April 2011 - Clubbing

The APRIL 15, 2011

MARQUEE

[VOLUME TWENTY-FIVE] ISSUE SEVEN

Keeping tabs on clubbing [4]

Major hike in gas prices takes hit on student drivers’ wallets

[17]

Both boys’ and girls’ soccer defeated in post-season play

[22]

Staff editorial supports teachers’ rights to freedom of speech

MARCUS HIGH SCHOOL [5707 MORRISS ROAD] FLOWER MOUND, TX 75028

[table of contents]

the marquee [newsmagazine] editor in chief luke swinney

managing editor carley meiners

photo editor

allison przybysz

graphics editor

nathaniel thornton

news editor luke swinney

feature editor devon miller

in-depth editor lauren rose

entertainment editor

p. 17 news/

molly spain

sports editor

jasmine sachar

opinion editor cover photo by jordan richards contents photo by peter iversen

[4] BUDGET CRISIS With federal funding being slashed for the 2011-12 school year, the district offered an incentive program to entice teachers into early retirement. by devon miller

feature/ [8-9] JAKE SETTLES After a string of cancer deaths in his family, sophomore Jake Settles moved into his uncle’s house in Highland Shores. by jasmine sachar

entertainment/

[15] BEST NON-REQUIRED READINGS English classes require students to read some less-than-exciting novels, so The Marquee found five great non-required books. by molly spain

sports/ [18] HOOKED ON FISHING Senior Brandon Burks, who started fishing when he was two, recently placed in the Lake Kiowa Bass Fishing Tournament. by devon miller

carley meiners

business manager allison przybysz

reporters

alex cain, alex mcginnis, sarah sauer, olivia tarlton

designers

maria heinonen, jordan richards, breyanna washington

photographers

kyle anderson, peter iversen, aj lascola, jordan richards, sarah sauer, taylor thomas

adviser

lajuana hale

principal

gary shafferman The Marquee newsmagazine is a student-generated publication of Marcus High School. It is produced, edited and maintained through the efforts of the school’s advanced journalism class. The Marquee is designed to serve the school and community as a forum for open discussion and student expression.

The Marquee encourages letters to the editor as part of its mission to educate, inform and provide an open forum for debate. All submissions must be signed. The staff reserves the right to edit all material.

Editorials reflect the opinion of the staff, not necessarily that of the administration. Signed columns or reviews represent only the opinion of the author.

Advertising rates are $60 per 1/8 of a page, with discounts available. For more information call 469-713-5196.

The Marquee is a standing member of ILPC, TAJE, ATPI, CSPA, NSPA, JEA and Quill and Scroll.

news

energy drinks:

danger in a can

Dietician reveals severe health risks associated with popular energy drinks story by luke swinney

level if they would just re-hydrate the body.”

Arnold also revealed another danger of energy drinks – photos by peter iversen combining them with medication.

Senior Ryan Staffileno could feel something wasn’t right.

“If you’re on an antihistamine which dries out the body He looked down at his chest and his heart seemed to be and the cells, and then drinking the energy drinks which is jumping against the skin, beating much stronger than usu- dehydrating them, you’re basically pulling all of the water al. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot across his body and went out of the cells,” Arnold said. “That can create headaches straight to his heart as it palpitated even harder. He instant- or make you fatigued or lethargic, exactly what the energy ly knew he needed medical help. drink was trying to keep from happening.”

“At first I literally thought I was going to die,” Staffileno With all the dangers surrounding energy drinks, Arnold said. “I was with my mom and was like ‘Mom, we need to go said it’s important to use other means of staying awake and to the hospital.’ She said ‘Why?’ But then you could see my alert. Some healthier options Arnold suggested are drinking heart beating out of my chest. I got to the hospital, and I was more water, exercising in the morning or even just taking a freaking out.” quick nap in the afternoon. But Arnold also said she realizes Earlier that day during his sophomore year, Staffileno these options aren’t always realistic. had consumed three regular Monster energy drinks and “Sitting down and resting for a minute or taking a fivethree Java Monsters for a combined caffeine total of almost minute break isn’t always an option, like for students in the 1,000 mg and more than four days worth of sugar. At the middle of class,” Arnold said. “I do understand that energy hospital, doctors told him drinks are sometimes the that drinking energy drinks only options for people. But was like “putting poison I guess you have to question in the body” and he had to whether energy drinks are sit through several tests to keeping you alert or are just People would be surprised how much make sure his heart had no making you shaky.” better they feel at a cellular level if permanent damage.

Some people drink energy they would just re-hydrate the body.

“I thought it could be drinks specifically for the - CHRISTY ARNOLD, DIETICIAN something really bad or I’d advertised boost of energy, have to get surgery,” Staffilebut Staffileno said he doesn’t no said. “Then the docfeel any different. Instead, he tor came back in and said drinks them for taste.

I might not be able to play “The amount of sugar in sports anymore, so I really started freaking out. That’s al- the drinks is what makes them taste so good,” Staffileno most worse than dying. But then he came back in and said said. “They’re better than soda because they just taste beteverything was okay.” ter. Now I’ll have maybe one a month. I’ll still drink them, Staffileno said he was lucky he wasn’t left with any lasting but not to that extent that I was.” heart damage. Still, he felt the effects of his Monster binge.

Another main concern for Arnold surrounding energy “I had to skip a week of football,” Staffileno said. “I felt drinks is the amount of children who drink them. She said fine and that I could play, but the doctors wouldn’t release that consuming so much caffeine and sugar could be danme. I guess it was for the best, but it was annoying. It was gerous as a child develops. Staffileno agreed and said the kind of embarrassing telling people why I had to sit out.”

FDA should do more to regulate who can buy energy drinks.

Registered dietician Christy Arnold, who practices out of “It’s definitely a problem, but it’s easily controlled,” Life Time Fitness in Flower Mound, said the amount of caf- Staffileno said. “But for little kids, energy drinks are not feine in energy drinks is what makes them so dangerous. healthy. I wish they would put an age limit on them, like 16 Currently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) re- or up. But they won’t because they make so much money.” quires energy drinks to list caffeine in their ingredients list, While she would never recommend energy drinks as a but they don’t have to specify the amount. Since caffeine is a healthy way to stay awake, Arnold said one drink on occadiuretic, which increases urine production and draws water sion could be okay as long as students are careful. She said out of the body, high-caffeine drinks like Monster can cause keeping a careful eye on everything a person consumes is serious dehydration. the key to health, and that includes drinks as well as food.

“Most people walk around in a dehydrated state,” Arnold “People need to reach for water more and really look at said. “Especially when people are reaching for sodas and the medication they’re taking with the energy drinks,” Arenergy drinks and aren’t drinking as much water. People nold said. “Everyone needs to know what’s going on with would be surprised how much better they feel at a cellular their body to keep it safe and healthy.”

“

the marquee |april 15, 2011

”

caffeine:

rockstar

160 mg

monster 160 mg

full throttle

144 mg

5 hour energy 138 mg

red bull 80 mg

design/graphics by maria heinonen 3

news

$ $ $ cut into student budgets High gas prices

$

$

story by carley meiners

Rising gas prices have caused students to dip into their paychecks more each week. Prices have risen 8.7 cents in the past week, according to the American Petroleum Institute. The average gas price in Dallas is currently at $3.64. This is the highest it’s been since the increase between August and September 2005 after Hurricane Katrina.

Senior Garrett Hoskins delivers pizza around town for Palio’s Pizza Cafe in Highland Village. He said he relies on tips to cover the cost of gas.

“Now, most of my paycheck goes towards buying gas,” Hoskins said.

Hoskins, who drives a sport Jeep Cherokee, said it now costs him $50 to fill up his gas tank compared to $35 in the past. He said that the government should increase minimum wage now in order to help people keep up with the

cost of living.

“I feel like the prices are going to continue to go up,” Hoskins said. “And when the cost of everything goes up, companies don’t increase pay making it harder to have enough money to buy things.”

Economics teacher Matt Stoeberl said the main elements causing gas prices to increase was the oil spill in the Gulf as well as India and China buying more gas. He also added that the United States has enough oil to supply the entire country.

“The main thing that can raise gas prices is speculators in the market,” Stoeberl said. “Gas prices have less to do with supply and demand and more to do with the future market.”

Although Stoeberl said that speculators control the prices of gas, he would like the government to attempt to set forth specific rules for the future. He

also said that the government should not directly handle gas.

“Number one the government should never control price, ever,” Stoeberl said. “The market will create a price where there is no shortage and no surplus.”

As Hoskins takes caution of his intake of gas, Stoeberl said the increase in price won’t affect the gas industry.

Stoeberl describes gas as an inelastic item, something that people need no matter what. He said that the main thing people will cut back on is entertainment, such as shopping and going to the movies.

“The big thing about gas is the ripple effect,” Stoeberl said. “The price increase doesn’t effect the gas companies, but it ripples down to other companies. People might buy a little less (gas), but they aren’t going to just stop buying all together.”

- stay within posted speed limits.

- Avoid quick starts and stops and accelerate slowly when starting from a dead stop.

- Keep windows closed when traveling at highway speeds.

