January 2012- You Are What You Eat

the

mar uee

volume 26 | issue 04 | january 20, 2012

(5) A closer look at the strengths and weaknesses of Republican primary candidates (9) Secret lives of school security guards explored (18) Star basketball senior finds motivation off the court

You are what you eat

MARCUS HIGH SCHOOL | 5707 MORRISS ROAD. FLOWER MOUND, TX 75028

table contents tableof of contents

pg. 24

pg. 23

the marquee [newsmagazine] editor in chief jasmine sachar

managing editor maria heinonen

photo editor jordan richards

design editor breyanna washington

news editor alex mcginnis

feature editor alex mcginnis

pg. 12

asst. feature editor marisa charpentier

in-depth editor molly spain

asst. in-depth editor emily aijkens

entertainment editor breyanna washington

sports editor

photo | jordan richards

news/

jasmine sachar photo | jordan richards cover photo | jordan richards

[3] FAREWELL, TELEVISIONS District plans to make switch from using TVs to spread school news to using projectors by emily aijkens

feature/ [7] THE NEW DEFINITION OF BEAUTY Senior founds new club that preaches inner beauty and self-respect by marisa charpentier

entertainment/

[16] APOCOLYPSE 2012 The Marquee keys you in on eight experiences you need to have before the rumored end of the world in December 2012 by molly spain

sports/ [17] LEAVING ONE TEAM FOR ANOTHER Several varsity soccer players forced to make choice between school and Academy teams by alex mcginnis

opinion editor molly spain

business manager joseph rau

reporters emily aijkens, meghan eurich, marisa charpentier, juliana adame, mckenna autem, vallery phillips

designers sydney sund, courtney clubb, joseph rau, amanda collen

photographers kathryn petrauskas, sarah sauer, mariah lucy, amanda collen, vallery phillips

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 $40 per 1/16 of a page, with discounts available. For more information call 469713-5196. The Marquee is a standing member of ILPC, TAJE, ATPI, CSPA, NSPA, JEA and Quill and Scroll.

news

3

Tuning in to change District to get rid of televisions in classrooms, teachers will stream video through projectors

A

story | emily aijkens

district wide decision has been made to us projectors instead of the televisions in each classroom. The transition begins this year and will affect the way students and teachers recieve information in class.

Currently, a media retrieval system in the library controls the televisions throughout the school. Through the media retrieval system videos, informational slides and the clock are played through the television.

“Now that all the teachers have projectors and the Internet they [the district] are deciding that this is a redundant system,” Fine Art Department Head Kathy Toews said.

Starting this year, the media retrieval system will be removed and information used to teach in the classroom will be streamed through the laptop and onto the projector.

Instead of being limited to the selection of movies in the library, teachers will be able to play movies through educational databases such as United Streaming.

One major concern of students and counselors alike will be the absence of informational slides in classrooms.

Students receive information about upcoming events, scholarships and college visits from the televisions.

“I am very worried that students won’t be as informed,” counselor Cheryl Richey said.

Richey is hopeful that Marcus will place flat screen televisions against the walls in the hallways and in the cafeteria so that students will walk by and intentionally check them, as other schools have done.

She advises students to check the Marcus and LISD web pages and to keep in contact with their counselors.

The way the school views shows such as MOB will

change as well. Instead of teachers turning to the correct Shafferman said. channel to view MOB, they will now have to turn on their As TVs break, they won’t be replaced and will eventually projectors and visit the Marcus journalism website to be phased out. download the show. Channel One will also only be available Instead of investing the money to put in a new television, online. the projectors will be used to save money and produce a “I’m worried about MOB because if they can’t just turn bigger and better picture. the TV on is the teacher going to show it?” Richey said.

According to Director Network and Technical Systems “MOB is just great, everyone loves it because you see your David Oestreicher, changing to the new media system will peers and you see them doing cool things and creative things save the district money. A projector can cost anywhere and that’s important.” from $500 to $600.

Since the projectors were mounted on the ceiling last Once that projector has been used for more than one year, computer technician Wilma Bishop said two problems thousand hours, the light bulb must be replaced. The light have arisen. Projectors mounted near heating vents overheat bulbs can cost anywhere from $200 to $400. and stop working.

Although the physical cost of these projectors are more Cleaning and changing the light then a television, projectors will bulbs in the projectors is dangerous save the district money in other and difficult. Therefore the district I am very worried that students ways. They are easier to repair, has stopped mounting them from and buildings will not have to be won’t be as informed. the ceiling and have been placing wired for cable. projectors on carts.

Compared to the televisions Cheryl Richey, Counselor that are in the class rooms now, This is not the first time the media systems have received an these projectors use much less update. When the school first energy. They also give off less heat. This saves the district opened, televisions and VHS players had to be checked out money on cooling cost as well. from the library and rolled to the classroom for it to be used “The facilities part of the district is on a push of saving in class. power costs. As our power costs are very high each month,” Teachers would then have to check the television Oestreicher said. back in after they were done. Then, televisions were put “The older televisions, we would not even dream of into each classroom and the district updated to the media replacing those. We’ve stopped in the last two years,” retrieval system to play VHS tapes and later DVDs with. Bishop said. “I don’t see that they are going to put a These advancements ultimately led LISD to look for a more television in each class just for a clock. That is the only efficient option. purpose that the television serves. We can use the projector “It is just the progression of technology,” Principal Gary for streaming, for television and even cable.”

Projector pros Bigger, clearer display

the marquee | january 20, 2012

Economically more efficient

Projector cons Informational slides and clock will be gone

VHS will not be able to be shown

design | breyanna washington

4

news

©

opyright crackdown

New law could change way teenagers share, market music online story | vallery phillips

YouTube may begin to look different if Congress has its way. A bill created for the Stop Online Piracy Act, or S.O.P.A, was taken to the House of Representatives. This law would give the government free reign over any type of copyright that is placed on the Internet, even if it is not for commercial use. This bill would allow the government to block any user on any website for breaking the new copyright law.

YouTube contains about 1,260,000 cover videos alone.

Social Studies teacher Emily Worland believes that some of the activity on YouTube should not be considered illegal.

“YouTube, and similar sites, walk a fine line,” Worland said. “Yes, some people rip clips from movie and TV and put them up illegally on YouTube and that is wrong. But, someone dancing to or covering a song on YouTube-- I don’t see as an infringement of copyright. If anything, that only promotes the copyrighted work, prompting more to be interested and to purchase it.”

If this bill is passed, entire social networking sites could be shut down, and could be charged with a felony. This also creates a problem for advertisers of these websites, such as PayPal. If the advertisers are teaming with a website that is going against this bill, they are also at risk of being charged.

Internet sites that voluntarily help to shut down other websites that still contain copyrighted material are then granted with immunity from the law.

This also means that copyright holders that do not use this power properly, but shut down a website that does not contain copyrighted material is liable for infringement themselves.

YouTube user Senior Mikey Frantom thinks this could create more issues.

“It will create a never ending cycle of it. It will create a lot more problems than it will solve,” Frantom said.

Frantom uses YouTube to share his music. A singer and

songwriter, he has been a user of YouTube since December 2009. Frantom has 100 subscribers and more than 25,000 viewers. Although he produces some of his own tunes, Frantom covers songs by popular artists.

Along with millions of others, Frantom, known as Mikey V takes covers of songs and makes them his own. On a recent cover he used the original instrumental and added his own mix to it. He does not use them for commercial use. Frantom says he enjoys doing them.

“That is how I started my music. If I liked a song on the Internet I would do my own version of it,” Frantom said.

Many users create videos covering songs and post them to sites like YouTube, Facebook, MySpace etc.

These users are not claiming these songs as their own and are giving the original artist credit. However, they are still breaking copyright law and the government is getting involved.

The bill has strict guidelines on what the new law will entail. Any user that does not contain the copyright of a song will be blocked from the website. According to YouTube, copyright laws are already in place. When signing up for a YouTube account you are shown the terms and conditions by which you are supposed to follow to continue being a valid user. Under their terms and conditions it plainly says, “Recording a cover version of your favorite song does not necessarily give you the right to upload that recording without permission from the owner of the underlying music (e.g. the songwriter).”

Even with this information in place, they will be shut down. Another YouTube user and cover artist, freshman Evan Granberry disagrees; he says it should be allowed.

“I think copyright laws are good, but completely getting rid of cover songs is a little over the top,” said Granberry. “If they completely do away with cover songs, not many people would watch YouTube.”

Stars born from YouTube pictures from youtube.com

Justin Bieber VEVO Username: JustinBieberVEVO Subscribers: 1,109,339 Joined: Sept. 25, 2009 At the age of 12, Justin Bieber uploaded his first YouTube video of him singing a song on the steps of a local shop in his hometown of Ontario, Canada. Now only a few years later he is a worldwide known superstar, thanks to his many cover videos on YouTube.

Megan Nicole YOUTUBE Username: MeganNicole Views: 163,221,757 Joined: Dec. 21, 2009 Subscribers: 716,895 Starting in the fourth grade, Megan Nicole loved music.

About two years ago she was founded on YouTube with nearly 5,000 views. Nicole now records her own original music in Los Angeles with producer Tom Mgrdichian and Chris Cox.

Karmin YOUTUBE Username: KarminCovers Views: 168,334,231 Joined: Aug. 11, 2010 Subscribers: 746,913 Karmin, a woman in her 20s, along with her fiancé started creating cover videos for fun. Now, she is a widely known YouTube star and even has songs for purchase on iTunes.

Tyler Ward YOUTUBE Username: TylerWardMusic Views: 226,960,571 Joined: Jan. 24, 2008 Subscribers: 852,867

photo | kathryn petrauskas design | courtney clubb

Born with music in his blood Tyler Ward always had a calling for the musical talent he was born with. Now a known cover artist, Ward creates YouTube videos for all of his viewers to watch. january 20,2012 | the marquee

Rick Santorum

Credentials: Former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania,

Fox News commentator

Strengths: Santorum is a recent favorite for social conservatives. In Congress, he had a consistent voting record, advocated for the Iraq War and strongly against gay marriage.

