James Bowie High School
the
Lone Star Dispatch Vol. 31
4103 W. Slaughter Lane Austin TX 78749
Issue 5
Friday April. 9, 2016
www.thelonestaronline.com
Difficult class choices resolved Violet Glenewinkel Student Life Editor
Course contracts come every year for freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and, for seniors, college applications. Students do their best to pick the correct path for next year that fit their personal needs and interests, but students often request changes at the beginning next school cycle despite the contract. However, there are ways to make sure the choice an individual makes is the best for them. Some students are troubled by choosing the wrong classes for next year and worried about the workload. “It has been difficult to decide which courses to take because I’ve been told junior year is the hardest and I don’t want to choose a class that I’ll regret,” sophomore Piper Kopser said. Teachers, like English teacher Whitney Shumate, advise students to think about the classes and workload they have now. “Students should take into consideration their own performance during the current school year,” Shumate said. “Be aware of their own strengths and weaknesses.” Some students’ first instinct is to take lots of AP classes. “While it may seem like taking all AP classes would be the best option to im-
CON
PRO College credit if you pass the test In-depth knowledge of the subject
AP/Pre-AP
Challenge yourself Automatic college credit (if you receive a B average or higher
ACC Dual Credit
Requires good organizational skills Self-paced
Slower paced
No college credit
Less amount of homework press a college admissions committee, it doesn’t look so great if that person is struggling or failing all of those classes,” Shumate said. Between academic, pre-AP, AP, and ACC dual credit, teachers take a few things into consideration when advising choices. “I think about the student’s work ethic, academic performance, and interests,” Shumate said. No matter which class they decide to take, students should keep working hard.
Time commitment/more stressful You must pay to take the AP Exam
Less in-class time to complete work Free cost for college credit
Less time commitment/ less stressful
Regular
Heavy workload
“Work diligently and enthusiastically no matter what and all the time,” social studies department chair Ruth Ann Widner said. Widner suggests talking to both peer and teachers that are taking the different courses to further get a good understanding of the class a student takes. “In making this decision, students should speak to students taking each of the three options and talk to their current teacher,” Widner said. However, counselors
Don’t know who the professor will be
Not as much impact on GPA Not challenging yourself
are a better resource for information if it involves which class to take for a future career a student has in mind. “If a student is trying to develop a pathway towards a particular career field or area of interest, the counselor’s guidance would be more useful than a teacher’s,” Widner said. Different resources will work for different students though, like how Kopser found most of her help from the experiences of others and her family’s opinions.
“To narrow down my decisions, I’ve taken in the advice that upperclassmen have given me as well as the thoughts of my friends and family,” Kopser said. “The best advice I’ve received is from my older sister and my upperclassman friends.” Before making decisions on electives and core classes, it is advised to try many different things while also keeping a career in mind. “Students should try lots of different types of courses in high school in
order to figure out what interests them,” Widner said. “The other belief is that students should prepare in high school for a future career by carefully selecting a sequence of related courses.” The latter option has been most prevailing, but Widner thinks differently. “Personally, I think that both approaches are appropriate, as some kids know what they want to do someday while others are still exploring the possibilities,” Widner said. Despite all the choices, students should try more difficult courses to gain experience and habits. “By challenging themselves in high school, students develop good study habits, effective time management skills and learn to how to be their own advocate,” counselor Veronica Castillo said. To help gain knowledge on courses and careers outside of high school, Castillo suggest taking a step further than only talking to counselors and teachers. “Students should research on their own by visiting universities, look at their websites for academic programs, applying for summer programs at local agencies, meeting with college representatives that come to Bowie, or try doing an internship or volunteering at an organization of a job that they’d like to learn more about,” Castillo said.
PALS mentor elementary students Expanding new horizons, a focus of new AP class Carissa Duran Commentary Editor
Providing elementary school students encouragement, comfort, and a helping hand through difficult paths they may be encountering, the organization PALS, lead by World History teacher Alejandro Garcia, has kept elementary school students smiling for twenty two years. A PAL’s main goal is to become close with their ‘PALee,” the elementary school student that they are working with, and understanding their current situation and finding a way to help them. “PALS are most importantly friends and mentors to their PALees,” junior PAL Amy Cox said. “We are not there to scold our PALees or act like a teacher or parent but to listen to them and be someone they can rely on and trust.” The purpose of PALS is not only to provide a sense of encouragement and motivation for the elementary schoolers, but to allow the juniors and seniors to grasp what the main idea of being a leader and role model is. “PALS is for the junior
Mia Barbosa Online Editor
PALS are painters: Juniors Lauren Do and Michelle Chahda paint posters with other PALS in preparation for Blue Out. Blue Out is a day to bring awareness to child abuse and will be on April 22. Photo by Fuaad Ajaz
and seniors students to understand the basic ropes of what it means to be a mentor,” Garcia said. “They are being a role model to the little kids and their fellow peers.” The PAL is not the only one doing the teaching and supporting. PALS has opened junior PAL Macy Hartman’s mind to view life from different perspectives. “Being a PAL this year
has really caused me to be very grateful for the things and opportunities I have, as well as changed my perspective on life,” Hartman said. “Talking to my PALees about their situations makes the things I stress over seem very insignificant, which has caused me to worry less about the small things.” PALS creates so many different opportunities for juniors and seniors to take
Athletics
Senior tennis player Jackson Cobb helps to beautify the facilities Several teammates went out on a Saturday workday to stain picnic tables and put together new bleachers for the tennis team.
See page 10 for more details
INSIDE
part in. “They teach me so many things and brighten my day when I see them, Cox said. “Their creativity and passion inspire me and bring me great joy. Seeing my PALees make more friends and become more confident in themselves has been extremely meaningful to me as they demonstrate strength and motivate me to step out of my comfort zone too.”
Human interactions lead to the development of evniromental changes that affect people in return. These intertwining subjects can range anywhere from urban design, country development levels, agriculture, and internal and external migration. The study of these interactions is also known as human geography. Next year at Bowie a semester long AP human geography course taught by current world history teacher, Nicholas Stamper, will be offered as an elective for the first time to allow students to explore the impact of humans on the earth. “Geography is a discipline that focuses on the spatial aspect of any issue. Human geography focuses on issues more closely related to people than a physical geography course might,” Stamper said. People who take world geography learn about climatology, geology and even phrenology while students who take human geography will learn different topics. “We will examine how cities are designed to meet the needs of people. We will also examine how agriculture works and provides for people in different parts of the world,” Stamper said. “This course dives into a lot of information about culture by looking at the complexities of things like language and dialect. We also study demographics and how growing, shrinking and stagnate populations create different problems and opportunities for places all around the world.” For some students planning on taking the course next year their interest in the class is more based on the cultural aspects of geography. Read more: “Class all about the world” pg. 4
Commentary
Pop singer Beyonce brings about a serious message Beyonce’s new single, “Formation,” tackles the problem of police brutality and civil rights through her music video and the Superbowl performance. See page 6 for more details
Entertainment
Six Degrees of Separation propels UIL Theater Theater department busy to end the school year as multiple groups across campus begin UIL competition season. See page 5 for more details
Student Life 2-3 News 4 Entertainment 5 Commentary 6-7 In-Depth 8 Student Life 9 Athletics 10-11 Photo Essay 12
S tudent Life
The Lone Star Dispatch Friday, April 8, 2016
Page 2
Cadet Hope Ritchie makes her mark as a JROTC marksman
Straight Shot: Junior Hope Ritchie aims for her target during shooting practice. Colonel Robert Downey, the instructor for Junior ROTC Marksmanship, holds target practice in the gym after school, when those on the marksman team practice shooting with wooden targets on a wall. Photo by Evan Owen
Shooter gains recognition in regional championship, prepares for 2016 nationals Kelsie Stella Shelby Kelly Staff Writers Racing hearts, sweaty hands, sharp breathing, and shaky arms: these are problems the JROTC cadets face when they’re preparing to shoot their air rifles for competitions. Staying calm and keeping a cool head is the key to success when it comes to JROTC shooting competitions. This year at Bowie, two cadets have scored high enough on their in-school competitions to qualify for the 2016 JROTC Service Championship in Anniston, Alabama. The cadet who got the highest marks at the 2015 Texas State All Service JROTC Air Rifle Championship was junior Hope Ritchie. Ritchie was a finalist and scored seventh overall at the contest. Bowie is one of the many schools that has recently incorporated this increasingly popular sport in its range of electives. “Three-Position Air Rifle Shooting is the most popular and fastest growing form of shooting sports competition,” JROTC Colonel Robert Downey said. “Competitors fire at targets at a distance of ten meters in three different positions.” Being a sophomore and making nationals is a big deal for any organization but for JROTC it’s a major accomplishment
because of how many people are involved in the program nationwide. “It feels great because I know that I’m not done yet and that I am still progressing,” sophomore Ray Sierras said. “My main goal in marksmanship is to go precision. I am still a ways from it, but I just have to keep positive and keep shooting.” Ritchie is able to keep her nerves under control long enough to compete in contests like this. “We wouldn’t get punished for not winning as long as we tried our best.” Ritchie said. Although this is a great opportunity for both of the Bulldog cadets, it can also add a lot of pressure because they have to maintain their school work throughout their training. “It is challenging when you have competitions before and after school,” Sierras said. “But we try to use our class time to the best of our ability.” As well as the cadets, Downy was excited to participate because of how they competed last year. “The Bowie JROTC varsity marksmanship team qualified and participated in the 2015 JROTC Service Championships in February of 2015, this being our first in five years of existence,” Downey said. JROTC is a team building sport where many admirable qualities are learned, Downy points out. “Although the team did not qualify
for Nationals, they gained valuable experience, learned valuable lessons, and set their sights on working even harder to make Nationals in 2016,” Downey said. Though the tension is high during competition, JROTC fully prepares their students for their tournaments and is like a family to many, including Richie. “Sometimes my nerves get to me,” Ritchie said. “But I don’t really get nervous before the competitions at school because I really like everyone in marksmanship and I’m comfortable.” As freshman, most people try to find their place and Ritchie emphasizes that JROTC is the place where they can feel comfortable and expand on a lot of skills. “I joined JROTC as a freshman to try and meet people and so I could sort of find my place,” Ritchie said. “To me, it was a way to meet new people, but I ended up really enjoying it.” Ritchie isn’t the only person at Bowie who’s found their place in JROTC. Sierras is another cadet from Bowie who qualified for nationals this year. “I’m in JROTC because I’ve always thought the military was cool,” Sierras said. “But when I was in middle school I thought that being in the military was something I might be interested in so I just went into JROTC to get a little taste of it all and I’ve loved it ever since the first day.” The marksmen team has been working
towards their goal of placing in this year’s Regional Championship of 2016. “This year, the team qualified 13th in the Air Force going into the Regional Championship in Anniston, Alabama last month. After two days of stiff competition, the team finished tenth in the Air Force,” Downey said. “The team was only 31 points short of qualifying for Nationals against the Army, Navy, and Marines. Three of the four varsity team members were returning shooters from 2015 and will compete again in 2017,” Downey said. Ritchie finished second in the nation, leaving her the top shooter at Bowie. “Hope Ritchie was the team’s top shooter again this year and finished tied for second in the Air Force after the team competition,” Downey said. “Hope is ranked number one in the Air Force Individual Sport category and qualifies to go to Nationals at the end of this month.” As her instructor, Downy recognizes the work she has put in to reach this goal. “She put in a lot of hard work over the summer and many hours before school and on the weekends practicing her skill,” Downey said. Hope’s high ranking is notable for the JROTC program and its participants. “Her teammates, the Corps of Cadets, and instructors in the JROTC program are all extremely proud of Hope’s accomplishments,” Downey said.
