March Issue

ORACLE the

Stratford High School • Friday, March 13, 2020 • Vol. 47 • Issue 5

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Celebrate Women’s History Month, and the importance of the 100 year anniversary for earning the right to vote.

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Learn Discuss about the how to effects have the of the ideal Houstonian spring break, current global crisis complete with all of the local and panic surrounding hot spots and attractions. the rapidly spreading coronavirus.

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@StratfordOracle

www.shsoracle.org

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The Oracle • March 13, 2020

News in Brief

NATIONAL LOCAL STRATFORD

COMPILED BY MCKENNA TANNER

• March 4: Stratford earned all 1’s at the full orchestra UIL competition, the highest possible score. Additionally, the Spartan UIL One-Act play, “Bright Ideas,” advanced to the bi-district level of competition.

• March 16 to March 20: Students and faculty get a week-long break from school for spring break.

• April 6: University of North Texas visits Stratford during lunch.

• April 15: University of East Anglia, University of Arkansas, Samford University, and Wentworth Institute of Technology visit Stratford.

Race to the White House Who are the remaining presidential primary candidates and what do they stand for?

WRITTEN BY MCKENNA TANNER PHOTOS COURTESY OF CANDIDATE WEBSITES AND BY MCKENNA TANNER

Joe Biden, 77 Former vice president and senator

Tulsi Gabbard, 38 Representative from Hawaii

• Feb. 18: A federal judge discarded the charges by Harvey victims downstream of the controlled release that claim the government was culpable for flooding resulting from the release.

• Feb. 27: A water main in East Houston burst, flooding the East 610 Loop and prompting a two-day boil-water advisory.

Bernie Sanders, 78 Senator from Vermont

• March 3 to March 22: The 88th annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo takes place, featuring concerts by artists such as Lizzo and Brad Paisley.

• Feb. 24: Former movie producer Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of thirddegree rape and sexual assault, but was acquitted of the two counts of predatory sexual assault he was also charged with.

• Feb. 26: The CDC that the existence of a case of corona virus without a known origin in California, the first such case in the U.S. • March 5: The field of Democratic presidential hopefuls narrowed to three, as Elizabeth Warren became the 28th candidate to drop out of the race to gain the Democratic nomination.

Stratford Votes

PHOTO BY MADDIE DAWSON Seniors get excited about the upcoming voting season.

Seniors from all different parts of Stratford America pose to show their red, white, and blue voting spirit.

Donald J. Trump, 73 Sitting president

William F. Weld, 74 Former Massachusetts governor

Gun Control

Healthcare

Climate Change

Biden supports banning the manufacture of assault weapons and instituting an assault weapon buyback program and national registry. He also supports universal background checks.

Biden is a proponent of building on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to offer a governmentprovided healthcare option, but opposes Medicare for All.

Biden is in favor of taxing carbon emissions and looking to nuclear power as an alternative energy source.

Gabbard is a proponent of an assault weapons ban. She wants to institute universal background checks.

Gabbard supports the Medicare for All concept, but is willing to allow Americans to continue using private health insurance providers as well.

Gabbard is in favor of the United States investing in alternative energy sources to reduce fossil fuel use, but does not support pursuing nuclear power as one of these sources.

Sanders is a supporter of an assault weapons ban coupled with a federal buyback program. He also supports universal background checks for gun purchases.

Sanders wants to provide every American with healthcare from the government, calling his plan “Medicare for All.”

Sanders plans to do away with nuclear power plants and to ban fracking.

He also plans to implement new federal regulations to limit carbon emissions.

Trump has gone back and forth over whether or not he supports background checks or other regulations.

While in office, Trump has urged Congress to remove the Affordable Care Act and has expressed support for limiting Medicaid.

Trump was responsible for the United States move to back out of the Paris Accords. He has also expressed doubt over climate change.

Weld doesn’t believe citizens should have access to automatic weapons.

However, he argues that universal background checks are not an unequivocal solution to gun violence.

Weld wants to encourage health insurance providers to offer a diversity of coverage options and advocates treating patients as customers as a method to reduce prices

Weld supports the U.S. returning to the Paris Climate Accords. He also is in favor of placing a cost on carbon emissions.

news

We Asked Seniors...

What are your thoughts on voting as you take part in your first national election?

Tiani ChenTroester, senior: “Voting is one of the great privileges of being in this country, and I don’t want to take it for granted. Also, I don’t want my political opinion to be just talk; I want to act upon it and make a difference even if my vote is small.”

Matias Grimoldi Calo, senior: “There’s a lot of things that I think the country needs to be doing better, and I believe that voting will make it a little more likely that the changes that need to happen actually do.

[I’m] shifting my focus away from candidates who only try to uphold the status quo.”

Milly Stephenson, senior: “Voting is extremely important to me, and I believe it’s one of the most important steps to take when advocating for change. If everyone votes, then we can make sure everyone’s views are represented.

I just want to encourage everyone to get out and vote in upcoming elections. It’s important to express your opinion and make sure your voice is heard so you have people representing you that you believe in.”

Bea Jeon, senior: “Any election, I think we should voice our opinions because I noticed, working at the polls all day, pretty much 80% of the voters are 50 and up, and that’s just not fair for us to not be able to voice our opinions. Election-wise, with the candidates, I’m hopeful. We’ll have to definitely see the results in the presidential election later this year, but we’ll see how it goes.

Important Voting Dates Oct. 5: Deadline to

register to vote in the general elections

Oct. 19 to Oct. 23: Early voting Nov. 3: Election Day

news

The Oracle • March 13, 2020

Adding Color on the Field Raising Awareness Color Guard Competes in the color guard circuit.

PHOTOS BY KYLE ZOBOROSKI AND KENDALL KOSTER You’ve probably seen them while unity throughout guard which makes looking down at the football field their performances so spectacular on during half time. and off of the football field.

The color guard flits throughout the “My favorite thing is expression band with their colorful flags fluttering and dancing while spinning flags” and flipping in the air amongst rifles sophomore Natalia Estrada explained. and strategic choreography.

“I joined because I’m in marching Although you only see them during band and the color guard director (Mr. football games and spirit rallies, our Houghton) asked me to do some tricks, color guard does much more than just taught me some skills on flags, and support the band. then I decided to join!” Estrada, being During both winter and spring, involved in dance outside of school, guard participates in the Texas Color explained that joining guard was an Guard Circuit, a sequence of indoor excuse to work on and improve her competitions including different high dancing while also getting to hang out schools in the Houston area. They and work with the other members of represent our the color guard. school as the Guard has three “Stratford competitions for Winter Guard”. marching and In their three competitions performances during winter they incorporate guard that they dance and have completed dramatic so far in this expression with season. They their classic have two more rifles, flags, competitions to go sabers, props that consist of the and costumes. area competition The color guard on March 14, Getting Rewarded The Color Guard rehearses just and if they qualify claimed their 3rd place reward at the Texas as much, if not for state, another Color Guard Circuit/ This reward was earned more so than a competition on large majority of through hard work and several rehearsals March 28. extracurriculars Last year our color at our school. They practice some days guard placed first in the area and during lunch and scheduled times after Seventh in the state. They have earned school. a promotion which has awarded them “We practice Mondays and Thursdays a second place trophy for the class they from 4 to 7:30 and have sectionals are competing in. Without guard, the on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 5:30”. band would not have a story to go with Sophomore Elise Malonson explains the their marching shows and a big lack of commitment of time and energy that energy missing from every marching it takes to be involved in guard, and competition explains that the challenges they meet Alexia Van Der Dys, captain of the in rehearsals are hard but fun at the color guard testifies: “Color guard is same time. important because it teaches you how Being surrounded by friends doing to play as a team and push yourself something that is so expressive and to the limit while creating something artistic while also simultaneously beautiful.” challenging forms a special sort of WRITTEN BY LAURA KOERNER

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With the start of Brain Injury Awareness Month in March, Spartans reflect on those with brain Injury WRITTEN BY MICHAEL BENES

