ORACLE Friday, October 27, 2017 // Vol 44 // Issue 3
Playing the Grades Game
@SpartanOracle @StratfordOracle
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Opinions
The Oracle / October 27, 2017
Current Events in School
The Expense of Exams PHOTO BY: PRESLEY GRAVES
From left to right, Seniors Michelle Mustacchia, Katherine Kaiser, Colin Lowe, Caleb Touchstone, Matthew Selzman, and Ellie Kight pose with monoply money to reprsent the unreasonable costs of standardized testing.
Can teaching current events change the way students view school? WRITTEN BY: EMMA HOLLAND AND LAUREN BYRAM
GRAPHIC BY: ALEXIA VAN DER DYS
When is the last time your teachers spent time talking with your class about the latest news, asking for opinions, and helping you process some of the important events in our nation and in the world? For some of you, your teachers do spend some time discussing current events in class. However, for many students, current events are not focused on enough in class. Most everyone would agree that it is important to watch the news and read news articles, but if we were honest, most of us wouldn’t consider learning about news events our ideal pastime. After hours of extra-curricular activities and homework, most of us would rather watch Netflix or sleep. So when are students going to learn of the importance of global happenings across the globe? School is the ideal time for to learn about current events. For a blocked out time during the week, we are present in school to learn. And often times, we feel as if the information they learn will have no use in our future. Teaching current events could change that. How many times have you had someone in your math class ask, “When will we ever use this?” Having a clear example of a way in which individuals in the world utilize lessons taught in school to make a difference in the world would change the way you think of a physics equation or history fact. In fact, the absolute best way to reso-
nate with a particular subject is to have an example of someone who made valuable use out of school material in a real-life event. Many agree that teaching current events is important, but argue that curriculum is on a tight schedule and has little flexibility to venture off the material to something different. However, teaching current events in the classroom doesn’t veer from the curriculum at all, but rather strengthens the curriculum by establishing the students’ strong understanding of the material. And teachers don’t have to stray far to include current events in their classroom - there is news in every subject field every day. The latest medical research can relate to topics in chemistry and biology. Constitutional debate can be discussed in a government or history class. Any diplomatic relation can be traced back to something nearly identical that happened in history, because, history does indeed repeat itself. The reality of school is that students are often so focused on making good grades that they fail to have a true passion for the material they learn. Teaching current events could change that - it could show students the deeper meaning behind material that seems boring and potentially useless. It could show the importance of school, the importance of learning, and the abundant ways in which a student could use what they learn in the classroom to succeed in the future.
Learning Life Skills
Does school really teach us the life skills we need to know? WRITTEN BY: RACHEL DIETERT
GRAPHIC BY: RACHEL DIETERT
After three years of high school, I still have no idea how to pay taxes. I have no idea how to pay a mortgage or balance a checkbook. So if school is not teaching us these life skills, is school really preparing us for life? We learn how to solve quadratic equations, identify rhetorical purpose, overanalyze books, and more. While some school work may seem irrelevant, it teaches us critical thinking skills. We learn how to solve problems and think outside of the box. Superintendent Dr. Muri says, “I think our opportunity as educators is to figure out the important components that we need in life and then how do we incorporate these skills into other courses.” There is a new push to teach students these important skills. Khan Academy recently began helping students learn these life skills in videos covering everything from stocks and bonds to mortgage interest. Stratford High School also requires students to take economics, which teaches students about student loans, credit cards, and other smart financial life skills. This requirement has caused a decline of delinquency by 6% out of the students who took an economics course. The FINRA study also shows that these students have increased their
credit scores by 5%. Financial literacy is an important skill to teach in high school. Before we know it, we will be set off into the real world so we need to be taught the financial skills that are necessary in order to be successful after high school.
ORACLE Editors-in-Chief *Emma Holland *Lauren Byram
Associate Editors *Elizabeth Cole *Charlotte Benes
Photo Editors *Zaina Ateyea *Presley Graves *Perry Shepard *Maddie Dawson
Opinions Editors Bayle Goldman Rachel Dietert
News Editors Rachel Cole Alex Parizot Yasmin Talbi
Feature Editors Abby Gex Maddie Suerth Sebastian Droz
Sports Editors Mariana Rincon
The Oracle newspaper is the official, schoolsponsored student media of Stratford High School, 14555 Fern, Houston, Texas 77079, 713-251-3454. The Oracle is published monthly by the Journalism Department and is also available online at shsoracle.org. The newspaper is a member of Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association, and Interscholastic League Press Conference. The Oracle serves as a public forum of student
Rare Requirements Texas is one out of just 17 states that require students to take a course that covers financial literacy.
Niki Whiteford
Reporters
Daniela Trujillo Alexis Garza Libby Grizzell Hannah Khartri Joy Meyers Hannah Timmreck Isabella Waltz Ben Burnham Blake Todes Tatyanna Lett
Photographers Dan Tatulescu Grayson Hart Nicklas Rizzo Finley Capshaw Meghan Martinez Makowski Kiera Howard Ashley Cahalan Miles Harper Brayden Yim Sarah Stokes
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Ads Staff Gigi Meredith Haley Grace Francis Kaitlyn White Erin Walsh Samantha Wagner
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Building Principal Chad Crowson
Advisor Janice Cummons *Editorial Board Members
expression and is open to contributions submitted by the readers. Readers may submit material via e-mail to info@shsoracle.org. All letters to the editors must be typed and contain the author’s full name, grade and signature. Submitted material is subject to editing based on space and/or content. The opinions expressed are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors, the staff, the administration or the school district.
The staff is responsible for the content of the publication and strives to maintain professional standards of accuracy, objectivity and fairness. The editors reserve the right to determine whether submissions will be published. The Oracle staff strives to produce a newspaper that covers the entire Stratford community and welcomes freelance submissions.
