t he m a rque e
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Volume 30 • Issue 4 • Jan. 29, 2016
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New features available in the library
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Cheerleaders in national competitions
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How to make Superbowl 50 the best one yet
Edward S. Marcus High School • 5707 Morriss Road, Flower Mound, TX 75028
The Marquee Staff EDITOR IN CHIEF Rachel Ramirez MANAGING & SPORTS EDITOR Darci Walton DESIGN EDITOR Anna Kate Hutton PHOTO EDITOR Brooke Wyant cover brooke wyant & Katie Burton
pHoto vanessa davis
Sophomore Caroline Hergenrether moves the soccer ball up the field during the game against Allen. The Lady Marauders tied the Eagles 1-1.
CONTENTS
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ONLINE EDITOR & BUSINESS MANAGER Jacob Fontaine GRAPHICS EDITOR Taryn Welch NEWS & FEATURE EDITOR Sanika Sule
News
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
GET INVOLVED A look at new and old clubs on campus
OPINION EDITOR
Katie Burton Cara Crocker REPORTERS Bailey Crocker, Andrea Garza,
Feature
PICKING THE BRAIN Senior takes advantage of research opportunities at UTD laboratory
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Michelle Mullings, Brady Pierce PHOTOGRAPHERS Amanda Fineran, Abby Schlichter, Vanessa Davis, Keegan Douglas-Davis DESIGNERS Madeline Stanfield, Nick Fopiano ADVISER
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LaJuana Hale
Sports
PRINCIPAL
MEET THE MARAUDERS Varsity basketball players obstacles and expectations for the season
Entertainment
WHO ARE YOU? A quiz to determine which reality TV show reflects your personality
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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 $70 per 1/8 of a page, with discounts available. Patron ads are available for $100. Online advertisements are also available. For more information call 469-713-5196. The Marquee is a standing member of ILPC, TAJE, ATPI, CSPA, NSPA, JEA and Quill and Scroll.
Marquee News Briefs
news
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story vanessa davis
Local North Texas experienced massive amounts of rain in the spring of 2015 delaying the work progress on the River Walk, which now sets the estimated completion time in the spring of 2017. The River Walk at Central Park, located north of FM 1171 and west of Morriss Road, is a recreational space designed to include shops, restaurants, play areas, and other establishments. Many of the new restaurants represent
a variety of cultures such as Blaze Pizza, Tokyo Joe’s, Dee Lincoln’s Steak Bar and Steel City Pops. Torchy’s Tacos was originally intended to be a part of the River Walk but it was announced via Twitter on January 21 that it would instead be placed in the Shops of Highland Village. The River Walk will also be home to over 360 new apartments, 100 villas, and Flower Mounds first hotel which will be
a Courtyard Marriott. Flower Mound voters agreed to this $16 million project back in 2014 in hopes that this new development would attract future businesses.
State
4% Black 11% Other 21% Hispanic 23% Asian 45% White
UT Demographic Source : Office of Information Management and Analysis
The Fisher v. UT case was revisited on December 9, 2015 and will be given an official decision near the end of the 2015-2016 term. In the Spring of 2008, Abigail Fisher, a white female from Houston, turned in her application to the University of Texas but was denied admission into the school. After being rejected, Fisher sued the university for racial discrimination in 2009. Although she and her lawyers took their case all the way to the Supreme Court, they were unable to collect enough evidence to convince
the court. According to the school’s affirmative action admissions policy, “the university may use race as part of a holistic admissions program where it cannot otherwise achieve diversity,” which explains why Fisher was denied acceptance. Fisher graduated in the top 12% of her class, below the top 10% automatic admission cutoff at UT, meaning she would have to compete against other applicants for the same position at the school. Many of those were of Latino or African American origin with the same or better grades as Fisher.
National In a live address to the nation, President Obama announced that he would be taking executive action to reduce gun violence in America. Because Congress did not pass new gun legislation, Obama stated that he intends to implement several new policies that will make it more difficult to acquire firearms. The four primary steps to Obama’s proposal include more in depth background checks, improving the existing gun laws, investing in more
research for gun safety technology, and acknowledging the mental health aspect of gun control. A January Pew poll showed that 62 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with current gun laws, with 38 percent wanting them stricter and 15 percent wanting them less strict. Currently, the United States experiences an average of more than one mass shooting a day, and around 30,000 Americans die every year as a result of incidents involving firearms.
DESIGN anna kate hutton & katie burton
vs.
jan. 29, 2016
4 news
New clubs Student Alliance for Equality (SAFE): Marcus GSA story cara crocker
Mission Statement: “SAFE Marcus Gay Straight Alliance aims to: -educate the student body and faculty on various orientations and gender spectrum to reduce stigma -provide a safe haven for LGBTQ students and allies, while promoting tolerance -create opportunities for LGBTQ individuals and their allies to share experiences -identify issues in the LGBTQ community (e.g. homeless youth) and encourage volunteering within the club to bond the group while giving back.”
S.A.F.E. (Student Alliance For Equality) is a club determined to promote the acceptance of the LGBTQ community. The group meets to discuss the standards society holds of individuals with different gender identities and sexual orientations. Any student can join. The group aims to be a safe haven for students to find support in and gain friendships from other students in the group. S.A.F.E is still recruiting members so you can get stop by W225 to pick up an application. Their next meeting will occur on Feb. 2.
e v = lo Fitness Club
Mission Statement: “The aim for the Fitness Club is to motivate students to become fitter and more motivated individuals in an effective manner.” The Fitness Club is a student-led organization at Marcus that consists of a group of students that work out
mhsmarquee.com
mornings on Thursdays. Students in the group set a fitness goal they want to achieve for the future and determine why they wanted to join the group. Members then choose workouts that will help them achieve their goal and work with others to achieve their target fitness level.
Members learn about the proper form and technique of learning these fitness routines to better help themselves in reaching the fitness level they want. The group is open to all students and is looking to recruit a few more for training. To learn more about the group and joining, contact Coach Rogers.
DESIGN Katie Burton
news
Club updates
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Bowling Club Mission Statement: “The Bowling Club aims to promote the concept of team among the members; to demonstrate how individual improvement and achievement benefits not only one’s self but also the team as a whole and to promote setting and
striving to achieve goals in a competitive, environment.” The Bowling Club is a group made up of students from all grade levels that want to share their love for bowling. The team competes on Saturdays with 8 matches so far and the girl’s team has had a successful
season with only 2 losses. They meet Thursdays after school at the Brunswick Zone in Denton. The club is looking for more female members, but is hoping to recruit as many members as possible. No previous bowling experience is necessary to join. Contact Allen Nance for an application.
DECA Mission Statement: “DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.”
deca DESIGN Katie Burton
DECA is a club that allows students the opportunity to further their knowledge in finance and marketing for the future. The group competes at district, state and national conferences with different categories including role-play scenarios and group marketing projects. Recently, the group competed at the District Career Development Conference and out
of the 32 members that were entered in the conference, 28 won in their competition. These students will now go to the state level competition in San Antonio to compete in their categories for the chance to reach the national level. Two of the students ran for district office and won the Vice President slots for District 7. Members in the club don’t have to compete, so students can join if they just want the useful experience for their future. The club accepts students of any grade level, and applications can be picked up from S117.
jan. 29, 2016
Makerspace
Library offers place to explore technology Story Cara crocker
The Makerspace is a newly implemented room in the library that allows students the opportunity to explore math and science resources outside of the classroom setting. The room contains Spheros, robotic balls that students can program to test drive around, and littleBits, electronic building kits students can use to test circuits and electricity. “It’s a place to explore some math and science type resources or just to create,” McGinnis said. In addition to having these techy items, the room also has paper for origami and puzzles to build. The Makerspace is
open during library hours, so as long as a student has their ID, they can use the room in their free time. Students using the Makerspace don’t have to be skilled in programming since the space allows students the opportunity to gain more experience with these resources. Nancy McGinnis hopes this space will possibly impact the outlook students have for their future. “My hope is that some kids will go in there and maybe play around with the Spheros program and go ‘You know what, maybe I should look into computer programming.’” McGinnis said. “The hope is that it will peak an interest into something you may have not known you were interested in.”