PHOTOS BY KYLE ZOBOROSKI

Everyone must have equal risks of brain injury. “School is a great opportunity. That is the principle that forum for teaching people about these our country was built upon. That is also problems”, assistant principal Valerie true of those who have received brain Johnson said regarding the subject. injuries. With the beginning of March People tend to think “Oh, its just a the Spartans concussion” but they remember those are not aware of the all across the fact that there are world who have actual risks when unfortunately it comes to brain received brain injury” . injuries including “There are within our own definitely several school walls. For things we can do over three decades as a school to raise the Brain Injury awareness for Association of and prevent brain America has led injury. Any chance the charge in we have to make honoring those things safer we with brain injuries. should take because The athletics it would be very Advocating For Education department is a beneficial when it Head coach of the football team, Todd common place comes to preventing Rankin supports educating students for concussions brain injury. Its also about brain injuries. to happen. It important to teach is common for students in sports students the side affects or symptoms to receive brain injuries from of brain injuries like concussions”Todd concussions. For example, in baseball a Rankin said. player could get hit in the head with a The Stratford staff also believes that ball. Brain injuries can make it harder the community has a role in raising to learn in school and is often costly awareness for those who have brain for the families of those students. Brain injury and their families. They believe injuries can be very expensive to take citizens can raise awareness easily in care of. your every day lives.

“We work around concussions a lot; “I think our roll as a community is thats the most common way brain to ask questions about things they injuries can happen in sports, and we don’t know that we could potentially actively deal with that all the time”, educate them on. We must also support athletic director Todd Rankin said. our doctors, trainers, For the decades that we’ve had brain and other people who injury awareness month we have commonly deal with brain changed the theme several times. The injuries” Rankin said. theme for brain injury awareness Even if you don’t actively take part month for 2018-2020 is Change Your in the Change Your Mind campaign, Mind. The Change Your Mind campaign there are still ways you can improve is meant to educate people on the risks conditions for those who have suffered of brain injury and to raise awareness a brain injury. for those who have received brain Many believe it is our responsibility injuries as well as their families. to look out for those with brain injuries “Of course I think that it is our and their families. responsibility to educate people on the

4 Behind the Scenes of Spartie Party The Oracle • March 13, 2020

news

Learn more about how much work goes into the Spartanaires beyond dancing at football games.

WRITTEN BY ALEXIS GARZA

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PAUL HERRMANN

Do you know what the Spartanaires do? Chances At contest, the dances are scored based on five girl starts in the dance, and if they are not pulling are, you do not. They are best known for dancing categories: choreography, technique, precision, their weight or practicing correctly, they get cut. on the field for the half time show at football games. showmanship, and overall. Each company the For the third team dance, the pom dance, there is a But when football season is over, they certainly do Spartanaires dance at uses the same scoring criteria, traditional tryout process. Dancers are chosen with not take a break. After football season ends around input from the officers based on their tryout with skill but point values may be different.

November, the Spartanaires start preparing for In addition, each company’s judges have different level, technique, and knowledge of the dance. competition season. reputations for how they score. The Spartanaires Competition season lasts from late perform heavily dance-oriented routines with an November to March. They learn all of the emphasis on good technique. Some teams will choreography for their dances before winter incorporate a lot of props and extras in to their break, and spend January practicing and dances, with less emphasis on the dance itself. polishing the dances. The team practices at Some judges like the extra decor in the dance 6:30 a.m., year round. They compete three and some appreciate the dance itself. times and the officers compete separately “When strategizing for competition, our one more time. starting point is what the team will be most The coaches’ work for competition season successful with. We play on the strengths of begins well before the team starts practicing the team in terms of style, song choice, and in November. Coaches Elly Willms and Julie choreographers,” Willms and Vinyard said.

Vinyard said they will start listening to When a competition is coming up on the music and thinking of dance ideas starting horizon, they will start looking at what other in May and throughout the summer. teams are doing to adjust their dance.

For competition season, they learn new Competition day is usually a long one. “We dances. On the football field, the style of arrive at school around seven in the morning, dance is very precise. In competitions, they take a bus, stay at the competition all day, and perform jazz, pom, and novelty style dances. finish with the awards ceremony. We usually For the spring show, they perform kick, get home anywhere from 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.”, pom, jazz, lyrical, tap, contemporary, and a senior Hannah Timmreck said. field dance.

For the coaches, the most fulfilling part of the Best Face Forward The Spartanaires take seven teams to whole process is seeing them dance so passionately When performing, a dancer’s facial expressions can make or break the competition: three team dances, three officer when competing. “When they take all the tools we number. During their pom routine, each girl sports an over-the-top dances, and one elite dance. For two of the team have given them and all the hours of practice, and smile. dances, there is a reverse-tryout process. Every actually live it out in the moment is the neatest part”, Willms and Vinyard said.

Debate Takes the Stage This year’s debate team is breaking records WRITTEN BY MONICA DERU

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEBATE TEAM

Stratford’s first National Debate Qualifier, Maddy Reichel is pictured with other Harvard Debate winners Jerome Conkright (right) and Alex Zhang (left). The three proudly hold their trophies high after countless hours of debating.

At the most recent debate tournament on March 6-8 in El Paso, TX, at Franklin High School, Alex Zhang won 16th place in Congress. Their next tournament is April 2- 4 where they already have two Congressional Debate National Tournament Qualifiers. Junior Maddy Reichel and sophomore Alex Zhang who will be competing to place in Congress. This year overall the debate team has the most amount of state qualifiers in debate history.

life

The Oracle • March 13, 2020

Banh Who? Banh Mi!

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A look at the quintessential Vietnamese sandwich WRITTEN BY DAN TATULESCU AND KALEB VU

PHOTOS BY DAN AND MIRCEA TATULESCU

who started the restaurant in 2006 having moved The Sandwich Lee’s Sandwiches from New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina. French For the uninitiated, the banh mi is a Vietnamese Lee’s sandwiches is a large chain based in San Jose music plays quietly in the sandwich that has become with locations all across the U.S., so we decided to background of the small, rather popular over the take a look at their take on the pork banh mi. The cozy restaurant. The menu years in the U.S. It is a store is really big and has its own bakery. It is also contains quite the selection, quick yet satisfying meal a grocery store, carrying various goods including ranging from the familiar pho that comes with a wide condiments and snacks. Food is ordered at a counter to the do-it-yourself banh hoi, variety of fillings. Banh where numbers are handed out to people as they which are vermicelli patties mi itself means sandwich, wait for their order to be prepared. In the back, a waiting to be filled with your and the sandwich usually team of workers prepare banh mis and other goods. choice of topping. However, is made with a sort of Before our numbers are called out, we scan the we were on the search for a baguette, which is typically various goods offered and spot sriracha-garlic peas, fulfilling banh mi, specifically smaller and rounded. truffle oil, and Meiji’s Hello Panda (bite-sized cookies Served Warm the pork banh mi.

There is For some background with various fillings). After a short wait, our numbers The Vu family’s take on the pork banh mi is loaded with information, the French that classic and welcoming flavor. The banh mi can be a selection of fillings such are called out, and we make our way to a table. As as ham and pate alongside colonized what is today we open the wrapping, a baguette, cut in half and altered to people’s preferences, such as meat only for a vegetarian one, too, for Vietnam and other parts kids who despise vegetables. filled with pork, onions, carrots, and cilantro, peeks those wanting something of Southeast Asia, and you out. The vegetables do not seem to be too fresh, and can see the French influence in various cuisines of the else. The banh mi arrives the cilantro comes with the quickly, and we start the area, mainly in Vietnam. Baked goods and pastries stem and all. It still helps to enticing meal. The bread were a significant addition to the Vietnamese kitchen, cut through the filling pork. has a satisfyingly crunchy resulting in much more widespread use of bread and The pork does not seem crust, and the inside is a developed bakery scene. Over the years, more and to have that distinctive more Vietnamese people came to the U.S. with centers warm and fluffy. The pork, char on it, although it still sweet and slightly salty, developing in places including Los Angeles and our has that typical sweetness is tender. The carrots, city of Houston, bringing their kitchen and cooking expected from a banh mi.

