wrestling that she has struggled with in the past and continues to throughout the season. Wrestlers must maintain an exact weight to
Benson begins his junior season at the top of his game Kateri Jaquette Sports Editor
The clock counts down the last seconds of the game, as sweat runs down the faces of the players. Bowie takes their final shot, scoring yet again. The varsity boys’ basketball team has been hard at work this year. Between going undefeated this season and taking wins 30 points ahead of their opponents, the Bulldogs are playing at an outstanding level to start the year. Junior Coleton Benson, a 17-year-old shooting guard, has been a standout player this season, receiving numerous offers and interest from colleges across the country. Being raised by two coaches, the shooting guard has spent countless hours on the court. “Both my parents are coaches so I basically grew up in the gym,” Benson said. “I was just really drawn to it as a kid.” It is not uncommon for people to grow tired of the sports they played as a child but Benson hopes to continue playing basketball for years to come. “Basketball is so much fun for me,” Benson said. “When I was young I was pretty good so I just figured it was something I was
going to keep doing.” His talent and skill for the game has not gone unnoticed. This year the the player has been the subject of interest for many Division 1 universities throughout the state and country. “This past summer I received an offer from Utah Valley University,” Benson said. “Texas State has also shown a lot of interest and so has Liberty and Davidson.” While these Division 1 basketball programs admire Benson for his skill, many of his teammates also recognize how strongly he contributes to the team. Senior point guard Riley McItyre, a Texas A&M Commerce basketball commit, has played with Benson over the years on varsity. McItyre respects Benson’s skill and his commitment to their team. “Coleton has a really well balanced game,” McItyre said. “He has been leading our team in scoring this season.” Benson hopes to pursue basketball in college but as of right now he has his focuses on his current team and their success throughout the year. “I really want to win the state champion-
ship with my team this year,” Benson said. “Personally would like to be an All-State player too.” Benson and many of his teammates share the same aspirations of making it to the state championship this year. “Personally my goals for this season are to make All-District,” McItyre said. “What we all really want this year is to make it to the state tournament and win.” Benson has shown his ability to be a strong player across the court but finds he plays his best with the ball in his hands. He is also known to be able to anticipate the moves of other players during the game. “I am able to shoot the ball really well,” Benson said. “I also think I have a pretty high IQ when it comes to the plays.” Although Benson has found great success this year, receiving offers from competitive schools and going undefeated with his team, the junior continues to work on improving himself and his game. “I always try to get into the gym whenever I have the chance,” Benson said. “I workout in the weight room to get stronger and ultimately perfect my craft.”
compete in their weight class at meets which involves focusing heavily on their diet and water consumption during the days leading up to meets. “It really isn’t the healthiest thing sometimes to try and get yourself to meet your weight,” Cajuste said. “If we have a meet coming up and I am a pound over I won’t really eat a lot throughout the day or make sure I am not putting on water weight.” Many wrestlers struggle with this challenging aspect of the sport, trying to balance their health and performance while still maintaining their weight. “Last year when I was cutting weight I was doing it so poorly it affected my performance,” Cajuste said. “I have had to learn more about my body and what I can do to stay healthy.” Despite the challenges she has faced, the junior is determined to improve herself to make it to the state competition this year. “I am actually taking better care of my body than I was before and I’ve started to understand what works for me,” Cajuste said. “When people want to take the easy route it isn’t always healthy and I want to be the best I can while still taking care of my body.”
C OLETON
TOP
BE N SON
PRO SPE C T
12 ENTERTAINMENT THE DISPATCH FRIDAY, DEC. 13, 2019
Dance shines in the annual fall show
Silver Stars and the fine arts department create a performance involving new techniques Anna Holme Dispatch Reporter
The Fall Dance Showcase was comprised of two shows, in which every dance class and team at Bowie showcased dances that they had been working on. The dance teachers that put this show together are Leanne Bilnoski Emily Davis, and Catherine McCallum. The dancers all started working on preparing for the show in October. During this time, the directors worked on the behind-thescenes preparation. “We prepare for the show weeks in advance through each individual dance class,” Bilnoski said. “The show can be a lot of tedious work to create but in the end it is so worth it.” Among the 360 dancers in the dance department, there is a wide variety of dance experience, types, and styles that can be seen throughout the showcase. Due to this diversity, the dance department is open to everyone. “From dance levels one to four, Musical Theater Dance, Pre-Drill, JV Star Dancers Dance Team and the award-winning Silver Stars Dance Team, there is a place for every student to dance at Bowie,” Bilnoski said. Silver Star captain senior Jade Fattouh has been dancing since she was three and this is her third year in Silver Stars. “I love performing in the fall showcase because it showcases our dances before we take them to the competition,” Fattouh said. “This show is really good practice for our competition season.” Along with Silver Stars, Dance Two is another class that performs in the show. This dance class prepares for the show months in advance. “The most difficult aspect of the show in terms of preparation relates to the stressful hours before the show, when all you can think about is going over the dance in your head to make sure you re-
GRACEFUL AND BALANCED: The Silver Stars Hip Hop Company performs their number while striking a pose. The show was free but the dance department asked for donations to help the organization. PHOTO BY Brianna Lopez
member it all,” sophomore Mia Brelsford said. “My nerves set in right before I go onto the stage, so I always make sure I have the dance ingrained in my mind and muscle memory so all I have to focus on is keeping a smile on my face, which doesn’t take much effort when all my teammates and I are having a fantastic time on stage.” Besides traditional dance, the showcase also involves Musical
