The Lone Star Dispatch, Vol.29, Issue #4, 2.10.17

L one Star Dispatch

The

In-Depth Black History Month

Bowie celebrates African-American figures See page A4-5

James Bowie High School

INSIDE

Commentary

4103 W. Slaughter Lane Austin, TX 78749

Principal Decision Coming

Entertainment The Who’s Tommy

Does Bowie need a new one or not?

See page A6

Musical becomes a hit amongst students See page B4

www.thelonestaronline.com

Friday Feb. 10, 2017

Vol. 29

Issue 4

News A2-3 In-Depth A4-5 Commentary A6-7 Photo Essay A8 Athletics B1-2 Reviews B3 Entertainment B4-5 Feature B6-7 Photo Essay B8

School evaluations strike concern Violet Glenewinkel Editor-in-Chief Across Texas, students and education personnel have received new scores on their schools from a revamped grading system The reported scores have caused widespread confusion from the shocking results, including members of the Austin Independent School District leadership team.

The new scoring system, which will not take effect until the 2017-18 school year, dramatically changes the standings of schools that were considered well above average last year, like Bowie.

“I believe this system tries to use a simple measure to judge a very complex system,” AISD Superintendent Paul Cruz said.

According to the Texas Education Agency (TEA), schools receive five different A-F grades including student progress, student success, closing performance gaps, college readiness, and community and student engagement.

“Most of the A–F ratings are derived from STAAR results which is just one measure of student performance,” Cruz said.

The only low score Bowie received was in college readiness and that grade has a direct correlation to the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) test which is supposed to determine if high school seniors are ready for college-level course work.

“I feel like we are already preparing our students for the college and

Art by Mia Barbosa

career world really well, but we may need to look into working more on the TSI, a test that shows that students are ready to enter community colleges or any kind of college or university,” Interim Principal Susan Leos said.

The use of STAAR results to measure 55% of the whole grade causes misleading results for the schools’ ratings.

“Basing ratings on STAAR test scores also only accounts for the approximately 47,000 students who took the STAAR test last year out of our more than 83,000 students in AISD,” Cruz said.

With 36,000 students not taken into the measure, results like Bowie’s C in college readiness aren’t as trustworthy, according to AISD leaders.

“Some of the same schools that received an academic distinction for post-secondary readiness were given a D or F for that category,” Cruz said. “Under this system, a school can have a 90 and still be failing.”

The evaluation of college readiness is what’s been drawing the most attention because of the poor grades across AISD, including Bowie.

“I am particular-

ly concerned about how post-secondary readiness is currently being evaluated in this sample system,” Cruz said. “For example, post-secondary readiness is based on chronic absenteeism for elementary school students.”

Given both her kids graduated from Bowie, US History teacher Patricia Maney was surprised at the C in college readiness.

“Both of my children were very ‘college ready,” Maney said. “One is now an attorney and the other is a recent University of Texas graduate.”

According to Cruz, there are other ways to

measure AISD schools’ performances besides just STAAR scores in a given school.

“I hope the future developments of this grading system will include more measures of student success,” Cruz said. “We are proud of some of our measures including AISD graduation rates reaching an all-time high.

The new rating system scores just released are not permanent, but will help give districts and schools a chance to see how they need to adapt.

“I try to remind parents that the ratings TEA released are not official rat-

ings for campuses and districts,” Cruz said. “They do not replace the ratings campuses already received.”

Administrators are continually assuring AISD and other districts across Texas that, at this time, the scores are not permanent nor reflective of the school.

“We’re working to ensure our communities that our scores in comparison to the present rating system seem to be lower, it just means that the state of Texas is changing the way they rate our schools,” Leos said. “We do have time to assess our practices and give TEA input.”

See page A3, “TEA’s”

Varsity cheerleaders prepare for national competition Jadon Alvarez Staff Writer The varsity cheerleaders do their best to keep football crowds roaring with thrill and spirit with their tumbling passes and lively chants. Because of the successful season, the varsity squad has the opportunity to now cheer

their hearts out at the UCA High School Competition in Orlando, Florida on Feb. 10.

The National Cheer Competition in Florida is one of the most prestigious competitions in the country. The whole varsity team will be attending this competition “This competition is on a much bigger scale,” senior varsity cheerleader Bridget Alvarez

Squad Goals: Pumping up the crowd, sophomore Jordan Haschke cheers alongside her teammates. The team has been preparing for nationals since the fall. Photo by Ashley Ramirez

said. “There are international teams and there are colleges that come and watch and recruit there as well”.

There have been some setbacks in their performance that caused the team to alter their whole routine.

“One of our main flyers got injured over Christmas break trying to do some tumbling passes so we had to completely redo the routine,” coach Amie Roggemann said.

The cheerleaders want to go and perform at Nationals, so they tried to move past the injury dilemma and make this routine one to be excited for.

“There’s two rounds, Preliminaries and Finals, and they have not made it to Finals before, so our goal this year and what we want to accomplish is making it to that next round,” Roggemann said.

The routine the varsity squad has been working on has a mixture of music dancing and chants that will get the crowd going.

“It’s a mixture of a bunch of

different cover songs because there actually is a big change with music rules now with competitions,” Roggemann said.

“The cheer part alone is worth thirty five points out of one hundred and that’s where they get the crowd to get loud and cheer.”

In their National routine, the cheerleader get to express themselves through their own stunts.

“We do a lot of our own stuff that makes it our own routine and we put a lot of our own skills into it and that’s what makes it special,” freshman varsity cheerleader Tanya Zint said.

With the desire to compete and win, the cheerleaders still have to deal with challenge of putting their schoolwork first before they can perform on the floor.

“It’s a lot of work, it takes a huge toll on them, especially because it’s the last few days of the six weeks so they have to be on top of their school work prior to leaving,” Roggemann said.

Winning the competition at Nationals may be their main goal, but the cheerleaders also

have other wants, like coming closer as a family.

“I just hope that we bond more as a team and we’re able to put our best foot forward going onto the floor,” Alvarez said.

The team wants to bond with their six departing seniors at Nationals before they graduate.

“I just hope we come closer as a group and family because of the seniors leaving,” Zint said.

They also expect that Nationals will boost their confidence when cheering.

“I think it’s also going to boost up our confidence level because we had to change a lot of things because girls have gotten hurt but I think our confidence level will definitely boost,” Zint said.

But most importantly, the cheerleaders want to cheer at a huge competition that will tighten their bonds with one another “We’ve overcome a lot as a team and I think that this will bond us closer together and it is great to experience a trip like this with the people I spend most of my time with.” Alvarez said.

News

The Lone Star Dispatch

Fri. Feb. 10, 2017

Page A2

AISD begins search for principal to take on permanent position Madison Austin Staff Writer The offices are busy with students and teachers alike flowing in and out like ants fleeing from an ant hill. On the precipice of getting a new principal, school staff are preparing for meetings with parents and teachers who want their voice to be heard. The school can expect to have a new “CEO” by the end of the school year.

The process is expected to take at least three months and the first step in the process took place on Jan. 31 with a meeting at Bowie with the faculty and staff.

There that group spent time laying out criteria they want to see in the future principal.

The plan outlines that the next step will be to narrow the field to about six candidates who will be presented to the superintendent, the chief schools officer, and the superintendent of high schools on March 27. The final decision will ultimately lie in the hands of the Board of Trustees.

“The associate superintendent for high schools and his team will interview the finalists and recommend a candidate for consideration by the Board of Trustees at their meeting on March 27,“ Campus Advisory Councils CoChair Brian Crow said.

On February 8, the vertical team principals, a representative from the Office of Human Resources, Dr. Thyrun Hurst, and associate superintendent of high schools Craig Shapiro will

Hard at work: Interim principal Susan Leos writes emails at her desk just after getting out of a meeting. Prior to becoming the interim principal, Leos was the school’s instructional administrator. Photo by Caitlin Devlin

screen for applicants who match the profile provided by the staff and community and select candidates to participate in the interview process.

“The deep talent pool of experienced administrators already at JBHS enabled this optimal path, to provide the best academic and extracurricular environment for the students, faculty, staff and community for the 2016-17 academic year,” Crow said.

“The process for selecting a new principal that is the right fit for Bowie will include meeting

with parents, students and faculty alike.

“Community members will be asked to give descriptions or traits that they feel are important,” Crow said. “At the conclusion of this input session, attendees will have an opportunity to rank the importance of the various attributes.”

Some parents have a lot to say about what they are looking for in someone who will enrich their children’s education.

“I want a principal who will hire excellent teachers that can

Science classes research with Nanodrop spectrophotometer

relate to the students and make teaching interesting and I believe they should encourage teachers to continue their education with workshops, to strengthen their skills,” parent Deb Barbosa said.

In the absence of a principal, Susan Leos has taken the position of interim principal. Her position before becoming the interim principal was instructional administrator, where she planned professional development, was in charge of the master schedule, and many other duties.

“I think that Ms. Leos has

done a fabulous job as interim principal this year,” junior Brianna Garcia said. “She has made some great changes and has been present at many school events.”

Finding a new principal is not an easy task to take on, but those in charge are willing to put their time and effort into giving the Bowie community the best fit principal.

“I’m excited to meet this new principal, I hope that he or she is as excited as we are to meet them and show them our Bowie pride,” Garcia said.

Teacher of the Year 2016: Theatre teacher Marco Bazan

Yana Krykunenko Staff Writer Students are putting in work all year on a college level research project, which most will only experience after high school.

The Scientific Research and Design class works in conjunction with the freshmen research class at UT. Their goal is to study the functions of proteins they’re working with. The process is done by cloning the protein’s DNA and putting tags on the proteins, and then the tags will be used to study the living cells.

“Every group has a different gene that they’re working on but they’re all trying to do the same thing,” research teacher Denise Sanders said.

“But because all the genes act differently, some will work perfectly, while with others we run into troubles.”

Since work is done at a DNA level, it is essential to test the purity of the DNA samples to further move onto the next step, this is done using the Nanodrop spectrophotometer.

“For the four years that this course has existed we’ve always had to take our samples to the UT lab to use their Nanodrop,” Sanders said.

For years Sanders has been requesting a Nanodrop spectrophotometer on her CTE (Career and Technical Educa-

Experimentation: Junior Tasha Anslyn uses a micro-pipette to drop DNA samples onto the Nanodrop spectrophotometer.

The Nanodrop measures the concentration and purity of DNA, RNA, and protein samples. Photo by Caitlin Devlin

tion) assessment, but the request was always denied. This year was an exception.

“Now I no longer have to drive up all the way to UT to do something that just takes me thirty seconds in the classroom,” Sanders said.

Students in the class are just as satisfied with the gadget as Sanders is.

“The Nanodrop is making the class much easier,” senior Caleb Newton said. “It is much more convenient knowing that the work we’re doing is actually correct and the course is worthwhile.”

With all the research done in the class, at the end of the year students are able to present their findings at UT among college students.

“All the college kids are very impressed that we’re in

high school doing their work,” Newton said. “Sometimes it’s even better than theirs.”

The research class is significantly different than a regular class on the Bowie campus.

“It’s really awesome to be able to do things most student don’t even come in contact with until they’re in college,” senior Jake Anderson said.

“It’s given me a leg-up on my college applications as I’ve already had experience in a lab.”

Students are able to walk away from the course with an insight of what a college class would consist of.

“My other classes don’t offer are real world applications,” Newton said. “But here, I get to experience the world first hand, which to me, is fascinating.”