Santorum’s message is that the country needs to return to strong family values in order to rebuild. He also supports cutting government regulation, cutting welfare and food stamps.

Mitt Romney Credentials:

Former Governor of Massachusetts, CEO of Consulting Firm Bain & Company, graduated from BYU and has a law and business degree from Harvard

Strengths:

Romney’s selling point is that he knows how the economy works. He advertises himself as a business man who knows how to craft solutions, citing his experience handling the troubled economy of Massachusetts during his time as governor. Since this race will most likely be about jobs and money, Romney has the best economic resume.

The catch: Though he has been the most consistent in the Republican field in the polls, some pundits say he has failed to excite the Republican party. The religious demographic is suspicious of his stances, and he is known as a “flipflopper” on several issues like abortion. Also, as governor of Massachusetts, Romney oversaw a universal health care plan that was eerily similar to that of President Obama’s. the marquee | january 20, 2012

Newt Gingrich

photo from: usdailyreview.com

The catch: Santorum has been a long shot for much of the race and only recently has started to see a rise in polls and media attention. Also, he might be too conservative for more moderate voters in primary states like Florida, and definitely the general election.

photo from: inquisitr.com

In exactly one year, the presidential inauguration will welcome in a newly elected president to the oval office. President Barack Obama will run for a second term, but the name that will appear on the Republican ticket is still up for grabs. Here is a breakdown of the candidates vying for a slot to beat President Obama.

Credentials: Former Speaker of the House, PH.D in

History from Tulane University

Strengths: Gingrich has a reputation in the Republican party for being a competent go-getter. He knows the ins-andouts of policy, and touts so in debates. He has made it clear that he has put his controversial past behind him. Clearly, he wants to move forward.

The catch: Republican voters view him as a part of the “establishment” and a “Washington insider.” Gingrich is known for having a lot of personal baggage. He had been married three times, and had numerous outed extra-marital affairs. He was essentially forced to resign from his post as Speaker of the House because other House Republicans viewed him and his personal problems as a liability. After a surge in November, Gingrich fell prey to attack ads by Perry and Romney, and has sunk to second-tier status in the polls.

Ron Paul

photo from: businessinsider.com

compiled | jasmine sachar

Credentials: US Congressman from Texas, graduate of Duke Medical School, physician, former flight surgeon in the Air Force Strengths: Paul’s straightforward, frank approach to politics and issues is refreshing to some more economically conservative voters who are growing tired of what is perceived to be dishonest politics. A Libertarian, Paul is advocating for an extreme downscale of government involvement, including an axe to the military. In debates, he has made clear declarations of what he would do with the economy and foreign policy.

The catch: Many people view his policy suggestions as too extreme, like his view that the Federal Reserve be abolished. His stances on military spending and separation of church and state hurts him with conservative, Christian voters.

photo from: politico.com

Race to the top

photo from: onwardstate.com

news 5

Rick Perry Credentials: Governor of Texas since 2000, graduated from Texas A&M, Chairman of the Republican Governors Association Strengths: Texas is a state that was least hit during the recession, and even showed economic growth in the past two years. Of the jobs created in the U.S. in 2009, 38 percent were created in Texas. Though Perry may or may not have been the cause of this, he has a good record to fall back on. Perry followed the philosophy of low-taxes and low-spending in Texas.

The catch: Ricky Perry has fallen hard in the polls since his surge in September, unable to brush off attacks from other candidates who call him weak on immigration and attacked his Texas mandate that all girls as young as 11 be vaccinated with Gardisil, which protects against an STD that causes cancer. That and a slew of mishaps, including a controversial campaign ad named “Strong” and weak debate performances have done little to help his campaign hopes. design | courtney clubb

6 sponsors

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The Marquee is proudly sponsored by

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Joe Autem: 214-725-9917 january 20, 2012 | the marquee

feature 7

New club promotes inner beauty, confidence

Senior creates organization to encourage positive self-image in girls around campus story | meghan eurich

A journey, eight months in the making, had all lead up to one Tuesday morning. For senior Jazzy Schwolert, it was a chance to change the lives of the Marcus girls around her.

Armed with bright eyes and not a hint of makeup on their faces, one new group hopes to redefine the way women and young girls feel about themselves.

For Schwolert, a girl who has always worn makeup to school in the past, the idea of not wearing any would be a new challenge for herself and the 20 other members of the new club that she helped bring to the hallways.

“I’ve never not worn makeup to school so it was definitely weird the first time. But since a big group of girls are doing it with you, you don’t feel so alone,” Schwolert said.

Though the Redefining Beautiful club is new to the school this year, the nationwide movement encouraging young girls to leave behind the powder and mascara one day a week to showcase who they truly are was first developed in 2010 by a group of high school girls just 20 miles down the road.

The idea of bringing the self-empowering club to Marcus came to Schwolert late 2010 after watching a morning episode of the Today Show. A group of six young girls all wearing matching purple t-shirts sat on a bench in front of their high school, Colleyville Heritage. Their bare faces stared into the camera as they spoke out on the issue of the media filling young girls heads with negative messages about themselves and giving them unattainable goals. According to the girls, the club is an adaption they made from the National Operation Beautiful movement, where women place Post-it notes with inspiring messages in public areas.

All six vowed to take a stand on the issue by deciding to not wear makeup one day a week, and see what would happen. They called the newly formed national club “Redefining Beautiful”.

“It is promoting inner beauty in girls so they can be more confident in who they are naturally,” Schwolert explained.

The movement has been catching on, one school at a time.

6

seconds with...

Jeff Smiley, 12 compiled | vallery phillips photo | mariah lucy

the marquee | january 20, 2012

Schwolert has already received a lot of support for her efforts, from encouraging handmade signs made by close friends, to the encouraging comments she gets on Facebook.

As the club gets bigger and as more girls learn about the movement, Schwolert hopes that boys at school would support their efforts to change society by creating a Redefining Beautiful support group.

“Impressing guys is a huge part of girls life in high school,” Schwolert said. “If guys supported (girls) being natural, it would make a big difference.”

Even teachers are praising the new club, like Marcus math teacher Sarah Allshouse who took on the role of club sponsor.

Allshouse and Schwolert had attended the same church and when Schwolert decided to finally start up the club in January 2011, she said she knew that Allshouse would help her.

“There are a lot of negative messages from the media on how you should look, so I think the group will be a positive influence for teenagers,” Allshouse said. “And Jazzy will do a great job in promoting the message.”

Some may feel that this club is attacking makeup in general, but Schwolert insists that this is not the case.

“I wear makeup everyday (except Tuesdays) and it’s fun for girls,” she said. “But there are a lot of girls wearing makeup for wrong reasons. They are wearing it to make them feel better about themselves, but it’s okay to be natural sometimes.”

The first meeting was held on Tuesday, Dec. 6. Meetings will continue to be held the first Tuesday of every month, even though the “No Makeup Tuesdays” are every Tuesday.

While the agenda for meeting days is not completely decided, Schwolert would like to see the club promoting selfconfidence for girls. They plan on following the Operation Beautiful path by making encouraging signs around the hallways and writing inspirational messages, such as “You are beautiful” on Post-It notes and placing them on the bathroom mirrors around school.

As for now, Schwolert and her group will continue making

a statement and show girls of all ages that it’s okay to be who you really are.

“I think it’s important that when you don’t wear makeup, that you can become more confident and eventually learn that people aren’t going to judge you,” she said. “They will accept you whether you are wearing makeup or not.”

A look in the mirror Girls start wearing makeup at 10

Most girls start dieting when they are eight

Most women overestimate their size by 30%

Top: tulsakids.com Left and bottom: operationbeautiful.com

If you could be any animal what would you be and why?

Describe your worst date.

“An orangutan, because I could climb trees and eat oranges all day.”

“Being embarrassed by my mom. We went out to eat and she showed pictures…of when I was naked.”

What is the weirdest song that has ever been stuck in your head?

What is your favorite pick-up line?

“Taylor Swift, I don’t know the name of it.

But it was like ‘we were meant to be’ or something like that.”

If you could be any Disney character, which one would you be and why?”

“If I could rearrange the alphabet, I would put U and I together.”

“Donald Duck, just because he has a funny voice.”

“The talent show. I tripped and fell off the stage.”

What is your worst school memory?

design | amanda collen

8 feature

Looking forward

After life-changing accident, sophomore adapts to new lifestyle

photos | amanda collen

Left: Sophomore Ryan Davies and his mom sit at their kitchen table talking on Dec. 13. Ryan lives with his mom, younger brother, step siblings and visits his dad every other weekend. Right: Ryan sits, all smiles, in his English class using his iTouch as a communication/ memory device. With this device, Ryan can take pictures and type notes about his day. story | marisa charpentier

The sun was setting on an October evening in 2006. Along with family and fellow baseball team members, 11-year-old Ryan Davies visited a racetrack for an end-of-the-season Little League party. Ryan loved sports. He played everything from baseball to golf and was nicknamed Ryan “ESPN” Davies.

In the parking lot, the boys tossed a football while a miniature racecar raced around one of the tracks. Suddenly, the car spun out of control.

Everyone scrambled to safety behind trashcans and other objects. Everyone, except for Ryan.

The car left the track and toppled onto him, slamming his body against a fence that lined the lot and his head against the concrete. The vehicle crushed his right calf.

He lay unresponsive.

Helicopter propellers echoed around the racetrack as blinking lights in the darkening sky grew nearer. Ryan was taken by CareFlight to Cook Children’s Medical Center. Machines whirred and beeped in the ER as doctors worked to stabilize and connect him to a heart rate monitor. Oxygen flowed through a mask attached to Ryan’s head into his lungs, helping him breathe. His parents remained at his side.

The doctors did not know if Ryan would survive. The damage to his leg was apparent, however the extent of injury to his brain remained unknown. But because of the force of the impact, the doctors knew it would be severe.

