The Marquee Volume 32 Issue 3

M VOLUME 32 . ISSUE 3 . Jan 26 2018

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Athlete discovers passion as National cricket player Find the perfect Valentines gifts and activities Junior living with type I Diabetes shares struggles

Edward S. Marcus High School • 5707 Morriss Road, Flower Mound, TX 75028

hurdling over education

The Marquee Staff EDITOR IN CHIEF Kelly Rowe MANAGING EDITOR Nick Fopiano COPY EDITOR Jackson Bednarczyk DESIGN EDITOR Photo Makenna Clay Principal Gary Shafferman greets students walking through the hallway. He will be retiring at the end of the 2017-2018 school year. He says he will miss the students most after retiring.

Jolie Mullings PHOTO EDITORS Grace Pecunia & Sarah Newton NEWS EDITOR Chloe White FEATURE EDITOR

CONTENTS

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Skyler Middleton OPINION EDITOR Kendall Cooper

NEWS

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

END OF AN ERA Shafferman reflects on his career at LISD upon announcing retirement

Shayla Sistrunk SPORTS EDITOR Morgan Maxwell REPORTERS

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FEATURE MUSICAL AT MARCUS Theatre students and teachers reflect on casting decisions for Hairspray

Aidann Zuniga, Marc Kidwell, Arantza Azurmendi, Rosalee Rogers, Alex Anderson DESIGNERS Aeralyn Stinson, Shay Wegele, Gillian Overton PHOTOGRAPHERS Chase Martin, Hannah Klein

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SPORTS MEET THE MARAUDERS Learn about some of the top winter basketball players

ENTERTAINMENT TOP GAMES OF 2018 See the most anticipated games for this year Cover Sarah Newton

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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 $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.

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NEWS

BRIEFS

UT Austin board votes soon to increase tuition Story Arantza Azurmendi The University of Texas President Gregory Fenves proposed a two percent increase in tuition starting in the 2019 class.

Resident undergraduates currently pay around $5,200 per semester. If the board decides to raise the tuition, they will pay $104 more for the 2018-19 year.

Senior Kendall Phillips would like to attend UT Austin. She agrees with the increase in tuition because the money will be put back into the school to improve students education.

“I think that it’s a good idea,” Phillips said. “But I think that they shouldn’t raise the price too much though, because there

are some students that really can’t afford it.”

Fenves sent a letter to UTA students earlier this year that stated tuition is rising because the school needs more funds to improve the undergraduate program, due to a $20 million cut to core budget.

Recently, Fenves sent another letter that said UTA needs additional funds to keep up with inflation, improve salary competitiveness and maintenance of the school. About 21 percent of the budget comes from tuitions.

Sophomore Sam Thornfelt said he was “willing to pay more if it helps the undergraduate program.”

The Board of Regents will vote the increase in tuition this March.

District approves class rank as optional on transcripts

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Story Shayla Sistrunk Throughout the state, school districts including LISD, have changed the policy on displaying class rank on transcrips.

On Dec. 11, the district board of trustees decided that students will have the option to include their class rank on their transcript.

This change will not affect the class of 2018 but will start with current juniors.

By state law students who are ranked in the top 10 percentile are required to include their rank. Therefore they will not have the option of excluding their class rank.

According to The College Board, class ranking is a mathematical summary of a student’s academic record compared to those of other students in the class.

The compilation of courses and grades is converted to an overall grade point average (GPA). The higher the GPA, the higher the student’s class ranking. Having the option to remove class rank based on certain circumstances was a debate for LISD. Junior Ashley Fortner believes that getting rid of class rank will relieve some of the stress on high school studnets.

“I believe this will allow everyone to

focus on grades other than class rank,” said Fortner. “It will give students a chance to stop worrying so much.”

The Texas 10 Percent Plan allows automatic admission to public colleges in Texas for students in the top 10 percent of their class, making it required for their transcripts to have ranks.

Since the board voted in favor of this, it now makes it easier for every type of student. Several other districts have changed the practice of class rank. For example, Highland Park ISD only ranks the top 10 percent, and no other students receive a rank.

Sophomore Mackenzie Hill said class rank is not beneficial for people who are doing well in their classes but aren’t ranked high.

“It’s a very unfair situation,” said Hill.

“As a district we shouldn’t be demeaning anyone with a number and make them feel any less of themselves.”

Class ranks will be displayed at the end of the second nine weeks of the student’s sophomore year and again at the end of the fourth nine weeks. Juniors and seniors would then receive it at the end of each nine-week period.

News

3

Principal says goodbye at year’s end Photo Dana McVicker Story Chloe White After 10 years at Marcus, Principal Gary Shafferman will hang up his lanyard on Jun. 8 and retire.

Shafferman and his wife made the decision for him to retire last summer after his 35th year in education.

“I’ll miss the kids the most,”Shafferman said. “This is an incredible school and for the most part [the students] are very respectful, polite.”

Students say they will miss him and his sense of humor.

“He’s funny. He’ll just make jokes and everyone laughs,” Junior Rachel Putney said. “He cares, you can see that he truly cares about us.”

In his new free time, Shafferman plans on traveling and possibly getting back to motorcycling — he owns a Harley Road King —“if it’s still safe.” “[My wife] has plans that we’re going to travel. I worry a little bit that I’m not going to have something to do, so I’ve got to find something that I love,” Shafferman said. “I think I’m going to love golf, but

I’m not sure yet, so it’s up in the air.”

His dream vacation is going on a train in Canada that runs from East to West across the country. Besides vacationing, he also wants to continue helping others within the community.

“I hope I find something that I have a passion for, so I continue at least serving other people,” Shafferman said.

Before Marcus, Shafferman was principal at McKamy Middle School for eight years, and he taught science in Irving ISD for 13 years. In total he has worked in LISD for 23 years.

No one knows who will replace Shafferman yet, but he hopes the next principal will continue the work he’s brought to Marcus and make the school better in general.

“If you don’t love students, you don’t have any business in this occupation,” Shafferman said. “My hope is that somebody is going to come in and carry on some of the things that I brought, and on the other hand, just make Marcus better.”

1978- Attended University of North Texas Shafferman attended University of North Texas to become a dentist.

“My parent’s dream was for me to be a dentist. I don’t know if I had a dream,” Shafferman said. “As I got into college I realized it was my parents dream, not mine.

News

Students will miss Shafferman’s sense of humor.

1980- Became a police officer In his second year of college, Shafferman became a police officer for Lewisville.

“I detained more juveniles than I arrested adults.

I thought ‘there’s gotta be a better way to convince kids not to get in trouble like that,’” Shafferman said.

“That’s why I became an educator.”

1980- Married his wife.

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Photo Brooke Merlene

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Decided to go into education He began meeting with past teachers and coaches who convinced him that education was the right fit for him.

Design Sarah Newton

FUN FACTS

FUNNY MEMORIES

In 2013, all the water in the school had shut off for a short period, so students had to walk to the stadium to use the restroom. Shafferman addressed the situation.

“It was stupid, but I said, ‘I remember living on the prairie and having to walk forever for water and to get to school,’” Shafferman said.

One student responded to this by putting Shafferman’s face on Laura Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie, and called him “Prairie Gary.” Instead of becoming angry about it, he called it “pretty special.”

“Either I could’ve gotten mad about it or think it was funny, and I thought it was funny,” Shafferman said.

• He’s only been to the principal once (in middle school).

• He has a garden.

• Shafferman will be in Hairspray.

• His favorite senior prank was the class of 2016, when a mariachi band followed him around for the day.

“It wasn’t hurtful, it wasn’t damaging, sometimes it was annoying. I think that at least took a lot of thought and a lot of planning so I liked that one,” Shafferman said.

• He was a football player in high school — he was the tight end/captain.

SPORTS MOMENTS

While Shafferman has witnessed many amazing sports moments — such as winning the Axe and the Mound Showdown in his first year — the 2011 basketball state championship in Austin stands out to him the most.

“It wasn’t just that we won it, it was how we won it,” Shafferman said.