To Great Heights: Theatre teacher Marco Bazan explains some audition music to his musical theatre class. Bazan was named teacher of the year for his excellence in instruction, communication with students, and his guidance in shows like this year’s musical, The Who’s Tommy. His passion for theatre and making Bowie’s theatre department the best it can be helped him win the title. “I was truly honored and surprised just to be nominated,” Bazan said. “There are so many excellent teachers on this campus, I feel very lucky to work among greatness.” Biology teacher Erin Kowalik, government and economics teacher Ruth Narvaiz, and math teacher Dana Stiles were the other three runner-ups for teacher of the year. Photo by Reagan Wallace

The Lone Star Dispatch

News

Fri. Feb. 10, 2017

Page A3

Science fair rules on campus

Critique: A science fair judge critiques a student’s project, helping him to know what to fix. Students started their projects at the beginning of the school year, giving them about five months to complete their project. Photo by Douglas Smith

Award Winning: A student explains her project about the erosion of rocks using acid.

There were 13 total categories in the science fair, including Chemistry and Microbiology. Photo by Douglas Smith

Students showcase their dedication and knowledge at the annual science fair Douglas Smith Staff writer The Science Fair took place on Jan. 12 after school in the rooms of the science teachers. Students were given time to set up their projects and present them to judges. After the fair, awards were given, and the first place winner of the fair went to freshman Connor Larkin in the computer science category for his project on “Wifi Signal Strength Through Different Building Materials and Humidity.”

Participants in the fair had been working on their projects for months beforehand gathering data for experiments or planning out a presentation.

“The work is quite a bit I know, from

what my son did which was a two or three month long project,” parent Trace Hurd, said. “He was doing something biological, so you have to grow things and keep them alive and study what they’re doing.”

Participating students can find the required work tedious and challenging, especially in the preparation and delivery of their final project, which involves a short speech to a judge.

Aside from having to gather data, many students also spend time organizing poster boards and assembling models to aid them in their presentation.

“Honestly I did not have fun doing the project but I like how it turned out,” freshman Alex Paulson said.

In total there were 13 categories in the

science fair including various types of studies such as Animal sciences, Microbiology and Chemistry. For many students being in the fair not only involves discovering and organizing new information, but also going beyond their regular scientific studies in class.

“I tested the effect of ocean acidification on oyster shells, specifically how the increasing amount of ocean acidification could actually decrease the mass of the oyster shells,” freshman Emily Morales said.

The final step for participants in the fair is to present their project to the judges, who take all their findings and come to a consensus on who should place where in a private meeting. To prepare themselves,

students rehearse their presentations before meeting the judges, who are mostly volunteering parents of other participants.

“It’s a little bit stressful having to present in front of people that you may or may not know,” freshman Matthew Musat said.

“I’ve worked pretty hard on this project and you want good results and feedback from the judges, , so I think that is the most stressful thing.”

The awards ceremony for the fair took place the next day with all participants in attendance.

Winners for the “best in show” awards were called up one by one, according to their project category. “I actually had a lot of fun with my project because I learned from it,” Morales said.

TEA rating system sends confusing message to community Continued from page Cruz said.

Leos suggests the way A1 However, TEA is still a good source for improvement suggestions.

“The TEA school rating systems can provide useful information that our schools use to improve,”

to make a difference is to publicize the opinions of the schools’ communities.

“We as educators as well as our students and parents need to study the new rubrics and give our input so that our voices are

heard,” Leos said.

By doing so, a more honest reflection of schools across Texas could be introduced.

“I am hopeful that TEA and our state legislators will seek our input in designing a system that really reflects what all our stu-

dents know,” Leos said.

Since she first started teaching at Bowie, Maney has noticed an excellence in college readiness among students.

“The ranking system that is being used is not reflective of the learning, including higher level learn-

ing, that occurs on campus daily,” Maney said.

According to Cruz, the TEA will be making improvements through the thoughts and input of stakeholders.

“We look forward to being one of those stakeholders,” Cruz said.

Despite how it seems now, Maney continues preparing her students the way she has for years.

“I, along with my esteemed colleagues, will continue to educate, empower, nurture, and mentor young minds to be lifelong learners,” Maney said.

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In-Depth

In-Depth

Black History Month Art by Callie Richards

The Lone Star Dispatch

Fri. Feb. 10 2017

Page A4

The Lone Star Dispatch

-Prominent leader of the civil rights movement -Received a Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent campaign

-Is the fifth highest paid female musician -The outfits her group wore at the 2016 -Super Bowl 2016 performance resembled the Black Panthers

Barack Hussein Obama II

Rosa Louise McCauley Parks

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter

Fri. Feb. 10, 2017 Page A5

-The first African American President of the United States -Won an Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 for Diplomacy

-Started the Montgomery bus boycott -Was given the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award in 1992

Raising cultural awareness with music, food, art, and alliance Fuaad Ajaz Managing Editor During the month of February people around the world celebrate Black History Month. Black History Month is a national holiday created by Carter G. Woodson to celebrate African-Americans and their culture. The event started off only a week-long but eventually turned into a month-long event celebrating famous African-Americans like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, and many more.

Throughout Black History Month the Multicultural Awareness club sponsor, Joyce Brisco, helps her students understand the true meaning of Black History Month.

“We need an African-American history month every day,” Brisco said. “We were not personified in the history books, our contributions were going unrecognized for all the things African-Americans had done.”

English teacher, Amanda Pfeiffer, helps Brisco plan and carry out all the events the club does during Black History Month.

“Mrs. Brisco and I do everything together so our big events are our soul food luncheons, she does all the cooking and I’m more like the worker bee and logistics,” Pfeiffer said. “We also want to visually remind everyone throughout the month of February what we are celebrating. I’m in charge of spearheading the effort of decor and just having the visual presence of Black History Month. We coordinate paintings, hang banners, and also decorate the doors of the English teachers which we hope to spread to all of the departments this year. We play music by famous African-Americans like Beyonce, Michael Jackson, and many more in A hall, so we try to tackle all the senses.”

For sisters Oluwaseyi and Oluwaseun Odufuye, they feel like Black History Month is needed to spread love and equality into the world.

“I believe people need to learn about Black History Month as a way of continuously encouraging equality and love,” Oluwaseyi said. “Also this month is to expose all the sacrifices African-Americans have made to create the world we live in right now.”

According to Oluwaseun, people of all races need to come together right now and educate themselves to fight the injustice going on in the world right now.

“People should educate themselves in black history and then they should get the importance of staying educated, the importance of unity, of being brave, and always standing up for your rights,” Oluwaseun said. “I feel like people need to come together more right now to fight, especially since we have a racist misogynist as a president. We need to stand up together.”

President of the Multicultural club, senior Jeremy Faulkner, helps Brisco and Pfeiffer but also helps students plan their announcements.

“One of my favorite things to help out with is the luncheon and the announcements,” Faulkner said. “ For the announcements we get to pick one of our favorite African-Americans and make a little speech about them and present it to the whole school on the intercom in the morning after the pledges. When we have the luncheon, we have everyone bring their favorite food which include mashed potatoes, green beans, greens, and chicken. We have a wide array of food that students and Mama B cooks for the faculty and staff on campus.”

According to Oluwaseyi, African-Americans have faced

1955 Rosa Parks is arrested for not giving up her bus seat to a white man

1954 Brown v. Board of Education overrules segregation in schools

“People should educate themselves in black history and then I think they should get the importance of staying educated, the importance of unity, of being brave, and always standing up for your rights.”

- Oluwaseun Odufuye

teacher, Vicki Hebert, were around a sea of racism during the 50’s and 60’s.

“If you read our history books the contributions and important things that have influenced our African-American community are not there,” Hebert said. “I would love to say that it’s getting so much better, I see it going backwards and

1968 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is assasinated by James Earl Ray

1963 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gives his “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial

1963 A church in Birmingham, Alabama is bombed by the Klu Klux Klan

and are still facing racism in the world today. She also has faced racism before in her life.

“Growing up I faced some nasty comments over the pigment of my skin,” Oluwaseyi said. “I was slapped on my butt by one of my peers, I guess because it was bigger than the other girls. I was told I was ugly because of the color of my skin and once some comments were made by two little white girls when I walked into a public bathroom.”

Growing up in the civil rights era Brisco and English

1964 Outlawed discrimination on race, religion, or sex, required equal access to public places and employment

getting worse. You have to understand that my parents were not liberal so I grew up around a great deal of racism, I grew up around people who used the, ‘N,’ word freely, I grew up very aware of segregation and everything that was going around me.”

At the age of 10 or 11 Brisco, her sister, brother, and a friend were challenged with racism while trying to get a beverage at a little restaurant in Arkansas.

“My older sister, brother, friend, and myself just wanted to go into an establishment and have a Coca-Cola and my sister, brother, and friend were arrested for inciting a riot and the only thing we wanted to do was get something to drink,” Brisco said. “I was not arrested but I very much remember my sister, brother, and friend being arrested as teenagers for stopping in an all white establishment for a coke.”

For Faulkner a famous African-American he looks up to is famous talk show host, Oprah Winfrey.

“I look up to Oprah Winfrey because she understands people and her words are just so inspiring to people who need help,” Faulkner said. “You can just look up one of her videos and she can guide you through the right pathway and you don’t even have to be with her.”

When Brisco went to school the school systems were segregated just like everything else in the United States at the time.

“I grew up in the southern belt and our school systems just like the states in the south were segregated and with that segregation came racism,” Brisco said. “It was so bad that our supplies we had in our schools were either second hand or third hand. In terms of racial tension, it was high mostly because we were growing up in separate parts of town.”

Beyonce and Solange are two big idols for Oluwaseun

2005 Hurricane Katrina hits Louisiana and claims 1,836 lives

1986 Oprah Winfrey launches her talk show

1982 Michael Jackson releases album, “Thriller” and sells over 40 million copies

2002 Hallie Berry is the first African-American woman to win an Oscar for her movie “Monster’s Ball”

because they both stand up for what is right and what is good for the community.

“There are so many African-Americans alive and dead that have done so much for us,” Oluwaseun said. “One for me would be Beyonce for standing up for black lives as well as empowering woman. Another would be Solange for being unapologetically black and showing that, ‘I,’ is a good thing.”

According to Pfeiffer having a Black History Month is something crucial that is needed for American culture.

“It’s crucial in American culture to recognize the immense benefit that is cultural diversity,” Pfeiffer said. “Particularly African-American culture due to the history this country has of slavery and subjugation. It is paramount that this root be recognized and be given this time and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

When Hebert was younger she had a hands-on experience with segregation on the Dallas city bus on her way to the state fair.

“When I was in the first grade my daddy took me to the state fair because in Dallas you get a day off for the fair. We took the bus because my daddy didn’t want to park at Fair Park because he didn’t want to pay a poor African-American family to park in their front lawn. I had always thought it has to be the absolute coolest thing in the world to sit in the very back of the bus and watch where you’ve been. I ran to the back of the bus and my dad gave me that dad voice and said, ‘Vicki Kay Sanders you get back here right now, that’s where the N’s sit,’” Hebert said. “And at the fair I was waiting to drink water in this long line and I saw this water fountain with no line and I went to drink some and my daddy stopped me and said that’s the colored fountain.”

2012 Singer and songwriter Whitney Houston is found dead in her bathtub at the age of 48

2010 Disney introduces first African-American princess, Tiana

2008 Barack Obama becomes the 44th president of the United States. He is also the first African-American president

For Brisco, Black History Month isn’t just like any other holiday that is celebrated, it’s a time where people need to realize that there were sacrifices made so the entire community can live the life they have now.

