The Oracle: November Issue

Race relations at school p.13 Photo by Jackie Mask

Friday November 18, 2011

Photo by Katherine Kennedy

14555 Fern Drive, Houston TX 77079

Graphic by Kelsey Hunter

Volume 39, Issue 4

ORACLE

Playoffs Update p.12

see page 3

Touchdown Club PAYING RESPECT• Spring Forest Middle School was an array of red, white, and blue on Thurs. Nov. 10 for the Veteran’s Day Celebration. Veterans were served a complimentary breakfast and were honored in an assembly sponsored

by NJHS and Student Council. Students decorated the halls with notes to the veterans, thanking them for their service. Stratford faculty members being recognized on Veteran’s Day include Kathi Underwood and Joseph Brillon who served in the Navy, William Hall in the Army, and Mary Moreno and Darrell Pickard in the Air Force. Photo by Jackie Mask.

Spartan Head Symbol Being Redesigned Maddie Stone

The infamous Spartan mascot is in the process of being redesigned.

“I was approached by a parent of a student at Spring Forest who works for a marketing firm,” said building principal Chris Juntti. “They offered their services to do rebranding.”

While the Spartan is the official logo, several different types of Spartan heads have been used to show school

pride over the years.

“We are not doing away with the Spartan as a mascot,” said Juntti. “[The rebranding] is an effort to pair down the number of Spartan images and get more continuity in the Spartans we use.”

One of the reasons there are so many different kinds of Spartan heads is because when the school orders merchandise, the vendor controls which Spartan image goes on the product. Once the re-

branding process is finished, the school will have a few specific, sharp images of the official Spartan to send to the vendors.

By redesigning the Spartan, it is hoped that the mascot will become more ambiguous.

“Mascots are not supposed to show gender,” said Juntti.

“They are not supposed to show race. The school and the community should be able to identify with it without say-

ing, ‘That looks like me,’ or, ‘That doesn’t look like me’.”

The administration also hopes to incorporate catchphrases with the new logo.

Once an official image gets finalized, the administration will meet with students, coaches, and the community and gauge their reaction to the new logo.

“We want to get [the Spartan] down to four or five images and stick to those,” said Juntti.

SCHOLAR ATHLETE• (above)

Senior Cameron Johnson was awarded a scholarship for excelling in both athletics and academics from the Houston Touchdown Club. Johnson is the deep snapper for the Spartans, and is also class Valedictorian. Johnson was chosen out of over 500 student athletes for one of the top 25 spots. Senior Principal Kathy Stein, Coach Elliott Allen, and his family were among many at the luncheon supporting him. Photo and caption by Samantha Hicks.

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NEWS

Friday, November 18 , 2011

The Oracle

Buzz on Mosquitoes Marina Khalid

Houston has experienced a noticeable rise in the mosquito population this fall compared to years past. Due to the recent rainfall, several locations flooded and caused eggs of the flood water mosquitoes to hatch and swarm the city.

The drought that occurred before the sudden rainfall caused the West Nile viruscarrying mosquitoes to plague Houston with their eggs.

Once a sufficient amount of water reached the eggs, they began to hatch at an alarmingly rapid rate and the mosquitoes returned.

Missouri City and Sugar Land are experiencing the worst cases of the sudden mosquito influx.

Houstonians now fear the viruses that the mosquitoes may be carrying.

The official mosquito season begins in April. Since then, 600 mosquito samples have tested positive for the West

Nile virus.

Although several of the samples came out positive, the majority came out negative.

The West Nile virus originated in Uganda in eastern Africa. The virus was first discovered over a decade ago in New York, and has spread ever since.

The virus is transmitted from mosquitoes, who in turn receive the virus from birds.

The rate of mosquitoes carrying the virus increases every year and remains threatening from August to early September.

Luckily, very few people are actually affected by the virus when bitten.

The West Nile virus, in extreme cases, may conflict with other health conditions and increase the severity of the risk.

Some problems could result with people who have a weak immune system caused

by HIV, organ transplants, recent chemotherapy, or the like.

Old or very young and pregnant people can also develop a more severe form of the virus.

The virus can also be transmitted through blood transfusions and organ transplants.

Infected mothers also pose a risk to their infants if they are carrying the virus.

The milder form of the virus is the West Nile fever.

Some symptoms include abdominal pain, fever, headache, nausea, rash, sore throat, vomiting, swollen lymph nodes, and muscle aches. These symptoms could last up to six days.

To prevent the viral infection people are using more mosquito repellent products and wearing long-sleeves and pants. People are also draining pools of standing water in trash bins and plant pots.

Communities have taken to widespread preventive spraying and hospitals have become more cautious in testing donated blood and organs as well.

The Tweeting Ninja Avery Falick

ogy,” said Juntti.

Juntti’s tweets range anyFitting with the push to increase technology usage in where from updates on school sports, to Juntti asking the district, buildfor advice on what ing principal stuChris Juntti has found a new way to keep students and parents updated on what is happening around school: tweeting. The new Twitter account, @ ChristopherJunt, is the latest effort to keep the school community up to date on what is goArt by Jackie Mask ing on at school.

“There is a big push in the district to use technology,” dents dislike about school and said Juntti.

This push can be seen with how they believe these grievthe new addition of netbooks ances can be changed.

“Twitter is more than just and iPads in classrooms coming in Jan., which Juntti posting what you had for lunch,” said Juntti. “I wanted tweeted about recently.

“The leader of the campus a way for people to get feedneeds to embrace technol- back on school issues.”

Juntti has even created a “hashtag” on Twitter, #stratspart, to make conversation between everybody on Twitter easier, as all school related tweets will be grouped together.

Juntti hopes that his Twitter will be a positive addition to the current methods of getting news to the community.

“I don’t want it to be a place for people to get on a gripe, my initial vision was for it to be more of an informational piece,” said Juntti. “I want to take it where the technology and the students lead me.”

Follow @ChristopherJunt for updates on school and sporting events, and to have the opportunity to provide feedback on school with the opportunity to talk directly to the authority.

MAKE WAY ROYALTY •

FOR

Homecoming Queen Mercedes Young and King Brian Skulski went to Sherwood Elementary School to discuss the importance of staying in school. Young and Skulski discussed post-high school plans as well as the importance of being involved in high school extracurricular activities. Students from second through fifth grade attended the assembly.

Photo by Caitlin Hilton.

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The Oracle

Friday, November 18, 2011

For the Love of Peacocks College Busters and was unable to care for her three babies, resulting in Audrey Middlebrooke and their deaths. Two years later, her husband, Glenn, have Middlebrooke is happy to lived in Houston’s famous announce that she has been peacock-inhabited neighborseen with a new white chick. hood for 46 years. The couple “I would say that there are loves to watch the birds flutprobably about five new ter around their streets and peacocks born a year,” said consider the peacocks to be Middlebrooke. “In the mornalmost family. The Middleing, when it gets cold, somebrookes have been around times I’ll have since the peaabout twenty cocks first of them just came, and are waiting for happy to say the old lady they aren’t goto come out ing anywhere. and throw The peacocks them their originated in food.” the early 80’s Generally, from three the peacocks families that are harmlived in the less. Even the neighborhood neighborRiver Forest. hood pets Each had a have learned peacock and to deal with a peahen. The these birds. three peacocks “The peabegan to breed cocks usually and soon BIRDS OF A FEATHER • (above) Peacocks are frequent in local get left alone,” spread around. neighborhoods. It is thought that they will be removed from the area MiddleThere was a because of fear of diseases. Photo by Stephen Martinez. brooke said. rumor in the The cats and spring that the peacocks care of. dogs know not to mess with were being removed from the Middlebrooke claims that them, because if they did, the neighborhood. the peacocks are no trouble at mothers would become deThe River Forest Civic Club all. In fact, she rather enjoys fensive of her babies. had a meeting and some resi- them.

“The mothers will get agdents said that they needed “Granted, they make a little gressive, very aggressive, if to get rid of the peacocks for bit of a mess, but it’s no more they feel that their babies are health reasons. trouble than having a dog,” in harm,” said Middlebrooke.

“Somebody, I don’t know said Middlebrooke.

Other than the mothers who it was or where he came Henrietta, the white peahen protecting their babies, the from, tried to say that maybe is one of the Middlebrooke’s peacocks are harmless and they had a disease, and it favorites. Three years ago, should not be seen as a danturned out they didn’t,” Mid- Henrietta got hit by a car, ger to the neighborhood.

