the
Oracle
Stratford High School • October 2023 • Vol. 51 • Issue 1
LETTER FROM THE
EDITOR
Every morning, my grandfather walks out to the street to fetch his paper. On warmer days, he’ll sit on his back porch, overlooking a meticulously maintained yard, sipping a cup of Maxwell House coffee as he reads through the newspaper cover to cover. A hummingbird or two will buzz by him en route to a feeder. A few cardinals will appear. He’ll call my grandmother over with a shocked expression on his face, surprised by the latest headlines in the local Asheville news. For my grandfather, digesting the news is a leisurely experience, well-deserved after a lifetime of hard, physical labor. As a busy high school senior with a daily agenda full of classes, extracurricular activities, and barely enough time to binge-watch Ugly Betty, consuming news is never as peaceful. With the most jarring headlines in the New York Times or recent controversies brought up in school board meetings, accurate and timely reporting has never been more necessary. My passion for journalism stems from my desire to advocate for and educate my community; incredible triumphs and occasional pitfalls should not go unnoticed. Throughout my career, I have been able to interview a wide array of people, ranging from the newest Stratford teacher to a Holocaust survivor; every interaction reminds me of the importance of genuine storytelling. Now, as the Editor-in-Chief of the Oracle, I cannot wait to lead this narrative. This is the first issue of the new school year, and I am immensely proud of how hard the staff has worked. All stories produced by staff members reflect their own opinions and demonstrate their passion for our community. By the students. For the students. About the students. Happy reading, Caroline Larrabee, Editor-in-Chief
Cover photo by Reese Spradling (10)
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MISSION By the students. For the students. About the Students. The Stratford High School Oracle works to develop student skills while following the standards of professional journalists. Our mission is as follows: To provide a forum for student writing, photography, and art — the Oracle creates a community of students who share a common passion through group learning, mentorship, and fostering an atmosphere of creative collaboration. To provide training for not only journalism, but in marketing and business — the Oracle is entirely self-funded. Students must sell ads to local businesses to pay for printing. Members of the ads staff practice business techniques by speaking to other companies to secure finances that allow paper production to continue. To open dialogue and give students a voice — Few other outlets allow students to inform and express themselves to a large audience. Whether an article is about Stratford’s newest teacher or nationwide change, student voices will always be heard.
STAFF Editor-in-Chief* Caroline Larrabee Associate Editors* Eszter Badescu Catherine McClees Business Managers* Jacob Hare Emma Manalo Online Editor* Sophie Sagastume Photo Editor* Reese Spradling Sports Editor Ryan McDowell News Editor Natalie Patranella Opinion Editor Mawara Khan Student Life Editor Elizabeth Meadows Ads Editor Erin Grace Kelley Photography Manager Emmie Hanvey Reporters Ellie Presa
Aleeya Davis Sebastian Mendoza Alejandro Aponte Melina Banan Sahar Noori Yahya Hasoon Nicholas Neumann Photographers Jackson Hiler Christian Nafziger Caroline Walker Milton Guevara Kaitlyn Acevedo Bella Smith Escarlet Molero Aponte Gavin Rump Allie Richardson Ads Staff Kim Sterling Trey Gardner Nico Boza Adviser Sara Boyle *Editorial Board
04-05 News
For Students and Elders: An Ode to Joy New Vaping Protocals Teaching in Tanzania
07
Opinions
E-Hallpass or E-Horrible? To Block or Not to Block?