“Black History month means empowerment, it means pride, it means passion, it means humility,” Brisco said.

“There were so many people who gave their lives just so that African-Americans could vote. Things that we take for granted everyday, just to go to school and be considered an equal was not a given, someone gave their life for the treasures we take for granted every single day. As an African-American woman and having first hand experienced the sting of de-segregation, I won’t forget what it means now to see students being able to have choices and not be afraid that those choices are going to be able taken away from you.”

One thing that Pfeiffer is wanting students to take away is to honor the culture.

“Honor, honoring the legacy of this culture, this group of people,” Pfeiffer said. “It has to be passed on, it has to be recognized, and preserved. It’s also more imperative now than ever in our country with the cultural climate that there be solidarity, that there be enlightenment, that there be open mindedness, and that we embrace all that is beautiful about the melting pot of cultural diversity.

One worry for Pfeiffer is going backwards on the timeline of history.

“We need to not look for ways to revert back to old times of segregation where one group was in power and subjugating and disenfranchising another.,” Pfeiffer said. “More than ever students deserve the right to have that unedited, unabridged history and learning that it is so crucial to having empathy for human beings.”

2012 Trayvon Martin is shot by George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida

Art by Fuaad Ajaz and Abby Ong 2014 Michael Brown shot in Ferguson, Missouri

2013 Black Lives Matter movement is created by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tumetti

Commentary

The Lone Star Dispatch Fri. Feb. 10, 2017

Page A6

Principal search begins and ends here Over the past year Bowie has been under the leadership of an interim principal, now the district has finally announced its time line for naming a permanent one.

This semester, interviews for the position will begin.

A schedule regarding the details of this process can be found on the Austin ISD and Bowie website. The entire process will be happening over the next few months.

However, some students and staff don’t think we even need a new principal because Susan Leos, who is currently filling the position, is sufficiently handling this job and working towards the school’s success.

Students value a caring and genuine personality. They value a principal who genuinely wants to improve the community involving Bowie rather than just doing the minimum of the job. Many people look for someone who can handle constructive criticism. It is important that this leader of the campus strives for the well-being of the school.

These qualities can be seen

in Leos. Just this year, we saw a big push for students to have exceptional attendance. There were benefits rather than consequences to motivate students.

Although this was done by the administration as a whole, Leos’ was ultimately responsible for these changes. She wants the school to be successful but mainly, she and the administration want students to have the most learning opportunities possible.

These steps were not just there to help improve the school’s reputation but to improve the students’ education.

Also, a current problem many high schoolers face is balancing mental health and success in school. Because of this, another important characteristic to look for in a principal is someone who tries to balance both. They need to understand that sometimes a student cannot truly do well if their mental health is not its best.

It is clear that Leos cares for the well-being of Bowie students.

Leos works to make a better environment for all students. Unlike previous principals, she has been more directly involved. It is not uncommon to hear her make announcements on the intercom.

Art by Abby Ong

Editorial

WANTS TO CREATE A GOOD WORKING ENVIRONMENT FOR TEACHERS

STUDENT

GENUINE, EFFECTIVE, AND CARING

CARES FOR STUDENTS AND THEIR EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS

It is also normal to see her walking around the school, having conversations with teachers and motivating students to be on time to classes. It’s clear that Leos is very involved and dedicated to Bowie’s success.

Not only is she good with students, but she also works well with teachers. For example, if

there is a new teacher hired, she’s the first to offer assistance and welcome them. It is clear that she wants teachers to be comfortable and happy with their job.

It is not known whether Leos has tossed her name into the hiring pool for the new principal position, but if she has, The Lone Star Dispatch staff would be hap-

py to see her as the permanent leader of this school.

We support her, and we think she would be an excellent leader that will be driven by both student success and needs, but also have the best interests of teachers and the community at heart with every decision.

Alternative facts should not be the country’s new normal Jake Brien Staff Writer

T

wo days after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th U.S. President, Senior Adviser Kellyanne Conway proclaimed two words which will be remembered for the entirety of Trump’s presidency. In an attempt to defend falsely-proven statements made by White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, Conway used the phrase “alternative facts” during an MSNBC interview on Jan. 22 when comparing the crowd size of Obama’s inauguration to Trump’s.

The use of the phrase “alternative facts” demonstrates that the Trump administration is willing to counter any and all accusations by twisting reality to how they want it to be.

This jeopardizes not only the integrity of the White House, but the press’ relationship with the administration itself.

CEO of Trump International, Trump is the “Id”, or the manifestation of human instinct, to what many Americans had hoped the leader of the United States to be. He is widely consid-

ered by both citizens of the U.S. and other nations to be a racist, a misogynist, an isolationist, and more. These are hardly characteristics of someone who believes in “reuniting” America after the 2016 presidential race which alienated both longtime Republicans and Democrats alike.

Trump promised to “Make America Great Again,” while leading a nation that faces $20 trillion in national debt. If he ever hopes to unite America at all, addressing this will be his ticket to doing so. Unlike his businesses, Trump can’t simply declare bankruptcy a few times and call it a day.

This will take hard work, and will require an administration that is dedicated to building effective policies that can unite liberals and conservatives.

Unfortunately, it seems for now that Trump is focused more on undoing previous policies of former president Barack Obama, while lashing out at the slightest criticism from the

President Trump @POTUS

Grass is in fact purple. #alternativefacts

President Trump @POTUS

Jellybeans are a vegetable. #alternativefacts

President Trump

My hair is real. #alternativefacts

Art by Avy Friedman

press.

In Obama’s final press conference, days before Trump’s inauguration, Obama emphasized the importance of the media’s diligence to uncover the truth in any president’s administration. Now that Trump is in office, however, his administration holds a much more aggressive approach in dealing with

DISPATCH STAFF - Vol. 29, Issue #4 Editor-in-chief Violet Glenewinkel Page A1

Entertainment Editor Kiran Patel - Page B4 Victoria Newell- Page B5

Managing Editor Caitlin Devlin - Page A2 Fuaad Ajaz - Page A4-5

Student Life Editors Kathleen Nguyen - Page B6 Carissa Duran - Page B7

Photo Editors News Editor Samantha Knapp - Page A3 Ashley Ramirez - Page A8 Cara Andres - Page B8 Commentary Editors Website Team Lead Avy Friedman - Page A6 Joseph Killeen Ian Miller - Page A7 Athletics Editors Mia Barbosa - Page B1 Shelby Kelly - Page B2 Review Editor Cianna Chairez - Page B3

Assistant Editors Darcy Kanneman Austyn Keelty Abby Ong Adviser Michael Reeves

@POTUS

Dispatch Staff: Jadon Alvarez Madison Austin Jake Brien Maria Demopoulos Gavin Farner Gigi Francis Jolie Francis Yana Krykunenko Justine Lockhart Harrison Louis Sam McPherson Emily Merritt Alicia Molina Mo Orr Shelby Papst Callie Richards Douglas Smith Reagan Wallace Ella Wright Mikayla Zellner

the medias coverage of the president.

On Jan. 26, White House Strategist Stephen Bannon was quoted as saying that the media should “Keep it’s mouth shut” and to “listen” after the chaos of Trump’s executive action to detain and deport thousands of illegal immigrants. Alarmingly, Trump has repeatedly called CNN

“fake news” with no evidence to back his claims.

People need to see Trump’s leadership for what it is — an administration that is frankly thin-skinned to criticisms from the media.

American news outlets are an essential and integral part of both our nation and our history, and to try and discredit or outright shame them for doing their jobs is unacceptable. In the same MSNBC interview mentioned earlier, Conway emphasized the words “We allowed the press” into the press conference, as if trying to say that the administration does not have to.

When a President’s representative, of any status, uses the words “allowed” when talking about the press’ coverage of the President, that is a clear sign of not just attempted political manipulation, but that Trump will try and run the country the way he wants to — without opposition.

Look, the media isn’t perfect. The media isn’t always right. But without the media, think about how many pivotal American controversies that could have gone uncovered. Watergate, for example, was ignored by the general public until the Washing-

ton Post, under criticism, released evidence suggesting ex-President Richard Nixon was part of a mass cover-up and demonstrated an abuse in his power in the 1970’s.

We need the media to root out our problems, to focus on the stories that most people wouldn’t normally hear, and most importantly, to voice public concerns to any president’s administration.

Trump’s repeated attempts to discredit the media creates a sense of uncertainty and fear in many Americans. This is what scares me. Therefore, I suggest that we become more politically active, or at the very least, politically aware here at James Bowie High School. President Trump can say what he wants about the media, that’s his constitutional right. But the same constitutional right gives freedom to the press.

So if we can all be more vigilant, we can decide for ourselves the credibility of the media. We can analyze if news is factual or non factual. Ultimately, in the final analysis, facts are facts, and cannot therefore be “alternative,” no exceptions.

EDITORIAL POLICY • The Lone Star 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 Lone Star Dispatch is an open forum for student expression. The Lone Star Dispatch is not reviewed by school administration prior to distribution, and the advisor will not act as a censor.

Content represents the views of the student staff and not school officials.

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

• We will make every effort to avoid printing libel, obscenities, innuendo and material that threatens to disrupt the learning process or is an invasion of privacy. We will avoid electronic manipulation that alters the truth of a photograph without indicating that the photographer is an illustration.

• Staff editorials represent the opinion of the editorial board arrived at by discussion and will not be bylined. Bylined articles are the opinion of the individual writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Lone Star Dispatch staff or administration as a whole.

• The Lone Star Dispatch welcomes reader input. Please send any letters, articles, comments or corrections to bowie.journalism@gmail.com, call (512) 841-7825, or 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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The Lone Star Dispatch

Commentary Fri. Feb. 10, 2017

Page A7

High schoolers can fall in love Austyn Keelty Staff Writer

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Art by Gavin Farner

ove... everyone experiences it, but can people as young as high schoolers feel love? Many people can claim they are in love, but how does one know what they are feeling is legitimately love? There is a lot of negativity toward the idea of “high school love”, so is high school love real or just a mixture of confused emotions and hormones?

The idea of high school love can be very controversial depending on one’s personal experiences and views on the actual meaning and idea of love. The word love doesn’t have one strict definition; in addition the word itself means something different to every person. Everyone has their own special encounter with love; therefore, the answer to this topic solely depends on every single person’s independent encounter with their “first love”.

In high school, with the right person and shared maturity, I think high school love is very real. Love to me is a shared feeling of respect, loyalty, and devotion that high school students can experience.

Love does take time to develop, so the term “love at first sight” is not realistic to me, but with time high school students can feel, experience, and revel in the emotional roller coaster ride called love.

Coming from a high school girls per-

spective, people may not find this opinion surprising; however many adults do admit that they experienced their first love and heartbreak in high school. I do admit-tingly say that some teenagers can mistake their sensation of “being in love with someone” as them just loving the idea of being in love. This common mistake may be the reason many adults say that high school love isn’t real, and that teenagers aren’t mature enough to fully understand this worldwide concept

called love; however science disagrees.

There is more behind love than just two people in a relationship claiming they love each other. Love, in fact, comes from a mixture of chemicals human bodies produce and yes, teenagers produce all of these. Two common hormones that are produced during the “attraction stage” in the process of falling in love is dopamine and serotonin. These two hormones explain the reason behind why people can’t stop thinking about their partner and the

“butterflies” one may experience. The mix between dopamine and serotonin are even said to have the same effect on the brain as cocaine.

