The Dispatch, Vol. 35, Issue #1, 10/07/2022

4103 W. Slaughter Lane, Austin, TX, 78749

Pride in Publishing

Years of construction come to an end

The opening of Bowie's new performing arts center welcomes the new school year

2022 Bond Proposal

Parents and teachers gather at the polls, anxiously preparing to vote for something that will impact their students daily.

The Austin Independent School District (AISD) Board of Trustees approved a new 2022 Bond Propos al. On Tuesday, Nov. 8, the bond package will appear on the election ballot.

“The 2022 bond proposal for Bowie has a couple of specific things, one is there are certain improvements that they want to see at all schools,” Principal Mark Robinson said. “For example, for all high schools, they want to have a secure vestibule, which is a facili ty designed around the entrance to the campus for campus safety and security.”

According to the Bond Pro posal, the package includes $2,440,000,000 much of it dedicat ed towards campus safety which benefits every AISD campus.

“They also want to have all-pur pose playing surfaces, turf fields, at all campuses,” Robinson said. “So there's certainly a commitment to equity in saying that we recognize that all facilities need these certain things, including secure vestibule and turf field”

Football and soccer field upgrades, including artificial turf, lights, seating, concessions and re strooms, roofing repairs or replacement, heating and air conditioning improvements are a few of the stated in the Bond Proposal.

“Bowie is earmarked over $25,000,000 and that will go towards critical infrastructure, specifically things like plumbing, HVAC, which I think when we think about who we are, those kinds of things that don't make Bowie very comfortable physically, that we would try to address through that bond,” Robinson said. “So to continue improvements in the HVAC and plumbing system, so that the facility works better.”

STORY BY Lucille Price

Lucille Price Editor-in-Chief

It’s the first day back at school. The once-empty halls buzz with students' voices, chattering excitedly on their way to their first classes, talking to friends they haven’t seen in months. Among thousands of students and thousands of conversations, one topic keeps coming up: the new performing arts center.

As Bowie’s renovation from the 2017 Austin Independent School District (AISD) Bond came to an end this summer, it included a new performing arts center. The enhanced building offers a much larger space with modern technology.

“So one of the main initiatives in the 2017 Bond was right sizing our facilities for our extracurricular programs, that includes athletics and fine arts, and we realized that we had a theater with a stage that couldn't fit all of the entire band, or it couldn't fit all the students in dance, and we realized that there were a couple of spaces in those facilities that we knew we needed to get right.” Principal Mark Robinson said. “In the design process, the architects and the contractors were aware of the AISD Performing Arts Center and had incorporated some aspects of that in the designs for our performing arts center and for Bowie, obviously, we've always had the talent in our students.”

As Starlight Theatre Company (STC) president, senior

Nadia Petru knows that having a new space for her and fellow theater students to work will influence the company. Being in the 2023 graduating class, Petru is part of the first class of many to use the new facility.

“Being STC president while the renovation happens is crazy, because especially the construction in general, it's changed a lot of the ways that things were supposed to happen this year,” Petru said.

“But it's really cool being able to help build up what a new expectation or what things are going to be like in the new theater, so it's been a little stressful, but overall, it's been really cool and I wouldn't have any other way.”

While some portions of the facility are not yet fully functional, many students from across Bowie’s performing arts programs are able to use this space as of the beginning of this school year. Co-head theater director Marco Bazan now has an office space in the building.

“It's still not fully operational, but when it's really all said and done, it's a space that is going to accommodate more people in the audience, it's going to come with more people on stage,” Bazan said.

“It's going to be big enough for our band to fit, for all of our different departments to be able to be showcased in a way where it doesn't feel like they're cutting off the corners, again, anything that's new is really very nice.”

The Bbond allocated $85,368,925, which allowed the building to include a new auditorium with a 600-seating capacity with heating, air conditioning, new dressing rooms, a technical theater room, makeup room, state-of-the art lighting and sound system, backstage space, catwalk, and a lobby space.

“There's just a lot of great things like the fact that we have proper dressing rooms, we have like a makeup room,” Bazan said. “We have dedicated spaces for students to change costumes and have a place to hang out, it's not just backstage, it's pretty cool to be able to have for my students.”

With 62,648 sq. ft. in the facility as a whole, the building now better accommodates Bowie's large student population. Expansion into a large space specifically impacted choir teacher Randy Cantu as

his students transitioned from learning in a portable to the new piano room.

“It's remarkably different and one of the main obvious differences is where we were before we were in portables, and there was a lot less room,” Cantu said. “The pianos were all squished up next to each other, and in some regards, I think about it now and it’s not the most ideal environment, but it was a space we got used to, and it was a space that we did a lot of really great work in that space.”

Similarly, Petru reflects on her feelings about the old space from last year. Petru is involved in the technical sides of productions and is able to use the new technical room which was formerly a garage type space.

“It's kind of sad because the old theater is really cozy and yeah, so many like memories

there,” Petru said. “So, it's a little bit of both, like you get to experience the new but you still miss the old but it's good to be able to use both.”

As student musicians aim to grow in their arts, the new facility aims to help them in their journey. Directors and students alike find fellow artists and form bonds with those around them, which the new building helps foster.

“That is an absolute aspect to growing as a musician is being aware of what other musicians do, so we have families, but when we're all spread out, sometimes it's harder for those in those musical families to interact, but having them a lot closer, it really just provides an opportunity to create a bigger fine arts community culture at large, which is something that I think we all value as directors,” Cantu said.

Accessibility to feminine products concerns needy students

Savannah Linscomb Dispatch reporter

Menstruating students are facing uncertainty around the most compulsory products. The same dispensers students came to rely on last year are now unfilled and students are doubtful they’ll be full soon.

Prior to the official start of the school year Austin Independent School District (AISD) stated that they would be providing “free sanitary napkins and tampons” in an article posted under the announcement segment of AISD’s website.

“The district will be providing free sanitary napkins and tampons that otherwise would be hard for some students to get,” the article stated.

The steps to provide students with menstrual products comes after a recent growth in concern over the issue of period poverty. Some states have addressed the issue by mandating schools to provide period products, Texas is not one of them.

“Installing the dispensers will cost the district about $85,000,” the article listed. “Providing the supplies will depend on student usage.”

Amidst the promise of free period products as well as last year's contribution, students have started to rely on the free products from school.

Bowie junior Kennedy Kilday conveys the importance of free period products in schools.

“Students who menstruate can't really get through the day if they don't

have the necessary products,” Kilday said. “It's important for our education to be able to attend school.”

Period products are more often than not considered to be a basic need in the bathroom like soap and paper towels, hence the increase in concern for school district mandates. Just like soap and paper towels, students rely on the school providing these products.

“Students start to rely on having these when they need them,” Kilday said. “When when they're not there, it's a bad situation.”

According to the Alliance for Period Supplies, one in six women and girls ages 12 to 44 live below the poverty line and struggle to afford period products. This includes the entire age demographic of the Bowie student body.

“It would be easier to not have them with me because then I wouldn't have to awkwardly dig for them (period products) during class,” Kilday said. “And feel like I'm being a distraction to my class.”

Having period products available in the bathrooms alleviates stress students feel over having the right products at the right time. This leads to a more positive campus and school environment.

“Period products are so necessary and you never know when you are going to get your period,” Kilday said “So you might not always be prepared for it. So it's good to have some provided by the school.”

Throughout the entirety of this issue it is clear a different path could have been taken in order to supply students with period products. Some students have even come up with those ideas on their own.

“I would allow donations from students and teachers or allow teachers to keep them in their own classrooms,” Kilday said. “Like in the same way that toilet paper and tissues are donated, that way they're high quality products and you can rely on them.”

Teachers also have a stake in this plight, not only in the common good of their students but in the learning loss suffered when students do not have basic resources available to them.

Bowie English Teacher Gayla Hayes who understands from both a student and district standpoint.

“I know that the administration

here gave us the teachers a big bag of products," Hayes said. “So that if somebody needs some, they could also ask us in the event one of those machines isn't working.”

Prior to administration supplying teachers with products, many opted to purchase products using their own money, however, many students are apprehensive about asking staff members for products.

“If the machine is empty or damaged, and they can't get it in the restroom, they could ask their teacher,” Hayes said. “I realize sometimes maybe they don't want to ask their teachers.”

Although this issue is still highly relevant at Bowie, the recent attention to the issue brought by AISD, has led to breakthroughs in the fight against period poverty. Teachers continue to speculate on how they can improve the issue.

“I don't have any solutions that are not already trying. I think they're doing the best they can,” Hayes said. “I think it's probably better this year than it has been in past years already.”

With the year progressing, the dispensers will eventually be filled. Until then, students can ask their teachers and the nurse.

“This issue has kind of gotten more attention lately,” Hayes said. “So people pay more attention and maybe we'll be better about keeping those stopped and, and the machines in good repair.”

Bowie offers a new Outdoor Adventure class as a P.E. credit alternative.

PHOTO BY Nick Wood

PHOTO ESSAY Beloved Austin costume store closes after

years.

PHOTO BY Emerson Traugott

SPORTS Senior defensive end Aaron Gall commits to Colorado school of Mines. pg. 10

PHOTO BY Nick Wood

recent ruling about Roe v. Wade places the decision regarding abortion onto states. pg. 8-9

ART BY Isabella Del Nido

AISD floats new bond package

FILLED WITH WORRY: A student places her head on the empty product dispenser in a bathroom. The installation of the dispensers costed the district $85,000.

PHOTO BY Fiona Padalino

IN THE ZONE: Senior Cailyn Scott brushes a wig in the makeup room. Featured in the new facility, the makeup room is equipped with proper lighting, seating, and mirrors for actors to prepare for perfor mances.

PHOTO BY Lucille Price

AWAITING PERFORMERS: The auditorium's empty seats provide are all facing the stage. The auditorium has a 600-person ca pacity.

PHOTO BY Austin Ikard

Changes don't stop at construction Student Behavior

Student Driving

Carey Wooley Managing Editor

The past four years at Bowie have been full of unprecedented changes. From new parking facilities to brand new student behavior policies, the student body has had to adapt to the new expectations set by Bowie’s administration.

Starting on August 15 new protocols regarding ID badges, who can leave campus, and stricter bathroom passes were introduced. These protocols were strictly enforced, especially the ID policy, by Bowie administration and teachers.

“The leadership team and I kept hearing how the bathrooms are unsafe, so we've cracked down on restrooms,” assistant principal Paulette Walls said. “It's still not perfect, and there's still people that squeak through cracks but I hope it's been better for kids and we're getting some response from kids that they are thankful.”

According to the Institute of Education Sciences 56% of K-12 grade schools that responded reported increased incidents of classroom disruption and overall rowdiness last year. To combat that, Bowie's leadership team has been taking action to have more contact with students.

“I think the administration is pretty fair towards students' behavior," junior Lilly Ruxer said. “I think there has been a change in student behavior but I believe it has gotten worse and stricter policies on behavior have been set in place.”

In other reports done by the National Center for Education Statis tics reported that over 70 percent of schools had students missing over 10 percent of the school year last year. Attendance became a major issue nationwide.

“One of the things counseling has been doing is just getting information to the students,” counselor April Giuffre said. “Counseling is also doing these freshman seminars. We are trying to be proactive to prevent things from happening, instead of being purely reactive.”

Counseling's main goal this year

has been to open communication with students and educate everyone so they can gain the support they need. In light of recent news, Bowie’s administration put together a presentation to educate students on drug use.

“Last Friday, because it's such a big issue at our school, there was a substance use presentation in an extended FIT and for any students that have our first period we're gon na present in the theater, but I think we're just trying to really be more proactive this year,” Giuffre said.

Even with the increased communication between the counseling department and students there are still incidents the administration is concerned about.

“I think that the freshmen still have some work to do, behavior-wise,” Giuffre said. “I know there's a really big issue with vaping in the restrooms, including our gender neutral restrooms. But other than that, it seems to be like students are getting more of the hang of being back in school.”

According to the CDC it was found that over three million high school and middle schoolers were using E-cigarettes or vapes in 2020. That statistic continues to rise in schools all over the country.

“We have a club here run by Ms. Rolfe called SAGA, which stands for sexuality and gender acceptance,” Giuffre said. “They created flyers in response to students vaping in the gender neutral bathroom to put out there and help spread the word."

The gender neutral bathroom was added on campus to give queer students a safe space they could have. Several students reported feeling unsafe in the bathroom as others were using it as a place to “hang out” and smoke.

“This is a safe space for our students who are non-binary or transgender,” Giuffre said. “It was made for them, please don't abuse that. It's pretty disrespectful that that's happening and it's sad that students don't feel like they can safely go to the restroom. So we definitely want to squash that immediately.”

Other changes on campus starting this year included the introduction of RFID tags and off periods being moved to the first and last periods of the day to try and control traffic.

On campus constant traffic has always been an ongoing issue. Bowie administration has tried to fix this problem the last couple years with the change in off periods, the finished garage, and the addition of A lot.

“I feel as if the traffic at Bowie has improved slightly,” senior Morgan Winter said. “With the creation of more lots, cars are more spread out, limiting some traffic. Last year it took me at least 20 minutes to get out of Bowie, but now it only takes 10 minutes.”

With the constant flow of traffic surrounding Bowie, accidents are bound to happen. Wolftrap and the garage being the main areas these collisions occur.

“We will start getting reports to the front office right away of somebody witnessing a crash and we immediately outsource the police officers depending upon the proximity to the campus the police officers will connect with APD if necessary,” Walls said. “Counselors will generally be kind of dispatched to or they will respond just because we don't know what state a student will be in.”

Giuffre witnessed one of these accidents on Wolftrap and due to her proximity to the accident, she was the first one on the scene. According to her, when she arrived at Bowie and saw the crash she immediately parked so she could help the students involved. As a counselor, she began assisting the students, making sure they were ok, and alerting the Austin police as well as the school.

“Counselors go to the scene and we make sure to call our SROs or school resource officers right away,” Giuffre said. “They can either call Austin ISD police or just Austin police just to make sure they get on the scene soon. And then obviously, the first thing really would be to

make sure that the student involved was okay and safe.”

Another area of campus that has been known to have several accidents is the church lot. There are two exits for this lot and both requires students to merge into a lane one of which involves an unprotected left turn.

“I don’t personally know of anyone getting in a serious accident at Bowie,” Winter said. “I do know at Bethany last year there were multiple accidents at the back exit as the traffic turning left there is really bad.”

Last year off periods could be any period of the day and were not confined to the first and last periods of the day. This year however, Bowie administration changed the periods students could have off periods to hopefully reduce traffic and the flow of students in the hallways. Bowie wanted to ensure that it is quieter in the hallways during class so that teachers and students were not distracted.

“The 2019-2020 school year was my first year at Bowie and coming from another high school campus, it was always peculiar to me that during the middle of the day you would have kids throughout the building and then when you talk to them they say they have an off period,” Walls said. “But it was my understanding there had always been a desire to move off periods to the beginning and the end of day one because it benefits kids.”

In the mornings traffic backs up on Slaughter lane as parents try to drop off their children at the front of the school. People that live in the neighborhoods surrounding Bowie also try to leave which can affect the traffic flow. In the afternoon there is also the added traffic of students rushing to leave campus as well as parents waiting in line to pickup.

“Last year was my first year at Bowie,” Giuffre said. “I definitely will say the traffic is really bad in the mornings and the afternoons. So I try to actually avoid it. I get here earlier than when traffic starts and I leave later when it ends."

District changes to medication policy impacts students

Lucille Price Editor-in-Chief

Whether it’s quick relief from a cough, irritating seasonal allergies, or menstrual cramps; Advil, cough drops, and Tums could surely be found in a student's backpack last year.

At the end of the 2021-2022 school year, Austin Independent School District (AISD) implemented a new policy prohibiting high school students from carrying any kind of over the counter medication with them, and requiring them to register it through the office. The policy specifical ly affects school nurse, Shari Peterson, as she is responsible for administering medications to students.

“Last year, students were able to carry over-the-counter medications, they were allowed to self-carry, this year, they are not allowed to self-carry anymore unless its an inhaler, diabetes meds, or epipen, any kind of emergency meds,” Peterson said. “The doctor has to have authorization for all those medications.”

and cramps easily,” Dougherty said. “This will also mean more class missed for students who need medication for everyday things like stomachaches and headaches.”

According to cdc.gov, 27 percent of adolescents aged 12-19 take prescription drugs. This affects students at Bowie taking prescription medications heavily, as the Bowie student body fits into this demographic. Sophomore Audrey Nixon is impacted by this AISD policy too.

"“I think AISD is trying to protect us from potential overdoses and by having us put [medications] in the office is reducing the risk,” Nixon said.

This will also mean more class missed for students who need medication for everyday things like stomaches and headaches

Maya Dougherty senior

Nixon also knows that the policy affects nurses at Bowie, not just students.

“Nurses have to keep track of all the meds and every time students want or need to take meds, they have to go all the way to the office,” Nixon said.

Peterson similarly notices the pros and cons to the new policy.

“I'm sure it was made for the safety of the kids, but I don’t know the exact reason why, maybe so there’s no accidental anything,” Peterson said. “There are definitely mistakes and accidents that happen, but I feel that the rule takes away your independence a little bit.”

In addition to students now being unable to carry medications, the school office does not carry over the counter medications for students to access. If students need to take medications during the school day, they are required to bring their own unopened bottle with a written and signed request by a parent or guardian and physician.