Theatre Dance, a type of class that mixes aspects of theatre with that of dancing. “Musical theatre dance is different from ‘conventional dancing’ because it is driven to aim to the entertainment of the audience through displaying passion to a subject while being collaborative within a community, instead of focusing mainly on the individual growth within technique,” junior
Tayah Savoy said. Along with being dance aide, Savoy is also a student in the Dance Four class. There are many differences in her preparations for the showcase between these classes, namely that dance four choreographs their own dance. “I work with my kiddos I’m teaching [in Musical Theatre Dance] to make sure their routine is clean and together and every-
one has motivation and intention behind their movements,” Savoy said. “With Dance Four we work as a collaborative class to choreograph a piece and then work with our teacher to make sure it’s polished. The best part about being in both classes [dance four and musical theatre dance] is experiencing the diversity within the word of various dance styles.” In Dance Four, like other dance classes, the students experience styles like jazz, ballet, hip-hop, modern, tap and contemporary dance. Sophomore Keira Folkers is also a Dance Four student like Savoy, and is also a Silver Star. “The most stressful part of the preparation is placing it on the stage,” Folkers said. “Because it’s different from when you’re doing it in the dance studio, there’s a lot more space in there, but on the stage it’s a lot smaller, so you have to change a lot of things and you have to remember all those changes that you’re given.” Regardless of the difficulties that may occur, dancers can learn and gain from them as whole. “As the music was fading and we held our pose, I looked out into the audience and saw my dad with the biggest smile on his face,” Brelsford said. “Even if I make a mistake, I know it is not a big deal because I am able to learn from them and honestly I am able to grow as a dancer from my mistakes. It’s the happiness and joy that dance brings not only to myself but to others that keeps me dancing.” As a whole, when the show comes together, Bilnoski finds it extremely rewarding to see a product that she, Davis, and McCallum worked to cultivate. “My favorite part of the Fall Dance Showcase is watching all of the dancers perform as a whole,” Bilnoski said. “We start working on this showcase around October so it is so nice to see all of their hard work pay off. When you get to see the reaction of their supporters it is just so rewarding.”
Debate team wins bids at tournament in Illinois Callie Payne Entertainment Editor
tournament to compete with other schools, they were able to visit some of Chicago’s famous landmarks. As debate members reminisce on their “Our main day in downtown Chicago was trip during Thanksgiving break, they reflect so much fun,” Paulson said. “We walked on competing in their debate tournament around Chicago on our own and I personally and exploring the city of Chicago. went to the Field Museum and the Art InstiThe debate team traveled to Illinois tute, they were both so fascinating. Some of during the first week of November to The the things we saw surprised me because it Glenbrooks Speech and Debate Tournament. was something I had never seen before.” “I was so excited to go on this trip beStudents who are on the debate team join cause I had never been to Chicago,” junior in on these tournaments for many different Katie Golson said. “There were so many cool reasons. things that I was able to experience that I “It was important for me to be apart of have never been able to before. We went to this tournament because it looks good to colan awesome museum and we also went to leges,” Golson said. “Many students in dethis hilarious comedy club, I had the best bate come on this trip to learn more about time.” bids and what it takes to go onto even higher The Glenbrooks tournament is a special tournaments. I also want debate to be in my event where participants have the opportu- career field so this experience is very helpful nity to win a bid. If a member gets two or towards that.” more bids they are eligible to go to the next John Mast is the debate teacher and actournament which eventually leads to the companied the debate team to the GlenTournament of Champions. brooks Speech and Debate Tournament. “The TOC is very exclusive and is an even “The students were able to get an opporbigger deal than nationals,” Golson said. “If tunity to compete against the best students you do well, you can win things like money. in the country,” Mast said. “This exposure is It is a huge honor to be able to go and that necessary for the continued success of the has been my main goal that I have set for team.” myself this year.” This year at the Glenbrooks Speech and Over 245 schools came together to com- Debate Tournament, the debate members pete in the Glenbrooks Speech and Debate were able to understand what a tournament Tournament. This means there were more is like and able to practice for coming up than 1,000 students competing for bids. ones. All students became state qualified. “The tournament went really well for go“Chicago was more about learning and ing against debaters that are tougher than getting ready to get bids in the next tourthe average naments,” debater on Golson said. the Austin cir“Nine debate cuit,” senior There were so many cool things that I was students went Alex Paulson able to experience that I have never been and so did two said. “It was coaches, this able to before. really cool really helped helpful to see me learn more other debaters Katie Golson because since and see what it was such a Junior they do differsmall group, ently than me. I was able to I’m hoping I can use that experience to do get a more hands on experience with everywell at state next semester.” thing.” The debate team not only went to the
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Glenbrooks High School Speech and Debate Tournament
1,000 students 249 schools 11 debate members from Bowie ART BY Sumin Kim
The students were all qualified to the next tournament which will then determine if they will be able to participate in the TOC which is held at the University of Kentucky. “If we get two bids at this next tournament we will be able to make it to the TOC,” Golson said. “They split the tournament into two different sections which are known as silver and gold. Something that is super cool is that because of our previous success we will be eligible for silver. However, our goal will be to aim for gold because that is more of an accomplishment.” To prepare for these different tournaments, students have to put it hours of after school time.