Senior Libby Dinkmeyer works in the library. She is using the Spheros in the Makerspace.
photos abby Schlicter mhsmarquee.com
DESIGN anna kate hutton
More eBooks added to online library, Overdrive Story Cara crocker
Overdrive is a newly updated app on student iPads that allows students to check out eBooks or audiobooks from the LISD and local libraries without even walking in the door. The use of eBooks has been growing in the last few years because it alleviates multiple trips to the library, and checking out eBooks online is quick and easy. Because the eBook checks itself back in, there’s no late fees. If a student isn’t done with the book, they can check it out again and continue where they started. Head librarian Nancy McGinnis has been continually adding eBooks for students to read, whether it be for school or personal reading. “You check them out and you use your network username and password,” McGinnis said. “You have them for two weeks, and then they turn themselves in.” LISD currently has over 2,500 eBooks for students to read, which has increased
over the four years since Overdrive was created. In addition to checking out eBooks from the Lewisville ISD library, students can use the Overdrive app to check out ebooks from other libraries such as the town of Flower Mound. All they need to use the online service is a library card. Junior Sheradyn Romo has been using Overdrive since it was first implemented in the district. “I like reading and listening to ebooks,” Romo said. “It’s really convenient because it’s all in one place.” Overdrive has constantly been updated over the years it has been in the district, and McGinnis has made it one of her top priorities to get the app working for students. “Over the last couple of years I’ve tried to make it really student centered, so [students] are the ones that push the changes that get made,” McGinnis said. “We’re really trying to pay attention to what kids want and need academically.”
NEWS
Most popular library eBooks
Paper Towns, John Green
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Harry Potter: And The Sourcerer’s Stone, J.K. Rowling
The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
The Maze Runner, James Dashner
The 5th Wave, Rick Yancey
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie
Looking for Alaska, John Green
Glass Sword, Victoria Aveyard
Steps to Overdrive
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Sign up for OverDrive with your To start searching for a book, LISD email and password in the click Lewisville ISD, Overdrive app on the iPad. Where it says [select one], select Click the lefthand bar. Lewisville ISD. Select “add a library.” Sign in again with your LISD Search for Marcus High School username and password. and click.
DESIGN nick fopiano
3 Search for a book in the search bar. When you find a eBook to check out, click the book and select “borrow”. After selecting eBooks, go to checkout.
jan. 29, 2016
A head start
ortunity
arch opp se re h g u ro th er re ca s orks toward
Senior w
Story rachel ramirez photo vanessa davis
As the days of summer were coming to an end, senior Lyndie Ho found herself at the University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson. Over the past couple of months, she had spent eight to ten hours a day at a lab in UTD as a part of the university’s George A. Jeffrey NanoExplorers Summer Program. After pairing the students who were accepted into the program with some of the school’s professors at the beginning of the summer, they worked in that member’s lab on original research throughout the summer. Now, students and professors from other labs as well as many from her own gathered together to listen to the eight presentations that were planned for the day, including Ho’s neural probe project. “I got really good feedback on my presentation from professors that were mhsmarquee.com
outside of my lab, and that felt really good to know [that] the people within my lab think my work is valuable and other people do also,” Ho said. “It’s nice to know that you’re being appreciated outside of your own field.” The project that consumed her summer focused on developing a new type of neural probe that would treat disorders like Alzheimer’s and the effects of strokes. According to Ho, many of these disorders are not caused by physical damage to the brain, but by chemicals traveling to the wrong areas of the brain. Essentially, planting these probes into neural tissue would assist in redirecting these chemicals to their appropriate destinations and minimize side effects. When Ho learned this, it reminded her of her grandmother’s post-stroke recovery struggles. “When I learned that it’s not a part
of her brain that’s broken, it’s something as simple as the chemicals in her brain are not going the right way, then I thought that was really interesting that you could just make them go the right way,” Ho said. Currently, neural probes that can assist people like Ho’s grandmother exist, but are made with hard materials that are not as compatible with the tissue. The goal of her research over the summer was to develop plastics for probes that could be implanted both into neural tissue and other areas of the body like spinal implants to aid paralysis and cochlear implants to assist hearing impairments. “It’s not great for the body to have things that are really hard inside it,” Ho said. “The goal is to make a plastic that is soft, but you don’t want to have a plastic that is so soft that when you try to insert it, it just bounces off.” Design Katie Burton
Ho has handed over some of the Ho said. project to the graduate students she This type of work is what Ho says worked with over the summer since she aspires to do with her life. Originally starting school. She is now focused she wanted to become a doctor, but she on developing various new types of quickly discovered that such a career plastics. While the research has been may not be the best choice for someone a large undertaking, Ho attributes her who gets squeamish around blood. Her mental growth to the support provided time and hands on experience in the lab to her by the university. Not only was has enabled her to discover another way she matched with a professor, but she she can make a difference. also received an undergraduate and a “This is a nice halfway point where... graduate student mentor. I don’t have to dissect bodies and stuff “I think the main issue in any like that but I still get to do things that project is just getting it off the ground, help people in medicine, so I think this but I had a lot of is what I want to help because the do,” Ho said. Na n o E x p l o re r s Her new I think the main issue in program is really connections in great at matching any project is just getting the lab are not you with profesonly helpful to it off the ground, but I sors who are very her research, but had a lot of help because she hopes they established,” Ho said. “They know will also help her the NanoExplorers what they’re achieve future program is really great doing.” goals. at matching you with During orienHo says tation for the she is leaning professors who are very Na n o E x p l o re r s towards attending established. program, Ho visitStanford UniverLyndie Ho, 12 ed various tables sity. Since she is in the university’s working with a conference room. lot of graduate Professor after students who professor and obtained undergraduate student graduate educaafter graduate student spent time tion elsewhere, some even at Stanford, discussing their projects with Ho and she is hoping to get connected with her peers. similar research projects in college. As she tried to discern where she Despite the research opportunities would best fit in, she found herself she has received, Ho says she attributes returning to the first group of graduate this success more to her hard work than students she spoke to that day.The project natural talent. didn’t require some of the prerequisites She encourages students interested that others did, and she would be able in any field to take the initiative to seek to work individually, rather than with a out opportunities like the NanoExplorers group. One of those students, Radu Reit, program. A simple Google search she even became a type of mentor to Ho says could produce similar opportunities who oversaw her research along with for other students. Haley Abitz, an undergraduate student “I think that anyone who was who worked virtually everyday by Ho’s motivated could do the same thing that side. I could,” Ho said. “I wish that more “One nice thing about that people knew about internships at UTD experience is that you immediately got and stuff like that because I think that a to see your professor and your grad lot of people probably want to do stuff students’ personalities and you could like this, and they aren’t aware of the figure out if you mesh well with them,” opportunities that are around us.” Design Katie Burton
FEATurE
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Neural probe Neural probes are used to record brain activity or aid dysfunctional areas of the brain after head injuries or strokes. Neural disorders like Alzheimer’s are caused by incorrectly routed chemicals in the brain rather than physical damage. Neural probes assist in the redirecting of those chemicals to the correct areas of the brain. Ho is researching new ways to make pliable, soft plastics for the construction of these probes. By using a softer material, the implanting of a probe will be less harmful to the brain. jan. 29, 2016
10 F E A T u r E
Perform to perfection
Junior excels in state theatre competition story bailey crocker photo amanda finneran
Junior Reuben Kamanga’s passion for theatre sparked in his hometown of Lusaka, Zambia, and culminated when he recently accomplished a perfect performance. His theatre career started in the second grade at his American private school in Africa. After a talent show, his teacher recommended him to perform in his first play as Greylag in ‘The Ugly Duckling.” Though none of his family members or friends were in theatre he didn’t let that stop him. Ever since then, he has loved it. Kamanga said that compared to African theatre, theatre in the United States is more competitive and serious. When he moved to Texas in middle school with his mother, step-father, and sister to be closer to his stepgrandparents, who live in Flower Mound his passion for theatre didn’t falter. If anything, he is more committed to it now than ever. This year, Kamanga acts for the school’s varsity theatre class, taught by Denise Tooch. He said that the program has a welcoming environment and a lot of professionalism. “I’ve had some pretty awesome directors here and at Briarhill and everybody’s cool and accepting,” Kamanga said. Not only does he perform for the school, but also for Studio B in Flower Mound and the Denton Community Theatre. According to Tooch, Kamanga is a great addition to the theatre
design Katie burton
FEATurE
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on department at the school. “I think he’s extraordinarily enthusiastic,” Tooch said. “He’s very creative, and he brings a lot of joy into it. He’s usually very positive, too. In his few short years in Flower Mound he has performed roles in almost all of the plays at the school. His first play freshmen year, the Crucible, he played one of the lead characters, John Hale. He was cast as an extra, but after four of the senior leads dropped out, he and three others had to step up and learn the lines five days before the play began. As a freshman, it was nerve wracking for him because he was still adjusting to his new life in the United States. He didn’t go to lunch and spent all of his fourth period theatre class on the stage practicing and memorizing. To him, that is the most nervous he’s been for a show. Kamanga has now followed this play with many more lead roles and competitions. December 3-5 some of the school’s theatre students attended the Texas State Thespian Festival in Dallas where people from all around the state come to compete. Kamanga recognized other students from seeing them in their school’s plays and they recognized him from the shows he has been in. He really enjoyed the festival and said it was an amazing experience. “It was awesome because it was people who appreciate the same art that you appreciate,” Kamanga said. While there, Kamanga performed in the monologue event. He did both a comedy and a tragedy, which were from the plays “Art” and “A Soldier’s Play.”