All Wrapped Up cucumber, jalapeño, expertise with them. There are several Vietnamese Overall, it is not as great A good choice for a quick meal, this big sandwich is sure and cilantro provide for eateries peppered across Houston, and so we decided of a sandwich, but it is a to fill anyone up. Lee’s also offers a variety of drinks, a welcome freshness, to go looking for places to get a banh mi fix whenever good and filling meal for including milk tea, which helps complement the meal. balancing out the pork’s the craving arises. how cheap it is, sitting savoriness. Overall, the meal is not too heavy yet is at around three and a half dollars a sandwich. The Pho One satisfying enough to last a person for some time. Each restaurant is located at 11210 Bellaire Blvd and As we get out of the car in a small plaza with blue sandwich is right around five dollars. The restaurant is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday through and green sides, our mouths begin to water in is located at 11148 Westheimer Rd and is open from Sunday. anticipation of the meal to come. We walk in and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday through Saturday. are greeted by the smiling faces of the Vu family,

The Thrill Seeking Side of Thrifting How thrift shops benefit the environment and your budget WRITTEN BY LAURA KOERNER

PHOTOS BY PAIGE CLARK

Everyone has their own individual taste and style when it comes to what they wear to school, special events, and even just for comfort. Many clothing stores and businesses are unhealthy in the sense that they aren’t eco-friendly and are becoming a real environmental problem.

Wouldn’t it be nice to help our environment while simultaneously having fun shopping for the clothes you want?

Although many teens love staple stores like H&M and Forever 21, these stores actually pose a high risk to the environment because of the mass production of synthetic fast fashion; that ends up in our infamous landfills.

This looming predicament has a simple and fashionable solution: thrift shopping.

Statistics show Americans throw out 10.5 million tons of clothing per year. We could lower that statistic significantly if more people would start purchasing second-hand clothing, hence keeping plastic out of growing landfills and our planet.

Some general clothing products in mass production like blue jeans overly generate greenhouse gases and use up multiple gallons of water.

Thrifting will help preserve our natural resources and decrease the amount of pesticides used in cotton

textiles which pollute nearby bodies of water.

Thrifting also acts as a natural link throughout everyone in the community for the adventure and excitement of walking into the Finding the Best Deals store and finding Local hotspots for thrift shopping always have a variety of styles, sizes and fabrics. “Thrift all sorts of cute shopping is an opportunity for everyone to find something for them,” said sophomore Ana clothes and funky Ramirez. trinkets. might just find your new favorite book, snow globe, “It’s an awesome poster, music record, or vintage dress for an outraway to get vintage and very unique pieces of clothing, geously low price. without having additional expenses,” said sophomore As much as we love all the modern fast fashion that Ana Ramirez. is available to us through the internet and in large Thrift shopping is an opportunity where all people, shopping areas, remember that we have a world to no matter the type of car you drive, the size of your take care of and new people to meet everyday. waistline, or the color of your skin can have the Any experience should be a memorable one, and experience of having shopping in an environmentally that does include walking around a thrift store on a friendly way, and meeting new and different people weekend with zero expectations of what treasures lay along the way. in store for you inside.

Thrifting is also very affordable, and you

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The Oracle • March 13, 2020

life

The Voice and the Vote for Women

Rights in the Workplace

WRITTEN BY GRACE HARE Around the world, hundreds of parents voted for, or who your The pay disparity has come into the countries treat the right to vote as a grandparents voted for, you get your light recently, with the American privilege. Women become oppressed own voice,” Mrs. Wolf said.

Women’s soccer team winning the by the vicious patriarchy that controls All 18 year old citizens in America World Cup, and still being payed many nations, taking away their right have the opportunity to vote in the significantly less than their male to have a say in the political process of upcoming presidential election. This counterparts, despite generating their country. marks a moment all eligible American thousands of dollars in revenue for the Even in America, people have an Women’s events. a country where For Socratic Seminar teacher, Mrs. “This Earth is only going to be opportunity to vote women have and make changes Karlsson Salek, the past is a frustrating ours for so long, and it’s up to many more within our nation. reminder of the steps backwards young people to stand up for “It’s important for opportunities that have been taken in the rights for than other women themselves,” said Mrs. Wolf new voters to really women. throughout the look at the issues “It’s so strange that in America world, women did and vote on what we are celebrating the 100 years of not receive the right to vote until 1920. matters to you,” Mrs. Wolf said. voting rights for women, because This March as we celebrate Women’s She feels that it is important young when America was colonized there History Month, and this year marks people recognize the power of their were plenty of civilizations that had 100 years since women received the voice. “This Earth is only going to be progressive rights for women, and right to vote,we have an opportunity ours for so long and its up to young when they wrote the 14th amendment to celebrate the power of our voting people to stand up for themselves,” she they put in the word men, and that rights, and the opportunity we have to said. was a huge step “I want my girls to be make a difference through our voice.

However, backwards,” she described with words like Voting is one of the most effective and despite the many said. easiest ways to make a different on a landmarks made Ultimately, for her strong and bold, not just to local and federal level. in the progressive the progression find their identity in the word in the social and Despite this, the census bureau freedoms and showed that only 53 percent of rights for women political freedoms pretty,” said Mrs. Salek Americans voted in the 2018 in America and of women and presidential election, still the highest across the globe, there should be more all minorities across the world, is a midterm turnout in four decades. representation for women on a federal distraction from the things that truly “Voting is a civic responsibility and a and state level. matter. voice for citizens,” yearbook teacher “The importance of women voting is “I want my children to see people’s Mrs. Megan Wolf said. She believes because our issues are different than worth based on their merit and not on that the opportunity for eligible 18 mens, what happens with women’s their gender,” Mrs. Salek said, “and year olds to vote is something they bodies, pay deficiencies, and the I want my girls to be described with should take full advantage of. burdens of a family can be placed on words like strong and bold, not just to “You get the opportunity to vote the woman because she carries the find their identity in the word pretty.” for someone, not just someone your child,” Mrs.Wolf said.

WRITTEN BY GRACE HARE PHOTOS BY JACKSON COSSEY AND COURTESY COACH WALTERS

The importance of taking advantage of voting privileges, and how it makes a difference

Bringing Best Buddies to Stratford Two students start an international nonprofit club at our school

WRITTEN BY ELEANORE WILLIAMS Best Buddies is an international, nonprofit organization that strives to create opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Best Buddies was founded by Anthony Kennedy Shriver in 1989, beginning with volunteer college students. The organization has now grown to a worldwide volunteer movement that creates integrated employment, leadership development, and most importantly close friendships for those with IDD. Two Stratford seniors, Ava Tran and Kylie Rodgers, wanted to bring Best Buddies to our school.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY AVA TRAN

Wednesday during lunch. They have different activities every week based on events around the school. “We have had holiday parties and many dance parties,” said Tran.

“They love it, and we have formed close relationships with all of the kids”. Around the world, Best Buddies has impacted millions of people with IDD: creating jobs, educational opportunities, and Group Bonding Tran and Rogers (center) lead the Best Buddies friendships. At Stratford, club in making cards for Thanksgiving last November.

Spartan Buddies has At the beginning of the it was important for our improved the inclusion 2019-2020 school year, they school to have a program of IDD kids at school. The started Spartan Buddies - a like Best Buddies as we club founders hope to grow club that works toward noticed that the life skills their program in the coming the inclusion of Stratford kids are often isolated” Tran years. kids with IDD. “We thought said. The club meets every

The US Women’s soccer team has recently sued the US Soccer Federation for the pay wage disparities between the male and female soccer players.

Fighting for Fair Wage

The Stratford girls soccer team goes for a difficult shot. As of July, the US Women’s Soccer team became World Cup Champions and are still not payed the same as their male counterparts.

On average, in STEM jobs men earn $36.30 to every $31.11 that a woman in the same position earns. STEM occupations include many important fields, including science, technology, engineering and math based careers.