- Avoid rough roads when possible.

- Properly maintain your car. Keep the engine tuned, tires inflated and aligned, change the oil on schedule and check and replace air filters regularly.

Education cutbacks encourage teacher retirement story by devon miller

photo by sarah sauer Jill Diamond (left), student teacher at Degan Elementary and Marcus alumnus, shows her support of LISD teachers by holding her sign in front of Degan.

4 design by maria heinonen

If Emily Worland loses her job, she won’t be able to move out of her parents’ house and into her own this summer. If she loses her job, she may have to become a secretary. If she loses her job, she may never come back to teaching.

This is the predicament several teachers face after the district introduced its plan to cut costs to deal with the $22 million deficit this year. The plan will also help prepare the district for the severe budget cuts that are in the Texas legislature right now. The plan involves an incentive program which gives 10% of a teacher’s salary to any teacher who retires by April 18. If the district doesn’t get the needed 500 teachers to retire, they may cut probationary teachers, like AP Government and Psychology teacher Worland, who have not yet renewed their contracts.

On April 8, the district said they will recommend the contracts of all the probationary teachers in the district be renewed and will attempt to make budget cuts elsewhere. However, nothing is final.

“I’m excited, but I’m not going to get excessively excited until I sign my name to a piece of paper,” Worland said. “I can’t get overly excited because it’s not set in stone.”

Worland, who was hired three weeks into the school year, said it was difficult to get a job already because many districts are on a hiring freeze due to the economy. The budget cuts will make finding a teaching job even harder.

“There’s potential that I could never come back to teaching, and I think that’s a sentiment a lot of teachers have,” Worland said. “People who have been student teaching and working for five years to get that teaching certificate may never see the inside of a classroom or this could be my last time. You never know what the market’s going to be.”

The deadline to retire and receive the incentive package was pushed back from April 1 to April 18 after only 140 teachers took the package. Worland said she believes the program will appeal to teachers who were already considering retirement.

“It’s good for those who have been wanting to retire and just need that extra push,” Worland said. “Or also for people who are moving to another district or maybe a grandchild has just been born and they want to stay home. In this economy, it’s going to take a huge push to get someone to leave a secure job.”

Counselor David Spindle, who said he would’ve retired this year with or without the incentive, chose to take the package and said he isn’t sure what he will do now.

“I haven’t made any plans for what I’m going to do next yet,” Spindle said. “I’m just going to get things done that I haven’t had time to do and relax.”

Worland said that not getting her contract renewed would take a big toll on her life.

“If I lose this job, I’ll be in incredible limbo if I can’t get a job other places,” Worland said. “We’re talking a substantial pay cut even to take a secretarial job. I try not to think about it. It’s miserable.” april 15, 2011|the marquee

news

Silver Crown awarded story by jasmine sachar

The Marquee was awarded a Silver Crown at the 87th annual Columbia Scholastic Press Association Convention in New York City last month. The Marquee was one of 30 recipients of the Silver Crown, a prestigious award given by the CSPA to high school publications nationwide.

This year, 1,434 high school publications were nominated for a Crown award. This is the third CSPA Crown the paper has received in its history.

The Marquee has received two CSPA Gold Crown previously, in 2006 and 2007.

“It means a lot because we’ve really worked hard to improve our paper this year,” editor in chief Luke Swinney said. “I feel like we’re at the best point that we’ve been at for the time that I’ve been on staff. We’re on the right track, and I have no doubts that we’ll get gold next year.”

Orchestra wins UIL Sweepstakes story by alex cain

Flower Mound adopts new logo compiled by sarah sauer To celebrate Flower Mound’s 50th anniversary as a town, the city approved a new logo. A five month celebration of the anniversary began on Feb. 17 with a town council reception and will culminate at the Independence Day Festival on July 4.

photo by aj lascola

The Orchestra won their fifth consecutive Sweepstakes award at the UIL Competition that took place on March 9th at Newman Smith High School. A Sweepstakes award means that they received perfect scores from every judge in the competition.

They played the Tchaikovsky Serenade, Movement 4, earning them the award. According to senior Madeline Vanzant, the orchestra did not feel as prepared as in years past because some of the pieces were more difficult, and because the second violin section was not as consistent as the rest of the group.

“It wasn’t like other years,” Concert Master Alex Williams said. “We were almost under prepared but we pulled through.”

Hospital gives free heart checks story by alex cain

Juniors Brittany Bernstein and Joe Rau sort through books for the English Honor Society book drive. The book drive was held at Central Elementary on April 9.

photo by taylor thomas

On March 26, a free heart screening conducted by the Champion Hearts Foundation athletes was offered to students involved in strenuous activities at the school like athletics or band. The screens helped detect early warning signs for a heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, which causes the heart walls to thicken and cause blood flow to be strained and the heart to beat erratically. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy affects nearly 1 in 500 people, and sometimes results in death. The screening took place at the new Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital on 2499. Students from Marcus as well as other schools in the districts attended.

Senior Haley Anderson participated in the heart screening after her mother urged her to do so.

“My mom just wanted me to do it because it was free and because I am going to play college soccer next year,” said Anderson. “She thought it would be a good thing to have before I go.”

EHS book drive helps Central Elementary story by lauren rose photo by sarah sauer Last Friday afternoon English Honor Society students began the transformation of turning Central Elementary into a book wonderland for the annual book party. Books filled the gym. After playing carnival games at the party, children earned tickets to redeem for books. The children could pick out books of their choice as prizes.

EHS was able to donate these books as a result of their book drive in March. A competition between classes was set-up to see who can collect the marquee |april 15, 2011

the most books. The winning classes received gift cards to restaurants and the club was able to donate over 6,000 books to not only the party, but the community. Along with promoting reading, the book party allows Marcus students to bond with students of Central Elementary. English Honor Society Vice President Allison Riding said that the book party was a rewarding experience.

“It gives Marcus the chance to give back and contribute to society in a hands-on way that most students don’t get to experience,” Riding said.

“The book party really helps students from Central Elementary want to be at school and read.” design by maria heinonen 5

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april 15, 2011| the marquee

Q &

A Chris Merlene, 12 compiled by lauren rose photo by aj lascola

Q: Why doesn’t McDonald’s sell hot dogs?

A: Sonic probably paid them off for all hot dog selling rights.

Q: Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?

A: The freezer is too cool for any lights.

Q: When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?

A: Humans.

Q: If you try to fail, and succeed, which

feature

Shooting for the stars

Freshman wins several archery awards story by jasmine sachar photos by allison przybysz

and shoots with ease. She makes a bull’s eye on the second shot. On a good day, Nikki said she can shoot a score of 284 out of 300 total possible points.

“When I first started I couldn’t even break a 100,” The first time freshman Nikki Taylor shot a bow Nikki said. and arrow, she completely missed the target.

Pam said that she and other parents have been Now, Nikki is a competitive archer who will be making her second trip to the 2011 NASP national trying to convince Marcus to implement an archery competition next month. This year after winning sec- team at Marcus. Several talented kids, she said, will ond place at the state competition on March 21, Nikki be moved up from the Lamar archery program.

“It’d be really nice if Marcus had a team,” Pam received a $1500 scholarship from the Texas Parks said. “ Just this past week, I heard that maybe rather and Wildlife Foundation.

Her involvement with the sport began with an ar- than an archery team, an archery club would help chery unit in a seventh grade Outdoor Trails class at promote (it).”

Pam said she is proud of her daughter’s accomLamar Middle school. After she placed 14th in the 2009 state competition, her coach Ferris Bavousett plishments in archery.

“One of the things we saw is that it makes her recommended she take a more advanced Outdoor feel good about herTrails class. self,” Pam said as she “That’s when he watched Nikki pull the saw something,” One of the things we saw is that it arrows out of the pracNikki said. tice target. “It’s cool to The next year, makes her feel good about herself. see all the littler kids Nikki was the 2010 - PAM TAYLOR, MOTHER at Lamar. They really State Indoor Arlook up to her. A lot of chery champion those kids, if you’re not across all age groups in band or football or as an eighth grader.

She broke the state record by 11 points. The competi- orchestra, you kind of just fade away. It’s given the tion took place in an indoor facility in Waco where kids another outlet.”

Nikki will travel again to Louisville, Kentucky to 600 other competitors shot down a long hall of targets. Nikki said she was not intimidated by the noisy compete in Nationals on May 14. Last year at Nationals, Nikki placed 18th in her division. In preparation, atmosphere.

Nikki said she practices shooting every day after “It sounds like an AK-47,” Nikki said.

Her family has turned parts of their house into a school, while participating in various smaller tournapractice range for Nikki. She shoots down a long hall- ments on the weekends. She hopes to place higher way full of family pictures into a multi-colored prac- this year, and reclaim a state championship next February. Being recognized at school for her acheivetice target placed at the end of their garage.

“Show us a bull’s eye!” her mom, Pam Taylor, ments, she admits, is awkward but she said archery has helped her find her place in high school. shouts from down the hall.

“It makes me feel like I’m actually accomplishing Standing at a line of green tape which marks 10 yards, Nikki, clad in blue jeans and a t-shirt, steadies something and that I wont just quit this and go on to the black and silver Genesis bow, pulls back an arrow something else,” Nikki said.