“Personally, I often have cramps and migraines at school and I also need to take probiotics, so it's best for me to take them during lunch and have access to them on my own,” Dougherty said.

While some students find it incon venient, there are consequences to follow if a student does not abide by the medication policy.

together to improve the health of all students and families through coordinated school health programs.

“I think the administration put the policy in place because of the epidemic of drug addiction and the mental health crisis across high school

students,” Dougherty said. “While the policy is somewhat inconvenient, I am hopeful that it prevents any overdoses and keeps students safe.” Additional reporting and data collected by Madison Coleman.

Can you have these medications at school?

Tylenol

Pen

According to bowie.austinschools. org, to keep medication in the nurse’s office, all medications require a phy sician’s order, indicating that they are for this year, and a parent’s authorization with all medication order requirements included such as strength and dose listed. Knowing that all students must go to the office when needing to take medication, senior Maya Dougherty knows how students will be affected this year.

“I feel like this will be an inconvenience to students who get migraines

On bowie. austinschools.org, AISD has made these changes to follow the guidelines supported by the Board of Nursing, the National Association of School Nurses, and the Texas Education Code. Additionally, with the increased focus on current mental health concerns, these policies aim to keep students safe by limiting their ability to ingest large amounts of medication, share/sell medications, or use medications inappropriately or in other ways that violate existing policies.

“I understand the safety part of the new policy but personally, I think the students would feel more comfortable having their medicine on their body and not with an adult they hardly know,” Nixon said.

“[The first action taken is] to call [student] in and talk to them and find out why and just let them know that we have to inform their parents that they have to have a sheet from the doctor for the meds, because some students don't know,” Peterson said.

“If it's a continuing thing, an administrator might have to get involved at that point.”

Under the section regarding Health Service requirements to remain in school on the https://www.austinisd.org website, all prescription and non-prescription medications will require medical orders from providers and parental consent for student use/ administration on campus. The Health services department works closely with the AISD School Health Advisory Council, a board-appointed group of parents, community members, students, and school staff working

ART BY Carey Wooley

ART BY Carey Wooley

Bulldogs pay attention to debt

Students and staff review Biden's efforts to minimize student loan debt

Mazzy Warren Managing Editor

For English teacher Chrissy Hejny, the word ‘debt’ is synonymous with stress.

It’s been 19 years since Hejny graduated from college. Even after all this time, she and her husband are still combating their college debt, a seemingly endless stressor pressing down on their daily ways of life; a trap, easy to fall into, yet hard to crawl out of.

Millions of Americans nationwide are swamped in student loan debt; over 48 million people owe money, according to the Educational Data Initiative. In the wake of these economic struggles resulting from debt constraints, President Joe Biden has proposed multiple steps to attack long-lasting loan debt.

“Debt’s very stressful, and it’s difficult,” Hejny said. “We weren’t able to afford to put our kids in decent after-school programs. We had to find the cheapest alternatives for everything, and even with reduced payments, it’s a lot for a family of four. It’s hard enough living from paycheck to paycheck just for necessities, like groceries and bills; then you have that student debt, like the icing on top of everything else that’s stressful.”

Biden’s new proposition offers up to $20,000 in debt forgiveness, meaning millions of individual borrowers may see the cancellation of thousands of dollars owed in student loans.

Biden has also put forth suggestions to make repayment more manageable, including a new monthly payment cap, forgiveness after ten years, and integration of monthly interest into payment percentages. Many are grateful to see these changes, as they feel most politicians ignore such struggles.

“At this point, I’m glad Biden’s here because the alternative is unspeakable, but I wish he was doing more,” Hejny said. “Anything that will help people like my husband and I, who are in debt and who are working their butts off every day, is a good idea in my book. It’s a step in the right

direction, but it’s a band-aid; it’s not really solving any problems.”

Senior Shane Palmer believes that continuing his education after high school is worth the money. Despite this belief, he’s hesitant to go through with college, as the looming threat of debt seems too great to combat in adult life.

"“I’m terrified of debt,” Palmer said. “There would be a constant drain on my funds, I would lose so much money. It’s hard to get high paying jobs without a college degree, but it’s also really diffi cult to live off of minimum wage, not to mention having college debts hanging over your shoulders; it’s a trap, it seems like it’s just going to put you down the ditch.”

To be eligible for relief, individ ual borrowers must make less than $125,000 an

agrees with the idea of fouryear university as an end goal for every student in America.

“If I could change anything about the American school system, I’d start by making college less of a ‘golden opportunity,’ because I don’t think college is appropriate for everyone,” Hejny said. “To make university the goal of every child going through our school system is unrealistic and inequitable. I would open up the door for more pathways for kids to figure out what they want to do with their lives to earn money.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced society to make changes upon changes to the normal way of life. On March 13, 2020, a loan payment pause was put into effect. This meant it wasn’t required to make student loan debt payments, and there would be no accumulation of interest fees on the money owed. Biden has extended this freeze, which is now expected to last until the end of the year.

“The extension is definite ly a good idea,” Swierk said. “Many people have lower paying jobs, and the pause lets them save up their money to pay for their debts.”

believes government spending often goes to the wrong places. He would like to see some of the money that goes to the military and to government institutions instead contribute to providing free healthcare to American citizens.

“Debt relief is probably one of the better uses, but not the best,” Palmer said. “The government should pay for healthcare. You go to other countries, and healthcare is dirt cheap; when I go to the doctor, I have to pay $5,000 out of my pocket. I can’t afford that.”

As of now, some believe relief might not come on the expected dates. This is due to worries that some might try to challenge Biden’s forgiveness plan in court. To be able to do this,

Americans who avoided going into debt.

"“I don’t understand some Republicans,” Palmer said. “You see people making less than $50 grand a year preaching for the rich, and I’m just questioning– what kind of brainwashing has let this happen? They don’t want that $20 grand that’s been taken out of their tax dollars to go funneling into people who, they believe, are college rejects and homeless people. They imagine their money is going to drugs and alcohol, even though that’s not entirely true.”

Ex-president Donald Trump, an infamous figure in the Re publican party, disagrees with Biden’s proposed policy. He has called this an “election enhancing money grab,” claiming that “America is a nation in decline, and the cliff into oblivion is within sight.” This state ment was made in a Truth Social post.

$“Lots of the things Trump says are really stupid,” Swierk said.

“This relief is more beneficial to the American people, it’s not just a ‘money grab,’ like he says.”

If Biden’s plans are realized smoothly, people will see relief around six weeks after they submit their applications. Swierk hopes that those who are struggling get the help they need. Hejny hopes people will take these thoughts and dig deeper to locate the real problem, buried deep behind years and years of institutional standardization of the school system.

“I hope that the relief eliminates debt for as many people as possible, so that they can have that extra support to pursue happiness,” Hejny said. “I also hope we can stop this nonsensical notion of the fouryear university being the endall. We shouldn’t be churning out kids to be factory workers, and charging them thousands of dollars for it. We need to think about the real problem, that we're forcing kids to sit in classrooms from nine to five ev ery day, and then forcing them to go sit in more classrooms for another four years; it's such a silly way of doing things. I hope people will realize we need to change this. I really, truly, hope so.”

POLITICAL POINT OF VIEW

Donna Kim Dispatch Reporter Questions? Concerns? Email: bowie.journalism@

Election day is probably one of the most important days for Americans, as without elections, we wouldn’t be living in a democracy where people can vote freely for candidates they want in office to represent the choices and changes they want to see within their community and country. As our next election day is coming up (November 8), it is important to understand that each and every ballot matters. Whether you just turned 18, or you want to vote for the first time ever, here are the steps to take to register to vote in Texas, and how to vote on election day. When it comes to register ing to vote, you first need to know the deadline. This year, the deadline's October 11, 2022, so do register as soon as possible. Deadlines make it a good idea to register to vote at least a month prior to election day. If you think you've already registered to vote in the past, check your registration status by going to votetexas.gov. Click on the “Am I Registered?” button, and fill out the follow ing information to check your status.

If you aren’t registered to vote, don't worry; the easiest way is by going to votetexas. gov, then clicking on “Register to Vote.” Click on “SOS ON LINE VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATION,” then fill out the form. Press “Submit” at the end, then print it out and sign the form. The final step is to mail the form to your county election office, then wait around 30 days for your registration form to become effective. You can visit tax-of fice.traviscountytx.gov/visit-us to see tax offices to drop off or mail registration forms to.

Once your voter application becomes effective, you’re all clear to vote on election day. This year in Texas, early voting begins on October 24, and during this time you are allowed to vote at any polling place if you’re registered to vote. Polling places are usually located at churches, schools, and community centers. To find polling places near you, go to "vote.org/polling-place-loca tor/" and enter your address (polling places are announced 2-4 weeks before election day).

ART BY Asher Hagan

$Raids on Mar-a-Lago unleash a political storm

Carey Wooley Managing Editor

Through the four-year long period of his presidency, controversy and investigations have followed Donald Trump. Even after leaving office, this hasn’t changed. With investigations underway, evidence has suggested new findings surrounding his actions post-presidency.

On August 8 of this year, former president Trump had his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago, raided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). After receiving a search warrant, officers entered Mar-a-Lago and removed multiple boxes of confidential and sensitive documents.

“I wasn’t surprised, just because of the things he did during his presidency,” senior Jason Oh said. “But it's also kind of relieving, because Trump might face criminal charges and be unable to run for office again.”

After Richard Nixon’s presidency, it became illegal for presidents to remove documents from the White House post-presidency. This is the first time the FBI has ever visited a president’s home to retrieve such documents.

“The FBI is always very thorough with its work," AP government teacher Dalton Pool said. "If they ever do take action, it's usually because they have plenty of evidence showing them the action is necessary."

For the FBI to gain the warrant to execute a raid, they must have probable cause, meaning there's good reason to believe a crime was committed; in this case, that was the smuggling of the files. A judge then decides if there is enough information to issue a warrant.

“To conduct the search that took

place in Florida, a federal judge had to approve the warrant,” Pool said. “War rants must be very specific and detailed as far as what they are looking for and what possible crimes have been committed in order to get approved.”

The Presidential Records Act, ratified in 1978, states that records produced during the term of a President or Vice President belongs not to them, but to the U.S. and the American people.

“The National Archives play a vital role in securing classified documents and keeping them secret until they're made public decades later, in accordance with the law,” Pool said.

When Trump’s presidency ended back in 2020, 15 boxes of files were reported missing. The National Archives Records Administration (NARA) began conducting an investigation, later demanding that he return the missing documents. He returned some documents, but withheld others.

“It made sense to 'raid' his house,” sophomore Olivia Baird said. “ If Trump is taking important documents willy-nilly, then he should know the repercussions. The FBI had good reason to raid his house; if there's smoke there's usually fire.”

After the FBI retrieved said boxes, they were met with opposition from Florida judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Trump in April of 2020, just months before his term ended and he left office. She effectively paused the progress of the investigation by ruling that a Special Master had to review the documents before they could proceed with a case.

“That people tried to block the viewing of these documents didn't really

phase me," Baird said. "If anything, I expected it. Trump has always had a ‘cult-like' following. It's no surprise that people are willing to go to such lengths to protect him.”

Trump’s legal team argued that many of these documents have been “declassified,” a claim which is currently being disputed. The FBI argues that they contain sensitive information that needs to be secured.

“When it comes to classified infor mation, we have very specific laws in place to protect national security and national security personnel,” Pool said.

The documents are said to have information related to individuals undercover in other countries. These individuals are at risk of imprisonment,

and in some cases execution, if they are found out or exposed.

“This might create distrust from other nations while anyone but Trump is in office; if he gets elected, then I think it's a bigger problem,” Baird said. “If you tell your friend a secret, and they go telling it to other people, you won't tell them a secret again.”

The biggest fear from the Intelligence community is that foreign operatives helping the U.S. could be identified by name within these files, which could end up putting them at a potentially life-threatening risk.

“Having strong connections with other countries is really important," Baird said. "If we can make moves not to compromise, then we should do it."

If you are not eligible for early voting, go to your nearest polling place on Election Day, and follow the steps that are given on the ballot and/or by the people working at the polling place. Make sure to bring a form of identification, as poll ing places sometimes require you to have these on you when you vote.

What many people don’t understand is that every ballot counts, no matter how small one vote seems when it comes to voting for candidates. Don’t forget to remind everyone around you to register to vote, and to spread the word that every vote matters.

ART BY Mazzy Warren

First time voters: Here's how to register to vote, and how to vote on Election Day

$You see people making less than 50 grand a year preaching for the rich, and I'm just questioning-- what kind of brainwashing has let this happen?

Shane Palmer Senior

I wish it were more. It's a step in the right direction, but it's a band-aid; it's not really solving any problems.

$Chrissy Hejny English teacher

ART BY Isabella del Nido

Soccer star kicks off his senior season

Bowie varsity soccer player spends the summer before senior year practicing in Europe

Kate Davis Managing Editor

Walking off the field, shins covered in grass, senior Jackson Coggins finishes playing his final game in Europe before returning home to the U.S.

When Coggins was young, his athletic journey started with a youth soccer program, where he fell in love with the sport.

“This big spark started when I was around ten and got into select soccer. It just clicked for me,” Coggins said. “I was just like ‘I really like this sport, I want to get to the top.’ And it led to me getting to Europe, so I mean it’s pretty cool and I’m very proud. And very grateful for the opportunities I’ve gotten.”

During the summer of 2022, Coggins trained internationally in both Spain and Italy, with a program called Inspire Athletics.

“It was an experience. It was a very, very great experience. I wanted to stay, I didn’t want to leave, it was so nice,” Coggins said. “All the fields were amazing and the trainers were top level. It’s just not the same here in the US because in Europe, they have a huge passion for soccer. Like we have a passion for football, they have that same passion for soccer.”

When Christopher Coggins, Jackson’s father, put his child in a youth soccer program, he nev er could’ve imagined that he’d be sending his teenager to Spain to continue playing the game.

“We had no real concerns about sending him,” Christopher said. “We try to promote faith over fear in any situation. Trav eling to play soccer is a unique opportunity to grow mentally, physically and spiritually.”

Soccer, or football as it’s known internationally, is one of the most dominant sports in Spain and Jackson attests to the

passion that the Spaniards have for the game.

“There are random people from the neighborhood coming out just to watch you train and they’re so passionate about you,” Jackson said. “They’re yelling your name and screaming for you. It was just an experience I’ll never forget.”

The devotion to the sport that the international players and fans have, has led to more successful programs and teams.

“You have people in Spain that are ten, eleven years old, but they already know how to juggle the ball and play as well as I do at seventeen,” Jackson said. “It’s starting to build up in the U.S but it’s not the same level. It’s way harder in Spain than it is here.”

pressure he felt.

“I felt it a little bit but it’s also like I brush it aside because if you let the pressure get too much and you think about it too much you’re not going to be able to do the simple things your coaches chose you for,” Jackson said. “My coaches chose me be cause of my skill level, so now I have to perform at that level. I’m not thinking about how I should be doing this, I’m just going to go out there and do it.”

Though his summer in Europe had to come to an end, Jackson has hopes to return in the future.

I knew when I was ten that I was going to dedicate myself to this sport and to getting to Europe. I wasn’t taking no for an answer.

Jackson Coggins Senior

Due to the talent that the Spanish programs have, Jackson and his teammates at Inspire Athletics had to train intensely to have a chance to win their tourna ments.

Our coaches demanded the quality that was expected. They didn’t want us to just take it easy because we’re already here in Spain,” Jackson said. “I mean we were there for a professional tournament. So we had to win the tournament. We had to work harder in this training to get the job done there.”

Despite the intensity of the international training, Jackson learned to persevere through any

"“I loved being there. I loved Italy and Spain, the ex periences I got there and the people I got to meet. I liked Bilbao and I want to go live there some day,” Jackson said. “I want to do it again next summer, which I probably will. And I don’t plan to stop in Spain and Italy, I want to go all the way.”

After returning to the U.S. at the end of the summer, Jackson noticed lasting effects from his time training internationally, in both his skill level and his mindset.

“It skyrocketed my confi dence. I haven’t been the same player since I got back. I don’t feel like the same player,” Jack son said. “I feel like every single time I’ve gone on the field now I just think about how I’ve played in Europe and it just made me full of confidence. It helps men tally and this game is all about the mental aspects. You have the mindset and you can play the game very, very well.”

Not only has Jackson mentality towards the game improved his own performance, his confidence is translating into boosting the team’s energy.

“He’s a really good person and does a lot for the team outside of school in terms of im proving team morale,” teammate Marcos Elizondo said. “He defi nitely deserves the opportunities he’s gotten.”

Jackson is channeling his reignited passion and confidence into making his senior season a successful one with the Bowie team.

“My goals for senior season are to get far in the playoffs and win districts. And really, just to score a bunch of goals, I mean you can’t do anything else,” Jackson said. “We have a lot of seniors on the team this year and most of them want it, they want to go to the playoffs. So there’s not a lot I have to do to build those goals up among the team.”

Bowie head coach, Ryan Lo

gan, emphasizes the same goals for the program and for Jackson individually

“I want the best for all my players, I would like as many of my players as possible to get All-District recognition. I would like Jackson to be nominated to the list and do well enough in school and club soccer to get a college offer to play soccer,” Lo gan said. “I am expecting Bowie to have a good team this season and am excited to see what we can accomplish. We are bringing back eight of eleven starters and four players with All-District recognition.”

University of Chester.”

Achieving success in any field is time consuming, and Jack son is not without the bustling schedule of a student athlete.