Shafferman remembers Marcus losing — something they weren’t used to. Parents, who were sitting towards the front, waved the students who were sitting in the rafters to come to the front and cheer on the team. This started the iconic “we believe” chant.

“I just think their enthusiasm helped the players, and we won and it was just a pretty cool experience,” Shafferman said.

EMBARRASSING STORIES

Managing over 3,000 students and 250 staff members comes with its own challenges, and Shafferman admits it took him a couple years to get to know everybody.

“I was walking somewhere, and I introduced myself to this woman and I said ‘I’m Gary Shafferman, principal of Marcus’ and she goes ‘I’m one of your staff members,’ and I didn’t know that,” Shafferman said.

1992- Recieved his Masters of Education from University of North Texas.

Photo Brooke Merlene 2008- Became principal of Shafferman was the principal that started requiring IDs as Marcus High School. a security measure on campus. He encourages students to wear IDs by wearing his own ID daily.

2000- Became principal of McKamy Middle School.

Design Sarah Newton

Jan. 26, 2018

News

5

The Men of

Mr. Marcus Story Kendall Cooper Photos Angelina Amilibia

Meet the seniors competing for the crown on feb. 22

Ben Perry

Cody Holly

•He is a Virgo and feels like it fits him well because he is a perfectionist.

•He would go to Rome on his dream vacation.

•He decided to participate in Mr. Marcus because “it is [his] calling.”

•If he got a tattoo it would be a red, white and blue bald eagle wearing a sweater that says “USA” on his back.

Brady Pierce •Auli’i Cravalho and Zendaya are his celebrity crushes.

•War and Peace is his favorite book since it gave him a deeper understanding of life.

Michael Tingue

Samuel Zimmerman

Troy Linette

•“Big Mike” is his friends’ nickname for him.

•His favorite meme is Doge.

•Dumbledore is his favorite Harry Potter character.

•If he got the chance, he’d have brunch with Tupac whom he believes is still alive.

•His lucky number is 13.

•His favorite meme is “Saturdays are for the boys.”

•Hotel California is his favorite song.

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Design Shay Wegele

Kaden Ganson •If he could have brunch with anyone it would Gordon Ramsay.

•His normal pizza order doesn’t usually include pineapples, but he’s not against the idea.

Grant Glover •His friends’ nickname for his is “Gloveman”.

•If he got a tattoo, it would be of Mr. Henderson.

Hill Jordan •His wing order is boneless honey barbeque.

•He’s a Taurus and feels that it fits his personality because he’s “stubborn and makes money easily.”

Bryce Hagaman

Blake Anderson

Joseph Smrstik

•He feels that his zodiac sign, Sagittarius, fits him because he’s optimistic.

•On his dream vacation, he’d go to the ocean because he’s never seen it in person.

•“BLAKEY” is the nickname his friends call him.

•His lucky number is π.

•He would like to have brunch with Lin Manuel Miranda.

•If he got a tattoo it would be of his future kids’ names.

Everett Eads •The first thing he’d buy with $10,000,000 is a vacation home for his parents.

•He’ll be attending Texas Tech next year.

Design Shay Wegele

Hemanth Karnati

Matthew Luna

•Katie Holmes is his celebrity crush.

•His favorite book is Wuthering Heights.

•The picture of Kylie Jenner adjusting her wig is his favorite meme.

•He prefers dogs over cats.

Jan. 26, 2018

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A girl, a game, a dream

Junior plays cricket at national level Story Kendall Cooper Photos Sarah Newton The smell of Masala wafted from the kitchen when junior Mahika Kandanala’s dad, Venket, asked her if she would help him practice batting. In a large opening just inside the house’s front door, Venket instructed Mahika to help him practice cricket by throwing a tennis ball at the wall behind her dad as hard as her sevenyear-old body could. Her dad would then try to hit it with his bat. If he didn’t, it would be the equivalent of a dismissal, getting out.

Her dad got into position as Mahika hurled the tennis ball at the wall.

Venket swung, but Mahika’s pitch was too good.

The tennis ball collided with the white wall, producing a solid thump.

Pride shone on Mahika’s young face.

She loved the feeling that came along with success, even success so small. She began to crave that feeling. Soon, Mahika was the one asking to practice with her dad.

Venket saw a great deal of potential in his daughter. As she got older, he guided Mahika on her way to becoming a nationally recognized athlete.

During this time he noticed just how much effort she was putting into her training. She began staying up late, so she could practice often and still keep her grades up at the same time.

• • •

A 13-year-old Mahika stood on the pitch in the third man position. She was anxiously shuffling. When she played third man, she got very few balls.

Mahika Kandanala listens for instructions from her coach during practice.

MHSMarquee.com

Her movements were slow and rigid.

Uneasiness caused her usual talkativeness to disappear on the field. As the only girl playing, feelings of inferiority and intimidation overwhelmed her.

Then, Mahika was instructed to move positions and be a bowler—similar to a pitcher in baseball.

Mahika took a deep breath. Then, she let the ball fly just like she had with her dad years before. She bowled extraordinarily well for her age and experience level.

Her movements became smoother and quicker as she gained confidence.

“I’ve always felt like I don’t fit in,” Mahika said.

“But when I play, that’s my home.”

Because she grew up in a home where there was an unspoken pressure to know exactly what she wanted to do in life, Mahika felt the weight of expectations bear down on her. She had finally found her escape from the pressure. The challenge of the game gave Mahika something to work towards and helped her with her self confidence and sense of belonging.

“It really helped me learn to love myself,” Mahika said.

After much more hard work to improve her skill and fitness level, Mahika was contacted by the national women’s cricket team. This came as quite a shock since she was only 14.

“To represent your country, it’s a big honor,” Venket said.

As the initial shock passed, her father felt that Mahika has always proved that despite her age, she belongs on the team just as much as her older teammates.

By joining the team, she became

Design Aeralyn Stinson

the best high school cricket player in the nation. She won an award for being the Best Bowler in a U.S. tournament and another award for Best Fielder in an international tournament played in Canada.

“I never really felt that I was really good at anything,” Mahika said. “To make it at that level just validated me.”

Today, Mahika is still the youngest on the team which includes the top 27 players in the country, and travels across the nation for matches. She plans to have a career as a professional cricket player after she graduates high school. Her family is encouraging and accepting of this decision.

“As a professional, we will 100%

support her,” Venket said.

This summer, Mahika is traveling to England to play. While in England, she hopes to get scouted by WBBL, an Australian cricket franchise. Another goal of hers is to represent America at the 2024 summer Olympics. “[Cricket] is something I’m willing to dedicate my entire life to,” Mahika said.

Cricket Terms The sport originated in Britain during the 1500’s. Popularity quickly spread to the British colonies. These now former British colonies such as Australia, Bangladesh, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka the West Indies and Zimbabwe are some of the most influential members of the International Cricket Council.

•Pitch-

The circular grassy field that cricket is played on. It has a rectangular section of dirt near the middle where bowling and batting occurs. This dirt portion is technically called the pitch, but cricket players tend to use the term as jargon for the entire field.

•Batsman-

The player who hits the ball in order to score runs. (points)

•Bowling- The act of throwing the ball upward so it will hit the ground towards the wicket which is defended by a batsman.

•Wicket-

Three sticks jutting out from the dirt of the pitch that the bowler tries to hit in order to score points. The batsman hits the ball with his bat to prevent this from happening.

•Third Man-

A position in which a player stands near the boundaries of the field to prevent the opposing team from scoring extra points— similar to an outfielder in baseball.

Mahika Kandanala stares intensely down the field from home plate waiting to bring up her bat and make contact with the ball.

•Bat-

A paddle shaped device that is used to hit the ball when bowled. Bats are usually made of willow.

Design Aeralyn Stinson

Jan. 26, 2018

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The right step forward Theatre to spark discussion with Hairspray Story Alex Anderson Photos Sarah Newton

With the announcement that Theatre will be doing a production of the musical Hairspray, many students and community members were intrigued to see how a majority-white school was going to put on a show that normally includes a half black cast.