Once he was stabilized, the doctors began to operate on Ryan’s broken leg and then placed a bolt in his head to monitor the pressure his brain was under. Ryan returned to the ICU, where he remained for 18 days.

These days were full of worry for his mother, Karen Zina, father William Davies and 7-year-old brother Peyton Davies, all of whom witnessed the incident.

“I couldn’t believe any of it was happening,” Karen said. “I felt like I was looking through a window and just watching.”

The family soon discovered Ryan had a traumatic brain injury. He couldn’t eat, speak, walk, sit up or move his arms and legs. He also had short-term memory loss. For 10 months, design | courtney clubb

Ryan remained in the hospital relearning these everyday tasks over again. *** It was Christmas time. Two months had passed since the accident. Karen was on her way to the hospital where Ryan and his father and brother were waiting.

They had a surprise for her.

Karen walked into the hospital room, where Ryan lay moaning in pain from his cramped

Ryan works at his desk in his English class on Dec. 14.

Ryan says he loves to learn, and his favorite subject is math.

muscles. Presents filled every corner of the room. She made her way over to her son. The family gathered around him and watched as he mouthed his first word since the accident.

“Mom,” he whispered.

Karen cried out in joy. She knew then Ryan could understand them.

The months to follow were full of surgery and therapy. Doctors performed an operation on Ryan’s stomach to insert a pump that dispensed medicine into his system. Later, a stimulator was surgically placed into his brain to aid in muscle coordination.

With the help of speech therapist, Ryan slowly learned to string words together. When he first learned to talk, he whispered. Ryan continued to practice talking and was soon able to speak at a normal volume but in monotone; the part of his brain that controlled inflection, or the tone of voice, was damaged in the crash.

In addition to speaking, Ryan practiced walking. Four months after the accident, he stood up for the first time. Behind a glass

window, Karen and William watched as their son cried out in pain from the pressure being put on his joints. He called out to them, pleading for them to make the pain stop.

As therapy progressed, despite the pain and frustration that he faced, Ryan remained positive. When faced with the challenge of sitting in a chair or bending his arms and legs, Ryan never said he couldn’t. He endured each therapeutic practice, encouraged by his accomplishments.

After 10 months in the hosp-ital, Ryan attended a rehabilitation center for a year and then began the transition back to schoo*** Five years have passed since the accident, and Ryan is able to dress and feed himself, move around in his wheelchair, talk, read and write. Although he has short-term memory loss, he acts like a regular teenager. He said he likes when friends participate in Circle of Friends activities with him, a club where students get a chance to hang out with special needs students.

According to his mother, Ryan is still the same kid who used to hang out with friends and do sports, but he sometimes has trouble showing this personality.

“If Ryan didn’t have the physical sideeffects of the accident, you probably wouldn’t know just by looking at him,” Karen said Even though he is in a wheelchair and cannot participate on teams, Ryan still has a love for sports. He said if he could do anything in the world, he would play basketball with Dirk Nowitzki. During school, Ryan takes P.E. Partners, a class in which students participate in P.E. activities with students who have special needs.

“I like being in P.E. with partners because they help me out,” Ryan said. “A lot of girls help me out.”

Physical activities have become more of a challenge now that Ryan has scoliosis. After getting out of the hospital, Ryan grew so fast while in his wheelchair that he acquired this medical condition.

To straighten out his neck and spine, Ryan must wear a head brace attached to a vest called a “halo” that is pinned into his head with six

different pins that press against his skull. After a couple of months, the brace will be removed and Ryan will need surgery, which will help him walk. Karen says she believes that in the future, he will be able to walk short distances without a wheelchair.

Throughout the frustration that comes along with learning to walk and remembering daily activities, Ryan remains optimistic and tends to spread this attitude. Karen said that everyone responds positively to him; his smile is infectious. *** Sophomore Ryan Davies rolls his wheelchair up to a desk. Like the other students, he listens to his teacher and answers questions when he knows the answer. His iTouch lies on the edge of his desk. He types down what happens during class, so he can tell his parents what he learned at school when they ask him later. The iTouch holds pictures too. Some are of his previous Caribbean cruise and others are of Circle of Friends meetings and daily activities. Through pictures and notes, Ryan can jog his memory.

When the bell rings for third period to end, Ryan is escorted to a mini van in the front of the school. He rolls up the ramp into the vehicle, and his assistant drives him to physical therapy.

Pulling up to the building, Ryan prepares himself for balance and coordination exercises that have become a part of his daily routine.

Sitting on the edge of a stool to practice balancing, walking a few steps, using his arms and wrists. With his brain injury, these exercises can be difficult. But Ryan knows he will at least try.

Later that day, Ryan returns to his home in Highland Village. They gather around the table for dinner. The family laughs, and Ryan talks to them about his day. After dinner, Ryan picks up a book, starts reading and then practices his spelling.

Once all of his homework is done, he grabs his younger brother Peyton to play Uno, Ryan’s favorite game and one he often wins. The two laugh as they pick on each other while placing cards on the table between them.

Ryan wins again. january 20, 2012 | the marquee

feature 9

Ken Hall

story | emily aijkens photos | amanda collen

From 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. these three men withstand the most extreme heat, the terrible cold and the most powerful force of nature — high school students.

Speeding, students trying to leave early and parent “tantrums” are just some of the issues they deal with every day. They will let students know if their headlights are still on or if their car has been left running. They keep students safe every day.

His story: The school bell has just rung. Students fill the parking lot. A single student is walking to her car at the back of the lot. As she weaves between parked cars, another student in his car is racing down the main road of the parking lot, going well above the 10 mph speed limit.

Officer Ken Hall, standing at the exit gate said he “knew they were going to meet.” He began waving his arms, trying to get either of the students’ attention. The accident was prevented, and each student continued along their way as if nothing had happened.

“I’ve seen some close ones, even prevented some,” Hall said. “I understand you want to get out of campus as quickly as you can, but if you get in an accident, you’re not leaving and if you do, it won’t be the way you want to.”

Pet Peeve: Parents who “throw a tantrum” to go through the bus

lane

Their words: “Just because it’s new to you, it’s not new to us.

As a kid myself, I thought I could always get away with everything. As I’ve gotten older I’ve learned that you can’t always get away. Someone is going to know more than you.”

Guards of the gates

The Marquee takes a closer look at the men who monitor campus parking lot

James Childers His story: Looking out at the parking lot, James

Childers sees dozens of students. They’re talking on cell phones, going in early to take a test or in a group of friends.

Everyone is absorbed in their own life, no one waves or bothers to say hello to Childers. Then, one girl walks up to him.

“How many security guards are there?”

Three.

Twenty minutes later, the same girl came back with three hot chocolates in her hand. Of all campuses Childers has worked at (Marcus, Lewisville, Flower Mound and Hebron) Childers said Marcus is the friendliest campus.

Pet Peeve: People who drive around to avoid the

speed bumps

Their words: “Students council kids are just as nice as they can be to us.”

Jim Casson His story: As Casson stands by the gate he looks over at an unmoving, almost stranded parking lot. A student tries to leave campus without a note from attendance. Casson halts the students and explains that he cannot leave without one. The student complies, turns his car around and drives back towards the school. A few minutes later Childers calls Casson on his walkie talkie. The same student tried to leave through the other gate.

“That’s your funny stuff right there, it’s just amazing. They just think they can get out somehow.”

Casson would not consider himself a tough security guard, rather as fair and just.

“We do not get in their faces and get mad and ugly with all of you students, but it doesn’t matter. Sometimes we are nice and we still get it.”

Pet Peeve: Kids that run the gate Their words: “My motto is, treat them right and they’ll

treat us right.”

the marquee |january 20, 2012

design | courtney clubb

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in-depth 11

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in-depth 11

Chemically concocted photo | jordan richards

After several U.S. orange juice brands imported from Brazil were found to contain an illegal, dangerous fungicide, people have started to question the safety of the food supply. The Marquee disects the substances that are in the foods we eat.

the marquee | january 20, 2012

design | maria heinonen

12 in depth

Chemicals in food become subject of investigation Consumers, FDA officials weigh in on growing debate of organic vs. traditional food story | jasmine sachar and molly spain

After imported orange juice was found to contain an illegal fungicide last week, the issue of the safety of the U.S. food supply is now being questioned.

The illegal fungicide in the contaminated orange juice has been linked to liver cancer.

The Food and Drug Administration Press Officer Siobhan Delancey said the FDA was not aware of the illegal substances being used in the orange juice, which was imported from Brazil.

FDA Officer Doug Karas said that regulating imports requires a lot of resources to ensure that the food is meeting the same health standards as domestic food.

“As imports continue to grow, we’ll have to have more resources to continue to meet that standard,” Karas said.

Today, nearly all produce is artificially ripened and grown with pesticides, which build up in our fat. Dairy products, meat and most snacks are treated with preservatives to keep them on the shelf longer. Some of these preservatives have been linked to cancer, allergies and other adverse health effects by independent research firms.

AP Biology teacher Scott Hinsley said while they are used a lot, preservatives and pesticides serve a good purpose in keeping food fresh. Many studies that say they are dangerous, he said, have not been substantiated.

“I know you hear that additives and dyes are bad, but I think there has been pretty extensive testing,” Hinsley said. “Overall it’s not something I worry about.”

The FDA is the government agency in charge of monitoring food safety. Of about 24 million shipments of food each year into the U.S., the FDA only inspects 2 percent of those imports, according to MSNBC. “I guess I’m an idealist, but I think that the FDA does a good job with what they’re supposed to do, but I guess that’s just what

I tell myself before I eat my food,” Hinsley grown food. said.

“I think that local, organic and natural is The FDA requires that any food a business the way that all people should go,” Blessing wants to market needs to provide their own said. “You don’t need preservatives to make research proving it is safe for consumers. something fresh. You should make it fresh Delancey said research must be conducted by and eat it.” an independent research firm.