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Opinions The Oracle / October 27, 2017
Basic Knowledge is Not Enough Anymore
Standardized tests take too much of students time and money WRITTEN BY: BAYLE GOLDMAN
PHOTO BY: KATE DELGADO
The Scholastic Assessment Test, or SAT and American College Test, or ACT, are intended to test a student’s readiness for college. They are designed to test a student’s mathematical aptitude, reading comprehension, essay writing ability, scientific reasoning, and knowledge of basic high school level grammar concepts, according to greentestprep.com. Despite what has become the new normal, preparing for the SAT and ACT should not require a tutor. Both test students on basic concepts to see what they supposedly know and don’t know. One would think that to prepare, a student could review their high school class notes, maybe a textbook or two, and take a practice test. That’s how a college would really be able to determine if a student is academically ready. But that is not the case in this day and age. These days, it is not based solely on what you know anymore. It is based on what tutor teaches you and what prep classes you take. SAT prep services, such as petersons.com, claim that prep will “teach you strategies to
get the most from the knowledge you have. SAT help will allow you to determine your weaknesses and focus on improving them.” When did taking the SAT and ACT become more than common knowledge? Why must students now learn strategies for what they know? And why can we not learn that from our normal school teachers? Senior Max Schein began a 24 week test preparation class the summer after sophomore year. His class, which was made up of a tutor and 7 other students, worked through questions from each section of both tests and learned about test taking techniques. Throughout his sessions, Schein realized his tutor was covering material that he had not even learned in school yet. The tutor would teach his group about concepts that would appear on the test but not in a core class at school. “The SAT and ACT should be recognizing what you know, what you’ve learned in classes, and using your logic to figure out problems. There shouldn’t be math on it that I don’t already know.” Another belief of mine is that families should not have to pay for prep classes and tutors in order for their student to stay on level with their tutored peers or to do well on the tests. High school extracurricular activities are expensive enough, and families should not have the burden of an additional expense just so their child can learn the extra material for the test that they did not learn in school. Call me old fashioned, but I think that a prep book, several practice tests and what I already know should be enough to score well.
Any prep is good prep Studies show that studying for
the SAT is beneficial to an increase in points scored. They also show that if you put in at least 80 hours of studying, then your chances of scoring high on the SAT are very high, according to Doctor Samatha Lindsay from Odessa, Florida.
“Knowledge based test” Students spend hours and months studying for a test that is supposed to measure the knowledge you already have. By taking this class, students are preparing themselves by prelearning all of the information that they will need to recall.
Prep class elective
Juniors Savannah Baerg and Carol Gebhart prepare for the SAT through the prep class offered as an elective class. “The prep class practices time management and reading intensively,” Baerg said.
The Price Is (Not) Right The price according to Presley WRITTEN BY: PRESLEY GRAVES
GRAPHIC BY: CAROLINE BUCEK
For the longest time, I have struggled with the fact that in order to receive an acceptance letter from the school of my choice, I must score high enough on the SAT and ACT. This means that when I apply to my dream school, I might not get in because, “I don’t test well”, “I was sick the day of the test”, “I am technically a math behind and I haven’t learned how to solve some problems in the no calculator portion”, “I have really bad anxiety”, or the classic, “My really expensive, tutor, that my parents pay for me to have, didn’t prepare me for any of this”. Rest assured that you are not alone when it comes to having “Reasons For Not Doing Well On Standardized Tests”. All of us struggle with at least one of the previously mentioned reasons, but recently it has become more and more of a topic for debate. Some people argue that we cannot be judged based off of one test, even if we do take it several times. Others are arguing that these standardized tests will tell colleges all that they
need to know about our level of college readiness. This can be very disturbing to students that work hard in their classes, but do not test well. Students can spend, sometimes, up to $125 an hour for a tutor and just taking the SAT can range anywhere from $65 to $300. This, of course, is excluding the cost of the ACT. So, let’s say that you hire a tutor for at least 10 hours of tutoring; that will be $1,250. Now, you also choose to take the SAT 3 times, but because of late fee, it costs you $75, rather than the standard $60. You now have to spend $225 on the SAT and if you take the ACT the same amount of times, you are now looking at around $500. Congratulations! You have now spent close to $1,800 and you are not even in college yet. In order for your college readiness level to be tested and in order for you to do well on the test, you might even have to pay more than $1,800. This is why the price is not right. Students are being tested on their college readiness based off of how well they test and
“The price is not right. Students are being tested on their college readiness based off of how well they test and how much money they are willing and able to spend.”
4 The New Sweet Sixteen
The long-standing tradition gets a makeover WRITTEN BY: ALEXIS GARZA Sweet 16, a long-standing sophomore tradition, is getting a makeover this year. The Class of 2020, hosting Sweet 16 this year, has a smaller budget than in years past due to losses caused by Harvey and a smaller class of hostesses. Right after Harvey, Sweet 16 was not expected to take place. There was question as to whether or not spending so much money on a party was possible or justifiable after the amount of destruction Harvey caused. However, after much discussion the sophomore class decided to continue with the dance in hopes of life returning back to normal. Although Sweet 16 will see new changes, most things will stay the same. The attire will continue to be formal. Sophomores will still wear long, formal dresses. Freshman, junior, and senior girls will wear short, cocktail dresses. Boys wear a tux or a dark suit. The biggest change is in the venue. The dance will be moved from the Omni West Houston Hotel to Marriott Westchase. However, the decision to move from the Omni to the Marriott was made last school year, long
News
Black Out Pep Rally Cheering on the football team as they take on our biggest rivals
The Oracle / October 27, 2017
PHOTOS BY: GRANT SHYER before Harvey hit. Paper invitations are a no-go this year, and have been replaced with eco-friendly and free e-vites. Hostess gifts have also been removed from the budget, but that only affects the sophomores hosting. The budget for security and coat check has been raised by a couple hundred dollars each due to the costs of the new hotel. Decorations will be less extravagant, and there will be a different DJ. “I’m disappointed that our Sweet 16 experience won’t be the same as other sophomores in years before but I understand why we have to change it. I’m happy it’s still happening with all the devastation caused by Harvey and I think it will turn out to be just as fun”, said sophomore Jessica Bucek. Several sophomore students are upset about the changes that were made to their dance, but are understanding, given the circumstances. The budget included is not set and is subject to change with any inflow of money. Changes made won’t be drastic, and Sweet 16 should still be the same fun tradition that it has always been.