Freshman Andrea Findley’s family travels to Uganda and Rwanda to study war and help the disadvantaged Caitlin Devlin Student Life Editor This past summer from June to July, freshman Andrea Findley and her father, Mike Findley, were able to experience what few people were able to experience, by traveling to the countries of Rwanda and Uganda. Mike, a political science professor at UT, often travels to third world countries with his students, and this time he decided to take his family with him as well. The group stayed in Africa for a week and got to experience life like they had before. Mike travels to different countries every three months, to study the effects of war on the people that live there. “We studied how African government and rebel armies steal charity money that comes from countries like the United States,” Mike said. “We interviewed the former commanders of the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda to learn what they do and why. We learned that charity money can often make a real difference in helping people, but some gets captured by armies and used to fight wars.” The trip was able to teach students to expand their world view and experience what they learn about. “It’s fun working with students and watching them learn more,” Mike said. “Students connect well with people in other countries and they always learn a lot. I hope all students take
the time to travel to areas of the world where there are hardships such as poverty or conflict. It gives students a really important perspective on the world.” While her father and his students researched, Andrea and the rest of her family spent time with the people in Uganda and Rwanda. “We would go visit people, and we helped some of our friends by giving them money because they’re struggling,” Andrea said. Her family also spent time visiting tourist locations in both countries. “We went and saw the genocide memorial and stayed in the hotel from Hotel Rwanda,” Andrea said. When she arrived in Uganda, Andrea had trouble adjusting to how different life was there from Texas. “It was surprising, I was expecting real roads but there was just dirt roads, and all the people were very different but very friendly, way friendlier than here,” Andrea said. The Findley’s had to eat mostly packaged food while on their trip, in fear that the meat and water there would be unsanitary due to both countries’ lack of food and water cleaning systems. “We even had to brush our teeth with bottled water, and we showered with the regular water but we had to make sure we closed our eyes,” Andrea said. However, the biggest difference from Uganda to Texas the citizens’ lifestyles and attitudes. “It was really different com-
pared to here, because they’re way more poor than people here,” Andrea said. “It’s definitely life-changing because you see how people live, and that they have it really hard, but they’re happy through it all. They’re very kind people and it was a really different experience.” Andrea was fortunate to be able to meet all different kinds of people on her trip, from children to families. “We went to this deaf school, and we got to play soccer and we got to use my dad’s phone to communicate with them,” Andrea said. “There was this one six year old girl, her name was Faith, and she was like my best friend there, it was really cute. She followed us home one time and she was like ‘Can I stay with you? I love you guys.’” The Findley’s also gave some money and other resources to the families they met. “I was really sad when we had to leave because we stayed there for like a month and I got to know a lot of people really personally, but it was happy because I got to eat real food again,” Andrea said. The Findley’s thought that their trip was enlightening and opened them to new perspectives and definitely changed them. “I learn and grow as much or more as they do,” Mike said. “It’s very difficult to see so much poverty and suffering, but I always come back with hope that things will improve and people’s’ lives will get better. But we need everyone here in the U.S. to be more thoughtful and active in trying to help others.”
Helping hand: Freshman Andrea Findley and her brother seventh grader David Findley smile with a child they met in Rwanda named Hope. The Findleys assisted Hope’s family with food and money throughout the trip. Photo courtesy Andrea Findley
African Explorers: Freshman Andrea Findley, her father Mike Findley, and her brother seventh grader David Findley stand together at the border between Rwanda and Uganda. Rwanda was the second country that the Findley’s visited. Photo courtesy Andrea Findley
S tudent Life The Lone Star Dispatch Friday, April 8, 2016 Page 3
Guitar strings bring forth passion
Sophomore finds expression and peace in creating folk music
Carissa Duran Commentary Editor Escaping into his own world when he picks up one of the many instruments that he taught himself to play, sophomore Chris Lomeli has been playing the guitar, mandolin and ukulele for two years. Even though music has always been in his life, Lomeli didn’t really get into it until he began playing and writing. “I have always liked music, but I didn’t start loving it until I started to make it,” Lomeli said. Recently he has begun to write music, mostly in the folk genre. “I wanted to learn faster and more advanced skills, so I started to teach myself,” Lomeli said. “That was the best decision I have ever made.” Having an open mind and listening to new music inspired Lomeli and helped him grow a new issue. “I started to listen to Mumford and Sons and I developed a love for them,” Lomeli said. “Not only do all of the acoustic instruments they play have such a natural sound, the lyrics contain different messages that each person listening to can process it differently and that’s how I want it to be my music to be to my listeners.” The determination that Lomeli feels towards creating his music is driven and passionate. “Chris is absolutely one of my most talented and determined students,” music theory teacher Caitlin Gasco said. “When I see Chris rehearsing I can just tell how much passion he has towards making sure that he is playing and creating the best music that he possibly can.” The first sounds that really stuck to him were the acoustic folk instruments. “I have always thought the best instruments are acoustic, because you don’t need to plug it in you could just take them out and play them wherever you go,” Lomeli said. How naturally the music sounds is what drew Lomeli in. “I loved the natural sound of the banjo, the mandolin, and the ukulele,” Lomeli said. Although rehearsing a competition piece of music can be stressful, all of those feelings reverse for Lomeli. “I would try to focus so hard on my music that I would catch myself focusing on how to focus, Lomeli said. “I would get so frustrated because I would practice for four hours a day and I still felt that it wasn’t good enough. Lomeli decided to combine his musical talent with his friends and created a band. “Everyone that is in the band had different personalities and we approach situations differently, but music creates a bond for us,” Lomeli said. “It’s stronger than
Music in the Park: Strumming a note, sophomore Chris Lomeli plays at Zilker Park for friends. He spends most of his free time writing songs and experimenting with music on string instruments like the ukulele. Photo by Avy Friedman.
anything.” Not only is singing and songwriting a hobby and a strong passion for Lomeli, it is a moment of relief from the piles of stress that he carries. “When I pick up my guitar or my ukulele I forget about all my stress and my problems,” Lomeli said. “It creates a peaceful atmosphere for me when I play and right when I set down my instrument I come back to reality.”
Lomeli’s advice towards people who are wanting to get into music is to keep working and practicing. “Music is what you make out of it,” Lomeli said. While listening to music for inspiration, he finds whatever the song’s mood is will affect him and his own writing. “Music makes me feel however the musician feels,” Lomeli said.
Freshman prepares for a Disability won’t stop talent school life across the sea Samantha Knapp Staff Writer
Being a freshman in high school is hard enough, but freshman Maya Levee is applying to be an exchange student as well. Maya is hoping that she will end up living in Spain, but she is still early in the application process. “I want to apply to study in Spain because I really love the culture and want to be completely fluent in Spanish”, freshman Maya Levee said. Maya was inspired by one of her friends that applied to be an exchange student in Mexico and wanted to do the same. “I either plan to do a semester or a gap-year in Spain”, Levee said. The process for applying to be an exchange student is very lengthy and there is no guarantee that everyone who applies will get into the program. “First, you have to find a program that works for you and fits your schedule and budget. Every program has a different application sys-
tem, but the general application is just information about you, what you want to study, where you want to study, and your performance in school, many programs require you to maintain a certain GPA in order to stay in the program,” Levee said. “Then many programs call you in for an interview and at the interview that’s where you mostly do the logistics if you’re qualified to study abroad.” Levee doesn’t know which city or school she will be attending yet, but she will be missed by everyone around her no matter where she ends up going. “I’m used to seeing Maya every single day, especially because she’s my next door neighbor,” Maya’s best friend freshman Sophia Bega said. “I know I’ll miss her like crazy, but I’ll be counting down the days until she gets back.” Levee has gotten a lot of support from her friends and family regarding the program. “I feel like Maya de-
art by Mia Barbosa https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/loans/student-loans/record-number-foreign-students-us-universities-study-abroad/
ciding to be a foreign exchange student in a European country is going to be a great experience that allows her to see and learn things that people in the Unites States would never even imagine”, freshman Andrew Chahda said. Being an exchange student will be a huge change for Levee, adapting from US culture to culture in Spain. “Maya has a very versatile disposition, making her a great candidate to adjust to her new surroundings,” teacher Jean Frazier said. Those close to Levee are very excited for her to go to Spain with the foreign exchange student program. “I’m super happy for Maya and I really hope she has an amazing time in Spain,” Bega said. “I’m also a little worried for her just because she is my best friend, and I know it will be a lot different.” Levee’s friends plan on keeping in touch with her from across the globe while she is gone so they can experience Spain with her in spirit. “I hope to keep in touch with Maya while she is in another country in various ways such as email and text message so I can hear about all the great new experiences she is having”, Chahda said. Friends of Levee are really going to miss her when she leaves and wish her the best on her journey. “I believe that adjusting to life without someone like Maya around me will be a difficult task because she brings so much humor and fun into each class I share with her,” Chahda said. “She is truly a great person to be around and someone that I believe many people including myself will miss.”
Carissa Duran Commentary Editor
Imagine living life with only being able to use one hand to complete everyday tasks. This might be an impossible thought for some people, but senior Kenny Finkelstine has been living his whole life only using his right hand. Finkelstine was born with a form of cerebral palsy, called left hemiplegia, which causes him to lack the use of his left hand and walks with a slight limp on his left side. Not once in his life has Finkelstine never allowed his small condition to stop him from living his life the way he wants to. “I was born 11 weeks premature and had a brain hemorrhage a few days after I was born, as a result,” Finkelstine said. “That’s what caused the hemiplegia. As far as the challenges go, the effect it has on me is an inability to play sports, video games, or instruments.” Finkelstine’s disability has lead him to embark on his journey to greater passions, such as music and scholarly issues. “The greatest obstacle that Kenny has to face was learning how to do everything one-handed,” Finkelstine’s mom, Ruth said. “He does a lot of things one handed that I could never do. His condition has played a part in his identity to a minimum degree. He was never really drawn to physically demanding things as a kid, and I think that probably steered him more towards the interest of music and intellectual topics.” Kenny is always providing his class with new observations and different perspectives on different world wide issues. “Kenny is very respectful and when he does participate, which is pretty often, he always provides good insight about topics that most people my age don’t really think about,” senior Colby Jeffus said. “His personality is very caring and genuine. He really cares about other people broadening their horizons with new types of music or art, and he always brings something new and interesting to the table.” Although Kenny cannot participate in playing an instrument, that does not stop him from his great love for music. He lives to experience the exciting atmosphere of a live music performance. His favorite class, Scholars, provides him many opportunities in which he can embrace his passion for music. “We go to concerts, plays and other events at Bass Concert Hall, McCullough Theatre, The Long Center, and Zach Theatre. The events we go to are very eclectic and I enjoy them a lot,” Kenny said.