Organic is defined by the United States “We have huge responsibilities in a very Department of Agriculture as food that is not limited budget so it’s not practical for us to grown with synthetic pesticides, free from generate all the research to bring all products chemical additives and is not genetically to market,” Delancey said. modified. Chemistry teacher Jan Hutley said If the FDA does not think the company’s that while eating organic is beneficial to one’s research is sufficient, they can request more. health, the labeling is sometimes misleading.

Though the pesticide found in orange “The use of the words organic and natural juice is illegal, there have been other research on products aren’t necessarily as regulated studies linking food additives and chemicals as we think they are,” Hutley said. “I think to bad or questionable health effects. During before we have products that we can really the 1970s, researchers became wary of the have a lot of confidence in, we’re going to potential dangers of have to get the artificial preservatives. government to You don’t need preservatives step in and say It was then that sodium nitrite, a chemical still to make something fresh. You ‘We want to have used to add flavor a really tight should make it fresh and eat it. restriction on the and coloring to meat Kevin Blessing Sr. use.’” particularly fried bacon, was linked to Though he cancer. Several food tries to avoid canned foods, Hinsley said dyes have been linked to tumors in rats. The he doesn’t make a big effort to eat organic sugar substitute aspartame has been linked in because he isn’t convinced of its superiority. the 1970s, and again in 2007 to breast cancer “I’m not convinced that just because and leukemia. something says it’s organic, it makes it that “A single study may not really prompt an much different than something that is nonimmediate change in the law, the regulation or organic,” Hinsley said. “I raise tomatoes, and food additive,” Karas said. “You can publish my in-laws raise cows so we eat beef from a study, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that them. It tastes a lot better, but a lot of people it’s right…Safety is an ongoing process.” don’t have that resource available to them.” *** Typically, eating all organic would cost The knowledge that everyday fruits and an average of $65 more than its regular vegetables and meat are chemically altered equivalent for a week’s worth of groceries. with dyes, preservatives and hormones has FDA Officer Doug Karas said that for this pushed some consumers towards organic. reason, preservatives are needed.

Junior Kevin Blessing’s dad, Kevin Blessing “Without preservatives themselves, what Sr., has been the Director of Food Service would that do to the food supply?” Karas at Central Market for eight years. Central said. “You would like to never have to have Market is a chain of grocery stores in Texas them, but given the size of our society and that provide an array of organic, locally- certain things about the way we live our

Pulp of the matter

compiled | jasmine sachar

The U.S. has stopped shipments of oranges from other countries after they were found to contain an illegal fungicide. Here’s a closer look at how it happened.

The FDA received an anonymous tip from a company that said they found the fungicide carbenzadim in traces in their imported orange juice from Brazil.

design/graphics | maria heinonen

life… not everybody has the opportunity to go to the farmer’s market and shop every two or three days.”

But Blessing disagrees. He said organic food from the farmer’s market lasts longer and remains fresher in the fridge.

“Most produce when you buy it from like Kroger or Target or Wal-Mart, those products are full of chemicals and pesticides,” Blessing said. “Quite frankly, normally after about three days in your refrigerator, they spoil. A great product from a Central Market or a farmer’s market will last a week and a half in your fridge, and it’s because they’re all fresh.”

There is no evidence to say that simply eating all organic will make one any healthier.

Hinsley said that if one person were to eat all organic and another were to not, one would not necessarily be healthier than the other.

However, Blessing said he believed overall, eating locally grown or organic foods is the best option for a person’s body.

“It is better for you because of the nutrients in the natural raising of that product,” Blessing said. “They don’t speed the process through pesticides.”

Senior Alexis Millum made the switch to some organic food four months ago to get in shape, though she said it is hard to eat organic all the time. Regardless, she said organic food makes her feel healthier.

“It makes me feel better,” Millum said.

“You can just tell that when you eat it. You can taste the difference. It gives you more energy.”

Though Blessing said he doesn’t believe there will be a substantial shift in consumers to organic food despite the negative researches that are continually being released. But through these, consumers have been made aware of potential risks of not eating organic.

“I don’t know if the benefits outweigh the costs,” Hinsley said. “But there are lots of chemicals that I’m sure I’m not aware of that I don’t really want to be consuming at all.”

The company was later revealed to be Coca-Cola, who produces Minute Maid juice.

One in six glasses of orange juice consumed in the U.S. comes from Brazil.

Carbenzadim is a fungicide that prevents “black spot”, a condition where fruits don’t look as appealing to consumers, though the taste is the same.

The fungicide is banned in the United States because research says it causes liver tumors and infertility.

The knowledge that the FDA will now carefully inspect all orange imports from other countries has driven up orange prices.

january 20, 2012 | the marquee

in depth 13

the truth is on the tray

The Marquee investigates the chemicals and artificial additives that are used in food and drinks. Students consume many of these meal options on a regular basis.

compiled | alex mcginnis

milk

apple

LISD provides milk from Oak Farms, a company that pledges to use no artificial growth hormones or antibiotics. Many other dairy companies use them because the FDA has ruled that they do not make a significant difference in the milk. However, other studies have linked residual hormones to breast, colon, prostate and lung cancer. They have also been linked to early sexual maturity in girls, some as early as 4-years-old.

Apples are being picked before they are ripe and then being injected with artificial growth hormones just before distribution.

This causes the apples to be bigger and allows companies to ship them from farther away than they would without the growth hormones.

SELL BY

TO OPEN

DAIRY

VITAMIN A &D

HALF PINT

meat The same risks apply for hormone treated beef as those for dairy. Studies have linked the beef to cancer and premature development in children. Trade disputes have led the scientific accuracy of the studies to be up for debate because many parts of Europe have banned U.S. beef.

cheese In 2008, Kraft removed yellow dye #5 and aspartame from their cheese that is sent to Europe after studies linked them to hyperactivity and asthma in children. The company has yet to remove them from cheese distributed in the U.S.

(236mL)

bread The ingredients on bread packaging often read that the flour is enriched. This means that the flour is stripped of nutrients, leaving only starch. The flour is then bleached and synthetic nutrients are added. This makes the bread harder for your body to absorb and makes it less healthy overall. Companies do this to maximize shelf time without the bread getting moldy.

sources: (http://postharvest.tfrec.wsu.edu/pages/N4I1C) | (oakfarmsdairy.com) (foodservicewarehouse.com) | (http://www.nehealthadvisory.com/2010/05/enrichedflour-is-nutrient-poor-making-better-bread-choices) | (http://blog.beliefnet.com/ ourladyofweightloss/2009/08/give-kraft-a-kick-in-the-tush.html)

the marquee | january 20, 2012

design/graphics | maria heinonen

14

in depth

Trip down organic lane

story | juliana adame and meghan eurich

photos | jordan richards

A look at several food establishments where organic, locally grown food is sold Sprout’s

Garden Ridge Farmer’s Market

Tom Thumb

design | maria heinonen

Sprouts, located on 1171, is a favorite for Flower Mound residents who want healthier options. It resembles a regular grocery store, except that it also sells a wide variety of locally made and naturally grown options. While walking into Sprouts, one is overcome with the enticing aroma of sweet apples and fresh produce.

They offer a wide variety of natural alternatives to everyday grocery items.

They hand-select their locally grown organic produce, which they then proceed to mark with neon green stickers labeled organic. These fruits are placed in various

bins throughout the back of the store. On top of that, they are randomly scattered throughout the produce section.

Next is the question of appearance.

Although appearance is fleeting when it comes to food, it still needs to appear appetizing to the consumer. Some of Sprouts’ organic produce is bruised, spotted and falls short of the mainstream non-organic produce also sold there. The organic vegetables droop and sag next to the average corporate leafy greens. The fruits linger in the shadows of the bright, shiny, typical pesticide-treated ones.

Plus, the organic fruits, on average, are

few dollars pricier than those at a usual grocery store.

On a happier note, Sprouts carries a variety of special foods such as gluten free options and natural versions of your typical grocery items, such as cleaning products, soups, and even pet food. In the center of the store is a variety of grains and candies that can be scooped out and purchased by their friendly and knowledgeable staff members.

In all, Sprouts is a hipster store that is worth visiting if you are on a journey into an organic lifestyle. Sprouts is shoppers’ one stop for everything natural.

Most people bypass the Garden Ridge Farmers Market without giving it much thought to the quaint little red barn. But when shoppers actually takes the time to venture into the barn, they will find a friendly, knowledgeable group of farmers who have familiarized themselves with the organic lifestyle.

At the corner of Garden Ridge and I-35, the Garden Ridge Farmers Market may be hard to find, but is definitely worth the trouble. The familiar-looking garden, featuring yard art and potted plants offers a very welcoming atmosphere. From

peach to pumpkin homemade ice cream and home goods to locally imported jellies and jams, this little market is definitely ahead of the game.

A family-owned farm provides the majority of beef and pork, while their local gardens provide organic produce.

The only drawback to this is lack of sunlight and warm weather during the winter months inhibits the regular supply of produce.

While during the holiday season, you can purchase homemade candies and Christmas goodies, don’t expect to get a

taste of their usual homegrown delights.

They also sell German-inspired deli meats from Muenster, Texas.

In retrospect, the Garden Ridge Farmers Market is the best way to ensure that you’re getting local produce. Getting food from local places such as this is also good for your allergies and your overall health.

That being said, eating locally, and particularly at the Garden Ridge Farmers Market, is a great way to get a jump start on a healthy organic lifestyle and helps to keep money in the local economy.

A lot of people wouldn’t expect it, products may be hard to extract from the but organic food can be found as closely employees. as the local Tom Thumb. The store now Tom Thumb provides the USDA has an organic section in the middle of certified O Organics brand. From spinach their produce to eggs and section. dairy products, Organic produce can be as Complete shoppers can easy to find as regular produce, browse over 300 with easy-tobut costs a little extra. spot signage different grocery and unique alternatives. The packaging, Tom Thumb the organic website has a link to a page devoted to section of the store is hard to miss. their line of organic food, but you’ll find Since the store is not primarily organic, it buried in the contents at the bottom of information concerning their organic the webpage. Although, you cannot buy

food from the website, it seems to have much more choice than the actual store.