Spartan Pride Cheerleaders, the football
team, students, teachers, and staff all come together as one school to cheer on our school as we take on our biggest rivals, Memorial High School. The black out pep rally included a routine performed by the cheerleaders, a routine by the Spartanaire officers, introducing the football team, light up glow sticks, and a final dance party at the end of the night.
News
The Oracle / October 27, 2017
10/27 - Picture Day Underclassmen pictures during English class. Go to the library with your class and get your picture taken. Buy your package at the same time.
10/30 - Senior Por-
trait makeups Photos in the library. Sign up outside room 228.
10/31 - Senior ad
deadline. Ad and money due to Room 228.
10/31 - Halloween Bring two cans of food, and get to dress up for Halloween
11/2 - Football game vs Klein Oak 7 p.m. at Tully Stadium
The Bond Election The 2017 election on Nov. 7 brings new opportunities to our district
WRITTEN BY: RACHEL COLE PHOTO BY: MELANIE VAN DOMSELAAR With a new school year well on its and upgrade the security and safety, way, new opportunities are coming technology, and building systems at all PHOTO BY JULIA LANGOLOIS along. The district trustee board recampuses in the district. cently proposed a new bond package More specific to our school, we will 11/3 - Dive Invitational that goes up for election on Nov. 7. benefit from the bond election by At Conroe at 4 p.m. Firstly, what is a bond package? The receiving turf fields, replacement of the bond is an “opportunity to ask votauditorium, new classroom furniture, 11/9 - Pep Rally ers to get permission to sell bonds for a re-paved parking lot, greater security, Theme: Beach the Bearkats principal improvements,” SBISD Suand an upgrade our fire alarms. These 11/18-26 - Thanksgiving perintendent Dr. Scott Muri said. The are only a couple of improvements we bond package would bring in upgrades will see around campus if the bond Break to our district and schools. is approved; the rest of the improveThis might sound familiar to you, this ments can be found in the front office. talk of new upgrades and rebuilds to You see all these replacements and the district. Ten years ago, there was upgrades, but where does all the a 2007 Bond Package that was worth money come from to complete all of $597 million. This bond rebuilt many these tasks? elementary schools and made many Neither tax rates are expected to rise capital improvements around the nor teacher salary is going to drop. This district. money is coming from the bond fund. The proposed 2017 bond package is It does come from our taxes, but it is worth much more compared to the already from roughly $0.3045 part of Working hard on the last fiprevious bond. This year, it is worth our taxes that we pay every year. That nal touches for opening night $898.4 million. With that large stack may seem like not enough to add up of Harvey, cast and crew join of money, the district is planning to $898.4 million, but that extra $.3045 together to put on the fall show. to rebuild nine elementary schools, we pay can pay off a $1.8 billion debt, Tech Theatre I worked on paintreplace one middle school, add classif needed. So, our costs will be covered ing the stage to pull the whole rooms Memorial and Northbrook High with no worry. set together. “Guys we did it! We School, upgrade athletics (build For the bonds to get sold, SBISD hires put on a show,” stage manager ings, fields, and uniforms), replace mu- an investor to sell these bonds to big Erin Newsom said after opening sical instruments and uniforms, companies. If, for some odd reason, night. these bonds don’t get sold, or the cost is not sufficiently raised, then the district will either minimize the list of
These Singers Put “te” In Texas Spartans thrive at All-State Choir auditions
WRITTEN BY: DANIELA TRUJILLO PHOTO BY: ALLY WIEDMAN The Choir went to the All-State Region Choir something that not everyone has, which is auditions on Oct. 21 at Cy-Fair High School. truly what being a singer is all about. A congratulations is in order for the following “I believe that this audition could potentially students who qualified for All-State Region. open up making it through to All-State Choir. Soprano ones: Mikayla Howard, Dara Infante, Mainly, it would look amazing on my resumé Marie Josephine Lauderdale and Kelly Plitt. when it comes to applying to colleges as I do Soprano twos: Lindsay Bates, Amy Deaton, want to pursue a career in music.” Gonzalez Lauren Dodds, and Hannah Keller. Alto one: said. Abigail Haralson. Alto two: Lauren Blackwell. To be selected for the All-State choir is an Bass two: Sergio Gonzalez. All of these stuhonor, while even being considered to be in dents have diligently prepared for this second this choir is an impressive achievement. To round of auditions. Gonzalez, this audition is a chance to show The All-State Choir is the highest level of off his skill as a singer. In the past, he has excompetitive choir outside of school that a perienced anxiety at auditions for fear of critimusic student can receive. First, a student cism; this year, he no longer feels this way. must go through the first round of auditions which is called District. Only the students that are selected by the distinguished panel of judges can reach the Region round. All of the students mentioned above went on to Region auditions and prepared routinely for this opportunity. “I spend about 30 minutes to two hours a day practicing my music. How long I practice depends on how much work I’ve got in other classes,” junior Sergio Gonzalez said. “I love to sing because through it, I can express myself on a level I can’t achieve through other fine arts. I’ve been singing with choirs for about 7 years now, and singing has always Do, Re, Mi Singers Lauren Dodds, Cathbeen an outlet for me to let myself go and erine Richard, and Lindsay Bates rehearse for truly express what I feel.” their audition in the packed practice room. Gonzalez’s discipline and love for music is
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to-do’s or pay off debts from the previous bonds. Early voting for the bond started on Oct. 23 and ends Nov. 3. The actual voting day is Nov. 7. You can go and vote early at Trini Mendenhall Community Center and Nottingham Park. Like always, you must be at least 18 years of age and must have an active voting license. For a complete list of voting locations, go to the district website at https://www.springbranchisd. com/bond2017/ .