“Even though debate can require a lot of work and preparation, I really enjoy it,” Paulson said. “I like going to tournaments every weekend and being able to debate. It is definitely one of my passions and I also get to hang out with my friends which is the cherry on top.” The team had a long trip in Chicago, visiting the city from Nov. 1 through Nov. 8. “The trip was such an enjoyable experience and I am so thankful for all of my friends making it so memorable,” Paulson said. “It was so nice to be able to see my friends from other states that I haven’t seen. I had such a blast and am so excited for future debate trips during next semester.”
coming UP in ENTERTAINMENT Jan. 3-4 Dick Clark New Years Swing Debate Tournament Jan. 10-11 McNeil Debate Tournament
Jan. 16-25 Theatre Musical Jan. 17-18 All City Band
Jan. 23 Chance the Rapper Concert Feb. 8 Band UIL and Ensemble
REVIEWS 13
FRIDAY, DEC. 13, 2019 THE DISPATCH
Change has come to Arendelle Gracie Angeli Reviews Editor
Throughout life, you experience a lot of change. You meet new people, do new things, and face challenges that at the time, you may think you’ll never get past. Even high school students change and grow immensely in just four years. In the new “Frozen 2” movie, the five main characters; Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven, fearfully encounter many new obstacles. At first, they are apprehensive and scared for the future, but they progressively get more confident and sure of themselves, and embrace the change to come. The sequel starts out soon after the previous movie left off, with the characters enjoying their time in Arendelle and Elsa’s newfound ability to control her powers. Olaf, Sven and Kristoff now live in the palace with Elsa and Anna, and the beginning of the film conveys that their bond has only grown since we last saw them. The movie starts out very lighthearted, with only joy and friendship in their little kingdom. Although, the further you get in, you can tell anticipation is building. Elsa begins to hear a song in the distance calling to her, and she can’t hide her fear and curiosity at the noise from her sister. Anna insists that Elsa tell her what is on her mind, and this scene proves to the audience how close the sisters have gotten. Meanwhile, both Olaf and Kristoff struggle with their own internal conflict. Kristoff accepts his feelings for Anna but has difficulty expressing them to her, since Anna is so busy helping Elsa. The movie follows him and his desire to talk to Anna alone. As Olaf spends more time in the world, he is beginning to notice new things and mature more. He decides that with age, comes maturity and wisdom from his experiences. He also realizes he
Seven new songs were included in the new movie, two by Elsa, one by Kristoff, one by Olaf, and one from all the main cast members together.
Frozen Facts The official teaser for the movie was the most viewed movie trailer of all time, at 116.4 million views when it was released in February of 2019 Frozen 2 currently has a rating of 78 percent on rotten tomatoes, with a 94 percent audience score.
Filmmakers worked on Frozen 2 for four years.
wtsp.com
ART BY Sumin Kim
enjoys his friends and where they are, and does not want things to be different. Observing Elsa deal with her problem also causes Olaf to hold on tighter to her and all of his friends, and refuse to accept change. This becomes a theme carried on throughout the length of the movie, with Olaf expressing his concerns often. I think that the writers did a good job at speaking to audiences of all ages. Older spectators can enjoy this movie, due to the consistent idea of embracing what life has to offer. While young children will most likely not understand Olaf ’s fears of losing the contentment he has reached to the inevitability and un-
predictability of life, they will enjoy the new creatures and songs. In the film, a new creature is introduced, a salamander named Bruni. He is a little fire creature, and I think that everyone will agree he is very cute. Baby reindeer are also included, and they bring another level of adoration. The movie features seven new original songs. With Josh Gad singing as Olaf, the song “When I am Older” furthers the theme of age bringing wisdom. This catchy, amusing song brings back Olaf ’s childish perspective to the table, and has the audience laughing. Kristoff and Sven, both voiced by Jonathon Groff, bring back another rendi-
tion of “Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People.” This song is my personal favorite, because it just brings your right back to the first movie where it all started. Another song of the seven is “Into The Unknown” sung by Idina Menzel as Elsa. This song is pretty obvious as to what it is about based on the title. Elsa sings this song as she is adventuring into new territory by herself. The song conveys that keeping your head held high in unpredictable situations is important. There is something in the movie for everyone, no matter what age you are. I enjoyed the movie, because while it was nostalgic and lighthearted, it was also
realistic and genuine. It had more mature themes that I could identify with, and discussed a real fear of change that I have. I am scared of change and losing all of the good things that I am used to, even when I know I will grow accustomed to the things to come. I think “Frozen 2” effectively touches on this idea, and it even made me feel a little better. It enforces the truth that life is precious and short, and you need to be confident in all that you experience, because change can be good. This movie made me a little happier to step “into the unknown,” and I’m ready for whatever life has for me.
Kanye West branches out into biblical territory Tiera Jarmond Dispatch Reporter
“Jesus Is King,” is Kanye West’s new album, and possibly the most controversial, due to his gospel undertones. While he tried to stay in a rap style, it was hard to achieve the perfect balance of both Christian ideals with the style of rap. The album was a weird addition to his long musical resume, and after listening to all eleven of the songs, traditional rap is definitely what he should stick to. Listening to the album for the first time, I was definitely not expecting to hear his choir preach for an entire song. Starting with a song like that, I expected to hear an ensemble of songs that sounded like they could be sung during a Sunday Service at any church. But, the further I got into the album, the more I realized that wasn’t the case.