“

”

have you done?

A: You have succeeded to see that you’re good at failing.

Q: If the #2 pencil is used so much, why is it still #2?

A:

Obviously because #1 is still more popular. Just because we all use #2 doesn’t mean we like actually like it.

Q: If you joined the circus, what act would you most want to perform?

A:

Couldn’t I just be security or something? the marquee |april 15, 2011

Left: Freshman Nikki Taylor holds up her two state trophies. She won first place at state last year, while this year she took second. Right: Five arrows pierce the practice target in Nikki’s garage. One is a bull’s eye.

design by jordan richards 7

feature

Multiple deaths strike sophomore’s family story by jasmine sachar The last time sophomore Jake Settles saw his dad alive, there was a glass barrier between them.

As Jake pressed his ten year old hands against the Houston hospital room window, he saw his dad Alan as a skeleton of the man he used to be. He was withered, his head completely bald. Tubes emerged from his nose. IVs stemmed from his white arms.

He was being eaten away by brain cancer, and all Jake could do was cry.

He looked nothing like the dad Jake had been living with for 11 years, the dad he shared an apartment with in Oklahoma City. The one who wore converse shoes, liked the rocker Jim Croce and hated Chinese food.

“I thought he’d be sitting up in his chair, joking around,” Jake said. “But he looked like a corpse.”

His uncle George Settles had held Jake’s hand through the long weeks at the hospital. He never actually talked to his dad during that time, just peered at him once through the glass window.

Jake was at George’s house in Highland Village in late March 2003 watching home videos with his cousins when the news of his father’s death came.

The funeral was in his grandma’s hometown of Lawton, Oklahoma.

Jake barely uttered a word for six months. *** A few months earlier, in May 2002, his father Alan Settles turned 30. It was his last birthday.

They didn’t throw a big party, but they did videotape. Jake, his little brother Johnny and his dad’s girlfriend watched Alan blow out the candles on his angel food cake in their apartment. They went to the mall arcade. Alan bought Jake and his little brother

Johnny the House of the Living Dead video game.

“It was his birthday and he bought us a present,” Jake laughs. “He never really put himself before others.”

It had been a good life and Jake said Alan was a cool dad. Jake’s mom had never really been in the picture. She left the family when Jake was four.

“I think it was a blessing that she stayed out of my life,” Jake said. “She did acid, smoked a lot of marijuana. She was always selling ecstasy pills.”

Alan taught Jake how to use tools and how to ride a bike. He bought Jake and Johnny anything they wanted, even though they didn’t have a lot of

“

He told Jake how much he loved him. And then he was gone. *** Shortly after his father’s death, Jake and his little brother Johnny moved in with their grandma, Wanda Settles, in a small three bedroom blue wood house off of Rogers Lane in Lawton.

“She was the classic grandma,” Jake said. “She spoiled us rotten.”

Wanda didn’t like to cook, so on the weekdays they rotated between fast food and a Chinese buffet. On Sundays, she made brunch. He taught her how to skateboard.

Life was slowly piecing itself back together for Jake. He joined the San Da Fight Club at the end of eighth grade where he practiced mixed martial arts. He wrestled for varsity at Lawton High. They turned Wanda’s garage into a den where they bonded over Adam Sandler movies.

When Jake was 15, Wanda was diagnosed with breast cancer. The next months played like mirror images of his dad’s illness.

Chemo, radiation. The disease disappeared for two years, then returned, worse than before.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” she’d tell Jake feebly every day. At 72, she suffered from constant aches and pains and possessed no energy.

She ended up on a bed at the Lawton Southwestern Hospital. Jake and Johnny were at Uncle George’s house in Highland Village again when they got the call that Wanda wasn’t responding to radiation treatments.

“It was losing the only person I could talk to,” Jake said. “I was losing my mom, my caretaker, my nurturer.”

”

He was being eaten away by brain cancer, and all Jake could do was cry.

money. And when he told Jake he was ill, he didn’t even use the word cancer.

“I’m just really sick. I’ll be fine.”

Jake didn’t think much of the sickness then. He thought his dad was Superman. He thought nothing could hurt him.

“I had no idea,” Jake said. “I thought of it like they were going to give him cough medicine and he’d be fine.”

His dad was always joking around. The only time Jake saw him serious was the last time he talked to him, when Alan was boarding a plane to Houston for brain surgery. Alan waved to him from past the security gate, and blew him a kiss.

photos submitted

Jake moved in with his uncle, George Settles, in August 2010. Last Thanksgiving they ran the Turkey Trot, an eight mile race in Dallas, together.

8 design by breyanna washington

april 15, 2011 | the marquee

feature

cont. from page 8 *** On a sunny Tuesday morning in August, in the same red-roofed funeral home in Lawton where his dad’s funeral had been held seven years before, pictures of Wanda Jean Settles’ life flashed on a big screen at the front of the room. Elvis’s velvety voice crooned “Love Me Tender” over the speakers. Uncle George gave a speech in which he read a love letter written to Wanda from her husband in the army. He told her he’d come back for her.

With his Uncle George and other two uncles Troy and Oliver, Jake carried the casket. Everybody shook Jake’s hand. Jake said that he could handle the grief better this time.

“I believe in all that life after death stuff,” Jake said, “She had a whole year of constantly aching. It was good that she was finally rid of all that pain.” ***

There are a few remnants of Jake’s former life in his new bedroom at his Uncle George’s two-story brick house in Highland Shores where he and Johnny now live. He points to a small tinted picture of his dad and him as a large baby, sitting on a statue of a white tiger, eyes crinkled in laughter. On a stand next to the dresser is a black and white Fender strap guitar, a gift from his grandma.

Jake has adjusted to life with Uncle George, who he said looks just like his dad, and his wife Michelle.

They wakeboard every weekend in the summer. This past Thanksgiving, he and George ran the eight-mile Turkey Trot in Dallas.

“He really took on the role of dad when I came down here,” Jake said.

But some parts of his old life keep resurfacing.

It was 8 p.m. one February night when George

sat the family down to talk in the living room. The TV was off, and George was straightforward. He had lung cancer.

As George tried to explain the illness in scientific terms, no one uttered a word. Silent tears dripped down Johnny’s nose. Jake stood up to pull his uncle into a hug.

Here was the man who had held his hand while his dad withered away on a hospital bed. The man who’d helped him carry his grandmother’s casket. Who now was afflicted with the same disease that had claimed both their lives.

“I ask God why he does this stuff to me,” Jake said.

“I feel like I’m cursed.”

Though doctors are now calling George’s disease treatable, Jake realizes that the future is uncertain.

“I think it’s God trying to toughen me up.”

Drummer boy

Senior receives spot in elite drum corps story by devon miler Senior Andrew Morreira started watching Youtube videos of the Boston Crusaders drum corps when he was in sixth grade, around the time he started drumming. He said he has wanted to be a part of the elite group ever since.

“It’s been kind of a creepy obsession,” Morreira said. “A lot of kids who are in drumline all over, this is their dream.”

Now Morreira nervously watches as the director talks to one of his two competitors. After a few minutes of hushed conversation, the boy quickly leaves and the director moves to the next competitor. Butterflies begin to race around Morreira’s stomach at top speed as the other boy leaves, too. The director makes his way over to Morreira, the last remaining competitor for the last remaining spot on the tenor line of the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps.

“Obviously you’re not cut because there’s no one else here,” the director said. Morreira nodded. “We would like to offer you a spot to march this summer with the Boston Crusaders. Don’t screw it up.”

Morreira smiled. He couldn’t believe it. After six years of hard work and dedication, he was finally going to be a Boston Crusader.

To participate in the drum corps, Morreira, a member of the Marcus drumline since freshman year, will have to graduate three weeks early so that he can move to New Hampshire with the group to start working. He will then practice with the drum corps for a month before competitions start. In July and August, the Boston Crusaders will have a competition every day.

“It’s basically just like marching band on steroids,” the marquee |april 15, 2011

Morreira said. education and civil engineering. After this summer, The auditioning process for the tenor line consists he aims to leave the Boston Crusaders and hopefully of a series of camps held in Florida each month from join the Santa Clara Vanguard, another drum corps.

November to May. The first two camps teach com“I know I’m always going to drum and do perpetitors music exercises which they must play well cussion,” Morreira said. “Making a career out of it, in order to advance to the next camp. The audition I don’t really know, but it’s a passion so I’m always music is passed out at the third camp. However, Mor- going to do it.” reira stopped attending after the first camp due to the costly plane flights to and from Florida.

In early March the director of the drum corps called Morreira and asked him to fly out for the audition even though he hadn’t attended most of the camps. He agreed and said the audition, in which he competed with two other drummers who were older than him, was nervewracking.

“I was up against two other guys that had been to all the camps and knew all the music and I didn’t really know any of the music at all,” Morreira said. “I just got to the point where I woke up on the last day and I was like ‘if I’m going to lose, I’m not going to go down without a fight.’”

In the end, Morreira won the fifth and final spot on the line after his two competitors were cut. At 18, he’s the youngest in his section. The other four are 21.