Q&A SBISD Superintendent
Dr. Scott Muri answers questions concerning the Bond Election from district student journalists at the ad building on Oct. 16.
Trotting for Charity
The Turkey Trot is finally back with Thanksgiving season WRITTEN BY: ISABELLA WALTZ
Every family’s favorite tradition is just around the corner. This year’s Turkey Trot will be held on Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 23. The Turkey Trot is an annual tradition for many families in the Houston area. It is hosted by TXU Energy BakerRipley and is held at the Plaza on Richmond. The Turkey Trot is a foot race, and is the second largest in Texas. Participants have the option of running a 10k, 5k, or a kids run for the younger ones. BakerRipley encourages each runner to raise at least $1,000 for their cause. The money goes toward Houstonian families who want a chance at a better life. They work with community residents and leaders to find out what is needed in certain neighborhoods and how the run could benefit different families. The run is not just for runners, everyone is encouraged to participate. The event includes: a timed and un-timed 10k and 5k, a wheelchair 5k and 10k, an un-timed seniors 5k and 10k, and a kids run which is a little over half a mile. BakerRipley also encourages volunteers to come out and help with the raise. Thousands of runners require many volunteers to make the whole process happen. Last year, the race had about 500 volunteers
that worked tables and stops, handed out medals, helped with the kids race, set up, and cleaned up. BakerRipley has been around Houston for 110 years, helping the less fortunate get on their feet. To this day, they serve over half a million people all across the Houston area. The Turkey Trot is their largest event and many families have made it their Thanksgiving family tradition. The event typically has over 20,000 participants, and counting. They want to use the event as a chance to give back. Their goal this year is to raise $50,000 and hopefully more for this great cause. In past years, the race has been able to raise more money than it has aimed, benefiting more families than expected. Not only does the money go to Houstonians, but also community centers, immigration and civic engagements, workforce initiatives, senior services and care giving support, free tax preparation, language classes and literary programs, charter schools, wellness initiatives, and financial support. Head out to the Plaza on Richmond with 15,000 other Houstonians for Thanksgiving to celebrate this run that benefits a great cause!
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News
The Road to College
The Oracle / October 27, 2017
Spartans Commit For Life
Preparing for the long road ahead WRITTEN BY: TUESDAY PEARS
PHOTO BY MADISYN SANGI
The most stressful time of year for seniors is right now. Applying to college means getting organized and getting all of these pieces lined up on time. The first thing you should do is log into Naviance and place colleges into the proper column. Most colleges are Naviance schools and it allows counselors to send items needed for you to apply to college and submit your application. Asking teachers for recommendations is the next step. Include a resume and a parent brag sheet to assist the teacher writing the letter. Afterwards you should thank the teacher with a thank you letter. The next step is to request your transcripts through the registrar’s office. Most schools want your test scores. Go to collegeboard.org and/or act.org and put in a request. Early action or early decision application deadlines are from Oct. 15 or Nov. 1. Regular deadlines start as early as Dec. 1. Priority deadlines can be the same as early decision applications. The college may still accept your application, “...but you will not be in line for some of the larger merit scholarship aid.” Even though the load of schoolwork seems daunting, it’s imperative to remember your deadlines and follow all of these steps in a timely manner as
well as make sure to check the college’s website for all deadlines. College Counselor, D’Ann Franklin, recommends that “students shouldn’t leave any scholarship stone unturned”. After Hurricane Harvey some colleges have extended their application deadline for those affected by the hurricane. There have been more application fee waivers for students who have been displaced or affected by the hurricane. So now students are eligible to receive fee waivers, who may not have qualified before. “Schools do not want an application fee to ever keep a student from applying”, said D’Ann Franklin. The key to staying on top of college applications and classes is organization. Senior, Kaleen Benefield, manages her activities and college applications by using a binder to stay organized. However, like most of us, she encounters stress when she starts to think about how she could not possibly get into a school. “A lower school I’m actually interested in would require me to change my major”, said Benefield. She describes the application process as simple, as long as you follow all the steps and take time to concentrate on it.
Students donate to help out at the blood drive WRITTEN BY: LAUREN BYRAM
On Oct. 19, Commit For Life returned for their biannual blood drive in the library. Students turned up to donate and gave a grand total of 49 units. Senior Caitlyn Demeris gave blood for the first time. “I was nervous at first, but the workers made it easier and I knew it was for a good cause,” Demeris said. The HOSA interns also got to help out by handing out crackers and juice and walking students to class after they finished to make sure they didn’t pass out. Senior Ellie Miller, a HOSA intern, got a lot out of the experience. “It was inspiring because there were so many people who came to help save lives. The next blood drive will be Feb. 8, 2018.
PHOTO BY: ASHLEY CAHALAN
Supply Meets Demand Lots of
supplies were needed for all students who gave blood.
PHOTO BY: MEGHAN MARTINEZ
Not for the Faint of Heart Senior Valeria Smith strikes a pose while getting her blood drawn
PHOTO BY: DAN TATULESCU
All Hands On Deck Senior Haley Grace Francis hands senior Caitlyn Demeris a juice box after she finishes giving blood.