Samantha Vargas

dlebrooke said.

Some peacocks that lived in the neighborhood were tested, and as it turned out, the peacocks were disease-free.

At one point, there were too many peacocks and a local wildlife team came and moved some of the peacocks to farms out in the country, where they would be taken

NEWS 3

Hannah Price

“It was a pleasant surprise to learn that application essays should be only one and a half pages in length because school essays are pretty long and personal narratives are easy to write since it’s just about yourself.”

Alex Broadley “People think that college applications are harder than they actually are. You are just putting stuff down about yourself. The hardest part is the essay section.”

Cole Edwards “ Since I’m automatically accepted into the University of Texas, where I want to go, I got my acceptance letter early which ruined the classic anticipation of it all.”

Emily Johnson “I got my acceptance letter to Texas A&M really quickly. I submitted my application the day it opened, but I was still expecting the acceptance letter to take a while.”

Trey Miller

• Power to the Pupils •

On Dec. 10, power reviews will be in session. It will cost $5 per class from either 8-10 or 10-12. Each student participating in power reviews will receive a complimentary Chick-Fil-A breakfast. Sign up sheets will be placed in Counselor’s Corner the week after Thanksgiving Break.

Spots are expected to fill quickly so make sure to sign up.

• Crazy for Lip Dub •

REN FEST •

Orchestra played at the Renaissance festival on Tuesday, Nov. 1. Junior Walter Baker plays the viola and participated in the festival. “It was exciting, you just have to watch out for the steak on a stick. It’s a little sketchy,” Baker said. The orchestra spent the school day performing. “It was pretty fun, there were a lot of elephants,” junior Kevin Kim, a bass player, said.

A lip dub will be conducted before the end of the first semester to the song “Wavin’ Flag” by K’naan. Each student will get with one of their organizations they participate in and film their segment over the course of two Spartan Times. If a student does not participate in any extracurricular, they will be featured at the end of the video in the auditorium.

MONGOLIAN DINNER •

AP History teacher Julie Abrahams and her AP World History Students met on Wednesday, Nov. 9 at Genghis Grill for a Mongolian-themed dinner. “We were learning about the Mongols in class, so it was fun to learn about them in a different setting,” said sophomore Annie Ye. Photo by Katherine Kennedy.

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NEWS

Friday, November 18, 2011

The Oracle

Volunteer Opportunities for Thanksgiving Ammarah Tariq

With Thanksgiving around the corner, and the spirit of giving in the air, many people are trying to reach out to the less fortunate. Living in a big city like Houston means that there are countless opportunities for a person to give back to the community.

On Thanksgiving Day, The City-Wide Club’s 26th Annual Feast of Big Sharing will serve meals to around 35,000 Houstonians.

This feast will be served at the George Brown Convention Center to both homeless families, and families that are not able to spend the holiday with their own family. Volunteers are needed for this event that can serve food from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

Another feast will be sponsored by The 20th Annual Superfeast, who will serve dinner from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Waste Management, Inc. is taking part in this feast by sponsoring a blanket and clothing drive at their corporate offices. These items will then be distributed at the

feast to those in dire need of them.

Both of these large events require the need of many volunteers to help set up, serve, wait on tables, distribute clothing, serve, and clean up.

The events are also accepting financial donations for those who want to participate but are not able to attend.

This year, the 23rd Annual Interfaith Ministries Thanksgiving Day Meals on Wheels will provide meals to the seniors. Meals will be delivered to elderly people that are rarely visited by their families and experience loneliness and hunger. The route for these meals are located all over the Houston area.

This event is open to anyone who is willing to deliver meals to seniors.

Homemade goodies and cards are to be delivered to local nursing homes by Volunteer Houston. On Thanksgiving Day, the volunteers will meet at one of the three locations (Kingwood, Galleria, and North Houston).

From there, they will split up and deliver the goodies to the

different nursing homes in the area.

A Facebook group has also been created for an event that is trying to collect gifts for the homeless. This event is called Operation Gifts for the Homeless and is promoted by the Houston International Festival Foundation located on Montrose Blvd.

The 17th Annual TXU Energy Turkey Trot, a 5K run, needs volunteers at registration, set-up, and at water stations. The minimum age for the volunteers who want to participate is 15.

This event benefits the Sheltering Arms.

The Annual Thanksgiving Parade, or the H-E-B Holiday Parade, is also requesting the help of volu nte e rs .

These volunteers will need to show up between

Hitting the Right Notes Caroline Suchman

new virgin every night and had them beheaded the next

night and began another one, which she did not finish by The band advanced to the morning .

Area E Marching This went on for Competition where 1,001 nights, until they ranked fourth Scheherazade had out of eight local run out of stories.

4A bands. Before The sultan had advancing to Area, fallen in love with the band performed her and her stotheir show at the UIL ries, which made Marching Contest him a better man, where they earned and he let her live. a one from all three The band spent judges. the rest of football Due to the change season performfrom 5A to 4A, the ing shows like juniors will only have the Senior Show. one opportunity to The Senior Show advance because was arranged by competitions past Chris Arcy and UIL only occur every included the songs other year, with 1A, COME FOLLOW THE BAND • (above) Band 3A, and 5A competing practices their marching before school starts. This practice “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5 one year and 2A and helped them go to Area. Photo by Stephen Martinez. morning.

One day, the vizier’s featuring Christina Aguilera, 4A competing the next. daughter, Scheherazade, was “Tonight Tonight”

by Hot The show from this year was to the music of Scheherazade, married to the sultan. She Chelle Rae, and “Party Rock a ballet that tells the story of told him an exciting tale that Anthem” by LMFAO. They a Persian sultan who was be- night, but had not finished the will also play pop tunes and story by the time the sun rose. themes such as James Bond trayed by his wife.

According to the story, in The sultan spared her life for for the halftime show during order to get revenge on wom- one more night. She finished playoffs. ankind, the sultan married a the story halfway through the

Volunteer Opportunities

6 a.m. to 10 a.m. to help with concessions, escorting VIPs, ticket-taking, and other jobs.

The parade will take volunteers 16 and older.

Even if these events may conflict with many people’s Thanksgiving schedule this year, there are other opportunities throughout the year to help out. The holidays provide multitudinous volunteer opportunities to help out the less

TXU Turkey Trot Dillards Galleria 4925 Westheimer 713- 956- 1888

Thanksgiving Big Feast

George R Brown Convention Center 1001 Las Avenidas de las Americas 713- 752- 2582

Superfeast

400 Walker St. 713- 516- 3501

Meals on Wheels

First Presbyterian Church 5300 Main Street 713- 533- 4948

62nd Annual Holiday Parade Downtown Houston Thursday, November 24th 713- 654- 8808

Graphic by Kelsey Hunter

Project Lead the Way Samantha Hicks

The Principles of Engineering classes from Stratford and Memorial held their third annual STEM competition in the auditorium recently.

Students in this program are preparing for technology and a high-skilled society of the future.

The beneficial school competition was held Sept. 22.

Students in the Principles of Engineering class along with several other district classes are part of a curriculum called Project Lead the Way (PLTW).

The work that PLTW has constructed consists of problem-based projects. The students use common concepts from their regular math and science classes in creating and building these projects.

PLTW offers many classes within SBISD: Introduction to Engineering Design, Principles of Engineering, Digital Electronics, and Computer

Integrated Manufacturing.

During the competition at Stratford, teams of students worked together from each school to compete with the opposing school. They competed against each other with projects they had designed and built over the course of a few weeks.

These projects were all based on the use of six simple machines: lever, wheel, axle, pulley, screw, wedge, and inclined plane. The simple machines were used to convey motion from project start to finish.

“The students worked for a few weeks on building these devices and got to see how they work,” math teacher William Hall said. “Even before the competition, they were trying to get motion transferred from the beginning of their device to the end. The competition ups that requirement to even a higher level.”

“One thing these teams

learned is that waiting until the competition to try and fine tune or complete their device and then it’s too late,” Hall said. “It’s like a track meet: By the time the meet starts, the athletes need to be in shape and able to do the track or field event that they have chosen. Trying to get in shape or exercise once the meet starts is too late.”