I knew when I was ten that I was going to dedicate myself to this sport and to getting to Europe. I wasn’t taking no for an answer.

Jackson Coggins Senior

Following his senior year, Jackson has goals to continue playing soccer in college, and ideally becoming a professional player.

“I’ve gotten some offers from UDA, they work with three different colleges. One is in New Mexico and two are in the UK,” Jackson said. “Right now they’ve sent me an offer but I’m not sure if I should take it or wait it out. Because I would like to play professional soccer if that’s an option for me, but if not, I could always go to the UDA for the

"“My social life is kind of fig ured out because I do have a lot of time with people, I bond with my team mates,” Jackson said. “Schoolwise I try to do everything ahead. When I get an assign ment, I try to do it then so I don’t have too much homework. If I’m not going to soccer then I have that time to get my work done, and in between practices.”

Jackson’s motivation to con tinue his success in the sport is not deteriorating, and won’t be any time soon.

“I want it super badly. I understand the game and I’m always working on something,” Jackson said. “I just really love playing soccer. It’s just the thing I love to do, it’s my passion. I don’t want to get away from it. I feel like I’m being called to do it.”

Jackson’s passion and work ethic doesn’t go unnoticed, and those who’ve worked with him can confirm his drive for success.

“Jackson is a hard working, team player who has integrity and who has been an asset to any team he has played on,” Christopher said. “He is pas sionate, soccer and family are the current beneficiaries of his passion. The best is yet to come for this young man.”

Despite the adversities, Jackson urges young athletes to pursue their passions unwaver ingly, emphasizing that athletic success is possible for anybody

“Just work hard. I give my all out on the field, even if it shouldn’t matter. People will say things about how the off-season doesn’t matter, but it does,” Jackson said. “Every single time you run, give it 100% and every single time you touch a ball you have to touch it with the inten tion of improvement, with the idea of ‘I want to get better ’.”

As Jackson steps into the next stages of his career, he reminisces on his early steps and how far he has come.

“You just see the joy in kids’ faces when they play and I remember feeling that when I was a kid and now that kid gets to see me going to Spain and Italy,” Jackson said. “I mean, that kid would be super happy to know that I got there, and I still want to go more.”

Soaring through the skies towards a lifetime in aviation

Noah Bihan Dispatch Reporter

Overlooking the vast layer of clouds below her, senior Anni Dotzenrod shifts the control stick centered within the plane’s dashboard. She begins the exciting, yet risky, descent towards a safe landing, already envisioning her next trip in the skies.

Dotzenrod has been working towards her license for the past two years, steadily putting in the required 40 hours to receive her private pilot license (PPL), the first of three tiers of licenses. This license level allows for flying basic planes, meaning sin gle-engined vehicles, usually some what limited in function. Though the prospect of taking to the skies can be a pleasurable hobby for many, it can also serve as a massive milestone on the long path toward a lifetime career in aviation.

“Settling down for a job the rest of my life doesn’t really appeal to me,” Dotzenrod said. “The benefits of being a pilot are really good for someone with those sentiments.”

As someone uninterested in the mundane nature of living a nine-tofive work routine, Dotzenrod has found a home with the Young Eagles Academy. The academy is a promi nent aviation program founded by the Experimental Aircraft Association, dedicated to helping today’s youth begin their journeys towards piloting across the nation.

“The sooner you decide you want to become a pilot and join an aviation

program, you’ll receive much more benefits down the line,” Dotzenrod said. “The aviation industry is all about seniority and experience.”

It’s no surprise that learning to soar above the clouds takes time and dedication. Still, the financial under taking associated with the activity can be impossible, with a cost around $17,000 on average to earn a PPL, according to Texas State Aviation. To counteract this issue, programs such as the Young Eagles Academy offer a free introductory flight, an exceptional offer nearly 2.3 million young people have taken over the thirty years of the program’s existence.

“I think the scariest part of becom ing a pilot is the commitment to the activity,” Dotzenrod said. “It’s kind of your entire life you have to devote for a few years.”

The first flight, an experience that judges whether a person genuinely enjoys the experience of being in the sky, is much more critical when decid ing to be a pilot, as training can be a tremendous yet laborious aspect of the person’s life.

“Getting experience in the air is important,” Dotzenrod said. “The idea of being a pilot and actually being in control of a plane are two very differ ent things.”

Matthew Caruthers, a junior at Bowie and a close friend of Dotzenrod, flew with her earlier this year in an hour-long discovery flight from an Austin aviation airport. Discovery flights allow for the maximum pas senger of one person within the basic

aircraft, so long as all the required licenses are put in place.

“I was extremely nervous at first,” Caruthers said. “I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into, and the

plane’s constant shaking didn’t help.”

Smaller planes are commonly more susceptible to heavy turbulence, mak ing piloting them a severe focus-driven activity.

“I’ve never seen Anni so focused and in the moment than when she was piloting,” Caruthers said. “She seemed so confident and that probably made me feel a lot better.”

The balance of tackling the busyness of a high schooler’s schedule while still maintaining a steady path toward becoming a pilot is not a feat to take lightly, especially as Dotzenrod actively participates in the intense Band program at Bowie.

“We couldn’t be prouder of Anni,” Dotzenrod’s mother, Michelle Dotzen rod said, “She’s worked so hard to get to where she’s at with band, piloting, and academic work.”

Anni is heavily committed to the Bowie band program, having climbed her way to a leadership position during her four years at the school while simultaneously piloting.

“It’s definitely a lot of time-man agement,” Anni said. “I wouldn’t trade either program for the other though.”

Though Anni has only been flying for a short while, her passion for the occupation is very telling. High school students rarely have a career plan laid out for themselves. Still, Anni has proven proficiency in piloting and laying the groundwork for her life-long professional ventures, according to her advisors at the Young Eagles Academy.

“Being in control of the plane and the excitement that comes with takeoff and landing procedures are things I look forward to every day,” Anni said. “I’m really grateful to be able to pursue something I enjoy so much and turn it into a life-long career.”

KICKING HARD: Coggins improves his skills on the field with the rest of the Bowie varsity soccer team. The team practices on the field three times a week.

PHOTO BY Austin Ikard

PREPARING TO SCORE: Senior Jackson Coggins practices with the Bowie varsity soccer team during the off season. Their first game will be on Tuesday January 3, 2023, against the Austin Achieve. PHOTO BY Austin Ikard

FLYING HIGH: Senior Anni Dotzenrod sits in the pilot seat of a plane for training. She has been working to earn her private pilot license, which requires 40 hours of prac tice.

PHOTO COURTESY OF Anni Dotzenrod

The Formality band finds their groove

Local seniors band together to play several genres of music including alt, rock, and indie

Sophia Sanchez Feature Editor

In the garage, drums beating, guitars blaring, The Formality band practices for their upcom ing show.

The group members are seniors Benencio Arce, Jeremy Frey, Kyan Blacklock, and Rich ard George.

The band was created mainly by me and some random guitarist,” Arce said. “It was the beginning of February and I invited him just to jam with him and then from there I sent out a video where we were jamming. Kyan, who’s now our bassist and singer, saw that. He said I want to play with you guys”

Blacklock was soon invited to play for the band, but was met with a challenge with the upcoming Tunnel Vision event, which showcases local teenage talent.

“Benencio is the one that started the band. I was the third member to join and the guitar ist just stopped showing up,” Blacklock said. “Benny said, do you know how to play bass? I

said no, and he asked if I wanted to learn and I said sure. So I learned bass and then he sched uled our first Tunnel Vision concert. We had two months to prepare and we didn’t have a singer at that point, so I just started being our singer.”

The two-man-band quickly started practicing, but with the disappearance of their guitar ist they started searching for a replacement.

“So we didn’t have any gui tars so we tried and looked everywhere,”Arce said.” I was just reaching out to a lot of people and then I remembered this kid.

Richard came to Bowie for like two years, and I remembered he played guitar, so I reached out to him on his Instagram.”

George accepted Arce’s invitation and joined the band in March in hopes of finding a new outlet for his long standing passion for music.

“I actually played bass first. My first real instrument was my brother’s 1991 blue Fend er Prodigy bass,” George said. “That thing is a beast and I still love it. I got into guitar because

when you get a taste of the good stuff you want more.”

The duo became a trio but they weren’t complete. Arce continued to search for a secondary guitarist.

“It was two weeks before school was over,” Arce said. “They had set up some courtyard jam thing. Some kid brought his drum set and guitar. Then some person was jamming with him on guitar, that’s when I saw Jeremy. I told him that we needed a secondary guitarist and if he would be down to join us sometime. He was like, yeah, sure I can.”

Frey brought his musical experience into the band. The senior worked his way into the band’s practices, and eventually the band had a consistent practice schedule for the summer.

“Actually, I was already in another band at that time,” Frey said. “I was like, well, I mean it wouldn’t hurt, so I just joined them. I’ve done guitar for eight years. Bass has kind of naturally fallen in there; it’s just like another stringed instrument that I picked up.”

Finally after the start of the band in February, the band was completed and ready for the first Tunnel Vision on July 7. The only thing missing was a name.

“So we went through other names,” Arce said. “Originally we came up with this name as a joke, it was called Bone Air. Then for our first concert we had to come up with a new name just to get us going. So then we came up with the name the Two Lips.”

The band contemplated a variety of names prior to their upcoming performance.

“Before The Formality we had another name idea, ‘Aisles of Frey’,” George said. “Jeremy’s last name is pronounced Fry, but we didn’t all agree on the name’s spelling for pronuncia tion. I remember being out for one of our practices, and that night I received an interesting phone call. A couple of my band-mates were about to leave the decision to a heated game of rock-paper-scissors.”

With the upcoming live per formance, the stress to decide on a band name was weighing down on the members.

“So our previous name wasn’t too hot,” Frey said. “I had this stick where I would play but I’d be dressed up very fancy. Like a whole full suit and everything. So I was like why don’t we just call it ‘The Formality.”

With the name finalized the band was able to focus solely on preparing for their first Tunnel Vision.

“Our first concert was so fun,” Blacklock said. “The adrenaline for me got me really nauseous when I got on stage. I wasn’t nervous, but I hadn’t eaten anything all day, so I was really, really nauseous. When we got off the stage I was like just getting wild with a water bottle.

Everybody was like whoa that was crazy, and that felt really cool.”

Since their first Tunnel Vi sion, The Formality had another live performance on August 27. The band continues to grow with one another.

“Well I think it’s a bit interesting because we all kind of in a way have our somewhat different music tastes but it kind of works out,” Arce said. “The guitarists do pretty well together. Practicing, it goes well because we go a couple hours at least two days a week. We’re pretty focused when we practice and we do get to work pretty well together, all four of us.”

The band has been experi menting with different sounds to find what works best for them.

“We play a good mix of al ternative and then rock stuff and

we were even working on metal songs too,” Arce said. “We like to kind of mix everything and have a lot of diversity in our mu sic. Now we’ve moved on to like working on more original stuff and trying to get more concerts and stuff. That’s our goal.”

Though entering into the music industry can be chaotic, The Formality has learned to build off of one another’s skills.

“Really I couldn’t ask for us to have a better dynamic making music right now, mostly thanks to our average garage band set up,” George said. “Definitely the trickiest part of our dynamic is the fact that we have two guitars which often play different parts. I learned very quickly that two guitars either sound beautiful or like a hot mess. But, hey, some songs are messes and sound great.”

The Formality members plan to continue producing music with one another.

“We’re recording early in Oc tober, so we’ll have some songs released on Spotif y in the next month or two,” Blacklock said.

“Whenever we can schedule it next, we’ll have some songs out but we want to release an album. We create songs and then maybe record, but we have time.”

Additionally, the band is

currently practicing for their upcoming live shows weekly in Arce’s garage.

“Our next performance is on October 15,” Frey said. “We will be with Midnight Butterfly and Trek Five down at The Parlor on Guadalupe street.”

Throughout their coming shows the band will be testing out different genres to see what they prefer to play live and what they plan to record.

“We’re gonna have a 45-min ute set list and we should start around seven. It’s gonna be more punk style so be prepared to dance like crazy,” Blacklock said.

Though the band is new ly formed, they have already discovered the key to achieving success in the music industry.

“Consistency is so import ant,” George said. “Let me put it this way, you could make the greatest song ever, be the sexiest person alive, and you could even have the greatest marketing team. At the end of the day the only thing keeping you afloat is you. You are the only one who can keep your passion, and you are truly the only one that can keep your ship afloat. Bands don’t become popular because they sound good, they become popular because they put in work.”

Junior designs and constructs a homemade 3D printer

Charlotte Koellner Dispatch Reporter

The snap, crackle, and pop of pristine electricity echoes through Bowie junior Lucas Knoepfle’s bedroom com puter lab as he adds the finishing touch es to his latest engineering project.

First, beginning the challenging project of creating a homemade, fully functioning 3D printer in October of 2021. It took Knoepfle nine strenuous months to get the printer functional.

Although it is now operable, Knoep fle is determined to assemble a more advanced printer

“I’m very close to being finished. It’s functional but there are things that need to be refined a little bit,” Knoepfle said. “It’s like a cake but without the decorative frosting yet.”

Using this mindset, Knoep fle has spent this past summer fine tuning the last few details. An aspiring electrical engineer, Knoepfle is enrolled in an engineering course here at Bowie called Engineering Design and Prob lem Solving, which is taught CTE teacher Christo pher Redmond.

“Lucas came to class with a healthy amount of information already,” Red mond said. “He knew a lot going into class. I helped him sort of refine his knowledge and focus it a little bit more, figuring out how to design parts for customers.”

Before joining the engineering com munity here on campus, Knoepfle had spent years digesting as much electrical and mathematical content that he had access to.

”Almost everything I’ve learned has been through reading books and articles, watching videos, visiting online forums, and a lot of it is just trying to figure stuff out, which oftentimes means looking up whatever I need to know,” Knoepfle said. “Some exam ples of resources where I learned from are: the EEV blog forum and YouTube channel, college electrical engineering books, data sheets, websites that offer information on keysight technology, electronic subreddits, and YouTube channels Great Scott and Marco Reps.”

"Utilizing his background knowledge and experimenting through trial and error, Knoepfle has been able to fix his own electronics, such as the occasional broken MacBook, radio, or lawnmower. Recently he has begun to build his own items from scratch. His free time is often spent trouble shooting ancient radios and adding to his grow ing assortment of workin-progress machinery.

“I’ve only started doing larger projects in the last two or three years,” Knoepfle said.

“But besides the printer my most notable projects have been: an RC car I built almost entirely from scratch for a com petition during COVID, a work in progress 3D printed self-driving car, a simple binary calculator, I manufactured a small power control panel, and I built an antenna tower which could rotate in our backyard.”

Always looking for more complex projects to add to his collection, he desired a more challenging assignment.

After purchasing his own 3D printer in December of 2020, he was able to observe how it functioned and was con fident he could recreate his own.

“I’ve seen how good printers are that

other people have built, and I wanted a better printer so I can compete in the 3DBenchy SpeedBoatRace challenge,” Knoepfle said, “The 3DBenchy Speed BoatRace is where you try to print a specific little boat as fast as possible, following certain rules.”

Once the printer was functional, he was able to begin printing items for other people. Bowie junior Joab Astran met Knoepfle in an Intro to Engineer ing and Design class, and discovered Knoepfle had manufactured his own 3D printer. From there, Knoepfle’s printing business began. Astran is just one of a handful of students to reach out to Lucas asking for 3D printed items.

“I bought a helmet for a certain character from a show,” Astran said. “It was very well worth it. The item is high quality, feels durable and has very fine detail.”

In order to print objects, Lucas uses a free modeling application called Fu sion 360 to design items prior to printing. Applications like Fusion 360 are critical for the printing process to work, because the design created in Fusion 360 (or a similar application) is what the printer’s mechanics will follow during the actual printing timespan.

“Some parts will take me four hours to design and an hour to print,” Knoep fle says, “Whereas some parts will take an hour to design and five hours to print.”

Once the item has been designed in Fusion 360, the printer uses that pre-designed model to create numer ous layers of melted plastic stacked on top of each other until it produces the requirements Knoepfle programs it to meet. Redmond is especially impressed with Knoepfle.

“Lucas went beyond just creating a 3D printer by trying to push the bound aries of what these printers are even capable of by using an experimental and not fully refined geometry,” Redmond said. “So it’s impressive because it’s a 3D printer and they’re really cool. But

it’s definitely impressive that it was a type of printer that is not yet fully embraced by the community.”

Redmond urges his students to seek out engineering opportunities beyond their 90 minute class period. Although there is not a specific item he’d like to see his students create, he hopes each of his students will put their engineer ing knowledge to good use outside of the classroom.

“There’s a lot of open endedness to the assignments themselves,” Redmond said. “So, they could go above and beyond and create new aspects of each project that are more impressive. If I’m

asking for some base level creation they can make it as complex or all encom passing as they want.”

Hoping to major in electrical engineering or astrophysics, many of Knoepfle’s peers are curious as to what Knoepfle will achieve in the approach ing years. Redmond specifically has high hopes for his star pupil.

“I think the next step for Lucas is a collegiate program,” Redmond says. “I expect to see some really cool things coming out of that young mind in the future, no matter what school he attends.”

LOOKING IN TO THE CROWD: Seniors Jeremy Frye (left), Kyan Blacklock (second from left), Benencio Arce (second from right), and Richard George (right) wrap up their live performance at the Tunnel Vision live event. Their next show will be October 15.