08-11
SNEAK PEEK
Sports
Behind the Lines Balancing the Bar A Jack of All Trades
12-14
Student Life A Day in the Life An Oracle’s Visions Artist’s Corner
PHOTOS BY CAROLINE LARRABEE (12), CAROLINE WALKER (12), EMMIE HANVEY (10), AISLINN MORFORD (12)
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For Students and Elders:
An Ode to Joy
Student musicians host volunteer recitals at local retirement homes WRITTEN BY CAROLINE LARRABEE (12) AND SOPHIE SAGASTUME (11) PHOTOS BY CAROLINE LARRABEE (12) Mike and Beckie Simpson entered the Parkway Place foyer in coordinating tropical prints. The couple had begun a tradition two weeks prior: each Sunday afternoon they watch classical instrumental performances. “[The musicians] are into their instrument,” Mrs. Simpson said. “They are not just performing it.” The musicians were part of the Energy Corridor Volunteer Performance Team. Composed entirely of high school students from Memorial, Spring Branch Academic Institute and Stratford, the group has been performing at retirement communities since May 20. Group organizer and Stratford senior Yutai Long runs performances at three different locations: Parkway Place Senior Living, Brookdale Senior Living and Campanile on Eldrige. Senior Osvaldo Morfin and juniors Pablo Rojas, Luka Silbernagel and Adam Teske have accompanied Long since the inaugural performance. “We are passionate, and we never hesitate to let people feel that,” Long said. “That is our mission: We love, we share.” Long was previously
4 News
a member of Music of Harmony, a Katy-based organization dedicated to performing for the elderly. Now, Long wants to bring this custom to his community. “I thought it would be cool to foster a tradition of service at Stratford,” he continued. Long points to his friends in band and orchestra as his main help in running the project. Students are in charge of advertising concerts, transporting instruments and rehearsing repertoire. While Long emails front desk workers prior to their arrival, the retirement homes’ staff members do not aid them in performance preparation. However, being entirely student-run has proven challenging as performers try to accommodate their academic schedules. The Energy Corridor Volunteer Performance Team’s first performance took place during Stratford’s final exams week, making it difficult for Long to assemble a group that could perform within a week’s notice. Since then, the program has grown immensely; Long’s connections through science and math
organizations allowed him and his peer, Luka Silbernagel, to directly reach out to Memorial students. “I am friends with a talented group of mucisians at Memorial, so I invited them to play,” Silbernagel said. “People can make new friends from other schools.” Though these performances last less than two hours, Long emphasizes that his team makes an effort to connect with the residents afterward. “What matters to us [are] the smiles of the elderly that [accompany] each performance,” Long said. While the Energy Corridor Volunteer Performance Team’s recitals serve to bring joy to local communities, Long reflects on how the organization has brought joy to him. “Doing this every week makes me feel like I have a purpose,” Long said. “There’s something to look forward to each week.” With this project in full-motion, Long hopes to expand his social impact even more. “The future is filled with infinite possibilities,” Long said. “We look ahead to what we can become, and make it true with each note — wrong notes included.”
Images from top to bottom: Senior Yutai Long serenades viewers with his clarinet; Mike and Beckie Simpson smile together after enjoying the latest concert; retirees clap after junior Pablo Rojas’ guitar solo.
New Vaping Protocols
Recent policy changes offer harsher consequences WRITTEN BY NATALIE PATRANELLA (10) Beginning Sept. 1, students caught vaping will immediately be sent to the Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP) for 30 days, according to a new state law. “Now the punishment for vaping is on the same level as alcohol and marijuana,” Principal Raymorris Barnes said. “All school districts are having to take it more seriously.” DAEP is an alternative school for students who have broken a district’s Student Code of Conduct and are in need of behavioral management. While attending DAEP, students will continue their education at no additional cost for a minimum of 30 days. Their time may be extended if they are
not showing signs that they are ready to return back to regular school. “The vaping problem has been bad for the past 4 or 5 years,” Barnes said. During previous years, if students were caught vaping, they would immediately get sent to in-school suspension. Now, campus staff and police officers are taking more precautions to prevent vaping. “We catch the majority of the students vaping in the restrooms,” campus police officer Emanuel Honeycutt said. “Looking at the cameras, we can see everything throughout the building.” Stratford has over 100 cameras on campus that monitor entrances, exits and hallways. If a student exhibits
suspicious behavior and the officers or administration need help identifying them, they will send a photo of the student to the staff and see if anyone recognizes them. The National Youth Tobacco Survey notes that teens vape for a number of reasons: experimenting, enjoyment and stress relief. The entirety of SBISD and the State of Texas want to ensure a safe and vape-free learning environment for all students. “I’m just trying to see more along the lines of what’s making them smoke,” campus police officer Walker said. “[I want] to check on their well-being.”