Though he said he will come back for graduation, he said he will still miss many things.

“Some high school students choose to miss graduation, but I’m going to come back to walk,” Morreira said. “But I’ll be missing my girlfriend’s birthday, all my friend’s graduation parties and my friend Nick and I were going to go on a camping and road trip experience.” photo by kyle anderson However, Morreira said he isn’t too upset because he plans to stay in town and attend the University Senior Andrew Morreira practices on his drums. Morreira of North Texas. He wants to double major in music received a spot in the Boston Crusaders drum corps. design by breyanna washington 9

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in-depth

The Marquee

Investigates

the darkside of clubbing “Darkside is a revolution. A revolution in dance music. Kids who are really into electronic music, we’re going to get them in here before any drugs kick in. If they’re already on the drugs, we get them off. From the dark side into the light. That’s our statement.” – co-owner of Darkside John Wayne

the marquee |april 15,2011

design by nathaniel thornton 11

in-depth

Into the darkness the rave lifestyle

co-owner of Darkside, Tommy Gunn

story by lauren rose and luke swinney photos by allison przybysz Off Ovella Avenue in the heart of Dallas, a dark, cement building contrasts the flashy colors of its neighbors. On either side, strip clubs are alive with activity, welcoming their guests to enter. But the building covered by barbed wire is even busier with hundreds of teenagers surrounding the front door.

This is Darkside, a 17+ rave club that opened in September last year.

Arriving club goers walk through a dimly lit parking lot towards a line wrapped around the building, and the distinct smell of marijuana mixed with sweat assaults them. It’s only 8 p.m. and the club won’t open until 10, but the lengthy line is already full of excited, barely dressed teenagers. Even in cold weather, the ravers stand outside for hours just waiting to get in.

12 design/graphics by nathaniel thornton

Go-Go style dress is encouraged for girls. This includes fuzzy boots, neon colored bras, skimpy bottoms and fish nets. These girls get the perks, a free cut in line and a discounted entry fee. For other patrons it’s $17, or $12 if they’re on a special club promoter’s list.

Shortly before opening, Darkside co-owner Tommy Gunn roams around the building, making sure everything’s ready for the long night ahead. The haze machine needs water, the lasers need to be switched on and all the teenage employees need instructions on what to set up. Frantically trying to beat his 10 p.m. deadline when the club doors will open, Gunn wants everything to be perfect.

“I’m going to give all the people what they want so when they get to Darkside, it’s already their home,” Gunn said. “I wanted to create something different from other clubs, so it’s more their home than just a

place to go.”

Being ordained ministers, co-owners Tommy Gunn and John Wayne create a spiritual ambiance that sets the family atmosphere for the club by scattering Bible verses and inspirational quotes throughout the building. This “family atmosphere” that Gunn prides his club on is based on the philosophy of P.L.U.R.R. – Peace, Love, Unity, Respect and Responsibility.

“It’s all about the music and the love and the peace and the respect,” Gunn said. “We’re all about the P.L.U.R.R.” *** As 10 p.m. arrives and the bouncers open the doors, the first clubbers walk through the entryway to the front counter to pay. First a girl enters in a wheelchair, pushed by her boyfriend. A green pacifier sits in her mouth and her eyes are smothered in hot pink eye shadow. Pacifiers are sometimes used with Ecstasy to prevent the grinding of teeth while under the influence of the drug. She gives the front desk the money for her cover fee and enters the club.

The scantily clad Go-Go girls are ushered through the door next, leaving the guys they came with behind. The bouncers pat down most patrons to check for any possible weapons. Teenagers must be 17 or older to enter and the Darkside owners say they ID every person.

As the rave begins, music blasts from the speakers hanging over the dance floor and the DJs spin in the DJ booth. Since the building was previously a strip club, ravers can dance to the blaring music on stripper poles and inside cages. The club has five different DJ booths in separate rooms, and Gunn said he offers 22 DJs the chance to play each night.

“I’m giving local DJs a chance to learn, build up their name and their following,” Gunn said.

The electronic music pounds through the ears of everyone inside, and screaming is the only way to get someone’s attention. As the music continues to blare, april 15, 2011 |the marquee

in-depth the few girls who initially dressed conserva- closes in two hours. Suddenly, he spots a guy tively remove their shirts and pants to join he was talking to in the line outside almost 10 the other half-naked female ravers. The guys hours earlier. lose their shirts.

“The basic idea is that everyone goes there Some ravers come for the music. Some because they enjoy that kind of scene,” Casey come for the atmosphere. Some come just to said. “All the guys on the soccer team are hang out. friends because they have something they “People have a real passion for this place,” enjoy. This is the same kind of thing.”

Lacey, the emcee at Darkside, said.

Casey and his fellow raver exchange high*** fives and start up a quick conversation. Casey One of the Go-Go girls, clad only in a neon said the long hours spent in the club make it green bra and bright pink underwear, walks feel like a second home, with all the Darkside over to the club’s bar. Darkside serves no al- regulars as his relatives. cohol, so water and soda sit behind the coun“There’s no pre-made judgments about ter instead. The girl looks around and pulls you,” Casey said. “I have more in common out a wad of cash. This could be innocent and with people there than at school.” it is unclear Lacey said what she purthe club gochases. A few ers are a tight seconds later group and go Each person gets to make their own she walks out of their away without decisions and their own choices. way to help a drink. each other - TOMMY GUNN, DARKSIDE CO-OWNER On the out. other side “We are a of the dance family,” Lacey floor, a tall said. “We’re girl in orange all there for pants stumbles around the club. With a paci- each other and go out of our way to make fier in her mouth, she crashes onto a couch people feel comfortable and at home. If your and rests her head in her hands. Suddenly car’s broken down on the side of the road, we she staggers back up, takes off her pants, will drive to you and give you gas money.” wraps them around her neck and heads back This Darkside “family” is growing rapidly to the dance floor. Her eyes are glazed over. as more and more teenagers make the club a “Each person gets to make their own deci- weekly event. On any normal night, the club sions and their own choices,” Gunn said. “If sees over a thousand ravers come through its someone comes to the club and they’re not doors to hang out with their new Darkside coherent or their eyes are messed up, well family. they’re not allowed into the club.”

“We’ve got people who even volunteer for But some of the patrons seem erratic, us,” Gunn said. “People will come out every walking around confused and in a haze. weekend to help out because they love this “Things are going to happen, that’s just place so much. We even have four or five how life is,” Gunn said. “When the speed lim- people with Darkside tattoos. It’s not a club, it’s posted at 55, people still speed. Whether it’s like a family.” they get caught is a roll of the dice. People will still try to do drugs or drink, but I try to do the best I can to keep it out of the club.” *** Senior Sean Casey, a frequent Darkside guest, walks around the club looking for someone new. It’s almost 5 a.m., and the club

“

the marquee |april 15, 2011

”

Molly Spain Just say no.

Growing up, I never thought I’d actually have to use those three simple words we are taught throughout middle school. Yet, three weeks ago these words were all I wanted to mutter. I went to a club for the first time to experience rave life and was immersed in a completely different universe. Instantly, I knew I didn’t belong.

It took about 15 minutes to get inside. Despite the frigid 40 degree weather, all the girls were clad in sparkly bras and lacy underwear or tiny bikinis.

As I glanced around at the clubbers, I noticed that pacifiers filled the mouths of several teenage girls and boys. Suddenly, the club bouncer pointed at me, and I was ushered inside away from my friend. In the foyer, I approached the front desk and had both my ID and $17 in my hand as I attempted to give them to the people behind the counter. They took my money and didn’t look at my I.D. I entered Darkside and was completely alone until I was reunited with my friend 10 minutes later. It seemed like hours to me.

The blackness of the club enveloped me as I squeezed onto a worn couch and looked around. Neon lights flashed in all directions, exposing the club décor of metal cages and stripper poles. Young girls danced on the poles while shaking their nearly naked butts and stomping their furry boots.

Music surged from all directions, loud and incessant. Suddenly, the DJ stopped the music and Tommy Gunn, one of the club owners began to recite a “prayer.” They pledged P.L.U.R.R. I was unfamiliar with the “prayer” and awkwardly observed the cult-like performance. Then, as the rave resumed, the girls in the metal cages continued their risqué dancing while the guys comfortably lounged on couches in preppy t-shirts and shorts. Even though it looked like the ravers were under the influence, they were all very nice and polite.

A girl with shoulder length, straight brown hair approached us.

Her shirt completely covered her and her shorts were decent. She wasn’t dancing ridiculously, so I assumed she wasn’t rolling on Ecstasy. She looked at us and inconspicuously asked, “Do you guys need any tabs?” Tabs is a street name for the drug Ecstasy. That was the first time I was offered drugs that night but not the last. In fact, this scene played out five more times with male drug dealers.

“Molly?” They would ask. At first, I thought that they were calling my name. But they didn’t know me. It was Molly, the drug, a pure form of Ecstasy.

Later, I was treated with a light show.