When it came time to casting the musical, the heads of Theatre were faced with the task of finding students to play these roles.

The decision to do Hairspray came from the Theatre directors desire to do a show that addressed different issues than previous musicals that they have done. They hope to pull in a different audience and create a conversation among their audience members.

With putting on musicals like Beauty and the Beast and Shrek in past seasons, Hairspray will be a tonal shift for the Theatre program.

The Theatre directors were not the only ones that wanted to spark conversation with their audience. The students in theatre also felt that Hairspray brought up important topics of discussion like race and prejudice.

“The last two years we wanted to maybe pull in a different audience,” head director of Marcus Theatre, Denise Tooch said. “We also wanted to pull in a different group of students to participate.”

Theatre held open auditions in hopes to bring in students outside of Theatre for their production. Opening night will be the onstage debut for some of the cast members.

Traditionally, the “detention kids” in Hairspray are all African-American characters. However, due to a minimal number of students of color in Theatre, the task of casting those characters had to be approached in a

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Feature

different way. So, the Theatre heads cast students from various minority groups to keep the diversity of the cast.

“We have a different mix so, yes, it’s not going to be only African-American,” Tooch said.

“You’re going to see that group of students be all shapes and sizes.”

Despite it being set in the 1960’s, Tooch said Hairspray’s commentary on racial injustice and acceptance can still be applied to today’s society.

Based on the 1988 John Water’s film Hairspray, the musical includes music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Senior Ben Perry plays Seaweed J. Stubbs, a hip and kind-hearted dancer that befriends Tracy Turnblad and Penny Pingleton.

“Realistically in the 60s...[African-Americans] weren’t the only non-white minority,” Perry said.

Perry said that the detention kids being made up of different ethnicities other than African-American is more realistic of the time period then having an all black group. That in the 60s, all minorities were oppressed, not just one.

Tooch said that the production aims to spark discussion among their audience members about the realistic themes present in Hairspray and how they can translate to our world today.

Underneath all the glitter and rhinestones, Hairspray shines a light on how we view other people and how we treat the other people around us.

“It may make some people uncomfortable,” Perry said.

“But discomfort is the first step to talking about what really matters.”

MHSMarquee.com

Design Shay Wegele

Theatre performs Good Morning Baltimore in the commons after school to promote Hairspray’s upcoming release.

Sophomore Annie Beth Clark sings lead as Tracy Turnblad.

Annie Beth Clark performs during their Act I run through during after school rehersal.

The flash mob catches students attentions as they stop to watch the performance.

Design Shay Wegele

Ensemble member, Freshman Ava Applegate, enjoys student reaction after the flash mob.

Jan. 26, 2018

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MHS Ballers

Story Jackson Bednarczyk Photos Hannah Klein

Leader

Passionate

Sammie Dufek

Teri Higgins

Position: Forward

Position: “I kind of play all the positions—it just depends who’s in.”

Favorite Movie: The Godfather

Favorite Movie: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Where do you want to be right now?: Italy, because of the food.

Favorite Moment: “Last year whenever we beat L.D. Bell, that was

Favorite Basketball Moment:

Beating LD Bell last year—Sammie guarded Bell’s best player and was a key to winning the game.

“That was just a game that we weren’t supposed to win, but we ended up winning.”

Pregame Ritual: Always wears the same socks.

How are you a leader in basketball?: “On the court I try to lead by example because we are a pretty young team, and I have a lot more experience than them.”

Advice to students: “In life, just be nice to everyone, and there’s no

probably the best game. I didn’t even play in the game, but I just had the most fun ever. The bench was super fun and rowdy, and then celebrating after was really fun.”

What do your teammates tease you about?: “Usually they pick on

me because I can take it, so for example, last week we were watching film, and I turned the ball over really pathetically. And they made it into a loop, so they kept playing it over and over and over again.”

Greatest lesson learned: “My main thing is leadership. Especially these last two weeks I feel like we’ve had a lot of problems come up, and I’ve really emerged as a leader.”

need to bully anyone just because they’re different.”

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Sports

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Design Nick Fopiano

selfless

Tenacious

Will Goetz

Max Colditz

Position: Forward

Position: Point Guard

Nickname: Coach Cody calls him “Will the Thrill”

Favorite Drink: “I like milk, like a weird obsession with milk.”

Favorite basketball moment:

Where do you want to be right now? California because I love to surf.

“Freshman year, we set the best record, so Coach Rod put our pictures above the urinals. That was our award.”

Pregame rituals:

“I take three scoops of pre-workout, which is probably really unhealthy, but it gets me super pumped...

If we’re playing away, I don’t put my jersey on until we’re there, and I don’t wear my jersey under my travel suit.”

What do your teammates tease you about?: “I’m kind of polite when I talk to the refs, like I say ‘yes sir’ and ‘Mr. Ref”.

district championship. “That was my prime—I peaked then. It’s been downhill ever since. That’s when I got all the ladies.”

What do your teammates tease you about? “They make fun of my

dancing—I’m not very good at dancing, but I always go out and do my best.”

How are you a leader in basketball? “I have a role where I don’t

Greatest lesson learned: “The most important lesson is that there’s always another day. After a loss, in the moment, everything just seems like it sucks … so it’s always good to think there’s another game, and there’s going to be another day.”

Design Nick Fopiano

Favorite basketball moment: Winning the seventh grade B-team

play that much, but I can still contribute to the team. So I always try to keep them positive and give them pointers, and I think they understand that. But also when everyone isn’t bringing the energy, I try to bring it, so I can impact the team...and I always try to push them to be better in practice.”

Jan. 26, 2018

Sports

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Wrestling pins wins Story Morgan Maxwell

The wrestling team has had a good start this season with 18 wins and only eight losses on their backs.

Wrestling season will continue until the last weekend of February.

Varsity’s next home match is on Friday, Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. in the Silver Gym. This will also be Senior Night, and players and parents will celebrate with awards and cake.

Sophomore Connor Cronnin wins his match using the folk style.

Design Sarah Newton

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Junior Pierce Johnson wrestles with a student from Hebron HS.

Senior Noah Jacobs wrestles an opponet. He won third at the Jesuit Ranger Classic.

Photos Carson Clark

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setting new standards or

Lowering the bar?

Across the nation, more students are graduating high school while less students are actually prepared for college curriculum. Despite this trend, some states are making it even easier to pass through high school. In West Virginia, there are propositions by the state board of education to decrease the amount of credits needed for graduation and to expand the range of grades that are considered an A and B. An NPR study found that only nine states require students to take certain courses to be “college ready.� Texas is number two nationally in graduation rates, only behind Iowa. However, Iowa is one of the states that has no college readiness.

the national graduation rate is now at an

all time high 83% while

SAT and ACT scores

are declining.

37%

of students are prepared

for

college level

reading and Math

COLLEGE

25%

of students scored below basic reading levels

The bottom 10% of students scored the lowest

reading and math scores on record

Info from 2015 NAEP data

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15

English curriculum causes unrest across district they’ll buy into their learning,” Stroud said. “But kids don’t buy into learning these days. They buy into Snapchat. They buy into Facebook and Twitter. Most kids don’t want to be challenged.”

English departments across LISD are divided over looser Junior Avani Kawathkar is a student who wants to be chalcurriculum standards that now contain less mandated content. lenged, and has noticed the lack of writing and books read.

In recent years, LISD has moved to a more flexible learning “This English class hasn’t challenged me at all, we keep approach which focuses on more doing the same thing again and What needs to happen student choice and direction, rather again,” Kawathkar said. than traditional teacher-led techStroud believes that English is kids having lots of curriculum niques. should require reading Some of the biggest changes are different opportunities and writing to prepare students for in English Language Arts (ELA) difficult college assignments. AP to practice those courses, which now include less English III teacher Jennifer Forrequired reading, shorter essays thun agrees that the bar should be research skills.It’s and daily SSR time. According to set high. the district head of ELA, Second- not about that product, “I’m pretty unapologetic about ary Literacy and Language Arts saying we should teach to the Administrator Sean Hood, these it’s about the process. highest denominator and not the changes allow students and teachers lowest,” Forthun said.