Most listened to songs on Jesus is King
1:
Follow God
2:
Closed on Sunday
number 7 on Billboard Hot 100
number 17 on Billboard Hot 100
3:
Selah
number 19 on Billboard Hot 100 https://www.billboard.com ART BY Gracie Angeli
“Selah,” the second song on the album, has multiple biblical verses woven into the lyrics. I’m not religious, so this song was honestly a bit confusing considering the premise of it was the Bible, but at least the beat was decent. “Follow God” was the next song, and this is where I realized that the album was not cohesive. This song sounded like old school Kanye, which is what confuses me the most. Why would he switch from such a choir-sounding songs to throwback rap-style Kanye? The song “Closed on Sunday,” was asking to go viral, considering the first lyric of the song is “Closed on Sunday, you’re my Chick-Fil-A”. This song was by far the most entertaining to listen to, for the fact that I couldn’t help but laugh about the constant reference back to Chick-FilA’s schedule. “Everything We Need,” was another song that doesn’t match the gospel theme at all. With a feature from Ty Dolla Sign, it sounds like a song you could listen to and forget that the message is supposed to be about God. “Water,” with artist Ant Clemons, brought back the biblical messages that Kanye started with. This song had a strong mix of reggae and R&B, which was an interesting mix of . To me, this song was by far the best on the album. Maybe it’s the lack of Kanye, it could be because of how easy it was to listen to, but compared to all of the other songs, this is the best song by far. “On God” is the most forgettable song on the album. Besides its video game-esk beat, there wasn’t anything special to it. “God is”, “Jesus is the Lord,” and “Use This Gospel (ft. Kenny G.),” all speak on different layers of the bible. They all suggest that you speak to God, and they all remotely have
HOLY BI BLE
ART BY Sumin Kim
the same lyrical message. None of the songs portray anything in particular, which is very unusual for such a large chunk of the album to be “meaning-less.” “Hands On, ft. Fred Hammond,” talks about something that I think should have been left off this album. This song brings up the 13th Amendment, which if you didn’t know, abolished slavery. To me, when he went to the TMZ headquarters and said “For 400 years? That sounds like a choice,” (about slavery), he lost the right to “talk” slavery in an “enlightening” way. What about slavery has to do with religion in the first place? Nothing really, at least to someone who doesn’t have an extensive knowledge of the Bible. But because Kanye had
to say something so offensive about slavery then, I don’t think that it should have been mentioned now. Honestly, I think he could have done without the album. It doesn’t convey much about his religious views, and I didn’t get much perspective on why or what about his faith should make me get closer to God. I feel he could have conveyed a clearer message. Am I going to listen to this album again? To be as blunt as possible, no. There aren’t any songs with a catchy beat or a hook that was memorable. So in that light, this album isn’t great, which is pretty disappointing from someone as talented as Kanye. Unless a song about Chick-Fil-A is your cup of tea, I wouldn’t listen to this album.
Around Town with Amelie
If you are looking for holiday-themed activities to do this season look no further Amelie Hayne Dispatch Reporter
Sleigh bells are ringing, the streets are filled with lights, sounds of the holidays fill the town. ‘Tis the season, Christmas time is finally here, so here are some ways you can make sure to make the most out of your holiday season. If you’re looking to do some ice skating make sure to stop by the Whole Foods Lamar location in downtown Austin. Your best option would be to make sure to check out their website and reserve your tickets, which you can find through the Whole Foods website, or you can purchase your tickets when you get there. The cost of admission is $12 if you purchase them online and in advance, but $15 at the door. To find some jaw-dropping street decorations, look no further than 37th Street, with lights stretching as far as the eye can see, covering rooftops, trees and light poles. This provides a simple and festive way to experience the holidays. The street is a local Austin tradition and something you’re not going to want to pass up on. Visiting the area is free and is located between Guadalupe Street and Home Lane, and provides a festive way to get into the holiday spirit. Also, make sure you don’t miss out on the annual light show put on by Mozart’s Coffee Roasters, just located on Lake Austin off of Enfield Road. With over one million LED lights and popular holiday tunes coordinating with the lights, the visual display doesn’t disappoint. The light show occurs every hour for about 12 minutes and happens daily from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. until January 5. Admission is free; however, seating is limited so make sure to show up a little early to grab a good seat. Attend the 44th season Armadillo Christmas Bazaar held at the Palmer Center from December 13th to the 24th. Visitors can enjoy live music at the event, while browsing through national and local art, stocking stuffers, handmade gifts and so much more. The event is an annual tradition that has collectively attracted around 40,000 shoppers each year and has also become one of Austin’s longest running art and musical festivals. Overlooking Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin, lies the Four Seasons Hotel that hosts it’s long running tradition of creating a gingerbread village. The gingerbread village is very detailed and features iconic and famous parts of Austin like the University of Texas, West Austin, Lake Travis and more. You can visit and see the gingerbread village from now through Christmas Day for free inside the Four Seasons lobby. Questions? Concerns? Want to share your opinion? Contact: Email: Bowie. journalism@ gmail.com Room: F203
14 COMMENTARY THE DISPATCH FRIDAY, DEC. 13, 2019
Impeachment: removal is the solution Why Donald Trump should be dismissed from office and penalized to uphold democracy EDITORIAL