Design Katie Burton
Leading up to the competition, he had practiced weeks and months beforehand both at school and at home. Even at the convention he was reviewing his lines. Unlike freshmen year during the Crucible, he wasn’t nervous. All the years of theatre and endless hours of practice and dedication had kept Kamanga calm and prepared even though he had to perform two monologues in three minutes while trying to impress and engage the judges. While performing, he had to
artfully transition from one character to the next. After his performance, he was nervous about the judges scores. However, he would have to wait because he wouldn’t be getting his score until early the next morning. Kamanga woke at 5 a.m. to his fellow thespians jumping on him, excited looks on their faces. The scores had come in. Out of about 2,000 students to perform in the monologue
competition, Kamanga was the only to make a perfect score. The judges told him that they were completely engaged for both of his monologues. “When I went to bed I was thinking I might not even advance, much less get a perfect score,” Kamanga said. “It was pretty cool and I was really excited.” From the school, 16 out of the 18 students were qualified to compete again. If their show, Elephant’s Graveyard, advances, all 18 will be attending. The thespians will compete again June 2025 on the campus of the University of Nebraska for nationals. Kamanga will be performing the same monologues again and he still continues to practice and improve his roles. Kamanga is hoping to score high enough to become a main stage finalist, which means that he would be performing in front of everyone attending the convention. Despite all the time and effort he puts towards theatre, Kamanga doesn’t know whether or not he will continue it in the future. If he can get a scholarship for it, he said he might minor in theater in college. Right now, however, he still continues to perform because theater is his favorite thing to do. He will even be making an appearance in Shrek The Musical as Papa Bear. Kamanga said that he couldn’t have done any of it, getting the perfect score, performing in all the plays, without the direction of the theater teachers. “They really shaped me into the actor I am now and they’re the best people ever,” Kamanga said.
jan. 29, 2016
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sports
Head in story & photos vanessa davis
Every team has its challenges. With a brand new head coach coming in at the start of the season, the coaches and varsity players of the Lady Marauders basketball team have had to make a few adjustments regarding practices, games, and team chemistry. Coach Jordan Davis transferred from Celina High School, a 4A district school northeast of Denton, this past May. She says that assuming the head coaching job right away was definitely a learning experience for her. The jump from 4A to 6A was a major shift for Davis considering the strong competition of this district and larger number of kids. “It was a tough decision to leave Celina,” Davis said. “I had been at Celina for eight years coaching and teaching so it was difficult to leave some of the people and the kids there.” Davis says that the transition from supervising three teams to five teams was a major change but having players who work hard has made her job so much easier. Being a high school basketball coach has given Davis the opportunity to teach the
Nicole Mackel, 12 mhsmarquee.com
Bringing the ball up the court, senior Britney Roden dribbles around her opponent from Allen High School.
game of basketball while learning from her players at the same time. “I like the relationships and the things that you establish,” Davis said. “High school kids are still trying to learn a lot so there is the opportunity to teach them not just about basketball but other aspects of life.” Senior Morgan Hellyer has been on varsity for three years and, just like the rest of the program, has had to adjust to Davis’ different coaching style. She has seen improvement in herself and the team. “Last year we played a lot slower,” Hellyer said. “This year our game is a lot faster paced. We’re pressing more, getting more rebounds, and bringing the ball up the court quicker.” Hellyer says that encouraging each other during practice and motivating one another before games is how the girls work together. She says that Davis is a tough love coach that pushes her team to do their best. Davis’s high expectations inspire the team to represent the school well, on and off the court. “It’s always a learning experience when you go and jump into something new,” said Davis. “So when the girls work hard, that’s really all you can ask for as a coach.”
Working her way to the hoop, senior Morgan Hellyer defends the ball as she looks across the court for her next move. DESIGN anna kate hutton
the game The players can feel it coming. The long locker room lecture after the close game that they should’ve won. The Marcus boy’s basketball team has encountered many tough teams in the first half of the district. Clay Cody has been the varsity head coach for four years now and has found that building relationships with students has become one of the most rewarding aspects of his job. This year’s varsity team is comprised of six seniors, four of those are returning members, six juniors, and one sophomore. “Our biggest obstacle is that we had a lack of experience compared to other teams in the district,” Cody said. “We didn’t have many returning members but we’re playing better every game.” While the rest of the school was taking time off for winter break, the varsity boys were practicing almost every day trying to improve their game for the next half of district. The boys have continued to compete in hopes of seeing some results on the scoreboard. For junior Connor Bleasdell, being a part of a team that resembles family is rewarding in and of itself.
Scanning the court for his teammates, junior Jake Watermiller prepares to pass the ball for another Marcus basket. DESIGN anna kate hutton
sports
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“The team aspect is my favorite part of basketball,” Bleasdell said. “We give each other encouragement, helpful criticism, and try to say positive things in practice and games.” Senior Conner Freed has made many friendships over the this season. He says that he will never forget all of the fun memories from the bus rides home to the pre-game locker room hangouts listening to music with the team. Freed says that playing on the same team as his closest friends makes the boys want to work hard for themselves, their coaches, and each other. “We know that we’re really undersized and a really young team,” said Freed. “But that’s what motivates us to keep working hard and prove people wrong. It can be hard at times but we just have to trust in what we’re doing.” Being in one of the toughest districts in the area, the boys were challenged physically and mentally. “Pound the rock is kind of our mantra,” Cody said. “We’re just going to keep doing what we do.”
Watching with anticipation, junior Dylan Minor guards his Lewisville opponent in attempts to stop them from scoring.