- Sean Hood, Head of ELA more flexibility, but will still provide Hood agrees and says that edustudents with the skills they need to cators must never “dumb [things] Curriculum succeed. down,” though he says misunder However, not all teachers in the district agree. Hebron AP standings may have caused curriculum rigor to decrease.

English IV teacher Ben Stroud says that the less structured “When kids struggle on things and why we have achieveteaching format is not providing students with the needed rig- ment gaps, it’s not because they’re just not smart enough,” or.

Hood said. “It’s because we’ve continued to lower the bar in “There’s a philosophy that if you let the student choose, then stead of challenging them.”

Story Jackson Bednarczyk, Chloe White and Skyler Middleton

“

Reading Changes From 2014-2016--English I STAAR students in LISD scoring as “Advanced” increased from

15 to 23%.

However, students scoring “Unsatisfactory” also increased from

22 to 25%.

--

Source-Data Interaction For Texas Student Assessments

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In-depth

In regular English classes, literature excerpts, TED Talks or political debates have replaced reading entire novels. Some ELA students only read one full novel, and some may read none.

“We aren’t like an English class. We aren’t always sitting around reading a book, we are learning about racism and sexism,” Junior Mackena Parlane said.

Hood said that literacy changes and TED talks are “just as valid” as a resource, and if a teacher feels like the class needs reading skills, then the class may read passages instead. Though if a class can handle an entire novel, then the teacher can assign one.

“I think the purpose is focusing much more on developing literacy skills. You can develop those skills in lots of different ways,” Hood said. “You don’t have to read a certain text in order to get that.”

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Design Jolie Mullings

English III teacher and curriculum professors with whom he teaches at writer Jason Poe has appreciated the NCTC. change in curriculum, as he says he’s “no “I usually see about one out of eight longer welding the reading hammer.” He students who seem to be prepared for doesn’t have to dictate what students read. college, or who I feel will go ahead and “Kids won’t read [full texts]. You can try at least get their Associate’s degree,” and force it, but then it becomes onerous, Sherrill said. “Until the last six years and then you have to do reading quizzes— or so, it was more like one out of four. it becomes a ‘gotcha’ like ‘ha you didn’t However, when I first started teaching read,’” Poe said. “So I kind of quit fighting for NCTC in the summer of 1987, I that fight because I was losing.” had students who were unprepared for Poe says that the relevance of classic college English.” lierature becomes clearer as students get Dr. Marshall Armintor, a lecturer closer to their profession. at UNT, believes that only reading “The classics will always be important, excerpts does not prepare students for but in terms of the relevance, we have more college. He says that books like “The freedom now,” Poe Scarlet Letter” said. “You can go on are about YouTube and watch more than Thug Notes and get just themes the general gist of of sin and whatever’s going redemption— on with Grapes of they are Wrath in a fraction historical and of the time.” cultural as well.

But some “I think English teachers Dr. Marshall Armintor, UNT the intention worry that the in providing lecturer flexible learning just excerpts is approach is being to teach people abused to allow on-level students to read how to do close reading,” Armintor less. If the trend continues, they believe said. “I think that’s a worthy exercise students will not be prepared for more to look at isolated passages, but really, I complex texts. think in order to do it right you have to “I feel like we’re just trying to teach kids read the whole thing including all the to read for pleasure, and there’s value in nitty gritty parts.” that, but you’re not going to be reading for Forthun says that specific titles pleasure when you go to college,” Stroud aren’t important, as long as the teacher said. “And our job is to prepare you for is selecting texts that challenge students college.” and help them become culturally and Senior English teacher and NCTC historically literate. adjunct professor Ira Sherrill says he “It’s difficult to wrap our minds has discussed this problem with other around the concept of American

exceptionalism if we haven’t read John Winthrop’s vision of the ‘city upon a hill.’

It’s equally difficult to understand the importance of being good stewards of our resources if we haven’t read Emerson and Thoreau,” Forthun said. “It’s impossible to know who we are and where we are headed if we don’t know where we’ve been and how we got there.”

“

to do it right you have to read the whole thing including all the nitty gritty parts.

Current High School Curriculum Cartoon Jolie Mullings

Literary excerpts

podcast, tedtalks

English content through the years English I Now

English I 2009 - Reading requirements include a variety of texts including nonfiction, fiction and poetry.

- Teachers picked a novel from a list including classic literature such as “Anthem” by Ayn Rand, “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens and “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury.

- Students read the entire play Romeo and Juliet.

-Literary content includes excerpts, news articles and reviews as well as TED talks and podcasts.

- There are no required novels or novel suggestions.

- Act II, Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet is a suggestion.

-Writing is more often short answer or reflective pargraphs.

English III Now

English III 2009 -This was a survey course of American literature and at least two novels from various periods were read. Usually The Scarlet Letter and The Great Gatsby, in addition to the play, The Crucible.

- Students wrote at least 3 essays including a persuasive essay and a 6 - 7 page literary analysis research paper.

-Grammar, vocabulary, literary terms and revision and editing were all a focus.

-Certain core texts were mandated.

- Required content no longer includes works by traditional American authors like Mark Twain, John Steinbeck, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, Arthur Miller, Emily DIckinson or Robert Frost.

- Students may write short response paragraphs rather than multi page essays.

Source: English scope and sequences

SSR

Sustained silent reading

To allow more student freedom in reading, the district is bringing SSR to the high school level. However, an overwhelming majority of the English department has been outspoken in their opposition.

LISD encourages 10-15 minutes of SSR every day, where students independently read grade-appropriate texts that they choose. Their teachers should conference with them about their choices. Hood says that if SSR is done right, then students will not fake reading.

“It’s easy to fake your way through it if the whole class is doing it, and the teacher is helping to guide all of that,” Hood said. “But with SSR...you can’t really fake it as easily. It’s another way to ensure that students are doing that deep literacy work of reading and thinking.”

Poe says that he appreciates SSR because he can interact with

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students about books they are more interested in.

“The reading has shifted,” Poe said. “Instead of me dictating the books…I would say they’re reading more, and they’re reading more authentically because it’s something that they’re choosing.”

Freshman Alyena Gilani says that students should do SSR, because it allows for students to build their vocabulary and expand on reading.

“It’s definitely challenging by learning new methods and establishing more skills that we didn’t necessarily know in middle school,” Gilani said.

However, some students report that teachers are not conferencing with them, and that the 15 minutes of SSR has become a free time where they can be on their phones.

Another criticism of SSR is that it takes up too much class time—up to 17 percent. And for courses like BlendED English, which only meet at school twice a week, it can take up 30 minutes a week. Hood believes, however, that if SSR is done right, all students should be reading, and teachers should be actively conferencing with students about their chosen novels.

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Writing Along with changes in reading requirements, less structured writing is now mandated in curriculum. Hood says that students should be reflecting on multiple different sources, but requiring expository essays and persuasive arguments is now up to teacher choice.

“Kids need lots of opportunities,” Hood said. “When we look at what’s being done in college coursework and things like that, it’s ‘hey, here’s an article. What is your response to this piece?’”

Sophomore Davidson Brown says that under this curriculum, his writing has improved, and he feels more confident in English. However, English III students Kawathkar and Shriya Patel say there has been a noticeable drop off in the number of assignments.

“We didn’t have a lot of writing assignments. We just had a few quizzes where we are given a prompt, and we write a paragraph,” Kawathkar said.

English IV teacher Ben Stroud also believes that English III students are no longer writing enough, so these students must work harder in English IV to get back on track.

“

Some former students from Marcus feel like their English classes didn’t well prepare them for writing at the college level.

UNT sophomore Bryce Navarro says he writes essays every two to three weeks, and wishes he was “better prepared” for college.

“I feel like when I was at Marcus, we didn’t have to do any research papers, and in college I feel like that’s the majority of what you have to do,” Navarro said. “So when I got to UNT, it felt like I had to learn something completely new.”