Communities in Schools Helping out the community after Harvey WRITTEN BY: JOY MEYERS
PHOTO BY: YASMIN TALBI for families who needed them. Some of the Communities in Schools, or CIS for short, is a program new to school. The CIS program supplies include: school supplies, cleaning provides a variety of student support services, supplies, hygiene products, etc. which include mental health, wellness counseling, health and human services support, and academic and attendance support. Along with the freshman, Community Resources and Wellness Specialist, Kristen Suleman, is also new to school this year. Her role in the CIS program includes connecting families with valuable resources in the community and providing additional counseling support to students and families. After the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, a supply center was created in the school
“Anything said in my room stays here. I am always here to listen to everyone who wants to talk.” -Kristen Suleman
“On my first day I was really nervous, but the day turned out really positive. I felt really
welcomed by the staff, students and families here. I felt a special energy as I walked in.” “I have a background in mental health counseling and am passionate about overall wellness, specifically stress and anxiety management. Many teens are faced with a variety of stressors in their lives – trying to balance academics, activities, family lives, social lives, post-graduation planning etc. can really take its toll on the body and the mind.” “I’m really excited this year to be here and connect with the families and students in meaningful ways. My office is in the clinic right next to Ms. Hollister. I like when the students drop by and say hi,” said Suleman.
Community Resources and Wellness Specialist, Kristen Suleman, supports not only families in need of supplies, but also provides counseling to students.
Features
The Oracle / October 27, 2017
The Trump Administration in a Nutshell
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What has happened since the election
WRITTEN BY: ALEX PARIZOT
GRAPHICS BY: CAROLINE BUCEK
AND January 21: Trump was inaugurated. January 27: Travel ban was passed. February 14: Michael Flynn resigns as national security adviser. May 9: James Comey fired as head of FBI. May 23: President meets with Pope Francis in Vatican. July 7: President Trump meets with President Putin at G20 Summit. July 11: Trump Jr.’s emails with Russian officials are released.
July 31: Anthony Scaramucci is fired as White House Communications Director.
August 11: Protests start in Charlottesville. August 25-30: Hurricane Harvey hits Texas, resulting in 75 deaths and an estimated $70 to $200 billion in damages. September 6-10: Hurricane Irma is the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Basin, 124 deaths and $63 billion in damages.
September 19-20: Hurricane Maria makes landfall in the Caribbean as a category 5.
January 24: Trump signs presidential memorandum for construction of the Keystone pipeline. February 1: Neil Gorsuch nominated for Supreme Court.
April 6: Republican congressmen remove 60 vote limit to allow Gorsuch to be confirmed by a majority. May 12: Large scale ransom ware attack, 150 countries affected. June 1: US leaves Paris climate accords. July 10: Mosul is liberated from Isis. July 21: Anthony Scaramucci is appointed as White House Communications Director.
August 5: The UN unanimously approves fresh sanctions on North Korea. August 18: Steve Bannon leaves position as White House Chief Strategist. September 3: North Korea conducts most powerful nuclear test.
September 19: Trump makes U.N. debut, saying “In recent years, the United Nations has not reached its full potential due to bureaucracy and mismanagement. We are not seeing the results in line with this investment.”
8 In Depth The Oracle / October 27, 2017
Is School Really About Learning?
How grades, stress, pressure to do well, and other factors affect the learning process WRITTEN BY: ELIZABETH COLE
PHOTOS BY: DYLAN MCKNIGHT
The purpose of school is to further the development of young people’s minds and prepare them for their future ahead. However, is that the true purpose of school, or does competition make school less about learning and more about success? Here are some factors in school that promote competition, forcing students to focus their time and energy into succeeding, rather than learning.
Testing
When there are standardized tests such as EOC’s and AP’s, teachers are more likely to teach what is on the test rather than what is useful. Many times, teachers are evaluated based on how well their students perform on standardized tests, so it is obvious why they would focus on “teaching to a test.” When a courses end goal is to pass a test, the goal is potentially not learning.
Excessive work
How many times have students been seen with purple rings around their eyes, slugging off to classes, or spending their free time desperately studying for their two back-to-back math tests during lunch? Sleep among teens is a downwards sloping trend, many averaging only six hours of sleep a night or less. Teens are actually the group that need sleep the most, with the recommended time
“When states began to use test scores to base how good schools are, the standardized tests began to be the only focus. UT also using the top 10% had students quantify everything into a few numbers. The first standardized tests schools administered were when learning stopped being the focus.” -Mr. Poetzl Stress from external factors
Especially in the community now, there is always the added environmental stress that does not get reflected in the classroom. Stress and anxiety are not conductive to learning. It actually hurts the process, as instead of being able to focus on a lesson, students are focused elsewhere.
Grades
Most students would agree that school is about grades more than it is learning. The problem is that grades do not necessarily measure a student’s understanding of material. Some students may be better test takers than others, better guessers than others, better under stress than others, or in some unfortunate cases, better cheaters than others. The stress on grades in school prompts a lot of students to “cheat the system” in order to succeed in school, especially since many students feel overwhelmed by the amount of work to do, or difficult level of work.
about nine or ten hours. Schoolwork is keeping students up late, and school itself makes students get up early. Balancing eight classes worth of homework is simply too much to be able to effectively learn from that homework. To a certain extent, school is simply about survival.
Taking too many difficult classes
Students are feeling pressure to take more difficult classes in school. While some thrive in certain areas and not so much in another, students will take more difficult classes regardless. The issue with that is that when you take a class that is more difficult than you can handle, it becomes more about survival instead of actual learning. On the flip side, many forgo taking classes they are actually interested in to take classes that seem better on their transcript. Obviously, when a student is interested in a subject, this is more conductive to learning, as the student will likely put more effort forth and succeed in that class. When a class is not about the credit, students are more
likely to take their education into their own hands and actually apply themselves to the material more easily. Some may say that college will be difficult in response to the pressure to take AP courses, but they fail to recognize many of the difficult AP’s we take are not taken on top of six or seven other classes. In college, there are much fewer classes taken per semester.