Teaching in Tanzania Rodgers opens up about his time spent teaching in Zanzibar WRITTEN BY CATHERINE MCCLEES (12) After becoming bored of teaching English in 2014, boys soccer coach and English II teacher Jeremy Rodgers decided he needed a change of scenery. After doing some research on various places, he finally settled on Zanzibar, an island city in Tanzania. Upon his arrival, Rodgers took a 3-month language course that was eight hours each day, five days a week in order to familiarize himself with Swahili. He describes the initial part of his stay as feeling like an infant because he constantly needed assistance. He needed help while shopping for groceries, getting gas, communicating with other people, and even learning the transportation system. When Rodgers first arrived, he didn’t have a Tanzanian license, and learning to drive on the opposite side
of the road proved to be a challenge. However, Rodgers notes that being in a situation where he needed to rely on other people was “really nice.” While in Tanzania, Rodgers taught English at a school for adults. Rodgers has always loved English and initially wanted to be a writer, but found a love for teaching English while volunteering in his school’s writing center in college. He loved the experience of getting to use his knowledge of English to help other people and the opportunity to do this in Tanzania. While there, Rodgers gained some insightful perspective: Even though people had few possessions, they were still incredibly joyful and fulfilled. In fact, he said it’s almost as though the fewer possessions you have, the happier you are.
After renewing his term three separate times — staying a total of four years — Rodgers decided it was time to go home. “It just felt like it was time to come home,” Rodgers said. “My siblings were busy having babies, and too much of life was happening with my family on the other side of the world.” After spending four years in Tanzania, some things stuck. One custom Rodgers still adheres to is making chai masala, a chai tea with cloves, cinnamon and lots of sugar. Finally, Rodgers notes that he thinks “it’s a great thing to try new stuff.” He says that the experience encouraged him to get out of his comfort zone, and he would encourage others to do the same.
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E-Hallpass or E-Horrible?
Students and teachers voice their opinions on Stratford’s newest system WRITTEN BY MAWARA KHAN (11) You’re sitting in your Spartan Time classroom. In the midst of completing a homework assignment, you realize you have to use the bathroom. You pull out your phone and open the E-Hallpass (now, SecurlyPass) app and try to make a pass to the 3rd Floor West Bathroom, only to see “Maximum capacity of the location has been reached. Please try again when a student returns.” Fine, you’ll go to the 3rd Floor East Bathroom instead. You click “Submit”, but, again: “Maximum capacity.” You throw your phone across the room, dent the wall and get written up for damaging school property, all courtesy of E-Hallpass. First introduced at the end of last school year, the app was received with a less than stellar reaction, which was largely attributable to “Hall Traffic.”
During Spartan Time, when most people try to go to club meetings or tutorials, the Hall Traffic rule only allows 50 people using a “Now Pass” in the hallways at a time. That is 2.18% of Stratford’s student population. The administrators get to choose the number for the “Now Pass” limit. Why did they choose 50? Students are not the only ones with grievances. Some teachers also find issues with the system. History teacher Natalie Benzman notes that frequent site crashes make it difficult to make passes. “There’s a lot of moving parts that still need to be addressed,” Benzman said. As annoying as it is, teachers have found some good in the new system. “I think it’s a good resource,” assis-
tant band director Aaron Perez said. “It’s a lot easier for us to be [using] E-Hallpass than [using] paper passes.” And he’s right. I can submit a pass from my phone on the way to Spartan Time instead of sprinting across the school midday. “I think there’s a lot of confusion, especially when it comes to appointment passes,” Perez said. “There should be some clarification, but, as far as “Now Pass” [goes], I think it’s great.” E-Hallpass makes a good effort at dissuading truants and keeping the administration aware of where students are. But, with harsh limits, these passes definitely need editing. With a few fixes, E-Hallpass can be an efficient system that we rely on instead of their bright orange paper counterpart.
To Block or Not to Block?
Students and teacher share support for Stratford’s block schedule
COMPILED BY ELLIE PRESA (12) AND MELINA BANAN (10)
“There are benefits for [both schedule types]. With block schedule you have an extra day to do your work.”
Raidan Lopez (11)
“Having seven periods in a day is just a bit overwhelming. I would be less productive.”
“Imagine 2000 bodies moving seven or eight times a day. Block schedule is better for me. There’s less chance for trouble in the halls.”