The TEKS, which set the standards for Texas education, outline that research is a required skill. Hood says although students may not be writing longform essays, longer essays are not the only way to show research skills.

“What needs to happen is kids having lots of different opportunities to practice those research skills,” Hood said. “It’s not about that product, it’s about the process.”

It’s impossible to know who we are and where we are headed if we don’t know where we’ve been and how we got there.

Jennier Forthun, English

“It’s the kids that haven’t had the rigor, all they’re being taught is how to write a narrative,” Stroud said. “You don’t do narrative in college. You don’t even do narrative on the SAT.” To prepare for collegiate writing, Dr. Armintor hopes that students are researching independently in high school. He places a great emphasis on students diving freely and deeply into topics they are interested in.

“The highest level of anything you could do is to think independently and to research independently, and the more people can start to do it earlier on, the better off they’ll be,” Armintor said.

Past High School Curriculum

Cartoon Jolie Mullings

NOVELS, RESEARCH

college prep curriculum

BlendED

BlendED English is another flexible option that has been controversial around the district.

Courses in blendED are designed to mirror college and grant students more responsibility for their learning. Students are only required to be in class on Tuesdays and Thursdays and can work from home on off days. Virtual Learning Director Donna Henry says that the blendED English curriculum is the same as traditional courses—the only difference is the class structure.

“The whole reason we have blendED is to provide more opportunities for teachers and students to work together one on one,” Henry said. “If it’s an online day, teachers should be conferencing with students about what they’re reading and what they’re writing.

Some students enjoy blendED over a traditional course because it allows them a more flexible schedule. If a student is in

English III TEKS

a sport or has a demanding job, the structure of blendED allows them to have more time for schoolwork and extracurriculars.

English II teacher Miriam McLeod says she likes blendED because it combines AP responsibility with on-level work.

However, some students are critical of blendED because they say their class was easier than regular curriculum. In one class, students did not read any full novels, focused mainly on current political issues and did minimal writing assignments.

Junior Mackenna Parlane says that her class has “absolutely not” prepared her to write at the college level.

“It’s not realistic. The things that we are learning aren’t things we will be needing in a typical college class,” Parlane said.

Parlane also reports that the workload is better because there was no homework in her class. However, the class was designed to have more at-home work, so she worries that this structure will not be how college is actually be set up.

The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS, set the state standards for curriculum.

Students should:

- read “grade-appropriate texts independently” - analyze literary elements across “increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse texts” - “read and analyze American literature across literary periods”

- utilize “rhetorical devices” throughout compostition, - “revise” and “edit drafts” - and engage in “both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes” Source: Texas Education Agency

Widening Gap Because of these changes in district curriculum, teachers worry a gap is widening between AP students, who still work off

“

assume that they’re not going to or are not capable of reading what’s difficult,” Forthun said. “Our responsibility is to prepare our kids to thrive no matter what path of traditional curriculum, and they follow once they leaver here. students in on-level courses.

Three years ago, the federal government Stroud believes that students I think we do a great passed the Every Student Succeeds Act, who go the AP route will be more college ready than disservice to our Marcus which for the first time in history requires “that all students in America be taught to on-level students. students to assume that high academic standards that will prepare “There is a huge separation between on level curriculum they’re not going to or them to succeed in college and careers.”

Hood states that LISD is living up to this and and AP curriculum—bigare not capable of read- expectation, and Forthun says that this ger than the Atlantic and Pashould be Marcus’ goal. cific Oceans together,” Stroud ing what’s difficult.

“At Marcus, I feel we have an obligasaid. jennifer Forthun, English tion to provide a rigorous curriculum for To narrow this gap, Forall our students and to support them and thun and others believe that scaffold for students who struggle a little teachers must prepare every bit,” Forthun said. “And we feel that English is kind of critical— student for their future—whether they plan to go to college or the skills they learn in English are critical to success no matter not. what the college major.”

“I think we do a great disservice to our Marcus students to

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Design Jolie Mullings

Finding their Endfate

Seniors get a jump start on clothing brand Story Skyler Middleton Design Jolie Mullings When creating a business one would assume it begins with an amazing story.

Thoughts begin to spark and one grand idea starts it all.

However, for these senior boys, it all began with a car ride to a friend’s house.

Dillon Morrison and Blake Anderson sat in the car, the radio quietly playing in the background.

Morrison sat in the driver’s seat focusing on the road ahead.

He reached over to change the radio station while glancing over to his good friend Anderson.

He thought for a moment before bringing up the idea that had been rattling in his mind, starting a clothing business.

The seniors spitballed ideas, and now that they had a beginning, all the needed was a label. Morrison turned to Anderson with a shrug and, as if on instinct, muttered “Endfate.”

them, online networking was important and has helped build their platform.

Anderson designed stickers that match their clothing items and gave many to their friends and classmates, so the stickers have found their way

“ ...

Morrison began to plan. Anderson became the designer. Using his— anything but normal—doodles from his Math Models class, they already had designs ready for shirts and hoodies.

They created social media accounts. To

Photo Submitted

The whole message behind it is bettering yourself.

Getting to the point that you want to be and reaching your Endfate.

Once the word was out, they had a following they never thought was possible. People they didn’t even know were wearing their work.

Anderson’s friend sent him a picture of someone in Waffle House late at night, wearing one of the Endfate hoodies. For Anderson, seeing someone he didn’t know wearing his art was surreal. He passed students in the hallway wearing his designs, his artwork, and gained a sense of pride.

Morrison and Anderson’s say their friends have been supportive throughout the whole process.

Anderson has hid “Easter eggs” in some of his designs that represent his friends. For example, one of his friends loves Alice in Wonderland, so when looking hard enough it’s easy to see that fairytale in one of their hoodies.

To the duo, Endfate is a message within itself, a person’s Endfate is the best version of themselves. The brand is meant to encourage and inspire those to reach their own Endfate.

They look to show their audience and peers that even if you’re as weird as their designs, you have the ability to become something amazing.

“The whole message behind it is bettering yourself.” Anderson said.

“Getting to the point that you want to be and reaching your Endfate.”

“

- Blake Anderson, 12

around school.

T-shirts sell on their site for around $20 and hoodies for around $35. Endfate has sold out on multiple occasions, something the seniors didn’t expect. They have a new found confidence knowing they had the ability and fan base to sell out.

“It’s cool to come in and see people we don’t even know wearing what we’ve created,” Morrison said.

Dillon Morrison and Blake Anderson don’t know what the future holds for Endfate, but they hope to carry it with them.

VALENTINE’S DAY GIFTS AND DATES

If you’re worrying about what to get your partner or where to take them for Valentines Day, you’ve come to the right place. Here we have a list of fun activities and gifts for a special day with your special person.

Story Kendall Cooper Photos Chase Martin

Initial necklace

Sports Gear

Even if you don’t really know what your

Get your partner something with their

Cost:

Cost:

partner likes, there’s one thing you know for sure— They’re into you! A necklace with your initials or name on it is a way for you to always be with them, and they’re guaranteed to think of you when they see it.

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favorite sports team’s logo or colors so they can be one step closer to their goal of being the ultimate fan. T-shirts and hats are always good go-tos, but if you want to be a next-level gift giver, you can get them a signed jersey or ball.

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Design Sarah Newton

Make a blanket fort

Dinner and a movie: The Extra Edition For an amazing night, go to LoLo’s

Chicken and Waffles in Southlake and get what might be the best food you’ve ever had. Then, go to the Coyote drive-in in Lewisville and spend the remainder of the night cuddling under blankets and eating popcorn, that is, if you’re not stuffed from LoLo’s.

Cost:

Design Sarah Newton

You are never too old for a blanket fort.

Especially if it involves movies and your boo. You can even pick a genre theme and have a movie marathon. This date is even more fun if you bring snacks with you inside the blanket fort.

Cost:

Jan. 26, 2018

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23

living with disease

Junior girl’s 11 year battle with type I diabetes Story Alex Anderson Photo Landon Brickey

The beeping rhythm of the heart monitor echoed throughout the room. IV bags are attached to the tube of the five-year-old girl’s hand. Her small, innocent eyes scan the room.