Competition
This is the big one. You would think that competition is a good thing, as it should encourage students to study hard and learn as much as possible. However, competition is really a downwards spiral for students. If you are on one side of the scale, you have more stress to keep up the grades you have, and are more likely to forgo learning in favor of cramming last minute all the time to keep up. On the other hand, students who are on the lower end of the scale are more likely to give up, as rising up seems impossible, since those on the upper side of the scale stubbornly cling to their rank. Many give up, and do not try as hard to learn material. When there are 51 valedictorians like there is in the class of 2018, the disparity between the two groups is even greater, be-
is no way to deny to ways in which school is becoming more about competition and success, rather than the importance of learning.
“Everything in the sch grades and how many ex all of us, as students, fee set up a good future. Bu ing to look around and top of our class seem to being ab
“Students have always been competitive. Students just want to achieve and learning is an important part of that. Students need to learn to have success in college” -Mr. Rutland cause there is almost no room for the “middle ground” group. To put that in perspective, the valedictorians make up just shy of 10% of the entire class of 2018. So, who is to blame? Is it the students for giving up? Is it the school system for holding too high of expectations for students? Or is it the bigger picture, the whole system of apply to college? Whoever you think is, there
-Ano
hool system today is based on xtra things you do. I think that el the need to take shortcuts to ut honestly it is really frustratsee the people that are at the o cheat the most. School stops bout learning.”
onymous Senior
In Depth 9 The Oracle / October 27, 2017
Let’s Talk About Valedictorians How many is too many?
As of last semester, there are 51 valedictorians in the senior class. If none of the 51 drop, this will drastically be the highest amount of valedictorians the school has ever seen. Two years ago the record was broken at 41 valedictorians, and the class of 2018 is breaking that record by roughly 20 percent. And those valedictorians of 2016 saw nearly a 40 percent increase in valedictorians from the previous year. As this graph shows, valedictorians have been steadily increasing over the past 13 years or so. Trends at Memorial, who also has multiple valedictorians is about the same; although they have far fewer, averaging about 17 students, but they are also noticing an upward trend. However, the big picture is that we have more valedictorians than ever, so far as to completely absorb the top 10% of each class Why is this? The simple answer is competition. Some grades naturally are more competitive than others. Controversially speaking, the amount of valedictorians can be indicative of using… ahem… “controversial methods” to get said rank. But when college place this rank above all else when consid-
ering admissions, who is really to blame? One “B” for the class of 2018 means at the very most they are ranked 52nd, which is a dramatic jump from the shared “1” rank. It becomes a fine line between fighting for a chance into a good college and being automatically declined. So many students leave learning behind and turn to cramming and other methods to getting the A (but not necessarily earning it). Sure, most of these students know that begging for a bump or doing homework last minute all the time is not as academically moral, but when a status such as valedictorian that is stressful to keep up is achieved, students will go into “tunnel vision” to keep their rank. Up until 2003, valedictorians were only considered to be valedictorians if they were ranked in the top ten in GPA. Starting in 2004, valedictorians were extended to all those who had all A’s. From there, the previously exclusive group became more open. This was a good and bad thing. Now, the system could be cheated somewhat in taking fewer AP classes and riding by in classes with a 89.5, and look the exact same as a student who achieved higher “A’s”
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Features
The Oracle / October 27, 2017
School Spirit in the Streets of NYC
Buttons for the Band
WRITTEN BY: MADDIE SUERTH PHOTO COURTESY OF: JORDAN KOUNS
WRITTEN BY: MADDIE SUERTH PHOTO BY: PERRY SHEPARD
during the awards ceremony a whole and will allow us to be This year’s parade will be extra that night. After flying out, the more successful,” senior Colonel special for the Spartanaires Spartanaires will take a few Erin Collins said. because they are going to dance classes and learn the As this parade won’t take the be dancing in it. The Macy’s routine they will be performing entire week to prepare for, they Thanksgiving Day parade has in the parade. They will rehearse will also be doing many other been a tradition since 1924 and it many times before showcasing activities in New York, such as it takes place on Thanksgiving going to see Broadway day (Nov. 23). Every shows. year in New York City “Wicked” and “Anastasia” countless people fly are on the itinerary for out to watch it. the Spartanaires as is In the midst of all the “Charlie and The Chocofloats and different late Factory”. groups participating, The morning of the pathe Spartanaires will be rade the Spartanaires will dancing among many have to wake up at 3:30 other drill teams in this a.m. in order to get ready years parade. During for roll call at 4:30. After the week long break for that they will walk in the Thanksgiving they will parade. fly out to New York in The Spartanaires have order to take part in the gone to New York to event. participate in the parade “I think it will be good It’s Tradition before, the most recent to meet drill teams Former Spartanaires complete the last leg of the being four years ago with from other schools. It Macy’s Day Parade in 2013. They were the first a different batch of dancwill be very interestgroup of Spartaniares to be invited to dance in the ers. This will be a whole ing to get to know the new experience for all the girls we are going to be parade. Spartanaires, whose anperforming with and see their work. nual trips have been to Disney where they come from. This is “While I am ecstatic to perform and Dallas. also a good performance opporin the parade, but what I am “I am most excited for hangtunity for our team to showcase most looking forward to is geting out with my friends in New what we can do,” junior Morgan ting closer as a team. We are goYork, as well as performing in Vandervoort said. ing to be spending a whole week the parade. It will be so much To participate in the parade, together in New York and I am fun to experience this once in a the Spartanaires had to score excited to bond with everyone. lifetime opportunity together,” above a certain rank for their We still have the rest of the year junior Mary Kate Guerre said. team routine at their competitogether and being united as a This Thanksgiving, tune in to tion last year, and they found team will make us stronger as watch our Stratford Spartanaires out they qualified for the parade
After Hurricane Harvey hit, many houses flooded, including mum central. Making and selling mums for homecoming was the band’s big fund raiser and how they got a majority of their money for the year. Since all of their supplies for making mums were destroyed, they lost their way to get money for things such as food and transportation, which are necessary for their competitions. Every year for homecoming Spartanaires exchange mums with their big and little sisters and wear them the Friday of the game on overalls. However, this year they decided to
Spartanaires travel to the Big Apple for the Macy’s Day Parade
Spartanaires raise money after band lost due to Harvey
do something that would benefit the band and raise money for them to use. They designed buttons which read “Spartanaires stand with the Band” as well as “Stratford Strong” on them and exchanged those in lieu of sister mums. At the Thursday after school practice before the homecoming game the Spartanaires presented the band with the money they had raised which had totaled to $1775. “I’m not going to lie I teared up a little when they gave us a money,” senior Drum Major Lindell Lewis said.