I was sitting down with my head rested on the back of the couch, while the guy stood in front of me flashing white gloves with colorful lights on the fingertips. From somewhere, 3-D glasses were thrown into my lap and I heard someone shout, “Put them on!” So I did. The guy bent toward my face and his fingertips danced. The lights were a rainbow of exploding fireworks popping at me, and I was mesmerized. Unfortunately, the most enjoyable thing of the night ended as quickly as it started.

By 2 a.m., I was exhausted. For a lot of people, this club provides a weekend getaway, a brotherhood and friendship. But for me, I had seen enough flashing lights, dirty rooms and girls’ butts to last me a lifetime. design/graphics by nathaniel thornton 13

in-depth

A dangerous combination Mother speaks about son’s tragedy story by olivia tarlton Is an hour or so of being high really worth ruining the rest of your life, Tracy Jackson wonders. She’s had a lot of time to think about this as she sits by her son’s hospital bed day after day.

Early in the morning on Saturday, March 20, Tracy Jackson was on her way to the laundry room when she heard disturbing noises coming from her son Kyle’s bedroom. She opened the door and saw him lying on his bed, his mouth foaming. Dried blood caked his lips.

“I had never seen that,” Mrs. Jackson said. “Usually his seizures last like two minutes and he’s fine after that and they don’t do much damage.”

Mrs. Jackson called the paramedics. They arrived but could not stop her son’s seizing and immediately transported him to the hospital. There he stopped breathing.

Kyle had juvenile posttraumatic epilepsy, which developed after a severe longboarding injury a year ago. Drinking alcohol, energy drinks and even staying up late were all forbidden. Most importantly, Kyle was required to take anti-seizure medication every day.

“Usually if he just misses one dose he won’t have a seizure, but if he misses two or three, then he’ll have a seizure,” Mrs. Jackson said.

This was part of what contributed to the seizure Kyle suffered on May 20. When the test results came back, Mrs. Jackson learned that her son had also tested positive for methamphetamine and marijuana.

The previous night Kyle had gone clubbing at Afterlife, a 17+ club in Dallas much like Darkside, with some friends. They all denied giving Kyle any drugs though Mrs. Jackson later learned that he had taken an unknown number of meth-laced Ecstasy pills.

“He might’ve taken two, three, four Ecstasy pills,” Mrs. Jackson said. “That scares me because it must’ve been a large quantity. I don’t think that Kyle really knew the full impact of those drugs. I think the peer pressure got to him and he just wanted to be normal.”

Mrs. Jackson said that the combination of not taking his anti-seizure medicine and the drugs caused him to have a series of prolonged seizures. She said taking Ecstasy on top of Kyle’s previous brain injuries was “like putting gasoline on a fire.”

After arriving at the hospital, Kyle eventually began breathing once again, though his condition was deteriorating. He had fluid in his lungs, a 104.5 fever and his organs were failing. Still his mother remained hopeful. She said she didn’t realize how severe the situation really was.

It wasn’t until another MRI almost a week later, this time at Southwestern Medical Center, that Mrs. Jackson became aware of her son’s critical condition.

“The prognosis is that he’s probably never going to walk again, he’s probably not going to be able to talk and he’s probably going to be mentally retarded for

the rest of his life,” Mrs. Jackson said.

Kyle graduated from Marcus in January and was already taking classes at North Lake College. He planned on getting a degree in either accounting or engineering.

“He had such a bright future ahead of him and now he’s not going to be able to do any of what he wanted to do,” Mrs. Jackson said. “I’m not sure what kind of quality of life he’s going to have now.”

Mrs. Jackson said that just a year ago Kyle recovered amazingly after his longboarding accident.

“After we got home he was crying because he was so happy he had a second chance at life,” Mrs. Jackson said.

Mrs. Jackson said she believes her son thought he was invincible after overcoming that accident and as a result acted carelessly.

“Kyle smoked pot, a gateway drug that led him to do other harmful drugs,” Mrs. Jackson said. “Those [harmful drugs] left him paralyzed and his brain damaged.”

For now, the Jackson family is taking Kyle’s situation one day at a time, constantly watching over him at the hospital and hoping his condition improves.

“He could remain a vegetable that I have to take care of for the rest of his life,” Mrs. Jackson said as she looked away. Her eyes gazed into the distance, wondering what tomorrow may bring for her son.

Ecstasy compiled by olivia tarlton

14 design by nathaniel thornton graphics by breyanna washington

Facts source: erowid.com

Many users of Ecstasy report experiencing depressive symptoms for a number of days after taking the drug.

Ecstasy was used as a psychotherapeutic tool in the late ‘70s, though its growing popularity led to it being made illegal in 1985 in the United States.

Studies show that long-term use of Ecstasy can cause memory loss.

Negative effects often include jawclenching, nausea, vomiting, overheating, eye-twitching and dizziness.

april 15, 2011 | the marquee

entertainment

Top 5 non-required reading We are all aware of the challenge high school students face with the sometimes tortuous literary masterpieces we are forced to read, but there are books out there that people actually enjoy reading. The Marquee delves into the shelves of non-required reading works of genius. compiled by molly spain

1.

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling Witches, wizards and magic. The combination of these elements fuse to create a sensational book series filled with a heroic character, an evil villain who never seems to die and lots of wizardry battles. The books focus on the strength of three best friends, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, as they save the wizarding world multiple times. Anyone would enjoy these adventure-filled stories.

4.

2.

Stephanie Plum novels

by Janet Evanovich

Starting with One for the Money to the upcoming addition of Smokin’ Seventeen, this 17-book continuing series is a great way to spend your down time. The books are narrated by bounty hunter Stephanie Plum as she solves mysteries in New Jersey to bring in a few bucks. It follows Stephanie through her triangle romance between cop Joe Morelli and bad guy Ranger. These books provide romance and mystery that will keep you reading.

The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks Torn between two men, Richard Franklin and Mike Harris, Julie Barenson chooses the latter, and her decision turns deadly after Richard becomes obsessed with her. She now must fight for her life, Mike’s life and even for the life of her best friend, her dog Singer. This is a heart-wrenching story about love and the strength of the bond between a woman and her dog. Nicholas Sparks, an expert tear-jerker, always knows how to connect with those romance readers.

5.

3.

Count of Monte Cristo

by Alexandre Dumas

In the years following the decline of Napoleon’s empire in France, Edmond Dantés has the perfect life until he is falsely accused of a crime and is given a life sentence. After cleverly escaping from prison, Dantés finds a fortune on the island of Monte Cristo and creates a fake identity. He then spends his time seeking revenge on those who falsely accused him. If you enjoy action and shocking scandals, then this book is for you.

Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher The book follows high school senior Clay Jensen who returns home to find that a former crush and classmate, Hannah Baker, committed suicide. Hannah left recorded tapes for Clay explaining in 13 reasons why she took her life. If you are a female and prefer stories that make you sob, then this is the perfect book. The writing provides a flow that allows for a quick read, and the storyline will have you in tears within the first few pages.

Upcoming Movies With temperatures warming up, there’s no better way to spend a blazing afternoon than cooling down and watching a new movie. The Marquee found the best films coming to a theater compiled by sarah sauer near you.

Water for Elephants:

Rated: PG-13

Date: April 22 Summary: This movie is a story that will appeal to romance-lovers.

Jacob (Robert Pattinson), a veterinary school student, and Marlena (Reese Witherspoon), a circus performer, come together under sympathy for an elephant and find undeniable love.

Super 8:

Not yet rated

Date: June 10 Summary: A group of friends from a small town Ohio witness a disastrous train crash during the process of making a super 8 movie, a film made in the 8mm film format. Unsure of whether it was an accident, strange disappearances and bizarre events prove that the truth is more chilling than they could have ever dreamed. the marquee | april 15, 2011

Thor:

Rated: PG-13

Date: May 6 Summary: This action-packed fantasy features main character Thor (Chris Hemsworth) as he explores the roots of the Asgardian god when he is sent back to Earth. Featuring Academy Award winner Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, this movie will have you absorbed from start to end.

Bad Teacher:

Rated: R

Date: June 24 Summary: This comedy centers on a female foul-mouthed teacher who’s trying to win the love of a rich and attractive substitute. Competing with her co-worker and trying to fend off the gym teacher who just cannot seem to get the message that she is not interested, Elizabeth (Cameron Diaz) works hard to win this new man over. design/art by jordan richards 15

entertainment

The Marquee asks: What’s your sign? compiled by alex cain and luke swinney photos by peter iversen

Scarlett White, senior Born: December 27 - Capricorn

Kyle Sertner, freshman Born: July 25 - Leo

“As far as astrological traits go, no Capricorn is like another Capricorn. I’ve never identified myself with another sign so that makes me a Capricorn.”

“I am generous and creative and I know that I can also be bossy and interfering. I am somewhat a bit of the other (signs) that show too.”

Characteristics: practical, prudent, ambitious, disciplined, patient, careful, humorous, reserved, pessimistic, miserly, grudging, over conventional, rigid

Characteristics: generous, warmhearted, creative, enthusiastic, broad-minded, expansive, faithful, loving, pompus, patronizing, bossy, interfering, dogmatic, intolerant

Justin Westfall, sophomore Born: March 14 - Pisces “I am a complete Pisces. All of the postive traits are me and also some of the negatives.”