Nurses pace in the hallways of the hospital, coming into the room every so often to check on her. Her eyebrows scrunch as her eyes scan the room. Thoughts swirl around in her head. So many questions but no definite answers. Why hasn’t anyone given her real food? They’ve only given her cheese.

It wasn’t until the nurses showed her parents how to test her blood sugar and count her carbs that she understood why.

For the past 11 years, junior Abby Gump has been one of 200,000 youths in the United States living with type I diabetes.

“It’s annoying,” Abby said. “I’ll be out with friends doing something and then I go low and I don’t have anything with me, so I have to stop what I’m doing and go somewhere that has sugar..and then it just interrupts the thing that we’re doing.”

Type I diabetes occurs when the pancreas produces little or no insulin, causing the need to take insulin to maintain a stable blood sugar level. It can be caused by genetics or, in some cases, viruses and it is usually appears during adolescence.

There is no cure for type I diabetes. Treatment consists of maintaining a normal blood sugar level. To do so, a diabetic must check their blood sugar before every meal by pricking their finger, dropping a drop of blood on a test strip and putting the strip into a blood glucose meter. An insulin pump, attached to the hip, also provides a constant flow of insulin. This is an alternative to shots or an insulin pen. Abby has worn an insulin pump for the past 11 years.

INS

ULI

N

• • •

They all sat in the cafeteria, waiting for second period to start.

Tennis rackets and backpacks littered the floor. Everyone kept to themselves while anticipating the ring of the bell.

It started as it always does, with the question about the insulin pump. But where most people know when to stop asking, he did not. He keep asking and asking. He asked what it was and why she had it, but the questions didn’t stop there. He kept pushing.

Why does he care? Why does he feel like it’s his right to know?

Abby’s embarrassment turned to annoyance as he made it clear that he wasn’t going to stop poking and prodding for the

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One of the things that has changed most for Abby is her diet.

She and her family all eat healthier foods, like fruits and vegetables, due to her inability to eat a lot of carbs or sugar.

information that he wanted.

She remembered what her mom had told her about people who felt entitled to her personal business. That she should just tell them it was her business and that they should mind their own.

But he didn’t listen. Asking turned to yelling, and now he was yelling at her for not telling him about her condition.

This has become the normal routine for Abby since she was five years old. People constantly ask questions, and some people ask too many questions.

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Design Sarah Newton

When she was younger, she couldn’t do much of the testing by herself, but now that she is a young adult, she is able to do most of her treatment on her own.

“When she was five, there was very little she could do for herself,” Abby’s mother, Andrea Grump, said. “But now...she is extremely independent.”

Due to type I diabetes being the rarer version of diabetes in the U.S., many people, especially teens, are unaware of the differences between type I and type II diabetes.

Type I diabetes is caused by an genetic insulin deficiency, and type II diabetes is caused by an insulin resistance due to bad lifestyle habits involving diet and exercise.

Often when people say they’re diabetic, people assume they mean type II, which conjures a negative image of the diabetic.

They automatically assume the person had bad dietary or exercise habits.

“I feel like they judge me off of that [image],” Abby said. “[That] isn’t what actually happened, so if they knew the difference between the two, I think it would be better.”

Abby says that when people understand the condition and what it entails, they can be prepared for situations in which a diabetic needs help. Friends that carry around sugar packets

Glucose is the type of sugar the body gets from food and uses it for energy. It mainly comes from food that is rich in carbohydrates, which is why diabetics have to regulate how many carbs they eat. Normally, the body regulates how much glucose is in the blood, but diabetics have to regulate this on their own.

A blood glucose meter is used to measure blood sugar levels. There are different models and kinds, but they all are used for the purpose of finding one’s blood sugar level. A diabetic pricks a finger onto a test strip and then put the strip into the meter. The meter will then tell them what their blood sugar level is.

I’m still a normal person. It’s just something I have to live with.

-Abby Gump, 11

and help keep their friend’s level make situations easier to get through.

“My friends are really helpful,” Abby said. “My parents are really supportive, and my sisters, they all like to make sure that I’m staying on top.”

Despite the limitations that Type I diabetes puts on someone, they are still able to live normal lives and do normal things.

Abby cannot go in hot tubs or be out in the sun for long periods of time because it can cause her blood sugar level to go low.

However, she is still able to go out with friends and eat sugary things like cake and brownies.

“I hope for her life to be a journey where she can do anything she wants to do,” Andrea said. “And that diabetes wouldn’t stop her from doing it.”

Design Sarah Newton

Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that allows the body to process sugar, or glucose, for energy and even store it for later use.

It helps keep blood sugar from going too high or I N SUL too low. People with type IN I diabetes cannot make insulin, so they must take insulin injections to balance their blood sugar. Insulin can be taken by syringe, injection pen, or an insulin pump.

Jan. 26, 2018

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Video games debuting this year Story Aidann Zuniga

Donut County

Sea of Thieves Developers: Rare

Developers: BEN ESPOSITO

RELEASE: MARCH 20

RELEASE: 2018

Releasing on March 20, Sea of Thieves is a multiplayer open world action adventure game filled with riddles ready to be solved and treasure waiting to be found.

Players have the option to voyage alone or with friends to accumulate wealth, fortune and fame. Finally being able to live out one of my biggest childhood dreams is a dream come true. My calendar is definitely marked for this one.

Developed by Ben Esposito, Donut County is an indie game with one goal—swallow everything. Players begin the game as a small hole in the ground that increases in size with every object that falls in, eventually growing big enough to engulf buildings and more. It sounds like a simple game to goof off on during free time, but trying to fit a cow in little circle void may prove to be a bit more difficult than you think.

Fe

Florence

Developers: Zoink

Developers: Mountains

RELEASE: 2018

RELEASE: 2018

Discover unique creatures and unveil secrets hiding concealed lands as you trek through enchanted forests once inhabited by ancient beings. Fe, inspired by the captivating nature of Sweden, is an action adventure fantasy game developed by Zoink. Made for those who love to wonder and wander this game lets you explore to your heart’s content all it’s forests and valleys. If you’re a lazy gamer like me and tend to avoid combat, the visuals will definitely be worth all the running away you might be tempted to do.

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Design Aeralyn Stinson

A visual novel game inspired by the highs and lows of life and love. Florence was designed for new gamers and laid back players who prefer slice of life scenarios.

The story follows a young woman who is stuck in an undisrupted cycle of work and online browsing until she meets a cellist, who might change her daily life for the better. With such a heart-warming plot, Florence sounds like the perfect game to introduce new players to the world of video games.

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Design Aeralyn Stinson

New content from all genres is premiering this year in the gaming world. From MMOG to single player, this year promises something for everyone, no matter how much or how little you play.

The Last Night

Vampyre

Developers: Odd Tales

Developers: Dontnod entertainment

RELEASE: 2018

RELEASE: 2018

Delving into the darker side of video games, Vampyr is a choice based role playing game (RPG) developed by the creators of Life is Strange. Roaming the streets of 1918’s London in the dead of night, players can choose to terrorize the town or save the innocent. As a huge fan of choice driven games, I can’t wait to see the paths we get to unlock and the decisions we’ll have to make.

Originally a cyberpunk themed mini game created from a game jam, The Last Night is a platform indie game described as one of the most dazzling games to be released. Playing during the ‘Leisure Era’, where humans are divided by notable social classes, robots have taken over the work force and left many to fend for themselves. For retro and aesthetic lovers, this game should be at the top of your wishlists for its stunning graphics and dramatic soundtrack.

Surviving Mars

Dreams Developers: Media Molecule

Developers: Haemimont Games

RELEASE: 2018

RELEASE: 2018

Delving into the darker side of video games, Vampyr is a choice based role playing game RPG developed by the creators of Life is Strange. Roaming the streets of 1918’s London in the dead of night, players can choose to terrorize the town or save the innocent. As a huge fan of choice driven games, I can’t wait to see the paths we get to unlock and the decisions we’ll have to make.