Since 2016, Trump’s popularity rates have continued to decrease because of his reputation as one of the most controversial presidents in American history. He continues to be under suspicion of many white-collar crimes. Because of the polarization of American politics and the president’s questionable actions, the House of Representatives decided to draft an impeachment inquiry against the president. These proceedings have continued throughout the past couple of months, while Trump is being investigated for charges relating to his involvement with the Ukrainian government. On Tuesday, they leveled two impeachment charges against Trump. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, impeachment is the “action of calling into question the integrity or validity of something.” Holding Trump accountable for his actions directly aligns with the supremacy clause of the Constitution that states the document ”shall be the supreme law of the land." With this being said, we must impeach Donald Trump, not for the sole purpose of his removal from office, but to uphold our American values of democracy. Refusing to confront Trump only emboldens him and the government must make it clear that no one is above the law. There is clear suspicion of illegal activity that was conducted under the Trump administration. This is true on many accounts including multiple colleagues of Trump who have been convicted of major white-collar crimes. For example, Paul Manafort, Trump’s presidential campaign chairman was convicted on eight charges of bank and tax fraud around the time of the Mueller Report and investigation. Trump’s personal lawyer, Micheal Cohen, has also pleaded guilty to cam-
le e Peop We Th
ART BY Sumin Kim
paign violations and was involved in silencing Stormi Daniels. Due to the consistent pattern of arrests, resignations, as well as investigations, it is clear that they all have one thing in common...Donald Trump. Concerning the Ukraine scandal, legally Trump has vast foreign policy powers that aren’t explicit to the constitution. Because of these implied powers, there is room for debate on whether Trump committed a crime but many legal scholars agree that the president has exploited the constitutional vagueness of executive power when it comes to foreign policy. The President of the United States vowed to prioritize public interest
over personal gain when taking oath into office. Donald Trump, is entrusted with the nation's best interests but violated it when Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine for personal political gain involving the upcoming 2020 election. Along with the issue of Ukraine, the hot topic is potential results of the impeachment proceedings has been over the actual solution of impeachment. Congress can come to three conclusions: censure, removal from office, or allowing Trump to continue his term in office. Censuring the president would ‘sternly condemn’ him in the eyes of the public, but this is not enough. Ideally, we must remove
Trump from office, if he is found guilty, to uphold our democratic values as a country. Trump must be impeached to preserve the American ideal of democracy, and must undergo trial to face the consequences of his actions to rid him of his self proclaimed ‘god complex’. As the proceedings continue, it is important to understand the historical significance of these uncommon events, as well as the possible political consequences. The potential failure of these proceedings could be detrimental to the people’s trust in the government as well as further polarizing American politics.
"Ok boomer" reveals problematic generational differences Maya Amador Commentary Editor
Generational differences have existed for years as younger generations get more and more progressive, but social media has made the anger for the prior generation more prominent than ever. Dictionary.com describes "Ok boomer" as “a viral Internet slang phrase used, often in a humorous or ironic manner, to call out or dismiss out-of-touch or close-minded opinions associated with the baby boomer generation and older people more generally.” Baby boomers have taken offense to the term calling it ageism and have taken the term completely out of context. Boomer ideals tend to contrast a lot with younger generations, but Generation Z and Millennials seem to hold a deep rooted hate for boomers due to the shared feeling that they have completely ruined the future for today's youth. Some boomers seem to be running from this idea and not actually looking at the facts to support it. Baby boomers should actually look at the problems caused by their generation and help push for action instead of blaming people who are younger because it's easier. When it comes to the current state of the economy, climate, and social order the fingers seem to point at boomers for not doing anything to stop they’re decline. Of course not all boomers are to blame, some have even been at the front of progressive campaigns, but the truth is that boomers have statistically ruined the future. Most people seem to be unaware of how extreme the damage is but to put in perspective todays infrastructure is completely
CASUAL SCROLL: Junior, Eleanor Nelson, scrolls through TikTok in her "Ok boomer" sweatshirt. TikTok is where the meme gained the majority of its popularity. PHOTO BY Maya Amador
crumbled due to the corners boomers cut. There's an estimated $4 trillion deficit in deferred maintenance of the infrastructure, according to The American Society of Civil Engineers. Boomers were handed what at the time was one of the best infrastructures in the world but let it slowly crumbled over time due to unnecessary tax cuts and borrowing money with no concern of who it was affecting. The American education system has also been slowly going down hill and this contributes to the elimination of the middle class
EDITORIAL POLICY • The Dispatch is the official student newspaper of James Bowie High School. 3500 copies are published and distributed for free six times a year, generally once per six weeks for the school’s students, staff and community. • The Dispatch is an open forum for student expression. The Dispatch is not reviewed by school administration prior to distribution, and the advisor will not act as a censor. Content represents the views of the student staff and not school officials. • The Dispatch works to avoid bias and/or favoritism. We strive to make our coverage and content meaningful, timely, and interesting to our readers. Our articles reflect our genuine objective of reporting news and will be held to a high standard of quality. • We make every effort to avoid printing libel, obscenities, innuendo and material that threatens to disrupt the learning process or is an invasion of privacy. We avoid electronic manipulation that alters the truth of a photograph without indicating that the photograph is an illustration. • Staff editorials represent the opinion of the editorial board arrived at by discussion and will not be bylined. Bylined articles are the opinion of the individual writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Dispatch staff or administration as a whole. • The Dispatch welcomes reader input. Please send any letters, articles, comments or corrections to bowie.journalism@gmail.com, call (512) 841-7825, mail them to 4103 W. Slaughter Lane, Austin, TX 78749 or drop them off in room F-203 with adviser Michael Reeves or any editor. Letters must be signed, and emailed letters will require verification before publication. We will not necessarily publish all letters received and reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.