Characteristics: Imaginative, sensitive, compassionate, kind, selfless, unworldly, intuitive, sympathetic, escapist, idealistic, secretive, vague

Scouts Honored

Two seniors given top Girl Scout award story by alex mcginnis

Girl Scouts reflect on memories of brown and green vests covered with carefully sewn badges of achievement. They remind people of the toothy fourth grade grins of little girls selling delicious cookies outside of grocery stores.

Though Girl Scouts is a distant childhood memory for most teens, seniors Natasha Jordan and Jennifer Mosely are still active members of the organization, and on March 24 they received the highest award a Girl Scout can achieve - the Gold Award.

The Gold Award is given to Girl Scouts who complete a service project that benefits the community. After the massive amounts of paperwork and other service hours, Jordan and Mosely began their project at The Family Place in 16 design/art by breyanna washington

Dallas, a facility for court ordered visitation rights.

“It was a humbling experience to realize how blessed I am to have good parents and to have been raised in a good environment,” Jordan said.

Mosely and Jordan replaced the faded paint that was chipping off the walls with a collage of brightly colored blocks. They also donated a futon and movies for the teen area. All of the supplies and money were donated from various honor societies around Marcus. The girls also held a Valentine’s Day Party for the children and their parents. Mosely and Jordan interacted with the children and their parents while they decorated cookies and made arts and crafts.

“The best part was meeting the parents of the children,” Mosely said.

“They weren’t the kind of people you

would pick out of a crowd to be involved in court ordered visitation.”

Obtaining their Gold Awards took over 100 hours of work and 12 years of commitment to the organization, but the award offers future benefits.

Since only 5% of Girl Scouts receive their Gold Award, having the achievement on a college or job application displays what Girl Scouts believe to be admirable qualities such as leadership and loyalty. Jordan received a $13,500 scholarship to Baylor because of her Gold Award and Mosely has also received a one year scholarship of $1300 to the University of Kansas. They appreciate their Girl Scout background.

“Now that I am a senior going into college, it was definitely worth being a Girl Scout,” Jordan said. “At times I didn’t want to admit that I was, but the rewards for it exceed the work.” april 15, 2011 | the marquee

sports

SPORTS UPDATE

the

State run abruptly halts story by alex cain

The score was 0-0, and tensions were high. Freshmen Meg Smith stood in the goal as the ball came hurling in her direction. She lunged towards it, tapping the rubber, but the ball went wide. The sound of the net swishing behind her was the signal that the girl’s soccer team run for the state title had come to a close.

The team played Colleyville Heritage for the chance to advance on to the regional tournament that took place this past weekend. The Lady Marauders’ one

goal was called a foul because one of the Marcus players had allegedly interfered with the other team’s keeper, and the point was disallowed, keeping the score at 0-0 The game went into double overtime, ending in a shootout. Smith had successfully blocked two shots, but the third was out of reach.

“I hope that they will use this as fuel next year,” coach Chad Hobbs said. “I hope that they will say this is what happened to us and we want to use this to get further.”

photo by peter iversen

Sophomore Courtney Forte steals the ball from a Hebron player on Tuesday, March 22. The girls lost the game 2-0.

Boys out in first round story by alex mcginnis

photo by jordan richards Senior Aaron Fitzgerald heads the ball to protect a goalfrom Southlake. Southlake won the game in a shootout.

The Marauders took on the undefeated Southlake Carroll Dragons in the first round of playoffs on March 29. Despite a goal from senior Darin Kruzich and junior Andre Reyes, the Dragons managed to score twice, sending the game into a shootout. Dragon keeper Oshick Shams blocked shot after shot, ending the Marauders’ hope for a playoff run.

Senior captain Aaron Fitzgerald said that although it was a tough loss, he was proud of the effort and intensity that the team brought to the game.

compiled by alex mcginnis

Softball

QTR

2

Softball’s record is 7-3 at presstime in district after a 2-1 victory over Plano West on April 8. They play Allen tonight at 7:30.

Tennis Juniors Michelle Griffith and Jordan McDaniel were the only Marauders to place in district.

They placed 3rd in doubles on April 6.

the marquee |april 15, 2011

8:00

“It was bittersweet because we really wanted to win,” Fitzgerald said. “But it was nice to go out as a senior on that note rather than with an embarrassing loss.”

Coach John Gall said that if the team had performed better in district play, the first round of playoffs wouldn’t have been against such a difficult team like Southlake. Despite this reality, Gall said he was proud of the team’s work ethic and passion.

“At the end of the day our players represented their school and community in the best possible way,” Gall said. “We’ll be back.”

Baseball The Marauders have a record of 3-6 at presstime. They play Plano tonight at 7:30.

Boy’s Basketball Junior Marcus Smart was named championship MVP and selected to the All State Tournament Team.

QTR

2

design by breyanna washington 17

sports

Reeling in a win story by devon miller photo submitted Senior Brandon Burks looks out across the water of Lake Kiowa as he grabs the lure. He baits the line and raises his fishing pole as he took a deep breath. He casts the line and exhales as it sinks into the water, feeling the calm take over.

“It’s relaxing,” Burks said. “If you’re stressed about something you just go fishing and kind of let it all go.”

Burks, who has been fishing since he was two, placed in the top five of a Lake Kiowa tournament he competed in three weekends ago. Since he started doing tournaments three years ago, he has won three and placed in two others.

“It’s cool to win because you’re doing something you really like and you get rewarded for it,” Burks said.

To place in a competition and be able to keep the fish, a competitor has to catch one of the five biggest fish out of all the contestants, which Burks said is usually around 30 lbs. These five competitors often win a cash prize.

“You go up and watch people weigh in and I usually like to go

18 design/graphics by breyanna washington

last because if you weigh first then you have to watch people beat you,” Burks said. “If you weigh last you already know what to expect.

It’s suspenseful.”

Burks said he enjoys competing in tournaments and fishing because it’s a dependable sport.

“It’s pretty much my favorite hobby,” Burks said. “It’s the one thing I can always rely on for fun.”

While Burks often fishes with his friends, he said he fishes with his dad the most. Mr. Burks said he is glad his son enjoys fishing and that they’ve been able to spend time together because of it.

“It hasn’t really changed our bond, but it’s something fun we do together,” Mr. Burks said. “We’re both really competitive and like to win so we’ve bonded over that.”

Burks, who will attend either Texas A&M or Stephen F. Austin next year, said he wants to join a fishing club so that he can continue to fish competitively. He plans to major in wildlife management or environmental sciences.

“I don’t want something that will be like work,” Burks said. “I don’t want to be stuck in an office.

I couldn’t do that. I want to be outside all the time.”

april 15, 2011 | the marquee

sports

Four track athletes share their experiences from this season stories by carley meiners photos by kyle anderson

Hailie Sample

Craig Lutz

Sean Canavin “I’m on the right track baby I was born this way.”

Lady Gaga blasts through senior Sean Canavin’s headphones as he jogs a couple laps around the track before his race. In fifteen minutes his race will begin. In fifteen minutes the first step to state begins.

For the past three weeks Canavin has been strengthening himself in the hopes of winning a state medal for the 800 m. Canavin said this season had a rocky start, but it’s starting to get better.

“It’s starting to pan out the way we planned it to finally,” Canavin said. “I still have a lot of work to do from districts until state.”

Five minute mark. Five minutes until race time. Canavin turns off Lady Gaga and turns on One Republic to

the marquee |april 15, 2011

clear his thoughts. His eyes only look forward, almost in a daze. The trigger of the starting gun is released and the sounds of feet pattering along the track fill the air.

Canavin said clearing his mind before his race helps him run better. He said that he goes over his race strategy in his mind before the race.

“I try to get everything perfect in my mind about how my race should go,” Canavin said. “I really just try to stay calm.”

Last year, Canavin made the finals at regionals but didn’t place high enough to advance. Canavin said the main thing on his mind is a state medal.

“I want to get a medal and obviously get the highest one I can,” Canavin said.

Senior Hailie Sample has been throwing discus for six years. With her senior year coming to a close Sample said she would like to complete it with a state title.

Sample was unsure about joining track in high school. Coach Odom pushed her towards track, knowing that she had been successful in the past. Now Sample said she loves the experience.

“My favorite part of track meets is to get out of school and hang out with my friends,” Sample said. “It’s a big bonding experience.”

His feet flew over the ground as he checks his watch for the time. This is his last lap, time to sprint it out to the finish. As senior Craig Lutz comes across the finish line his watch reads 8:55. At the Lewisville meet on March 10, Lutz broke the school record for the 3200 m.

“It was pretty cool,” Lutz said. “We came to the meet needing to hit every lap, and I did it.”

Last year Lutz fell short of a state championship, placing second in the 3200 m. This year he said that he hopes to bring his time down to 8:40 to secure the state title.

“I don’t like to say that I have a big chance to win the championship but I have a pretty big lead on the state and the times,” Lutz said. “It’s pretty much me against time.”

Jessica Koeman Her mind is clear as she sprints to clear the bar. Junior pole vaulter Jessica Koeman’s body blows through the wind as the bar sits motionless below her. She clears the bar to secure her third place win at the Flower Mound Invitational on March 25.