Poly Reyes
Kristina Baltic (10)
Opinions 7
B ehin d th e Lin es
Students and coaches work together to support Stratford football For many, the fall semester is defined by football season. But, while cameras often flock to the players in the end zone, the students and adults on the sidelines deserve just as much attention. We interviewed coaches, managers, mascots and referees to learn more about the preparation that goes into a Friday night game. The Evening Plan Coach Todd Rankin, head football coach and campus athletic director, begins a game day during school hours. “I spend the day with other coaches talking about game plan and starting lineups,” he said. “After school, we meet at the middle gym with the players.” If a team is scheduled for a 7 p.m. game, it boards the bus around 4. Once players and coaches reach the stadium, they discuss starting lineups. “We go into the locker room to put on full pads, then go back on the field for a special team warmup,” Rankin said. “Then we go to war.” Managing the Players Sophomore Ryan McIntire is a football manager. He and other managers are responsible for varsity, junior varsity and freshman football teams. Managers voluntarily go to nearly every practice and game to guarantee they run smoothly. “It’s not required to go to everything, but it’s strongly encouraged,” McIn-
8 Sports
tire said. Showing up to a game 45 minutes early is the standard. Before start time, managers help the Stratford 300 set up the fan-favorite inflatable tunnel. Their main job during games and practices is filming plays. Students set up cameras at the end zones and press box with the intent of using the film to study and improve players’ performance. “We have two drones that we use to record drills during practice,” McIntire said. Managers are also in charge of handing out team jerseys. They ensure all jerseys are accounted for in preparation for a game. The Hype Men Three students share the role of the school mascot, Spartacus. While their identities remain hidden, their efforts in exciting a crowd do not. Mascot 1 remarks that, if you want to be a mascot, “you have to enjoy the heat because you get sweaty and stinky.” In fact, it gets up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit inside the suit! For Mascot 1, Spartacus’s suit is a way to manage personal challenges. “I have Tourette’s and ADHD; having both of those is hard for me at my age”. While being a mascot “is mentally and physically stressful,” Mascot 1 said, “you get to go to all the games and interact with a lot of people.” Mascot 2 cites her family as her motivation to become a mascot. While she was originally a soccer player, two injuries over the span of two years prohibited her from playing much. Being a mascot takes “courage, because not too many
WRITTEN BY YAHYA HASOON (10), RYAN MCDOWELL (10), MILTON GUEVARA (11), ALEJANDRO APONTE (11) AND CAROLINE WALKER (12); PHOTOS BY REESE SPRADLING (10) AND EMMIE HANVEY (10) people will want to try it,” Mascot 2 said. Mascot 3 was willing to try a mascot suit because of the effects it could have on others. “[Being a mascot would be] putting a smile on people’s faces,” Mascot 3 said. “I like to make people smile.” Calling the Shots Robert Gutierrez is a local referee with experience at the varsity level. For each game, referees have to be at the stadium quite early. “We arrive 2 hours before kickoff time to meet with other referees and review film,” Gutierrez said. After meeting with the other referees, they meet with each team coach. “An hour before the game, we meet with the home coach, followed by the visiting coach, to go over reminders for the game and address any concerns each coach has,” Gutierrez said. “We greet the team captains as well.” Many referees are former football players and often hold an emotional attachment to the game. “Right before kickoff, I always feel privileged to have an opportunity to be part of the game I grew up with and was involved with in high school and college,” Gutierrez said. During the game, referees are physically tested, having to run “between 4 to 6 miles per game,” which requires them to stay in shape outside the field. In fact, preparation for the season can start months in advance. “College officials start preparing for the upcoming season the day after the Super Bowl,” Gutierrez said. “[That] includes meeting with up to 35 officials on a weekly basis.”