Selfie shot: Kenny Finkelstine poses with singer-songwriter Steve Earle for a selfie on his iPhone. Earle is one of his favorite artists and has inspired him musically. Photo courtesy of Kenny Finkelstine
Not only does Kenny find every purpose of each and every song he listens to, he knows biographies of all of his favorite artists. “Kenny is always suggesting concerts for our class to attend,” scholar teacher Ethan Ellerbrock said. “He is a curious and courageous kid. He knows more about musicians’ history and background than anyone I have ever met.” Kenny takes any chance that he has to have a with anyone around him to listen and learn new perspectives. “He really cares about equal rights,” Ruth said. “He is a really smart guy who loves to gather as much information as he can on any topic or issue and then forms his own opinion about it.” Kenny doesn’t allow his condition to be something that he is known for. Many people today do not realize that there is a strict division line between a person that is mentally challenged and a person that has a disability. “I’d say the effect is how others perceive me,” Kenny said. “People who don’t know me well will likely assume I’m mentally disabled as well, due to the fact that the majority of people equate physical disabilities with mental disabilities.”
News
The Lone Star Dispatch Friday, April 8, 2016
Page 4
Being kind helps raise awareness Suicide is the s cause of dea econd leadin th g the sta te of Te for ages 1034 in xas.
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plans to make sure things go more smoothly for this year’s Kindness Day. “We’re going to campaign more and try to make the event bigger and impact more people,” Stephenson said. Becky Stephenson, Katie’s mom, believes this day will encourage others to reach out to people in need. “It’s a day to stop and take a moment to reach out to someone with a random act of kindness, someone that you don’t know,” Becky said. “Each and every one of us is going through something at any given time.” Before Katie sought
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Depression, self-harm, and other mental illnesses attack teenagers across the globe each day. Personal and school life becomes difficult which leads to lack of fulfillment. Without proper care and awareness, these illnesses will only grow and worsen for the individual. Sophomore Katie Stephenson is making it her goal to raise awareness for these illnesses through a self-organized holiday. A time to celebrate life and promote positivity and awareness of mental illness and suicide is what Kindness Day is all about. “Kindness day is a suicide awareness day where we hand out candy in the courtyard during both lunches to promote a positive environment and remind every student that they are worth life and being happy,” Stephenson said. Sophomore Lindsey Cottle helped create the holiday, as it was originally intended as a memorial. “Kindness day was created in memorial to the two people in my life I’ve lost to suicide and Lindsey’s neighbor who took her own life last year,” Stephenson said. As planning developed, Kindness Day became more than Cottle had ex-
pected. “We want to emphasize how important and relevant mental illness is in our society,” Stephenson said. To make this one day happen, hours of time and work have been put in. “We made posters and spent hours tying individual notes to almost 4,000 pieces of candy,” Stephenson said. Help from Bowie administrators and making posters made a major difference with promoting the holiday. “We made posters and stayed after school a lot to paint and hang posters, and we also had a lot of help from the counselors, Mrs. Reyna especially,” Cottle said. Last year, being the first Kindness Day, there were complications with dates and amount of candy. “It involved a lot of trips to the counselor to work out details,” Cottle said. Weather played a big factor on the effect of the holiday last year as well, making it not go the way they had planned. “It was a stormy day and we couldn’t go outside,” Stephenson said. “They kept everyone in FIT for safety reasons and combined both lunches so it wasn’t as big as we planned.” Stephenson and Cottle are confident in campaigning more and changing
out this idea, she pondered over it and thought about what it would be like if everyone was nicer to one another. “I think she would like to think that if we were kinder to one another tragic events like this won’t happen again,” Becky said. Katie and Becky went over details and preparation involving everything from how much candy to buy and how to present the idea to Bowie administrators. “We discussed prep time needed for the candy and message handouts, and her presentation to school administration,” Becky said. “We picked a
few dates for the day itself and discussed how long it might take.” Not only did planning go into this, but also research about the effects of suicide and statistics involving it. “We had to do a lot of research and study statistics about depression, selfharm and suicide, and it really hit home,” Cottle said. Some of the changes involving this year’s Kindness Day include money changes and candy donations. “We’re planning on collecting money donations instead of candy donations, because most people have cash more readily available
Information provided by http://afsp.org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics/
Violet Glenewinkel Student Life Editor
than bulk candy, and also so we can buy the necessary candy and donate the rest of the money,” Cottle said. Geometry teacher Dana Stiles, her students were affected positively from last year’s holiday. “My students really appreciated the nice gesture t,” Stiles said. The time and effort paid off and continues to pay off as Kindness Day nears for the second time. “It was great to see people start to fully understand the seriousness of selfharm, and to smile when they realized that we were trying to do something about it,” Cottle said.
Class all about the world Seniors receive nostalgia with four-year-old letters
art by Mia Barbosa
understand how data are gathered and used to inform decisions that policy makers are tasked with addressing,” Stamper said. Stamper makes sure to not only teach the material in a course but also connect it to the world and real life situations and scenarios. “I look forward to challenging myself to provide a course that the wonderful and gifted students here will both enjoy and find challenging,” Stamper said. I also heard that it would be a very in depth course.” The course is indeed an AP class but it only runs through the course of a single semester so it will be very important for students to able to work a lot outside of school for the class. “I don’t care much for busy work, but this is a col-
lege course, so I do expect students to do quite a bit of prep for class every week between reading, writing and other work that is necessary to participate,” Stamper said. This college credit will leave students with a richer understanding of not only human geography but life as well. “I am less interested in students learning particular bits of information and much more interested in students learning how to factor in the depth and complexity of issues,” Stamper said. “Students need to be able to explain and support why they take a particular stance on an issue. I don’t care so much what you believe as long as you know how to make a defense of it.”
PROJECT Event Policies Class of 2016 JBHS G R A D U AT I O N •
No backpacks, purses or drink containers may be taken on the bus by students (bathrooms will be stocked with necessities).
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Cell phones / cameras will be allowed, but are the responsibility of the student.
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Students must bring a picture ID (DL or JBHS ID) for registration.
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Every student MUST ride the AISD busses arranged by the 2016 Booster Club to and from the event. Private Transportation, late arrival or early release will not be allowed. No exceptions.
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Students must arrive at JBHS at least one hour prior to official departure to complete check-in.
Student Name(s) Parent Names(s) Address Phone
Cost is $100/student. After Nov. 1, 2015, it’s $125/student. Submit completed form with a check made payable to JBHS Class of 2016 Booster Club, to the school office or mail to 4103 W. Slaughter Lane, Austin, 78749. Or, ou can make a payment online at https://austinisd.schoolcashonline.com/ For more information, visit www.jbhs2016.org. • Lisa Jackson, President | lpjackson@austin.rr.com • Membership Co-Chairs: Carrie Fortner | carrie4tner@gmail.com OR Pam Manley | pammanley1024@yahoo.com Please read the entire document carefully. Returned forms that do not include the signature of both student AND parent will not be considered valid. All forms must be returned to the JBHS Office no later than May 31, 2016. Students must also have a completed membership and be paid in full to attend Project Graduation 2016.
LIABILITY / PERMISION FORM
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art by Amaya Marquez
From page 1 “Expanding new horizons...” “I look forward to learning more about the lifestyles around the world and how others live, that way I will have a broader knowledge when I visit these places one day,” junior Madison Winn said. Other students are more eager to learn about the relationships between humans and the world and how the things we do create a ripple effect. “I am really looking forward to having the chance to learn about what us humans do that effect the world to what it is today,” junior Marco Moreno said. The course may not teach Moreno’s hope of learning about how to protect the world, however it definitely will teach students how to look at problems from many different points of view. “Geography is about encouraging a perspective to take on problems and not a particular kind of solution,” Stamper said. “Hopefully the class will show students how to approach problems in a holistic manner.” While the course helps students view problems from many different perspectives it also teaches students how to be able to analyze data. “I want students to
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Every student is guaranteed at least one prize.
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The cost of this event is non-refundable to students for any reason.
I, _____________________________________ (print name) plan to attend Project Graduation 2016 at HIGH 5 - LAKEWAY on SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2016. I acknowledge this is a drug- and alcohol-free event. I agree to abide by all rules and policies set forth by HIGH 5, the Class of 2016 Booster Club, AISD and JBHS. I hereby waive release and discharge the above entities and its trustees from any liability for injury or accident in the transportation to and from the event to the above named venue. I also agree to idemnify and hold harmless the same listed entities from all claims for loss, damage or injury sustained during the event. Finally, I grant permission to the chaperones of the Booster Club to act as my agent according to their best judgment in an emergency situation during the event. EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION (print clearly) Student ____________________________________________ Phone ________________________________________ Parent / Guardian ____________________________________ Phone ________________________________________ Parent / Guardian ____________________________________ Phone ________________________________________ _______________________________________ Student Signature
________________________________________ Parent Signature
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Time capsules rekindle old memories Fuaad Ajaz News Editor
Freshman year, one of the most intimidating years for students in high school, but the English department takes some of the pressure of students by making them write letters to their future selves. Students write the letters freshman year and get them back senior year in their English classes. English teachers Shari Blevins and Patricia Conroy are the two most involved teachers in the senior letter process. Blevins keeps all the senior letters in her room throughout the years and eventually helps distribute the letters. “When I came to Bowie four years ago I got the job of being the, “Guardian of the letters,” in which I store and take care of the letters,” Blevins said. “The letter are stored up by my windows in storage bins for four years the letters are organized by class and when Ms. Conroy is ready I give her the bin of letters and she distributes them to the seniors.” Senior Kandice Cox’s favorite part of the senior letters was getting the letter back and seeing how much she has changed over the
years. “My letter was crazy and was filled with just a bunch of weird stuff I had put in their,” Cox said. “It was just really funny to see the stuff I wrote like me saying “Your toe is broken right now and do you still have that crazy tie-dye lizard stuffed animal?,” just seeing funny stuff like that was the perfect way to unwind all of the stress piling up form senior year and has showed me that I have not matured at all since freshman year because I still have the lizard.” Senior Angelica Saenz was going through many different events during the beginning of her freshman year and seeing those events made her look back those events and see what’s different now. “The beginning of my freshman year was really scary for me and I remember going to English first period and remember my teacher saying to just write about your life,” Saenz said. “During the time of my senior letter I was going through many personal issues and just being able to vent in my letter made me feel really good, and now that I look back at it I feel better about myself and how have grown up and matured.”
For Cox she has gone through many life events since the beginning of her freshman year. “The letter showed me that I can do something to change my life and make it better,” Cox said. “When I was in freshman year I would have never thought that my high schools years would have gone by so fast and these four years were just so much fun i made amazing friends,had influential teaches, and a great group of people to help guide me towards college.” According to Blevins writing the letters is not just a grade in the grade book but should be a life lesson students should take away. “I think the students get to see how mature they have become and I think they get to see how ready for the world they are,” Blevins said. “They get to see how mature they have become and I think they also get to see how ready for the world they are from all the stuff they’ve learned from high school and all the personal and academic growth they have achieved.” The intent of the letters was hopefully met as seniors recalled their freshman selves in preparation of graduation.