Koloa Heather, 12
jan. 29, 2016
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16 i n - d e p t h
Islamophobia in North Texas
Discrimination grows after terror attacks, Muslim people speak out
37% of Americans have a favorable opinion of Islam. This is the lowest rating since 2001. Source : ABC News & Washington Post inside cover vanessa davis story sanika sule
Following the November attack in Paris and the December attack in San Bernardino, California, anti-Muslim hate crimes have tripled. Both attacks were carried out by supporters of ISIS, or Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, leading to an increased Islamophobic sentiment in the United States. After the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in New York executed by Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda, the United States Department of Justice reported over 800 incidents of anti-Islamic actions against Muslim Americans, and those perceived to practice Islam. Shaheed Luqman, former board member of the Islamic Association of Lewisville/Flower Mound (IALFM), said he saw an anti-Islamic sentiment begin to grow following the 2001 terrorist attack. “Primarily after 9/11, [Islamophobia] has become part of our vocabulary,” Shaheed said. “To be honest, it scares mhsmarquee.com
me tremendously. I didn’t think that that would be one of the things my kids would have to grow up with. It creates more of a fear for my family, for my community than anything else.” More recently, a man was killed and another suffered minor injuries on Christmas Eve after Anthony Torres allegedly opened fire on Omar’s Wheels and Tires in Dallas. Staff at Omar’s reported an altercation between Torres and an employee a week earlier. Witnesses said Torres was yelling “Muslim” as he was shooting, and it was later discovered on a body cam video that Torres said he is biased against Muslims. The shooting was labeled as a hate crime. M u s l i m Americans have faced both violent and nonviolent discrimination. The Bureau on American Islamic Relations (BAIR), staged an armed protest outside an Irving mosque following the attacks in Paris. The group said they were speaking out against Syrian refugees coming to the United States and “the Islamisation of America.” After the massacre of Parisians earlier that month by ISIS supporters, BAIR members said they organized the protest to prevent the same thing from occurring in the United States. Shaheed’s son, junior Adam Luqman said that categorizing refugees as members of ISIS is inaccurate. “I think it’s the same thing as saying all Christians are KKK members,” Adam
said. “It’s not a correct interpretation of Islam, and it’s not something Islamic religion allows at all.” Another occurrence of religious profiling took place in Irving when a 14 year old Muslim student, Ahmed Mohamed, brought in a homemade clock to school to show his teacher. Upon believing the clock to be a bomb, Mohamed’s teacher notified the police, who arrested Mohamed. The incident sparked national outrage, leading many to take to social media sites such as Twitter where the hashtag #IStandWithAhmed trended worldwide. Shaheed said that the actions of a few has lead to the stereotyping of an entire religion. “We have nothing to be apologetic about,” Shaheed said. “We have bad apples in every bunch. People do a lot of things in the face of religion. Why do people do things in the face of religion, hijack a faith to perpetrate their own beliefs?” The IALFM, located near Flower Mound High School has recently made efforts to expand. The growing mosque presented plans to the Flower Mound planning and zoning committee, but Adam said they were met by dissent from a neighboring resident. She objected to the expansion of the mosque despite previous large scale expansions from their other neighbor, Flower Mound High School, which she did not disapprove of. After reworking their plans to accommodate the P&Z
“Primarily after 9/11, [Islamophobia] has become part of our vocabulary. . . It creates more of a fear for my family, my community, than anything else.”
-Shaheed Luqman
Design TARYN WELCH
in-depth
committee’s specifications, the mosque expects to begin construction over the summer. “It’s going ahead slowly, things are happening,” Adam said. “We’re just trying to work with them to expand our mosque because right now we have a lot
of members, but our mosque is unable to hold all of them.” In addition to expanding the building, the IALFM has also made efforts to create awareness within the community. They recently held a mosque open house where people of several faiths visited the mosque to learn more about Islam. Shaheed said that all of the mosque’s outreach programs
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have been made in effort to build mutual respect throughout the community. “Islamophobia is very much there,” Shaheed said. “If you look at it over time, the same sort of thing has been done against [many other] ethnic and religious minorities.Right now it seems like Muslims are the ones on the radar, but I think the time shall pass.”
Students discuss Muslim prejudice in society, media compiled rachel ramirez
With growing conversations about ISIS, Syrian refugees and the Middle East in today’s culture, Islam seems to continue to be a big point of interest in society The Marquee gathered a group of students in grades 10, 11, and 12 to discuss the Islamic faith and the perception of Muslims in media and Western culture. These are some of their responses.
“I think another thing is that Americans don’t always realize just because you’re from Syria doesn’t mean you’re Islamic. There are Jewish people there, Christian people there, and they’re people just trying to get away from all of that.”
-Nico McElhone, 10
“[ISIS is] using [Islam] more as a cover up for the atrocious acts that they’re doing. I don’t think Americans realize how much just ordinary Muslims want ISIS to be destroyed as much as we do.”
-Aaditya Murthy, 12
“We live in a time right now with, because all of the terrorist activity that’s been going on, everyone’s really, really afraid. That doesn’t just mean non-Muslims, but Muslims too, in the way that they’re afraid of being persecuted for something that they had no part of.”
“Western countries saying ‘We don’t want to deal with that, and we don’t want Islamic people here,’ it makes [refugees] more likely to go to these terrorist organizations as a means of survival. ISIS is very crafty in this way to get us to turn against [Muslims].”
-Carolyn Minton, 11
-Kayla Temshiv, 11
Design TArYN WELCH
JAN. 29, 2016
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Beyond the prejudice
Senior offers insight on being a Muslim student story darci walton
American pride and high spirits filled the halls of Lamar Middle School as senior Maha Ali walked into her seventh grade Texas History class on May 2, 2011. Earlier that morning, news broke that al-Qaeda founder and leader Osama bin Laden had been killed by Navy SEALS after a decade long manhunt for the alleged mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks. As she sat at her desk a voice from the back of the room broke the silence. “Hey Maha, I heard your leader died.” At first, Ali was confused. She didn’t understand what the boy meant by her “leader.” As she sat and thought it over she realized that just because she was Muslim he assumed that she supported bin Laden and his actions. Ali’s mind went to chaos. She didn’t know whether to be enraged or sad at his ignorance, to yell at the boy or stay silent. She had never been faced with problem before. Usually everyone was nice and respectful to her and her religion. Ultimately her rage outweighed all of her other emotions and Ali exploded into a fit of screams. “I started shouting ‘that’s not okay to say to people’ and ‘you can’t say that kind of stuff,” Ali said. According to Ali, the comment wouldn’t have made such an impact on her if it was said to her in a private conversation. “I think what was worse was that it wasn’t just personally me, but my friends would hear it too,” Ali said. Ali said she understands that the boy’s statement came from a place of hate and not everyone has the same views as him. She believes that mainstream media and how they present their news coverage to viewers can have influence on how people view Muslims. “I believe that the media could use better rhetoric in the sense that if you put ‘Islam’ and ‘terrorist’ in the same sentence, you’ll naturally start linking those words,” Ali said. This discrimination became a part of everyday life after news broke that ISIS claimed responsibility for the November photo vanessa davis Paris attacks that left over 130 dead. Senior Maha Ali is one of the few practicing Muslims at the school. She is Though the terrorist group claims to commit their crimes involved with the youth of the Muslim community and helps with Sunday School. in the name of Islam, most Muslims advocate that Islam encourages peace to its followers. Ali said that ISIS does not accurately represent the faith or its teachings but due to having
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DESIGN taryn welch
“Islamic” in their title the two, terrorism and Islam, are linked once again. “After the Paris attacks there was a new wave of Islamophobia and it got a lot stronger,” Ali said. “After [the attacks] you could tell there was a lot more fear and lot more hate towards Muslims.” Regardless of Islamophobia’s presence Ali said that Flower Mound has a strong community for Muslims. She is heavily involved herself beyond just attending the mosque. Ali volunteers with children, puts on youth events and is a Sunday School teacher’s aide. Despite being active in the community and faith, Ali said that at first glance she doesn’t obviously appear as a Muslim woman is stereotypically portrayed. This could be due to the absence of a hijab or any other form of headscarf. “The faith asks us to be modest in our apparel,” Ali said. “It is up to the woman to decide how she takes on that modesty and when she does want to wear the headscarf. It is not forced upon us like a lot of people think.” According to a 2007 study from Pew Research Center, 51 percent of American Muslim women wear a form of headscarf some or all of the time since it is not mandated by the faith.