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causing most Americans to go into debt because of rising student loans. Also, the evidence for climate change has been around since the late nineties but no immediate action was taken. Baby boomers were given a rich, and economically successful country and made choices with no regard for their children's future, these choices led to the feeling of betrayal felt by today's generation. Boomers are also associated with having close minded views on today’s social issues. Changing someone's opinion can be difficult but becomes harder to do the more personal
PRIDE IN PUBLISHING Friday, December 13, 2019 Vol. 32, Issue 3 www.thedispatchonline.net James Bowie High School 4103 W. Slaughter Lane Austin TX, 78749
the issue is and the longer they’ve had that opinion. Because of this, changing the mind of someone who is older can lead to them just seeing you as young and immature and completely invalidate your opinion. The Internet has also made it challenging to find another perspective when you can fill your feed with sources who share the same view as you. It makes moving forward in society almost impossible when no one is willing to hear the other side. Most "Ok, boomer" memes are about boomers making rude or hypocritical comments towards a worker. You constantly see articles complaining about the entitlement of today's youth, saying that it is all due to the fast pace nature of social media but very few articles acknowledge the entitlement boomers have towards people just trying to do their minimum wage paying jobs. "Ok boomer" is a completely harmless way for Generation Z to completely air out their grievances towards boomers. Boomers saying the term is offensive only proves the jokes original intention, that boomers are out of touch. This doesn’t mean that we should lose all respect for our prior generations but we shouldn’t lose sight of making a better future and making sure we get a stable, livable Earth for the next generation. Questions? Concerns? Want to share your opinion? Contact: Email: bowie.journalism@ gmail.com Room Number : F203
THE DISPATCH STAFF THE DISPATCH PRINT EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Peter Dang Marisa Salazar MANAGING EDITORS Faith Lawrence Cade Spencer Katie Holme FEATURE EDITORS Miranda Cardenas Mia Folkers
COMMENTARY EDITORS Maya Amador Corinne Piorkowski REVIEW EDITOR Gracie Angeli ARTS/GRAPHICS EDITOR Sumin Kim COPY EDITOR Amanda Zinni
REPORTERS Ellie Coulston Dylan Ebs SPORTS EDITORS Amelie Hayne Kateri Jaquette Maya Hayne Naya Tillisch Tiera Jarmond ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Lauren Joy Azul Lin Callie Payne Isabella May Arushi Sharma PHOTO ESSAY EDITORS Samantha Thompson Rae Gray Amorah Schultze Abbey Repka Carter Scruggs
PHOTOGRAPHERS Lainey Combs Anna Holme Brianna Lopez Cassidy Pesek Reagan Zuniga THE DISPATCH ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kaitlyn Zellner MANAGING EDITORS Shruti Patel Shikha Patel STAFF Austin Civatte Natalie Cullen Bethany Hanson Izzy Rejino ADVISER Michael Reeves
COMMENTARY 15 FRIDAY, DEC. 13, 2019 THE DISPATCH
Value of the well-known letterman jackets Corinne Piorkowski Commentary Editor
The traditional letterman jacket was invented in the 1930s in an attempt to keep athletes warm with a thicker woolen material. Since then, schools have decided to allow many extracurricular activities including band, theatre, and debate to earn letterman
jackets as well. There is controversy among students as to whether or not students other than athletes should be allowed to receive a letterman for their extracurriculars. I think that students in other extracurricular should be allowed to earn letterman jackets like athletes in a sport, but the amount of jackets given out is high and should be reduced to the quality of
ART BY Sumin Kim
the performance in a student. In the early 1900s, varsity letterman jackets were only given to athletes in their junior or senior years, and recently, schools have given sophomore and freshman in sports jackets as a sign of their hard work as young student-athletes on varsity teams, and this expansion leads into the idea that students in other performing arts in extracurriculars should earn jackets as well. Since letterman jackets usually have to be bought from the school, some schools give them out at ceremonies or banquets as awards to athletes in order to show that schools are making an effort to raise funds for athletes' jackets. This supports the idea that schools are becoming more inclusive with the jackets going to even more students, but that they're only given for their performance and therefore should be also continued with performing arts students. On the sleeves of letterman jackets are patches that represent the sport or activity a student is in. When a student is awarded a jacket, usually in their sophomore year, the patches represent the extracurricular that they participate in. With this said, patches can represent not only sports, but fine arts including band, theatre, or debate. If a patch represents any extracurricular, it doesn't matter if the activity is always physical, and students should be rewarded as such. With students in fine art extracurriculars being awarded lettermans, it shouldn't be a confusing or uncommon concept for people to grasp because of the quality of their performance in their sport or activity. If letterman jackets were awarded based on performance instead of the actual extracurricular, I think less people would be upset about the activities that receive them because when a jacket is given to an athlete