Organic produce can be as easy to find as regular produce, but costs a little extra.

For example, organic bananas can be up to a quarter more than regular bananas.

Needless to say, Tom Thumb is making their newly available organics widely known, but this may not be a top priority of the store. Although it appears that the corporate companies are making an effort to better welcome the organic food movement, shoppers may be better off with a local farmers market and a more knowledgeable staff. january 20, 2012 | the marquee

entertainment 15

Reeling from the pages compiled | mckenna autem

Recently directors have been making movies based off of bestselling novels. Because of the popular belief that movies are never as good as the book, The Marquee looks to explore this claim. In this review, movies are compared with their book counterparts.

“The Help” Kathryn Stockett’s “The Help” is set in 1960s Jackson, Mississippi during the civil rights movement.

It’s narrated by three different characters, giving the reader three different personal angles on the issue of racism. The book is very detailed with development of the characters, giving in depth background to each. It contains energetic characters that a reader would want to know in real life. Even when it’s closed “The Help” is the kind of book that will make readers think.

The movie was said to be an instant classic, “better than the book”, but anyone who actually read the book would disagree.

The movie portrays Skeeter’s book about the maids as shameful, but really the book could have extreme repercussions for the Skeeter and the maids. The intricacy of the relationships, the plot and the whole theme of the book was some what lost in the movie.

“Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” by Stieg Larsson was inspired by a rape witnessed by the author, and targets this violence against women in the book. Don’t be fooled, the dragon tattoo on Lisbeth Salander’s body has no literary significance throughout the novel. Because it was originally written in Swedish, it’s slow paced and a little hard to get into.

It becomes quite predictable with figuring out the mysteries of how Harriet Vanger disappeared and Gottfried Vanger died. The torture of women in the novel would make any reader uncomfortable, maybe even slightly squeamish.

The movie was just the same as the book in the way that it was slow paced. It was also just as graphic with the rape and torture scenes. Lisbeth Salander is more prominent throughout the movie and Mikael Blomkvist is made to seem less important. There are also less Vanger family members to investigate in the disappearance of Harriet Vanger. The changes made in “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” movie are barely noticeable and are changes that were made to serve it better. Beware that “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” is full of violence and graphic material. It’s a hard R rated movie.

“Breaking Dawn: Part 1”

“Deathly Hallows: Part 2”

The Twilight Saga has been hailed as the greatest love story of the 21st century.

At a second glance however, the novels seems just plain juvenile. The characters are not well developed (Bella and Edward stay the exact same from the first book to the last) and there aren’t any sort of plot twists. The reader knows exactly what’s going to happen the moment they open the book.

The movie followed the book better than anyone could imagine. The wedding scene was the same with the twinkling lights and the wooden pews made especially for the wedding. The birthing scene was just as graphic with the blood, and Bella’s sunken look from being impregnated with Edward’s vampire child was just as sad as described in “Breaking Dawn” the book.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” is filled with tear jerking moments, like when Fred is killed and moments where readers just feel proud of their beloved characters, like when Molly Weasley kills Bellatrix Lestrange.

Part 2 was much anticipated by Potter fans everywhere after Part 1 came out, and it was everything they had dreamed of. The three leading actors continued their perfect portrayal of their characters and the supporting roles were as spectacular as ever. Maggie Smith who played Professor McGonagall served her character well with the enchantments of the stone statues and stepping up to protect Hogwarts. The battle scenes were much the same as the book with the exception of the final battle between Harry and Voldemort. The humor scattered throughout the dark subject matter provided comic relief through those extremely tense moments. There were only a few complaints about Harry and Dumbledore’s scene at King’s Cross Station being rather brief and the Gringrotts break in being anticlimactic. Also, Harry’s exoneration of Professor Snape in front of the Hogwarts School was left out. Overall, the final Harry Potter movie did not disappoint.

the marquee | january 20, 2012

design/graphics | sydney sund

16 entertainment

It is widely known that the Mayans predicted the world would end on December 21, 2012. Regardless of whether or not this proves to be true, The Marquee compiled a bucket list to complete before this disastrous ending.

1 drive-in movie The

Go to a drive-in movie theater. Experience the old moviewatching method. Who knows?

You could end up in a scene like Grease, where you sneak in friends for free or spread gossip car-to-car.

BUCKET list compiled| molly spain

3

learn to surf

4 ballroom dance Learn to ballroom dance.

Don’t ignore your secret desire to learn how to salsa dance and impress some girl or guy with your suave skills. Better now than never. And watching “Dancing with the Stars” does not count.

Learn to surf. Surf’s up! Who cares about sharks? It doesn’t matter if you’re short a few limbs when you die. If the world ends, they’re gone too. Enjoy the Californian waves before it’s too late. Even just a simple wave simulator at Hurricane Harbor will suffice.

6

nifty fifty

Visit all 50 states. How can the world end without you visiting every corner of your own country?

Believe it or not, America contains just as much if not more of the beauty that Europe is known for. Don’t bother wasting time flying across the world. You’ll be surprised – the United States is pretty stunningly awesome. design | jordan richards

7

belt it out

Sing karaoke in front of a big crowd. That’s right. Get up there and sing your heart out. We all need a bit of that rush of emotions from belting your favorite song or the surge of adrenaline by singing it in front of hundreds. Channel your inner American Idol.

2 bottle message Send a message in a bottle.

Don’t miss your chance to have your letter be read by some handsome guy across the ocean who decides to search the world for you. Even if the world doesn’t end in December, at least your dream guy will know you exist.

5 Route 66 kicks Drive down Route 66. Embrace the historical significance of the famous highway, windows rolled down, music turned up. Drive without a purpose across Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Arkansas. Get your kicks on Route 66.

8 it’s showtime See a Broadway play. I’m talking New York City. “Cats,” “Wicked,” “Rent,” “Phantom of the Opera.” Sing-a-long songs, over-the-top costumes, bright lights, historical theatres – the whole package. Get that once-ina-lifetime experience.

january 20, 2012 | the marquee

sports 17

Leaving it on the field

Soccer players quit school team to advance career on Academy team story | alex mcginnis

Senior Tony Pagano and Andre Reyes won’t be wearing the Marauder jersey on game days this season. They won’t receive buckets filled with candy and assorted tokens of admiration from “Soccer Stalkers.” They won’t walk the field in front of their friends on Senior Night and they won’t have the chance to win a state championship. Though they gave up their varsity spots, they also know that they quit for the same reason they joined--they love soccer.

Pagano, Reyes, senior Caleb Richardson and juniors Cameron Drackett and Brandon Moore have all resigned from the high school soccer program to fully commit to their Academy teams outside of school.

Academy teams provide players with college exposure and opportunities to take their soccer careers to the next level. Other leagues also provide these opportunities, but according to Reyes, soccer at the Academy level is of a higher caliber than other leagues.

The league is run by the United States Soccer Federation, which at the end of the summer implemented a new 10 month season. Players used to be able to take three months off from Academy to play high school soccer, but with the new season length, players cannot participate in both.

Head coach John Gall said he and the team support the decision of the Academy players.

“We especially here at the high school are not holding anything against those guys,” Gall said. “They’ve been made to choose and they’ve obviously chose to do something they feel is going to be a little bit more beneficial for their careers moving forward.”

Though Reyes and Pagano said they will miss playing high school soccer, they also feel they’ve made the right choice in playing Academy.

“It’s not hard, but it really just depends on who you are,” Reyes said. “If you want to just have the high school experience, it would be really hard. But if you’re willing to make a sacrifice to be better and to do better, it’s worth it.”

Reyes and Pagano first crossed paths in developmental teams when they were 6-years-old before joining the same team in eighth grade under the Dallas Texans. By their freshman year they were moved into the Academy league and began getting a feel for the program.

They practice three nights every week and Reyes also participates in extra programs everyday to improve skills led by coaches from professional teams like Manchester United. According to Pagano, the team requires total commitment and discipline and comes with sacrifices as well as compromises.

“Sometimes it’s like you’re a full-time athlete and a the marquee | january 20, 2012

photo | mariah lucy

part-time student,” Pagano said. “It takes a lot, and for some people it’s hard to find the balance.”

Despite the loss, Gall said there is still talent on the team and they are moving forward in the season.

“I think we are compensating very well, I know it has taught the players that now we need to work a little bit harder, we have to work on some things a little bit more because we’ve lost some talent,” Gall said. “We’re going to make up for that in hard work.”

Since the USSF decided that Academy players were no longer allowed to play for high school teams, other schools have lost key players. Pagano and Reyes said they think this will even out the playing field and the team will ultimately be successful.

“I think it will make the team even closer,” Reyes said.

“All you can say is that unfortunately this happened but we’re going to make the best out of it.”

Though they agree that playing on the Academy level has been extremely beneficial for their soccer careers, Pagano and Reyes both have a special bond with the program on campus. After transferring from Lewisville after his freshman year, Pagano said the team helped him adjust to the change.

“If it wasn’t for high school soccer I probably wouldn’t have a lot of the friends I have now,” Pagano said. “I came in and that’s the one place I know I’ll make friends because we have something in common.”

Because his Academy teammates are from many metropolitan cities, Reyes said playing with friends he’s

known all his life was something he loved about the high school team.

“Experiencing something like that, you can’t really compare it with Academy because that’s strictly business,” Reyes said. “High school soccer is about enjoying your time with friends while trying to achieve something great.”

Though they’ve lost important players, Gall said his attitude about the season is the same as it has always been.

“I don’t come to school and coach these guys thinking I’m here to go through the motions,” Gall said. “I’m here to win state championships because I know that’s what the players want.”

Playing in the Academy league has required traveling across the nation for tournaments and allowed Pagano and Reyes to get noticed by college recruiters. Reyes has committed to Old Dominion College in Virginia and hopes to eventually achieve what he’s been striving towards all along--a professional career.