“It’s like some people wear jeans and some people wear trousers,” Ali said. “Some women wear headscarves and some women don’t.” For Ali, she is unsure if she will ever wear the headscarf. The scarf would symbolize her strength of faith but she knows that if she does wear it she could face public scrutiny and hateful comments. “It’s like a wearing your heart on your sleeve kind of thing,” Ali said. “It’s scary to take that step and it takes a lot of bravery to wear it.” Growing up as a Muslim in Flower Mound Ali says she has not received near the amount of persecution as those that live in other parts of the world. The incident in Texas History was the only time hatred has been blatantly directed at Ali. At school she is not faced with igno-
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rant and Islamophobic comments on a daily basis. In a predominantly white and Christian community such as Flower Mound, knowledge about Islam might
be sparse. Ali says that she and other members of her faith are always open to answering questions and informing citizens. “There are mosques and people that are willing to talk to you about it,” Ali said. “Do your own research besides just googling it. Go to your local Muslim community and they’d be more than willing to talk.”
photos submitted Saif, Yusuf, Zeenat, Adeeb, and Maha Ali pose for a family portrait. The Ali family are active members of the Masjid al-Noor Mosque in Flower Mound.
DESIGN taryn welch
Mother Zeenat Ali is holding her young daughter, Maha, in her lap. Maha is the youngest of the three siblings of the Ali family.
JAN. 29, 2016
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Between two cultures Muslim administrator remembers Islamophobia after 9/11 story michelle mullings
Growing up in Flower Mound, Assistant Principal Dr. Erum Shahzad was a brown girl in a white town. While she didn’t see herself as being different, when she moved to Marcus her junior year she was given one nickname by her classmates. Camel jockey. Having lived in America since she was a baby, Shahzad said she didn’t even understand what the term meant until a friend explained that it was a racial slur for Middle Eastern people just like her. “I really thought I was white,” Shahzad said. “I grew up in the United States. I didn’t think I had an accent. I mean, other than having to wear the scarf, there wasn’t anything else that I thought would make me look different.” Instances of prejudice were rare in her early years. Even when she heard harsh comments being tossed around, Shahzad usually found herself blissfully unaware of what they meant. It wasn’t until the infamous date of Sep. 11, 2001 that everything changed. ••• Like many Americans, the memory
of the day is one Shahzad says she’ll never forget. She was driving to work when she heard the breaking news on the radio. A plane had collided into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York. Someone must have missed their landing, Shahzad thought. It couldn’t have been intentional. But by the time she arrived at the school and turned on the news, a second plane had crashed through the South Tower. Shahzad and her students tried to comprehend the situation. Soon after the attacks, out of fear for her safety, Shahzad’s neighbors stuck a American flag in the front yard of her family’s home. Her neighbors explained that they were just trying to protect her. She was stunned. Until her community showed this kind of support, the reality hadn’t yet sunk in. When she found out the attacks were done by Muslim extremists, Shahzad was horrified. She was Muslim. Her family was Muslim. And everyone knew that. “It was a fear of how we would be viewed and how our lives would
“There are times where we talk about, would we be treated differently if we just paid our $75 to just get our names changed?”
-Dr. Erum Shahzad
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be,” Shahzad said. “And you know, unfortunately some of that came true.” Less than two months after the attacks, Shahzad learned the devastating news that her mother was put on life support. She immediately bought a plane ticket to Arizona to say her goodbyes. But after she arrived at the airport, Shahzad learned that the once simple act of catching a flight would be impossible. She underwent countless security checks and body screenings. Attempts to explain the reason behind her urgency were useless. “The reality of it was no matter what I said, there was just no getting a flight out,” Shahzad said. As she missed flight after flight, Shahzad eventually gave up and made the 15 hour drive to the Arizona hospital. Even her own name became weighted with stigma. In 2010, a Muslim terrorist by the name of Faisal Shahzad attempted to set off a car bomb in Times Square. The car was parked on a crowded corner only four and a half miles from Ground Zero.
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in-depth
Before Sept. 11, she said she never questioned whether it was the name on her resume—not her credentials—that prevented her from getting a job. Every time Shahzad learns of a mass killing she cringes, hoping the suspect doesn’t share a name like hers. She has often discussed with her family if they should change their identity to prevent discrimination. “There are times where we talk about, would we be treated differently if we just paid our $75 to just get our names changed?” Shahzad said. Fellow Assistant Principal Amy Boughton says that while most people can conceal their struggles at school and work, a situation such as the one Shahzad faces can’t be easily avoided. “That just breaks my heart honestly,” Boughton said. “When your religion, and your last name and your identity is all wrapped up in outward appearance you can’t be in society and hide it.” Shahzad tries to juggle her modern American upbringing with her traditional Pakistani background, and she has struggled to find a balance. “Because I don’t fit in their world,” Shahzad said. “They say I’m very Americanized, and then here, regardless of
Assistant Principal Dr. Erum Shahzad proudly stands next to her four diplomas. In 2012, she achieved her Doctor of Education, Superintendency and Educational System Administration from UNT.
how Americanized I may be, I still look brown.” ••• According to Shahzad and Boughton, ignorance is the root of discrimination. Boughton says she’s disappointed with the amount of negative bias most media sources have on Muslims and worries people won’t examine all sides of the issue. “If most Americans aren’t all that educated, which is what’s happening now, the media is everything,” Boughton said. “That becomes the hub of all photos vanessa davis information.” And according to Dr. Shahzad works in the Freshman Center as an Assistant Principal. She was a biology teacher before entering administration. Shahzad, intolerance and ignorance thrive
DESIGN taryn welch
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where education is lacking. In the case of Muslim extremists, she says it’s been rampant because they have been brainwashed their whole lives about how the Qur’an should be interpreted. “They’re not going to be able to get out of this vicious cycle because no one’s there to teach them,” Shahzad said. She is concerned about anti-Muslim violence, even when she goes to worship. “There are times where I’ve gone to the mosque and gone, ‘I don’t know if this is a good place to be right now,’” Shahzad said. And even if she is Muslim, Shahzad knows that because she is American she is still a target for terrorism. Of the thousands of innocents who died on 9/11, dozens were Muslim. Because for these extremist it’s not about faith, Shahzad said, it’s about proving a point. “And the reality is, terrorists kill everyone,” Shahzad said. “They kill the innocent and I am one of the innocent.”