solely because of their stellar performance in the extracurricular they enjoy, it puts an emphasis on their character as a student athlete and will give them pride and confidence in the activity they participate in. In the past, sports programs have rewarded letterman jackets to athletes based on their performance in their sport, and it is not just given to them for being on the team. This could also be a concept for performing arts lettermans to allow the highest of each activity to earn a jacket. This method would eliminate the opinions of people that are frustrated with the amount of people who walk around wearing letterman jackets. With that said, if people still argue that lettermans should only be for sports, they are oblivious to the hard work students put into their activities. Overall, letterman jackets should continue to be given to students in sports as well as performing arts, but if the quantities are limited, and the jackets are only given to the students with the highest performance in their activity, it will give students drive to improve at what they do, and pride to the ones who earn them. This should also limit the debate among the activities that earn them, because if anyone spends time and is good at the extracurricular they love, they deserve a token representing their hard work in the form of a letterman jacket. Questions? Concerns? Want to share your opinion? Contact: Email: bowie.journalism@ gmail.com Room Number : F203
Twitter banning political ads sparks a Facebook controversy Carter Scruggs Dispatch Reporter
Twitter recently got rid of their policy of promoting political ads on their platform. This was a somewhat controversial action for them to do, and has caused some debate. On one hand people are cheering on the decision, and on the other hand people are saying its unfair. I think that this move from Twitter is a correct one, and that other platforms should start paying attention and follow suite. Social media companies have recently been getting flack for their presence of foreign bots, and an important moment happened during the 2016 presidential election, when Russia agencies used technology to create large waves of bots to push whatever narratives they wanted in the election. It’s even been largely thought that these groups got their orders from the Russian government, meaning a foreign power was able to influence our elections here in the United States. Social media sites have long been criticized for “allowing” these things to take place on their platform. For instance when Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, was called in front of congress. He was asked about the fragility of Facebook regarding the presence of bots on the platform, which he pretty much denied and underplayed the issue. Why is Twitter doing this? This isn’t about free expression. This is
NO! No more political ads!
Hey, I'll give you some money for a campaign ad.
ART BY Naya Tillisch and Cade Spencer
about paying for reach. And paying to increase the reach of political speech has significant ramifications that today’s democratic infrastructure may not be prepared to handle. Well, they may hide behind a banner of goodwill, but many suspect that they are doing this to draw comparisons with one of their main competitors, Facebook who are extremely lax on rules for ads that can be run on their platform, and have got a heavy amount of scrutiny for their lack of security on many fronts of their platforms. Basically this move is a move that is a bunch of free PR for Twitter. This is a very good thing though, even though Twitter, and its CEO
may be removing political ads for the wrong reasons they are at least doing something, which surprisingly is something that I find hard to come by on this issue. It's funny that while Facebook-owned Instagram is busy removing likes on photos, Twitter is doing something about a serious issue. Now it should be addressed that this doesn't affect Twitter too much economically, they brought in only $3 million compared Facebook's margin of profit its a drop in a bucket, so they really aren't sacrificing that much by making this move. Some opposition to this move has been from small political cam-
paigns that use political ads as a tool for organization, which honestly is a valid criticism, and I do think that small local campaigns should be able to get ads, but these aren't the people that are buying ads, at least at a large scale. Certain individuals test out who has a bigger bank account than their opponents by buying tons and tons of ads. An example of this can be seen in the current democratic race with candidate Tom Steyer, who has spent $20 million on TV and radio ads already, shooting his competition out of the water by more than $10 million and that's his second closest competitor.
Steyer has been spending so much in order to keep himself in the race, not even at the forefront, it really isn't fair. It begs the question that pretty much anyone no matter how qualified they are can compete in elections if they spend enough money. Questions? Concerns? Want to share your opinion? Contact: Email: bowie. journalism@ gmail.com Room: F203
BULLDAWG SPEAK OUT How do you think ACT and SAT scores will affect your future?
9th
10th
11th
12th
TEACHER
Lili Demedeiros
Sean Prakash
Sierra Greenberg
Ava Nielsen
Chris Redmond
"I don't think tests define your intelligence and I think your efforts in your classes and activities matter more."
"Your test scores can certainly help your future, but your scores on the tests do not limit you."
"I think the test scores matter a lot because they're important to what colleges look at for acceptance."
"The scores definitely don't determine your future for your career, but they can determine your road to college schooling. "
"I think the SAT has weight on students' shoulders that shouldn't be there, and I don't think they should be as important."