E ntertainment
The Lone Star Dispatch Friday, April 8, 2016 Page 5
The Starlight Theatre Company jumps into Spring with a plethora of shows Victoria Newell Student Life Editor UIL SHOW: SIX DEGREES Fifteen Bowie theater students wait in anticipation as they fiddle with their costumes, pat down their hair, mutter their lines, and watch the technical crew set the various props and furniture. The curtain opens, the play begins, but it isn’t Bowie’s stage their on, and the audience isn’t Starlight Theater audience regulars. Instead they are on a foreign stage at an auditorium or another school, being watched and assessed by judges. The UIL season has begun. Each year the Starlight Theater Company participates in the theatrical division of the University Interscholastic League, or UIL. The objective is to perform a well-executed and performed show in under forty minutes with a cast of fifteen people maximum; understandably, not an easy task. This year the show is “Six Degrees of Separation” by John Guare: a show centered around a con man interacting with Upper East Side parents. “According to the author,” director Betsy Cornwel said. “The show was based on a real person who has an upper east side upbringing and he just did it to manipulate people.” The show’s structure is also different from past UIL shows. “The UIL shows that we’ve done for the last few years have been very ensemble oriented where everyone starts on stage and everyone ends on stage,” Cornwell said, “in this play two people start on stage and two people end the play and the ensemble comes in and out.” As mentioned before, there are many challenging parts about the UIL show, that aren’t necessarily as stressed in other shows. One of the biggest requirements is the time limit. “The most challenging part about UIL is trying to tell the best story you can but yet keeping it under time,” Cornwell said. The time is also a concern of the actors and technical crew involved in the show. “The time is the biggest issue that we have in the rehearsal period because if you go over, you’ll be disqualified and that would be really bad,” senior Paige Bradbury said. The competition to get into the UIL show is intense as well, and it’s considered a huge honor to get cast in the show. “The competition was so high among all the girls, there are only 5 female roles in it, so nobody knew how it was going to end up, it was very uncertain- undetermined. I’m just very fortunate to have made the cast,” junior Emma Haschke said. The team had its first competition on March 22, and then another on the 24. If they advance on from those, they have the next round on March 31, and so on until state. “As I team I hope that we advance, in an ideal world all the way to state, but that is very difficult, I just hope that we get farther than we did last year which was the third round.” Haschke said. The actors also grow and further their skills through the UIL program, because of how challenging the roles are. “These characters always have to go through a journey, every character, no matter who your play is based on, and you have to make sure that every actor senses the growth of the character,” Cornwell said. The rehearsal period is just under six weeks, so it can be difficult for the actors to get to know their characters before their first performance. “It’s hard to be able to work so quickly and be able to make interesting choices; you just don’t have a lot of
Diving into character: Senior Juliana Davis is overcome with sadness and despair as she perfects her character’s personality on set. The cast members rehearsed their performances throughout many late week night hours in preparation for the UIL Spring shows. Photo by Violet Glenewinkel.
time,” junior Jackson Walker said. The pressure to perform phenomenally is much more heavily laid on the small cast during UIL season because of the pressure to bring home a few awards and hopefully advance to state; this weight allows for the students to grow as performers in a impressive way throughout the rehearsal and performance period. We are only allowed 15 maximum actors so it’s a lot closer, smaller group, so the responsibility it laid on these kids shoulders much more heavily than a cast of 100,” Cornwell said. In spite of the stress, the small cast allows the students to become close to each other in a way that is not seen in large casts. “My favorite thing about UIL is the bond that you have with the other cast members, since it is such a small cast there really is a strong sense of family.” Bradbury said. The minimal cast also allows for the students to become closer than a normal cast of thirty plus would. UIL can be a challenging program for everyone involved, but the bond between the cast members, the opportunity to perform in front of schools from all over the state, and the theatrical growth that comes through so much responsibility keeps Bowie coming back year after year. The Starlight Theater Company is a non-stop program and it often seems that a new production is always right around the corner. Once again, there are a variety of theater projects coming up this spring that are definitely keeping the theater students on their toes. The team had its first competition on March 22 and Jackson Walker won Best Actor, Chloe Byars and Zane Stults won All Star Cast, Miguel Lozano and Jamie Godwin received an Honorable Mention, and Kamryn Bryce won Outstanding Technician. The production itself won first place at the Zone and District level competitions, as well as recieving praise from a particular judge, “I forgot that I was watching students onstage, I was definitely watching adults during the show,” paraphrased by Marco Bazan. On the 24th of March the team experienced similar success and advanced to the bi-district rounds, surrounded by the support of their peers and cheered on by Starlight Theater Company.
SPRING SHOWS On April 7-9th Bowie’s stage will set for the 2016 Spring Shows. Traditionally, Spring Shows begin production a week after the musical closes, there are three to four, and tragically, they are the Senior Directors last show to act in. What sets the Spring Shows apart from the other productions throughout the year is that Bowie brings in one or two college students to direct a show. This year they include UT Austin student Nicolas Garza and Texas State student, Courtney Hall; who happens to be a Bowie alumni. “I always knew I wanted to teach, I just didn’t know what, it wasn’t until after I was accepted into college when I was like ‘I want to teach, I want to do theater, why don’t I just teach theater’.” Hall said. “It’s really weird to come back to Bowie; I still get dress-coded.” Hall is directing The Women, a very girl heavy cast (hence the title) with a large ensemble. The show features Upper East Side Women and their lives, primarily Mary Haines as she deals with her family’s growing drama. Bowie’s production of The Women is different from the traditional show, in a fun way, as it adds some boys to the mix. “I’ve always wanted to do The Women but I’ve never had the right cast for it.” Hall said. “So i decided that I could do The Women, and add guys, because I like big ensembles, so I was like; this is my chance to totally mess the show up- in a good way- and make it into something it’s definitely never been.” Garza Is directing Caught Between Two Worlds, a story about a girl growing up with a Hispanic father and white mother, and her struggle to find her place in the word. “Caught Between Two Worlds is about this girl who is half-white/half-Latino and for me, my dad is Mexican and my mom is Polish, so I’ve always been in this in between phase and this story kind of deals with that; like with this girl and where does she fit in?” Garza said. In addition to Caught Between Two Worlds and The Women, returning theater director Matthew Humphrey is directing The Cripple of Inishmaan; a story about an Irish cripple and the community he lives in (that feature a set of fun accents), and the rest of the directors, Betsy Cornwell, Marco Bazan, and Kalyn Holloway are directing the competitive UIL show.
Band director set to move to a new school at year’s end Lauren Blevins Co-Editor-in-Chief
Kim Shuttlesworth’s legacy will impact band members even after she is gone. The long time leader of the award-winning company has decided to move on to start a program at a brand new high school in the outskirts of north Austin. “I have enjoyed my time at Bowie,” Shuttlesworth said. “I don’t know any work outside the walls here, and I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything. It will be hard to leave, but I hope that I left Bowie better than I came in; that is always the goal of an educator.” Shuttlesworth has also left a positive impact on students beyond the band atmosphere. “It’s not all of the musical aspects of band that will leave an impact, but the lessons that she and the other directors have taught us and as students we can carry with us passed high school,” junior Gianna Nuckols said. Although it is tough to lose an impactful teacher, the band members hope Shuttlesworth can have the same affect on her new students. “I was initially really sad to hear about Ms. Shuttlesworth leaving, because she has made such an amazing and huge impact on the band throughout the years,” senior Lauren Anderson said. “ However, I know the band will carry on the high standards she put in place, and this is the perfect opportunity for her to expand her horizons as a teacher.” With the great accomplishments of the band, hard work and dedication must
Farewell: Band director Kim Shuttlesworth seen here winning TOY 2015. Shuttlesworth will leave Bowie at the end of the school year. Photo by Jasmine Correa.
come as well. “The more successful they became, the harder myself and the staff had to work,” Shuttlesworth said. “They make me a better teacher, but more importantly- they make me want to be the best version of myself daily.” She would push her students to perform their best and that has helped the prosper into what it is today. “The thing I will miss most about Ms. Shuttlesworth is her teaching methods,” senior Danny Cruz said. “She was a
specific teacher at Bowie that was able to keep you motivated throughout the whole season or school year. She would not point out your talents as much as she would point out your weaknesses. And by her doing this she would encourage us to keep working on the stuff that needed work, rather than the stuff that was in ‘pretty’ good shape.” For Anderson, Shuttlesworth has taught her lessons that will carry on to things beyond the Bowie Band program. “Ms. Shuttlesworth has not only pushed
me to improve my music skills everyday, but she has taught me how to work for something bigger than myself,” Anderson said. “ I will always be grateful for the lessons she provided us, and I know her dedication to the band program will continue to resonate within the students in the years to come.” Through the numerous band trips, the program has created a bond that cannot be broken and Shuttlesworth was with them every step of the way. “Some of the memories that I will always cherish with Ms. Shuttlesworth is the multiple band trips we have taken in the program, from performing at grand national championships in Indianapolis to touring London and performing in the New Years London parade,” Cruz said. Junior band members will miss Shuttlesworth in their last year in the program. “It’s hard to imagine senior year without her motivation, that is definitely one of the things I will miss about her,” Nuckols said. Along with helping the music talents of Cruz, Shuttlesworth also helped with his family situations and get him through a hard time in his high school career. “When I was a sophomore my mom was diagnosed with stage 2 Breast cancer and I was able to talk to Ms. Shuttlesworth about my situation and she was able to reassure me that she was there for me not only as a mentor, but also as a friend,” Cruz said. “Since then I have been able to overcome many musical challenges I have come face to face with and will always remember the comfort and guidance Ms. Shuttlesworth was able to provide as an educator in the Bowie Band.”
C ommentary The Lone Star Dispatch Friday, April 8, 2016 Page 6
Apple refuses to violate privacy of users FBI struggles to convince Apple to create complicated programing for case Editorial But what about my privacy???
A teenager’s life line is their cellphone. From Twitter, to conversations with their friends, a teenager cannot live without their phone. It is also one of the most secure items they own. Now, imagine that all of that private, secure information could be seen from an outside source. All of those photos, messages, Internet searches, all accessible by someone unknown. That’s the current fight between Apple and the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigations), as the FBI is attempting to get Apple to unlock the phone of the shooter of the San Bernardino attacks. Although the phone could yield valuable information, we believe that the FBI is asking Apple for too much at the risk of all other iPhone owners. The FBI is asking Apple to create complicated programing to access the content of the shooters phone. Essentially, they want Apple to create a program (that doesn’t exist yet), a “back door” of sorts, that could encrypt the phone and give all of the information off of the phone while being unable to unlock it. Once the program is created, this opens the way for anyone to pry into people’s lives through their phones. The FBI is also claiming that when this program is created (right now, for them it’s not an “if” situation), they will only use it when necessary. Does that mean they will have to go to Apple every time they need a device of
NO SUCH THING!!!
art by Eliana Lynch
theirs hacked, or will Apple give the codes and such to the FBI to use whenever they want? When do they get to deem necessary? If, for example, if someone is assumed to have committed a huge crime, but there was no evidence to link them to the crime, would they hack into that iPhone then? Either way is bad for consumers. Once the program is created, no one is safe from possible encryption. This is how it is: anytime the FBI thinks a crime is being committed, just hack into the phone as they please to figure out if they are or not.