“Lock In” in Locker Rooms Before every game, senior Hank Hall begins game day by bringing a big speaker and “getting hyped” in the locker room. “We eat, stretch, and we are ready to go,” Hall said. Hall makes it a point to listen to “Numb Numb Juice” by ScHoolBoy Q; in fact, he has been doing it since freshman year. “I try to cheer on my teammates,” Hall said. “I haven’t played a lot, so I make a big deal to make sure the sidelines are hyped and locked in,” Hall said. After the game, he and his teammates celebrate by going to Whataburger to hang out. Hall’s teammates, junior Sam Ezezue and senior Sean Madden also enjoy listening to music. “Sometimes I listen to rap music, sometimes I listen to country music,” Ezezue said. “It just depends on the game.” Similarly, Madden notes that rap music is his go-to, especially “Passion Fruit” by Young Nudy. Before games, Ezezue focuses on himself. After, he partakes in the Whataburger team tradition to cool off with his friends. Top left: Sophomore Will McCarroll discusses a play with a coach mid-game. Top right: Spartacus poses during half-time. Bottom left: Senior Patty Flores, an athletic trainer, watches the field mid-game. Bottom right: A referee watches a group of Stratford players after they score a touchdown.
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Balancing the Bar
Female athletes are ready for their well-deserved attention PHOTOS BY EMMIE HANVEY (10) AND BELLA SMITH (10)
Running Ablaze Blaze makes calls in school and fields
WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY KIM STERLING (12)
You know him for a number of reasons: he may have put a warning sticker on your car, sung you a birthday song in the cafeteria or given you a detention or two. However, there is one thing you probably didn’t know about 12th grade assistant principal Carl Blaze. He has refereed athletic events for over 20 years. Blaze referees a number of school and club sports, including football, basketball, volleyball and lacrosse. “I got into [refereeing] because I wanted to have a better understanding of the game and the calls the referees were making,” Blaze said. “I could prevent bullying related to fouls and points.” Blaze typically referees volleyball during the fall season, but, now, he’ll be focusing on UIL basketball. “There’s usually a shortage of officials, especially after COVID, so I’ll be officiating on Tuesday, Friday and more nights like Wednesday and Saturday,” he said. Although Blaze will be refereeing more games, he emphasizes that these will not include home teams. “When you’re an official, you remain unbiased whether you’re refereeing for Stratford or the opposing team,” he said.
Stratford’s Cross Country team practices before school; sophomore Sophie Hare races on the track; sophomore Ryann Calvert plays golf; senior Emma Jackson gets ready to hit the ball at a water polo game.
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A Day in the Life
Heavily involved students’ schedules face potential shift in the upcoming school year WRITTEN BY ESZTER BADESCU (12) AND ELIZABETH MEADOWS (10) The potential budget cuts looming in SBISD are no secret. We wanted to find out how the budget cuts would affect an involved student’s daily school activities, the potential sponsorships from teachers and the financial conditions regarding the fear of losing money or teachers. We had the honor to interview senior Macy McAfee, who is involved in over ten clubs and organizations at the school, including HOSA, Spartanaires, Thespians, FDA, and Tri Theta. “Some clubs could close because of the loss of teacher sponsors,” McAfee said. “I think the budget cuts are definitely going to affect these organizations a lot, some of them more than others.” Having 50 plus clubs and organizations may look different from now to next year depending on how harshly the budget cuts will affect us.
McAfee is the president of the senior girls club, Tri Theta. Kathy Suerth, the sponsor, says that she thinks Tri Theta will be okay with the budget cuts. “We’ve kept our dues the same every year to pay for supplies,” she said. “All of it kind of accumulated, so this year we have plenty of funds.” is nervous about how the budget cuts will affect future students. “Where I could see [budget cuts] affecting Tri Theta is the teachers,” Suerth said. “If they have more classes and more students, then they might be less willing to sponsor clubs.”
McAfee’s Weekly Averages Ignite (four hours)
Tri Theta (five hours)
Thespians (fifteen hours)
HOSA (two hours)
Link Crew (three hours)
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McAfee is also the student director for 42nd Street, the winter musical at Stratford, working with CeCe Prudhomme, the theatre director, for countless hours. Prudhomme also has concerns over what budget cuts will entail. “[Budget cuts] would also affect block schedule,” Prudhomme said. “I think it’s likely to go away. Once it goes away, we will never get it back, and that scares me because we get a lot done during class.” Prudhomme expresses how important fundraising is for the theater department. “We get very little money from the school. Most of our money comes from season ticket sales, gala, and from other things that we fundraise,” said Prudhomme. There are many clubs at Stratford that already have to fundraise most of their money, but this could get worse after budget cuts. There could be more out of pocket expenses for people in these organizations, resulting in fewer people wanting to be a part of them. McAfee’s potential experience is just an example of how many students could be affected by these budget cuts. Stratford is known for the various clubs and organizations on campus, and having these budget cuts will affect the students’ opportunity to join. We know that budget cuts could affect our block schedule, teachers, and clubs. “I’m worried,” Suerth said. “I’m concerned as a community member. I live in Spring Branch, and I grew up in Spring Branch and went to elementary through high school here. I hate to see a district that has been so successful have this type of a challenge.”