This year the judges were Joe Kolenda and Nancy Wilkinson from the Career and Technical Education Department. The Memorial Mustangs were chosen as the winners for the 1st time.

The participants from Stratford were: Merritt Barnes, Nathan Byerly, Weijie Cheng, Steven Cisneros, Fortunato de la Puente, Johnny Fickert, Hunter Fite, Thomas Fuller, Diego Garcia, John Guzman, Cullin Johnson, Andrew Kim, Melanie Klassen, Isai Martinez, Jonathan Martinez, Katherine Perez and George Sanchez.

The Oracle

Friday, November 18, 2011

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NEWS Bonds Beyond Birth 6

Friday, November 18, 2011

Maddie Stone Claire Gailbraith

‘Family’ is one of those beautiful words that has no singular definition. It can mean your blood relatives, your group of friends, or ones that you have willingly accepted into your heart and home.

With November being National Adoption Month, it gives one time to think about the various meanings of family.

It also gives one the chance to see how many different kinds of people have a connection to adoption, including Spanish teacher Brenda Lozano, head swim coach and Aquatic Science teacher Mike Hoskovec, and senior Rihana Devany.

Lozano was born on Thanksgiving Day, 1955 in Trinidad, CO at San Rafael Hospital.

About 18 months later, her sister was born in Houston.

Three years later on May 10, both were adopted in San Antonio. Lozano was four and a half and her sister was three.

kelsey hunter

“We have been told that we had been in different foster homes—one family got tired of us and dropped us off at the Greyhound bus station,” said Lozano. “But our collective memory starts on the day we were adopted. Neither of us has a single memory before that day and we both remember small facts about that day that our parents do not remember.”

Lozano’s adoption was never a secret in her family; she always knew. Her family treated her adoption day, May 10, like a holiday.

“May 10 has always been the most important day of the year,” said Lozano. “It’s the day we became a family.”

Growing up, Lozano was fine with not knowing who her biological parents are.

“When I was young, I never wanted to ‘find’ my ‘real’ parents because I had them,” said Lozano. “Parents are the ones that bring you up each day.”

While Hoskovec was not adopted, his father, also Michael Hoskovec was.

“My dad was born in 1947,” said Hoskovec. “His biological mother was 16 and pregnant out of wedlock. She was sent to live with family in a different city and then put my dad up for adoption.”

Hoskovec, who grew up in Omaha, NE, was told that he was adopted early on.

“He knew at a young age,” said Hoskovec. “It wasn’t a big secret, but he didn’t go out of his way to tell people.”

When Hoskovec was older, he tried to find out about his biological mother through the adoption agency. Although he requested information, his mother declined.

By that time, she had already moved on and started a new family.

However, after her passing, Hoskovec’s half-siblings found out about him and contacted him through the agency. At the age of 62, he has connected with a new family.

“He has one half-sister and two half-brothers,” said Hoskovec. “They’ve really

The Oracle

reached out to each other. He visits one of his half brothers consistently and they talk monthly.”

Hoskovec and his half-siblings also found out that they were connected in another strange way: they grew up on the same street in Omaha just two miles apart.

“My dad was a teacher, and if he had continued teaching at the school he was teaching at for another year, he would have likely taught his halfsiblings.”

Devany was born in South Central Los Angeles and was adopted shortly after birth.

“My parents never used an agency,” said Devany. “It was an open, private adoption.

My birth mom and adopted mom actually held hands as I was born.”

Devany’s adoption was never a secret as she and her adopted parents were of different backgrounds.

“I grew up with white parents so I would not call it a secret,” said Devany.

Devany has four siblings:

Aye, age 8, Yosef, age 11, Billy, age 12, and Jenny, age 20.

Both Aye and Yosef are also adopted.

“Aye and Yosef are adopted from Ethiopia,” said Devany.

“Yosef came six years ago.

Aye was adopted one year ago and is still adjusting to America. Billy and my older sister Jenny are biological.”

Devany loves her adopted family but keeps her birth parents close in mind.

“I have a very big and loving family, so I don’t really feel like I’m missing anything because my family is all that I’ve known,” said Devany.

“My parents helped my birth parents through a very difficult decision, so I have pictures of me with them. I’ve always had a picture of my birth mom holding me in my room.”

Devany is open about the possibility of meeting her birth parents.

“I think about meeting them sometimes, but I’m very happy with my family,” said Devany. “I’d be okay crossing

paths with them someday as long as it was something they wanted as well. I will always be grateful for their selfless love.”

Devany enjoys some of the more unique aspects of having such a diverse family.

“I’m lucky to know that family doesn’t have to be blood related or look alike,” said Devany. “Adoption is neat because you’re really expected to just be yourself and not compared biologically to anyone. What’s even better is that you end up having more similarities with your siblings because you grow up learning from each other.”

Devany is very supportive of adoption and may adopt when she’s older.

“Having two brothers from Ethiopia and having lived in Mexico, I know that there are many things we take for granted in America,” said Devany. “Having a family is something every child deserves and there are way too many children waiting for a family.”

The Oracle

Friday, November 18, 2011

Countdown to...

MUSE

6 Days... until

Thanksgiving

A Look Inside Santa’s Playlist

The songs of Christmas that everyone need to hear Caitlin Hilton

No matter where one look, as fall hits the halfway mark they’re bound to find signs of Christmas cheer. One of the most popular traditions of winter is the holiday music.

From old to new, festive tunes have a way of pulling very tight heart strings. With the days inching closer to Christmas, today’s most popular artists have already begun to release holiday albums.

Jack Johnson’s single, “In the Morning”, is a typical islander song but with a jolly flare.

Johnson showcases the joys that come along with Christmas morning.

The singer/songwriter duet She & Him have just debuted their own Christmas album, featuring original songs and covers of old time classics.

“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is undoubtably the best track found on A Very She & Him Christmas.

With the calming vocals of Zooey Deschanel and a sweet plucking of the strings of an electric guitar combine to perfectly remake and revive

an old classic.

Another artist with a brand new album essentially for the holidays comes from Matt Wertz. An even split of cover and new tracks can be found, including the new hit, “Snow Globe”. The song showcases his individuality as a musician, but also puts a joyous spin on the sometimes rustic holiday music genre.

The Maine’s …And a Happy New Year may be from a few years ago, but the four tracks on the compilation should always be played this time

muse 7

of year. From the hilarious “Santa Stole My Girlfriend” to the forlorn “Ho Ho Hopefully”, the strum of an acoustic guitar and lead singer John O’Callaghan’s voice pulls you into a vortex of endless holiday happiness.

Whether you’re a traditional Christmas music listener or you prefer the modern holiday tunes, one thing everyone has in common is the love for this seasonal genre. But why wouldn’t they? After all, it is the most wonderful time of the year.

6 Days...

“Is that a fat joke?”

-Catherine Frost, 11 “I love the winter and the ice skating”

until the

Ice at Discovery Green -Allison Rice, 9

15 Days... until

Buzzfestivus

with Rise Against

“That sounds cool.”

-Avery Croley, 11

Thanksgiving Gone Veggie

Vegetarian alternatives to the Thanksgiving classics Hannah Price

When Thanksgiving rolls around and minds begin to fill with turkey and dressing, what are the vegetarians left to dream about satisfying their hunger with?

Although there are many dishes that do not contain meat, such as deviled eggs and cranberry sauce, that appear on the Thanksgiving table, a majority of platters are filled with dead animals.

Many options that would be meat-free, such as green bean casserole and mashed potatoes,

are usually ruined for vegetarians with bacon thrown into the mix. Because of this, one sometimes has to settle and take refuge from less filling side dishes as their Thanksgiving “feast”.

Salad is an obvious vegetarian option, but it doesn’t necessarily make one excited or offer something different to munch on for the infamous Thanksgiving meal.

G r e e n

bean casserole and mashed potato dishes could suffice if bacon, the unnecessary ingredient, is conveniently left out of the recipe.

There are many pumpkin recipes that can give one with a meatless diet more alternatives. Dishes such as pumpkin dip, spiced pumpkin seeds, or candied

pumpkin can be sufficient replacements. Although these give a few more options, they still won’t fill a grumbling vegetarian stomach.