The Gender Bias in STEM

Mrs. Karlson Salek peers into a microscope during her Marine Biology class. The pay wage disparities in STEM positions does not affect teachers, but does impact the many careers in STEM related fields, such as engineering.

In the 2016 election, 63.3 percent of women reported voting, compared to 59.3 percent of men. Historically, since earning the right to vote in 1920, women have had higher rates of voter turnout in the elections.

Power to the People

Science teacher Mrs. Lauren Johnson stands for a photo in her classroom, as she wears the voting sticker she received for voting in the primary elections.

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The Oracle • March 13, 2020

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Hspring OUSTONIAN break

The Oracle • March 13, 2020

Rodeo

Houston’s favorite annual tradition is back. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo began on March 3 and will finish out on March 22. The concerts started with the band Midland and will close out with singer Luke Bryan. While most people see the rodeo as another Houston staple event, their mission statement reaches far beyond that. The rodeo says that their goal is to promote agriculture and Western heritage through the use of experience with friends and family.

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The Oracle •March 13, 2020

WRITTEN AND DESIGNED BY ISABELLA WALTZ PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ORACLE STAFF MEMBERS AND THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Spending your Spring Break in Houston? The Oracle has highlighted some of the top ideas of things to do this break. From the Rodeo, to venues, to restaurants, we’ve been able to find the best of the best.

Livestock Show

The Houston Rodeo Livestock show is the largest of its kind. Each year, there are over 34,000 entries of all ages and breeds. In particular, the calf scramble, which features students from local high schools, including Stratford. Students that participate in Future Farmers of America (FFA) are eligible to compete in the event. Thirty lucky students are given the opportunity to chase after fifteen calfs each night of the rodeo. If they are fast enough to catch one, they are responsible for raising the calf to adulthood.

Concert Lineup

The concert lineup this year lives up to the suspense it was given. With the perfect mix of country, pop, and the addition of a k-pop band, fans are excited for the variety. The concerts will begin on March 3, with the band Midland opening that day. The concerts stretch through the whole season, featuring many artists like Chance the Rapper (March 6), Lizzo (March 13) and Khalid (March 18). The concerts attract thousands of fans each year and give all the true rodeo experience.

Fried Oreos

A classic rodeo treat, fried Oreos are always the perfect way to celebrate rodeo season. While all the stands seem to sell everything fried, the Oreos are always a fan favorite with the infamous fried cookie dough right behind. The Oreos are taken and placed in a deep fryer, giving them the thick, breaded layer. After that, they are topped with powdered sugar and chocolate syrup.

Outside of rodeo season, fried Oreos can be found at some restaurants and occasionally at Walmart.

To the Last Second

Senior Bea Jeaon has had her art piece displayed at the rodeo for the past four years in a row. Her work is called “To the Last Second” and took her about three months to finish. She used acrylic paint to capture every last detail, from the horse to its rider. By participating in rodeo art, students are eligible for scholarships and have the opportunity to display their art to thousands. Her piece is located in lot number 32 and available for all who would like.

Houston Farmers Market

The Houston Farmers Market is produced by Urban Harvest in three different locations all throughout the year. The first market is located off of Buffalo Speedway and put on every Saturday from 8 AM until 12 PM, regardless of weather. This is one of Houston’s largest, with over 70 vendors, including local farms, restaurants, and food trucks. The second one is located at City Hall every Wednesday, but is closed this whole year due to construction.

It will hopefully be up and ready to go by the end of this year. The final location is in Northeast Houston, off of Lockwood Drive every first and third Saturday. The hours are 10 AM until 2 PM, and occurs rain or shine. All locations have a no pet policy and payment types vary for each vendor.

What makes the farmers market unique is how all the vendors come from within 180 miles of Houston. The vendors all promote the idea of eating fresh and local. The market serves as a place to bring neighbors together to share their cultures and values.

If you would like to learn more about the farmers market, visit urbanharvest.org and information is available under the farmers market tab. There is available parking for all visitors and no entrance fee.

Secret Spots

As the fourth most populous city in the nation, Houston is known for its diverse culture.

Houstonians are able to experience this through the many types of food integrated in the city. From fried chicken produced by local farms to seafood caught out of Galveston, Houston has all the food to satisfy your hunger.

By exploring some Houston restaurants, The Oracle staff was able to find some of the best spots to try.

Rooftop Cinema Club

The Houston Rooftop Cinema Club offers a unique experience to viewing movies. Houston is one of the five locations in the country that participates in the daily showing of various movies with some of the best views in Houston. When you arrive, you are provided with headphones, deck chairs, and blankets to make your whole experience memorable.

While it is only available for those 18 and up, the experience is unforgettable and should definitely be included on everyones bucket list.

The cinema opens for the season on March 18. Tickets start at $17 and are available weeks in advance. Visit their website at rooftopcinemaclub.com

Magical Dessert Bar

Located at 907 Westheimer Road is the perfect dessert spot for all ages. The Magical Dessert Bar is a unicorn theme spot that serves everything from milkshakes to cake. Their speciality is the unicorn milkshake, which comes in various flavors, and is highlighted in the color pink. While it has been known for prices to be steep, customers say it is all worth it.

The Magical Dessert Bar is open everyday starting at 1 PM, and closes at different times daily.

Art Car Museum

Located in the Heights, the Art Car Museum serves as a place to promote awareness of a variety of art. Houston is known as the “Art Car Capital” and has the largest number of art cars compared to other cities in the United States. The artists are able to take different cars and use it as a personal expression of ones culture, political standpoint, or personal life. The artists range from local Houstonians to ones from across the globe. The museum hosts multiple events throughout the year, which highlight the various cars and their backgrounds. It even goes as far as hosting an art car parade, with the parade this year taking place in April.

The Art Car Museum was recently reopened after an instillation on March 7. The event highlighted the history of the Houston Rodeo and was filled with hundreds of guests.

For more information and details about upcoming events, you can visit their website at artcarmuseum.com.

Jus’ Mac

Known as “Houston’s Mac and Cheese Eatery”, Jus’ Mac has everything macaroni and cheese.

The menus vary from the two different locations in Montrose and the Heights. One of their highlighted items is the Chicken and Waffles Mac and Cheese that blends the two flavors in a creative way. The eatery mixes in flavors that have no place in mac and cheese and make it work. Jus’ Mac is open everyday of the week starting at 11 AM and closes at various times.

The FOMO Factory

FOMO, also known as the fear of missing out, is one of the perfect words to describe this interactive pop up shop. Its goal is to use the audiences time to take them back to their childhood with a creative use of color and design. The space includes 17 different rooms with memories such as a birthday cake, a playground, various childhood toys, and even nostalgic music to guide you through. This pop up shop, along with many others, are a part of a new trend among younger generations. Another popular pop up includes the Color Factory. It’s the same idea, but the focus of the experience is color and experiencing it in different ways.

Tickets for the FOMO Factory are $23 for adults and $18 for anyone 17 and younger. It’s located in the Galleria, above the Apple Store, up until March 31. You can visit their website at thefomofactory.com or any of their social media pages. Make sure to purchase your tickets online!

Bebidas

The perfect spot for grabbing coffee, a snack, or a fresh juice. The intimate seating offers customers a unique experience and peaceful environment in the busy River Oaks neighborhood.

Some highlighted menu items include breakfast tacos until noon and lots of options for visitors with dietary restrictions. Bebidas is located at 2606 Edloe Street and open 7 AM to 5 PM daily.

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sports

The Oracle • March 13, 2020

May the Madness Begin As March Madness nears, we take a look at the tournament’s history and the best statistics to help you fill out a bracket WRITTEN BY JACKSON ALLRED

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES

The madness is imminent, March Madness that is.

If you’re unfamiliar with it, March Madness is the nickname for the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament that takes place in more than a dozen cities over a four-week duration. With a total of 68 teams competing in a single-elimination format, March Madness is one of the most exhilarating postseasons in the entire sports world. Its erratic behavior invites millions of fans every year to fill out a bracket to try to predict the outcome of all 63 tournament games. The catch is, is that it’s virtually impossible.