Design Aeralyn Stinson

Jan. 26, 2018

Set out to find funding, resources and a brave party to join you on your grand adventure of colonizing Mars. Surviving Mars is a sci-fi strategy game that allows you to explore the land of Mars and build your own society. With the use of androids, domes and NASA based technology, you can be the first to make Mars successfully habitable or go down in history as someone who tried. Being a Subnautica player, I can’t help but think this is a space version of it. Except with meteors. And everyone lives. Maybe.

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You and I, through it all Skyler Middleton

With rosy cheeks and high pigtails, I stood quietly attached to my mom’s legs.

She gently guided me through the large double doors. I clinched the straps of my Scooby Doo backpack as we approached my class. The room was filled with anxious kids getting ready to start their first day of preschool. Still holding onto my mom, I gazed over to the door, only to find a slightly shorter girl with deep dimples on her cheeks, slightly hid behind her moms’ legs.

We made brief eye contact before turning away to giggle into our mom’s legs. Of course, our parents weren’t as oblivious as we had assumed, as they had seen the interaction.

Gently pushing me towards the dimpled girl, a smile grew on my mom’s face. We reconnected our previously awkward eye contact. Just above us, our moms shook hands as her dad smiled at my mom. With a little more encouragement

@_skylerw23 we were able to introduce ourselves. With a small stutter she mumbled, Gabriella Borsetto.

Our small hands met for an overly enthusiastic handshake. Little did we all know this quick exchange was the beginning of something beautiful.

We broke eye contact once more, giggling as one of us spouted out the question that changed our lives for the better.

Wanna be best friends?

••• Gabi has been my rock since day one, we have been through everything together. She always has a smile on her face and never fails to bring one to mine.

With a laugh as contagious as Gabi’s there is never a dull moment. From the moment we met we became inseparable and our laughter has never died down.

••• Standing in my living room, my eyes locked with Gabi’s as she stood with boxes around her. Each one filled to the brim with everything she owned.

Her family had been evicted from their home. Goosebumps rose down my arm, when I met her brown eyes, her dimples were nowhere to be seen.

Even though she now towers over me, I held her. My best friend was lost, so I held onto her as tight as I could. Her family needed mine. With nowhere to go

we opened our doors for them.

Even when going through a tough time, we found joy in the hardship. We were 13-year-old and living together.

Each humid day would start with waking up at noon. I’m the first to wake majority of the time, as Gabi’s favorite activity is sleeping. We’s slowly make our way to the living room to catch the afternoons showing of Say Yes to the Dress after hours of judging other women’s wedding dresses, we load into my moms grey toyota corolla and head to the community pool.

This was our everyday, I was sharing a room with my best friend over the summer, so we made the most out of it. With countless trips to the pool and an excessive amount of money spent at Starbucks, the summer was winding to an end. We had been attached by the hip, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Now as juniors in high school, we begin planning for what comes next. My mom’s Toyota Corolla is now mine, and Gabi is securely living in Frisco with her family. Even though I am not able to see Gabi as much as the summer of 2013, our bond has never been stronger. But no matter what college we go to or where we end up, we will always be there for each other. Friendship like this is true and rare.

Having someone like Gabi in your life changes it for the better.

Boom Bahs — Things we like Basketball season

Lunch options

School year shift

Since the boys of fall are in offseason, we now get the opportunity to pile into the M.A.C to cheer on our basketball team.

We enjoy being outside on Friday nights but the inside keeps us from worrying about the weather.

There is nothing like hearing our student section roar and echo throughout the arena walls.

Having a variety of food to choose from during lunch has become very beneficial to the student body. Having the opportunity try something new every day keeps it interesting.

The food the cafeteria and “The Cafe” provide accommodates everyone, whether you want a salad or a chicken sandwich.

LISD has released the new 20182019 school year calendar. We will start school on Aug. 15 and be released on May 23. We will also have exams before winter break, which is nice because we won’t have the stress of trying to retain what we learned during our fall semester classes like we have in the past.

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Opinion

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A friend worth fighting for Marc Kidwell

I did not know him for long, but his caring nature will always linger in my mind. It was a warm spring that year. It was April 1, 2013, I waited on the corner of South Coast Drive in Costa Mesa, California for the dull yellow school bus.

The bus stopped hastily on the corner and opened the sliding air compressed glass doors. I climbed the steps, smiled at a scowling bus driver and sat down.

I stepped off the bus wearing black cargo shorts and a light blue Dance Gavin Dance t-shirt, it was my brother’s.

Walking to the soccer field, my closest friend Dylan Michael stopped me to usher me around the track. He was wearing a green hat that said Reckless, a black t-shirt with nyan cat and brown, slim straight Levi jeans.

Tears quickly filled Dylan’s blue eyes as he told me we could no longer be friends.

I asked him countless times why, but he refused to tell me. Dylan walked away,

@_reddinosaur_ leaving me speechless. I was left standing by a fence that closed off the soccer field.

A year later, Dylan Michael, approached me at the back of Costa Mesa High School, we both were 7th graders.

My heart was beating out of my chest.

I clenched my fist in anger that he had the audacity to approach me out of nowhere.

Before I could speak, he grabbed my arms bringing me into a hug. His body was warm but his hoodie reeked of cigarette smoke. Dylan broke down in my arms, soaking my sweatshirt in his tears.

Through sobs he told me about his life the past year without me. He had started drinking and sleeping in the streets to escape his abusive parents. He told me the reason he left a year ago was because he was diagnosed with SCLC lung cancer.

That was when my heart shattered, I broke down in his arms.

SCLC is the most aggressive lung cancer to have and is rarely found in people who have never smoked before.

Dylan started smoking after his diagnosis.

Not knowing his thinking process, I can only assume he thought he was going to die from the cancer, so he picked up cigarettes to try and cope.

Dylan came back into my life at the worst time possible—I was moving to Texas in a few months. I would never see him again.

A day after seventh grade year was

over, my family and I drove for three days to Flower Mound, Texas in a brown Chrysler 300. Luggage was piled to the roof inside the car. I had no phone service, but my music was blasting in my ear. My thoughts ran rapid as I thought about the future of my friendship with Dylan.

Two months later I got a phone call from Dylan’s best friend Noah. I felt my heart starting to sink deeper into my chest when he calmly told me that Dylan had stopped breathing, he was then hospitalized.

Two weeks passed when the doctor finally told him he could go home. The nurses were getting Dylan out of the hospital bed, his lung then collapsed.

Dylan was resuscitated but died shortly after.

Dylan was an amazing friend and an even better person.

I will never be able to hear his last words, see his infectious smile. Every day he crosses my mind but sorrow no longer lingers within the thought of him.

I appreciated his company greatly and I’ve come to cherish everyone’s time that they share with me. I feel like I took advantage of his time with me, and I will not take advantage of anyone else ever again.

Everything comes flying 100 miles per minute every day, so take time to cherish what comes your way.

Heys — Things we don’t like Trash on the floor

Crowded lunch

Hand dryers

Recently there has been a ton of trash around the school. After we finish eating there is no reason why wrappers and water bottles should be on the floor. It only takes 5 seconds to pick something off the floor and clean up after yourself. Keep MHS clean and make the job easier for our hardworking janitors.

Even though our ability to sit anywhere at lunch has been revoked, it has now become even harder to find a seat. The cafeteria and the library is not big enough to hold everyone. We now have to run just get a spot in either location.

It would only be beneficial to give us our freedom back.

After a minute under the hand dryer, it seems like they don’t dry at all. We are mature enough to handle paper towels, or at least a hand dryer that actually dries in a reasonable amount of time. It would be nice to at least have the option of paper towels.

Design Jolie Mullings

Jan. 26, 2018

Opinion

29

The art of connect-the-dots Morgan Maxwell Kelly Rowe

@kellyrowe_

Country music poured through the speakers of my sister’s car as I sat silently in the backseat. Although I hated country music, the grating twang wasn’t bothering me. My thoughts were preoccupied with unanswerable, circling questions.

A battle ensued between my mind and my gut. Rational vs. irrational thought.