A federal judge said that the FBI can’t ask Apple to get into the phone of a NY individual in a similar manner that they are asking Apple to do now. Yes, the cases are quite different, and this was a major crime, and the victims families are demanding answers. Yes, something horrible happened and they want to know whether or not they were linked to ISIS, and that is reasonable to find out. But is it reasonable to put everyone else at risk to find out what is on one person’s phone? Here, the risk isn’t worth the potential consequences, which would be much worse for the country and all iPhone users. The only solution here to avoid contaminating evidence would be for the FBI to try another way to unlock the iPhone. Apple isn’t budging, and the FBI already said that they were going to try other ways while the case went through federal courts, and it already appears that they went and are attempting to drop the suit. Not only does this make Apple look stronger for protecting its consumers, but it also shows that the FBI is not as fierce and as strong of a force as they once were. Since early last week, the FBI claimed they had figured out how to get around the Apple safeguards, which effectively ended the court case. We should come up with a solution for this happening. It is too bad that happened because this will be old news by the time we publish. We could do something here like an editor’s note in place of this last paragraph that acknowledges the fact that the case is over, but that we still question the governments ability to look into people’s phones.
Drug dog investigations have students feeling as though their rights are being violated at school Granger Coats Photo Editor
The American flag stands gallantly above the revered and noble school as if justly being guided by the Constitution itself. Education is a fundamental component to our democracy. It allows us to explore, understand, and thrive in our society. So why does a place of education, whose goal it is to better prepare students for the world and promote the ideals of democracy take away students constitutional rights? An institution intended to enrich and better the lives of students should never detract from that role when punishing students, especially with the assisted use of police as school disciplinarians. According to the AISD student code of conduct, district officials may not
numerous offenses like “selling, giving, delivering, possessing, using, or being under the influence of marijuana, a controlled substance, or dangerous drug in an amount not constituting a felony offense.” Under Texas law four ounces or more of marijuana is considered to be a felony offense. As stated above, students can be sent to DAEP for a non-felony offense, one that if they were caught in the real world would most likely result in a citation and the underage person being escorted home. The problem is the effect this can have on students. Students sent to Alternative Learning Center (ALC) can quickly fall behind on classwork, lessening their understanding and overall education. That’s why I believe the DAEP should be a punishment saved only for se-
only conduct searches without a warrant, but can also search any student’s vehicle without that student’s permission as “Vehicles parked on school property are under the jurisdiction of the school,” utterly disregarding the fourth amendment. Another major ramification of the code of conduct is the removal from campus to Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP). According to the handbook a student may be sent to DAEP for
DISPATCH STAFF Editorial Board Editor-in-Chiefs Kamryn Bryce Lauren Blevins News Editor Fuaad Ajaz Commentary Editors Eliana Lynch Carissa Duran Gavin Farner Student Life Editors Caitlin Devlin Violet Glenewinkel Victoria Newell Entertainment Editor Casey Shrout
Athletics Editors Isabel Rosales Priscilla Diaz Photo Editor Granger Coats Online Editors Michelle McDonagh Mia Barbosa Assistant Editors: Online Alicia Molina Ashley Ramirez
Dispatch Staff: Avy Friedman Greyson Hughes Shelby Kelly Samantha Knapp Emma Kunkel Amaya Marquez Nya Martin Nate Miller Kathleen Nguyen Evan Owen Ashley Ramirez Kelsie Stella Melissa Weprin
Adviser Michael Reeves
EDITORIAL POLICY The Lone Star Dispatch is the official student newspaper of James Bowie High School. It is published six times a year, generally once per six weeks for the school’s students, staff and community. The Lone Star Dispatch is an open forum for student expression. The Lone Star Dispatch is not reviewed by school administration prior to distribution, and the advisor will not act as a censor. Content represents the views of the student staff and not school officials. The Lone Star Dispatch will work to avoid bias and/or favoritism. We will strive to make our coverage and content meaningful, timely and interesting to our readers. Our articles will reflect our genuine objective of reporting news and will be held to a high standard of quality. We will make every effort to avoid printing libel, obscenities, innuendo and material that threatens to disrupt the learning process or is an invasion of privacy. We will avoid electronic manipulation that alters the truth of a photograph without indicating that the photographer is an illustration. Staff editorials represent the opinion of the editorial board arrived at by discussion and will not be bylined. Bylined articles are the opinion of the individual writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Lone Star Dispatch staff or administration as a whole. The Lone Star Dispatch welcomes reader input. Please send any letters, articles, comments or corrections to bowie.journalism@gmail.com or mail them to 4103 W. Slaughter Lane, Austin, TX 78749 or drop them off in room F-203 with 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. The Lone Star Dispatch does not necessarily endorse the products or services of advertising.
vere cases such as students considered a threat to the school, the well-being of students, or themselves. All other minor behavioral offenses should be dealt with justly. Students who break the code of conduct should be punished, but in a more effective way, a way that doesn’t negatively effect their education or hinder student growth. With growing concerns over school safety, police officers are being assigned to monitor schools in record numbers. According to the National Center for Education Statistics there are more than 43,000 school resource officers and other sworn police officers working in the nation’s 84,000 public schools. Although the heightened security is a positive step towards school safety it also raises multiple concernslike the criminaliza-
art by Gavin Farner
tion of common teenage behaviors, discriminatory enforcement of vague laws, and use of excessive force in schools where students should feel safe. School safety is crucial and I support the strengthening of effective security. School is a place of learning and growing, therefore by definition a school should be a place of safety
and guidance to students. However, the current rules and handling of student offenses is flawed. It can easily set students in need of support further off track. Ultimately, it creates a sense of fear and hostility amongst teenagers. An overbearing force that has no place within the walls of a successful classroom.
Social media, back at it again
Alicia Molina Assistant Editor
A few weeks ago you might have been hearing people all around the school saying “Damn Daniel, back at it again with the white vans.” This is all because of a series of Snapchats put together about a fourteen year old boy named Daniel. His friend Josh started doing it as a joke on Snapchat where he would film Daniel and say things like “Damn Daniel” or “Damn Daniel back at it again with the white vans.” People thought that it was so funny and they wanted Josh and Daniel to keep on doing the videos and posting them to Josh’s Snapchat story. After a while Daniel started getting recognized by people at the mall and around town. At parties Daniel would have to call Josh so that everybody can hear him say his famous line. It was an Internet hit and he caught the eyes of many. He knew it was a hit and even tweeted “Josh, and I are stoked by all this. Thank you guys.” Peo-
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ple like Cameron Dallas (viner) and Madison Beer (singer/ actress) saw the video and tweeted about it as well. I thought that the video was funny but after a while it was starting to get annoying. What’s so bad about it is that everybody was trying to act like Josh at school, every five minutes I would hear “Damn Daniel,” from across the hall and it would bug me even more than the time before. This happened a few weeks ago and I still hear people talking about Daniel. On the bright side Daniel and Josh are famous now because of this. They
both got to be in a Weezer video called “California kids”, and they also went on the Ellen show where Daniel got a lifetime supply of vans, and Ellen got Josh a personalized surfboard saying “Damn Daniel! I was on Ellen”. Daniel put the lifetime supply of Vans that he got from the Ellen show to very good use. Recently he donated vans to the people at Loma Linda children’s hospital in Loma Linda, California. They were very touched by this and could not thank Daniel and Josh enough for what they did for their patients. I think that not everybody would do that. Some people who get noticed on the Internet and soak up the fame for as long as they can, after that you don’t hear much from them, they kind of vanish from everything. I think that it’s great that people are using their fame for good and they are not keeping it all to themselves, we need more people like Daniel and Josh who use their fame for good.
DAM DAN N IEL !
!!
art by Gavin Farner
C ommentary
Beyonce causes controversy Fuaad Ajaz News Editor
STOP SHOOTING US! dance he puts his hands up and all of the police drop their weapons and put their hands up. The little boy wears a hoodie suggesting this as an homage to Trayvon Martin. The end where the boy and the police all put their hands up symbolize that people and the police need to stop the senseless violence There is one part in the “Formation” song where Beyonce tackles that not everything good comes from white people. As she says, “I might just be a black Bill gates in the making,” she is trying to say that not all wealthy people are white, that there are wealthy people who aren’t white and don’t get noticed. Sadly this is true in today’s world. If someone is white and rich they are known worldwide but if someone is black and rich, not many people know who they are. This same truth holds for people who get in trouble with the court. If someone goes and shoots up a movie theatre and
art by Fuaad Ajaz
yonce’s music video, but people were also offended by her halftime performance at Superbowl 50. Beyonce and her background dancers were wearing Black Panther uniforms with black arm bands, afros, leather jackets, and more to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Black Panthers which was founded in Oakland, California, which is just across San Francisco Bay from where the game was being played. But apparently people think that celebrating an organization that among other things fought for equal rights, provided breakfast for little kids, and protected their communities is wrong. That’s like saying people should not dress up and celebrate for the Fourth of July; it’s just wrong. Another thing that some people disliked about Beyonce’s halftime performance was the fact that she formed an “X” in her performance in honor of Malcolm X, Muslim activist who demanded equal rights for the black population. Apparently this civil rights hero was so bad that people had to bash and criticize Beyonce for honoring him during her performance (the X is also formed in her music video). One thing that Beyonce really seems to say in “Formation” is all of the things she loves about being black. As she says, “I like my baby heir with baby hair and afros. I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils.” She embraces all of the traits her culture gives her. She also says, “I see it, I want it, I stunt yellow-bone it.” She’s embracing her skin color; yellow bone is a light shade of African-American skin. So go on and embrace it, girl. And in the music video, there is a scene where a little black kid is dancing in front of the police and at the end of his
BLACK LIVES MATTER!
As civil rights activist, Angela Y. Davis once said, “I’m no longer accepting the things I cannot change...I’m changing the things I cannot accept.” Music artist Beyonce is now speaking up about what she wants changed in the world. On Sunday, February 6, Beyonce Knowles released her song, Formation which tackles many of the issues that the Black Lives Matter organization protests, most importantly police brutality against members of the black community. But, for some reason, there was a noisy backlash against her expression of opinion. Apparently when someone points out that something unfair is happening to a minority group, and that person happens to be a popular black female artist, critics yelp when that someone states the obvious. Why? In opening scene of the music video Beyonce is standing atop a New Orleans police car which is slowly sinking into a river. Throughout the music video Beyonce and the car sink lower and lower and at the end the car is submerged in the river and Beyonce down with the car. The message here says that if the police continue shooting people, not only are the people going down but also the police will sink with them. The music video tackles a lot of police brutality. In one scene there is a wall spray painted with the words, “Stop shooting us.” This “us” is clearly the African-American population. Also, at the end of the music video we hear someone say, “Girl, I hear some thunder,” followed by what seem to be gunshots and someone say “Gollly,” indicating that people were being shot at by the police. But the music video isn’t the only thing pointing at police brutality. The “Formation” video was released on February 6 which was not only the day before the Superbowl but it was also the day after Trayvon Martins birthday. She clearly was trying to tackle something that she is serious about. No one should be offended by a powerful woman using her position to defend and protect members of her race and culture. Not only were people offended by Be-
STOP POLICE BRUTALITY!