PHOTO BY Nicolas Wood

SINGING INTO THE MICROPHONE: Seniors Kyan Blacklock (front) and Richard George (back) perform with their band The Formality at the Tunnel Vision event. Blacklock is the bassist and singer, while George is one of the guitarists.

PHOTO BY Nicolas Wood

LIGHTING UP: This handmade 3D printer is fully wired to create a variety of objects. Knoepfle worked over the course of nine months in order to perfect his fully functioning machine, and plans to continue building on to it as the school year continues. PHOTO COURTESY OF Lucas Knoepfle

I expect to see some really cool things coming out of that young mind in the future, no matter what school he attends.

Christopher Redmond

New Outdoor Adventures class debuts

Alternative option for PE allows students to explore and learn about the outdoors

Amilia Velez Entertainment Editor

Freshman Gabby Bochey scans the course selection sheet. She needs a credit for PE but the thought of taking a regular Physical Education (PE) class is not appealing. She notices a new outdoor adventure and educa tion class that sounds exciting and decides to try it.

For the first time, Bowie is offering an outdoor adventure course as an alternative to a regular PE class. This class will teach students outdoor skills such as kayaking, fishing, and basic survival skills. Bochey describes how she ended up in the class.

“I was kind of placed into this class,” Bochey said. “At the end of the day, I needed a PE credit and it sounded a lot better than taking a regular PE class.”

With the class being brand new, a curriculum was made that outlined the activities and structure of the class. Outdoor adventures teacher Coach Tilson describes her struggles with the pre-made curriculum.

“One of the hardest things [about teaching this course] is that the curriculum has been created for me,” Tilson said. “If I followed [the curriculum] to a T it would be really difficult because we would do a lot of watching Power Points and talking about what we were doing. Instead, I’m trying to get us outside to do activities.”

Because the amount of out door adventure material that can be practiced at Bowie doesn’t amount for the time students have in the class, Tilson is still trying to keep her stu dents active. The students participate in activities such as basketball and playing games outside such as capture the flag.

ipate and the fishing equipment is limited as well.

I’m glad Bowie is adding alternative options for P.E..... because some kids aren’t as athletic and struggle to meet P.E. criteria.

"“Right now I’m not sure how much I would recommend this class to someone because all we have done so far is take a hike around the Bowie campus,” Bochey said. “Besides that we’ve only done the Pacer Test and some Blend models.

Gabby Bochey Freshman

“A lot of times Coach Tilson will have us run laps so this class does remind me of PE in that way,” Bochey said.

According to Bochey, there is some apprehension for the rest of the year and the extent to which they will do true outdoor adventures. For example, the class doesn’t have enough kay aks for the whole class to partic-

Because it’s still early in the year, I still don’t have a full grip on what the class is going to be like. If we start getting more into the outdoor adventure part I would probably recommend it.”

Because this class is new, the students in this class were not sure of what to expect. Outdoor adventures is not a topic usually covered in public schools. Ac cording to Bochey, this year may

be more experimental because of the newness of the class.

“This class differs from my expectations in the way that I thought we would be just full on camping and getting right into the outdoor adventure skills,” Bochey said. “At the moment, it seems like we are sitting around and not doing that much. Hope fully, as the year goes on we will start doing some more interest ing stuff.”

Although freshmen typically need their PE credit, outdoor adventures is offered to any grade level at Bowie. Senior Ian Cantu explains why he chose the outdoor adventures class.

“I chose to do this because it was a new class and sounded fun,” Cantu said. “I also heard that the class went on hikes and I was interested in seeing the whole campus.”

While students can learn an endless amount of conceptual outdoor adventures content, there is a challenge in actually practicing these skills at school. There are limits such as time, resources, and money.

“I think in general the biggest challenge for this being a new

class is just figuring out what we are going to do,” Bochey said. “Outdoor adventures is a broad subject and we have limitations because it’s not like we can go camping during class. In general, I think once the program is fully set up it can be more well known.”

According to Cantu, outdoor adventures differs from a regular PE class in the way that it is less rigorous. The class is more about exploring nature rather than only conditioning your body.

“I think this is great for students who don’t participate in sports and enjoy nature to get their credit for PE,” Cantu said. “The class is a great way for students to get exercise without having to be on a team. Students who are outdoorsy are able to exercise while also doing something they are passionate about.”

Compared to a regular PE class the physical aspect is not as intense. Bochey also provides the benefits to taking outdoor adventures to someone who doesn’t usually enjoy PE.

“I think it’s good that Bowie

is adding new alternative op tions for PE because some kids aren’t as athletic and might struggle to meet some of the PE crite ria,” Bochey said. “One pro of taking this class over a regular PE class is that we don’t have to do as much strength and conditioning. I know some people enjoy that but this class is good for someone who doesn’t want to do any of the gritty PE stuff.”

Since the class is still in its beginning stages, the students are envisioning the class for future students. Looking ahead, Bowie may see outdoor adven tures expand into something more complex.

“I think when we start getting into more of the fun outdoor adventures activities

the class will pick up and could grow in that sense,” Bochey said. “Hopefully the class could move into the gym or a class room instead of just being in the portables.”

Because one of the biggest limitations to the progression of this class is the location, Cantu describes how being able to go on field trips would greatly benefit the class.

“[In the future] they may have more funds to get us on other places besides campus such as Barton springs and Zilker,” Cantu said. “It would be really cool to be able to kayak in the course as well as getting new equipment for students to use and grow our skills outdoors.”

Similarly to any course at Bowie, one goal of outdoor adventures is for students to be able to apply their learning outside of school. The basics of outdoor adventures can be put into practice when they are on their own.

“This class will benefit kids especially because we live in Austin,” Cantu said. “There are so many outdoor things to do in Austin and having knowledge about them will be helpful. For example, knowing hiking safety and how to kayak will be helpful.”

Bochey also agrees that the skills she learns in class now could benefit her outside of the classroom.

"“If there’s ever a chance that I get stuck in the wild or all of my resources run low I will at least know how to light a fire,” Bochey said. “This class will teach me some basic survival skills that could be useful.

While the future of out door adventures brings excitement for the students, for now they are utilizing the resources at Bowie to practice out door skills.

“I would like to see us doing more outdoorsy type things like a summer camp style,” Tilson said. “It’s in our agenda to do things like camping and fishing but it’s going to be really hard to do real world applications while we are stuck on campus. Ideally, [the students] would be able to go on some sort of field trip.”

Starlight Theatre Company’s fall shows hit the stage

Zach Scariano Dispatch Reporter

The new “Betsy” auditorium looms over the James Bowie High School skyline, ready to shine with student performances, the first two which began in late September.

The Bowie theatre department is one of the best in the state, and the new facility was built to replace the aging Starlight theatre. This new resource is already being put through its paces.

“[The shows] that will be in the new theatre, the Betsy, are A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Macbeth,” tech theatre teacher Matthew Humph ery said.

These two shows have been done by Bowie before and the new equipment gives the program more space to creatively portray their shows. Many changes have been added to the new building.

“I think that the new facility affords us a lot of different things that help our theatre department grow and be sustainable,” Humphrey said. “The

fact that we are now able to do work in a scene shop that is actually separate from the perfor mance space means that we can be rehearsing at the same time that we’re building and creating various set pieces and props.”

With the new facility, the theatre can now practice without conflicting with the tech crew building the sets. The team can move about the area without causing disruptions or distractions.

“We can actually store stuff that we are build ing in the shop instead of having to store in the wings, and that makes it more efficient,” theater teacher Colton Perry said.

Although production is moving quickly in comparison to previous years, not everything is fully done. With new advances in technology comes numerous issues.

“It’s still not fully operational yet, but it’s getting there,” Perry said. “And some of that is slowing us down a little bit. We don’t have full control of the lights quite yet at this point. Sound is still being set up, rigging is almost complete. So we’re getting there.”

This will be the first year Perry is in charge of Midsummer, as the single director attached to the project. He must take on the challenges of direct ing while also teaching multiple Tech 1 classes.

“I’m so excited,” Humphrey said. “It definitely signals a more substantial workload, but I am super excited. Shakespeare is my favorite type of theatre, so I get really active and animated when ever directing. It has been a lot of fun to sink my teeth into.”

Macbeth will be directed by Marco Bazan while A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be directed by Humphrey. Due to the theatre department’s new focus, Humphery is excited for this new opportu nity.

“Our theme for the whole year is that theatre is magic and seeing what we can do with the magical new theatre,” Perry said.

Macbeth actor Javier Lozano is entering a new role. Although Lozano is taking on the star role of

“When reading the script I was stumbling through it,” Lozano said. “Which is scary, but at the same time, I love to just get out of my comfort zone and improve my acting.”

As constant practice continues to improve Lozano’s acting and performance, he also looks forward to having a newer space to work in.

“I am very excited for the fall shows, they’re coming together quite nicely,” Lozano said. “The new space has allowed us to do things we haven’t done before with lighting and set. It’s a bit nerve racking but I think these shows are going to be great.”

Macbeth he is no rookie. He has also starred in Big

PREPARING FOR SHOWTIME: Theatre students paint a crown in preparation for the fall shows. The tech theatre class helps with prob building, lights and backstage tasks. PHOTO BY Nick Wood

BEHIND THE SCENES: Starlight Theatre Company members fuel up before the big performance. Parents help get students fed and ready for their performances in the new theatre.

PHOTO BY Nick Wood

GRABBING THE FLAG: Outdoor adventure students play an active game outside during their class period. This is just one of the many activities they partake in during the class period. PHOTO BY Nick Wood

Its in our agenda to do things like camping and fishing but its hard to do real world things while stuck on campus

Lora Tilson Outdoor Adventure Teacher

game

Westlake

Stadium)

NOVEMBER

student-directed chil dren shows

Ava Wong In-Depth Editor

A teenage student stumbles into their first period English class an hour late. Their dilated and bloodshot eyes match their flushed skin. Their hands jitter as they sit down and try to pay attention to their teacher. But it’s no use, their mind is somewhere else. They are high on drugs that haven't been prescribed to them by a doctor. This very scene is one that is rapidly spreading throughout high schools in America.

The rise in unsafe and abusive drug use has been accredited to COVID by many. At the end of a 12-month long period ending in April 2021, U.S. overdose deaths topped at 100,000. Isolationism resulting from the pandemic worsened mental health, resulting in the spike in overdose deaths.

“I have seen a rapid increase in student using, especially after Covid-19 and then increasing into this year,” Mental Health and Counseling teacher Halle Whittington said. “It distracts from the learning environment when students are constantly coming in and out of class, or even being late to class.”

Other than Covid-19, the recent rise in teen overdose deaths can also be accredited to fentanyl-laced drugs. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid used to treat pain, similar to morphine but 50-100 times stronger. Its strength makes the drug high risk for addiction and dependence.

According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), more than two milligrams of fentanyl is lethal. Though, up to 5.1 milligrams have been found in counterfeit drugs.

Fentanyl is mixed with other drugs such as heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine, in order to make the drug stronger for less money. Oftentimes, buyers are unaware of whether or not the drug they are going to consume is laced. High amounts of fentanyl can lead to overdose, as well as mixing the opioid with other substances.

“Fentanyl laced drugs are becoming easily accessible and common even though it’s illegal,” senior Jane Doe* said. “It’s scary not knowing what you are taking, and seeing other people die from oblivion.”

Widespread attention to teenage substance abuse in Austin follows the deaths of four Hays CSDI students, all resulting from fentanyl overdose. In August, the Kyle Police Department held a press conference and called the recent deaths a crisis. According to Chief Jeff Barnette, the KPD has responded to at least 16 fentanyl-related overdoses just in 2022, with seven resulting in death. He claims many of the overdoses were teenagers.

“It’s terrifying to see this happening so close to

home,”

Jane Doe said. “Seeing it in the media is already devastating but seeing it happen here makes it a reality. It makes us realize the severity of the crisis.”

Along with fentanyl, overdose and heavy dependence on drugs can result from the mixing of substances. Among teenage users, the mixing of substances such as alcohol and prescription drugs, is common.

“One of the very real dangers is that when substances are being mixed, it is usually in a situation where one substance has already been consumed,” Gramercy counselor Abby Lopez said. “Judgment is impaired and in those moments people will make mistakes. Most people aren’t doctors, which means most of us (me included) are aware that certain substances should not be mixed but we do not know what falls under those categories.”

The attention to teenage substance abuse and overdose leaves many questioning the root of the problem, why so many teens are turning to substance use in the first place.

preceded a substance use disorder.

Suggesting that better diagnosis of youth mental illness may reduce co-morbidity. Though addiction can happen at any time in a person’s life, “drug use typically starts in adolescence, a period when the first signs of mental illness commonly appear.”

“We need to look at mental health, what affects students’ desire to use,” Whittington said. “I think those are the root of the issues.”

Other than escapism, addiction can be accredited to peer pressure and a social yearning to fit in.

Many teens use drugs “because others are doing it,” or they think others are doing it. They may fear not being socially accepted by drug-using peers.

Advising students to be aware, and bringing these issues to light can help us avoid more of the tragedies that continue to occur.

Halle Whittington

Mental Health and Counseling Teacher

“Although it is not the same for every person, I do notice that there are many factors that can play a role in substance use,” Lopez said. “It is difficult to pinpoint one, or even a handful of patterns, but what I do notice across the board is that substance use is typically used as a means to cope with situations that are thought to be too difficult to deal with sober.”

“Situations” among teenagers can include a wide spectrum of issues such as home life, academic work and mental health. Substances can interact with the neurochemistry of the brain to produce feelings of pleasure. Though the intensity of the euphoria differs by the type of substance, the feeling of stress is lessened. The quick and easy access to the relaxed feeling is what makes these substances highly addictive to teenagers.

"“Peer pressure is super common in school,” Jane Doe said. “It doesn’t even have to be verbal. Someone handing something to you immediately places the pressure on you. It gets internalized to, ``I'm going to take this and be this type of person, or I’m not taking this but risk losing respect from the person handing it to me.”

Those with a history of drug use can easily fall back into abu sive patterns. Senior John Doe* shares his experience with drug addiction.

“My dad got me on coke when I was nine,” John Doe said. “When he died, I fell into depression, and went in on everything you can think of.”

The exposure of drugs to young children has a dangerous effect on them later in life.

"

Smarmore Castle Rehab Clinic found that children are signifi cantly more likely to succumb to substance addictions themselves if they saw their parents or caregivers using substances or they first used drugs in their homes while they were growing up.

It is in my opinion that reaching out is the most beneficial things a student can do.

Abby Lopez Gramercy Counselor

“The usage of substances, at any age can have serious short term and long term effects on your brain,” Lopez said. “Teenagers in particular are undergoing spurts of physical and intellectual growth which is inhibited by the usage of drugs. Aside from the ob vious of not being able to participate in extracurricular activities if you are caught using substances, the impact of substance use really does bleed into everyday life. On the more short term end, personalities can experience drastic shifts, memory can be impacted, higher risks of early onset psycho sis, and increased likelihood to engage in risky behaviors.”

The National Institute on Drug Abuse found that, in many cases, mental illness

“I met a girl and we got clean together,” John Doe said. “When we broke up, I was heartbroken. I just went all the way back in. My entire world was flipped upside down. I was in so deep, high 24/7…I should be dead.”

The decision to quit, according to John Doe, is an important step in getting sober. When reducing or quitting using drugs or alcohol, the body goes through a detoxification process or withdrawal. Relapse may also happen to many, which is even more dangerous.

According to the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care, a person who has built a tolerance to a certain drug over time and then quit taking it, will have their tolerance level to that drug drop. Relapsing and using the same drug again is extremely dangerous and can

easily result in overdose.

John Doe has faced the quitting process multiple times.

“Quitting is when you face the reality of your addiction,” John Doe said. “Physically, you go through withdrawals. The mental part is the hardest. Keeping yourself from the substance, that’s the toughest.”

When quitting, there are many treatment options that work for different people. De pending on which substances are involved and how serious the dependence is, options include counseling, detoxification, reha bilitation, and more.

“You have to keep yourself ac countable and responsible when it comes to quitting,” Jane Doe said. “Though, you must also reach for help when needed. It’s much easier when you’re not alone.”

There are a variety of support services for teens struggling with addiction. The first step is utiliz ing those support services. Those include but are not limited to calling the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline, finding a counselor online or in person, or joining a support group. More information on where to get help is listed below.

Underthe influence:teenage su bstance abuse

“It’s my opinion that reaching out for help is one of the most beneficial things a student can do,” Lopez said. “Seeking help and focusing on your own wellness is one of the best investments you can make into your future.”

At the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, Gramercy Specialty Clinic became the mental health service provider for AISD’s school-based mental health services. Gramercy, which Lopez works for as a counselor, is available at Bowie for students to utilize.

“At Gramercy, our goal is to provide quality care and bridge the gap in services for those who need them within the community and schools,” Lopez said. “Patterns of substance use are varied so in counseling we work to figure out what those patterns are in order to better inform our course of treatment. Through counseling, we collaborate with our client’s to address and process through present problems, behaviors, and establish goals.”

As awareness of the topic grows, so does conversation. To slow the crisis down, according to Lopez, that must continue to happen.

“Thankfully, awareness is spreading and we are working towards reform regarding the over prescription of opioids,” Lopez said. “I want to believe that means we are on the up and up, but only time will tell.”

*Jane Doe and John Doe are fictional names used to protect anony mous sources.