Koeman said this win was the best she has done all season. She said she is devoting all her effort in the hopes of qualifying for regionals.

“To be good at something you have to put all that you have into it,” Koeman said. “When I vault nothing else in the world matters.” design by breyanna washington 19

opinion

iCreep

Carley Meiners

Facebook creeping a horrible habit

It’s an obsession. It’s a way of life. It’s weird.

But I can’t stop.

My name is Carley Meiners and I have a creeping addiction.

Eat, sleep, Facebook. That’s what my normal days consist of. I’ll try to study, but my thumbs can’t control themselves. Somehow they find their way to my Macbook or phone. Sometimes even both.

It starts off with refreshing my news feed, something that should take only two minutes. But then I find something intriguing and I click on it. The creeping then takes over. I spend the next hour scrolling through photo albums, reading comments and discovering things I never really should have known.

Like where a guy in my English class went on vacation two year ago.

The worst by far though was ending up on my exboyfriend mom’s family Christmas pictures. Might I add he wasn’t even in the pictures.

It became a problem when I started creeping on people I didn’t even know. When I actually met the person I began to realize I could already name their best friend, whether they’re taken or single or how to spell their first and last name. But I can’t stop.

When we had four snow days in a row I told myself I wouldn’t log onto Facebook for 24 hours. I only made it through 20 of those hours. And then of course when I logged on something interesting happened so I spent the next four hours creeping on the drama. By the end of the night I knew everything that had happened.

And right there is my problem. I have this need to know every little aspect of what is going on in someone’s life. And I have to be the first to know. Facebook only fuels this obsession. I can’t even go one full day without it. One day someone is going to be extremely creeped out by how much I know about what goes on in other people’s lives. But until it happens, I’m stuck with my annoying habit.

But somehow I’m going to break my habit. So for two weeks I gave up Facebook. I was fine the first couple of days, I had nothing to distract me. But I wanted to log on once people started asking if I had seen what happened on Facebook the previous night.

Slowly but surely my habit began to break. I realized that I shouldn’t care about other people’s lives so much. I should worry about my own. Besides people only put half of what’s true on Facebook. They only make their lives look perfect. The Facebook world creates a fake perspective and I’m done living in it.

20 design by maria heinonen

Marcus is awesome

Shafferman supports

Choir rocks it at UIL

We’re basketball state champs. Our academic UIL teams continually win at competitions. School spirit is at an all-time high. People are quick to complain about their school, but ours is generally pretty awesome. Great job Marcus!

Thanks to Mr. Shafferman we all had plenty of time to drive out to Austin to watch our basketball team take state. Some principals might not be that cool to let students out after first period so we really appreciate all his support.

All the Marcus Choirs received Superior ratings in the UIL Concert and Sightreading contest last week.

The JV Treble, Varsity Men and Varsity Mixed choirs even received the sweepstakes award. Congratulations choir, you rock.

i’m watching you

Devon Miller

Beauty is pain, waxing is worth it

Every six weeks it’s the same story.

I open the door to the salon and upbeat pop music and friendly smiles greet me, masking the horrors that lie within. Little butterflies flutter around my stomach as my hairdresser Whitney approaches and leads me to the back room. I lay back in the black leather chair and make small talk while Whitney prepares her slimy wax solution.

She tells me to close my eyes. It’s about to start.

I take a deep breath and in a few seconds I feel her spreading the wax on my eyelids. It’s a little warm, but not too bad. It’s the stickiness that bugs me.

But the uncomfortable texture of the wax is nothing compared to what’s coming.

She presses a paper strip on top of the wax and smoothes it down and the butterflies turn into birds, darting around in my stomach. It’s not that I’m nervous, but who could be completely calm knowing that hair is about to be forcefully ripped from their skin? Suddenly, she stops smoothing and I know it’s time for the pain.

Breathe. It’ll be over in a second.

She grabs the edge of the paper.

Breathe. Count to three and then it’ll all be over.

One, twoShe rips. A few seconds of pain and it’s all over.

She repeats the process on the other eyebrow and then, to add insult to my already throbbing eyebrows, plucks the hairs that weren’t picked up by the wax. Just as I’m questioning my sanity for putting

How do you the

district

f e w e r

THINK

teachers in

will affect

compiled by sarah sauer photos by sarah sauer

myself through this ordeal, she lifts up a mirror and perfect eyebrows look back at me. *** Who came up with the idea of eyebrow waxing any way? Whoever it was, they definitely had some issues upstairs in their brain. No way did someone just decide one day to pour hot wax on their eyebrows and then rip it off. It’s more likely that it was some form of horrible medieval torture that ended up being useful in the long-run.

But then again, a lot of the things we do to look “beautiful” are a bit medieval, like frying our skin in tanning beds or peeling the skin off our faces for a face peel. We shoot piercing guns through our earlobes and staple our stomachs and tromp around in six inch heels two sizes too small and all for what?

Nothing, except that we might look just a little bit prettier than before.

Because we all want to be beautiful. So what if our methods are a little similar to torture? It’s all worth it when we see that bronzed skin or those perfect eyebrows. Maybe it’s a little barbaric and violent, but who really cares as long as there’s a chance we could be a tiny bit prettier?

Some things are a little extreme. I’m never going to pierce my nose or go tanning or get a face peel.

But I don’t see anything wrong with putting up with a little pain to get nice eyebrows or make my feet and legs look nicer.

And you know what they say: beauty is pain.

“It’ll make me very sad but I know things will get better. I hope that teachers aren’t angry and that they’ll understand.”

Megan

Morrison, freshman

“There’ll be more students in every class and less teachers which will affect how students learn.”

Tyler Niskanen, sophomore april 15, 2011 | the marquee

opinion

Scholarship equality?

Sprint to TAKS failure

Morning construction

The Former Majority Association for Equality is offering a scholarship for caucasian males. Sure, they can give their money to whoever they want, but promoting equality by awarding money based on race and gender is completely hypocritical.

Every underclassmen dreads when their teacher announces “It’s time for Sprint to TAKS!” but lately teachers have been slacking too. Even when they pass it out, students just circle random answers. We’re just killing trees for no reason.

It’s great to have new roads around the school, but scheduling the construction workers during the morning school rush is ridiculous. Waiting to start working for even 20 minutes would cut back on the massive amounts of traffic.

Luke Swinney

Some people can eat whatever they want and stay skinny as a rail. They can pile on the calories, eating huge plates of food and simply have their metabolism burn it all off. My brother is one of those people.

I’m not.

When we were kids people used to say we looked so much alike. We ran around outside and easily got our “hour-a-day” of recommended exercise, so we stayed slim and healthy like any normal elementary school kids. I could eat hot dogs and potato chips and burn it all off with a quick game of tag or kickball. Calories were the least of my concerns. I had way more important things to aganoize over like what time my favorite TV show would come on or other trivial worries.

As I moved into middle school and left recess behind, kickball in the front yard and hide-and-seek around the block lost its appeal. Food didn’t.

I kept eating those hot dogs and potato chips.

S’mores Pop Tarts became my “nutritious” breakfast meal, adding 400 calories to my daily intake. For dinner I’d have whatever my mom cooked, but I would constantly sneak unhealthy snacks throughout the afternoon as well.

I once ate an entire 13.5 oz bag of Cool Ranch Doritos in one sitting. I didn’t think about the almost 2,000 calories I was consuming or the complete lack of nutritious vitamins. I just knew it tasted good, and that’s all that mattered to my middle school mind.

I didn’t go outside to play tag anymore. I didn’t have pick-up kickball games in the front yard. And

“I think teachers will become stricter. It will be no fun. The classes will be bigger and students will probably slack off.”

Timmy Stephan, junior the marquee |april 15, 2011

Sarah Sauer

Leaving friends worth the distance

You’re not my father

Can’t shake that self-conciousness

America’s sweetheart

it showed. I wasn’t obese by any means, but I was heavier than most of the kids my age.

Still, I never considered myself “bigger” than anyone else until someone finally described me as “that kinda chubby kid” during seventh grade gym class.

I was shocked and immediately felt self-conscious, something I haven’t been able to shake even today.

My middle school years scared me into a newfound healthy lifestyle in high school. Fast-food burgers now disgust me, and I haven’t had one in over three years. I started a gym membership and entered sophomore year with new confidence. But it’s been a rollercoaster of weight loss, getting down to my goal weight and then gaining it back. I know I’m not fat, but looking in the mirror I still see that chubby middle-schooler of my past.

So a month ago I started really counting calories. I weighed all my food and made sure I have the correct amount of nutrients I need to stay healthy. I started exercising more, even embarking on a 60-day workout called “Insanity” that is quite literally true to its name. So far, I’ve dropped 20 pounds. I still have a ways to go, but I’m on the right track.

I’ve always had a sense of self-consciousness, but it’s time to get over it. I’m tired of letting it control me and keep me from doing things that I want to do.

I’m terrified of living my upcoming college years how I did high school – constantly worried about how I look. I want a change.

And I’m going to make it. This is my commitment.

“It’ll make the classes bigger and there’ll be a lot more people.