The Lone Star Dispatch Friday, April 8, 2016 Page 7
they are white, they are labeled “Mentally ill” and if someone of color did the exact same thing, they are terrorists who receive the death penalty. This goes to show how messed up America is right now. The 2016 Grammy Awards were the first time Beyonce spoke about this controversy. She basically said that in music we have to express what we feel and that is what makes music a form of art. Beyonce and Jay-Z have donated $1.5 million to the Black Lives Matter organization and are obviously members of the Organization. “Justice is indivisible. You can’t decide who gets civil rights and who doesn’t.” This quote from famous civil right activist Angela Y. Davis states what Beyonce wants as well. She wants justice, and she wants everyone to have the same rights. Hopefully it all happens before she gets into formation again.
Is the AP world history test worth it? Mia Barbosa Online Editor
College prices average around $24,000 for a public school and $48,000 for a private school per year. For some students this means parents have been saving up for their college since before they were born, others may be hoping for a scholarship, or are working to get themselves through college, and for others college means debt and student loans. No matter what way the money for college is gathered it never hurts to get the opportunity to save some money, and with weighted classes at Bowie High School, this opportunity is possible. Students currently enrolled in world history have been given the opportunity to receive college credit for the course. In order to receive the credit the students had to sign up to take the AP test, which had a $93 non-refundable fee. The test is graded on a five-point scale and to recieve credit for a public college a student would need a three or higher and to recieve credit for a private college a
four or higher. I think that the test is a great way for students to get ahead in the competitive race for college. The test is constructed with two sections, a multiple choice section and a writing section, and each section is worth 50% of the overall grade. Section one, the multiple choice questions, contains 70 questions total. The writing section has three essay types and students don’t know which one they’ll get. I think that if a stu-
dent has paid enough attention throughout the year to be able to at least get 35 questions correct and is an okay writer they can definitely pass the test with a three to get the public school credit. Students who wanted to take the test but also felt that they needed more prep for the test were provided with many resources to hopefully help them strive and encouraged to join study groups outside of school. From January 19th through May 11th FIT sessions were created to help students be prepared for the test. There were six review sessions that were optional for students who needed to go over a specific time period in history, and there was also three mandatory essay sessions. Many students jumped on the opportunity to take the test considering the odds looked extremely good for them, however there was one issue that was faced that discouraged some students from wanting to take the test. The reason that the essay FIT sessions were mandatory was because throughout this school year pre-AP teachers had been
teaching their students the essay styles needed to pass next year’s U.S. history AP test and the styles of next year’s AP test and this year’s AP test are different. This meant that for students who had been learning how to write essays a certain way all year had to try to put that knowledge aside and learn a completely new way to write. This issue, while slightly discouraging to some, is being overcome thanks to Marie Hoffman-Howell’s sessions to help students learn the “new old” styling of historical writing. I think that more tests like this need to be offered to students so that way they can prepare for the future better and save money. All in all, even if a student who tries to take the test doesn’t pass they still gained the experience of what an AP test is like to help them improve and be more prepared for any other AP test they’ll take. Considering all of the time, money and stress a student can save themselves by attempting to take the test for a fee of only $93 I believe it is a great idea to try.
Bulldawg Speak Out What do you think about F.I.T. being held every day next year?
9th
10th
11th
12th
Teacher
Sofia Bernadino
Carroline Andres
Ernesto Jose
Corbyn Xia Gan
“Students will have the oportunity to get more done and also a lot more free time.”
“It will be a good way for students to catch up on work and have some extra time to study.”
Kristen Cayer
“I don’t think that’s a good idea because I feel like it will be a waste of time and students wil take the time for granted.”
“It will be nice to have some extra time to do work, but also it will make the school day seem longer.”
“I like it because the schedule will be the same everyday and I know that students have a lot of homework to get done.”
I n-Depth
The Lone Star Dispatch Friday, April 8, 2016
Page 8
Seeing stars A shift in political apathy? Kamryn Bryce Editor-in-Chief
G.I. Generation born between 1901-1924
Donald Trump is challenging the way millennials view politics. “Only a third of young In the past it seemed that the only people who people say their vote were actually interested in the debates were people will “make a difference” who kept up with politics in the same way that most anyway, according to the Texans keep up with college football, the fanatics. latest Harvard Institute of While it’s not the first time in history that a wild card Politics youth poll.” candidate sparked some tangible interest in youth voters, Trump’s use of social media, primarily Twitter, has created such an uproar with the younger generation “Millennials say they they might actually vote in the upcoming election. trust almost no authority If Trump’s campaign were to be compared to figure to do the right say a horror film it be as such; in the beginning thing most or all of the people were skeptical and yet brushed it off, time: not Congress, not there was no way he was serious or at least no the president, not the way he was ever going to win, then debates took Supreme Court, not the place and tweets were posted which sparked a media, not Wall Street bit of fear or for some, excitement, and now and definitely not federwith inauguration day in sight we’ve got half of al, state or local governAmerica thinking ‘I can’t watch, I can’t watch’ and ment.” the other half thinking ‘bring it on’. America’s millennials (those born between 1982 and 2000) are notorious for a number of things; whether it’s our vast knowledge on the latest selfie craze, our overall Silent Generation acceptance and drive for change, or the fact that we have born between been dubbed the “me me me” generation, but just like any 1925-1946 other age group of 18-25 year olds we seem to suffer from political apathy. In an article featured in the Washington Post, written by Catherine Rampell, it is noted that only 19.9 percent of youth voters, voters between the ages of 18 and 25, voted in the 2012 presidential election. While the consequences Baby Boom of refusing or neglecting to vote are simple and concise, no born between vote no say, pinpointing why America’s youth are equally notorious for not showing up on election day as we are 1946-1964 for being entitled, is what’s really crucial in making that change. Yet we can’t solely blame the youth of our generation for a lack of political interest, for another article, “Non voters in America,” stated that around 40 percent of the American population as a whole did not vote in the 2012 election.
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Still, a significant portion of that is and has always been made up of that 18 through 25 age group. Generation X Reason being? Simply put, we teenagers and college born between students are far too busy to get ourselves to the nearest 1965-1979 Randall’s, too angsty to think our votes matter in the first place, and overall feel a disconnect and resentment towards the rest of America and ‘the man’ as we drown in college Generation Y debt. To sum up, we tend to dish out the silent treatment in (Millennials) quiet protest of dealing with ‘big brother.’ born between Millennials make up the largest generation in the 1980-1999 country, even greater in population size than those social security nabbing baby boomers, with 83.1 million according to the 2010 census. Yet, we also “They will probably stand for the lowest voter age group turnout rate be a force again in in the country. Think of the influence and power the 2016 election, and we could have if we just filled out a registration as clearly seen, the card and checked an electronic box. Share your candidates are already aware of that.“ opinion in a booth not in a subtweet. It is suggested by recent articles that the reason young people don’t vote is due to the long line of candidates who make their promises and neglect to follow through when actually elected, or that young voters feel like none of the candidate options are “They are looking worth voting for to begin with. for a name/face that So why have millennials been predicted to hasn’t always been speak up and surprise the ‘early bird special’ group there, telling them of Americans in this upcoming election? It’s the that things will get same answer to the question of why we are never better.” satisfied with the now: the power of the Internet and it’s bottomless chasm of knowledge all compacted into our precious Apple products, or rather through our exposure to social media we have become “Youth voter turnout aware, more than ever, of the personal opinions fell to its lowest level and lives of the people running for our presion record as only 19.9 dent, even more so than our elders who actupercent of 18 to 29 ally vote. year old citizens cast If a candidate says, posts, tweets, or whatever anything controversial, or should I say when, ballots in Fall of 2014.” it’s the millennials, generation Y, who hear and react to it first. With that said it has been predicted that those sweet 80 year olds welcoming voters at the booths can be expecting a younger crowd, according Generation Z to a matter-of-factually titled article featured in RedState, born between 2000- present “Millennials + Election 2016: They’ll Be Voting.” Therefore, when some generationist adult makes that age old statement, ‘young people don’t vote,’ let’s be saying ‘watch me.’
Information provided by https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/where-are-the-young-voters/2015/07/23/2781990e-316f-11e5-8f36-18d1d501920d_story.html, http:// www.redstate.com/kimberly_ross/2015/09/09/millennials-election-2016-theyll-be-voting/, and https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/reports/millennial-generation-research-review
Opinion
S tudent Life
The Lone Star Dispatch Friday April 8, 2016 Page 9
School, study, sleep, repeat
Shelby Kelly Staff Writer
School, homework, extracurricular activities, sleep, repeat—that’s what life can be for some top ranking students. A new survey suggests that teenagers everywhere are feeling high levels of stress that they say negatively affect every aspect of their lives. A USA today’s poll suggests that 27% of students in the US say they experience “extreme” stress during the school year. Although being a highly ranked student can come with a lot of stress, sophomore Jennifer Hoang, ranking number one out of 715 students in the 10th grade glass of 2018. Hoang does admit that grade pressures and stress does exist but the greatest stress contributor would be the high expectations she and others place on her. “There is obviously pressure to keep grades up but I do sometimes see social pressure because people expect me to know everything or get perfect scores,” Hoang said. Being number one the class requires academic self discipline and tightly controlled scheduling, the hardest part, Hoang explains about being the top of the class would be the constant high expectations. “I think people expect a lot from me, like I should know everything and get 100’s all of the time,” Hoang said. Hoang is not the only one who realizes the pressures some people put on her. “With her achievement of being top rank, I have noticed her being in social and grade pressures since everyone expects her to know everything and get 100s on all assignments,” friend Jessica Rodriguez said. Achieving and maintaining her rank in the grade is not painless and requires determination, according to Geometry teacher Dana Stiles. “I don’t believe Jennifer’s success has been easy,” Stiles said. “She’s devoted a lot of time to her studies, and is never afraid to ask for help if she doesn’t understand a concept.” Although it takes a lot for Hoang to keep up her grades, she still makes time for friends. “Jennifer does not cut out on social or hangout time, she would rather be with her friends than studying,” Rodriguez said. Some might think that with all these pressures from all aspects of her life she would lose the desire, but through all of it she stays on track. “Jennifer would always stretch her thinking and the thinking of her classmates by extending upon the topics we were covering,” Stiles said. “She was always extreme-
Studying Non-Stop: Sophomore Jennifer Hoang enjoys a nice day of studying outside. Hoang has the top rank in her class, an achievement made possible by her rigourous study habits. Photo by Mia Barbosa
ly motivated in class. She enjoyed Geometry and her love showed through the types of questions she would ask in class.” Hoang enjoys tutoring other students on top of balancing her busy and full life to help others. “This year, she enjoys coming in to help tutor my Geometry students on Thursday mornings,” Stiles said. “She always tells me how much she misses Geometry.” Being number one takes a lot from a person; it takes a certain type of person.