History The inaugural NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament took place in 1939, where the tournament consisted of only eight teams. The Oregon Ducks prevailed in the first NCAA National Championship, defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes 46-33. In 1951, the tournament was doubled to 16 teams where the Kentucky Wildcats won its third NCAA Championship game in a span of four seasons.

One decade later, John Wooden’s UCLA basketball team made the Final Four for the first time in school history in 1962. Led by players like Gail Goodrich, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (formerly Lew Alcindor), and Bill Walton, the Bruins would qualify for the Final Four in 12 of the next 14 seasons.

In the 1979 National Championship, just four years after the tournament was expanded to 32 teams, Magic Johnson and the Michigan State Spartans defeated Larry Bird and the Indiana State Sycamores in the most watched college basketball game of all time. Three years later, renowned commentator Brent Musberger first used the term “March Madness” while announcing one of the tournament games. Since then, the phrase has been synonymous with the NCAA tournament.

The basketball tournament gradually expanded until 1985, where the tournament first hosted 64 teams; making it one of the largest postseason tournaments in the world.

Format

First Round Madness

The No. 16 UMBC Retrievers defeat the No. 1 Virginia Cavaliers in the 2018 NCAA Tournament 74 - 54. The Retrievers’ victory marked the first time in tournament history that a 16th seed defeated a No. 1 seed.

There are more than 350 Division I basketball programs that are eligible for the NCAA tournament, but there are only two ways for one of these teams to qualify. The winner of each of the 32 Division I conference tournaments, regardless of their performance in the regular season, gains an automatic entry into the tournament.

The remaining 36 slots, or at-large bids, are decided by the Selection Committee. The Selection Committee

is a group of 10 school and conference administrators from across the country that decide who the best remaining 36 teams are after the conference champions. After the committee has reached a consensus, the group then ranks all of the teams from 1-68 in order to divide the teams amongst the four regions. The top four teams will each be separated and designated as the No. 1 seeds. The committee will continue separating the 68 teams into the regions until seeds 1-16 are filled in each quadrant. The four lowest automatic and at-large bids are placed in the First Four games, or play-in games for the first round.

The tournament rewards the better teams by matching them with the worst teams in each respective region. For instance, the No. 1-seeded teams will always play the No. 16-seeded teams in the first round. Next, the No. 2 seed will play the No. 15 seed, the No. 3 seed team will play the No. 14 seed, and so forth until the No. 8 seed plays the No. 9 seed.

After the first round, or the Round of 64, the winners of each match up will advance to the Round of 32, the Sweet 16, the Elite Eight, the Final Four, and

by the school’s mascot or color. That’s the beauty in filling out a bracket; it is entirely subjective and unique. But here are a few tips to help you get started when it comes time to filling out your bracket.

If you know a thing or two about March Madness, then you know that there is always a “Cinderella” team that exceeds expectations and finds a rhythm in the tournament. Although the No. 1 seeds have made the Final Four 57 times since 1985, do not assume that the four best teams will perform well in the tournament and make the Final Four. There will always be an underdog team that slides their way into the deep tournament rounds. In fact, in six of the last seven years, a 7th seed or worse advanced to the Final Four. In 2018, No. 11-seeded Loyola-Chicago managed to sneak into the Final Four.

Next, favor those balanced teams in the tournament.

finally the National Championship game.

Odds In 2014, billionaire Warren Buffett partnered with Quicken Loans to award $1 billion to anyone who could accurately predict the entire NCAA Tournament. As millions of Americans feverishly filled out their brackets in hopes of becoming a billionaire at the end of the tournament, Buffett slept well knowing full well that the $1 billion was not going anywhere.

The thing is, predicting all 63 games of the NCAA Tournament is virtually impossible. In fact, your odds of creating a perfect bracket by a coin flip is 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808, or about 9.2 quintillion.

Let’s put that into perspective with the help of the NCAA’s article: The absurd odds of a perfect NCAA bracket.

According to researchers at the University of Hawaii, there are approximately 7.5 quintillion grains of sand on Earth. If someone was to pick one of those grains of sand at random, and then give you one chance to guess which of the 7.5 quintillion grains of sand the chosen one was, the odds of you guessing that exact grain of sand would be approximately 23 percent better than creating a perfect bracket.

However, you can heave a sigh of relief because, you actually have a much better chance than 1 in 9.2 quintillion to create a perfect bracket. The probability of 1 in 9.2 quintillion suggests that each team in every match up has just as good as a chance as their opponent in coming out on top. But because that you know that the higher seeded teams in every match up have a statistical advantage over their opponents, your odds of actually creating a perfect bracket are much more favorable than 1 in 9.2 quintillion. The actual probability of creating a perfect bracket is indeterminable; however, mathematicians estimate that a person with an average amount of basketball knowledge has roughly a 1 in 120.2 billion chance of filling out a perfect bracket. Phew!

Strategies There are several popular strategies to going about completing a March Madness bracket. You can play safe and predominantly pick the favorable team in every match up, or you can pick a ridiculous number of upsets. You can put all of your faith in one underdog team to make a deep tournament run, or you can decide the winner of each game merely

Buzzer-Beating Champions

Villanova’s Kris Jenkins launches a three-point buzzer-beater to defeat North Carolina in the 2016 National Championship. With Jenkins’ basket, the Wildcats secured their first national championship since 1985 Since 2003, there have been nine teams that were in the top 10 in offensive rating but beyond the top 100 in defensive rating. The majority of those teams lost in the first round. On the other hand, the 2019 National Champion, the Virginia Cavaliers, were No. 5 in offensive efficiency and No. 6 in defensive efficiency during the course of the season. This year, those balanced teams to keep an eye out for would include San Diego State, Gonzaga, Kansas, and Duke.

So, what’s my best shot at predicting those first round bracket-busting upsets? If you’re looking to be the one person in your group to pick the biggest upsets of the tournament, look no further than the No. 6 vs. No. 11 and No. 5 vs. No. 12 match ups. Since 1985, No. 11 seeds have had a 37.1% winning rate in the first round, while No. 12 seeds have had a 35.7% winning rate. If you analyze the next match up, the No. 13 vs. No. 4 seed, the winning rate for the underdog takes a significant plunge to merely 20.7%.

Meaning, your “sweet spot” for an upset is with the No. 11 and No. 12 seeds. In fact, last year, three of the four No. 12 seeds advanced to the second round of the tournament.

You can begin picking your teams this Sunday, March 15 after the bracket is revealed. The firstround tips off on Thursday, March 19, so make sure you make you submit your predictions before then.

In the event that you find yourself bored over Spring Break, turn your television over to CBS, TNT, TBS, or TruTV where you can enjoy one of the most intriguing sporting events on the planet. So, without further ado, may the (March) Madness begin.

sports

The Oracle • March 13, 2020

Setting the Pace

Track and Field begins their season with a new coach and identity

WRITTEN BY JACK WEATHERLY

PHOTO COURTESY OF SMUG MUG

The gun fires, the crowd cheers, legs them.” and arms are pumping, and the race The success of the freshmen wasn’t a down the straightaway to the finish surprise to Coach Siemers who attests line is on. Pole vaulters fearlessly their hard work to their success. charge to hurdle the bar, jumpers “I wasn’t expecting it, but I wasn’t sprint down the straightaway before surprised because those kids work propelling their body forward into the really hard and have very high sandpit as sand goes flying into the air. expectations for themselves,” Siemers Shot and discus throwers spin around said. “Getting to know them, it makes before the object is total sense that catapulted through they’re running so the air until it falls well right now.” dozens of feet Throughout away. These sights the season, the and sounds mark team has lined the beginnings up against stiff for the track and competition in field team in 2020. preparation for The team has a district meets. bright outlook for “Because we have the season with tough competition, the new head it forces us to coach Shawn run faster, jump Siemers, leading a higher and aim for talented team to a personal records,” successful start.

Samuelson said.