There are more serious hormones that explain the pneumonia of “long-term relationships” and the desire to spend the rest of your life with someone, and once again, teenagers receive these same hormones that adults do. Vasopressin and oxytocin are both hormones that create the desire to stay with someone long-term and explain the feeling of commitment. In addition, studies show that on average it only takes 88 days to fall in love with someone.

Before accusing that teenagers are too “immature” and “too young” to experience love, one must really look beneath the surface of what love is and how it develops.

Everyone lives different lives and therefore everyone has different experiences; therefore, I think it is wrong of someone to claim whether someone’s love is “real or not”. It’s simply up to that person and that person only to label what they feel and statistics set aside, love is something different to everyone, therefore everyone will experience it at different times.

I personally think that there aren’t any tricks or facts behind love and that love has endless definitions. Love is just one of those things where not one person can call it true/false or wrong/right, because love simply can never be copied or forced.

Overall, in my personal experience and observance, high school love is real.

Peaceful protesters hope to solve long-lasting problems Reagan Wallace Staff Writer

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merica’s relationship with its mothers and daughters has been a rocky one. However, women, men, and those in between have been fighting for the equality between genders.

With the impending inauguration of Donald J. Trump, citizens are sticking to their guns and organizing peaceful marches all across the nation; one of which occurred at the Texas State Capitol here in Austin on January 21.

This march is not a violent riot or raging protest. It is only a statement to express peace, equality, and acceptance between all humans. The event is an incredibly healthy and reasonable tactic in spreading the vision of the ideal America.

Mass political actions for women like these have been popular since as early as 1903. Labor reformer Mary Harris Jones is among the many famed feminists of color that began to put

together amicable marches and protests, resulting in more and more laws being created to benefit women and other minorities.

If these movements could make a difference back then, it surely should now.

A popular example of the positive changes these demonstrations have caused is the English suffragist movement of the early 1900s. All of the work done by women and like-minded men gave the women the right to vote, and later, other civil rights. America today is much more progressive than 20th century England, meaning these projects and outcries can create even bigger results for the benefit of women of any orientation, color, or size.

A few of the many goals this march hopes to reach includes demolishing the Pink Tax, (a tax on female hygienic products), subduing laws against abortion clinics in Texas, and giving all women trustworthy healthcare.

There is no expectation to cause an uproar or controversy, but rather only to raise awareness for these issues.

The problems the march

In the crowd: As marchers hold up their signs at the steps of the Capitol, they peacefully protest for womens rights. Initially the plan was for around 30,000 people to attend, but on the day of the march over 50,000 people showed up to fight for womens rights. Photo by Reagan Wallace

hopes to improve have been relevant for many years, but had been sparked most recently by outrage over Donald Trump’s election as president. Demonstrations such as this can easily be effective because they are peaceful and

reasonable, but they catch the attention of people who have power in the country. Whether Trump likes the protests and marches or not, he will still continuously see them everywhere.

Peaceful marches and

like-minded projects are important for citizens to participate in.

They don’t have to change the world, but they can be used as a stepping stone in order to begin doing so.

BULLDAWGS SPEAK OUT 9th

10th

Is high school love genuine?

11th

12th

TEACHER

Victor Santangelo

Tank Rolan

Jimmy Counihan

Jonathan Hollevoet

Alejandro Garcia

“Yes, because people can still feel love even if they’re young.”

“I could say that there are a few couples out there that could last past high school, and some are to pass time.”

“Sure, I believe it’s genuine.

We’re a little bit older and more experienced and as we transition to adulthood we can make more sound decisions.”

“It depends on how you feel about them. It’s difficult to find, but it’s possible.”

“Probably 95% of the time, ‘no’.

People think they found their soul-mate? Really? No.”

Photos by Harrison Louis, questions by Douglas Smith

Photo Essay The Lone Star Dispatch

Fri. Feb. 10, 2017

Page A8

Day in a Life: Student Gymnast Kate Stubbs balances school and five hour practices Ashley Ramirez Photo Editor

With sweat beading down her forehead, sophomore Kate Stubbs, refuses to stop. Stubbs practices five-hours a day, for five days every week with Champions Westlake Gymnastics.

Becoming a competitive gymnast requires a lot of physical strength and conditioning.

“Being a gymnast definitely gets a person into shape,” Stubbs said. “We do so much training that we become very strong in order to do all the skills we need.”

Coach Rachel Scarbrough conditions Stubbs and her teammates not only physically but mentally.

“Besides the physical aspect, we work a lot on helping the girls with the mental aspect of the sport,” Scarbrough said. “Gaining confidence is important, and there are a lot of mental factors to work through when you are a high level gymnast.”

Scarbrough expects her team to walk in with an

attire ready for a five hour practice.

“Our gymnasts should arrive to practice with their leotard on, and shorts or leggings of their choosing,” Scarbrough said.

On Stubbs’ team she is one of the oldest girls as well as high ranking, so many of her teammates look up to her.

“She is like a leader for all of us,” teammate Nayna Pashilkar said.

Upon entering the gym, Stubbs gets right to work.

“A normal day once I get to the gym is to stretch,” Stubbs said. “Then we do each of the four events for about 50 minutes, then we condition and do more stretching as a cool down.”

During practice Stubbs and her team prepare for upcoming competitions by working on technical skills and their own routine.

“I like competing especially on the floor exercise because it gives me a chance to show my personality through my gymnastics and dance,” Stubbs said.

Since becoming Stubbs’ coach for two years Scarbrough has noticed im-

Running through the routine: Stubbs runs through her competition routine for an upcoming competition. The competition Stubbs is competing in is the third one she has done this year. “Every spring I do about seven competitions,” Stubbs said. Photo by Ashley Ramirez

provements that have been made.

“Kate has gained a whole other level of confidence just recently that has really helped her progress in many areas,” Scarbrough said. “She is a mentally tough gymnast, and loves the sport.”

Alison Stubbs, Kate Stubbs’ mother has also noticed a difference in her daughter since being in gymnastics.

“She has become very focused and organized in order to manage a year round gymnastics schedule involving 25 hours in the gym per week as well as school work, orchestra commitments and her social life,” Alison said. “I think she does a great job of balancing it all.”

Gymnastics has impacted Kate in ways she wouldn’t have expected if she hadn’t done the sport.

“My life would definitely have been different if I did not do gymnastics,” Kate said. “I would have a lot more time on my hands but I also would not have learned all the great things I learned from gymnastics.”

Across the Floor: Running into a round off back hand spring, Stubbs is watched by teammates as she travels across the floor. Stubbs and teammates took turns tumbling across the floor.“ Kate is a strong gymnast,” Coach Rachel Scarbrough said. Photo by Ashley Ramirez

A balancing act: Focusing on technique is sophomore Kate Stubbs at Champions Westlake Gymnastics. Stubbs has fourth and eighth period off allowing her to get to practice. “I have practice on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursday, and Friday from three to eight and Saturdays from eight to one,” Stubbs said. Photo by Ashley Ramirez

On the Beam: Sophomore Kate Stubbs throws herself into a back handspring on the balance beam. Every practice Stubbs pushes her self to the limit to master new skills.

“It is very gratifying and makes me feel very accomplished to have worked so hard for something and to have achieved my goals,” Stubbs said. Photo by Ashley Ramirez

Break time: Stubbs takes a break with teammate Nayna Pashilkar before moving to the next event, floor. The girls on the team vary in age but they are all close “The team is really close knit,” Pashilkar said. “We motivate each other to be the best we can be.”

Photo by Ashley Ramirez

Warm’n up: Leaping in the air, Stubbs warms up for her gymnastics routine. Stubbs having being a gymnast for a while has come to love the sport. “I love the feeling of flying through the air,” Stubbs said. “Its really fun to get to learn new skills.” Photo by Ashley Ramirez

James Bowie High School

Athletics

4103 W. Slaughter Lane Austin, TX 78749

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Friday Feb. 10, 2017

Section

Vol. 29

Issue 4

B

Athletics B1-2 Reviews B3 Entertainment B4-5 Feature B6-7 Photo Essay B8

Senior experiences the ride of her life

Celeste Hermes and her horse Frazier strive to continue racing despite the obstacles they face Mia Barbosa Athletics Editor The sound of strong hooves thunder over the ground as dirt floats into the air. Soft yet stern thumps are heard as the rider commands her horse using her feet along his side. A concentrated look is present in the rider’s eyes as she leads her horse to make a jump but a smile traces her face once the horse lands the powerful maneuver.

Senior Celeste Hermes was introduced to horseback riding at a YMCA camp that she attended with her friend as a little girl and was immediately was fascinated by the sport.

As she grew older and her passion for riding developed further her parents supported her desire to further pursue riding because they believed she was a natural at riding and Celeste’s mom, Lou Hermes, had always had an interest in riding as well.

Lou’s favorite memory involving her daughter and the sport was when they purchased her first horse which was a gelding named Frazier.

“We surprised her with that, she kind of knew that it was coming because she got it through the Make A Wish Foundation but she didn’t know when it was going to happen so that was the surprise and that was pretty special,” Lou said. “She was able to be a part of the Make A Wish Foundation because she has Cystic Fibrosis which is a disease that affects the lungs and digestive system.”

Celeste was aware that Frazier could possibly become her horse because

Jumping Hurdles: Senior Celeste Hermes and her horse Frazier jump over an obstacle while practicing in a small training area at Scissortail Hill Equestrian which is where he’s boarded. Scissortail Hill Equestrian was established in 2014 and has provided boarding, lessons, shows, and camps ever since. Photo by Mia Barbosa

when she met him she instantly had a connection.

“You have to try out the horse first to see if you fit well with them he was the first and only horse that I tried and I loved it and I loved his riding style and the way he reacted to me so I knew I wanted him,” Celeste said.

Celeste remembers hav-

ing her suspicions the day that she found out Frazier was her horse because her mom had taken her to her weekly lesson instead of her grandma.

“He has this tail that whenever he is excited it goes up; I saw that tail and it was going behind this massive hay wall so

Saddling Up: Preparing her horse for a riding session senior Celeste Hermes straps on her horse’s saddle after caring for him and putting on his protective gear. Frazier also went through a post riding care routine which included taking off his gear, stretching exercises, grooming, feeding and being put into his stable. Photo by Mia Barbosa

I walked into the barn and there’s all of my barn friends and family and him,” Celeste said. “I was in shock but I was also ecstatic. “ Along with Frazier’s tail gesture he also has other quirks that set him apart from others horses.

“It’s funny because there are some horses, like camp horses, were they can do well with anybody but he’s just a one person type of horse,” Celeste said. “It takes a special kind of patience to connect with him because he can be kind of scatterbrained if you’re confident in yourself then he mirrors that confidence.”

While Frazier is able to replicate Celeste’s mood for the most part, sometimes his nerves can still be too strong to control.

“The cross country course is right there next to the highway so it freaks him out so that’s been the biggest struggle for me and him because he gets really nervous,” Celeste said. “He’s a horse he definitely could hurt me if he wasn’t focusing, obviously he wouldn’t be meaning to, when he gets nervous he’ll buck and put that nervous energy into bucking around and running.”

It’s important that the duo are able to keep their anxiety under control because of the threat of one of them getting injured being

present.

“Calming myself down enough to calm him is one of the hardest things I think so that’s the biggest challenge right now,” Celeste said.