An Oracle’s Visions Books for Fall
Music for Fall
WRITTEN BY ESZTER BADESCU (12), MELINA BANAN (10), ELLIE PRESA (12)
THE MAIDENS The Maidens by Alex Michaelides is a psychological mystery thriller that will have readers nose deep in the book. The story follows the tale of Mariana Andros, who uncovers several murders at Cambridge University and is certain Professor Edwards Fosca is the killer. As she continues to uncover these mysterious murders, she will soon unravel the truth about the Maidens and these eerie occurrences.
COMPILED BY ALEEYA DAVIS (11) Open Spotify, click Search, and click the camera in the top right corner to scan the QR code and see the playlist.
THE SECRET HISTORY The Secret History by Donna Tartt is a dark academia thriller that gives perfect mysterious Halloween and fall vibes. This novel follows a clever group of friends who attend a college in New England. The prologue informs the reader that these students end up murdering one of their classmates, and for the rest of the book, Richard Papen (one of the students) recounts the events that lead up to the murder. A GOOD GIRL'S GUIDE TO MURDER A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson is a YA mystery novel that will have readers questioning everything. The novel follows Pippa Fitz-Amobi as she tries to complete her senior project on the case of Andie Bell, a girl murdered by her boyfriend Sal Singh, who then ended his own life. However, Pippa doesn’t believe that Sal committed the crime, and, as she continues digging, she discovers something that her town desperately wants to keep hidden.
Movies for Fall
WRITTEN BY SEBASTIAN MENDOZA (10)
THE SHINING The Shining is perhaps the most well-known psychological horror movie of the last century. There isn’t much to write about that hasn’t already been written. From Jack Nicholson's all-time great performance to Stanley Kubrick’s hypnotizing directorial style, there is literally nothing wrong with it. 10/10 FANTASTIC MR. FOX This movie is the most pleasant thing ever; I could watch it a million times and never get bored. It perfectly captures the feeling of childlike joy and whimsy. It’s an all-time favorite. 10/10 TAXI DRIVER I saw this movie around half a year ago, and I loved it. But, man, I didn't appreciate it. This is Scorsese's masterpiece. Every film Scorsese has made is called a masterpiece, and most are, but this is my Scorsese masterpiece. Every piece of Taxi Driver is meticulously crafted to perfection. 10/10 MY DINNER WITH ANDRE This is the calmest movie out there. It’s exactly what the title says: a dinner with Andre. It’s just Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory talking while eating some dinner. I wish I could dig deeper, but that’s really it. Also, Community had a great episode referencing this; y’all should check that out, too. 9/10
I was on a mission to find the best fall album of the year. The release of both Mitski's The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We and Laufey's Bewitched made the decision was incredibly hard. With light and airy jazz, Laufey's album helps us envision the color-changing leaves of fall — the hopefulness before the winter's storm. Mitski's deep, sultry notes remind us of the forgiveness fall begs from the trees before the cold winter storms ahead. Highlights from these albums include “From The Start” by Laufey and “My Love Mine All Min”e by Mitski. Ultimately, I was unable to decipher whether I wanted a chill girl fall or a screaming, crying, throwing up fall. I guess it's up to you to decide which album is fall or nall.
Student Life 13
Artists’
Corner
COMPILED BY NICHOLAS NEUMANN (10)
Aislinn Morford (12)
Yeojin Lee (12)
“You have the picture in your head, but when you put it on paper, it comes out wrong. Art is a visual way to communicate with the rest of your world about who you are as a human being.” - Mr. Smolen, Art Teacher Gabriela Mirza (12)
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