Turkey not only serves as a main course at Thanksgiving, but also as a stand-out centerpiece for the holiday festivities. In its place, one could make a stuffed pumpkin. The stuffed pumpkin could be packed with

bread and cheese or even a selection of fruits. Although not as filling as a hearty turkey, a stuffed pumpkin could replace the turkey and stuffing, which is soaked in turkey broth and, therefore, off-limits to vegetarians.

Many soups could also be prepared that are meat free and are not only filling, but are also warming during the winter holiday months. There are many varieties such as potato soup, pumpkin soup, squash soup, and corn chowder.

Although turkey is not on the vegetarian Thanksgiving menu, there is a way for vegetarians to eat it guilt-free with tofu turkey. Because tofu recipes usually call for spices and seasonings that could be found on a classic Thanksgiving turkey, it can still have the same effect.

Luckily for non meat-eaters, dessert is not a Thanksgiving dish that has to be passed.

Gorging one’s mouth with pumpkin and apple pies helps preserve the Thanksgiving aura of the meal. However, pie crusts can contain lard, which is not only unappealing for vegetarians, but vegans as well. To correct this, there are oil based pie crust recipes that can be used instead as well as conformed recipes like chocolate tofu pie. Other options could be to make a pecan crust with a pumpkin pie filling or even cranberry ice for more health conscience individuals.

Even though Thanksgiving is considered to be a meat lover’s paradise, vegetarians can join in as well with meatless options that can help arouse their festive spirit.

Happy Eating!

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muse

Friday, November 18, 2011

The Oracle

Here Comes Indie

Independent music labels make their break Harrison Vaporciyan

Traditionally, the music scene has been dominated by major labels. Recently, though, indie labels, labels not tied to the demands of a multinational corporation, have been gaining popularity as a way for musicians to put out music that is not status quo. Sub Pop, a Seattle-based label, is a textbook example of the influence these underground companies can have on mainstream society. Since

their inception in 1986, they have signed countless artists, including bands like Fleet Foxes, Flight of the Conchords, and Soundgarden.

The most famous band on their roster, however, is doubtlessly Nirvana. Even people who have never heard of Sub Pop (or Nirvana, for that matter) can still hum the bass line from “Smells Like Teen Spirit”.

Sub Pop is not alone . Other indie labels such as Kill Rock Stars and Secretly Ca-

nadian, have sprung up over the years, offering outlets for avant-garde artists.

Even more recently, a third option has sprung up: no record label at all. This approach, however, has its drawbacks. While the band does get to keep all of the profits from their albums, they’re on their own as far as printing the CDs. So far, the only bands to successfully utilize this approach are ones with large fan bases, like Radiohead.

Every user creates their own board which they can either upload their own ideas or ‘re-pin’ other interesting pins.

This is a great way to organize potential crafts or goals.

“I like it,” admitted junior Mary Margaret Weaver, “There are so many great recipes on there! I’ve tried making a few desserts and they were yummy.”

Another thing that makes it different is its exclusivity. To become a member, you must

be invited. A friend can either send a request or an application can be approved by a different member. However, anyone can still view public pins by just visiting the website.

Even local parent, Carole Pena is addicted. “I can’t get enough of my pinboards!”, Pena said.

Experience what everyone’s pinning about. Be careful though, you might end up spending hours on Pinterest.

Happy Pinning Paige Tormey

Pinterest is the newest online craze that is captivating thousands of addicted viewers. What makes it stand out from other popular websites today is its wide range of topics and ideas that can keep anyone hooked for hours.

As its name suggest, Pinterest is a virtual ‘pin’board where users can posts their ‘interests’. The most popular subjects range from weddings, apparel, home decor, and travel destinations.

Lydia Sweet

Avery Falick

Harrison Vaporciyan

Paige Tormey

Young Folks Peter Bjorn & John

This song can be summarized as “that hipster song with whistling”. It has possibly the best whistling parts in the music world.

This song never fails. The vocals are unique and the whistling sets this song apart from other songs. This song very easily becomes stuck in your head.

I’m with Lydia on this one.

This song breaks new ground in what whistling is capable of, elevating it from a habit to an art form.

With its recognizable sound, this can easily get stuck in your head and soon you’ll be subconsciously whistling it all day.

It’s happy and catchy.

News 4 U Fitz & the Tantrums

This song sounds like it should be from some bygone era. The saxophone parts give it a very jazzy sound.

News 4 U is a very upbeat, yet angry song. It has an energetic chorus, and the break in French is neat. Fitz has a great voice, and the energy is infectious.

Songs with saxophones have traditionally fallen into two categories: classical and pretentious. This song falls squarely between the two.

This is the kind of song that no one can sit still to. The French part keeps it fun and sets it apart from most upbeat songs with clashing instruments.

A More Perfect Union Titus Andronicus

Apparently Bruce Springsteen has started a new band. He also seems to have a new found interest in the civil war. Kudos Bruce.

I have mixed feelings about this song. At some parts, it’s a lot of unpleasant noise, but then it breaks into a musical interlude that is enjoyable.

It’s an 8-minute song that starts off with a sample of one of Lincoln’s speeches and leads into an album about the Civil War. What more is there to say?

I actually really like this song.

The obsession with patriotism is a little confusing at parts, but it’s well-played and an intriguing song.

Mumford and Sons has an American counterpart! Or maybe they are the same band minus the accent. It’s really hard to tell.

I really like this song. It’s an easy listen and happy. It reminds me of summertime, for whatever reason, which is definitely a good thing.

It’s like someone took every country band ever and threw them in a blender. The song is pleasant enough, but lacks a certain something.

The cool thing about this song is the lyrics can mean different things for different people. It’s also a great quality song with a strong voice.

When My Time Comes Dawes

The Oracle

Friday, November 18, 2011

Oracle Goes Online Black Like Me Review Chandler Callahan

The Stratford Oracle has recently made a technological advancement by launching an online blog. This is a new way to share the latest information with students.

The blog features an online edition of the Oracle, and is frequently updated on the latest school events. The Oracle staff will be posting blog entries on most events that occur on the school campus involving students.

“The blog is basically going to be a shorter, more updated version of the Oracle, except online,” said Isabel Deakins, member of the Oracle and blog staff.

“Journalism is evolving from print to online issues, and I think it is exciting that the Oracle is making that transition,” said Avery Falick, editor of the blog.

The new blog is a great way to stay updated on school events and read the Oracle while conserving paper in the

“

process.

“I think this is a really cool way to get Spartan Pride on the internet,” said junior Sarah Zschappel.

Since the blog is so easy to update and has no need to be printed, it will be updated much more often than the Oracle.

Another way to stay connected to the Oracle is to like the O r a c l e’s page on F a c e b o o k .

Staff will be posting reminders about events coming up at school and also include sneak peeks of the next issue of the Oracle. Students are encouraged to post story ideas of what they want to see in the Oracle on the Facebook wall.

So advance with the Oracle into the age of technology and check out The Stratford Oracle Facebook page and our blog at spartanoracle. blogspot.com.

Check out the blog at spartanoracle. blogspot.com

Ammarah Tariq

If given the chance to pick between hardship and an easy life, many people would choose the lighter choice in the blink of an eye. There are certain people, however, that wouldn’t mind facing adversity.

John Griffin, author of Black Like Me, is one of the people that would chose the latter option. Griffin’s book was published in 1961 and covered his six-week experience as a black man traveling in the South.

Here’s the catch: Griffin is a middle-aged white man living in Mansfield, TX. In 1959, with the support of his wife and his friends, he went through a treatment to become a black man.

Griffin had set out on this journey knowing that prejudice would be a consistent problem.

However, he did not expect there to be so much oppression everywhere he went. Segregation seemed to rule all the public places, and made it impossible for Griffin to find a job.

After a while, Griffin moved

to the Deep South. This was a significant step for Griffin because he had already been exposed to the bullying from the white men, yet he was still willing to go to a place that had even more injustice.

Griffin seems to lose hope in the mission once he finds conditions disturbing. However, after hearing about passive resistance in Montgomery, Alabama with Martin Luther King Jr. in charge, he rejects the idea of giving up.

From his notes he concludes that races do not understand each other.

Before leaving, Griffin tells a little boy that racism is the result of “social conditioning” and is not because of any inborn qualities. He hopes that races will start to tolerate each other, or else this problem will result in violence.