One of Celeste’s methods to trying to maintain a tranquil state in herself and Frazier is to sing to him and pet his neck to reassuringly until he settles down. Celeste’s friend, senior Elizabeth Jones, met Frazier and has seen a little glimpse of Celeste’s closeness with Frazier.

“My favorite part of visiting the barn with Celeste was getting to see the bond that her and Frasier have created,” Jones said.

“He was so happy to see her, and you could tell he was very comfortable and trusting with her. He is a super charismatic horse, and that’s why I think they get along so well.”

After years of being together Celeste and her horse have grown very close to each other and because of the trust that Frazier has instilled in Celeste it has helped their riding become stronger as well.

“People think riding a horse the horse is doing all the work but really the horse is taking cues from the person and riding and it’s very subtle you don’t even realize what they’re doing to make the turns or the jumps or whether they are going to be trotting or

walking,” Lou said. “It’s just very subtle signals from the rider that’s getting them to do that and it’s kind of amazing really to watch.”

While there is a lot a rider has to do in order to get their horse to do exactly what they need them to do Celeste has never been overwhelmed in the learning process.

“For the most part learning has never been an issue, I catch on quickly but it’s whenever I learn it wrong and have to fix it later that it becomes an issue,” Celeste said.

Lou recalls one of her proudest moments of watching her daughter horseback riding was from a lesson Celeste had involving making jumps over logs.

“Eventually I think she got to six jumps where the person had to go over each of the jumps six times and Celeste was the only one who did it successfully and the trainer was like ‘And that is how it’s done’,” Lou said.

Because of moments like this while training, Celeste now has a stronger sense of self-esteem about herself which others in her life have noticed.

“She always tries her hardest to accomplish any goal she sets for herself despite adversity, which I have always admired,” Jones said.

While Jones has recognized the strength that her friend has, Celeste can also understand how being involved in horseback riding has taught her much more than how to care for a horse and ride it.

“Riding has taught me confidence, for sure, because you have to confident if you’re going to be bossing around an animal that is twelve times your size,” Celeste said. “You can’t let him get away with something because then he’ll learn that he can get away with that so it taught me to stand up for myself.”

Close Connection: Having a moment of peace, senior Celeste Hermes bonds with her horse after riding with him. This was the second time the two had seen each other in a while due to Celete’s busy extra curricular schedule which involves marching band, Key Club, NHS, and Spanish Honor Society.

Photo by Mia Barbosa

Athletics

The Lone Star Dispatch

Fri. Feb. 10, 2017

Page B2

Running off the beaten path

Warnken continues to push his times with extra training efforts Gigi Francis Staff Writer The gun flares as runners stumble to their feet, trying to pace themselves for the mile coming. Lap after lap, mile after mile, Dawson Warken continues to run.

Warken is a senior at James Bowie High School who has been running track in and outside of school.

He was persuaded into running in 7th grade when they saw his potential and has been running ever since all through his high school career.

“I have ran track all four years of high school. I started running track in 7th grade. My 7th/8th grade soccer coaches inspired me to start running because they said I had great endurance,” Warken said.

While running track, Warken has received many awards that make it all worth it and keeps him doing what he loves.

“I have won a number of medals for specific races along with a team award of ‘Most Improved’ my sophomore year,” Warken said.

“It feels great receiving an award for track because it make all of the hard work

worth it.”

Running track is beneficial to Warken in more than one way, not only has he connected and made friendships with, but he can find peace through it.

“The experience on the team has been one of the best parts about track. The friendships I have made will be cherished. It also helps me clear my head and I enjoy exploring new places and trails to run on,” Warken said.

Running track helps Warken take his mind off of things and keep him is fit shape to make him a healthier person.

“Track plays a role in my everyday life because it has taught me that if I eat healthier then I perform better. Eating healthy on a day to day basis has become a part of my life because of track,” Warken said.

Warken finds his passion for track when he’s running the track events and training.

“Dawson seems happy when he’s running. He’s always excited to go practice and train,” Hannah Erb said.

Each track meet has a process to get your body ready for the next day to

run and compete, Dawson has his own routine before he goes to a meet or event.

“I prepare for a meet or track event by eating paste the night before, and con-

tinuing to stay hydrated during the day of the meet.

Warming up before I run is also vital to pre-run preparation,” Warken said.

After running and

spending so much time on and off the track in this sport, Dawson is still unsure about further pursuing his passion for this sport.

“I have thought about

continuing track after high school but it all depend on my times this season,” Warken said.

Although Warken spends a lot of time and effort into training, he finds a way to interact with many students on campus.

“Dawson is a very social kid who is great with all other students. He’s nice to everyone that he encounters and is the most down to earth person I know. I’m sure all of his other friends would say the same thing,” Erb said.

Warken is not only involved in track, he is also a part of the peer assistant and leadership program, otherwise known as PALS. Bowie teacher, Alejandro Garcia, runs the program.

PALS is a class that allows its students to frequently visit local elementary schools to work with, and support children that have challenging life circumstances.

“Dawson is a great young man whose life experiences have made him a fantastic mentor and friend to his peers and players alike. I can count on him to do anything and he always follows through with what he says he’ll do,” Garcia said.

power-lifting lacks popularity, it helps support athletes behind every sport and takes a lot of preparation and training.

“My favorite thing about power-lifting is comradery and the experience of competing in a competition,” power-lifting coach Lee Hipp said.

Power-lifting recently had their first meet at Vista Ridge on January 12.

Sophomore Cooper Laake competed along with many other grade levels that traveled up there to compete and start off the season.

“First meet was pretty decent versus Vista Ridge, we had about 60 competitors go up there, different levels, freshman and varsity, and everyone did a great job. Cooper did a great job and he was very impressive as a sophomore,” Hipp said.

Laake finished second among juniors and seniors with a maximum weight of 920 pounds. Being one of the few sophomores to finish top five, Laake works extremely hard, putting in extra hours to be where he

is now.

“I try and be in the weight room almost every single day and eat a lot of food. I want to be bigger, faster and stronger so that I can play football in college,” Laake said.

Power-lifting consists of three different lifts, squats, bench press and dead lift. At meets, every athlete must find their max weight in each lift, but everyone has their specialties and favorites.

“I like Squats because I like working on lower body lifts and a lot of what I do in football comes from strength in my lower body,” junior Matthew Forrest said.

Along with the intense training and work, a proper diet with a lot of protein and carbs are important to help one’s body recover from a hard meet.

“I lift during and after football and also try to get the right amount of protein, carbs, etc. my body needs,” Forrest said.

Dedication and work put into training are important, but the right coach

and mentor to help develop the right technique is also very important for success.

Coach Hipp helps train them because the sport has points made up of pushing oneself to their limits.

“Coach Hipp is really helpful in developing different techniques in the weight room and enabling myself to get better, bigger and stronger,” junior Zach Yanes said.

Because power-lifting doesn’t have a class, students must come after-hours either before school or after school to train. Hipp not only opens the weight room occasionally on the weekends but is also here everyday before school and after school until 5:30 pm to help train athletes.

“Coach Hipp is very vocal and he enjoys making us work and he likes to make us stronger,” Laake said Power-lifting requires a quick stimulus and fast reacting muscles to complete each lift. This sport requires large amounts of muscle, which can only ob-

tained through hard work and time. Along with these physical requirements, athletes must be strong mentally and set goals to keep they improving.

“Coach Hipp is good at getting us to move quick and get done what we need to get done. He helps us set goals for where we want to be at and helps us get there,” Forrest said.

Power-lifting is also set aside form other sports because AISD does not fund it and the athletes and coaches must provide for themselves.

“The money is struggling to get there because AISD does not sponsor it, but I expect it to be quite well throughout the season,” Hipp said.

Lacking recognition and funding, power-lifting never fails to train athletes during off-season and continues to display and teach young athletes hard work and devotion “We enjoy ourselves, we get to add on to other sports, and it helps people get ready and prepare for other sports,” Hipp said.

Training to be the best: Senior Dawson Warnken works out in the weight room to strengthen his body for an upcoming meet. For track, Warnken has to train on the track and in the weight room in order to prepare for the intensity of the meets. Warnken has been running competitively since he was in middle school. Photo by Austyn Keelty

Tossing big weights around pushes players to new levels Austyn Keelty Staff Writer

Football, basketball and volleyball are all followed closely and are very popular sports within a high school and even college, but what about those sports that don’t get as much recognition. Athletes have

many different techniques for training and preparing themselves during off-season, including power-lifting.

Power-lifting is a competitive weightlifting sport, where athletes perform three different types of lifts to see who can lift the most weight. Although

Strengthening his heart and mind: Senior Ronnie Garcia prepares for his next power-lifting match. Garcia has been on the Bowie power-lifting team for the past two seasons making this his third. Photo by Mia Barbosa

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The Lone Star Dispatch

Reviews

Fri., Feb. 10, 2017

Page B3

Inherit fortunes with Netflix’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events” Justine Lockhart Staff Writer

r l Handle e i n a D udis, ck Mark H an Cusa tr Neil Pa

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Art by Cianna Chairez

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supplies. Klaus is known to be an avid reader and is a very knowledgeable child.

And Sunny is characterized by her sharp teeth which can saw through even the toughest materials.

These talents can sometimes be exaggerated and unrealistic. For example Sunny uses her teeth to smooth a rock. The infant also knows how to play poker, even winning against a adult.

This unrealistic portrayal of talent and knowledge makes the show a little more childish.

Although these talents are important to the story, they subtract from the overall plot by distracting from the unfortunate events that take place.

After Count Olaf’s plan is foiled, the children are transferred to a new guardian, but Count Olaf finds them once more and again devises a scheme to get access to the Baudelaire’s wealth. The pattern of Olaf coming up with a plot, the kids foiling it and then being given to a new guardian continues, and it soon becomes evident that Olaf will stop at nothing.

Although this pattern can get a little repetitive, each new plot is creative and different from the rest.

Narrator Snicket also manages to keep the plot entertaining and captivating, and at times, uses almost the exact lines written in

Art by Callie Richards

If you are interested in a review about a happy story, you’re better off reading another one. Netflix’s adaptation of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” premiered in January, on Friday the 13th, an unlucky day for a show about unlucky events to be released.

The show stars Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf, the Baudelaire children’s villainous third cousin four times removed or perhaps the fourth cousin three times removed.

Malina Weissman, Louis Hynes, and Presley Smith star alongside Harris as the three Baudelaire children.

Patrick Warburton brings author Lemony Snicket to life by playing the narrator.

Harris does a great job as Count Olaf. He plays the role with a more hu-

morous twist compared to how Jim Carrey portrayed the same role in the 2004 movie based on the book series. I prefer Harris’ version of the villain because of the lighthearted feeling this gives the show. The rest of the young cast also perfectly fits the charming, yet dark story of the Baudelaires.

The story begins when Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are orphaned after their parents die in a fire. The children are then forced to live with the greedy Count Olaf who wants the Baudelaire fortune. Each time Count Olaf comes up with a plot to get to the fortune, he is thwarted by the children.

Each kid has a special talent that aids them in escaping Count Olaf’s evil clutches. Violet is an inventor and can build anything, even with limited

the books.

The show closely follows Snicket’s original 13 books. The first season follows the first four books: “The Bad Beginning,” “The Reptile Room,” “The Wide Window” and “The Miserable Mill.”

However, an interesting subplot is included in the final scenes of each episode, which adds even more mystery to the show.

These snippets of information were a clever and enjoyable way to make the show new, and set it apart a bit from the books and movie.