JAN. 29, 2016
22 s p o r t s
Eat. Sleep. Cheer. Repeat. Juniors share their life as competitive cheerleaders story ANdrea garza
They prep their faces for a long day of competition. More bronzer, the darker the better. Bright cheeks, bold eyeshadow and lashes large enough to fly away. Glitter is everywhere. They eat their breakfast while trying not to mess up their lipstick. They tease their hair, making it bigger. Junior Kelsey Blackshear, who cheers with Spirit of Texas, and junior Abbey Clouse, who cheers with Cheer Athletics, are just two of these people who go through this routine most weekends. At the ripe age of four, Blackshear took up gymnastics. She continued this for several years but by the time she was in fifth grade she no longer felt a passion for it. Her three best friends did cheer and were pushing for her to join. Her parents were hesitant about her quitting gymnastics, but after some convincing, they took her out of the sport and moved her to a cheer gym. “[My parents] love it,” Blackshear said. “They love the people in it, the coaches and how they work with us and how they are so hard on us in making us better.” She is now a part of the top team at one of the most well known cheer gyms in Texas, Spirit of Texas, as well as the school’s varsity cheer team. “I plan on trying out for college cheer,” Blackshear said. “I want to go to either OU or TCU, because they both have really good cheer programs and I like the schools.” Clouse tried tap, ballet, and other types of dance when she was younger. None interested her. She then signed up for a cheer class at Excite, a cheer, gymnastics and tumble gym in Highland Village. She instantly fell in love with cheer and caught on very quickly. As flyers, the person in the air mhsmarquee.com
lifted into stunts, these two girls get their fair share of being the center of attention. They make it look effortless, but they both say it’s definitely more work than it looks. “It’s really nerve racking because usually the stunt will get blamed on you if it falls because you’re the person that’s in the air,” Blackshear said. However, Blackshear says she loves the feeling of being up in the air. Trust in your teammates is a large element of being a flyer according to Clouse. “It’s a lot of hard work,” Clouse said. “You have to trust the people holding you up and you have to have a bond with your stunt group and all the people around them.” Social media platforms such as Instagram have emerged in the world of cheer, making certain competitors internet famous as well as promoting well known gyms.
photos submitted Juniors Kelsey Blackshear and Payton Veach pose in their uniforms before a competition. Both girls attend Marcus and cheer competitively for Spirit of Texas Royalty. Photo on page 23: Junior Abbey Clouse pulls a scorpion in the air while performing. Clouse has been a flyer since she began cheer and continues for Cheer Athletics Lady Katz. DESIGN anna kate hutton
Some girls will even get paid to endorse This time however, the team products. wouldn’t finish the routine. One of “If you were on a really good team the girls on Blackshear’s team had or there was something about you that torn her ACL while on the floor. stood out then you just somehow become “We had to stop the routine, famous, and everyone would want to stop the music, go back to the warm follow you and up room, put follow whoever you a new girl in, were friends with,” and go back I get stressed out to the Blackshear said. out and compoint where I just shut The typical pete again,” down and I’m quiet, but competition day Blackshear consists of a lot said. whenever I’m out on the more than doing This highmat, it’s just muscle hair, makeup, and ly stressful memory from doing it so situation she performing. A lot of preparation is many times, and you just e x p e r i e n c e d involved in being didn’t tarnish get to have fun and do as successful as they cheer for her. are and winning However, most what you love. several competicheer comKelsey Blackshear, 11 tions. Even some petitions left things that the avpleasant memerage person may ories. Clouse not think would go remembers into preparing for one in particucheer competitions. lar that left her “Cheerleaders are really superstitious in good spirits. so every day for breakfast before a “We had just hit our routine,” competition I’ll have a butter croissant Clouse said. “Our gym was standing from Starbucks,” Blackshear said. on the side cheering for us and our This is to helps her to calm her nerves, music cut off on our dance because as performing for competitions are still a our coaches were jumping so much bit nerve racking even after years of doing they fell and it disconnected. So for them. the rest of the dance everyone in the “It’s super stressful,” Blackshear said. crowd was singing our music, and it “I get stressed out to the point where was awesome.” I just shut down and I’m quiet, but New routines are a challenge whenever I’m out on the mat, it’s just and not being able to perfect a muscle memory from doing it so many certain part of a routine can be quite times, and you just get to have fun and do frustrating to these girls. However, what you love.” they know they can always rely on However, nerves are no match for their coaches for help. Clouse. She loves the exhilaration of “Sometimes they’re very performing and the feeling she gets, but straightforward with you,” Clouse good luck is something she still prefers to said. “And when that happens I know have in her favor. they do it because they want you to “We always pray as team before we succeed.” go on,” Clouse said. “And then, I have The girls say their cheer coaches this necklace I wear every day, so I kiss it have been inspiring. They have even before I go on.” motivated them for more than just Blackshear remembers her first year cheer. at Spirit of Texas. She took the stage “They’ve had an impact on me to for the third and last time at the Worlds try harder in everything that I do,” level competition. The music started just Blackshear said. “And to make sure like it had during every practice and that everything I do, I do it to my performance before. best ability.” DESIGN anna kate hutton
24 E n t e r ta i n m e n t
Which reality T.V. show are you? story Michelle Mullings
It’s friday night. Where ARE jammin’ at a concert YOU?
socializing at a party
doodling at home
Your teacher assigns a group project. What’s your role?
chow down on comfort food
You just bombed your test. How do you recover?
the hard worker
the artist the presenter
if you could have any superpower, what would you choose?
go to tutoring
mind control
would you rather live a city on an island?
Flying
invisibility
How would your friends describe you in one word?
island city
The Amazing race mhsmarquee.com
creative
Chopped
talented
The Voice DESIGN Katie Burton
E n t e r ta i n m e n t
When you spend your days in #beastmode at the gym, you imagine being a contestant on The Amazing Race. You’re always up for some competition in whatever you do, which is probably the reason you bring a fellow gym rat to every workout. And your determination doesn’t stop at athletics. Even in school you’re hardworking: always studying, asking questions and aiming to be the best you can be. Being on the show would truly fuel your desire to succeed.
The Amazing race
Chopped
You’re confident and ambitious. You slay the crowd with your superstar stage presence. Who’s to say you’d be different on national TV? Music inspires you. No matter where you go, you’re usually seen with your headphones in blasting your favorite tunes. Stage fright is something you’ve probably never heard of. You’re a natural behind the mic—or just singing in the shower. You’d be able to dominate the music industry with your determination and talent. DESIGN Katie Burton
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Experimenting in the kitchen is one of your favorite hobbies. As a die-hard foodie, cooking up new creations is one of your specialties. For you, thinking up new recipes out of unique ingredients is easy as pie. Your creativity allows you to stir up colorful plates on the spot. You’re quick on your feet and good at improvising, even under pressure. When the clock is ticking, you focus on the details. No time limit on Chopped can trip you up.
The Voice jan. 29, 2016
26 e n t e r ta i n m e n t
Story Darci Walton
With over 110 million people tuning in to watch the two best teams in the country battle it out on the turf field, Super Bowl Sunday might as well be regarded as a national holiday. With
all the festivities, it would be boring to watch the madness and run around the living room by yourself so don’t be afraid to invite some people over. Here are some tips to make Super Bowl 50 a one to remember.
Since it’s the Super Bowl, anything football shaped or themed will be sure to add to the excitement of the day. If something seems boring or plain, see if you can make it into something related to the sport. Take napkins for example, necessary but not really that fun. Instead, purchase yellow napkins and label them “Penalty Flags”. To ensure that your Instagram game is on fire,
set up a photobooth with props. Hang up a football field tablecloth for the backdrop, which can be found at stores like Party City, Target or Walmart and is relatively inexpensive. Near the designated photo area have a table or bucket of props like footballs, whistles, eye black. If you want to be extra crafty, make little signs with football puns or sayings or team support attached to popsicle sticks.
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DESIGN madeline Stanfield
e n t e r ta i n m e n t
Regardless of the team being rooted for, everyone knows that snacks are the true factor that can make or break a Super Bowl party. No one will want to run to the kitchen to grab another scoop of dip out of fear that they will miss a precious 20 seconds of the game. A simple solution to this is individual solo cups for dip. Before the festivities begin, fill the solo cups with the dip of choice, whether it be 7 Layer Dip, Spinach Dip, homemade queso or just a cup of guacamole and place the largest bowl of chips you can find on the coffee table. Convenient and tasty. To provide a game winning meal for guests
set up a kabob station. Before the game have everyone create their perfect combination of meats, fruits and vegetables and assign someone to be the grill master. To ensure that everyone will get the correct kabobs, paint the ends of the sticks the day before and assign the colors to each guest. For something sweet and easy to make, chocolate covered strawberries are the way to go. After being dipped into chocolate pipe, little laces on the front with frosting to make them look like mini footballs. Just be sure to make a lot of these because guests won’t be able to get enough of them.