“Coach Siemers Siemers is has been really preparing the team good,” said for the postseason Sophomore pole by scheduling very vaulter Parker intense meets for Samuelson. the team. “I go big Coaching to Perfection “He’s made some game hunting, I Coach Seimers studies film with Ben changes to help us to Moseley at the team’s Fort Bend Meet don’t like going improve throughout on Feb. 22, 2020. Mosesley ran in the for easy because the season so we you don’t really blistering fast 4x100 meter relay with the perform our best benefit,” Siemers team placing fourth in the event. when it comes time said. “It helps in for district, regionals, and state.” the postseason because the biggest In their first meet of the season, battle is against yourself because the team had an incredible start to everybody is fast, everybody is strong the season with every single athlete or everybody jumps high or long, and if medaling in at least one event. that’s not your normal it can cause you Some of the early season success can to doubt yourself and panic. be attributed to the leadership of the In the words of distance runner nine returning varsity upperclassmen Mitchell Harper, the team is “not the who have helped the freshmen in their best…yet, but they’re good.” success in the new season.

With a young team and experience “They’re almost like assistant from difficult competitions, the team coaches,” said Siemers. “All of our and Siemers are looking forward to seniors set the bar for our expectations continuing success this season and in so our underclassmen can imitate the future.

11

ATHLETEOFTHEWEEK

Freshman Jackson Potter bursts onto the track scene after a successful cross-country season WRITTEN BY NATHAN SICILIANO

PHOTO COURTESY OF JACKSON POTTER

Despite being a freshman, Jackson Jackson credits his success to “my Potter has taken Stratford’s Track teammate’s determination and Coach and Field program by storm. This Siemer’s great advice.” With Cross past fall, Potter placed 8th overall on Country in the Fall and Track and varsity and helped Field in the Spring, Stratford’s mens Jackson runs all varsity XC team win year-round, and district. Before this, loves it. However, Jackson dominated Jackson says “In the Freshman cross country it division placing is way more fun first individually in because you are several meets. Potter not running in is one of Stratford’s circles all the time, young gems, and but in track it can looks to continue his be fun because athletic success in the you are moving at three years he has pretty fast paces.” left.

Jackson is not When asked why just a runner, but he enjoys running, an athletic young Jackson said “I love Hard Work Pays Off kid. Jackson says “I Lifting his arms up, Jackson Potter the peacefulness I think I would play celebrates running a new personal feel soccer or football if I record of 10:02 in the two mile event didn’t just run track and how it helps at Bridgeland High School. me relieve stress.” and XC, because in As Track and Field both sports you are gets underway, Jackson and his running every second of the game.” teammates are excited. Stratford’s class of 2023 is very talented, and

12

sports

The Oracle • March 13, 2020

Why Sexism is Not to Blame for Pay Disparity in Sports The wage gap in sports is a problem, but the problem isn’t what most people think it is WRITTEN BY REED HOWELL

PHOTO COURTESY OF DUKE UNIVERSITY

The stoppage-time clock hits 3:45 as confetti pours from the roof of the Stadium in Lyon, France. The United States Women’s National Team has just defeated the Netherlands in their third World Cup, holding on to the title and once again proving their dominance. The stadium rings with chants of “equal pay,” as players storm the field.

Equal pay between men and women in professional sports has been a hotly debated issue since 1972, when Title IX was enacted. But there is a reason that men are paid more, and it isn’t sexism by owners and executives.

The biggest distinction between the profits of men’s and women’s sports is viewership, which brings in most of the money. The more people that watch the sport, the more that the networks are willing to pay for the rights to broadcast the game.

The players are paid based on how many people the sport attracts, not because of their gender, although some viewers would rather watch men’s sports.

In 2019, the US Women’s National Team reached the highest possible stage in soccer, The World Cup Final. That game brought in a whopping 14.2 million viewers, making it one of the twentieth most viewed sporting events in 2019. The game was the most watched game in Women’s Soccer History. In 2014, the US Men’s National Team played against Portugal in a group stage game with 18.2 million viewers. This game was nowhere near as major as the women’s team finals, yet they still pulled 4 million more

lead in the 61st minute. She led the women’s team to the World Cup victory and has continued to fight for equal pay in sports. The way to make this happen isn’t to expect equal pay to come immediately, but to increase viewership and interest. Just asking for equal pay won’t make a difference if most of the money is still only in men’s sports.

Soccer is not the only sport that sees these major deficits. The WNBA brought about 2.8 million attendees in 2019 which is lower than the total attendance of the five NBA teams with the lowest attendance this past season.

People have proposed lowering the rims in WNBA to allow for dunks and more interesting basketball.

Most people believe that this would just treat women’s sports as less and won’t help equality.

Women’s sports are already treated unequally, Success vs. Viewership with or without different rules, but the players0 The United States Men’s and Women’s teams have had themselves are also unequal. Only six players have differing amounts of success in the last few world cups. They dunked in WNBA history, and playing a sport where have also had a large difference in amount of viewers and one of every fan’s favorite part isn’t a part of it just attendees, which has caused the men to continue to be paid doesn’t work. more than the women.

A change in rules, similar to what the XFL did, could viewers. help. With attendance declining it wouldn’t hurt to The national interest in men’s soccer caused them test out new, more exciting rules. Anywhere from to be paid more, along with their higher viewership 4 point shots, extra points for dunks, to lower rims in other games. It’s not FIFA choosing to pay the men could be the difference. Any solution could have more than the women. FIFA could improve by trying the chance to help, and in the fight for equal pay, to market women’s soccer better, give people more continuing to ask for more money when viewers reasons to support their team. aren’t bringing money in just won’t help.

Megan Rapinoe scored the goal to give them a 1-0

perspectives

The Oracle • March 13, 2020

The Unseen Impact of Concussions

13

Concussions are frequent injuries in athletes, but what impact do they have on a students brain?

WRITTEN BY ANA SOFIA MEYER

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF VOX

“Concussion” is a term heard on a daily basis in the sports world, thrown around to describe a common injury athletes suffer to the brain. After hearing it for the thousandth time, many might start to believe that the commonness of the injury might make it less significant, but they would be wrong. A concussion is defined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as “a traumatic brain injury-- or TBI-- caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or a hit to the body that causes the head to move rapidly back and forth.”

Although many people believe a concussion is just a small bump on the head or nothing to worry about, the true severity of the injury is drastically different.

Based on prior research and analysis, the Sports Concussion Institute has determined that “high school athletes not only take longer to recover after a concussion when compared to collegiate or professional athletes, but they also may experience greater severity of symptoms.” It is estimated that “53 percent of high school athletes have sustained a concussion before participation in high school sports, and 36 percent of collegiate athletes have a history of multiple concussions.” In addition to this, about 300,000 TBIs occur each year as a result of athletics, according the Journal of Athletic Training.

As if the ratio of TBIs per year wasn’t startling enough, new research shows that multiple of these minor blows to the head may lead to behavior and personality changes later in life, as well as early forms of dementia. Neurologists and concussion specialists are beginning to believe that TBIs are also correlated with depression and suicides. In a 2016 study, Canadian researchers found a suicide rate of 31 deaths per 100,000 patients who experienced minor

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The official Stratford Oracle Podcast, The Table, needs new guests, and that could be you!

concussion-- three times the population norm. They also found that each additional concussion increased the risk of suicide even further. Despite extensive research, scientists and doctors still have many unanswered questions about the impacts of TBIs. Sophomore athlete Lauren Mavergeorge knows the pain of a head injury all too well. She was diagnosed with her first concussion in October 2019, after an ATV accident. Less than two months later, she experienced her second.

“I was on a ski trip with my church and a snowboarder collided with me. I fell pretty hard on my head and passed out,” Mavergeorge said.

Since these injuries, Mavergeorge has experienced the longterm symptoms of TBIs, “I definitely get headaches a lot more,” she said. “I have a headache once or even twice a day every day. I also feel like I’m more tired than before.”