“If you work hard every day in soccer, whatever your fate is, it’s what you deserve,” Reyes said. “I just try to work hard every day and hopefully my dream of becoming a professional will come true.”

Pagano has verbally committed to the University of Dayton in Ohio. Both are Division I schools and Pagano also hopes to someday play professional soccer.

“That’s the dream,” Pagano said. “But you have to ask yourself, ‘Is it realistic?’ No one else can tell you if it’s real for you or not. If you can answer that and say ‘Yes I think it’s real,’ then nothing can really stop you.” design | amanda collen

18

sports

Playing in memory of the past

photo | jordan richards

Star senior basketball player finds motivation for sport through loss of older brother story | vallery phillips Basketball is more than a game for senior Marcus Smart and his family. It’s a lifestyle. Camellia Smart gave birth to four boys: Todd, Jeff, Michael and Marcus. Each played or plays basketball in high school.

Every jersey they wore displayed the #3 on the back. Generations before started the basketball tradition. Camellia’s mother played basketball in school and for fun, and taught her sons and grandsons. The older generations took the younger to the gym.

“Everybody was a gym rat,” Camellia said.

Todd Westbrook was the oldest, and the responsibility rode on his shoulders to teach his younger brothers to play the game.

Westbrook enjoyed teaching his brothers the game and all about life.

“He (Todd) was a big inspiration to his little brothers,” Camellia said.

His mother would say that Todd was design | sydney sund

motivation and a rock for her and her sons.

Teaching each of his brothers the game was something that Westbrook enjoyed. His love for basketball was strong. He had played basketball ever since he was tall enough to shoot the ball into the hoop. Although most children do have their similarities, Todd and Marcus were one, according to their mother.

“They both hate to lose. With competitive hearts, both Todd and Marcus were and are true players of the game,” Camellia said.

Marcus lives for his brother’s legacy on and off the court. By the time Marcus reached the age where he could really learn to shoot, Todd was sick. Although Todd could not teach Marcus himself, he taught Marcus to play basketball through his brothers.

“Life is short, so take each day as if it is your last day. And God is good,” Todd would say. *** In 1985 doctors found a tumor behind the eye of a 15-year-old Todd. As the doctors

broke the news to Todd and Camellia, she shook with emotion.

“I almost went crazy sitting in there, I had to catch myself,” Camellia said.

Todd stared at the doctor with no expression on his face. Camellia looked at her son, scared of his reaction.

“What are we gonna do about this?” Todd asked the doctors calmly.

Camellia was stunned. Her teenage son was just diagnosed with cancer, and he did not seem scared at all.

After a round of chemotherapy and radiation, the tumor shrunk but did not disappear. In and out of the hospital, Todd missed most of his junior year at Lancaster High School in Dallas, but returned his senior to take his basketball team to the state tournament.

Through the years, Todd had his good days and his bad. When his sickness worsened he would come back home, go through treatments, and get back up again.

“He never cried...he never cried in front of me. He was so brave,” Camellia said.

By the time Marcus was born, Todd had been sick for several years. Not understanding what cancer was, Marcus lived life knowing that his big brother was sick, but did not understand the seriousness. When Marcus reached the age of eight or nine, he began to understand what cancer was.

“By that time, all I could think was that I am about to lose my brother and there is nothing that I can do about it,” Marcus said.

“And that there may not be a solution to fixing it.”

Even though Todd was sick for so long, Marcus said he never showed it. He did not want anyone to ever feel bad for him. His relationship with his brothers was part of the reason he kept a smile on his face, Camellia said. After attending Dallas Carter High School his freshman year, making the varsity team, then going to Lancaster High and graduating, Todd’s life consisted of basketball january 20, 2012 | the marquee

sports 19 and family. Later, as he attended Hill Junior chemotherapy stopped.

College and Cedar Valley Community Arriving home from school in January College, Todd’s cancer worsened. of 2004, Marcus and his cousin D’vonte’ *** Westbrook walk into the house. His cousin’s Todd came home to his mother one mother, Pia Westbrook walked into the room, last time with a cold. Camellia sent him to tears flooding her eyes.

Baylor hospital where they did a chest x-ray Marcus’ heart stopped. His world felt as if diagnosing him with pneumonia. Prescribing it was coming to an end. him with antibiotics did not help. He stayed “What’s wrong with Todd?” a 9-year-old sick.

Marcus asked her.

Driving down the street a week before He knew something was wrong with Christmas, Smart at age nine sits in the Todd. When nothing but silence left her lips, passenger seat next to his mother, Camellia Smart repeated his question, standing in front Smart. of her waiting.

“Marcus what would you like to have for “Todd is dying. He is brain dead and there Christmas?” Camellia asks her son. Waiting is nothing that the doctors can do,” said Pia. for the response of a new remote control car The words left her lips slowly. or a video game Marcus looked up at his “What?” Marcus choked. mother.

Still as a rock, thoughts ran through his “Nothing mind. momma.”

No, this is not true.

“It was an incredible feeling Not yet.

With a laugh, Camellia asks As the realization to go back to my home town, to her son again. kicked in, tears spilled see that his legacy still lives,” “I just pray down Smart’s face. and ask God With nowhere else Marcus Smart, senior to let me and to turn Smart busted my family through his front door be together for the holidays,” Marcus said. and ran to the front yard. There he fell to the Filled with shock, Camellia pulled to the side ground and put his head in his hands. His of the road. cousin grabbed him and held him close.

“Are you serious?” She looked at her son with tear brimmed eyes. *** “Yes ma’am,” he answered. He did not want anything, because he knew what his After arriving at the hospital before his family was going through with the cancer, dad could stop the car, Marcus opened the Marcus said. He wanted to forget about all door and ran. the bad and just spend the last moments with Through the hospital doors he ran down his brother. the halls, looking for Todd. Finally after That Christmas Todd spent with his family seeing his family, they brought him to where in their home in Desoto. Though he was sick Todd was. he still bought presents for his family and Laying there in the hospital bed was his spent quality time with his brothers. One in big brother, the man who had taught him to particular was a necklace for his youngest play basketball, the man who taught him to brother, Marcus. A necklace with a number 3 be everything he could be. Camellia grabbed dangling from the chain. Marcus has worn it Marcus as he began to sob. He reached out to every day since he got it. touch his brothers foot, and felt the chill that Only three weeks later, finally after being covered his body. taken to Parkland hospital the doctors told “It was a nightmare for me, I could only him that the cancer had returned. It was on think that this wouldn’t be happening,” his lungs.

Marcus said.

After doing little chemotherapy, Todd Once he arrived at the hospital, Todd was decided he was tired of suffering. The already gone. Giving his brother one last hug,

Maraudermusings “We have been through a lot, good and bad throughout the years. He is one of the most unselfish people I know on and off the court. ” Phil Forte, 12

the marquee | january 20, 2012

he told him goodbye. Though the sadness over took him, he knew he was in a better place, and he would be looking down on him Marcus said.

After an 18-year-battle with cancer, Todd Westbrook died January 9, 2004 at 7:59 p.m.

“He enjoyed life to the fullest,” Camellia said. *** On Dec. 2, Marcus stood in the middle of the Lancaster High School gym before the Marauders’ game against Lancaster to retire the #3 jersey. He stood surrounded by fans, friends and family to show his love and support for all that his brother had done.

Todd played for Lancaster from 19861988. Although he missed most of his junior year, he returned in 1987 to lead the Lancaster Tigers to rank second in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches 4A poll, and to the 4A state semifinals. His jersey is now displayed in Lancaster high’s newly built gym.

“It was an incredible feeling to go back to my home town, to see that his legacy still lives,” Marcus said.

Like his brother, Marcus was placed on varsity his freshman year of high school. As Marcus goes forward in his basketball career,

he said Todd is always a thought on his mind.

Some of his teammates look at him as a leader, but Marcus said all the teammates are leaders together.

“My job is to keep us focused, and to keep us going,” Marcus said.

Marcus said he knows this is what Todd would have wanted, and that playing basketball would have meant something to him. Without Todd, things would be different for the Smart family. The heartache and troubles they went through, though difficult, helped to make them stronger.

“When tragedy happens you don’t just stop,” Camellia said. “You have to keep going, and that’s what Todd would have wanted.”

In Todd’s remembrance, Marcus got a tattoo in his brothers honor his freshman year: a basketball with Todd’s name, the #3, and REST IN PEACE. Todd’s words and actions are remembered every day, Marcus said.

“I want to do everything to make sure his life here on earth wasn’t useless,” Marcus said. “He made an impact on my life, and I impact others because of him, by telling everyone that every day isn’t promised and that you should be thankful for the days you have.”

photo | jordan richards Smart showcases the tattoo on his right arm at his home on Jan. 13. Smart got the tattoo his freshman year in honor of his late brother, Todd Westrook.

Players talk about what Smart adds to basketball team “He is always there for you no matter what. Playing on the same team with him is just amazing because he is one of the best players in America. ”

“He does all the little things and has a lot of energy. He is basically our motive to get to the top.

Nick Banyard, 12

AJ Luckey, 12

design | sydney sund

opinion

BOOMBAS [things we like]

20

Ginger wanna-be

What a variety!

Helpful hotline

Clean up, clean up

Unicycle Club, Bake for Cancer, Robot Team, Knitting. The list goes on. It’s great to have a variety of clubs for students to explore new hobbies and spread school spirit in the process.

With the new Homework Hotline, help on homework is available at the click of mouse for students by logging onto SchoolWeb chat sessions, while tutors can gain service hours for honor societies.

When empty water bottles and candy wrappers are left behind at sporting events, janitors are left to tidy up the mess. Thanks, janitors, for picking up every piece of trash we can’t seem to throw away.

McKenna Autem

This one’s for you, Kansas I could say that I was helplessly in love, that I had never experienced a feeling quite like it. I could say that I had never met anyone that would even compare. I could say that I’ll never get over him—that my heart can’t go on. Of course, if I did say these things I’d be lying. But as I listen to Coldplay’s new “Mylo Xyloto”—a band I never thought of giving a second chance to before him—I can’t help but wish I had approached the situation differently.