Super Bowl commercials are far superior to those of regular TV programs but can get repetitive by the fourth quarter. To keep interest while painstakingly waiting for the event to continue on, play Commercial Bingo. Before party guests arrive create multiple unique Bingo card for each person with typical commercial topics in each box such as car brands, Budweiser Clydesdales, etc. Be sure to provide
markers or pens to cross out the Bingo boxes, physical place holders may not make it through a disputed call or interception excitement. Another reason to get hyped about Super Bowl 50 is the Halftime Show. Every year shows are more and more extravagant and like no other performance seen before. Coldplay and Beyonce are sure to not disappoint this year.
DESIGN Anna KaTE Hutton
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jan. 29, 2016
28 o p i n i o n
Seeing the top Jacob fontaine
@jacobfontaine2
Pine needles crunched beneath our feet as we hiked the winding trail from the parking lot. Ahead of us was Quandary Peak—a 14,265 ft. high mountain in Colorado that, from our perspective, looked even taller. Our enemy was time, as any climber could tell you. If we didn’t reach the peak by midday, we ran the risk of being caught in a storm and being forced to turn back. It was clear though from the look of determination in my fellow climbers’ eyes that not reaching the peak wasn’t an option. The first stretch of the hike proved to be effortless. Giant pastures of yellow wildflowers inhabited by little furry rodents—which we called “mountain hamsters”—stretched along the path. The sky seemed to be frozen around us with no wind and thankfully, no clouds. Regardless, as an inexperienced hiker I worried I was slowing down our team to the point that we wouldn’t make it. I was
the youngest by three years and though we took turns leading, I kept drifting to the back of the pack. With the peak set in my sights, I pressed on more diligently. The weather grew colder and the wildlife less as we neared the tree mark on the mountain, or the height at which it is too steep and cold for trees to grow. I was beginning to grow anxious- clouds rolling on the horizon were now clearly visible. The rolling pastures transformed into barren snow and rocks. Though the peak appeared to be only an hour of walking away, I worried we would be trapped on the mountain in the approaching storm. All I could do was focus harder on that peak. Finally, I saw we were a few yards away from the summit. I didn’t understand why no one was speeding up—I could barely hold in my excitement. As we mounted the peak, I looked up to see a much larger part of the mountain. I had set my sights on a false peak without even knowing they existed. From then on, the trek became difficult. Ice surrounded much of the path to the actual peak and the wind chill had dropped the surrounding area well under freezing. With a ski mask limiting my ability to talk, I instead pondered my stupidity in silence. “Why had I drank so much of my water thinking I was almost finished? How could my perspective been so misleading?” Much like the peak on the mountain, one of the largest difficulties of high school is seeing the big picture. All too
HEYS
shrek the musical
Music Friday
Snapchat geotag
atm
The theatre department always manages to put out amazing shows, but Shrek the Musical is bound to be the most entertaining. This throwback to a favorite childhood movie is sure to have a full house.
Music in the hallways on fridays is a friendly reminder that the weekend is coming. However cheesy some of the songs may be, the upbeat music helps us get through the day.
If you’re a Snapchat user, you can now send selfies with a geotag for the school. While it’s a good attempt at sharing school spirit, its minimal design and lack luster font makes it less than appealing.
Students don’t need more than a couple of dollars during school to buy something from the vending machine. Why would students want to pay for an additional service fee just to buy a bag of chips?
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Things we don't like
Things we like
boom bahs
often we set our eyes so narrowly that we fail to acknowledge there is more beyond the false peaks. For some it is the obsession to achieve perfect grades, while for others it might be acquiring the most popularity. Setting goals without perspective can lead to dangerous results, or in my case, pure disappointment. Later that day we did in fact reach the top of the mountain. The sky was beautiful with white clouds creating an overwhelming sheet of cotton, covering the entire world. Trees, looking like ants, stretched across the snow peaked Rocky Mountains. As I signed the official document found attached to a rock signifying that we had been successful in our climb, I couldn’t help but smile. When you finish something that required a lot of work you don’t think about the adversities you encountered. Instead, in that moment, you think about the perseverance you exhibited to reach that point in time. Acknowledging that your current situation in life won’t remain forever can be difficult. There is still an entire portion of your life that is not yet visible, but obsessing over temporary circumstances can make it difficult to reach. When looking at your life, celebrate every small victory as a step closer to your ultimate goals whatever they might be. After all, no good hiking story ends with its characters celebrating reaching the false summit. Our perseverance is measured not by our failures, but, rather, by our success.
DESIGN darci walton
opinion
It’s not politics, it’s people Michelle mullings
@michellelolwhat
Of the three weeks I spent in Cuba as a child, I can only recall the bus. I remember climbing up stairs that led me through a gaping cutout in the steel wall and picking the chipping blue paint off metal seats to pass the time. As I sat across from the shabby entrance, I watched a man link a single chain across its jagged edges. This bus was nothing like the vibrant yellow school buses I rode back home. There were no comfortable padded seats or luxurious air conditioning. No folding doors to enclose the passengers safely inside. As we clunked down the street, my eyes fixated on the chain as it rattled over the scenery that whizzed by.
I’ve noticed that the only things I can vividly remember 13 years later are symbols of oppression.
Oddly enough, I can’t remember the famous beaches in my parents’ hometown of Havana. Or the island’s food. Or even most of my relatives. I can’t remember any potentially positive things about Cuba. I’ve noticed that the only things I can vividly remember 13 years later are symbols of oppression. My parents would always tell me how living in Cuba was living without freedom. Under the shackles of communism, the government controlled DESIGN darci walton
every aspect of life. Food was rationed in scarce portions. News outlets were under direct government control. Ordinary citizens on every single street acted as spies to make sure there were no political dissidents. Expressing any contempt for the government had violent consequences. To make any sort of improvement, few choices were available other than escape. But even trying that was grounds for months in a political prison. After his first attempt to flee the country by makeshift boat, my dad was thrown into one of these prisons. He tried to escape at night. My father and about seven others paddled their small raft out past the shore, far enough to where they hoped to sneak past undetected. Once all was pitch black, the group prepared to turn on the motor. Suddenly, bright white lights pierced the darkness. The sound of men yelling shattered the silence. Hands flew up in surrender as Cuban authorities surrounded the boat, holding them all at gunpoint. After his arrest, my father spent 12 days in a cell so cramped that there was no room to walk. No windows. Nobody knew if it was light or dark out because the lights were never turned off. It was all done to add to the torture. On his first night, he remembers hearing a man scream hysterically before being dragged outside his cell. Guards marched over, brutally beating him until it was all quiet again. My father only tells me about Cuba when I ask, never retelling the story all at once. When he first revealed the tale of his successful escape, I was 16 and even then he had been sipping a little too much wine. But this time, my dad does not rattle the dinner table with laughter or grin with pride. His eyes do not glimmer with excitement. He simply shakes his head and stares at the wall as he thinks of the man. “I don’t know if he even survived that.” The whole experience designed to break him down only fueled his determination. He continued to chase after freedom in America. And eventually, he made it. With the presidential campaign in full force, immigration has been a hot topic. Who we should let in, how open our borders should be. Having lived in
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America my whole life, I’ve come to love where I was born and I want to protect my home. But by being the daughter of immigrants, I sympathize with people bitterly regarded as “illegals” by strict
Am I simply an “anchor” to citizenship? A presumed burden on taxpayers?