The long-term impacts of a concussion on the human brain have been widely accepted by scientists for years, yet high school athletes still have thousands of concussions go unreported throughout the country every year. The solution to this is simple: School athletic programs must do more to warn athletes and parents about the symptoms of concussions so they may be reported more frequently. For example, coaches and athletic trainers should give football and

Letters to the Editor

Everybody Goes Through Something

WRITTEN BY FRANCO GRIMOLDI CALO GRAPHICS BY FRANCO GRIMOLDI CALO

WRITTEN BY AN ANONYMOUS SPARTAN GRAPHICS BY MCKENNA TANNER

Do you have something interesting to tell the world?

Then look no further than The Table Podcast, where people you know tell stories you don’t! We bring over students from every background to tell their stories on camera, which can range from random fun facts to joining the marine corps. Some of our previous guests include Dan “The Man” Tatulescu, Kylie Gallien, Winston Kibler, and Ava Somera.

If you want to come join our host, Franco Grimoldi Calo, and co-host, Reis Berilgen, just fill out this quick survey!

Every morning, I wake up and look at my phone to catch up on news. I then jump into the shower and get ready to go to school. Before I leave, I take a pill called Fluoxetine. It helps treat people with depression, OCD, panic attacks, or anxiety. I then travel down the highway, thinking about what I need to do to make my day go well. I hope that I can change one kid’s life. I learned from a very young age that other people’s happiness should come before mine. When I go through the day, I put on a smile and try my very hardest to help any kid or colleague that I may come across. Am I perfect? Not even close.

As the school day winds on through, I try to take every opportunity to help someone. After the school day ends and I get done with my duties, I travel back down the same road and pull in the driveway, take a big sigh and enter the house to the open arms of my wife and kid(s). I put them to bed, kiss them good night, tell them I love them, and ask Alexa to play Brahms’ Lullaby and leave the room. Before I finally go to sleep, I take a Montelukat, which treats allergies, and Amitriptyline, which treats nerve pain and depression and fall gently off to sleep. If you are continuing to read, then you can assume that I suffer from severe depression. I do. There is not a day that goes by where I do not think about committing suicide. I keep a lot of things in. So I get irritated and frustrated a lot, but I hold it in and

tinyurl.com/thetablesurvey

soccer players routine concussion checks after they experience any sort of head trauma.

In Texas, the UIL mandates a “Return to Play” protocol for athletes with diagnosed concussions.

This protocol mandates that the athlete must be overseen by a Concussion Oversight Team comprised of at least one Texas licensed physician as well as athletic trainer or nurse. Here, the trainers or nurse act as a proxy to the physician, dictating what the athlete is able to do based on his or her symptoms and the stages of return from the injury.

Concussions remain one of the most common and dangerous injuries experienced by athletes at all levels. “Return to Play” protocols like that of UIL are beneficial but need to continue to be improved as neurologists and researchers learn more about conditions supposedly caused by TBIs, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and post-concussion syndrome (PCS). Schools must continue to educate teachers, coaches and parents about these conditions, in an attempt to spread awareness for the issues and hopefully increase diagnoses that might’ve gone undetected previously.

Although concussions may not be eliminated in sports, much more can and will be done to help athletes like Lauren Mavergeorge deal with the effects of concussion.

take it out on myself. Do I wish people would do nice things for me? Or tell me I’m doing a great job? Yes. Is that wrong to think? Probably. And there lays the incredible dilemma that is a daily struggle. Does the medicine work?

For the most part but it’s not 100%. Why am I telling you this? Why am I babbling on about medicine I take or why should you maybe even care about what I have to say? Because you never know what people are going through. You may never know or understand the inner struggles that a person may be feeling or holding in. Treating people with love and respect goes miles. I cannot tell you how much I have appreciated people who will go out of their way to make me feel like I am the best person ever. What would happen if people used those traits of love and kindness and respect in their daily lives? Believe me when I tell you, it helps. What’s the end goal? If you struggle with any of this, please do not hold it in. Talk to someone or a professional whom you can confide in. We have some great people on our campus who specialize in these situations. Taking it off your shoulders will assist the burden. Does it ever go away? Maybe. What if it doesn’t? You keep working and chipping away. I hope nobody goes through what I go through, but if you do, you do not have to go at it alone.

14

perspectives

The Oracle • March 13, 2020

The Corona virus Panic

As COVID-19 spreads around the U.S., misinformation and panic are spreading faster than the virus

WRITTEN BY BLAKE TODES

PHOTOS BY JACKSON COSSEY

As the corona virus, also known as COVID-19, continues to spread around the world, hysteria around the virus is also becoming more present. While the number of cases of COVID-19 continues to grow, Americans have no reason to panic over the virus.

However, with any major disease outbreak, conspiracy theories and mass hysteria arise. Unfortunately, there have been reports of Asian college students being assaulted due to mass hysteria arising from fears of COVID-19.

Surgical masks are selling out worldwide, paving the way for a shortage that could negatively impact the safety of surgical treatments, as hospitals could be widely affected by a mask shortage. However, the efficacy of surgical masks in preventing the spread of COVID-19 is heavily contested and debated. Some studies show masks could lead a person to be more likely to contract COVID-19.

Hand sanitizer is also on track to be in shortage, as it is sold out in most drug stores, grocery stores, and even on Amazon. Necessities, such as toilet paper, bottled water, and canned goods, are being “panic-bought” in response to the growing amount of American COVID-19 cases.

The basic The corona reproduction virus has number, an infected estimate of how over 100,000 many new cases and killed one infected nearly 4,000 patient will worldwide, with create, is still both numbers being calculated rapidly growing. for COVID-19, Outbreaks in but the estimated the Middle value currently East, South ranges from 1.4 Korea, and Italy to 6.5, which are driving is roughly the the current same range as for Clorox Clear Out The shelves on the exponential SARS. spread of the disinfectant aisle at Walgreens are empty Even though virus. as a result of the “panic buying” due to the COVID-19 is Common COVID-19 virus. Walgreens has warned of beginning to symptoms of the shortages of hand sanitizer, cleaning products, spread across and other necessities due to the corona virus. COVID-19 are the United States, similar to the Americans should remain calm flu with the most common symptoms because the virus is mild and rarely being fever, dry cough, and fatigue. lethal. Hand washing, as with the flu, Senior Irie Woods was recently is an easy way to prevent contracting quarantined for six hours after the virus. Wash your hands for at least exhibiting symptoms of sweating, 20 seconds with soap and water or use fainting, sneezing blood, vomiting, and alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap 104.3 degree fever. and water are not available.

“I thought I was gonna die,” Woods Also, if you are feeling sick, stay said. “The [doctors] were scared; home. Getting others sick is not worth they were nervous. The nurses were keeping your exemptions. dropping stuff on accident.”

Volunteer Locally

Check out these places to volunteer your time WRITTEN BY KALEB VU Spring break is right around the corner, and if you are in need of service hours, Spring Break is the perfect time for you to volunteer. Luckily, the Houston area has plenty of volunteering opportunities and organizations that are looking for volunteers.

There, you are able to volunteer by playing games, reading, and partaking in arts and crafts. FamilyPoint is always looking for volunteers, so grab a group of friends and take advantage of the opportunity to serve children and families in meaningful ways.

1) The Houston Food Bank

3) Ronald McDonald House

As there are always people in need of food, the Houston Food Bank helps feed a large majority of people in the city who are hungry. You are able to gain multiple hours within one volunteering session with your friends.

In addition, the Houston Food Bank also has other volunteering programs available to apply to, such as the Houston Food Bank Student Hero program.

Ronald McDonald House is located at the Texas Children’s Hospital, and it offers a supportive environment for children being treated in the neonatal, pediatric, or cardiovascular intensive care unit. At the Ronald McDonald House Houston, volunteers are an integral and important part of their team by providing care assistance and support to thousands of families, baking cookies, greeting other families, hosting meals and activities, and so much more.

2) Family Point Resources FamilyPoint is a place that is in very close proximity to Stratford, located right by Spring Forest Middle School.