There will be less individual learning and more group activities.”

Grace Wolfendale, senior

“It is saddening.

I just hope that we can continue to do the best we can for the students that come to us each year.”

Pedrameh

Manoochehri, teacher

College is a place to define yourself. Somewhere you can leave your past behind to figure out who you are. The only problem is I don’t want to be a part of that past.

I watch as my friends cheerfully discuss their plans for the future now that they’re finishing up their last year. All the things they are going to do, places they are going to see once they’re off on their own. I can’t help but feel excited for them knowing how happy they will be having the freedom they’ve waited for since freshman year. Then it hits me that I still have a whole year left in high school.

I sit back in my chair thinking about how fortunate I am to have them and about how much their friendship means to me. I selfishly contemplate how hard it’s going to be to see all of them leave. I know that it’s not permanent. And I know that all the different states and colleges they’re heading for is where they really want and deserve to be. It’s just I had never grasped how lucky I was seeing them every day until I realized that it wasn’t going to be like that for much longer. Like they always say, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.

I would’ve never expected us to grow so close in such a short period of time. Looking back, I can’t even comprehend where all the time went and the hardest part now is knowing that I’m running out of it. It’s difficult for me to even imagine next year without them. I mean who am I going to meet every day for lunch? Who’s going to come over every day after school?

As the questions run through my mind I firmly resolve that no matter what I’m not going to let this be a goodbye. No distance could be far enough for me to forget or give up on our friendship. If the only way to “hangout” is a few minutes through a pixilated computer screen on Skype, so be it. If there’s only time for a brief 20 second phone call every few weeks, that’d still would be enough. If I’ve learned one thing from all of this, it’s that you’ve just got to be thankful for and appreciate the things and people you have.

With new beginnings all around, I can only wait to see what new experiences and opportunities are in store. Holding onto my friends while trying to put myself out there and meet new people is going to be different, but I’m learning that accepting change and making the best of it are important parts of growing up. I have no idea what the future may hold or where it’s going to take all of us, but I guess that’s what makes life so unpredictable.

design by maria heinonen 21

staff editorial

Firearms on college campuses puts more students in danger “Get out your pencils. It’s test time,” says the college professor. As students pull their pencils out of their bags, one student removes a gun by mistake.

The girl beside him glances his way and then starts on her test. He places it back gently back in his bag.

This situation is not reported and no one, other than the girl and boy, even know about it. This could be just an average day at Texas colleges if Bill S.B. 354 passes soon.

Bill S.B. 354 permits the carrying of firearms on college campuses in the state of Texas. This bill is in the process of becoming a Texas law, which would make Texas the second state in America to allow guns on university grounds. Weapons would still be prohibited at private colleges unless decided otherwise by the school, and there would be guidelines set by schools stating where firearms can and cannot be carried around.

Bill S.B. 354 should not be passed because it will bring more danger at colleges. All weapons are unsafe and have the potential of causing harm, so it would be impractical to allow young people to carry guns on crowded campuses.

The massacre at Virginia Tech in 2007 was ultimately the effect of a student with a gun on campus.

Supporters of Bill S.B. 354 believe that if students were allowed to carry guns, shootings such as Virginia Tech would not occur, or at least be less severe since people would be able to protect themselves and

fire back. This would actually just cause chaos. Instead of one person with a weapon capable of hurting people, now there would be hundreds.

This bill requires people to be 21, Texas state residents, mentally stable and qualified to purchase a handgun to obtain a firearm’s license. Drinking is legal for young adults at the age of 21 also. Obviously alcohol and guns are not a good combination, so problems would most likely occur if a student were intoxicated and carrying a gun. Gun accidents happen often, with over 600 accidental gun deaths in the United States in 2010. The mix of alcohol and guns on campuses would only increase this number.

It’s true that guns on campuses could be a form of protection for students and may help decrease the number of school shootings. While this is a possibility, it is very unlikely. With an increasing number of firearms on college campuses, the amount of violence would most likely increase also.

Though there are some benefits to allowing college students to carry guns, there are many more negatives. The passing of Bill S.B. 354 would cause more people to purchase guns, and whenever there are more weapons out there, there is more danger.

The safety of Texas students should be put first when considering if this law goes any further. Bill S.B. 354 should not be passed in the state of Texas because it will cause more harm than good. Students shouldn’t be able to just accidently pull out a gun.

N.T.

Teachers deserve same freedoms of speech

Pennsylvania teacher Natalie Munroe was suspended from her job at Central Bucks East High School in Doylestown, PA after posting blogs on the Internet regarding her students. She didn’t post her full name or the names of specific students, but she did post a picture of herself and rude comments complaining about her students in general.

Though her blog was removed, Munroe’s job is on the line due to her offensive comments.

Munroe’s suspension sends a message to teachers that because of their job they are limited in their rights to speak freely. Because of that, her dismissal was wrong. Teachers, such as Munroe, should have the same freedom of speech outside school as their students do with limitations.

Students blog and regularly write offensive comments online. They also complain about their teachers in the hallways, so teachers should be able to also. Munroe blogged online calling one of her students “rat-like,” for which she was punished. Students would generally not be punished or suspended from school for calling a teacher a rat.

Websites outside of school such as ratemyteachers.com exist solely for students to judge their teachers and make comments about them. Teachers do have access to this website, so they are able to read the hurtful ratings and comments made about them.

Also on social networking sites like Facebook, stu-

dents post statuses with complaints about teachers, some even targeting a specific teacher. If students are not punished for these rude remarks, then teachers do not deserve to be punished for doing the same.

Everyone is granted the right to freedom of speech

by The First Amendment of the United States Consti-

“

22 design by maria heinonen

not write about a specific student or cite names of their students. Teachers should also not post the name of their school. With limitations on specificity, teachers can blog freely.

Though it’s understandable that parents or a school would object to a teacher voicing offensive comments about specific students, teachers should still have that freedom if it doesn’t affect the parents or school. Teachers could post their complaints or opinions online using anonymous blogs. They could avoid publishing pictures of themselves or citing their name. The URL of a personal blog may be blocked from search engines, so that would make it challenging for a person to find a specific blog. Using these methods, teachers can avoid targeting a specific child and offending a parent or avoid having their blog found. With some limitations, teachers should have some freedom to voice their opinions.

Teachers have a right to vent, just like students.

We suggest they use anonymity with their blogs and not use their name, or names of students or schools.

We suggest that pictures of teachers be left out of their blogs so the blog will be challenging to find on any search engines. The United States Constitution grants teachers the freedom to their opinions, even the freedom to blog online, and no one has the right to prevent this liberty.

”

Parents, principals and superintendents have no right to hinder the teachers’ right to voice their opinions.

tution and teachers are not excluded. To take away rights from someone is to strip them of their freedom. Teachers have a right to speak freely of their students and the challenges they face at school on their own time. Parents, principals and superintendents have no right to hinder the teachers’ right to voice their opinions. Teachers have the right to freedom of speech, and they should be able to write whatever they choose.

However, suggested limitations should be followed by teachers when they write blogs. When teachers write blogs online about their students, they should

april 15, 2011 | the marquee

Ultimate frisbee takes state championship Predicted to win the tournament, “Airborne” returns victorious story by carley meiners

The ultimate frisbree team “Airborne” was named state champions at the Texas High School Ultimate State Championship in Round Rock last weekend. The team won the championship game in a close 9-8 matchup.

The tournament began Saturday with a successful 2-1 record for “Airborne.” On Sunday the team began their day with two injuries from Brett Doyel and Bryce Haase and although the team had obstacles to overcome, senior Austin Walker said that the team still stayed positive.

“We have a fairly big roster, but when Bryce went down in the semifinals our lineup looked pretty shallow,” Walker said. “That meant that our better players had to play more often.”

In the semifinal game, “Airborne” beat their rival from last year, Liberal Arts and Science Academy, 6-5. Walker said that they won their championship game by using their stellar defense.

Along with their defense, senior Morgan Epperson scored their only upwind point of the game which helped secure the win. After the win, Epperson said she was really excited.

“I knew in my mind we were supposed to win,” Epperson said. “So if we came home not winning state then that would have been devastating.”

“Airborne,” who was predicted to win the tournament, finished their season with their ultimate goal of becoming state champions.

“We pulled together as a team for that weekend and we did really well,” Epperson said.

photo by peter iversen Senior Ian Blair reaches for the frisbee during an ultimate tournament earlier this year. The team “Airborne” won the state championship last weekend.

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april 15, 2011 | the marquee

Boys’ Basketball

takes state 1

spotlight

2

1. Junior Nick Banyard

jumps to receive the ball at the tip-off of the state championship game, which was held at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin on March 12.

2. Coach Danny Hender-

son proudly displays the 5A state championship trophy. The Marauders won the game with a final score of 40-38.

3. Juniors Phillip Forte,

Marcus Smart, Nick Banyard and senior Austin Bianco hold their defensive positions as they take on a player from Garland Lakeview Centennial.

4. Senior Connor Taggart

dribbles the ball down the court in an attempt to pass the opposing team’s defense.

3

4

24 design by breyanna washington

april 15, 2011| the marquee