50%

of students surveyed have misused a drug at least once

teenagers in Texas use drugs

teenagers have abused alcohol by 12th grade

overdose deaths are aged 15-24

teens have tried illicit drugs by the time they're in 12th grade

SOURCE: National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics

ART BY Ava Wong

AMY CONEY BARRETT

"In 2020 she stated the Roe would not be viewed as a super-prece dent, then voted against it.

BRETT KAVANAUGH

"Thought the states should not block people from traveling to get an abortion (right to interstate travel)

SAMUEL A. ALITO JR.

It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives

CLARENCE THOMAS

Called to the court to revisit ideals of same-sex marriage & the right to contraceptives

NEIL M. GORSUCH

"Declined to give his full opinion on overturning Roe but stated it as a precedent or deeply rooted case.

The votes are in.

In a 5-4 majority, Roe v. Wade came to a screeching stop on June 24, 2022. 49 years later, women are now dealing with the repercussions of living in a post-Roe world.

This opinion was leaked in May, 2022 by Samuel A. Alito, writing for the majority, ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organiza tion that the decision about abortion would return to the state level. For all purposes, abortion would not be equally accessible across the country. Alito argued that the right to an abortion was not guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

The end to Roe was determined by Dobbs v. Jackson. This ruling has caused a split in public opinion, and with mid-terms approaching in November, abortion rights could be at the forefront.

UNDERSTANDING ROE

The Supreme Court that instituted Roe v. Wade in the 70’s held that criminalizing abortion violated a womans’ constitutional right to privacy. They ruled, in a 7-2 decision, that restrictive state regulation was unwarranted. AP United States Government and Politics teacher, Dalton Pool shares the logistics around how this court ruling has changed as of this year.

“Overturning a precedent that has stood for 50 plus years is very radical and has only happened a few times in the Court’s history,” Pool said.

Dobbs v. Jackson split the Supreme Court and one vote determined the future of Roe. Five justices voted to overturn Roe: Amy Coney Barrett, Samuel A. Alito Jr., Brett Kavanaugh, Neil M. Gorsuch, and Clarence Thomas. Three of those Justices were recently appointed by former president Donald Trump. However, these justices did not vote to end abortion directly.

“The decision by the Supreme Court to undo Roe v. Wade does not ban abortion,” Pool said. “In stead it returns the power to reg ulate abortion back to the state.”

This clarification sets up the states to create its own standards for abortion, shaping a possibly disproportionate view on wom ens access to equal healthcare.

V. WADE

Here at home, Texas trigger laws have already gone into effect. Abortion clinics have closed their doors. And now, performing an abortion is a felony punishable by up to life in prison.

“I feel like this case could lead to other court decisions being over turned, like the rights to birth control,” senior Annika Ybarra said. “That’s not fair. If something were to ever happen to me in the future, I would want the option to make a choice that’s best for me.”

TRIGGER LAWS

“Trigger laws” only go into effect once something happens. In this, that specific event will “trigger” it into becoming an enforceable law. In this circumstance, the leak of Roe v. Wade decision gave state legislatures the opportunity to draft these laws.

The threat of trigger laws doesn’t only reside with Roe; ac cording to Stat News, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas cit ed that “In future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court’s sub stantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell,” touching on the right to contraception and same sex marriage. This could open the door to state lawmakers imposing trigger laws against these two things.

who was originally pregnant then no longer pregnant face penalties,” Ybarra said. “It makes me upset because it’s like we can’t control what happens to our bodies and how it processes pregnancy.”

STUDENTS PROTEST

The leaked opinion on Roe hit student advocacy hard. So much so that on May 12 students held a 49 minute protest in the courtyard to represent the 49 years of Roe. Sophomore Neven Mulhall-Sviglin describes his first protest.

“The day we went to protest was when I realized these rights were no longer protected,” Mulhall-Sviglin said. “I had heard about the de cision earlier but fully understood it the day of the protest.”

As soon as you turn 18, vote. Educate yourself and stay informed. Don’t settle for social media to teach you. Vote in any election you can.

“I know that there were some discussions on access to birth con trol,” McCaffrey said. “It’s really unfortunate since you know, birth control can help regulate things like your period.”

Although people may choose to use contraceptives for a variety of reasons (like a period) the purpose has remained the same since the 1950’s. Birth control has been used to prevent unwanted pregnan cies. With that, the advantages of taking birth control are known to help with menstrual cramps, hor mone imbalance, and preventing the chance for ectopic pregnancy.

It’s not fair that lawmakers in Texas think they can restrict people’s bodily autonomy just because they don’t agree with it.

“Some states will continue to allow abortion providers the ability to operate,” Pool said. “But others will create [or have already created] laws making abortion illegal.”

Some argue that allowing the states to make this decision and the people of each state have their own views represented. For example, if 90% of Californians want no bans on abortion and they vote for the representatives that want that same thing, they would get it and vice versa. According to New York Times, as of September 23, 14 states have already enacted laws that ban abortions at about six weeks. This includes Texas which has banned abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest.

“It feels like a step back in women’s ability to make choices about their own bodies, and how it could affect me in the future,” sopho more Neela Lerma said. “It’s a lot scarier for me if I end up getting pregnant down the line.”

According to English teacher Chelsea McCaffrey, this ruling is af fecting female identifying students and students that could get preg nant.

“It really sends a message to them,” McCaffrey said. “And the mes sage is that they don’t have the same rights as the other half of the population. It’s also putting them in a place where they have to make some really important choices. I feel like no teenager should have to.”

"“When I was on birth control as a teenager, it was to help with my heavy periods,” McCaffrey said. “No one wants to feel miserable, and not be able to perform at school. Because of that, it shouldn’t be something that is inaccessible.”

In a study done by CalMatters, younger women expressed that get ting pregnant early on in college would put them at risk for poverty, housing instability, and unachieved career goals.

“I am worried that something could happen to me and wouldn’t be protected,” Ybarra said. “ Rape is very high in Texas and they’re doing nothing about it to protect women.”

In 2020, Statistica documented the highest number of forcible rape cases to Texas, with 13,509 cases. Roe gave women the right to choose. Without that, they are instead given the choice to have a child they may not be able to support or die trying.

“If you were to be impregnated by a rapist, you have no options; you just have to carry that burden,” Ybarra said. “You carry it for the rest of your life. Especially when you don’t even know if you’re preg nant at six weeks.”

According to ANSIRH (Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health) two-thirds of women in America find out they are pregnant before six weeks. In their findings, they indicated that younger people could not find out sooner because of accessibility.

Since June, natural miscarriages have been deemed criminal offens es by three states, including Texas.

“I’ve seen women who have had miscarriages not by choice getting arrested for no reason because these trigger laws make any woman

THE FETAL DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE:

"The protest started at the end of second lunch and pushed through seventh period. Students from all classes came to support.

“There were so many people and it definitely proved a point,” Mul hall-Sviglin said. “It proved that the number of people against it was a lot higher than the people who stood for it, could tell that people cared a lot.”

According to Mulhall-Sviglin, Even though he was a freshman during the protest he learned a lot about how much people cared, leading to an awakening of his own.

“I learned that no matter how many people were going to be against Roe, it was still going to be changed,” Mulhall-Sviglin said. “It was a lot for me but learned the importance of rights. But now, If some thing else were to happen in the future, I feel helpless against it.”

In a poll done by the Pew Research Center, a majority of Ameri cans (61%) still believe that abortion should continue to be legal. The dobbs decision is not reflected in this.

“I think that it would have been different if they had jurors that understood the youth generation,” Mulhall-Sviglin said. “I think abor tions should be restricted after a reasonable amount of time, but also put into consideration the womans background.”

CREATING CHANGE

Changing this decision is not impossible. It may take time but in stituting a federal law to protect abortion rights could happen.

“Passing a federal law would require both chambers to approve a bill on abortion and then the President would have to sign it,” Pool said.

With midterms coming up on November 8, it has the power to reshape Biden’s second term as president but also shift the houses. All 435 seats in the house of representatives and 34 seats in the sen ate will be up for grabs. 34 of the 50 states will elect new governors including Texas. What all of this means is that if all stars are aligned, new members of congress could come together to approve a federal law that makes all states share the same regulations for abortion.

“If someone doesn’t like what their state is doing, then they should get more involved with state politics or pressure their state represen tatives to act in a certain way,” Pool said. “Voting is super, super im portant and has major consequences.”

Roe’s reversal has shaken ground and will most likely leave a mark on American history. In a future of uncertainty, each state has a choice to make. Future voters can be a part of that choice.

“After seeing everything that has transpired in the last few years, it’s hard to be hopeful,” McCaffrey said. “But, my hope is that there is enough movement to codify it into law,” I do hope that laws can be put into place and something changes.”

EACH STATES LEGISLATION ON ABORTION RIGHTS

June 16th, 2021 Gov. Abbott signs HB1280 into law; a trigger law that bans abortion completly

PROGRESSION OF ABORTION IN TX:

September 1, 2021 Senate Bill 8 (SB8) goes into effect. Banning abortion after six weeks of gestation.

December 10, 2021 SCOTUS rules against Dobbs v. Jackson, which attempted to challenge SB8.

July 24, 2022 Roe v. Wade effective ly ends and trigger law HB1280 goes into effect.

ban

weeks ban

personalized law

Meet the Supreme Court Justice’s & their opinion on why they voted to save Roe

STEPHEN G. BREYER

Agreed with Sotomayor that the end of Roe could mean the end to other landmark cases.

SONIA SOTOMAYOR

Warned overturning Roe would threaten other court cases in favor of gay rights and contraception.

ELENA KAGAN

It breaches an important rule-oflaw principle that is designed to promote constancy in the law

JOHN G. ROBERTS JR.

Urged the court not to overturn the decision and that we should stick to principles of judicial restraint

Isabella del Nido Editor-in-Chief

Dobbs v. Jackson’s Womens Health Organization takes down five decade old court case AGAINSTFOR

Annika Ybarra Senior

Chelsea McCaffrey English teacher

Meet the Supreme Court Justice’s & their opinion on why they voted to end Roe

THLETES SSERTA

Bulldogs football looks to continue seasonal success

Cooper Ceniceros-Fike Sports Columnist

At the midpoint of the sea son, the 'Dawgs football team has jumped out to four wins and only one loss, as they recently fell to a highly ranked Dripping Springs squad in their third dis trict game. With wins over Vista Ridge, Cedar Ridge, Del Valle and Anderson, the Bulldogs have set themselves up for an early playoff berth.

Aside from Dripping Springs, the 'Dawgs have been dominat ing every team they faced. Big wins such as 64-0 against Del Valle and a 34-13 win against Cedar Ridge prove the offense has been electric this whole year, both on the ground and in the air. Senior running back Max Barnes and senior quarter back Connor Kenyon have been the focal point of the 'Dawgs of fense.

Barnes has been running very efficiently, rushing for an average of 127 yards per game and has recorded 11 total touch downs in the first five games of the season.

Senior Connor Kenyon, the team’s returning quarterback, has thrown for 1,068 passing yards and 12 touchdowns, all while completing 57% of his passes with a 121.2 quarterback rating.

Kenyon’s favorite target this year has been breakout senior, Nehemiah Smith-Livingston, who has had 393 yards with six receiving touchdowns. Outside of Smith-Livingston, the rest of the Bowie receiving core has been playing great. Senior Jacob Kastl has brought in 164 receiv ing yards, averaging 23.4 yards per receptions through three games. Additionally, junior wide receiver Carmine Elisarraraz has been excellent all year, catching 15 receptions for 194 yards and two receiving touchdowns.

On defense, the Bulldogs have sacked the opposing team’s quarterback 17.5 times and reigned in 28 tackles for loss through the first five games. Leading the 'Dawgs defense, se nior linebacker Brady Bram has had a killer year with 36 total tackles and two sacks.

Another defensive leader for the 'Dawgs defense is senior safety Wesley York, who has in tercepted the ball three times, which ranks him second in the district for interceptions.

On the defensive line, senior defensive end Aaron Gall has been an anchor on this defense. With four sacks, 24 total tack les, 10 of which were solo tack les, Gall has been the team’s de fensive standout in his final year before continuing his football career at the Colorado School of Mines.

Now, the 'Dawgs have five more games, all of which are district match-ups. The remain ing games are of great impor tance, as they determine the playoff seeding and the winner of the district.

Facing off against Austin High, Johnson, Akins, West lake, and Lake Travis, the Bull dogs look to capitalize on their upcoming games.

I project that we will finish the second half of the season with a record of 3-2 (three wins and two losses), with blowout wins over Austin High School and Akins High School. I also think the 'Dawgs will beat John son, winning by one or two touchdowns. Unfortunately, I think the Bulldogs will suffer substantial losses against the Texas high school blue blood, Westlake High School and Lake Travis High School.

Overall, I think we finish the year with a 7-3 record, fin ishing fourth in the district and squeezing into the playoffs.

COMING UP IN

Academy standout reps Bowie

Freshman Rowen Wells accepts alternative schooling to pursue soccer

Ben Tillisch Sports Editor

Legs pumping, Austin FC Academy forward and would-be Bowie freshman Rowan Wells commands the soccer ball at his foot, weaving in and out desperate defenders as he churns forward toward the opposing team’s goal. Teammates shout instruction and encouragement, but Wells tunes them out, focusing his mind on the moment at hand.

Breathing deep, Wells allows his muscle memory to robotically strike through the ball, sending it hurtling into the top netting of the goal. A swarm of green and black jerseys quickly envelopes Wells as sheer excitement and satisfaction characterized by victory grips the onlooking parents and coaches.

Having been in a professional academy environment since being recruited, Wells has continuously trained and chiseled every facet of the game of soccer for the opportunity to drive the Austin FC Academy to being the best youth soccer program in the United States. His time in the academy has not solely benefited his soccer ability though, for Wells describes the impact it has had on his character development.

“The unending expectation for respect towards coaches and players has definitely helped me,” Wells said. “There is never a time where disrespect is tolerated in the academy, even if it’s something as small as not properly shaking somebody’s hand as you leave. As a player, the academy has helped me in every way possible; from strength to technicality, and everything in between.”

The impact of the academy on Wells has expanded past the soccer field and Austin FC’s facilities. Mandy Wells, Wells’ mother, describes how Rowen’s situation has transformed him into being a disciplined and strong young adult.

“Playing at such a high level has impacted him greatly as a player,” Mandy said. “The physical demand every week can be intense, with the season lasting from August through the following June. They have to be dedicated to healthy eating habits, injury prevention, and rest. Rowen is a young 2007 player, so competing at the national

and international U17 level puts him up against mostly older guys. The competition requires a lot of skill, confidence and grit from all the boys. The players are expected to act and perform like professionals both on and off the pitch. Again, both a great opportunity and responsibility.”

A member of the under-17 (U17) squad, which is a mixture of athletes born in the years 2006 and 2007, Rowen primarily attends the St. David’s Performance Center for online schooling with the rest of his team. Wells discusses the academy’s emphasis on their player’s academic growth.

“The academy cares a lot about grades,” Wells said. “If you’re behind in school, or your grades reflect bad behavior or not paying attention, they can dock things like playing time and revoke other privileges as well.”

Given the professional atmosphere of MLS Next, the league in which the Austin FC Academy competes in, Austin FC encourages their players to make sacrifices to aid in their own development. These sacrifices impact more than just the players though, as Mandy mentions the necessary actions to help Rowen pursue his dream.

“The Academy demands are extensive and require extreme commitment and discipline from players, which impacts most aspects of his life,” Mandy said. “It’s such an amazing opportunity but it also comes with a lot of sacrifice, like miss ing out on social events and choosing a non-traditional school model, plus time away from family and friends.

Mental and emotional strength is a big priority and Rowen is learning to stay focused on the positive aspects of his journey, like international travel opportunities and familiarity with the First Team Player.” Prior to being recruited by the Austin FC academy, Rowen

He was a good leader, a good friend, and more than anything always very humble. The sky would be the limit for him

"played for Capital City, a club based in south Austin. In his time there, Rowen was coached by Patrick Miller, the club’s active executive director. Miller illustrates the natural talent possessed by Rowen before joining the academy.

would be the limit for him.”

Patrick Miller Capital City Executive Director

“As a person he’s incredibly humble, one of the most positive people you’ll spend time around and good sense of humor,” Miller said. “One of the team’s captain’s at the time, he was a good leader, a good friend, and more than anything always very humble. The sky

Designed to prepare youth players for college soccer scholarships or Major League Soccer (MLS), the primary goal for the Austin FC Academy is to develop athletes ready to perform with the Austin FC professional team. Since its inaugural season in 2019, the academy has successfully graduated Owen Wolff, the professional team’s first homegrown player. Poten tially oping to follow in Wolff’s footsteps, Rowen outlines his ideal career path, mentioning his aspirations to play higher level soccer.

“A long term goal for myself would be to go to college and get a good degree while playing soccer,” Rowen said. “I’d prefer to play D1 if possible and then look to enter the MLS draft. I’d also be open to signing a contract and playing overseas in the Premier League, Bunde-

sliga, or Serie A; pretty much anywhere that I would get the exposure to play to the best of my ability.”

The academy often exposes their athletes to soccer players from around the country and the world. For example, the Austin FC academy recently hosted the Dutch soccer club Philips Sport Vereniging (PSV), granting the academy’s players including Rowen a unique experience to interact with the European culture surrounding soccer.