The show is cleverly produced and even the opening song adds to the overall feel of the story.

Every two episodes equal one of the books and each book gets a personalized theme song. Although the tune is the same, the words are slightly altered for each book. The songs, sung by Harris, are a great way to start each episode and keep viewers from skipping the opening.

Themes of having courage in the face of danger and thinking outside the box to solve problems are conveyed through the

Baudelaire’s struggle. Although the topic of the show is rather dark, these themes give the show a charming, and at times even slightly light hearted feeling.

Overall I give “A Series of Unfortunate Events” a 4 out of 5 stars. Just as good as the books, this Netflix show is fun, enjoyable and easy to understand for all age groups.

I’m looking forward to seeing how this plays out in the second season, even though there must be something happier on screen for me to see.

“Super Mario Run”: Game’s purple coins not enough Nintendo’s newest app since the release of “Pokemon GO” sparks profit controversy Jake Brien Staff Writer

to the game’s lackluster content. For a mobile market, the consumer base is much less willing to pay money for an app, and if so the app is expected to have a substantial amount of content.

The app is free to download with the first three levels and online multi-player without purchase. In total, the app is $10, a hefty price for most mobile games.

With only 24 levels, this alienated consumers from buying the full game.

While over 40 million people downloaded the app in the first four days of its release, only 1.5 million people bought the game.

Ouch. That means that less than four percent of people who downloaded the app chose to buy it.

The story of the game is simple. Once again, Bowser has kidnapped Princess Peach and it’s up to Mario to get her back and restore the Toad Kingdom to it’s former glory.

The game play itself is fast, addicting, and very fun. In mobile game fashion, Mario is in a constant run to the right, only stopping when either dying or reaching the flagpole at the end of the level.

Along the way, players

Art by Gavin Farner

Unveiled at Apple’s iPhone 7 and 7s reveal back in September of 2016, Nintendo, like other video game companies, have thrown their hat into the mobile gaming market with “Super Mario Run.” With an ongoing very successful app already, “Pokemon GO,” “Super Mario Run” should have been Nintendo’s saving grace after the company had come under low profit margins with the Wii U, right? Right?

But before going into the outcome of Nintendo’s gamble, let’s refresh on what Nintendo used to be.

Nintendo used to be the leading competitor in the video game market a

decade before Microsoft’s first Xbox or Sony’s Playstation were released.

The past few years haven’t been kind to the company however, and Nintendo thought that by combining the now growing mobile market for games and everyone’s favorite Italian plumber into one, they could finally see some elbow room since their glory days.

This, sadly, wasn’t the case. “Super Mario Run,” while moderately successful, wasn’t at all what consumers hoped it would be, and Nintendo is now losing money with their projected sales reaching far less than what Nintendo had expected them to be. What happened?

Many users will point

have the option to collect five purple coins hidden and scattered throughout each level. Obtaining them often means going out of the way to do some careful and challenging maneuvers.

Once a player collects all five purple coins in a level, when replayed the level is noticeably more challenging, with new obstacles and enemies in your way.

“Super Mario Run” also includes a multi-player mode called Toad Rally.

Players compete against other phone users to gain the most spectators by completing a level using impressive tricks.

Once the winner is decided, the skilled player is rewarded with an expanded castle, with the number of Toad subjects having been increased, and money to purchase decorations for your own kingdom.

Overall, “Super Mario Run” is indeed a fun game. Growing up with a Nintendo GameCube I had

high hopes that Nintendo would use their national icon, Mario, with great success in “Super Mario Run.” While the app itself wasn’t what many expected, on its own “Super Mario Run” is a fun game.

“Super Mario Run” serves as a warning to Nintendo.

If they don’t put out quality games or apps for the next few years, the company could face trouble.

E ntertainment

Singing her way to the top The Lone Star Dispatch

Fri. Feb. 10, 2017

Page B4

Junior Bella Cuminato is the only student from Bowie to make it to All-State Emily Merritt Staff Writer

Every year, choir students have the chance to participate in the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) All-State choral competition. To make the All-State Choir, participants must advance all the way through a tiered series of auditions.

Junior Bella Cuminato was the only Bowie student to make it all the way to the All-State Choir, while freshman Hannah Cherukuri, junior Blake Moyer, and seniors Noah Sheets and William Bohuslav advanced to Area.

“We generally have about fifty students auditioning for the Region Choir, and about half make it in. Of the 25 that make it in the Region Choir, about five to ten of them make it to Area,” choir teacher Caitlin Gasco said.

“What’s so cool about Bella is that we actually haven’t had a Bowie student make All-State in seven years.”

A long-time choir member, Cuminato has been

involved with competitions like this before. In middle school, she was a part of the Region Choir.

During her freshman year, she made it into the Treble Choir, and her sophomore year into the Mixed Choir.

“It was just something really amazing to strive for,” Cuminato said. “A lot of the people who I look up to as singers had done this competition before, like my mom and my voice teachers, so it made me feel very inspired. I knew it would be an amazing performance opportunity.”

At the competition, the first 400-500 students audition for the Region Choir, and only 120 are selected.

In the second round of cut auditions, Region Choir members must perform a different song and sightread as well. The top five move onto Area, where they audition with another set of music within their small groups. The top three remaining contestants earn spots on the All-State Mixed Choir.

Most students received their music, and began to practice at the start of the school year.

Taking a Breath: Eyes on the prize, freshman Hannah Cherukuri takes a look at her sheet music. Cherukuri was able to advance to Area, an honor not many students achieve. Photo by Emily Merritt

“I actually went to the UT Music Camp over the summer so I could get an early chance to see and work on the music,” Cuminato said. “I also got a really good voice teacher to help coach me and practiced a lot in school because it’s where I felt the most comfortable.”

Freshman Hannah Cherukuri advanced to Area auditions along with some of her fellow choir students.

“This process helped me grow as a musician, I learned a lot from the music and just from the technique. I feel like my voice actually really matured over the period of doing all the music. I didn’t expect to advance as far as I did at all, I didn’t even think it was a possibility.”

Cherukuri said.

Although they did have the chance to work with teachers, the singers learned the TMEA music largely on their own time.

“We do expect that students are going to learn the region music mainly on their own, or be working with private voice teachers, but we still hosted sectionals every week and then a giant mixed rehearsal every Friday,” Gasco said. “I remember Bella, and a few other students, coming to me and singing for me to let me assess the musicality of the piece — like the sensitivity, phrasing, and style — just to make sure that it was something that the judges would like.”

Cuminato said that being in competition with her peers helped give her a deeper motivation to work hard and do well in her auditions.

“I was absolutely inspired my by classmates.

There were so many people who I knew were working

Practicing her Technique: In preparation for the competition, junior Bella Cuminato practices singing her performance piece. All-State competition demands that Cuminato dedicates a large amount of her time to practicing her piece. Photo by Emily Merritt

harder than ever, and being surrounded by talented people gave me a drive to do better,” Cuminato said.

In their auditions, the participants receive a cut of music from the given songs and are expected to sing before a panel of judges, which they cannot see.

“First I actually got really nervous,” Cuminato said. “But then I realized that when I’m just standing there behind this black tarp, it’s not really about the audition. So I thought about it like that, and per-

formed the music with the love and passion that I’ve always had for it.”

Other students had different ways of coping with nerves.

“My friends helped me a lot with the whole process. I almost had a breakdown at Pre-Area, but all the other participants were nice and gave me support.

It was nice to have a community even though we were all technically competing,” Cherukuri said.

This competition allowed for students to be

recognized in their vocal abilities, and gave them the chance to perform with other talented singers from all across the state.

“I just perform that music with the love that I’ve always had for it, and that’s all that matters. Without a doubt this made me better as a singer,” Cuminato said. “I am really happy to have achieved this, and to learn that if I just keep on practicing and embrace my voice, that makes a difference more than anything.”

Behind the scenes of The Who’s Tommy musical Shelby Papst Staff Writer

Whirling saws slice through plank after plank of wood, drills buzz for hours on end, set pieces stacked with props scattered. The building continues. Failure. Broken again.

Fixed it. Success.

James Bowie High School’s The Who’s Tommy tech crew had a rocky rise to success this year with missing orders to numerous breaks and re-do’s to the set, with an ultimately stellar outcome. The students and directors suffered through a lot of stress throughout the process of the musical.

“This is probably one of the most stressful and crazy shows I’ve ever been a part of,” sophomore prop crew member Emma Thomas said. “But the payoff has been amazing.”

Usually with Bowie productions, the Theatre Tech classes and tech crew help build set pieces to pull the show together. In the making of Tommy, the directors ordered a bridge

Plan of Action: Guiding the tech team, theatre teacher Matthew Humprey gives out instructions on how to build the musical set. Humphrey was an essential part in getting the show’s tech up and running. Photo by Shelby

and waited for weeks, only for the bridge to never arrive.

“The bridge was the biggest challenge,” sophomore stage manager Elizabeth Tiedt said. “Most numbers were blocked around the bridge and we had to re-stage half the show the day of opening night.”

The frustration of the

bridge and other pieces caused a lot of tension between technicians.

“We waited last minute for a lot of things that did not happen and that meant that we ended up making a good show, but one that could’ve gone better,” sophomore light manager Julia Cabrera said. “Because of delays, people got really stressed out and it

was hard to work together.”

Through the direction of senior tech director Matthew Humphrey, the technicians eventually fixed the bridge situation by all coming together and helping the directors find an alternative opening night by building a huge platform.

“I knew that everyone was on the brink of giving

up. There seemed to be no options for construction at that point because we had tried everything,” Thomas said. “Then I felt more of a responsibility because Humphrey asked me to be one of the people to come in the next day and build the new set.”

Many technicians were part of the making of Tommy. This led to a lot of before and after school hours that took a toll on many techs.

“During my lunches and off periods I met with the directors and other techs to figure out cues,” stage manager Olivia Roberts said. “I stayed up way too late to edit my cues, re-watching performances, and making notes for myself and the other technicians.”

Director Kalyn Holloway knew the students could handle the work though.

“I think we have a good group of students we knew would pull it together,” Holloway said.

The technicians still found fun in the workings of Tommy and don’t regret all the time they put into it

according to Thomas.

“The best part of the musical for me is the end of the show, whenever I can see the techs on the other side of the stage dancing as hard as I am,” Thomas said.

While the directors pushed the students hard, they were also the inspiration that kept the technicians motivated from start to finish.

“The directors are stressed during the show, but I feel like the stress brings us closer together,” Tiedt said. “After the show, I feel closer to them and like I understand them more.”

Looking past their frustrations and issues along the way, the technicians are proud of their work and the results it produced for the whole school to see.

“Theatre in general is a great way to feel like a part of something bigger than yourself,” Cabrera said.

“The musical especially; it forces you to work with new people and learn new things. It makes me feel at home.”

E ntertainment

The Lone Star Dispatch

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899 Performances Opened April 22, 1993 Closed June 17, 1995 Peter Townshend & Des McAnuff wrote the book Peter Townshend did the Music and Lyrics

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Mrs. Walker: Maddy Sparks, Chloe Byars Captain Walker: Blake Moyer, Sam Cole Uncle Ernie: Eli Schoolar, Shane Scandurra Cousin Kevin: Blake Pousson, Michael Jefferson Acid Queen: Rebekah Wood, Elizabeth Delgado-Savage Sally Simpson: Katie Norris, Emily Robinett

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The Starlight Theater Company has turned on the heat with Miss Saigon, done it’s best not to cry for Evita, and tamed the jungle with Tarzan, but for the 2016-2017 season, they decided to just play some pinball.