politicians. Policies and paperwork aside, are we really that different? I balance a tightrope between two identities, facing alienation on both sides. I wonder about the term “anchor baby.” My mother came to America eight months pregnant with me. Am I simply an “anchor” to citizenship? A presumed burden on taxpayers? Am I the only reason why we deserve to be here? I wonder if my belonging in America is up for debate. Because in this debate of hypotheticals we fail to take into account raw experience. We live in an area so privileged that we constantly distance ourselves from other people’s hardships. We ignored the plight of refugees until we saw the lifeless body of a Syrian boy wash up face-down on the shores of Turkey. Because until the political issue is made human, we brush it off. But it’s not about politics. It’s about people. My family risked their lives to have the privilege of being called American. Just because my family immigrated does not mean we live off of welfare. It does not mean we are criminals. It does not mean we are lazy. It does not mean we are leeches on society. On the contrary, we have come out on the other side. I am the child of immigrants, and the urge to pursue a better life is embedded in my blood. We make our own money. We are driven. We are hardworking. And we are not the exception. jan. 29, 2016
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Two different worlds Darci Walton
@Darciwalton_
Growing up in Flower Mound we are encased in a bubble of protection. Living in one of the safest cities in Texas, we don’t feel the problems of the world because we simply don’t have to. It wasn’t until the Paris attacks back in November that a world problem directly affected me and it was for an incredibly selfish reason. I was worried that my family wouldn’t be able to go on our much anticipated European vacation. Ultimately, the answer to that question would be yes, we still flew into the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, France on Dec. 26 just as we planned months ago. Everything I had expected Paris to be like due to the attacks wasn’t its reality. Security and immigration weren’t at all the headache that I had anticipated. The attendant barely even
the bad thing about listening to good songs during good times is whenever the good times end the good songs become bad songs -Lorielle Daniel, 9 @lorilori247
glanced at my passport. Maybe it’s because I was an 18 year old white girl from America with a plush Stitch doll hanging out of my backpack wearing a Ravenclaw Quidditch shirt, not exactly a threatening sight. I expected it to feel heavy with sadness and mourning but instead all I felt was the warmth of the sun and the joyous laughter coming from the numerous street side cafés. It felt as if the city had completely recovered, until we left our rented apartment and made our way to the high traffic tourist areas. First up on my sister’s meticulously planned itinerary was the Eiffel Tower. When we arrived, I wandered around with my head tilted all the way back, in awe at its sheer enormity. Eventually I brought my eyes down, realizing I should probably be watching where I was walking and that’s when I noticed them. Policemen with machine guns everywhere I looked. At first, I jumped at the sight. Over 20 men with machine guns casually standing around is not a common sight in America. To be completely honest, it made me incredibly uncomfortable and I felt like I had to avoid them and not make any trouble. But why would I make trouble? Why was I so anxious and nervous around these people that are serving to protect people and their country? I shook off these questions and
Sweet tweets Compiled rachel ramirez
Most seniors are happy they have senior out bc we go home early but I’m happy bc I don’t have to go 20 mph in school zones anymore -Chris Rizk, 12 @chris_rizk
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eventually forgot about the massive guns as my sister and I began to take Instagram worthy pictures like any typical tourist does. We entered our own little world where nothing was wrong in the beautiful movie-like city of Paris. My fantasy lasted for a solid twenty minutes before I was snapped back into reality as one of the machine gun men forcibly shoved a man into the back of a squad car. My fear came back. Why was that man getting arrested? Is he a terrorist? Are we safe? I wouldn’t even know what to do if we weren’t. By living in America we are sometimes so far removed from the tragic events of the world that we can’t even imagine how to react or feel. Under the Eiffel Tower that day I was completely overwhelmed by all the “what ifs” and nothing was even happening to our family. We spent the entirety of our trip in our little tourist bubble. We never saw the hurting or the problems in Europe but I knew it was there. There wouldn’t be machine guns every which way you turned if there wasn’t a reason to have them. We are incredibly lucky to live where we do. We don’t spend every day walking down the streets lined with armed men and women. ISIS isn’t a present threat to our everyday lives. We are fortunate enough to be in Flower Mound, and I take that for granted sometimes.
*Wildest Dreams comes on” Me: *sings along passionately* Family: *while staring* ur not one of us, get out the car -Dylan Venter, 10 @venter_dylan
Being sick is great because everyone does everything for u like you want toast they get it for you cause you can’t infect the bread it rocks -Macey McConathy, 11 @maceymcconathy
Congratulations to Dorothy Houck our MHS Teacher of the Year! Thank you for all you do. We love you! -Marcus High School @Marcus_HS
DESIGN darci wAlton
opinion
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Islamophobia only brings us down as a society STAFF EDITorial
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As the race for the presidency continues, the public eye turns to scrutinize the remaining candidates. Some of the GOP frontrunners have blamed the Islamic religion for the actions of ISIS. But ISIS has perverted the interpretation of Islam to portray their cruel actions. As more of the candidates blame the Islamic religion for terrorist attacks such as the ones in Paris, this causes Muslims to be more discriminated against by the public.We need to stand up for the Muslim community because they are being mistreated by the American public. Although ISIS stands for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, none of this holds true for the group anymore. The group has stretched far beyond the borders of Iraq and Syria, now reaching from the Mediterranean to Egypt. The group claims their brutal actions in the name of Islam, but Islam promotes nonviolence with its followers. Holding
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such a large amount of the population responsible for the actions of the terrorist group endangers the rights Muslims have to their religion. By blaming the religion of Islam for these violent acts, people choose to ignore the real message of harmony and peace. A stereotype of the Muslim community is that every follower is a closet terrorist, but a terrorist is someone who uses violence or force to intimidate a population. Everyday Muslims you see in society do not use force to influence people to follow their views. The people prejudiced against Muslims are often more violent than Muslims are by calling them names and harassing them as they carry on their everyday lives. We have to dismiss the idea that Islam equals terrorism and stop unnecessarily persecuting those who are trying to express the religious views they have the right to. Political entities such as Donald
How do you think the mainstream media portrays Muslims? CompileD Amanda fineran and keegan douglas-davis
“I feel like they put them in a bad place. They’re blaming a big group of people instead of the problem. They’re taking a few people who did bad things and then blaming the entire group.” - Abbi Crawford, 9 “I think that the media portrays Muslims really bad because their religion is different than ours and their set of beliefs are different.” -Peyton Davies, 11
DESIGN Katie Burton
Trump and Ben Carson use their high rank in society to target Muslims and hold them accountable for actions that they are not involved in. Candidates like Jeb Bush have called out these claims against Muslims and call for the action of engaging in the Arab World to conquer ISIS. Officials like him haven’t used their societal power to attack Islam but rather focus the argument on more of what needs to be focused on, which is overcoming this terrorist group. Standing up for those who are experiencing discrimination is the first step to be taken to alleviate the overall attitude of bigotry towards the Muslim community. Although this might sound intimidating, it will start the recovery of the hostility Muslims face every day. Whether it’s calling out people for their discriminatory actions or becoming better educated on the religion, it’s important to start making a change. All it takes is that first step.
“They portray Muslims as if they are all terrorists just based on 9/11. Christians and other religions have pulled some terrorists attacks but nobody is giving all Christians a terrorist face like they do Muslims.” - Halei Yanish, 10 “The media portrays them unfairly sometimes, I think they are trying harder to work on being fair and equal with everybody but sometimes people are just naturally wrong.” -Molly Mattingly, 12 jan. 29, 2016
Shrek the Musical photos vanessa davis
Directed by theatre teacher Denise Tooch, this musical tells the well known tale of the ogre Shrek and his noble steed on a quest to save a princess locked away in a tower. The Marcus Fine Arts program will present Shrek the Musical Jan. 28, 29 and 30.
Sophomore Jonah Pfeiffer practices his lines for the lead role of Shrek. In addition to theatre, Pfieffer plays football on the sophomore red team.
Downing Middle School student, Ben Metzger, waits patiently as the prosthetic nose, green face paint and a bald cap are applied to his face.
Freshman Megan Topelsohn sits still as the make-up artist for the play practices the cosmetics for the opening day of the musical. The cast and crew have been preparing for this musical since November.
Junior Katelynn Inman carefully works on the dragon prop for the musical. Inman takes colorful styrofoam pieces and hot glues them to the body of the dragon. DESIGN taryn welch