Not many people are willing to sacrifice their freedoms for a life of segregation. That is why Griffin’s selfless journey was inspirational. It reflected a contemporary social problem that had to be exposed and the horrific outcome if change was not sometime in the future.

What’s On: Comfort in the Classroom Caitlin Hilton

Autumn has come and the sweaters have followed. Students sport neutral colors, oversized knits, and boots of every style. Accessories have even drifted to the earthy-bohemian design.

Photos by Caitlin Hilton and Jackie Mask.

muse 9

ANNIE

and the adventures

In times of great stress or adversity, it’s always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.

Lee Iacocca

10 BACK OF PAGE 9 BACK OF MUSE

Thankskilling booyakuh!

Dumela Stratford, that’s Tswana for “hello”. Tswana is a language indigenous to South Africa. We pride ourselves in being culturally diverse here on the Backpage.

In other news, are you excited for Thanksgiving?

We sure are. Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays behind Christmas, Kwanza, Easter, D.B. Cooper Day, Halloween, Leaf Erikson Day, and the joint holiday of Dogs In Politics Day and the International Banana Festival in September.

Excluding the holidays above, is there any holiday better than one where you can stuff yourself with as much delicious food as you want and then spend the whole next day on the toilet?

That’s why Thanksgiving is a Backpage-approved holiday.

Food and bodily functions aren’t the only reason why we love this holiday, however. There is a particular movie feature that is perfect

for watching on this holiday.

Thankskilling.

Unanimously agreed upon here at the Backpage, Thankskilling is a classic film and must watch with the whole

family.

Created by Jordan Downey and his friends, this movie depicts a group of college students being slaughtered by a killer turkey.

Killer turkeys are more common than you think, Stratford. We recently spoke with our resident historian here at the Backpage about his new theory on killer turkeys. Here is what he had to tell us:

“Essentially, turkeys used to celebrate Thanksgiving by capturing humans and cooking them and later feasting in large groups. Every year humans used to lock their door in an attempt to keep the gobblers from gobbling them up but usually it was too late for the poor humans.”

Radical views from a radical person.

What a concrete, firm, solid, impenetrable, strong, thick, and flawless hypothesis conjured by our very own historian.

So Stratford, this Thanksgiving, be thankful when you stuff that turkey after realizing that a turkey is not stuffing you. Please remember to be very dankbarr this Thanksgiving, Stratford.

That’s Dutch for thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving, Spartans.

Friday, November 18, 2011

The Oracle

ON DA ROOF WITH COACH BARRETT

Photos by: Jackie Mask

The Oracle

November-December Monday

Sunday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Friday

Thursday

Friday, November 18, 2011

SPORTS11

Saturday 18

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Boys Varsity Basketball Dawg House Classic @ Magnolia

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21 Boys Varsity Basketball v.s. Cy-Ridge CRHS @ 7:00

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Girls V Golf v.s. Mayde Creek Pine Forest CC

Girls V Bball v.s. Montgomery SHS @ 6:00

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Girls V Bball v.s. Magnolia SHS @ 6:00

Boys V Bball v.s. Cy-Fair SHS @ 7:00

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Girls V Bball v.s. Memorial DCC @ 5:00

Boys Varsity Basketball v.s. Cy-Ridge CRHS @ 7:00

Boys V Bball 29 v.s. Seven Lakes SLHS @ 7:00 Girls V Bball v.s. Pasadena Mem. DCC @ 5:00

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Boys Varsity Basketball v.s. Memorial DCC @ 7:00 V Swimming & Diving v.s. Cinco Ranch CRHS @ 6:00

Girls V Golf v.s. Magnolia West Longwood GC

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Boys Varsity Basketball v.s. Cy-Fair SHS @ 7:00

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V Diving TISCA Meet Friscoe ISD Natatorium

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Girls V Bball v.s. Northbrook DCC @ 6:00

V Swimming TISCA Prelims Friscoe ISD Natatorium

Last issue, a story by the name of “Breaking The Bank“ was published in this section. The story was based on the expenses of playing high school sports.

In this story it was stated that, “the volleyball teams are known for using a different practice shirt every weekday, and are required to buy them using their own money. This year, the cost

of the shirts totaled $80.”

Following the publishing of the October issue the Oracle staff received a response from Varsity volleyball coach Beck Palermo.

In this response she said that buying the shirts are not required, and that every athlete is given the option wether to purchase them or not. Athletes are mistaken when they think the shirt purchases are required according to Palermo.

16

Boys Varsity Basketball v.s. Magnolia MHS @ 7:00 Girls V Bball v.s. Langham Creek SHS @ 5:00

Breaking the Bank Update Samantha Hicks

9

Also stated in the story was that, “according to varsity football coach Eliot Allen, depending on the equipment, football players can spend an average of $350 to $500”.

This statement was analyzed and it was found out that the equipment and pads that are necessary to play football are provided by the school.

One of the only pieces of equipment that players spend their personal money on is cleats and special gloves.

ON • The Spartans defeated Willis High School in the first round of playoffs on Sat. Nov. 18. The final score was 20-14.

The touchdowns for the Spartans were scored by seniors Brian Skulski and A.J. Justice.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Willis Wildkats lined up a few yards away from the end zone. On defense were safeties A.J. Justice and Kelvin Rainey, cornerbacks Jordan Burnstein and Terrance Peters, inside linebackers Don Szumski and Marshall Settegast, outside linebackers Anthony and Christian Osso, and defensive linemen Matt Lien, Jarvis Pruitt, And Jake Soltis.

The Willis quarterback went for the pass and it was caught in the end zone. But the reciever could not keep hold of the ball. Justice stripped it from him, causing a game-winning turnover for the Spartans.

The Spartans will play Nederland at one o’clock at the Galena Park ISD Stadium on Sat. Nov. 19.

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V Swimming TISCA Finals Friscoe ISD Natatorium

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GET IN THE ZONE• Boys Basketball is underway and the Spartans are looking foward to a succesful season. With most of the starters in last year’s season being seniors, this year there will be a predominately new team taking the court. Shooting the ball is junior Parker Lund, is a member of the Varisty team. “I am reallty excited about this season, we have a good team and should be able to win games,” said Lund. “Go Spartans!” Come support the Boys Basketball team as they shoot their way through the season. Photo by Jacob Pennington.

The Rundown a play-by-play of Stratford athletes

GOING

Hope Wiggins

Favorite Food: Ice Cream Favorite TV Show: Chelsey Lately Pump up Music: Booty Work Favorite Quote: “Hayden Parley’s hot”Hayden Parsley Favorite Game: Candy Land Top Priorities: School, friends, family, God College Basketball Favorite: Texas A&M Favorite NBA Team: Boston Celtics Photo By Caitlin Hilton

Rob Gahn

Favorite Food: Pasta Favorite Teacher: Mrs. Russell Pump up Song: In One Ear-Cage the Elephant Favorite Quote: “knowledge speaks but wisdom listens” - Jimi Hendrix Favorite Race: 100m back Top Priorities as an Athlete: Win. Photo By Ford Story

12

SPORTS

Friday, November 18, 2011

Road to Round Rock Girls and Boys Varsity Cross Country teams achieve victory at Districts and advance to State Samantha Hicks Leslie Bustamante On Thursday, Oct. 27, both boys and girls Cross Country teams ran at George Bush Park for the District 17-4A Cross Country meet.

Seven teams competed to advance to Regionals. The top three teams would automatically advance.

Girls Varsity received first place for the fourth consecutive year and JV placed first as well, for the third year out of four.

JV did an outstanding performance with the top four finishes.

The Varsity girls’ achievement at districts led them to advance to Regionals.

The Varsity boys received second place at districts. JV did not place due to a shortage of runners, but were among

the top ten individuals. The freshman team repeated last years freshman victory by winning first place again.

The results for JV were sophomores Tim Tirado in first place, Ramin Rahmatian in fourth and Eddie Wallet in eighth.

The Varsity boys qualified for Regionals, as well, for the second time in Stratford history.

Regionals were held on Sat., Nov. 5, at Atascocita High School in Atascocita, Texas.

For the girl’s, Senior Kathryn Wood came in third place with a time of 11:34, followed by seniors’ Lara Samarneh (6th), Elise Franke (20th), Becca Jones (33rd), Tierra Mayes (49th), freshman Christina Tirado (70th) and junior Mackenzie Mayo (78th). With great success the girls re-

ceived second place allowing them to advance to State.