The Who’s Tommy, a musical about a deaf, dumb, and blind boy who also happens to be a Pinball Wizard, opened on January 12 and ran until January 22.

“We​ ​always​ ​try​ ​to​ ​do​ ​ a​ ​different​ ​style,​ ​genre,​ ​ of​ ​musical​ ​and​ ​we​ ​haven’t​ ​done​ ​a​ ​rock​ ​one​ ​ since Hairspray,​ ​so​ ​it​ ​was​ ​ time​ ​to​ ​do​ ​another​ ​rock​ ​ musical,” director Betsy Cornwell said. ​ The musical follows the story of Tommy Walker, who after accidentally witnessing a murder, goes psychologically deaf, dumb, and blind. The first act of the musical follows that event, and steps taken to try to cure him.

“The Tommy that I play, he starts out, and he’s kind of the narrator of the story, and the whole first act is just him seeing his life and looking back at the occurrences that have happened to him,” senior

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Jackson Walker said.

The first act also chronicles the mental and physical abuse that happens to Tommy from his abuser, Uncle Ernie and bully, Cousin Kevin.

“I think he’s very envious of Tommy because Tommy gets all this special treatment and Kevin just kind of gets left behind in the shadows, so I think he’s just searching for that attention,” junior Blake Pousson said.

At the end of Act One, Cousin Kevin takes Tommy to an arcade, where he showcases his talent for pinball and becomes the Pinball Wizard, despite his disabilities.

“Pinball Wizard is my favorite number because the energy is just so high and it just really gets me going, I love performing that song, I really just forget everything else,” Pousson said.

The plot takes a major turn during Act Two, as Mrs. Walker is able to set Tommy free by smashing the mirror he witnessed the murder through. After

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Victoria Newell Entertainment Editor

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Best Choreography Best Lighting Design

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Fri. Feb. 10, 2017

he’s set free, he becomes a rock star, and develops a very strong fan base.

“The second act starts out, and he’s, deaf, dumb, and blind, and he gets freed from his catatonic state. And then kind of gains a following and teaches people that they shouldn’t aspire to be anyone other than themselves,” Walker said.

Tommy includes almost the entire company, and presents a challenge for all performers, as the show is a rock opera; opera meaning that the music does not stop for dialogue, and rock in that the music falls in that genre.

“Since it’s a rock opera the music almost never stops, and in traditional musicals we have little breaks throughout the show for the musicians, the musicians kind of have to be engaged through the entire act which is quite a lengthy amount of time,” music director Randy Cantu said.

Tommy was devel-

oped by British rock band, The Who, as an album in 1969. It was then made into a movie in 1975, and the Broadway premiere was in 1993.

“How the Tommy story happened was The Who lounging around in a living room, or a garage, or whatever just thinking like ‘what if there was this kid who was deaf, dumb, and blind, but was like, really good at pinball,” senior Eli Schoolar said. “This story, this concept, although it’s now gone from an album, to a movie, to a musical, deep down in that album core the story concept has just been crafted so originally, and so, it just feels so creative.”

Bowie’s production sold out twice out of the 8 shows, and many of students have said that they won’t forget the Pinball Wizard any time soon.

“Pinball Wizard,​ ​even​ ​ though​ ​that’s​ ​the​ ​epic​ ​ number,​ ​it​ ​just​ ​gets​ ​me​ ​ so​ ​pumped up​ ​because​ ​ the​ ​music​ ​is​ ​so​ ​epic​,” senior dance captain Emma Haschke said. “As​ ​an​ ​individual​ ​there’s​ ​so​ ​much​ ​ artistic​ ​freedom​ ​with​ ​ how​ ​you​ ​move​ ​to​ ​the music​ ​and​ ​I​ ​love​ ​that​ ​aspect​ ​ of​ ​it​ ​where​ ​I​ ​basically​ just​ ​have​ ​a​ ​good​ ​time​ ​on​ ​ stage.”

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Features

The Lone Star Dispatch

Fri. Feb. 10, 2016

Page B6

Keep Austin Weird with pets Abby Ong Assistant Editor

Many students are welcomed home by the sound of scrambling paws scraping the floor, as their dogs or cats dash to the door to greet them.

However, some people at Bowie have more unique pets waiting at home, including a prairie dog, a squirrel, and a sugar glider.

Due to an impulse buy, senior Cameron Pyka has owned a prairie dog for almost a year.

“I was at the mall,” Pyka said. “The pet store had prairie dogs in front of it.

I decided that prairie dogs were cool animals since I’ve always seen them at zoos, and I just decided to get one.”

Despite her quick decision to get a prairie dog, Pyka does not regret it.

“She’s a cool animal,” Pyka said. “She’s really loving. She’s like a big hamster, and she can run around the house. She stands on her hind legs, which is really cute and funny, and she sleeps with me sometimes too.”

People often have mixed reactions to her having a prairie dog.

“They always say ‘oh my gosh, you have a squirrel?’ or ‘you have a groundhog?’,” Pyka said.

“Everybody’s always really surprised because they think it’s a huge rat, and then when they realize they’re like ‘oh wow, that’s awesome.’”

Part of the confusion people have with what animal she has is due to her name.

“Her name is Squirrel,” Pyka said. “It confuses little kids, which is the reason [why I named her that].”

Pyka has a lot of fond memories of Squirrel.

“She likes to eat animal crackers,” Pyka said. “I was feeding her an animal

ly.

Sugar Baby: Senior Justin Whited holds onto his sugar glider to prevent her from falling. Whited owns two sugar gliders and just recently got them about a year ago. Photo by Carissa Duran

cracker once and the real dog came and tried to take it from her. She grabbed the cracker and pulled it away from him, and it was really funny. It was probably my favorite memory.”

Pyka’s other pets get along really well with Squirrel.

“I have two cats too, and the cat plays with her,” Pyka said. “He fake kills her, and then she acts like she’s dead, then gets up and runs around again. All

the animals love her.”

Owning a prairie dog like Squirrel comes with lots of adorable moments, but also lots of responsibility.

“She’s tearing up the house,” Pyka said. “She chews through everything because she’s like a huge rat that runs through the house. Also, she needs lots of attention. She can get depression if I’m gone, since I’m her owner. If I were to give her away,

she’d get depression. She also lives for fifteen years.”

Charles Cowey, an Algebra II teacher, has an actual squirrel that he spends time with at his house.

“The first time I got a squirrel to crawl up my leg was fun, but scary,” Cowey said. “I didn’t think a squirrel was gonna climb up my leg, but she did. She crawls up the chair and sits on the chair on the patio. She’ll sit on the arm of the chair while I eat peanuts and I’ll

put a peanut down for her.”

Despite the squirrel’s friendliness, she doesn’t let him hold her.

“It’s amazing how trusting they are,” Cowey said.

“But she won’t really let me touch her. Whenever I hold a peanut out she’ll put a hand on my finger and take the peanut out of my finger, but she don’t want to be touched and I don’t wanna get bit.”

The squirrel comes around his house frequent-

“If I go out and sit on the front porch, [she comes out] within twenty minutes or so,” Cowey said. “Especially if I take the jar of peanuts and rattle them.

She comes maybe four, five, eight times a week.”

This is the third squirrel Cowey has bonded with.

“I know the first two squirrels were like mom and daughter, but the third one I don’t know what relation, if any, it has to the other two,” Cowey said.

“There are a bunch of different nests, squirrel nests, around the house, but which one this one lives in, not a clue.”

Senior Justin Whited also owns unique pets: two sugar gliders.

“I got into sugar gliders during freshman year, but I didn’t get them until junior year,” Whited said. “I was always really into exotic animals, and sugar gliders are really cool.”

Whited enjoys raising his sugar gliders.

“They’re pretty normal when it compares to raising normal pets, but the only difference is they can glide and run around your house,” Whited said.

“They’re also pretty smart; they compare to a dog, you can train them. It’s like a normal pet, but tiny.”

Being smart also allows them to get into lots of mischief.

“They’re really smart so they learned how to open the cage,” Whited said.

“They open it a lot, and they ate all the dog food once. They can get out of their cage pretty easy now.”

With owning any pets, they need to be carefully cared for.

“They always want to be with you,” Whited said.

“They can get really depressed if they don’t have a partner to live with or they’re not taken care of.”

Living Like Lys provides creative outlet for blogger Featuring reviews, organization tips, and advice; sophomore Alyssa Poole’s blog titled “Living Like Lys” provides insightful and well written commentary with an end goal of giving its readers advice.

A passionate writer, Poole spends much of her time revising and editing to ensure quality over quantity. Her posts can range from makeup to time management advice.

“Easy stuff about like makeup and hair products I take three minutes,” Poole said. “But the hard stuff takes a lot longer than people think. I spend a lot of time editing and stuff. So currently I don’t have much up on my blog.

I’m editing like three-four things right now.”

The blog started out around four months ago, when Poole sent out a draft of the first post to her friend, sophomore Maddi Lynch, to edit and read.

“I think the goal is to

give advice as she’s made posts about studying and such, to spread positivity, which she has done with her “Advice to my Younger Self” post that discusses the importance of self love and acceptance, and as a creative outlet,” Lynch said.

The blog gives Poole a chance to lay a foundation for her readers to obtain useful information in a down-to-earth way that parents or dedicated school taught classes often can’t achieve.

“There are so many different kinds of ways to study and again not everyone learns in the same style,” Poole said. “Visual and auditory learners won’t have the same learning style so find what suits your mind the best.”

In a recent post regarding the importance of setting personal expectations and achieving personal goals, Poole included things such as having a planner, daily studying, and personal fitness. All of which are things that

can give students a useful leg up, especially later into high school.

“Think beyond school and start looking into the future,” Poole said. “Have something to look forward to because having a vision allows you to go throughout your journey with clarity and motivation.”

In Poole’s post titled “Advice to My Younger Self,” she provided commentary on her younger self, and invited readers to submit videos doing the same. Thought provoking and reflective towards readers, this cleverly teaches readers to reflect on themselves.

“When making my video entry for her ‘Advice to my Younger Self’ blog post, I definitely realized how much I have grown as a person when learning to focus and taking care of myself rather than letting other people’s opinions influence how I see myself,” Poole said.

With friends at her side, Poole is able to express herself in a healthy and

Art by Abby Ong

Jake Brien Staff Writer

beneficial way for both the reader and the author.

Sophomore Catarina Chavanne, a close friend to Poole, describes how the blog has been helpful for her.

“I think it’s [the blog] goal for the readers is to find new ideas and spread positivity,” Chavanne said.

“I also think it’s mainly a way for Alyssa to express herself and explore her creativity.”

Poole’s blog offers imperative advice to readers that would typically be

credited to an adult, such as disregarding the phone and focusing during class is a struggle for many teens.

“If you are anything like me, sitting in the back of the classroom gets you a little distracted and you think it’s okay to multitask,” Poole said. “But, it’s next to impossible to multitask if you are trying to learn and text at the same time. Put your phone away and sit at a spot where you know you will not get distracted.”

Overall, Living Like

Lys serves as an easy way for Poole’s readers to reflect on themselves, the world around them, and for learning valuable lessons from high school and beyond.

“I don’t know where to go with my passions blog,” Poole said. “I just wanna add to the movement of big talk and skip the small talk and really get to build in knowing people. I think it’s so important to build connections and see this passionate world around me.”