I met Chris at a summer journalism convention. He sat next to me in my feature writing class. When he walked into the room I noticed him immediately, he was tall and lanky and had the most stunning blue eyes. Within the first thirty minutes of class his hand was in the air answering questions or offering helpful tips. This, along with the fact that he was wearing TOMS, khaki shorts and a V-neck led me to the conclusion that I was going to dislike the know-it-all-hipster.

To my dismay we were partnered up. He introduced himself as Chris and gave a half smile, and for whatever reason Mr. Know-it-all had charmed me. As we talked I learned that he was from Kansas, a senior and was not in fact arrogant, just very passionate about what he does.

The next four days were spent laughing at the valley girl and Luna Lovegood in the class after breaks, doing my best attempts at flirty, witty banter and sneaking sideways glances at him when his attention was at the front of the room. On the third day, I stealthily grabbed his phone and programmed my number into it.

What he did with that was out of my hands.

“What do you have to lose? He doesn’t even live here,” my friend reasoned as I chewed on my lip, debating whether or not texting Chris was a good idea.

I typed a quick hello and pressed send before I could think anymore about it. Instant reply.

After that, Chris and I texted everyday. The crush I had formed at the convention became full-fledged infatuation as our textual conversations transformed from the favorites game to more personal discussions. My imagination ran wild as I thought about the potential of a long-distance relationship, it would be just like a movie. I never stopped to think about it realistically.

Long story short, Chris and I are no longer in text-contact.

First off, after a rather tumultuous three-year relationship I wasn’t in a good place when I met him. And second, my tendency to over analyze and lash out got the best of me, I said some things I didn’t mean, and if I could take them back I would in a heart beat. But I can’t.

I’ve always had an unrealistic-movie type expectation of love, even friendships. Because of the distance and the complications I thought Chris could be my unrealistic-movie. Of course now I see how ridiculous this was. After all I’m only in high school.

My inability to see things realistically when it comes to relationships ultimately proved to be my downfall in the Kansas ordeal. I built up these ideas in my head about how things would turn out and made Chris out to be someone he probably isn’t. I did something a lot of girls are guilty of: I let my imagination get the best of me. design | joe rau

You only live forever

Joseph Rau

Rejected, dejected and fat

The email came 25 minutes late. It seemed like an eternity, prolonged by the fact that my friends had already received their decisions. None of them had been accepted into their dream schools. I wanted to be the hero. The only one whose first college choice had turned out a success.

When I checked my inbox for the 24th time, the most important email in my life, “ Your Rice Admission Decision,” had arrived.

This decision would shape my life. After an incoherent first attempt to understand, I read it slowly and somewhat calmly.

“The Committee on Admission has completed a careful evaluation of your application for admission to Rice.” I should have known. “I regret…”

It was official. I had received my first rejection. From a school that I had built up so much in my mind throughout the two-and-a-half months I had waited. I was obsessed with the ivy which crawled around the university gates. I was infatuated with the academic reputation. Rice had become everything to me.

I didn’t have an emotional breakdown. I was relieved in a way to just know. Nevertheless, the rejection hurt, especially as I dwelt on it and realized that I no longer had a definite place to go after graduation. In my irrational mind, I was going to be

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think

do Who you is going to win the nomination compiled | molly spain photos | mariah lucy

stuck in the Mound, forever condemned to the perpetual cycle of suburban parenting, and eventually death.

Trying to seem as normal as possible, I suggested that my mom and I finish watching “Modern Family” before going to McDonald’s where I had the intention of wallowing my self-pity in the form of greasy French fries, “real white meat” chicken nuggets, a mouth-watering, calorie-packed McDouble and a large Dr. Pepper. The worst part about the decision was that I had to tell my dad, who was almost as invested in Rice as I was.

The texts, inquisitive of my fate, rushed in before I had even been notified. Then the notorious email arrived. I didn’t want to respond, but knowing that others before me had also faced rejection, I responded back “Rejection” to many. The replies came back rebounding, texts of apology and sympathy, none of which I desired. If I wasn’t prepared for rejection, I shouldn’t have applied. I changed the subject after noting my apathy towards the situation. And so the McDonald’s happy meal became the most important object in my life.

Immediately after I consumed my 4000+ calorie meal, each one a drop of medicine for my disappointment, my mind raced. I thought of my back-up schools, and other options. I could apply to more schools. I had options. Yet, a feeling of dread consumed me. I was going to forever be stuck in the conformity of Marcus High School, where students chose schools within Texas, rarely venturing outward. I was going to be a conformist.

So I ate my worries away. Along with one of my deferred, or not-quite-accepted-yet, Yale applicant friends, we smothered the doubt of our academic success. I had a productive meeting with my two friends, Ben and Jerry. Their ooey-goeey temporary anti-depressant worked perfectly.

Though I am still in a state of shock about the turn of events on December 15, life does go on. For some time after the notification, I wandered like a lost puppy would in a pantry filled with bones.

My worries have subsided and I have decided, with confidence, to become a conformist at the University of Texas at Austin. And so I move forward, regaining confidence that was destroyed by those evil villains we all call admissions counselors.

“I would have gone with Herman Cain, but he dropped out. So I’d say Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich. Romney is the most competent I think.”

Hunter Harwood, 9

“Anybody but Rick Perry because he’s insane. He’s messed up Texas enough...I’d go to Canada.”

Nicole Ulakovic, 10

january 20, 2012 | the marquee

HEYS [things we don’t like]

opinion Broken machines Vending machines have made snacking a struggle.

Sometimes the machine gives out a different snack than what was asked for or refuses to give out anything at all when students pay the required amount.

Stay in class, teachers

Missing wisdom

AP teachers often have to leave class for training, which is a problem. Valuable class time is taken away from students. These meetings should be scheduled for a different time, so AP students won’t get behind.

Last year, the “Quote of the Day” helped students through the long school day. Now, students only have PSAT words. Though they come in handy on the test, most students don’t pay attention to them.

The Dutchess

The fortune cookie

Marisa Charpentier

Perfection can be blinding I’ve lived a bland, sheltered life, and I’ve come out “perfect.”

My family is “perfect.” My neighborhood is “perfect.” My world is “perfect.”

But I guess this perfection is where the problem lies. There’s nothing rewarding about being privileged in a world drowning in imperfection.

It only leads to guilt.

Parents get divorced. People get cancer. Teenagers get depressed. I’m not saying I ever wanted to experience these difficulties, but I used to believe some sort of struggle would be nice.

Then I started thinking how ungrateful that sounded. I’ve never been hungry. I’ve always had a roof over my head and clean clothes on my back. I’ve never felt unloved. So, why did I want any of that to change?

Recently, I went to Chicago. While walking the chilly streets of the Windy City, an unpleasant feeling arose in the pit of my stomach. On almost every street I spotted a man or woman holding a sign that read “Homeless.” Clothed in raggedy coats and pants ripped from wear, they sat with their knees pulled tight against their chests and a Styrofoam cup sitting at the edges of

their worn-down boots. People bundled up in designer wool coats and leather boots walked on by. I walked on by.

As Chicago is known for its shopping, I scavenged through every store in walking distance. At first, I couldn’t get the images of the white signs and the people behind them out of my mind.

I kept thinking, how could I be walking through these aisles, looking for new tops and jewelry to buy when I already have so much, and others may have only the tattered clothing on their backs? Why did I have more?

With every distracting rack of sparkly shirts and expensive jeans, the images of homeless signs and Styrofoam cups slowly faded from my mind. Guilt no longer gnawed at my stomach.

Everything was perfect again.

Walking back to the hotel with shopping bags at hand, I found myself engulfed in the swarm of people. Swerving around every bench and pothole, I followed the moving coats that walked before me. Up ahead I noticed the mob curve around an obstruction almost naturally. As I approached the narrowing path, I realized it was a woman and her daughter sitting on the sidewalk, their backs leaning against a light post. The woman’s arms were wrapped around the young girl whose coat did not cover the full length of her arms. The revealing cup was sitting at their feet. And I walked past them.

Then that awful feeling returned in my stomach, and I quickly grabbed a couple of dollars and pushed through the crowd towards them. I slipped the money into the cup, and my heart nearly broke as the little girl’s braids fell around her face when she looked up and said thank you.

That moment made me realize something: when you suspend yourself in a world of privilege, or “perfection,” it’s easy to walk on by. And I know only a couple of dollars isn’t much, but I guess taking baby steps down from the world of perfection that I find myself living in is better than doing nothing at all. So I hope that by writing this, I will permanently engrave the image of the homeless woman and her child in my mind forever and start taking bigger steps down to lift others up. Maybe then I’ll start giving clothes instead of buying more for myself. Maybe then others will follow.

MARQUEE REMARKS “Mitt Romney because he doesn’t usually have the highest polling, but he’s most consistently up there while a lot of the other candidates have streaks and come back down.

Nick Chase, 11

the marquee | january 20, 2012

“I’d say either Newt Gingrich or Mitt Romney...They’ve had substantial success in the past. They both have names that everybody knows. It’s really fair game for anyone right now.”

Katie Osborne, 12

“I don’t think it matters who the person is. It looks now maybe Mitt Romney, but it’s whoever is going to have enough force to beat Obama.”

Emily Worland, Government

21

Emily Aijkens

Google can’t define me

In the beginning, it was funny. The word “hipster” or the phrase “you’re a hipster” was thrown around. “Emily you’re such a hipster!” I laughed along, but honestly I didn’t even understand what the word “hipster” meant. So I did what any child of the 21st century does when they don’t know something - I Googled it.

As I did further research, I found that a hipster is more than the clothes that he/she wears or the music they listen to. It’s a belief, it’s a love for everything unknown. It’s a subculture within a subculture. I found that there was no specific criteria for what a hipster is. They just have to love things that are “different.”

This column is an attempt to prove why I am not a hipster.