“I think Jennifer reached her goal of being the top rank through hard work and dedication,” Rodriguez said. “Some qualities she possesses that helped her get there is she is naturally intelligent, studious, and devoted to accomplishing her goals,” The way Hoang keeps going in maintaining and reaching her future and current goals are by following an important set of advice she gives herself daily. “The best advice I could give is to just try your best so you have nothing to regret,” Hoang said.
Freshman are challenged to explore their every day life Victoria Newell Student Life Editor
A mass of headphone-wearing teenagers move in and out Bowie High School every day, filling the hallways and sleeping in class, but a few freshman are having to think about what all the little things they do every day, who they are, and what makes up their existence, becasue of a unique geography project. “The project made me think about the monotony of my day, when it asked what kind of food I eat, it made me realize the amount of monotony you have to go through getting ready for school,” freshman Jake Brien said. The “Culture Me Project” is designed to help students, mostly freshmen, get a better understanding of their own culture, as well as those around them. The project has been in the works during the fourth sixth weeks, and students were challenged to look at the ABC’s of culture and immerse themselves even deeper into their own personal bubble. “We assign the ‘Culture Me Project’ to help the students understand how culture works by exploring how aspects and culture are part of their own life, and how they can reflect and perform their own culture,” world geography teacher Nicholas Stamper said. “So we have them look at in re-
art by Victoria Newell
gards to themselves, and it helps make them start to look for it in other people.” Many students enjoy this task, because it gives them a reason to talk about the person they know bestthemselves. “It was a lot of fun,” sophomore Trinity Campos said. “Culture’s just always fun because it helps
you know more about the world.” The teachers, however, have gotten mixed reactions from some students, mainly because some are more open than others. “Some of them really like it, some don’t; some really actively don’t like it because they don’t like to write about themselves,
which is fair,” Stamper said. The project challenges the students to think about their everyday life on a deeper level, and discover what routines they have assigned themselves to. “It was challenging in having me think about what I do every day and how it’s the same and like
‘wow, I’m gonna be doing this for a while,” Brien said. It’s a project that many students remember and discuss with past teachers well after the fact. It’s concrete evidence of what students thought of themselves when they were freshmen. “It is one of the projects that I have students come back years after they graduate,” world geography teacher Karl Lauer said. “They’ll remember doing that ‘Culture Me Project’ and say things like ‘I still have it, and I can’t believe what my culture used to be,’ which is why we have to do it really, so that they can see that culture is dynamic.” The teachers enjoy grading it as well, because it gives them a window into the lives of their students. “It kinda gives me a deeper look into the culture of my students and how diverse the classes are and how different everybody is,” Lauer said. Many students remember doing the project as the go into higher grades and change as they grow older and walk through high school. “I remember having to learn about myself and having to print out pictures that worked with what I was talking about and it was cool to get to learn more about other people because they would talk about it with me, and we all got to talk it together which
is awesome because that’s always fun,” Campos said. The freshman this year are also interested in the project, and how different it is from other projects assigned in their other core classes. “It’s a really unique project from other things that I’m used to doing in this sort of class and it seems like something that will have some value in the future,” freshman Stephen Do said. Something that many of the teachers find interesting is how different all the students are from one another. “Every single project is different, some students are artists and they express their culture that way, some students are good writers so they write more than others, you really can understand what different kids enjoy about the culture,” Lauer said. Many students enjoy getting to see the lives of other students as well. “It was cool to get to learn more about other people,” Campos said. “I thought it was interesting because their were so many things about other people cultures you didn’t even know happened or existed.” World geogrpahy is a class dedicated to learning about the differnt cultures of the world and the diversity. This project allows the world geography students to express their own unnique background.
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A thletics
The Lone Star Dispatch
Friday, April 8, 2016
Page 10
Speed skating around the world Tinsley overcomes athletic and academic obstacles Elianna Lynch Commentary Editor
Nina Tinsley is your average high school student. She goes to class, hangs out with her friends, and strives to do her best and get good grades. But there’s something original about Nina, her extracurricular activity and what she does outside of school. She is involved with an intense sport: competitive speed skating. Speed skating originated in Northern Europe and the Netherlands as just a way of life. Originally, the natives of these snowy areas would add bones to their shoes and used them to travel on frozen rivers, canals and lakes. During the evolution of transportation to sport, it made it’s way to the U.S. Today, athletes like Nina speed skate inside of roller rinks, but this sport is both an indoor and outdoor sport. Speed skating is an extreme physical activity and takes up a lot of time and effort so much that most people start this sport when they’re extremely yo ung. “I was six years old whenever I first started speed skating,” Tinsley said. “My dad forced me to start this sport but then it really grew on me and I stuck with it. It’s been an extremely important part of my life for so long, it’s hard to imagine life without it.” Speed skating was in Tinsley’s life even before she was born. Her father Al Tinsley started the legacy and tradition of speed skating in the family himself. “I started speed skating when I was fifteen, and I absolutely loved it,” Ninnas dad Al Tinsley said. “I speed skated throughout college and my through my late twenties, and it gave my so many amazing opportunities. A few years after my wife and I moved
to Texas, I found out there a speed team nearby. So I bought some skates, and took Nina to the roller rink for the first time. She absolutely loved it, and 11 years later, she still does.” Speed skating isn’t just a team building sport inside of the rink, but also outside in the real world as well. “My favorite part of speed skating is that I’m able to do it with my family,” Al said. “I’m able to speed skate with Nina and my son Trey, and it has brought us so much closer as a family, we work together better and appreciate the time that we get to spend together.” Competing is not easy and takes a lot of vigorous practice and patience. Not many people can handle the strain, Nina’s friends have noticed her intensity and hard work. “I definitely couldn’t speed skate,” Kristen Loewe said. “I don’t have the perseverance she does and the physical portion of it is so demanding. I don’t know how she can handle everything, but somehow she does it.” These competitions are international and all around the world. Nina is constantly on the go and travelling. Recently, Nina went to Taiwan for for the World Championships. “It was so much fun,” Nina said. “It was really strange because everything was in a different language. It was fun because I got to see some of the most famous speed skaters and meet lots of different people. The culture was different and the time change and the food. But overall it was really fun once you got used to things.” Going around the world is one of the huge benefits of speed skating and because of these competitions she becomes more well known and appreciated for
her good work and dedication, which enables her to have the ability of going far in whatever she does. “She can go wherever she wants to go,” Al said. “Her goal right now is to win a medal at the World Championships in China this year, and if she puts her mind to it, I know she’ll do it.” In the future, if Tinsley wanted to pursue this sport in the Olympics she would need to change from indoor speed skating to Winter Olympics Speed Skating. “I don’t think that I would continue into the Olympics if I needed to change what I do,” Nina said. “I know it doesn’t seem that much different, but skating in the snow or on ice is much different than in the rink. I’ve been in the rink for so long that it would be too different to change it, plus that’s not my passion.” Missing a lot of school for competitions can be a challenge when trying to also continue getting good grades. Travelling may be exciting, but definitely makes academic life harder. “I think that the most difficult part of Nina’s speed skating is the travelling,” Loewe said. “It’s cool that she gets to go around the country and even the world but she misses so much school. She takes pretty hard classes as well and it honestly seems like such a difficult balance.” Though the sport is extremely exhilarating, it’s a lot of hard work and takes a lot of practice. The mental preparation is probably one of the more important factors. In order to be successful Tinsley has to focus and stay on track whether she’s practicing at home or in a competition halfway around the world. “Being prepared mentally is the most difficult
Nothing but speed: Junior Nina Tinsley puts her skates on and skates around for fun. Tinsley has been involves in speed skating since she was a little girl and plans to continue as long as possible. Photo by Ashley Ramirez.
part,” Nina said. “This is because racing can really get into your head. You really have to push past your comfort zones especially in big competitions. Not only is it hard for Nina, but her family and close friends due to absence. “The hardest part is probably the competi-
tions,” Al said. “The only person that is more nervous than Nina when she races is me. I still speed skate with her, but as she gets faster, it gets harder for me to keep up.” Skating takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and time. Nina strives in all of her classes and still managed to make top 20 in the
World Championships in Taiwan. Though school, skating, and just life in general can be difficult, Nina has found ways to overcome the obstacles put in her path with the help of her family and friends and the endless support she receives. Nina plans on continueing this sport as long as she possibly can.
Tennis team comes together to help a fellow teammate Lauren Blevins Editor in Chief Paint brushes scattered all over the grass, hammers banging, and piles of granite being delivered was the scene on Saturday, March 5. All these activities played a part in trying to clean up the area around the tennis courts. Senior Jackson Cobb has started and finished his Eagle Scout project and is trying to beautify the ten-
nis facilities at Bowie. His project included making water cooler stands, staining picnic tables, and adding a walking pad made out of granite right outside the tennis shed. “Being around the Bowie tennis courts for four years, I was starting to get a broad perspective and I realized that these things could help the school and the tennis organization,” Cobb said. Tennis coach James Dammann was excited that
Scouts honor: Senior Jackson Cobb poses on the granite walkway next to his water cooler stands. The project was fully completed on March 4. Photo courtesy of
the facilities will be updated and look nicer for visiting teams. “I really appreciate what Jackson has done for the tennis facilities and am so glad that he has taken the time to make the area look nicer,” Dammann said. In order to complete all the tasks Cobb must do with tennis and Eagle Scouts, organization and planning plays a big role. “It’s all about time management,” Cobb said. “Before every week I sit down and I write down all I need to do and then I figure out what time I have, so I almost create a schedule for myself. It makes me work more diligently and efficiently when I know that I’m on a schedule and I need to get X amount done in Y amount of time.” Cobb has recieved an endless amount of support. “When I first started this, I planned on having it done by the beginning of next year. Because of the great support by the booster club, I was able to get it done by March,” Cobb said. Several teammates came to work on the project to help out. “I participated because it was an excellent opportunity to support the team and to spend time with my friends,” senior Mariya Shkolnaya said. “We are all very close, so anytime we get together we always have fun and create a lot of amazing memories.” The volunteers were down to business, but also had some fun towards the
Teamwork: Senior Gunnar Hooks helps paint a bench that is located right besides the tennis courts. Hooks is a fellow teammate of Cobb helping him complete his Eagle Scout project. Photo by Lauren Blevins
end of the day. “The experience was honestly really fun,” senior Ksenia Vlassova said. “We painted tables and also ended up painting each other. We also helped sweep up leaves and pull weeds. At the end, the most fun part, we played the knot game where we held hands randomly and tried to unwind ourselves. Overall it was really fun and it made me grow closer to my friends and teammates.” Once the project was finalized, Cobb was able to feel a sense of relief and accomplishment. “My favorite part was finishing because it turned out fantastic and in the back of my mind, I knew
that I played a part in making the tennis courts a nicer place,” Cobb said. The lessons and experiences have taught Cobb important skills he will use in the future. “This really has taught me that there is always something that can be done to help people, and there will always be people to help you if you look for it,” Cobb said. “Everyone that came out showed tremendous support throughout the project.” Along with the cleaner area, the project also helped the teammates bond even more. “This project will affect the tennis team by giving us a cleaner facility to play
in,” Vlassova said. “Also, this project definitely brought the team together because we all diligently worked together and had fun at the same time.” The lasting effects of this project will remind the other tennis players all the hard work and effort that was put in. “I think this project really helped improve the tennis facilities,” Shkolnaya said. “When I walk by I can see a considerable improvement in how the area looks, which makes me feel proud of all the work everyone put in. Every time I see what we did, I remember how much fun it was working together with the other players.”