“The academy has given me exposure to all different kinds of people,” Rowen said. “I’ve interacted with players and people all over the United States and even some people from Madrid and Valencia, as well as Eindhoven and Amsterdam. It’s amazing to see the different cultures throughout the world of soccer.”

Senior commit leads football through district

Ben Tillisch Sports Editor

Springing forward, senior defensive end Aaron Gall slams against the opposing team's tackle, driving him back. Utilizing his superior technique and strength, Gall closes in on the sought-after quarterback, willing himself to record a sack for his team.

The student section howls their support, and coaches, high school and college alike, meticulously watch as Gall out-muscles his opponent on the line of scrimmage and displays his elite athleticism and speed to track down the quarterback, wrestling him to the ground.

Impressing collegiate-level coaches, Gall committed to the Colorado School of Mines, a top-end Division 2 school playing in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, at the beginning of his senior season for the Bulldogs. Attending camps and officially visiting college cam puses to evaluate their football facilities, Gall describes the process of putting himself in a position to be recruited for college football.

"I started getting looked at and communicating with colleges after my junior year," Gall said. "I thought I could go to college for football, so I started pursuing it more and going to camps."

Gall's collegiate commitment goes beyond football, as he mentions his desire to pursue a career in engineering.

"That's what I want to do," Gall said. "I want to do engineering, and all the coaches and players at the Colorado School of Mines were so nice to me, so that's what attracted me to them."

As a leader of the Bulldog defense, Gall was elected captain by his teammates and coaches. Aspiring to command his teammates to be one of the best defenses in the state, Gall talks about the pressure of performing and

OCTOBER 14 Varsity girls volleyball vs. Johnson @Bowie

leading by example during his senior campaign.

"Because I have the standard of being the captain, I have to play well every game and lead my teammates," Gall said. "Trying to meet the standards is always kind of stressful."

The weight of being a captain is compounded by the need to be a role model to the younger players who are the

OCTOBER 20 Varsity swimming vs. Dripping Springs @YMCA

program's future. Sophomore linebacker Reagan Cooper is among the many impacted by Gall's leadership.

"The most impressive thing about Aaron is he plays both sides of the ball," Cooper said. "He takes very little breaks and still makes big plays. Aaron is one of the guys I look up to because he has taught me to keep my head up and keep pushing."

Having seen the process of Gall's development as a student-athlete throughout high school, varsity coach Solomon Perdue echoes Cooper's praise for Gall's versatility.

"What impresses me about Aaron is his ability to play and contribute on all three phases of our team," Perdue said. "Whether that is defense, offense, and special teams, he does it all."

Gall has selflessly taken offensive, and special teams snaps in order to help the team. Perdue builds on Gall's ability to put the team first by explaining the determination throughout the Bulldogs to win, even if it means sacrificing per sonal gain.

"Our football team this year is very similar to our team last year," Perdue said. "We have a group of unselfish players who are willing to play for each other every week."

Similarly to coach Perdue's viewpoint, Gall believes that the team's success stems from their family-like connection, hinting that their past and future wins are impossible without the bond shared between the players and coaching staff.

"The goal is to get some sort of achievement in the district," Gall said. "After that we are trying to go far in the playoffs again this year. That's only possible because this team is a brotherhood."

In his final season as a Bulldog, Coach Perdue reminisces about Gall's time at Bowie, commending him for traits that transfer outside of football.

"Aaron has a different mentality on the field and a motor that cannot be coached," Perdue said. "I'm very blessed to be a part of Aaron's journey over the course of these four years, not just as a football player, but also as a young man who will excel in anything he puts his mind to." Additional Interviews and contributions done by Luis Rodriguez

LEADING THE TEAM: Senior Aaron Gall leads the Bulldogs on to the field prior to their game. Gall committed to the Colorado School of Mines on a football scholarship

PHOTO BY Nick Wood

OCTOBER 21 Varsity boys football vs. Akins @ Burger stadium

OCTOBER 27 Varsity boys football vs. Westlake @ Burger stadium

WINNING THE BALL: Rowen Wells makes a tackle on an opposing player during a match. Wells is a forward for the Austin FC Academy U-17 team.

PHOTO COURTESY OF Rowen Wells

A new Trey-dition for boy’s basketball

Varsity basketball starts their season with first year head coach Trey Lindsey at the helm

Sam Vane Sports Editor

All great things have to come to an end sometime. In the case of Bowie basketball, it was the departure of longtime head coach Celester Collier, who retired last summer after an illustrious 31-year career as head coach.

So who is the new top dog for Bowie basketball? Well, no other than former Bowie player and St. Edwards coach Trey Lindsey.

Lindsey and Collier have a long history together dating back way before Lindsey’s time as a coach.

“Coach Collier’s son Isaiah and I have been best friends since we were four. So, coach Collier has almost been like a second dad growing up,” Lindsey said.  Lindsey also takes a lot from Collier’s coaching as it helped him get to where he is today as a coach and person.

“He kind of helped mentor me through [coaching]. We would talk basketball, I’d come up here to Bowie and watch practices. And then it’s really just blossomed from there into more of a friendship,” Lindsey said.” “So I talked to him once a week still.”

After hearing that Collier had retired Lindsey was shocked that he did finally retire but this wasn’t out of the blue, however.

“I was shocked when Coach [Collier] decided he was finally leaving. He had honestly been talking to me about doing it [retiring] for years,” Lindsey

said. “He’s been saying it honestly, since about 2010.”

Lindsey wasn’t the only one surprised about Collier retiring as senior Lucas Bole was surprised about the decision. Bole, had coach Collier as his coach for all three years of high school and was able to connect with Collier more on a player -coach level.

“When I first heard coach Collier retired I was a little bit disappointed that I wouldn’t get to finish my high school career with him as my coach, but I was also excited for something new and someone younger to bring in new ideas,” Bole said.

Sophomore Brandon Chou was also surprised about the news of Collier retiring but thought it was on the horizon.

“I really experienced a lot of mixed emotions, I was, mainly surprised,” Chou said. “But I also saw it coming because he [Collier] also had a knee surgery that he just got so a lot of people saw it coming.”

The new coaching search was a question for many, a front-runner was longtime assistant coach Nate  Haynes.

“I had no idea who it [head coach] would be. I also thought it could have been coach Haynes, but he also retired,” Chou said.

Lindsey, himself, was surprised when he was offered the job as he was a college coach at the time, but he said wanted the job to go to someone in the “Bowie family.”

“To be quite honest, I mean, there was one coaching job in the state that I would take

and it was Bowie,” Lindsey said. “And that is because of my experience with Bowie, the love for the community, and obviously my relationship with Coach Collier. I wanted this job to go to a Bulldog. I didn’t want this to be somebody out of the Bulldog family.”

Lindsey also cited wanting to see his family more for the reason to come back to Bowie as the college coaching travel was a lot to handle.

“We have a four-month old baby, and honestly the college travel is a little crazy,” Lindsey said. “We have late nights and all of those things, but instead of being gone Wednesday to Sunday every week, I get to be home late a couple of times a week. So I was I just thought it was the right time for the family.”

Lindsey wasn’t afraid of the following up Collier either, even though expectations were high Lindsey believed he was up to the task as he had a lot of support around him from Bowie staff.

“There are such great people that were here when I was playing and going to school like coach Ables,” Lindsey said. “So I’ve got a ton of people that are in my corner, and people that are supporting so I just thought it was the right time.”

As a former college coach, Lindsey has been able to implement his coaching style to Bowie as players like Bole have been able to see a difference in the play.

“I’d say Lindsey has more fast-paced practices with a lot of scrimmaging and totally different offensive and defensive principles,” Bole said.

Lindsey isn’t just different in his coaching schemes from Collier.

“Lindsey cares about the simple stuff, but he also wouldn’t yell as much as coach Collier,” Chou said.

With a new coach, a culture shift usually happens but Lindsey doesn’t want this as the

culture is already great.

“I’m in a great position because Bowie basketball has always been instilled with hard work,” Lindsey said. “It’s working together as a team. You know, we’re disciplined. So that [culture] wasn’t something that we were having to teach.”

Lindsey raves about his players as he believes in them as players and as people.

“I’m walking into a great situation with great kids,” Lindsey said. “And these guys have been awesome. They come in, they work hard every day.”

Even with high expectations

Chou believes in his new coach fully.

“I think he’s going to exceed expectations,” Chou said. “I really think that our offense is going to be much better than what we ran last year. And I think Coach Lindsey is a very good coach.”

Wrestling team recruits Lady Dawgs for upcoming year

Audrey Cullinane Dispatch Reporter

The gym floor echoes with a slam to the ground, sweat drips down a hot forehead, a rug-burn stings on ankles and forearms, but the ‘Dawgs don’t submit defeat; they will pick each other up and keep training and fighting their hardest until the end. One factor that sets the Bowie Girl’s Wrestling Team from other skilled schools is their dedication to their sport.

Although the 90 degree weather makes one think it’s summer, autumn is here, and so is wrestling season. With the Bowie Wrestling team’s first competition of the year at Harker Heights High School, the girls are preparing for a strong season.

“Our girls should be one of the top-10 or better teams at state this year,” Wrestling Coach Tyson Dobinsky said. “We finished last year 12th with five qualifiers for region and two qualifiers for state.”

The girls team consists of eight members, but their quantity does not limit their quality. The team contains three senior female captains including Elayna McKinney, Olivia Moreno, and Ava Ford. As captains, the three women attempt to lead and teach the novice wrestlers to the best of their ability and impact the program for future years.

“I answer their questions and give them technique ideas,” McKinney said.

Because wrestling can be a scary sport to jump right into as a novice, the captains help to create a safe environment for novices to learn and grow. According to first year wrestler Camil la Diaz, the team’s assistance is what inspires her to do her best.

“We have a lot of former champions and it’s insane. They’re very talented and teach us a lot

of things and I’m very excited to be a part of that,” Diaz said. “You’ve gotta have support, and that’s where they come in.”

This assistance from the captains and coach is what pushes Diaz to work hard and compete at Harker Heights for the first competition of the year. Because of the team’s low number of females, the coach and captains work to grow the sport, especially because many of the girls on the team are in their senior year. However, recruitment is easier said than done.

“Girls wrestling is the fastest growing sport

for girls in the US,” McKinney said. “It’s becoming better and better for girls to join.”

Second-year head coach Tyson Dobinsky believes that the lack of girls wrestling before high school is to blame for the lack of girl wrestlers.

“It’s really hard to have them come in because there’s no avenue for them in middle school,” Dobinsky said.

An unexpected way the team has grown has not been through fliers or open-calls, but by word-of-mouth. Dobinsky reports about one or two new girls have come in for the past month.

“Somebody’s telling them about it and so they come in, eyes wide open, ready to go,” Dobinsky said.

“We try to find girls in our classes that could be good,” McKinney said. “Usually it’s just girls that have wrestlers in the family or has some prior experience in this area, but now more girls are starting to join.”

With the arrival of newer female wrestlers, so comes strategies for a safer and more communicative team. Coach Dobinsky works to make the wrestling team a safe environment for boys and girls of all ages by using Tell the Truth Thursday (TTT), a club meeting on Thursdays during FIT, during this the team address conflicts about practice and things they want to change, and Dobinsky is able to give feedback and advice to newer students.

“Just know you will never disappoint us,” Dobinsky said. “We always want you to succeed because we want you as a person to succeed.”

This advice is what comes from a TTT meeting, and is what helps make the sport and the team safer and more inclusive; and ready for success.

“We’ve got to be tough, because that’s the sport, a lot of people would think that this is a very bro-ish sport and not very safe and supportive or welcoming at all,” Diaz said. “But I think it’s the opposite.”

Even though many important girls will be graduating and leaving Bowie in the upcoming year, the team believes that their hard work and dedication will continue the success of the program.

“Anything can be a breaking point for somebody, especially in this sport, it’s nice to know that there are people that you can lean on,” Diaz said. “That’s what wrestling really is about.”

AHH-TEN-TION: Head coach Trey Lindsey at varsity basketball giving the team directions to run the offense. Before coaching Lindsey played college basketball at St. Edwards.

PHOTO BY Nick Wood

Trey Lindsey Bowie Head Basketball Coach

ART BY Asher Hagan

The Sandman sets new expectations

televised series introduces ideas that evokes strong opinions from viewers

Claire Scott Review Editor

Fighting wizards, elaborate prison escapes, and a coming of age story, give fans a brand new breath taking fantasy drama series called The Sandman. The show was inspired from a comic book published by DC that ran from 1989 to 1996, and was written by Neil Gaiman. And just about two decades later, Gaiman, David S. Goyer, and Allan Heinberg produced the globally acclaimed series, The Sandman.

The Sandman consists of 11 episodes all in just one season. And many viewers have stated that they are intrigued with the fact that the show is a unique mixture of fantasy, drama, and supernatural horror. Many televised shows today have been reported to only have one to two genres maximum incorporated into their shows, but the fact that The Sandman has three makes the show more distinctive from others.

The televised show and the comic book were purposely written to fit within the DC universe storyline, however just like any other fantasy show, The Sandman starts off in a realm beyond human comprehension. In the first episode the story begins with a wizard attempting to catch a character named Death in return for eternal life.

But somehow, the wizards saw her brother Dream (known as Morpheous). In fear of Dream’s safety, the wizard imprisons him in a bottle for decades within the plot. Then Dream finally escapes, and the journey and the narrative begins as he tries to find his

objects of power.

The general thesis that viewers are intentionally supposed to take away after watching The Sandman is that those who dream hold the power of storytelling, however that attribute can lead to the struggle of both internal and external forces.

In regards to the cast that acted as these elaborate fantasy characters, the show stars Tom Surridge as Dream, Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer, and Jenna Coleman as Johanna Constantine. You can find the full cast and their roles on IMDb.com. Many of the actors and ac-

ART BY Asher Hagan

tresses have stated in multiple interviews that the show was an adventure to film and they enjoyed being on set just as any other televised show.

The overall ranks and status of The Sandman are an average viewer rating of 81%, a 87% by the Rotten Tomatoes, a seven

of 10 stars by the IMDb, and a four of five star rating by Com mon Sense Media. The consensus of this televised show has been relatively very positive, as the viewers have made it known to the media that they are intrigued with the storyline, the way the cast portrays complex characters across the screen, and comments from the producers of The Sandman.

The main critiques of the show have been a wide range of subjects concerning things such as race and sexual orientation of the characters.

Although The Sandman has an overall rating of 81% given by viewers, keep in mind there are most definitely individuals that continue to drag down that statistic with their critiques, of which are publicly displayed on Rotten Tomatoes.

After reading through countless reviews with three stars and below, I noticed that there was continuous repetition of the words “too much diversity,” “hidden agendas,” and “not enough white actors.”

Some people have managed to convince themselves that the producers and writers of the show are attempting to press their own beliefs that regard the LGBTQIA+ community and the ideas of a racially diverse cast onto the audience.

After watching The Sandman’s entire first season for an accurate review, I agree that there is a more diverse cast that appraise race, gender expres sion, and sexual orientation. This is not a show with a cast similar to popular American television such as Friends, Full House, or Keeping up with the Kardashians.

However, I think of this as a positive thing because the show’s producers are trying to normalize minority groups, and not many movies and TV series do that.

And if anything, I would have expected the show to promote straight relationships and a majority white cast because this show was based on a comic book from 1989 when those groups were valued as the standard. But yet again, are producers able to change the social norm in a show based on a book but maintain the storyline and still have high ranks from groups as renowned as Rotten Tomatoes.

In short, I find that this show stands out from typical movie genre combinations today. The Sandman is a mix of fantasy drama and supernatural horror, which can be captivating to many of the viewers. The Sandman has somewhat of an interesting story line, but many viewers say the quality of the show and plot drops after the seventh episode.

The cast is very diverse and inclusive to societal standards today, and many viewers of the show are satisfied with the director’s choice of actresses and actors. More shows, movies, and media content should aspire to accomplish high viewer ranking while having minority groups within their cast. Not only does it make people in those groups feel represented, but it also makes a more significant impact on an audience because people are more willing to binge-watch a show or movie on Netflix than read a pagelong article.

Visually stunning film staring Brad Pitt a must see for thriller lovers

Colin Barnes Dispatch Reporter

A hyper-violent, international take on a classic story of a man out of luck, Brad Pitt’s most recent film, Bullet Train, is easily one of the most creative action films I’ve seen in recent years. Bullet Train follows Ladybug, a man for hire coming back from a long break of self-reflection, and his handler, Maria, who gives him a fairly simple task of stealing a briefcase off a train. Unfortunately for Ladybug, the plan derails as more and more players enter the metaphorical playing field in search of the briefcase, and the contents within.

With each passing moment, Ladybug’s job gets harder and harder as an increasing number of characters board the train with the intent of stealing the briefcase for themselves, or killing the person in possession of it.

Characters like The Wolf, Lemon and Tangerine, and the Elder board the vessel in search of the briefcase, or closure for their own personal journeys. While Tangerine and Lemon, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and

Brian Tyree Henry respectively, bring comedic relief to an otherwise intense action thriller, characters like The Wolf definitely ratchet up the dramat ic factor and bring the action to the beautifully shot calm locomotive.

On that note, visually the film is stunning. Bullet Train easily serves as one of the most beautifully shot action films in recent years, with excellent camera tricks, and impressive lighting that brings a new emotion to mind with each new shot.

The cinematographer, Jonathan Sela, leaves no shot feeling empty, as yet another gorgeous installment of his defining visual flare that can be seen in other films he worked on, such as John Wick, and Atomic Blonde. However no masterpiece is complete without an excellent accompanying score to back it up, and Bullet Train is no different.