PHOTOS AND INTERVIEWS BY Corinne Piorkowski
16 PHOTO ESSAY
THE DISPATCH FRIDAY, DEC. 13, 2019
Part of a bigger team: individual sports
How athletes in individual sports still act as a team despite competing on their own Rae Gray Photo Editor
It’s six in the morning, the swim team is huddled in their layers of sweat pants and jackets as they dread the prospect of getting into the outdoor pool and braving the thirty-three degree weather together. Despite competing individually, athletes on wrestling, swimming, and tennis teams still act and participate as a team and forge strong bonds with each other. For swimmers, those strong bonds are formed by what they have to go through together as a team to be in their best shape possible. The swim team has to practice at an outdoor pool every morning at 6:30, and practice isn’t just canceled if its cold, it has to be below 32 degrees outside or extreme conditions before coach will call it. “That first jump into the water is always the hardest thing to do,” Junior member of the swim team Jack Lance said. “It’s just really bonding thing knowing that everyone else has to go through that and they’re all committed to the same sport that I am, and that we are all dedicated enough to do that together.” The swim team isn’t the only team though that forges bonds through their extreme dedication to their sport, wrestlers also have a high level of commitment when it comes to practices and weight cutting. Wrestlers are put in categories based on their weight, and the level of dedication that it takes to constantly monitor their weight takes a team of support. “The bonds that we form together as a team through practices and tournaments are important because it keeps us on weight and accountable for each other,” senior Anthony Salvo said. Unity through intensive practices and suffering through cold waters isn’t the only way that teams in individual sports connect though. They make sure to have activities
TAKING IT TO THE WALL: Gasping for air, junior William Noser sprints to the wall on his 50 yard freestyle. Noser clocked in at the end of the race with a 26.6 second time, placing fourth in his heat. “The 50 yard freestyle is one of my favorite events to swim because its super fast paced and it is just a full on sprint,” Noser said. “When you get to the wall and you’re looking up at the time board all of the hard work really pays off. I especially love swimming it at the Aggie Land meet because the pool is really nice.” PHOTO BY Rae Gray
outside of school and at their competitions that further their ability to rely on one another and compete as a team. “One of my favorite team activities is the Red and Black meet,” junior Brooke Simpson said. “It’s a fun meet that really brings the team together, especially the new swimmers of the year. It’s also a fun time to show off your best events and compete in fun relays
like the t-shirt relay and the reverse swimming relay. Everyone gets really competitive, but no matter the outcome we still have fun.” A big part of creating a team environment that is cooperative comes from the coaches and how they build up their team. “The team mentality starts in practice with swimming,” swimming coach Peyton Bobo said. “The athletes become invested in the
success of their peers because they have been working hard towards the same goal.” Coaches also work hard to make sure that their team is able to rely on each other and work together. Tennis coach, James Dammann works hard to make sure that his team are supportive of each other and cooperate to work as a team. “Tennis is viewed as an individual sport,” Dammann said. “Our
team wins or loses are based on a collective team effort. Our Team dynamic is solid, we pride ourselves on winning or losing with class. We see many other school’s players behaving in a manner that is unacceptable, unsportsmanlike, and down right embarrassing. We don’t do that. Our players are a pretty close group. That bond develops over years of competing together.” While the coaches making sure that there is a supportive environment on their teams, the players make sure to always be there for each other and cheer each other on. “Tennis, while it is an individual sport we do make a big effort to not isolate the players from each other,” senior Carlos Canepa said. “We always make an effort to cheer each other on and every one not playing goes to support the people who are. So whenever we aren’t on court competing we reach out and support our teammates to make it feel like we’re all there together on the court.” Team bonding goes beyond just meets and competing though. A byproduct of spending countless hours with the same group of people and getting up together early in the morning and staying up late at night at competitions is an endless stream of fond memories. “One of my favorite memories with my team is during our Round Rock swim meet last year,” Lance said. “It started to pour outside, and all of our stuff was getting soaked. It was super hectic and crazy at the time. People were leaving stuff everywhere. We got split up into two different buses, and some of us were stuck soaking wet in the bus driving back to Bowie. What makes this a fun moment was just knowing that we all suffered through it together. That really created a sense of unity with us as a team. And it was a lot more fun than you’d expect, trying to sprint to the buses.” TEAM CHATTER: While warming up, junior Brooke Simpson talks to her fellow teammate and friend, senior Caroline Myers before going to their next race. It’s important to the swimmers on the team that they are able to rely on each other and show support for their fellow athletes. “Even though we compete individually, we come together to cheer on one another and encourage each other to do out best,” Simpson said. PHOTO BY Rae Gray
ONE! TWO! THREE! DAWGS!: Joined together in the huddle, the varsity tennis team puts their hands in and breaks. Before every match the team huddles together to get final pointers before they go off to compete by themselves. “Before matches we always have a huddle,” senior Carlos Canepa said. “It really helps us get into the match mindset.” PHOTO BY Reagan Zuniga
GETTING PINNED: While practicing a new move, senior Joesph Robbins grasps senior Anthony Salvo in order to pin him. The team practices new moves constantly together, as well as weight lifting and weight cutting. “The wrestling team is a team because we spend so much time together during practice and in the weight room,” Salvo said. “We rely on each other in practice to get better and we compete as a team to earn points.” PHOTO BY Rae Gray
INCOMING!: Senior Carlos Canepa waits ready to send the ball back . Canepa is a top tennis player and works hard with his team to preform the best that they can. “We all work really hard in practice together to preform well in matches,” Canepa said. PHOTO BY Reagan Zuniga
PAIRING UP: Seniors Arik Suez and Carlos Canepa compete together in their duos match. In practice the team does compete with each other and in their pairs. “I’ve played with or against every one on varsity and that kind of practicing really allows us to get to know each other and every ones playing style on the team,” Canepa said. PHOTO BY Reagan Zuniga
GOING DOWN: Falling towards the mat, Grant Faulkner throws junior Nick Lopez in one swift move. The team focuses on safety with their techniques and equipment. “In a match you are required to wear protective gear and a ref will stop the match if anything unsafe happens,” senior Grant Faulkner said. PHOTO BY Rae Gray