At the Regionals meet for the boy’s, senior James Broussard came in 9th(16:35), followed by senior Sullivan Barnes (22nd), sophomore Francisco Lara (23rd), freshman Austin Richard (24th), and sophomores’ Brian Quinlan (31st), Pearce Cash (32nd) and Walker Wichmann (58th).

With a total of 105 points the boys team received third place, and were able to advance to the State meet for the first time.

Freshman Austin Richard went to State for the first time.

“I feel like I get a lot of recognition for being a freshman on Varsity, and I’m proud that all of my hard work paid off in the end,” Richard said.

State was held on Sat.

The race is well underway and as of now no team has stood out above the rest. Of course I am talking about the race to claim Stratford’s own Andrew Luck. The two teams that seem to be doing exceptionally well in the race for Luck are the 0-8 Indianapolis Colts and the 0-8 Miami Dolphins. At seasons end the worst NFL team will receive the number one pick in the 2012 NFL draft and most likely, claim top college prospect Andrew Luck. Luck is currently leading the undefeated Stanford Cardinal to their first national title since 1929, and he is leading the Heisman race while doing so. Luck would have been the first pick of the draft last year but he wisely choose to stay in college for another year, a move similar to another NFL quarterback by the name of Peyton Manning. Ironically enough, Luck could be the one to take over Manning’s long time role as the Colts quarterback. Manning signed a one year deal with four year extension during the off-season which means if the Colts draft Luck, there is a chance Manning could part ways. As bad as the Colts may seem the Dolphins may have the better chance at going 0-16. They have lost their starting quarterback, which may not be such a bad thing, their coach is on the brink of loosing his job, and worst of all their fans choose to root for Tim Tebow and the Broncos during a Miami home game. Unlike the Colts who have the luxury of a few good years left in Peyton Manning, the dolphins have no quarterback and Luck could make for a perfect fit in Miami. Caption by Alex Newton.

Nov. 12 in Round Rock, Texas. Both the boy’s and girl’s team competed in this meet making this the first time in the history of the school for this to happen.

Overall the girl’s placed 10th in the 4A State Championships. The top runner for the Lady Spartans was Wood, coming in 30th(12:15). Following her was Samarneh finishing 40th(12:22), Franke in 69th(12:50), Jones was 94th(13:14), Crockett in 95th(13:15), Mayes in 102nd(13:30), and Mayo coming in 107th(14:05).

Coming in 11th place at the 4A State Championship meet was the boy’s team.

The top runner for the boy’s was Broussard coming in 48th(17:06) . Following him was Barnes in 63rd(17:19), Richard in 70th(17:25), Quinlan in 76th(17:76), Wichmann in 86th(17:50), Cash in 88th(17:56), and Lara came in 90th(17:57).

State was the seniors’ final Cross Country meet.

Senior James Broussard spoke on every ones behalf.

“It was an incredible feeling and a great accomplish-

SENDING OFF• (above)

The school gathered on Fri. Nov. 11 to send the Cross Country Team off to state. The boys placed 11th overall and the girls came in 10th.

ment, not only for me but for the entire team in general.”

Broussard said. “We have worked hard and definitely felt as though we deserved it.

But just the feeling of going to the biggest meet in Cross Country was awesome!”

Competing in State was a great experience for the team.

Serving It Up At Regionals Samantha Vanston

NEEDING SOME LUCK• (above)

The Oracle

The final out-come of this team found out that 2 of losses in the morning and The Spartan Tennis team round was 15-4, the Spartans their starting players would the wins in the afternoon went in to regionals with on top. With this record they not be attending because of was too big to overcome. a winning record of 16-4. advanced into the semi-finals a wrist injury and asthma.

Still, the dedicated SparThis was the 24th time that tans gave everything the team attended regionthey had and fought als in the past 26 years. until the last point.

The Spartans were seeded The Junior Varsity Tensecond behind their district nis team also had a rival Montgomery. They very successful season. received a bye on Friday Beginning Oct. with a Oct. 28 for the first round. match against Waller, Before heading out to the Spartans got off to a Seven Lakes High School good start with a 9-2 win. to play Kingwood Park, Coming out of the win, the the team got warmed-up Spartans played the Spring and then went out and ate a Woods Tiger’s. They ended healthy, full of energy lunch. the match with a 12-2 win, Kingwood Park was dominating the Tigers. ranked 22nd in the state Next, the JV team played and proved to be a worthy Magnolia. The team secured opponent for the mighty a 13-3 victory over the BullSpartans. Varsity hit the ground running by tak- SENDING OFF• (above) The Tennnis team competed in the Regional meet at dogs. As the final game ing a 5-2 lead in doubles. seven Lakes High School. The Spartans fell short to the Friendswood Mustangs. Staff of the season the Spartans played Brenham, our The athletes compet- photo. new district rival. The ing in singles also did an against Friendswood, who The morning matches started outstanding job, winning is ranked 16th in the state. off a little rocky but began team played their best and came out victorious, beating 10 out of 12 close games All rested and ready to go to improve in the afternoon. the Cubs with a score of 8-4. against Kingwood Park. on Saturday morning the But the gap between the

The Oracle

Friday, November 18, 2011

OPINIONS13

Breaking the Barrier

Dissecting race relations and the status quo at Stratford from the cafeteria to the classroom Janelle Blackwood Samantha Stazo

long been existent. The section of the cafeteria dubbed “The White House” is un Socially, we’ve come a long derstood by most students way since the landmark as the preferred seating area Brown v. Board of Educa- of white students. The adtion Supreme Court case in joining snack bar area 1954 that declared segrega- is often more diverse. tion unconstitutional. How- If one takes a glance ever, de facto segregation is into the snack bar area, an issue that is strongly prev- they won’t se what is alent, though often taboo, seen in “The White especially in high schools. House.” In the snack Stratford, being a diverse bar, there are tables with community, is strongly af- a comfortable mix of fected by this social issue. diversity, and some not.

This school’s population “It’s people’s choice has a number of listed eth- where they sit,” said junicities. However, those who nior Evan Moore. “It’s might have been convinced not defined. [Segregaof the overwhelming diver- tion] is unavoidable sity of our school might be because most people surprised to learn the racial of different races will statistics of our school com- sit in the snack bar.” pared to district averages. While segregation in Though the percentage of the cafeteria isn’t necesstudents listed as Black is sarily enforced, social almost the same locally at pressures make it hard school as it is district wide to defy the status quo.

(10% versus 7%), other num- To test the validity of bers vary. This school’s popu- this fact, a White stulation of white students, 52%, dent seated herself nearly equals the 55% of His- at a table comprised panic students district wide. mostly of minori Throughout the school, ties, none of whom students are labeled by the she had met before, courses they take. Those who to see how the other elect to take any amount of students would react to her. advanced classes at school “It was very awkward,” said are thought to be intellectual the anonymous participant. and conscientious. Those in “I started off by introducing academic classes are often myself and no one replied. unjustly labeled. There is a I’m a very social person, perception that minority stu- but all I could think about dents only take, or even be- was, ‘When am I going to long, in lower level academics. be able to leave this table?’”

The cafeteria is supposed Many people are quick to to be the one time in school assume that the determining where students don’t have factor between relationships a seating chart. However, is race, but often it is the rean unspoken division has sult of meeting a new person.

Oracle Staff

“I probably wouldn’t do this again, I’m most comfortable hanging out with my friends,” said the anonymous participant.

The results of this so-

wrong. Sometimes, though, they also act as a barrier that prevents some students from achieving their full potential. Stereotypes are nothing more than ignorant limita-

“Color shouldn’t matter,” said sophomore Dana Rowe. “No one has the right to judge you.”

A number of students find that their parents would chastise them if they dated someone from a different race. This form of prejudice can be summed up in the phrase “separate but equal”, which was used to defend segregation.

Often, older generations are prone to this traditional style of thinking.

“My dad would most likely kill someone if I dated a person who was Mexican or Black,” said anonymous. “It’s a racist quirk of his.”

Other parents are hesitant to let their children date interracially for fear of diluting the family line.

“My parents would probably mind,” said anonymous.

“I think my mom wants Korean babies.”