Buttons in Place of Mums
The Friday of the game the Spartanaires wore the buttons around school on their overalls to show their support for the band in place of their sister mums.
Collecting Cans for Sport
Rivals battle it out in a competition to see who can collect the most cans WRITTEN AND PHOTOS BY: LIBBY GRIZZEL
Spartans Collect Cans
Sophomores Alexis Garza (top), Kylie Spurlock (far left), and Maddie Burke (down right) donate cans to the food drive and support the Houston food bank as well as contribute to the competition between long time rivals, Stratford and Memorial.
To create even more competition between our rivalry school, Student Council hosted a canned food drive to collect as many cans as possible for the Houston Food Bank. Surrounding businesses and schools that feed into our school also helped out. We all had the same goal: to beat Memorial. To motivate the students at our school to donate, there was a competition between the teachers. Each department had bins to collect their own cans and the winning departments teachers got a free, catered lunch. Student Council hoped that by motivating the teachers, that would help encourage students to bring more cans. Student Council wanted to collect as many cans
as possible, but also wanted our community involved in helping out. The committee in charge of the food drive reached out to the elementary and middle schools that feed into our school, and some surrounding businesses to collect cans as well. The committee dropped off bins at the schools and even made fliers to advertise. The schools and businesses were eager to join in and helped out tremendously. The food drive was a huge success. The food drive went from Oct. 16 to Oct. 20. The winner of the food drive was announced at the Stratford vs. Memorial game. With 4,785 cans out of 8,234, Stratford won.
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Features The Oracle / October 27, 2017
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Why Do We Fall For Fall?
RECIPE AND PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE BENES
Ingredients: • 1 Box Duncan Hines spice cake mix • 1/2 cup of water • 1 15 oz. can of Pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) • 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips for mini muffins or 1/2 cup regular sized chocolate chips for regular sized muffins (or to taste)
WRITTEN BY: ABBY GEX VISUALS BY: ABBY GEX Fall is “fall”owed by an array of thrilling times. Halloween is right around the corner, then arrives thanksgiving, and eventually the biggest break of the year, winter break. Autumn means school is starting, cooler weather, and football games, which excites many of us. Kathryn Lively, a sociology professor at Dartmouth College, told The Huffington Post, “We’re conditioned from a very early age that autumn comes with all these exciting things.” We learn that a new school year arrives each fall, which represents a time to start over; cold weather, as cold as Houston allows, returns for a short period of time each fall as well. The cold, short dark nights brings a feeling of home and a sense of soundness. The brisk and nippy air prompts the desire to cozy up to a flickering fire. There is just something about sweaters, blankets, boots, warm drinks like cider and cinnamon dulce lattes, candles and anything pumpkin flavored that makes fall, fall.
Bar graph representing a survey of 83 students answering the question, “What do you love most about fall?”
Expanding the Luncheon Options Funding the Food Truck Frenzy STORY BY TATYANNA LETT
Instructions: Preheat oven to 350°. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Be sure to grease the inside of your muffin liners or the muffins will stick to the paper! Fill each liner 2/3 to 3/4 the way full. If you are making regular sized muffins, bake for between 25 and 30 minutes. If you are making mini muffins , back for between 10 and 15 minutes. Let cool and enjoy! These muffins make a great after school snack, especially in the miniature form!
PHOTOS BY DAN TATULESCU
Food Truck Friday has taken place the last two years, but many may wonder where the money for this “fundraiser” goes. This year was the first year that the school has made money off of the food trucks. Student Council is responsible for all of the money made during the event. This year the food trucks gave the school 10% of all money made. The students are responsible for contacting food trucks and organizing Food Truck Friday. “Food trucks have to be district approved. SBISD sends a list of preapproved food trucks for Student Council to choose from,” Vice President of Student Council, Jasmine Choi said.
“A lot of people look forward to it because it boosts school spirit and morale,” she added. Food Truck Friday is also something that students and faculty look forward to at the end of the month. This year the school has made over $7,500 in food truck money. But only $750 goes to Student Council to help fund any events coming up. “I like Food Truck Friday; it makes the school unique,” Choi said. The money that you spend on Food Truck Friday goes to a good place. The money helps the school’s infrastructure tremendously, and allows events such as Food Truck Friday to even happen.
Adventures in baking
In the making of this recipe, do NOT make the mistake I did of baking for 35 minutes! The recipe I used was intended for regular sized muffins and I forgot to adjust my bake time to be compatible with the mini-muffin format which I am partial to! Oh well, baking is clearly not my true calling.