The Lone Star Dispatch

Features

Fri. Feb 10, 2017

Page B7

Yo-yo’ing swings to new heights

Senior Matthew Lane develops a passion for an unusual stringed hobby Violet Glenewinkel Editor-in-Chief

Yo-Yo may seem to be a thing of the past for most people now. The flick-ofthe-wrist activity has been forgotten in childhood as years pass. However, Senior Matthew Lane has brought a whole new meaning to the hobby.

With great skill, Lane has been able to transform his yo-yo into an act of awe.

“The initial reaction to my yo-yo’ing is always positive,” Lane said.

“Most people just stare and smile like they just saw a pretty girl.”

A simple trend became a hobby to last years for Lane.

“I picked up yo-yo’ing in 7th grade when it was a fad for a few weeks, for some odd reason I picked it up faster than other people, and it stuck,” Lane said.

However, yo-yo wasn’t in Lane’s initial interest in middle school.

“I was a little bit confused at first, because he was constantly dissing people that yo-yo, and then

it became impressive to watch his skills at it,” senior Jesse Fowler said.

More often than not you’ll find him practicing new skills or improving on them.

“I yo-yo, because it’s a fun creative outlet that allows me to see a distinctive improvement in my skills,” Lane said. “You’ll find me in my room practicing, listening to music, and improving my skills.”

To this day, the hobby doesn’t usually leave him when he goes out or attends class.

“It has always been entertaining and fun to watch him and see him especially enjoy it as well,” Fowler said. “Anywhere he goes he’s pulling awesome tricks on his yo-yo.”

Because of his unique talent, attention draws to Lane wherever he goes.

“One time, we were out to get food with a few friends and he brought his yo-yo along to play around with,” Fowler said. “A small crowd formed and would just hover over Matt and watch him do awesome tricks.”

Focusing On The Yo-Yo: Senior Matthew Lane throws his yo-yo into the air to do a trick. Lane yo-yo’s wherever he can when ever can. Photo by Violet Glenewinkel

Being set apart from the usual hobbies like sports or other extracurriculars has been a positive in Lane’s life.

“We love that he has found a niche that is unique to him,” Lane’s mother, Delta Lane, said.

“It is an interest he found and developed on his own and now shares it with other yo-yoers around the world.”

Yo-yo’ing isn’t the only skill acquired from the hobby; other important skills have developed through it.

“Yo-yo’ing might sound silly or simple to some, however, once you understand and appreciate the skills involved, you can see everything it has taught him,” Delta said. “He’s learned hand eye coordination, balance, physics, geometry, focus, tenacity, artistry, performance skills and, most important, a confidence that he carries with him everywhere he goes.”

Delta, at first, was also surprised at the sudden interest and talent shown through Matthew.

“I didn’t think much of it at first, I thought it would be a passing interest,” Delta said. “It wasn’t until sophomore year that I realized how much time and effort he’d put into learning and performing.”

As the years passed, yoyo’ing has developed into an art form, an opportunity to put on a performance for an audience.

“I’ve recorded him yoyo’ing in museums with a background of famous artwork, on subways, at street festivals and parks, on college campuses, in grocery stores, airports and in front of pizza places,” Delta said. “People will always stop to watch in awe, comment and sometimes give him things as a tip for entertaining them.”

Matthew hopes to take yo-yo’ing to the next step by joining conversations not only in the country but across the world.

“He went to Cleveland, Ohio this past summer

Practice Makes Perfect: Senior Matthew Lane shows off his years of practice with the yo-yo. Lane started yo-yo’ing as a way to past time, never did he consider that this hobby would amount to so much. Photo by Violet Glenewinkel

for a competition,” Delta said. “Most recently we gifted him tickets for a trip to Reykjavik, Iceland to attend the World Yo-Yo Competition in August of 2017 and with that, a brand new yo-yo appropriately branded ‘Aurora Borealis’.”

According to senior Carter Drost, Matt’s talent has been greatly known around campus because of its difference amongst everyone else’s hobbies.

“Matt’s yo-yo’ing isn’t only incredible, but it’s unseen compared to anything else, which is why he’s gotten so much publicity for it,” Drost said. “This whole school is packed with an

incredible amount of talent that gets overlooked more than anything else.”

Yo-yo’ing may seem to be a simple skill, but Drost says otherwise.

“We stayed at a lakeside cabin during Thanksgiving break last year and he tried to teach me how to yo-yo,” Drost said. “I ended up swinging it back and hitting myself on the bridge of my nose, which doesn’t seem that bad until you remember they’re made out of metal.”

If it wasn’t for yo-yo, Fowler believes things wouldn’t be the same with Matthew as they are now.

“Matt to me, without his yo-yo, would not be

the Matt we know,” Fowler said. “I’ve seen it as ambition and setting goals to learning brand new tricks that makes for Matt’s character as a determined individual.”

However, Drost believes the opposite about his friend.

“Yo-yo has never been anything other than something he enjoys doing, Drost said. “After him getting a yearbook page and now a newspaper article, the only thing that mattered to him is how much better he’s gotten at what he loves, and to me that’s what really makes him one of a kind.”

Native Americans bring diversity into the community Shelby Kelly Staff Writer

The bell rings and people pour out of classrooms, each person unique in their own way. Amongst the crowd, one face stands out because of what’s hidden behind. The unique blood that beats through it.

Of all of the people walking down the halls, senior Cody McDowell is one of few at Bowie and in AISD who is Native American and proudly embraces his unique culture of his ancestors flowing in his veins.

“I am proud of it, it makes me unique and a character, who I am, and it also sparks up a conversation,” McDowell said.

McDowell is from the reservation in Pembroke, North Carolina, where

most of his family is from.

“My parents are different tribes, but the majority of my Native American comes from the tribe Lumbee on my dad’s side,” McDowell said. “It’s not recognized nationally by the United States government, but it is a tribe nonetheless.”

Senior Emily McCullough thinks that although being Native American does not change who he is, it does bring more diversity.

“I think it’s interesting because he has a different background and can offer unique experiences to the classroom,” McCullough said.

Due to McDowell moving from his reservation at a young age, he can’t remember much of the culture and lifestyle that was present there. One thing

that will stay in his heart forever is the memory of his grandfather..

“Probably the thing I remember most is the thick accent of my grandfather in North Carolina. His accent is very intense and I am surprised I don’t have it myself anymore. I know I used to have it really bad, but his accent is crazy,” McDowell said.

To some, he may not look like the stereotypical Native American and some have a hard time believing he is, however he is registered.

“Everybody assumes that I am not Native American because I don’t have dark skin and dark hair, but my tribe’s different,” McDowell said.

Being Native American takes up a large part of his life and he is proud to represent his culture.

“I know a lot of people who are Native American, but as far as my knowledge and what I have been told I’m the only one of few, if not the only one, who is a registered Native American in AISD,” McDowell said.

Most of his closest friends know him and who he is, and although it is a unique factor, it does not change him, “I wouldn’t say it changes his personality. He is different in the fact he was born on a reservation, which is pretty unique,” senior Ben Wheeler said.

McDowell is honored to share his heritage and who he really is because it is such a unique factor and English teacher Bree Rolfe agrees to the importance expressing pride.

“I would hope that he would share his heritage

Building the set: Senior Cody McDowell is focusing on drilling to create the set for Tommy. Theatre tech has introduced McDowell to many friends Photo by Shelby Kelly

more with the Bowie community,” Rolfe said.

One unique factor is that McDowell is able to get benefits for college.

“I get special benefits for college, I get free SATs

and scholarships, I got accepted into college in Colorado for just being a registered Native American,” McDowell said. “It’s nice knowing I have some sort of a safety blanket.”

Photo Essay The Lone Star Dispatch

Fri. Feb. 10, 2017

Page B8

Women’s rights are human rights Thousands meet up to march for equality at the Texas State Capitol Cara Andres Photo Editor Jolie Francis Staff Writer

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun(damental Human Rights): An empowered feminist proudly holds a sign that she made with marker and glitter. The phrase is a spin off from the song “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper. Photo by Reagan Wallace

Love Is Love: A couple embraces amongst marchers as one of them holds a sign saying “we will not be silenced.”

They represent and support the LGBTQIA community.

Photo by Reagan Wallace

Liberty and Justice: A phrase from the pledge of allegiance sets on the front of The Paramount Theatre. The owners of the theatre purposefully planned this for the marchers to see. Photo by Cara Andres

The day after the inauguration of the President of the United States, thousands of individuals across the state packed together, marching towards the Capitol, chanting phrases and demonstrating their rights.

On Saturday, Jan. 21, the streets of downtown Austin accumulated with a diverse and enormous crowd of more than 50,000 people.

Individuals of all age, race, and gender joined in unison to express one main message: women’s rights are human rights.

“It was amazing to see so many people gathered for the same cause that we all passionately believe in,” sophomore Bella Lufschanowski said.

“Democracy is a system of government based entirely on the people, and to actively participate in something so peaceful and large-scale is important for everyone who really believes in something.”

After the election results, a Facebook event page was posted about the march in response to the march in Washington developing. Through the power of social media connections, a local committee came together and worked tirelessly for over six weeks to prepare for the event.

“I think that we showed people all across the state of Texas and, indeed, the world, that we are not alone in this,” lead organizer Melissa Fiero said. “I think it sent the message, loud and clear, and we will not allow our rights to be diminished.”

Marchers gathered around the Capitol at noon, walked down Congress Ave., and looped back.

As they strolled and held up signs, many cheered empowering phrases such as “no Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA” and “my body, my choice.”, “her body, her choice.”, Although students came together for similar beliefs, their reasons were personal and varied.

“This is my way of supporting a cause Trump brushed under the rug: women’s rights. I march for my mother, who has had her fair share of complications related to pregnancies. I march for my aunt, who battled breast cancer.

I march for the queer and transgender women in my life,” senior Jake Anderson said.

The march in Austin was only one of more than 670 sister marches across the globe, which included cities such as London, Paris and Berlin. Other cities who partook in the protest in the United States were Washington, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Manhattan.

“I decided to join the

march in Washington because the fact that I wasn’t so far away from our federal government felt like my voice was heard more clearly then if I was in Austin,” freshman Katie Holmes said. “It made me feel amazing and empowered to speak up for my beliefs.”

Despite how peaceful and positive the marches were, a few did not show up due to fear of violence.

For instance, freshman Ellie Coulston was not allowed to attend the march in Washington.

“The previous day was the inauguration for Trump and there were some protesters that were hurt, and my parents didn’t want to take the risk of getting hurt” Coulston said.

The marches have estimated to be the biggest protest in US history in which about 2.9 million people across the globe participated. For the state of Texas, the march broke the record for largest gathering in the state’s history.

“Throughout history, there has been a repetitive theme of protest and progress regarding a range of issues,” junior Grace Widner said. “It is still important to recognize that our government is first and foremost of the people, by the people, and for the people, granting us the right to challenge ideas we don’t agree with.”

The Smallest Person Can Change the World: A massive group of marchers stand side by side as they all express their beliefs and unite as a democracy. Many of the marchers arrived as early as 10:00 am, and they gathered at the Capitol in the heat to walk and chant powerful phrases. Photo by Cara Andres

Speak Up, Stand Up: An Austin citizen holds up a sign that encourages individuals to speak up for their beliefs. She is a firm believer in equality for women.

Photo by Reagan Wallace

Starting Young: A young child stands in front of his guardian as he happily smiles and holds a poster saying “I respect girls.” He has been taught at an early age that both genders should be treated equally and respectfully.

Photo by Cara Andres