While some students may find it difficult to understand their parents’ hesitance towards Graphic by Sarah Davis their dating habits, cial experiment prove that tion on social integration. others find it easy to consider race isn’t always the aspect With the rates of interra- their parents’ point of view. that separates people. cial marriages and relation- “I think it’s about family,” Many students feel lim- ships soaring, Americans said sophomore Zain Ismail. ited to the stereotypes that are moving away from views “They get along better when a accompany their race. of the conventional mar- person dates someone of the “Other people expect more riage. Statistically, 7 percent same race. They need to be from me and so do I,” said of American marriages in understanding of your culture sophomore Weije Cheng. 2005 were interracial, com- or they can walk out the door.”

“Sometimes it’s in a joking pared to 2 percent in 1970. In certain sports, there way, other times it’s not.” As part of a younger gen- seems to be a trend: either Stereotypes are a motivating eration, teenagers tend the sport is dominated by factor for students to perform to be more tolerant of in- mostly minorities, or in better in order to prove others terracial relationships. some cases, little or none.

The students notice this unspoken theme, whether they choose to admit it or not.

“I can think of track as being [a sport with mostly minorities],” said junior Hazel Hadebe.

Stereotypically, sports like soccer tend to fill their racial quota with people of different races. Although it seems that certain stereotypes hold true among sports and extracurriculars, they can differ.

“I’m in softball, and they seem to treat me just the same,” said Hadebe. “If they didn’t, I’d be pretty hurt and upset, but I’d move on.”

Although segregation sometimes exists in sports and other extracurricular activities, many Stratford students find that they’re just as comfortable as any other person.

Theoretically, in theatre, there should be an equal opportunity among races, however that isn’t necessarily what happens. Sometimes, people tend to assume that minorities aren’t cast in roles because of prejudice. However, what they may fail to recognize is that it’s no fault of the directors. Certain situations require certain archetypes that can’t be filled by minorities.

Any stereotype, no matter how common, can always be disproved. Race should not be a factor that affects the social relations within and outside of the school environment. Tolerance of one’s peers is a mandatory ethic in life. Building Stratford America requires the unity of all students , which can only be achieved with the simple respect of others.

Advisor Janice Cummons Editors-in-Chief Annie Rice, Maddie Stone, Avery Falick, Rachael Brennan News Editors Samantha Vargas, Layla Shahhosseini, Sara Boyle News Reporters Chandler Callahan, Esther Jeon, Samantha Stazo, Ara Luz Muse Editors Caitlin Hilton, Hannah Price, Paige Tormey Muse Reporters Kaela Beasley, Janelle Blackwood Sports Editors Samantha Hicks, Valeria Chelala, Leslie Bustamante Sports Reporters Gene Crocker, Alex Newton, Elaine Parizot, Elyse Stieber Opinions Editors Michelle Evans, Lydia Sweet Opinions Reporters Andres Acosta, Caroline Suchman, Jackie Velarde Photo Editors Katie Gregory, Amy Jordan, Mary Elizabeth Schnake Photographers Ariyan Almassi, Maddie Byers, Caroline Demeris, Faith Figueroa, Jackie Mask, Jacob Pennington, Logan Tinkler, Samantha Vanston, Amy Brajenovich Copy Editors Ammarah Tariq, Marina Khalid Backpage Staff Sloan Braband, Michael MacCrory, Blake Schrieber Staff Artist Kelsey Hunter Design Editors Isabel Deakins, Harrison Vaporciyan Design Staff Gil Sanchez, Kali Venable Ads Editors Leslie Baker, Caroline Schrieber, Katy Wilson Ads Staff Stephanie Slaughter, Mary Margret Weaver

14

OPINIONS

Rachael’s Ramblings

Connect To Tech ‘Til Death Do Us Part Teachers utilize new tools Kali Venable

Rachael Brennan

Home. A word that can describe so many things for so many people. Home for some could be under a highway, a double wide, a one bedroom apartment, a quaint house, or a multi-million dollar mansion.

For so many of us, we rarely have a place we call home.

Sure, we live in a house, but is that what really consists of a home? In my opinion, a home is what you want it to be, a home is where you feel the safest, a home is where you feel loved, a home is where you go when you have no where else to go.

It might sound really strange, but home for me does not consist of walls that make up a room. No-my home is so much different from the norm. My home is what many people call boring, my home consists of whatever book I hold in my hand whenever things go wrong in my life.

Books for me are my home, they are what transport me into another reality, they are what keep me sane, with books I am able to become someone totally different. I am able to create a new home for myself in every single book.

I was able to create a home at Hogwarts thanks to J.K Rowling, a home in North Carolina thanks to Nicholas Sparks, and multiple homes thanks to Ellen Hopkins. Each book has been a safe haven for me, each word making me forget about my everyday life, and concentrating on someone else.

Home. A home is what you make it, a home is anything you can think of, and as long as you feel safe within that place then it will always be your home.

“Home is where the heart is” -Anonymous

The Oracle

Friday, November 18, 2011

With this generation of new technology, it’s rare to find a student that does not know the basic functions on a computer. As students gain more knowledge of the technological world, teachers are faced with a challenge by the district: to become more savvy with technology to connect with students.

Teachers are now required to take part in a professional development called “11 Tools for the 21st Century Learner”, which gives teachers the knowledge to bring new technological tools into the classroom.

One of these tools is Blogger, where teachers are encouraged to blog about homework assignments, place worksheets and papers on there so students can retrieve it, and blog about what they learned and out of each of the 11 tools.

Another tool teachers are encouraged to use is Twitter.

A number of teachers, includ-

ing building principal Christopher Juntti, have started a Twitter account, where they post the homework due for the next class. Teachers like William Dooley and Doug Lowry all have Twitters where they post assignments.

With teachers entering the world of technology in which we are all familiar with, some students are uncomfortable having them on social networking cites. Teachers shouldn’t be allowed to look at students’ networking sites.

Teachers shouldn’t have to post daily on their web sites, Blogger, and Twitter about what their homework is. As long as teachers write it somewhere on their board, a student should look and write it in their agenda.

Having teachers post daily on these sites wastes their time in which they could be grading papers or posting grades on Parent Portal. Having these teachers on these web sites is cool, but unnecessary.

Celebrity unions question the sanctity of marriage Michelle Evans

even start looking at colleges. live with “the love of your For better or for worse, In the past, divorce was rare- life” for even 3 months?

Britney Spears married for richer or poorer, to love ly even seen as an option. In 2011, the number of celebJason Alexander, her “high and to cherish, ‘‘til death do rities that get divorced has school sweetheart”, for a us part”. It seems that Kim mind-blowKardashian ing 2 days. thinks “’til Not all cedeath to us lebrity compart” and mitments, 72 days are however, are an equal doomed to fail. amount of The former star time. Celebof The Office, rities nowaSteve Carrell, days think of has been marmarriage as ried to his wife a simple act for 16 years of publicity, now. Obviousor as just anON THE RACK • At Randall’s, magazine racks are filled with news ly, the commitother excuse to of celebrities getting recently divorced. Celebrities such as Kim Karment is possible. have an extrav- dashian are constantly on the cover. Photo by Caitlin Hilton I don’t think agant wedding. it’s acceptable The way marriage used to be skyrocketed.

If you take just for someone to get mardefined has changed drastione glance at all the magaried five or six times just cally through the years. In the early 20th century, it was zines on display, you’ll see all because they’re famous and unorthodox to still be single the couples that are splitting. want the publicity. PerKim Kardashian...the ex- haps something is wrong after the age of 21. Most peopenses of her wedding would when Kim’s wedding special ple were getting married at 16, having kids, and starting have added up to 15 mil- airs on E! while she’s in the their lives before we would lion dollars, yet she can’t middle of filing for divorce.

Society Headed South

The subject matter that appears in the media is affecting current and future generations, and it impacts their beliefs and decisions Katie Gregory

The world we live in today is a completely different world than it was 50 years ago.

Many social changes have transformed our society into a desensitized mess.

Throughout the years, we’ve gradually become numb to explicit language, inappropriate subject matter and unrefined innuendos. Various media such as television, the internet, and movies feature violent behavior, the abuse of drugs and alcohol, and rationalizing of sexual relationships before marriage. The question is: Why are we so willing to tolerate these immoral actions?

Some argue that if we don’t change our moral values to correspond with the world’s standards then we will be ostracized socially. This statement, however, is highly deceptive.