This rail-bound flic’s soundtrack blends together iconic 60’s songs covered by Japanese pop artists, and epic soundtrack pieces by Dominic Lewis.

Acting as the loudest aspect of the opening of the film, Avu-Chan’s cover of iconic 70’s hit Stayin’ Alive by the Bee-Gees, Miki Asakura’s impeccable

cover of Holding out for a Hero acts as a signature piece of the film’s final act. Such unique pieces give Bullet Train an energy that isn’t shared with any other action film I’ve seen.

Bullet Train’s capacity for excellent storytelling and talent is boundless, as it collects and intertwines various story-lines, from a man avenging his friend, to a pair of brothers trying to make it in a dangerous business.

Towards the climax of the film, the train barrels further and further into chaos as its passengers come closer to reaching their final destination at the hands of the most dangerous man in Japan. The core plot of the film centers around said man, The White Death, a dangerous Yakuza leader responsible for the brutal death of his predecessor. His actions decades prior directly lead to the events that transpire throughout the film.

Bullet Train excels in just about every category, with phenomenal action, tense emotional scenes throughout, and a spectacular score to back it up. As a film critic, and action movie fanatic, there are very few films to come out this year that I hold in such high regard as Bullet Train. Going

ART BY Colin Barnes

in knowing very little made the experience all the better as I was led through a roller-coaster of a strong passionate story that certainly had a

lot of heart poured into it. If there was one film that I’d recommend people watch this year in theaters, its Bullet Train.

Popular social media app gains traction with teenagers

Bentlee Toland Dispatch Reporter

Introducing a new take on social media, the app BeReal attempts to highlight individuals and their unfiltered lives. BeReal is a social media app that has been on the rise recently with teens, in which it was released in 2020, and it gained popularity rapidly in early and mid2022.

BeReal is simple to use, you post once a day at the same time. The app notifies users at a random time throughout the day that it’s “time to Be Real.” A two-minute timer starts when the user opens the app, giving them a limited amount of time to take a picture of whatever they’re doing at that moment. With the front and back camera taking the picture at the same time making it look like a FaceTime. Users will be able to see if you posted late, and If you retook a photo before posting it on the app.

When a user downloads the BeReal app, they must add their phone number, name and age. They then create a username and password to use the app. At this point, they are asked to create their first BeReal post to start seeing their other friend’s photos too. In order to add a friend on BeReal, you have to open your profile and tap on the ‘Add Friend’ button to send them a friend request. If the user is public and you see their post you like to become friends with the poster, tap their profile picture. This will take you to the person’s profile. Once you enter the poster’s profile, tap “Add” and the app will send a friend request to them.

like TikTok Now’s notification, alerting users it’s “Time to Now ‘’ with lightning emojis. And on both apps your posts will stay up until the next random notification hits the next day. Also both apps do not notify users when you screenshot something on your feed but that is common in other social media apps like Instagram The fea ture is available for US users .

To get TikTok Now you would go In the press images, you can see “Now” has landed space on the bottom navigation bar, next to the posting button. Tap the Now button (lightning icon) to see an Explore Feed of TikTok Nows - or, as TikTok called it, “a daily photo and video experi ence” - from the “people who matter the most.” You will also receive a daily prompt to capture a 10-second video or a static photo to easily share what you’re up to.

ART BY Natalie Cullen

TikTok recently added a brand new feature called “TikTok Now” that asks its users to use their phone’s front and rear cameras at a random time of the day, just like BeReal some say its copying and should not have been added while others like the new feature added to TikTok.

In September 2022, is when TikTok launched the new feature and got backlash very fast from the users and BeReal itself committed on Twitter the eyes emoji replying to a post about TikTok Now. BeReal alerts its users via push notifica tion, telling them that “it’s time to BeReal ‘’ with alert emojis. Both apps share a lot of similarities

Some users think the privacy features for TikTok now are over the top compared to BeReals. For one, users must be 18 to share their TikTok Now posts on the Explore Feed. For users 13 to 15, only your friends, people you follow who follow you back - will be able to comment on your posts. Even for users 18 or older, the default setting will allow only friends to view your posts, although they can change their settings to share with the public.

Some parents are concerned about the BeReal app because there are no parental controls. There are minimal privacy controls, the only ones being private or public accounts. Users can also share their location and save the image to their device which may alarm some parents, but the age requirement said in BeReal’s Terms of Use is 13 and older. Some things about BeReal can be controversial, such as the fact that pictures are unmoderated. This means when you are scroll-

ing through the Discovery feed, they may come across an item someone posted that features inappropriate content.

One major issue is some people are photographed without their permission. This could turn into a major problem especially if it was a minor, but the same problem can happen on most media apps.

But in my opinion, BeReal is safer than most social media apps.

Users cannot contact others privately; any comments are public for all to see. Unlike most social media apps, photos cannot be edited and filters cannot be added.

Users only have two minutes to submit their photo. It may help some teens move away from the pressures often associated with other social media services. You can only post once every 24 hours which could help teens with spending less time on their screens. Lastly, BeReal has no likes and no hashtags. Some say this is a negative but I think it is a positive because it takes away the competitive component of social media.

BeReal is the first app to use RealMojis in stead of commenting on someone’s post with an emoji. A RealMoji is when your facial expression becomes an emoji in itself. To make a RealMoji, tap the smiley face icon on the bottom-right corner of a BeReal post you want to leave a RealMoji on. Then, choose one of two options.

The first option allows you to choose an emoji on the screen, then capture an image of yourself imitating that emoji to use as your RealMoji. I believe BeReal deserves all the fame it’s receiving. It’s different from other social media platforms as the whole point is to show real life as it states in the name being-real. BeReal is a fun and simple app to use.

Dragons come with the heat to HBO

Dimitri Silva Chief-of-Staff

Fear dancing down the spine of those who’ve defied the king. A roar of death coming from outside their homes. Flames drowning their decay ing wooden roofs. Children screaming, searching for safety. Stone rubble darkened and stained black. Horror has arrived, and so has The House of the Dragon.

Returning to the world of West eros, seeing the fresh new fire-breath ing beasts soar overhead is something we’ve craved since the hit HBO origi nal Game of Thrones.

Pre-dating the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the story of the Targaryen family and their reign over Westeros. However, their reign is threatened when King Vereys’, king of the seven kingdoms, old age leaves them vulnerable. With out a male heir to assume the position as king, a civil war brews between the families demanding the heir title, forc ing war, alliances, and betrayals.

House of the Dragons does what Game of Thrones did, but better. The acting and unique dialogue scenes significantly triumph over the later seasons of Game of Thrones. Even in the show’s first scene, HBO shows off their improved budget for the show with a flyover shot of King’s Landing while the main character, Rhaenyra, flies her dragon to its stable. Many other scenes in the show give fans a more detailed and unique CGI experi ence, which Game of Thrones always succeeded in.

The dragons’ CGI shows us a more detailed look at the creatures we grew to love from Game of Thrones. With their extra-long necks and immense, staggering scales, the dragon’s new look is vastly improved and is one of the main reasons fans returned to watch more.

The dragons’ new look isn’t the only significant CGI change we explore. We also get a more extrav agant look at Kings Landing, where most of House of the Dragon takes place. Director Clare Kilner’s cinema tography does an outstanding job of portraying how grim Kings Landing is, with massive cracked stones for walls of the houses and intricate character and costume design to show off how poor the majority of the city is. These changes elevate the show’s appearance and give fans new perspectives we never saw in the original series. This is crucial for fans to understand what the

main characters are fighting for and what people are being affected.

What made the first four seasons of Game of Thrones glue fans to their screens and what House of the Dragon has accomplished so far are the inte grated and elaborate political schemes the main characters are enacting.

The political presence between the small council and how all these wise characters are having such unique political dis cussions with one another is what fans yearned for after the disappointing, repetitive, and rushed writing seasons seven and eight of the Game of Thrones gave us.

House of the Dragon gives us these political scenes while accomplish ing a fast-paced storyline. These dialogue scenes are so beautifully written that it makes us fall in love with every character we are introduced to, even the villains.

Live humans being fed to thousands of crabs on the shore of a beach isn’t some thing you’d expect to see in House of the Dragon or any movie or show, for that matter.

These “Crab Feeders” are one of many villains introduced in the show that are intriguing to learn about. The main villain for the show, Daemon Targaryen, intends to take the throne for himself as he be lieves it is his birthright. Every scene Daemon is in instantly stands out, with his polished armor, lustrous gold hair, and stern, ferocious dialogue that puts any character daring enough to challenge him in their place. Daemon doesn’t show any negative emotions that enemies could exploit and lets no one get in the way of what he truly wants. These aspects make him a menacing villain that makes you sit up in your chair every scene he’s in.

With such enticing villains, it’s only natural that the heroes be as ex cellently written. With a bountiful cast to choose from, the writers give every character a unique and emotionally compelling background that makes the viewers eager to explore. A character we spend a significant portion of the show with, Otto Hightower, is always giving the king advice while plotting to get more power to his family. There are many other characters to choose

king is excellent writing and shows his power as a character. Even his influence over his daughter, Alicent Hightower, is powerful. Otto’s elaborate plan to wed his daughter to the king is unexpected and shows how brilliant Otto is and how much he values his family’s success.

While the characters are success fully written and cast perfectly, are their any downsides to House of the Dragon? While only two things stand out, there is a clear answer to this question, plot armor. Plot armor was

a crucial issue for Game of Thrones in its later seasons because the main characters were surviving impossible and crazy situations that would have been killed in earlier seasons of the show. House of the Dragon is suffering the same conflict right now, especially in the 3rd episode where Dameon defeats the crab feeders.

Daemon manages to evade hundreds of arrows falling from the sky by pure movement and running.

House of the Dragon, however, seems afraid to kill off the main characters, severely affecting how viewers watch the show. Without the fear of a charac ter dying, we don’t feel suspense when characters are in dangerous situations where their life is at stake. Despite these issues, House of the Dragon brings excellent fan service and is well deserving of all the praise it’s getting. We get a new perspective on the world we’ve grown to love, and it’s all worthwhile to watch and enjoy the dragon’s rampage.

Backlash brews after the release of new Marvel projects

Asher Hagan Art/Graphics Editor

If you’ve ever watched a Marvel movie, then you’ve probably at least heard of Avengers: End game. The Marvel movie that peaked people’s interest and had them at the edge of their seats. I remember sitting in a movie theater the opening weekend and watching Endgame. I remember the emotional roller-coaster that was that movie. It felt like the pinnacle of Marvel like it could only get better from here.

Then Covid happened, and everything was put on pause. The Marvel content slowed for two years until, finally, Marvel announced they would be doing something they had never done before: a TV show.

So, two years after the end of the Infinity Saga, the infamous WandaVison came out, one episode a week for ten weeks exclusively on Disney Plus. It was a good show, and Falcon and the Winter Soldier followed it. Then, it was Loki season one. This was when it started. People began noticing that this new phase was distinctly different than the last. People started complain ing. Complaining that Sam Wilson shouldn’t be Captain America, whining that Loki is bisexual, complaining that Wanda Maximoff is too power ful. And, after Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk, it got worse.

Along with seemingly everything else, Marvel is now accused of being “woke.” The word is everywhere, and nearly every Marvel project has been labeled woke in the last year or so. Most commonly, people mean to say that a Marvel TV show or movie is making comments on cur rent social or political issues in the world. This happens more commonly in Marvel’s TV shows. People will complain about how Marvel has changed and how different the MCU is from the comic books. I promise you that the MCU is not overwhelming different than the comics.

Marvel comics have always had metaphors and a certain amount of diversity. For example, the X men, created in 1963 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, were a metaphor for racism and people hating other people for something they cannot control. Loki, in the comics, was pan-sexual and gender-fluid. Ms. Marvel was always a Muslim character, and her faith has always been a big part of her identity.

Female versions of major Marvel characters have existed for a very long time, and most of them were approved or created by Stan Lee himself. The same people who complain about the MCU being woke are those who have never picked up a comic book. In my opinion, Marvel is not getting more woke. It’s getting closer to the source material. People also fail to realize that compared to the entire cinematic universe, there is not much diversity. The majority of characters

are still white and straight.

Another thing I hear about Marvel’s Phase 4: “Marvel died with Stan Lee.” People will use this as an excuse to say that Stan Lee would never have approved of the characters in the MCU now. Maybe that’s true, but we have no way to know for sure.

When he was alive, however, Stan Lee stated that he thought anyone could be a superhero. It didn’t matter if you were a person of color or gay or anything else. That was one of the things he liked about Spiderman. Spiderman is fully covered. Therefore he could be anyone of any race or ethnicity. Beyond people hating Phase 4 because of the diversity, another group of people hate it for its distinct disconnect from the rest of the Marvel Universe.

Some people are confused by Phase 4 be cause they think it’s all over the place and vastly different from the movies before Endgame. Yeah, because it is. That’s the point. Marvel took 22 movies in total to build up Endgame, and besides, Endgame was the end of one saga (the Infinity Saga). Marvel needs more films and shows before making a big dramatic movie such as Endgame again.

This year at San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel laid out their plan for the future of the MCU. Marvel is introducing many characters in this phase because they are heading toward a sto ryline called Secret Wars. Marvel has already

confirmed that “Avengers: Secret Wars” will end Phase 6 and has dubbed Phases 4-6 the Multi verse Saga. This phase may seem detached, but there is a reason for that, and there is no reason that you cannot still enjoy it.

People also say that Marvel’s CGI and special effects have gone downhill. I think the CGI is pretty good, especially compared to other film franchises and other shows on TV. However, there have been some reports coming out of the places that do CGI for Marvel saying that there are crazy amounts of pressure and harsh deadlines being put on people to produce special effects.

With all of the MCU projects that are coming out every year and the pressure for Marvel to cre ate content constantly, it is understandable that the impact would be a bit worse than it could be, but I don’t think they are bad by any means. Some people are so opposed to the new phase that they are blinded into thinking the effects and storylines are worse than they are.

Marvel’s phase 4 is not as bad as you think. Marvel is also not trying to piss anyone off by including diversity in their movies. People of color exist in the world. LGBT individuals exist in the world. You can’t expect marvel to recycle old characters and concepts. The CGI will improve and grow. Not every superhero is a rich, white man and people will have to learn to live with it.

Eternals

Hawkeye

Way Home

Moon Knight

Thor Love and Thunder

She-Hulk

WandaVison

Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Loki Black Widow

Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings

Doctor Stange in the Multiverse of Madness

Ms. Marvel

ART BY Asher Hagan

After the end of the ‘Infinity Saga’ marvel brings more content with the new ‘multiverse saga’

ART BY Colin Barnes

Increased security creates suspicion

Strict rules and regulations in response

Students returned to campus this year following severe violence and lack of security in Texas schools. With the need for new safety measures, Bowie has added/revised its policies to make the school a safe and secure environment where students feel safe attending.

These policies were created in response to recent shootings, drug abuse, and student misconduct. They are made to keep students safe.

The Dispatch believes that these changes were made with good and noble reasons but are executed poorly. While these rules need to be implemented, their current state is unrealistic when reflecting on student life and what we need.

One of these policies does not allow students to carry over-the-counter medications with them to take whenever they like. This stops students from abusing drugs on campus as well as disguising illegal substances as over-the-counter drugs; ultimately keeping students safe from addiction.

However, this removes the ability to access to overthe-counter and perscribed medication where immediate use is necessary; such as medication combating Panic Disorders, migraines, abdominal pain, etc. These medications should be allowed to be carried by students.

These medications tend not to be abused and it is unfair for students’ medications to be withheld from them, especially in times of crisis.

While we should trust students to make the right choices, we have abused our previous restroom policy. This can be seen when kids are roaming the halls, talking with friends, or even vaping in a crowd of 12 when supposed to use the facilities. This year's bathroom policy was put in place to combat that.

To stop students from hurting their education,

health, and habits, their movement was restricted.

Students can only use the restroom residing in the same hallway with a pass displaying their hallway’s designated color to catch wandering students. This policy was made to help students stay on top of their education and stop bad habits.

However, this intention is grossly skewed. It disregards the sad truth that our facilities aren’t usable. Bathrooms are missing doors, locks, toilet seats, soap, etc. They lack comfort and safety. Students avoid these broken bathrooms by using a different hall’s safe and comfortable one. This also helps students avoid those who use the facilities incorrectly, i.e. vaping, and makes it easier for students to find a usable bathroom to use to take care of nature's needs.

When finding a suit able bathroom, this policy doesn’t take into account how some students need a gender-neutral bathroom to feel safe and comfortable. Because not every hallway has a gender-neutral bathroom and would require the student to appear wandering, this puts non-cis-gender students at risk of being pulled aside and embarrassed by an AP or faculty.

As stated on the Bowie website for a student to be checked out early, a guardian must park in the shortterm visitor parking, enter the main office and present identification, and then wait while the office staff com pletes their procedure to check their student out of class. Students can also be checked out through parent email and/or phone call, but this can take up to three hours sometimes never releasing the student on time or at all.

This policy is in response to student misconduct: leaving throughout the middle of the school day when not permitted to do so. It is the job of the school to ensure student safety which involves making sure students don’t leave campus without

guardian approval. Bowie, and every school a student attends, is liable for student safety, but when a student leaves campus unpermitted the risk of student injury is the school's responsibility.