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The Oracle / October 27, 2017
10 Strong
The Story Behind the Hashtag WRITTEN BY: ANDREW PARK PHOTOS BY: CHRIS RAIF AND MILES HARPER On OnSept. Sept.22, 22,the thelights lightswere werebright brightand andthe the fans were loud during the Kingwood Game. During the 2nd quarter junior, linebacker Ben Miller went down hard. He was escorted to the bench but as the game went on he was taken to the locker room for further evaluation from the training staff. After, further evaluation they decided to transport him to the hospital where he could be evaluated by a more advanced medical staff and give him a true diagnosis. The team really came together after the injury of Miller. “After Bens injury, the team genuinely came together as one. We were like one big family standing behind Ben and his fight. Football is family” said Senior Malcolm Stephens. The team and the coaching staff truly came together and supported Ben through his rehab and his road to recovery and they know he will come back even better than ever. Thewhole wholeteam teamthought thoughtofofthe thesaying saying“#10 “#10 The strong” It meant a lot to everyone. “#10strong to me means fighting for your brother and knowing you and your teammates have each others backs no matter what” said Senior Colin Gourley. On Sept 28, it was the start of district play also the first week of Ben’s injury. The team decided to play this game for Ben and the team battled it out and they came out with the win and it was much sweeter than any other victory. Too date he is still recovering and recovering at a really fast pace. The team went on to win that game and several others after that to give them a five game win streak. Their most recent one being a huge 31-7 win over our biggest rival the Memorial Mustangs. Coach Allen has done an outstanding job so far this season despite the devastating injury to one of his players so early in the season. The varsity team is undefeated in district and looking to keep it that way.
What Does 10 Strong Mean To You? “Ben Miller is a big part of our team, and he means a lot to all of us. So now we are giving every game our all for him.” -Senior Ben Kuhn
Varsity Varsity behind behind #10 #10
Senior Kuhn holds Miller’s jersey Senior BenBen Kuhn holds BenBen Miller’s jersey while the varsity football team stands for the National Anthem during the Klein Forest game. It meant a lot to the players and coaches when they carried out the jersey before the game.
Come see for yourself Oct. 27 as the Spartans take on Klein Collins at Tully Stadium at 7 p.m. #10Strong
Varsity football helmet with the #10strong sticker representing Ben Miller.
The Sticker That Stands For Teamwork
This sticker means having your teammates backs through thick and thin.
14 Tennis Regionals
Sports
The Oracle / October 27, 2017
The varsity tennis team embarks on the journey to regionals
WRITTEN BY: HANNAH KHATRI
PHOTOS BY: PERRY SHEPARD
The tennis team competed in their first district playoffs on Tuesday, Oct.17. Their first game was against Westfield High School, and Stratford finished with a win. On Oct. 19, the team traveled to Bryan, Texas to play a team from Austin, Texas, which was the halfway point to regionals. The team
they played against beat them to a close match. but, the tennis team said it was a good experience for them. Even though the team didn’t come home with a win, they came out confident and still ended the season on a good note.
Astros Make World Series Spartans discuss the impact of the historic win
PHOTOS BY DYLAN MCKNIGHT Q: What do you think is the impact of the Astros win? A: “It brings the city together after being broken by Harvey. It’s been so long since we have had a championship team. It’s our turn!” - accounting teacher Mary Jackson
Q: What does the Astros going to the World Series mean to you?. A: “It makes me so excited and proud to be a Houstonian”-Sophomore Milly Stephenson
Returning Forehand
Bending downing to hit the ball, Chazz Speares continues the volley to earn his team a point.
Backhand For the Win
Returning a powerful serve, Norman Bui quickly gets the ball. He is currently on varsity.
Q: How does the Astros going to the world series make you feel? A: “I’m overwhelmed because I wasn’t here when the Astros went to the World Series in 2005.” - Principals of Health Science teacher Sean Plake
JV Shining Bright JV Football Has Got The Moves PHOTOS BY: MILES HARPER
JV Football, coached by Darryl Hill and Doug Lowry, are showing everyone in district that they aren’t here to mess around. JV is here to play.
Sports
The Oracle / October 27, 2017
The Rundown
Practice Makes Perfect
Varsity volleyball practices for successful games PHOTOS BY: SYDNI MOON
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PHOTOS BY: ZAINA ATEYA
How has football helped build your character?
Football has helped me in many ways like putting others before myself, sacrificing for my teammates, and the importance of doing my job well.
Olivia Lyster We dig it The varsity volleyball team practices hard to come out successful at all of their games and tournaments. Varsity volleyball is in fifth place out of the district and competed on Oct. 24 to potentially move on and tie for 4th place. The top four teams in district go off to the playoffs. Check out shsoracle.org for the result of their game.
What is your favorite pregame meal? Subway is definitely a go-to for me. A meatball marinara always.
Swimming
Favorite thing about swimming?
Improving my times and getting to be with a really fun group of people.
Malcolm Stephens Football
What is your pre-meet ritual?
My friends and I listen to music while we do our warm ups to get ready for our races.
PHOTO BY: DAN TATULESCU
Lacrosse 101 With Catherine Parnell
Favorite thing about Lacrosse? I like how its a new sport that I had never done before freshman year. I also like the team aspect of the sport
What is the biggest difference between this year and last year? The team has become more cohesive and the players have gotten a lot closer than in years past. We have also gotten many new players and they are all very sweet and excited to play on the team.
What is the lacrosse clinic? There is a lacrosse clinic for elementary school students on Oct. 27. At the clinic we will teach the kids how to play lacrosse and hopefully share our love of the sport with them. We also hope to encourage them to play lacrosse in middle school as well as high school.
Playoffs in Sight
Varsity volleyball charging for the playoffs. WRITTEN BY: NICOLE WHITEFORD PHOTOS BY: MADDIE DAWSON This year our in November varsity volleyball and there are team has been high hopes crushing district for the lady play. They have Spartans this started district season! With the with a winning season coming record of 6-5 to a close and record. Second playoffs getting year coach, Jencloser, who nifer Adcock, is knows what will doing an amazhappen. Good ing job with the luck to our Vargirls this year, sity volleyball coaching them team and Coach to a potential Adcock with the playoff spot. remainder of Play-offs start the season!
All in the legs
Volleyball requires leg strength and endurance. The varsity team’s workout typically includes running, block jumps, squats, and dead lifts in the weight room.
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The Oracle / October 27, 2017
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