Soon enough, I began to question everything I was feeling.

Exhausted with my loop of thought, I decided to rely on the closest objective source I had. Google.

Opening the app, I tapped away the main question.

“When is the right time to say ‘I love you’?”

I was reminded of the stupidity, the naivety and angst of such a question.

Adults reminisced about their first loves and high school sweethearts inside the forums I scoured.

Ultimately, I found that there was no such thing as the right time to proclaim your love someone for the first time. All I could do was trust my intuition, and act on my gut.

I locked my phone with a sigh, feeling like I’d wasted my time. Back at square one within my thoughts.

I knew I loved my boyfriend, Chris.

But trusting my gut on when I should say something didn’t feel so simple.

I wondered what it was like to be an adult. To have years without teenage hormones, and a lack of angsty permanence. Permanence meaning what I’m thinking and feeling now seems like it will last forever.

Our brains don’t fully develop until we’re about 25. That’s where this everlasting feeling comes from. So I felt stranded and angry with the elder wisdom that I couldn’t yet comprehend.

Later that week, sleepy, deep breathing lingered in my room laced with green LED lights. It was completely silent, but my mind raced once more. I felt completely removed from the green shine and lazy comfort.

With a dull neon hue cascading over his skin, I dragged my fingers over Chris’ back, connecting his freckles like dots.

As I created a nonsense picture, I tried to connect my thoughts.

Coughs and hiccups bubbled in my throat instead, leaving words balancing on the end of my tongue. Maybe I should’ve asked if it was normal to feel so terrified when you’re about to say ‘I love you,’ instead of asking when I should say it.

With a deep breath, I focused. I told Chris to pay attention to what I was tracing over his back. Sweeping my index

Overheard “Casper the ghost? I think he’s dead.”

(Downstairs C Hall) “I think my dog judges me pretty often.”

“Show me the bees.”

at “If hell was a song, it’d be country.”

30

MHS

(Downstairs B Hall)

(Downstairs W Hall)

(Upstairs C Hall)

Opinion

back and upwards, I began the cursive phrase.

“I,” he mumbled. Washing my hand over his back, I signaled for the next word.

Hesitation flooded my fingernails. What will his reaction be? What if this is too soon? Looking back, it’s silly to even question it.

Curving the end of ‘e,’ it was Chris’ turn to hesitate. Instead of repeating the word back to me, a smile crept onto his lips as he called me a nerd, a term of endearment.

My heart slowed, feeling a bit like the moment was ruined, but also like it was better than any adult could’ve predicted.

My hands fell to the mattress as he rolled to face me.

Pulling me into a kiss, my rapid thoughts halted. He cupped my cheeks and moved to kiss my forehead, and returned the phrase easily. He didn’t have to worry or question his intuition. He just knew, and acted on his gut.

Who knows if it was the right time or place, but it felt right to me. The innocent naivety masqued any sort of regret or fear.

My gut was right, but I let myself get worked up with hypotheticals. I could’ve avoided the anxiety if I simply trusted what I felt.

Sometimes you don’t get a straightforward answer through deep thought and hours spent being pensive.

Sometimes the answer you need, the right answer in fact, can only come from your heart.

Compiled Rosalee Rogers

“Imagine being vegan...that would be like, my worst nightmare.”

(Downstairs W Hall)

“This is DougDima-Not okay.”

(Auditorium)

LISD should make ELA curriculum more rigorous Staff Editorial Across the country, more students are graduating high school, but this does not mean they are more prepared for college.

In LISD, English courses include less required reading, writing and research due to more “flexible” curriculum.

Students in regular English courses are being cheated out of the education they deserve. AP students vastly outpace them in course rigor, and on-level kids may not be prepared for college under current curriculum. Parents and students should demand rigorous courses that prepare students for college and life after high school.

The Rift

“

One of the biggest consequences of the watered down curriculum is it broadens the rift between AP and regular students, which hurts on-level college bound kids.

Top students are continuing to excel, but the bottom is continuing to decline. We cannot accept that a growing number of kids are not where they need to be.

As AP students continue to read multiple classic novels and write longform essays spanning a number of topics, regular students do not. Students who read passages instead of novels and write a single paragraph instead of full essays miss out on important themes, cultural eras and analytical thinking skills.

Of course AP classes should be faster paced and have more college-level assignments—no one is arguing that—but regular students should not be completely left in the dust because of their class choice. To prepare for college rigor and difficult assignments, all students should be exposed to challenging material.

Regular students may want easy assignments now, but it is important that we challenge all students.

College Prep District

texts, write formal essay drafts and revise them. Today, English classes no longer have any required reading or writing.

To prepare students for college, we must demand rigorous curriculum. In our ever developing world, it is becoming harder and harder to get by without a college education—let alone basic high school skills. It is not enough to read a couple passages or a movie review and write a reflection. We must train our students to be efficient communicators and thinkers.

Even students majoring in STEM will need English skills. As a society, we must stop pretending that reading novels and writing essays only matters to English

For quite a while, LISD has been one of the more competitive districts in the country—ranked in the top four percent of all U.S. districts. But due to the recent changes in curriculum, our district’s standing as one of the best may fall.

In 2009, English students were required to read multiple core novels and shorter

Allowing a good portion of students to leave high school without critical English skills is unacceptable.

Advanced Placement does not mean advanced opportunity.

majors. After graduation, students will need a working understanding of culture and communication. These vital skills are taught through classic literature and critical writing.

Not everyone goes to college

True, not everyone who graduates high school goes on to college. Some prefer to work in industries such as cosmetology or mechanics, and others choose to enlist in the military or simply take a gap year. That does not mean, however, they should not challenged with classic literature.

At face value, the themes in “The Crucible” or “The Grapes of Wrath” don’t seem important outside of school. But, as Americans, these are our shared stories— our history. We understand where we

Jan. 26, 2018

came from and who we are through these masterpieces. To allow teachers to not teach them is to ignore our heritage.

Furthermore, writing persuasive longform essays should not be an activity that a teacher can choose whether or not to do. Every student will grow up one day and have to sell their self to a college, employer or spouse.

Along the same line, we should challenge students deeply and freely to research and present topics they are interested in. Research helps to develop valuable life skills, providing students with the needed perseverance to tackle bigger projects during college or careers.

High school is the time to lay the first block for productive college students, employees and citizens alike. We need to challenge our students, but the problem is that valuable English class time is taken away by SSR, Ted Talks, podcasts and political debates. Individually, these activities are not bad, but they should be supplemental, not foundational.

Reading, Writing and Research

In district curriculum, there should be at least some requirement for deeper work in each of these categories. Merely suggesting what teachers should do is not enough. Kids should not be entertained because we value student choice over the education that everyone deserves. Rarely in life will we be allowed to choose everything we want to do. Life is struggle—requiring students to adapt to and interact with difficult coursework teaches them to work through adversity.

We must denounce the idea that only AP kids be challenged. Allowing a good portion of students to leave high school without critical English skills is unacceptable. Advanced Placement does not mean advanced opportunity.

LISD must buckle down and challenge all of its students to become productive, hardworking graduates, employees and citizens alike. The job of educators is to leave all students with a lasting positive impact. For if one of us fails because not everyone was pushed to be their best self, then we all fail together.

Opinion

31

A Comforting Southern Final While students were taking math and history finals, food science students recreated a Southern favorite. Students made flaky biscuits and creamy gravy from scratch for their final exam. Food science teacher Lori Tally had the final say in who had the best biscuits and gravy.

Photos Chase Martin

Junior Keaton Holloway, sophomore Kennedy Anderson and junior Shelby Lawson exchanged smiles and laughs between one another on their last day of food science.

Sophomore Kati Myers and junior Claire Willenborg cook eggs along side their biscuits and gravy to bring a more hearty breakfast to the table.

Junior Emily Crawford shifts flour onto her biscuit dough and kneads until light and fluffy.

Sophomore Mitchell Hess grabbed his skillet and slowly mixed in the creamy gravy into the freshly cooked beef.

Design Marc Kidwell