A thletics The Lone Star Dispatch
Softball team is still undefeated
Quick descisions: Senior Amber Lotz prepares to throw the softball back across the field. She had to quickly decide what the best play was to strike an opponent out. Photo by Ashley Ramirez
The players have nothing in mind but winning Priscilla Diaz Athletics Editor Every day, every hour, every minute that passes, history is made. This spring season, Bowie’s softball team is making history. This is the first team that has gone undefeated in districts in a long time. The Bowie softball team has been putting in a lot of time and hard work in order to be the best they can be. “I believe it boils down to the biggest factor that contributes to success: practice, time, and reps,” junior Alex McLennan said. “Ultimately hard work outside of games, transfers over into pressuring situations.” All the work that they do on the field contributes to improvement in skill and capability. However, success is not limited to practice and physical capacity. It takes a good relationship with the team and coaches to strive. “I feel like our success stems from our work ethic and heart,” McLennan said. “This team wants to succeed and works hard to ensure that. We definitely possess chemistry and good communication.” A good relationship with your team is crucial for understanding each other on and off the field. Having a good relationship with your coaches is also very important and it’s something the Bowie team tries to make sure the have. “I have really good relationship with my coaches,” junior Kaley Farnish said. “I can go to them with my problems and it helps on
the field because I can trust them when they tell me to do something.” Keeping your objectives in sight is necessary for a prosperous season in any sport. The girls on the Bowie team never stray from the margin in order to meet their goals. “I stay focused on my goal, to win every game when I step up on the mound,” McLennan said. “The last district win gaining us that championship and hopefully state title is what pushes me everyday and fuels me to work hard every time I’m at bat or every pitch I throw.” This teams dedication is unmatched. They spend loads of their time practicing to improve and bonding to enhance their communication. “The girls put in a lot of effort to be successful,” coach Liz Wissel said. “It’s their perseverance that has led them to achieve all these wins.” The team is doing everything they are capable of so that they can make it far this season. They all have the same goal of making it far. “As a team, we want to achieve more wins and we communicate with each other on the field at all times,” Farnish said. The team continues to put forth effort to secure wins throughout the rest of the season. They are working to make it to districts and then playoffs. Their current record is 10-0 and hopefully, by the end of the season, they will remain undefeated. “We will continue pushing until we secure our title,” McLennan said.
Friday, April 8, 2016 Page 11
Baseball plays it safe Isabel Rosales Athletics Editor Hours before the game actually starts they begin to prepare, tossing the ball back and forth. The ball goes straight into the glove and you hear a loud splat only able to imagine the amount of force being placed behind the ball as he throws it following through with his whole body. Swinging the bats around as they stare down the ball that is flying toward them hoping to time it perfectly as the are about to embark in a long tiresome seven inning game. Halfway through the season the baseball team is 14-5 overall but 3-3 in district. They hope to improve and make changes as the next few games roll around. “We have a whole new ball club, with a few guys going to play college baseball, those guys were our nucleus, we don’t have the power we had last year,” Head coach Samuel Degelia said. “Some of these guys that are in playing role its their first time to play varsity baseball so they have to learn real fast on how to be leaders for the other guys and we are still trying to find leadership roles but again everyone
Safe: Senior Chris Alanis slides into the home base. As one of his teammates had just hit the ball to outfield, Alanis took the opportunity to run from second base to home and barley made it safe as the Hays catcher was prepared to tag him out. Photo by Priscilla Diaz needs to know their role.” “The attitude overall, job and enter the real world Pitching has been a everyone has gotten more you have to be on time, huge obstacle for the team serious,” Senior baseball you’re going to have a boss since losing players caused player William Gawlik and these guys have to take the whole team dynamic to said. “We stopped joking ownership of the team and change. around as much and actual- get along with the people “One obstacle that we ly started playing baseball around them.” are overcoming is out instead of just messing And as the season pitching,”Degelia said. “I around.” comes to a quick end coach was a little afraid of our To coach Degelia base- Degelia has a little bit of pitching because we lost ball is more than a sport, advice for his seniors. two of our good ones. it is filled with life lessons “Baseball is just like Our defense has improved that he hopes his guys will life,” Degelia said. “Its our hitting for our first 13 pick up while playing. not always fair, but it will games has been wonder“You come out to base- teach you lessons. Not ful.” ball and you have to be on everything is going to go Out on the field the boys time to practice, you get your way but you have to put their game faces on. out of school you have a work for what you want.
Coach Ingram leads team to victory Greyson Hughes Staff Writer Basketball has been a part of Bowie ever since its doors first opened. Many students come and go and some even become part of Bowie’s history. For this year, the current boys basketball teams contribute to that long legacy of Bowie basketball, but they are not the only ones. Coaches are one of the most important things to basketball and to any sport, without their hard work most teams wouldn’t make it far. One of these great coaches, Stephen Ingram, has been a part of the high school basketball experience for a while now, and he is well into his 27th year coaching. “I started coaching basketball before I started teaching.” Ingram said. “I became the head basketball coach at Lockhart High School and after that I was the head basketball coach at Akins High School.” Ingram has been coach-
ing basketball at Bowie for 11 years and has been teaching math for those 11 years at Bowie as well. “I have been teaching math for 27 years. Since Geometry is my favorite subject, I have taught Geometry for most of those years,” Ingram said. “I have also taught Fundamentals of Math, Algebra I, Algebra II, and Probability and Statistics.” Howard Thompson is there to help Ingram coach. “Ingram definitely values his time as a coach,” Thompson said. “He uses it wisely to provide the best for his team.” Thompson has known Ingram since the 90’s and has been coaching along side him for 11 years at Bowie. He sees a great future for Ingram. “Ingram’s future life would be spending his time with his family, photography, and possibly coaching,” Thompson said. Ingram and Thompson have coached well together in the past and in the pres-
& WINTER CLOT L L HE FA
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Play by play: Coach Stephen Ingram studies the plays on the whiteboard im preperation for the game. The team practices during 4th period and 8th period. Photo by Greyson Hughes
ent. Ingram has strategies that can be very good on the court. “Ingrams style of coaching is one of strategy, and the element of surprise,” Thompson said. The coaching styles of Ingram help the team greatly, and his attitude towards the sport is also contributing to the team. “Ingram has a personality of doing what is needed and necessary and not be a
problem,” Thompson said. Ingram has many people that like him either as a teacher or a coach, but his future seems bright for the way he is heading. “I love Austin and I have family in the area,” Ingram said. “I think I will stay in or around Austin in the future, and love teaching and I expect I will continue to teach and coach for the next 10 or 12 years.”
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P hoto Essay
The Lone Star Dispatch
Friday, April 8, 2016
Page 12
Bowie Idol: A tradition since 1988
Gause and Barajas big winners at the festive showing Nate Miller Staff Writer
Every year at Bowie since the school opened in 1988, the choir program and the student council have organized and put on the Bowie Idol show. This is a platform for students to show off their performing skills and musical talent. The competition follows an American Idol type format where about 40 people audition and compete for the top place from there. Teacher James Ellerbrock helps with student council activity as well as helping to plan both Bowie Idol and Mr. Bulldog each year. Ellerbrock hopes to put on a show and get people to come back each year. The organizers have to work hard each year getting acts that will get the students interested. “We’re putting on a show, you want the audience to enjoy the show. If we put on a bad show, and people don’t like it they won’t come back,” Ellerbrock said. “It’s the same thing with Mr. Bulldog, we
put on a good show and the audience enjoys it.” Many students participated this year including Jeremiah Gause and Sarah Barajas, DJ Fortner, Blake Moyer, and Melina Gary. Each of the 40 students that auditioned hoped to take home the title of ‘Bowie Idol.’ There is a committee of students that is put together to choose which auditions get in the show and which ones don’t. The student council and faculty members don’t get to see if all their hard work was worth it until the day that 500 students flood into the theater. They watch the students’ reactions and if the students are enjoying themselves., they can sit back and enjoy the show like everyone else. “My favorite part is to see how the students react,” Ellerbrock said. “It lets me know if we put on a good show.” This year’s winners were Jeremiah Gause and Sarah Barajas. They sang a duet of Gravity by Sara Bareilles. “The reason why I participated was because Sarah inspired me to sing with
her and I’ve always wanted to do a duet with her,” Gause said. Bowie Idol started as an idea between Ellerbrock and current choir teacher Sheryl Jones. They started planning and made it happening and every year since there has been a Bowie Idol show some time during the beginning of spring. “I’ve been doing it since the day the school opened. The first year the school opened, the choir teacher came to me. It was her idea, and ever since, it’s been a production by the student council and the choir,” Ellerbrock said. The show was split up into two acts. Of the 40 students that participated, 23 made spots in the show. Students enjoyed the opportunity to show off their skills and showmanship, as well as their creativity with choreography and stage presence. “The most fun part of winning was sharing the joy with such an amazing friend and being able to share the moment together on stage,” Gause said. Students spent the few
weeks before the competition practicing and planning out their act. By the time the event came, they had to have their songs and choreography memorized so that everything happened just as they wanted it. “Jeremiah and I practiced before the audition and would run the song a couple of times per day before the actual competition to get the timing right,” Barajas said. Barajas and Gause decided to do Bowie Idol for this year, at the last minute, because their friends wanted to see it. They ended up putting on the best show, at least in the audience’s eyes. When the acts had all gotten this chance to perform, the audience got out their phones and began the voting process. “My friends have told me to do Bowie Idol every year, and I figured it’s senior year why not,” Barajas said, “It was really awesome to be able to perform for an audience because I have never gotten to do that before.”
Sing it Loud: Junior Skyler Gonzales stuns the crowd singing “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars. Gonzales preformed sixth during Act II of Bowie Idol. Photo by Ashley Ramirez
He’s Feeling Good: Senior DJ Fortner looks out in to the audience, passionately singing “Feeling Good” by Michael Bublé. Fortner not only sang but he danced during his soulful perfomance. Photo by Carissa Duran
Damn Daniel: Junior Grace Woudenberg dances to a mash up of hip hop songs including the new remix of the popular video Damn Daniel. Woudenberg danced with junior Laura-Claire Jones, who is one of her close friends. Photo by Ashley Ramirez
Let Her Go: Junior Payton McIntyre strums to “Let Her Go” by Passenger on her guitar and also sings. McIntyre preformed with junior Ellie Prager who played the cello during the performance. Photo by Ashley Ramirez
Winner, Winner: Senior Shelby Johnson congratulates seniors Sarah Barajas and Jeremiah Gause, the 2016 Bowie Idol winners. Barajas and Gause sang Gravity by Sara Bareilles and transformed it into a duet. Photo by Carissa Duran