You could pick out a hipster from a mile away, merely by the way they dress. Someone wearing jeans, jeans not the color of jeans, anything purchased from a thrift store, plaid, deep v-necks, fedoras, ironic graphic T’s, or anything from American Apparel or Urban Outfitters. I usually stumble out of bed fifteen minutes before I am supposed to leave the house. This gives me no time to deal with fedoras or attempting to match my colored pants with a top. Instead I sport shirts and jeans.

Hipsters reject anything mainstream. Whether it be movies, music or ideals.

I’m sorry, you have to be kidding me if you say that even half of the movies that play at AMC are actually good. I can’t handle two hours of singing chipmunks, Tom Cruise or Nicholas Cage.

Maybe there is a reason I typically don’t like bands that are super famous. It’s like going to a concert at Palladium Ballroom versus the American Airlines center. I would rather see a band in a small, crowded, intimate room, where you can literally smell the sweat dripping off the band members than see someone the size of an ant sing over the shrill screams of thousands of girls.

Music sounds more authentic that way. Listening to a band that isn’t playing every half hour on Kiss FM is like stumbling upon a hidden treasure. You know you like the band not because their famous, but purely because you like their music.

Maybe I do reject mainstream ideals. Though, I’ve grown up in a house hold where this has been the case. My parents have encouraged me to keep an open mind.

I have a problem with the word “hipster” or any stereotype for that matter. No one likes to be grouped, or generalized in masses.

Using the word hipster, nerd, or jock to describe someone is an attempt to categorize people in neat little groups. It’s an attempt to look beyond the things that makes someone their own, and find the things that make them like everyone else.

Yes, I do drink coffee - I’m a Starbucks Barista for goodness sakes. I have a “COEXIST” bumper sticker on the back of my car. Two of my favorite movies are “50/50” and “Like, Crazy.”

I have a Tumblr - no, I won’t give you my URL. I’m listening to Arcade Fire as I write this. I have tickets for concerts to see Young the Giant, The Kooks, and Foster the People. I don’t listen to top forty radio (“Party Rock Anthem” is an exception). But I’d like to think that those things are just parts of me. They aren’t the parts that define who I am. Not one word, no stereotype, not even Google can figure that out for me. design | joe rau

22

editorials

Vital source of info should remain on class walls Starting this month, LISD will be removing the Media Retrieval System in schools across the district. This means that teachers will no longer be able to show DVDs, videos, Channel One or MOB from TVs in their classrooms. Instead, they will be expected to rely on their projectors to stream videos and the Internet. However, the removal of the Media Retrieval System could prove to be detrimental to students.

We shouldn’t be changing a working system. The move from TVs to projectors has been described as more of an update than a removal, and it seems as though the school board is working to better incorporate technology into the schools. However, the beginning of the spring semester will in part be devoted to learning how everything works.

Administration has not yet been trained in the new changes.

It doesn’t seem as though it will be too hard of an adjustment, but that won’t be determined until our teachers are properly trained. On top of that, there are a number of teachers who do not have readily available projectors installed in their rooms.

The school board believes that this change will cut costs in half, but they are not taking into account the maintenance of the projectors. There may be less equipment, but projector bulbs can be pricy. Bulbs can range in price from $200- $400 or more.

Probably the biggest concern of the removal of the media retrieval system is the loss of school wide information that they provide. From spirit days to club meetings to scholarship information, the TVs are constantly providing students with

important information. With this change, counselors will be making an effort to post much of the information that would otherwise be advertised on the TVs throughout the counseling center. However, glancing at the TV occasionally during class seems like a far better option to most students than dragging themselves all the way down to the counseling center. It is hard to access students beyond the morning announcements and the TVs. Also, MOB and Channel One will have to be streamed online, an obstacle that many teachers will not want to face. Elementary schools will have to change their televised morning announcements that many young kids look forward to talking on.

Although many faculty members are at least aware of the new policy, they are pretty hazy on the details and are unsure of exactly how it will impact their students. Many students get the majority of their national news from Channel One and look forward to the occasional treat of watching their peers on MOB. All in all, this is an unnecessary change and it is happening far too quickly. It seems as though the so-called advantages of the new system are no different than the ones that the TVs already provide. Because of this, many will regard this switch as primarily negative and tedious. The TVs are already installed and have been for years, and aren’t exactly burning a hole in anybody’s pockets regarding maintenance.

As far as the district goes, there are far bigger battles than the one that they have chosen to fight. There are over-crowded

Consumers subjected to potentially dangerous food consumption A typical trip to the grocery store usually includes buying the staples: milk, eggs, meat, fruit and vegetables, all food that should be part of a healthy diet. What’s not as obvious is the work done to manipulate that food. The milk carton contains artificial growth hormones and antibiotics that could be causing premature puberty. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but not if it has been treated with artificial growth hormones or doused in pesticides and preservatives to keep it looking fresh on the shelf.

The only way to keep safe is to educate. Students need to take the initiative and become more aware of what they are eating. People have to deliberately set out to eat food that is good for you. This means shopping organic and cooking at home, taking care to make sure of what is in the food.

The food industry has steered toward cheaper, more efficient methods of producing our foods with additives and by genetically engineered food. They do not have the health of the consumer in mind. Their main drive is to produce cheaper and more efficient food. If that means putting excessive salt, chemical preservatives and other harmful products in produce, the industry will, without thinking of the consequences. This is why the consumer has to take responsibility.

Not even the experts know for sure what the effects of these actions are, and most research has shown these practices are dangerous. These foods are unmonitored for their consequences. Therefore, Americans are acting as test dummies for genetically modified food. The FDA, an agency that is supposed to be looking out for the consumer, is not doing an adequate job. Although the ingredients of products design | joe rau

must be listed, what is done to the product or the effects that these changes may have on the consumer is not found anywhere on the product. Therefore, the consumer must educate themselves on what they eat.

What is known about the effects these foods may have is concerning. Acesulfame-K is found in chewing gum, diet soda and gelatin. Aspartame is found in diet foods.

Butylated Hydroxyanisole is found in potato chips and cereals. All have been found to cause cancer, and this is just the beginning of the list. Chemicals, genetically modified foods and the use of preservatives all have potentially dangerous side effects. The average student does not know enough about the effects of these chemicals to make educated choices and avoid them.

Every time a consumer purchases food from a grocery store or a restaurant, they are giving consent to farmers and companies to feed us genetically modified food and food filled with chemicals. To avoid such foods, buy organic. In the U.S. the government does not allow manufacturers to label something 100 percent organic if that food has been genetically modified or been fed genetically modified feed.

Local stores and restaurants such as Sprouts and Chipotle sell organic food. Such restaurants and grocery stores are profit driven. If more people buy organic food, the market for organics will increase.

The real problem is that these food companies are getting away with it. To make the FDA stand up and protect the food for sale, contact them or a local state representative and make your concerns as a consumer known.

classrooms, teacher pay cuts and many other issues that could be addressed. It is a system that continues to work well within schools across the district, yet they want to keep trying to reinvent the wheel.

Instead of changing policies without seeing how they affect the schools in question, the school board should make it a priority to get to know its students and what is best for them. It just goes to show that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

And the current system most certainly ain’t broke.

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Letter to the Editor Dear Editor, That blue handicapped parking sign is not a decoration, it’s a law that ought to be enforced by your conscience. You may have swagger according to the student body, but I doubt your inability to read a clock qualifies as a handicap.

I’m not complaining that kids with their brightly painted red mustangs find it their natural right to steal a parking space from my two handicapped siblings. Of course not, I’m worried about their weight. Look at the world today, the rate of obesity is growing steadily. If Barbies and Kens want to keep their figures in perfect shape, that front row parking spot is not doing their chunky thighs any good.

In actuality, my baby brother (who is dependent on crutches to walk) doesn’t really need the front row parking spot. It would be totally fine if he completely collapsed and had a seizure in the middle of the street. But to let some kid get fat, now that’s a crime. Action must be taken to lower the increasing obesity rate – park in the regular spots.

Athletes, Barbies, Kens challenge yourselves: this is a new opportunity. It is obviously not my attempt at metaphorically punching you in the gut for all those times I had to carry my 90 lb brother or drag my screaming 130 lb sister into the grocery store because you decided to treat yourself to a prime parking spot.

There is a reason why they chose blue to represent the handicapped parking. The little man in the wheelchair is sad when your jiggling thighs don’t receive the necessary exercise. That blue sign must be earned. It is the symbol for those who actually are disabled. I may reap the benefits of my siblings’ handicaps by getting great parking spots, but I can assure you that the front row parking is the only thing that is convenient for my siblings and myself.

Sincerely, Emmy Buck, 12 january 20, 2012 | the marquee

sponsors 23

Don’t forget to order the 2012 Marcus High School Yearbook!! $80 The price wil increase later in the year.

the marquee | january 20, 2012

Order now at Balfour.com.

Select yearbook and Marcus High School.

24

spotlight

Just keep swimming

Swim team begins to wrap up season, continues to compete in meets

photos | jordan richards Top left: Seniors Danielle Barozinsky and Mackenzie Thornton laugh as the watch their teammates compete in “Duel in the Pool” on Dec. 13. The Marcus girls’ swim team only walked away with one duel loss this year.

Middle left: The diving team practices on Jan. 2 at the Natatorium. The dive team practices with the Flower Mound team but competes against them during the season.

Bottom Left: Junior Chance Huxtable swim his laps in order to prepare for the next meet. The head coach of the team Shannon Gillespy was recently named to the 2012 Olympic coaching staff.

Top Right: The swimmers prepare to finish the rest of their practice sets on Jan 2. These practices take place at the Lewisville ISD Natatorium.

Middle right: Junior Madison Stewart kicks her sets to recover from a recent shoulder injury. Swimmers are required to “kick” in order to heal arm injuries.

Bottom Right: Junior Brianna Gaskill takes a rest after finishing her laps at practice on Jan. 2. These practice sets often include kicks, IMs and races. design | amanda collen

january 20, 2012 | the marquee