However, this policy is unrealistic when accounting for how spontaneous student lives are. When a student has to leave campus urgently and immediately, a three-hour waiting period, with the potential to never be released, is unacceptable. Student dismissal shouldn’t take longer than if a student’s guardian were to show up on campus.

After tragic events regarding the Uvalde shooting where a non-student

ART BY Asher Hagen

entered the campus, our ID policy has become a centerpiece for student safety. Requiring IDs at all times throughout the day and being checked upon campus entry are all important to keep students safe.

When looking directly at the change in ID design, with the addition of a barcode, it’s obvious how important IDs are for student well-being. Following a student stroke last year, these bar codes were implemented to make it easier to get the medical treatment that is needed when emergencies require it which is why IDs are to be worn at all times.

Faculty are stationed at the entrance to check for

concern

less and void of purpose. One possible solution to solve the new medication policy is to require parental approval in the form of a note, email, form, phone call, text, etc. While this does leave room for deceptive students it’s not difficult to call a student’s parent. This makes it so that students are capable of bringing prescription or over-the-counter medications making a more comfortable environment for students while still holding students accountable and keeping everyone safe.

All it should take for a student to leave campus is approval from a guardian.

Faculty collecting a student from their classroom shouldn’t be necessary because teachers should be informed either by a student's parent or from the front office that a student is to be dismissed.

IDs could be used to scan into the building when no faculty is present, but if a student is missing their ID, their ID number should suffice. We have the equip ment put in place already for students to scan in and all that would need to be done is adding students to the school's system to allow for scanning into the building.

While these are all possible solutions, one thing Bowie needs to do is create an open, honest dialogue with students about why these policies were created.

students only during mornings when students enter campus for first period, and during lunch to ensure only seniors are leaving campus. When no staff member is stationed to check IDs, the duty falls onto a buzzer-camera duo. To be buzzed in, identification is required to make it virtually impossible for a student to enter the building without their ID.

Sadly, it’s extremely easy to wander past our school's “security” with no identifi cation. Faculty members are given the cold shoulder by students or lied to, and the buzzer requires no visible identification for students to gain entrance. Because of this, IDs have become use-

All students have been in formed about these policies with the only motivation to follow them is that they’ll get in trouble if they don’t, and the only reasoning being that past students have broken policies and were out of control. Talking to students like equals telling us directly the real dangers of not following these policies will give students a real reason to follow them.

Bowie needs to make these policies with both safety and leniency to account for the spontaneousness and changing lives of students. We should strive to make students feel safe and comfortable.

Gender-neutral bathrooms misused and mistreated with unsafe behavior and vaping

The situation with the new gender-neutral bathroom has escalated to a level of disturbance that needs to be addressed. The main reason we have it is to make a safe space for trans students at Bowie, but now it has become the opposite. Most of the people using it go in there to engage in unsafe activities (i.e vaping) and crowd themselves in to abuse this new space. This behavior has made trans students feel unsafe, unwelcome, and robbed of personal space and respect. This needs to change. What we need to do is educate other Bowie students about why we have this bathroom and teach them how to behave in other ways that make their trans peers feel more content and safer.

While it may seem that the existence of transgender people is

•

is an open forum for student

new, transgender people have been around for centuries in cultures and history as early as 5000 B.C. There are transgender people in all societies across the globe. “Lili Elbe, a Danish painter was the first person who got a documented sex reassignment surgery to address her gender dysphoria in 1930.

Currently, the Human Rights Campaign estimates that there are more than 2 million transgender people in the United States. In fact, one in five adults in the United States know someone who uses non-binary pronouns other than he or she. However, even today transgender people face discrimination.75.1% of transgender students feel unsafe at school because of their gender expression, 63.4% of transgender students reported avoiding bathrooms,

and 41% of transgender or gender non-conforming people have attempted suicide. In addition, research has shown that 36% of transgender or non-binary students reported being sexually assaulted in the last 12 months at school. According to a May 6, 2019 CNN article, one out of every four, reported being a victim of sexual assault.

For all of these reasons, all gender restrooms are necessary for our transgender students to feel safe. Bowie has only two all gender restrooms. However, recently students report feeling that these restrooms are "unsafe" due to students misusing them for inappropriate activities. We aren't saying the restroom is only for trans people, but cis-gender people already have many restrooms to use.

When asked for testimonies about

the situation, these were some of the responses we got from trans or queer individuals. "I feel angry about the situation. The gender-neutral bathrooms [are intended to be a safe space] for trans students to use the bathroom and now some of my friends are not wanting to use them because of the vaping. This creates an unsafe space for non-binary people."

Another student said, "I haven't been in the gender-neutral bathrooms because there's ALWAYS way too many people in there to feel comfortable walking in."

Another issue in bathrooms in general is that people need privacy. As one student states, "It's awkward for anyone to use the bathroom with a hoard of people who are just standing around not even using the facilities, it's not just a gender-neutral

issue... Plus, it's a bathroom! People do their business there! Do y'all not understand how disgusting bathrooms are? It blows my mind that people choose to stand around there for fun."

Gender neutral restrooms are intended to provide a safe and private place for transgender and non-binary students to change and use the restroom. Students need to respect these guidelines, so that our most marginalized students have a safe place. Bowie should be an inclusive community that respects all students. Be considerate.

Bree Rolfe Bowie Sexuality & Gender Acceptance Club sponsor

• The

The Dispatch is not reviewed by school administration prior to distribution, and the advisor will not act as a censor. Content represents the views of the student staff and not school officials.

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

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

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

• The Dispatch welcomes reader input. Please send any letters, articles, comments or corrections to bowie.journalism@gmail.com, call (512) 841-4184, mail them to 4103 W. Slaughter Lane, Austin, TX 78749 or drop them off in room F-214 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

CURRENT STAFF AWARDS

Women’s rights are being demolished

women’s rights and liberties are now at stake

It’s June 24, 2022, all is well until you are taken aback by the sudden news that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade. After hearing this, you come to the stark realization that women in America now have fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers did. This follows the majority opinion in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case. This case effectively crushed Roe v. Wade, and has ultimately taken away a women’s right to abortion. Instead of protecting American’s rights, the Supreme Court now seems determined on taking them away.

Now, the rights of all women, and indeed those of all Americans, have suffered a tremendous blow. Rights and liberties that we assume are related to private and personal decisions, are now being threatened by the highly conservative Supreme Court, with six out of nine court justices making up the conservative majority. Human beings should have the right to their own bodies and the right to make their own choices.

First of all, there are many situations where women must choose abortion to save their own life. For example, the American Cancer Society notes that some cancer treatments are harmful to the fetus, particularly chemotherapy in the first trimester. This limitation on the timing and nature of cancer treatment can prevent the effec tive treatment of cancer of the woman, putting her life at risk.

Another perhaps more common reason for a woman

to choose abortion is when a woman’s water breaks too early for the fetus to survive. Such an event could lead to severe infection or death. Other medical reasons to seek and abortion could be in the case of an ectopic pregnancy or in the case of high blood pressure early in pregnancy.

It’s also important to remember that pregnancy itself can be incredibly demanding on a woman’s body. According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, (ACOG) sometimes “an abortion is the only medical intervention that can preserve a patient’s health or save their life.”

What was once a straightforward medical decision in the best interest of their patient has become one fraught with legal ramifications. Many state laws have language allowing abortion to save the life of the mother, but such legislation does not necessarily define what it means to save the life of the mother. If a woman’s risk of death is 50%, does that allow a physician to save her life? Such laws ignore the complexity and decision-making process that is necessary and different in each patient scenario. Even referring a patient to another state for an abortion may be fraught with legal consequences for the physician. Now, in many states, doctors can no longer do their job.

Those most harmed by this lack of reproductive freedom are those that can least afford the consequences. The National Partnership for Women and Families’ recent analysis notes that in the 26 states expected to ban abortion, 36 million women of reproductive age will be affected. Of these women, 12.6 million are economically insecure, defined as living in a family below 200 percent of the

federal poverty line.

Assisted reproduction is another area of medicine likely to be impacted. According to data from the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, there were over 73,000 babies born in 2020 from assisted reproductive technologies. Most of these births are through in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures involving a thawed embryo. So, the question arises; what are the legalities surrounding these unused embryos if states pass legislation that considers embryos created through IVF as an unborn child? If a frozen embryo is considered “potential life” like in the recent Dobbs opinion, what will be the fate of IVF and assisted reproductive technologies?

Along with this, pregnancy has incredible financial conse quences - not just medical care required during the pregnancy itself, but the care for the child and their future. Adding to the economic strain is the rising cost of childcare and the diffi culty holding a job if such care cannot be found or is unafford able. The cycle of poverty is a vicious one, and an unplanned pregnancy can exacerbate dire financial circumstances.

Now, let’s get one thing straight, this should not be a debate of religion and ideology, this should be about cold, hard scientific facts and medical care. In order to address the pro-life opinion, you have to understand that many of these advocates argue that life begins at conception. This is a religious belief, and not based on facts concerning fetal viability. It is also argued that there are safety nets in place to provide for mothers who cannot afford a pregnancy in addition

to avenues for adoption (and people willing to adopt).

Conservative-led states have a higher number of maternity care deserts, which means a woman drops off a child and leaves them somewhere and runs away. This lead to higher maternal death rates and poor health outcomes in general. And what of the foster system that will care for these children? According to a report by the US Department of Health and Human Services, there were over 630,000 children in foster care during 2020. More

births will mean more foster children living in a system already strained for lack of resources.

Our first step in solving this crisis is to support candidates who favor women’s right to choose and vote to elect these representatives. Only when legislation is passed at the federal level can we begin to breathe a sigh of relief that these rights are being restored. In addition, the Federal government should prioritize women’s healthcare in general and seek ways to address the “Maternity Care

Deserts.” Expanding access to healthcare means expanded access to contraception, which may prevent unintended pregnancies in the first place.

So where does the post-Roe world leave us now? How do we move forward and prevent further erosion of fundamental rights by this court? Vote. Our voice can be heard through the outcomes of elections, at all levels of government. We should support candidates who support women’s health care and the fundamental right to full women’s health care.

Free Learning” can be helpful but it has its flaws

this rule, teachers and administrators believe that students will be more engaged in class, as well as not feeding into the temptation to check their devices during lessons.

Many Austin ISD schools face the battle between students and their smartphones. In fact, this district has now been enforcing a phone policy titled “Phone Free Learning.” Phone Free Learning is an initiative that schools have implemented so students are not being distracted by their phones. It is expected that students will put away their device and will not use it unless for strictly instructional purposes. By enforcing

Here at Bowie, teachers have been cracking down on the phone guidelines to keep their classroom a phone-free environment. Depending on the teacher’s rules, most students will have to put their phones up in a phone caddy or basket so that it is away from the students’ access. By putting students’ devices away, teachers can see less digital distractions in their classrooms.

From the perspective of a student, I have a fifty-fifty tolerance for the rule. I know that the majority of students feel more comfortable

having their phone on them, however I’m also aware of the distraction that the device can cause. For safety reasons, having your phone on your person, but away is how the policy should be regulated. This can be that your phone is face down on a desk, in your backpack, or in your back pocket. This makes it so that your phone is not in your hands but it is still within reach.

Furthermore, smartphones and other electrical devices are a common usage in our society today. The use of smartphones doesn’t have to be all negative, students can use their device as tools in their learning; it doesn’t all have to be about social media and notifications. For many classes there are apps that students can access by their devices that act as an educational tool to help improve their learning.

In a language class, apps such as duolingo are used by students to provide extra help with pronouncing, writing, and using the language in sentences. For students who need more time to learn a subject YouTube is a great app that students use to comprehend previously taught lessons to better prepare them for assignments, quizzes, and tests.

In addition, music is also another tool kids can access by their device, and should be allowed during class time. For some students, listening to music while working on assignments allows them to concentrate on those assignments, and drown out any other distractions that are happening around them.

A study from Dan Brennan shows that while listening to music your body releases a chemical in the brain called dopamine. This chemical enhances motivation and production with simple daily tasks like cleaning the house, doing homework,or organizing your room. Dopamine stimulates brain activity, so when students listen to music and the chemical is released, kids are able to be more productive and are more likely to get their work done on time. Classical music specifically has been seen to increase productivity and lower stress levels for students in school.

Having balance between phones and learning is key. For classrooms where students struggle controlling their time spent on their phone, I think then is the perfect time to include a rule where phone usage is regulated. Where there’s a multitude of digital disruptions it makes it easier for students to multitask and slack on their work. Studies from JD Solomon show that 70% of students in the classroom spend time texting, web surfing, checking social media and playing games. When students are distracted like this there is no learning for the kids and no mental growth. Because of this, having a rule that works for the teacher and student can reduce the amount of time students spend online and increase the amount of time a student receives directive learning.

For instance, in my math class, my teacher has a system that works perfectly for the students and the teacher. Instead of walking into class and putting your device in a phone caddy, you sit at your desk and put your phone in a marked box on the corner of the desk. Throughout class, my teacher will give a three minute phone break to reply and check any notifications that you received during class. It is also up to the student to decide whether they want to use that break.

Overall, the designated phone breaks decrease the temptation for students to check their phone every couple minutes because there is a designated time the teacher has set for them to check the notifications. This system works well in our class because there is no forced restriction with phones, but still a separation between your device and class learning time.

Phone free learning can be both helpful and jeopardizing for high school students. Phones can act as tools that can improve a students education but can also be a big distraction. So, having an equal balance between cellphones in class and teacher taught learning is important for a student’s success.

Natalie Smith

Amorie Erichsen

Wade Williams Andrius Velez Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior

INTERVIEWS BY Lillian Hoover

PHOTOS BY Lillian Hoover and Amilia Velez

ART BY Lucy Johnson

ART BY Lillian Hoover

Final goodbyes to Lucy in Disguise

Local costume store closes at the end of the year impacting teachers and theatre students

Emerson Traugott

Photo Essay Editor

Plastered in a colorful collage of images ranging from Jack Sparrow to Frida Kahlo, a homage to the famous Beatles song that inspired the name, Lucy In Disguise with Diamonds is an iconic monument on South Congress Avenue, closing for good at the end of this year. A place that entices a sense of magic and wonder allowing customers to express themselves with their large selection.

Junior Brighton Toland is a frequent shopper at Lucy in Disguise.

“Lucy in Disguise has always been one of my favorite stores. The vibes in there are so cool, [with] the costumes and everything. When I walk around I just feel like a main character,” Toland said. “When you think of Austin, you think colorful and quirky and Lucy’s is the perfect symbol of that.”

As the door to Lucy’s swings open customers are immediately greeted by the infamous checkered flooring amplifying the store’s hysteria, untouched by reality, curating a place of chaos and creativity. These characteristics are what make Lucy in Disguise an embodiment of Austin’s notorious slo gan, “Keep Austin Weird.”

Sophomore Brijette Galvan is practically a lifelong customer of Lucy in Disguise.

“I’ve been to other costume shops like Spirit Halloween, but they just don’t have the same types of things or atmosphere as Lucy’s does,” Galvan said. “I can’t believe they’re

closing for good.”

Shocking Austin residents with news of Lucy in Disguise closing, Instagram stories flooded with remorse about yet another one of Austin’s beloved iconic institutions closing its doors at the end of 2022.

Almost simultaneously, Lucy’s neighbor, Tesoros Trading Company, goes out of business as the pandemic precedes to affect their revenue stream to the point of no going back. The same fate Lucy faced only a couple of weeks later.

A participant in the reposting is junior Tess Nielsen.

“[We would] make trips on family days or even on our birthdays to Lucy’s. Me and my sister would always go with our friends to try on different costumes.” Nielsen said. “I’m so sad that they’re closing because we won’t be able to do that anymore .”

Lucy In Disguise with Diamonds first opened its doors on April 1, 1984. Owned by a local Austin resident, Jenna Redtke. Securing Lucy’s spot on the long list of woman-owned small businesses. Luring customers in with their unusual decor; clothing racks and bookshelves overflowing with clothes and accessories. 38 years later and little has changed. In addition to her lifelong loyalty to the store, Brijette Galvan also remains a consistent shopper at Lucy in Disguise.

“The South Congress vibe has been around for so long,” Galvan said, “and taking away Lucy’s feels like taking a part of that away too.”

trips and goodbyes to Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds.

“It fits the “Keep Austin Weird” type of style.” Galvan said. “I still have costumes

from when I was as young. I’ve gone to other costume shops like Spirit Halloween, they just don’t have the same type of atmosphere as Lucys.”

Lucy in disguise, a simple costume emporium has been able to embed itself in the image of Austin, Texas projects. Though as the countdown

to the familiar storefront’s presence no longer decorating South Congress Avenue continues, Bowie students and other Austin citizens make their final

STANDING OUT: Lucy’s store front includes an unmistakable zebra statue placed in the middle of the roof: dressed in a colorful costume and striking a pose. Covered floor to ceiling in every color imaginable, a place that entices a sense of magic and wonder allowing customers to express themselves with their large selection of rainbow, glitter, anything vintage and everything in between. Zebra print is a theme to not only the store’s decor

curb appeal. Both the door and sides lining the windows are covered in the print. Long time customer, Brijette Galven said.

PHOTO BY Emerson Tragott

ZOOMED

PHOTO BY Emerson Tragott

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PHOTO BY Emerson Tragott

TIME FLIES:

Lucy’s

when

Ratke

Avenue,

in

PHOTO BY Emerson Tragott

SUIT

BY Emerson Tragott

PHOTO BY Emerson Tragott

TRYING

PHOTO BY Emerson