With every decision, there is a consequence.

Consequences can be good or bad, but there are always ramifications. Choosing to stay devoted to our moral values can victimize us, but the ultimate outcome can be beneficial.

The decision to modify our judgement to correspond with the changing ways of the world can only bring harm to our society. As humans, we are all created with a conscience. We all get that gut feeling when we know something is right or wrong.

Look at some influences people subject themselves to on a daily basis: TV shows such as Gossip Girl and The Secret Life of The American Teenager both contain inap-

propriate subject matter and condone sexual promiscuity before marriage. This conveys the message to fans that these actions are the social norm.

Beyond scripted dramas, r e -

a l i t y shows such as Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Jersey Shore, 16 and Pregnant, and Teen Mom pardon unacceptable behavior by presenting

viewers with “real life” situations, making fans believe that it is normal to act in such a manner.

In addition to TV shows, musicians have proven to be even more influential to society. Music artists such as Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, and Tyler the Creator are just some of the present day artists that continuously use explicit language in their songs implying that is normal to speak about such inappropriate things.

In contrast to TV shows, music is frequently played and the lyrics are repeated through the listeners mind.

These songs are degrading to individuals, yet we find ourselves singing along because

we’ve heard them so many times.

Media has also influenced our society is by glamorizing illegal activities such as underage drinking, smoking and drug abuse. These activities cause real harm to individuals and families, yet television and music tell us they are the norm. Our civilization is coming to peace with these raunchy sources of entertainment rather than sheltering ourselves from them.

Regardless of our spiritual values, there is a universal code of morality that we should all live by. We are all guilty of being influenced by our culture, but as individuals we should set higher standards than those that Hollywood sets for us. We should strive for a standard of “character without question”.

Graphic by Sarah Davis and Katie Gregory.

The Oracle

Friday, November 18, 2011

OPINIONS15

Corporal Punishment

The issue of physical reprimanding is raised as to whether it or not it should be used as a form of discipline in school Avery Falick Many people will argue that corporal punishment, the act of using physical violence, such as spanking, as a consequence for poor behavior, is an appropriate punishment for children because “that’s how it’s always been.”

We’ve all heard our parent’s horror stories about having to go “pick their own switch” when they did something wrong, and their parents “hitting them harder when the switch wasn’t bad enough.” At what point, though, do people realize that this form of discipline is an endless cycle of abuse that results in nothing but confused children who learn how to fear instead of problem-solve and learn from their wrongdoings?

Corporal punishment just

Maddie Stone

One of my history teachers once put it this way: If the worst that will happen when you miss curfew is being grounded for a week or having your phone taken away, you’re more likely to come home a little after that set time. But if you know your parents will hit you if you don’t come home on time, there’s no way that you’re going to stay out any later than the set time.

By no means do I support or condone domestic violence.

But on the same token, I don’t think that methods of parenting and punishment such as spanking or paddling are something society should shy away from. I can remember being spanked only one time as a child, and after that, I never committed the act that got me spanked ever again.

doesn’t work. Instead of teaching long-term obedience, it only results in shortterm compliance by children.

Secondly, the severity of abuse only escalates with time, as the amount of force required will increase with successive punishments.

Corporal punishment also instills fear in children, and breaks the trust between children and adults, causing problems in the child’s later life, as the will undoubtably have trust issues with authority.

A direct correlation between corporal punishment and psychological problems is evident in children, such as lowered self-esteem, stress and anxiety, resentfulness, aggression, mistrustfulness, depression, and shyness.

There is also a direct con-

nection between corporal punishment and higher rates of drug abuse, alcohol dependence, delinquency and crime, and violence, as corporal punishment teaches that violence is an acceptable way to deal with problems, and extends the cycle. Children who are disciplined with corporal punishment grow up to hit their own children and spouses, further extending the cycle of abuse. It is true, however, that a child struck won’t necessarily turn into a violent adult.

There are many pro-corporal punishment arguments, one of which is that children need to be disciplined. There are other methods, though, to disciplining children other than resorting to violence.

One of these consequences is grounding, which forces the

child to come to terms with their wrong-doings slowly, proving to be much more effective spanking, which is only has short term effects.

Parents oftentimes have to repeat the corporal punishment for the same issue, proving its ineffectiveness.

Another argument is that children need to be spanked for their safety. If a child attempts to run into the street, a guardian will often times resort to spanking their child for this wrong. In this instance, this method is very ineffective, as spanking the child distracts them from what they did wrong. They can only focus on the pain, not learning from the experience to correct their behavior.

Finally, people will argue that “It’s just a little slap.”

That “little slap”, though, still

causes pain, as it is intended to do so. When people are charged for violent crimes against adults, they don’t get away with “It was just a little slap.”

Children are small. That “little slap” can cause unexpected physical damage, such as brain damage and ruptured eardrums.

Corporal punishment sends the wrong message to children. Why is it okay for adults to hit children, but not okay for children to hit each other. In the child’s eyes, they learn that when somebody does something wrong, they should be hit as a consequence. When a child hits another child, they think they are doing the appropriate thing, as one child did something wrong.

The childhood years are fun-

damental to growth and development. Children are also like sponges during this time, as they are very apt to mimic behavior that they see from people they look up to, such as their parents. If parents use corporal punishment as a form of discipline, children will learn that violence is appropriate to use to handle their issues with others.

Instead of raising a hand or using a belt, parents should reevaluate their method of discipline. They should take the time to be patient with their children and work through problems, instead of taking the easy, short way out of disciplining their children and resorting to physical violence. Patience instills problem solving skills in children, while spanking only instills fear.

My four-year-old brain easily made the connection between doing something bad and the unpleasant experience of being spanked.

So why can’t the same be applied in school? If a fouryear-old can make the distinction between right and a humiliating, painful wrong, shouldn’t fourteen-year-olds be able to as well? After all, the punishment system here is starting to lack.

In middle school, the threat of detention shook me to the core. The stereotype of ‘detention is for bad kids’ ingrained in me from birth was enough to keep me away. Unfortunately, I did end up there twice, once for being late and another time for a dress code violation. I had to sit and stare at a wall for an hour.

Not really terrifying, but still

mind-numbingly boring.

While I’ve never gotten a detention in high school, I’ve heard enough—you sit and do your homework for a couple of hours. It doesn’t really sound so scary to me.

In fact, I’d kill for a couple of distraction-free hours to plow through my homework.

It sounds a lot more like study hall-an actual class-than a punishment for dress code or for being tardy.

On top of that, with the advent of ‘get-out-of-detentionfree’ cards this year, the threat of detention is being eradicated altogether. How can kids be expected to behave if the punishment options at this school are so weak?

Admittedly, there is inschool suspension for repeated offenses and the district school for more serious ac-

tions. But why not nip such punishments in the bud?

Everyone’s heard of the Catholic school stereotype of nuns smacking naughty students’ hands with a ruler. What’s stopping teachers from doing the same? When my parents were children, the teacher didn’t even have to actually touch unruly kids with the ruler—a sharp smack across their desk with a ruler made them snap back to attention at once.

Even if a teacher did have to resort to actually hitting a student to get them to stop misbehaving, at least it would be quick and get the message across. Getting unruly students to the office seems like such a hassle, and then there’s paperwork and setting the actual detention date on top of that. With all of the time that

this process takes, the student hasn’t received the necessary punishment right away. If physical reprimanding was condoned, the student would receive the consequences for his or her actions without the teacher wasting valuable class time.

If handled the correct way, corporal punishment could save time for everyone. It would put less kids in detention and therefore exempt teachers and staff from having to monitor the students in detention.

I do believe that corporal punishment should be justified in its purpose, though.

Situations such as talking out of hand, refusing to cooperate, and incidents such as texting during class could merit physical punishment, as could being late to class.

But dress code and shaving violations should still be traditionally punished with a detention, as the state of one’s appearance should go down as a minor offense.

There is a fine line one walks on the path between a quick punishment and a violent, out-of-hand beating-just watch the recent video of the Texas judge beating his daughter.

However, as for kids who continually forget to turn in their homework, who are disrespectful to teachers, who distract themselves and others-perhaps a slap on the wrists will do more good than harm. The impact of such a punishment will leave a lot longer impression on them than just another slow afternoon spent in detention.

16

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Friday, November 18, 2011

The Oracle