4) Houston SPCA If you have a soft spot for

animals in need, Houston SPCA is the place for you.

Houston SPCA is one of the primary animal rescue and protection organizations that provide programs such as cruelty investigations and rescue, disaster response, adoptions and much more.

Volunteers work with potential adopters, serve as caretakers, and help with walking dogs and cats waiting for their new homes.

With this program, however, it requires an application process for all volunteers, both for youths and adults.

Overall, these are all amazing places to volunteer over the break. Luckily, Houston is one of the best places to volunteer, and when we do serve and volunteer for others, we make our city even better.

If you want to find other places to volunteer, there is a bulletin for service opportunities posted outside of the library on the second floor.

However, after six hours, the medical professionals concluded Woods had the flu in combination with another virus.

On March 7, Spring Branch ISD released a statement stating they are closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation in Harris County. The district also said they are disinfecting all school buses with hospital-grade disinfectant.

Rice University has also canceled classes for a week, and the CDC has told public schools to prepare for a “remote learning” environment for at least two weeks.

Nurse Connie Hamon has instructed teachers to clean down regularly used surfaces frequently with the extra Clorox wipes and Lysol sprays provided. Lysol, Clorox, and Purell are all among an EPA list of approved chemicals that kill the corona virus.

Remember to follow the health recommendations made by the CDC and WHO regarding COVID-19 to prevent the further spread of the corona virus and listen to local news for any important updates.

The chances of getting the corona virus at this point are still very low; however, if you are sick, please stay home to prevent any further spread of additional sicknesses.

Corona says School Does Not Matter

Several school districts around the Houston area have taken steps to combat Corona virus WRITTEN BY NATHAN SICILIANO

Cypress-Fairbanks ISD:

-Wall mounted hand sanitizers in every classroom -Perfect attendance rules suspended -Exam exemption criteria suspended (KHOU)

Katy ISD:

-Student absences related to virus are excused (KHOU)

Houston ISD:

-Virus-related absences are excused -Perfect attendance suspended -Final exam exemptions suspended

Fort Bend ISD:

-Hospital-grade cleaning products to disinfect schools daily -No changes to absence policy -There is a fake school closure website for FBISD, so only information can come from district website (KHOU)

Alief ISD:

-Normal absence policy -Perfect attendance suspended -Reviewing Final exam exemption changes (Alief District Website / Twitter)

perspectives

ORACLE

Feminism is a Bad Word

the

Women are still oppressed in 2020

staff

WRITTEN BY CARSEN BLEVINS AND TAILOR WILLIAMS Every day, there is blatant misogyny shoved into my face, and every day there is someone to deny it.

To some, feminism is a big scary word used to describe the “manhaters” and “gender elitists” of the world, but these people have been grossly misinformed.

So, what is a feminist?

Someone who strives, fights or even just dreams of gender equality worldwide. Many people are afraid to identify as a feminist, in fear of being called a “feminazi” or “manhater,” but the negative association with the word is nothing more than an unwillingness to listen and understand the issue.

The push back received by feminists is formed by the mentality that women aren’t oppressed anymore, which yes since our allowance to vote in 1920, women have made significant strides, but we’re not done yet.

Feminism is a worldwide issue.

Before 2015, women in Saudi Arabia weren’t even allowed to participate in local elections. In Swaziland, women are not entitled to wear pants, as it is “disrespectful to surrounding areas.”

Prehistoric virtues are continuously passed down every single day in every country.

Feminists all over the world are working to bring these issues to attention and maybe stop it overall.

Many people deny the gender wage gap for the fun of belittling feminists and denying their struggle, but you can’t deny facts. Progress has been made to close the gap, but according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, it is estimated to not be fully closed until the year 2059.

Originally, the pay gap was due to women’s lack of education and work experience, but now that women are educated and working, what’s the excuse?

“Occupation and industry.”

Some people blame the pay gap

on those things, but in reality, it’s discrimination against women. The “mommy penalty,” which, according to CNBC, costs women $16,000 a year in lost wages, is the best example.

“Their social science research shows that if a woman is a parent, employers are likely to see her as less capable and less committed to work,” Emily Martin told CNBC. On the other hand, working fathers are viewed as having “increased work commitment and stability” and even receive pay boosts.

Men are rewarded for taking care of their children, while women are penalized for needing a more flexible working schedule.

Looking deeper, we see that the pay gap doesn’t stop with the sexes. Asian women have the smallest gap of pay, earning 97% of what their white male counterparts make while Hispanic women have the largest gap, earning just 58%.

Women deserve to earn what they’ve worked for, just as men do. I want to see our generation fight for women and change the stigma around feminism.

Equality Should Never Be Partisan

In debate over Equal Rights Amendment, partisanship has no place WRITTEN BY MCKENNA TANNER In this month 28 years ago, Congress approved a 27th amendment to the Constitution that aimed to guarantee Americans would not have their equal rights limited on the basis of sex. The Equal Rights Amendment, or ERA, was then sent to the states for ratification but failed to get all 38 votes needed by the ratification deadline, despite Congress extending the date from March, 1979 to June, 1982.

Normally, this would mean the end of the proposed amendment. Recently, however, the ERA has sprung back into the public consciousness as, in January, Virginia became the 38th state to ratify it and, the following month, the House voted to retroactively throw out the ratification deadline.

There is disagreement about whether this measure is permissible; the Office of Legal Counsel has ruled the amendment is no longer viable, but some argue that because the deadline was not included in the actual text of the proposed amendment, it is not binding. This debate is a valid issue, and had the 183 representatives who voted against the extension done so solely out of concern for the legal questions involved.

The reality, however, is that the ERA has become a partisan issue, as evidenced by the almost completely party-lines vote. And this is wrong.

GRAPHIC BY MCKENNA TANNER grave inequalities and injustices and thereby bring us closer to the democratic ideals we so highly value.

This proposed Equal Rights Amendment aims to do that same thing—to better protect the idea that all people are created equal. And that should be something everyone can get behind.

A Clean Start

Equality Deserves Equal Support Ideological disagreements and the discourse that result are indeed a part of the foundation of our governmental system, and, therefore, some topics will always be sources of partisan debate. This controversy is key to generating a variety of solutions to problems that lack clear answers; matters benefit from factional discussion. In some matters, however, partisanship has no place, and measures to protect equality are the most eminent of these.

The concept of democracy hinges on the idea that all citizens are given equal rights and power to influence their government. And, over the course of the several centuries, the United States has been a nation, the country’s leaders have taken steps to correct the errors of the Constitution’s framers in permitting

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The Oracle • March 13, 2020

At this point, efforts to get the ERA added to the Constitution will be ineffectual and unwise. Its convoluted path through the process and current murky legal status means that even if both houses of Congress were to agree to extend the deadline, its validity as an amendment would forever be in question, tainting its effectiveness. The solution, then, is to take Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s advice and start over.

A rewrite would allow Congress to assess whether the original text should be updated to reflect modern times and would mean that the American people can be confident as to the proposed amendment’s status.

It would also allow Congress a second chance to make the right choice.

They can choose to continue to let imaginary lines of ideology obstruct the path to better-protected equality.

Or they can follow the ideals this country was founded to believe in and make their choice not based on party, but on the ERA’s own merits.

The choice is theirs.

Editors-in-Chief

Reis Berilgn

*Alexis Garza *Isabella Waltz

Photographers

Associate Editors *Maddie Dawson *Ana Sofia Meyer *McKenna Tanner

Photo Editors *Paige Clark *Becca Dawson

News Editors Michael Benes Hannah Timmreck

Life Editors Franco Grimoldi Calo Grace Hare

Sports Editors Jackson Allred Nathan Siciliano

Perspectives Editor Blake Todes

Reporters Carsen Blevins Reed Howell Nathan Keyworth Laura Koerner Tailor Williams Emma Wright Griffin Ross Kaleb Vu Jack Weatherly

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 expression

Aniesa Campos Jackson Cossey Hossein Farahani Paige Litner Kyla Lyles Bailey Maloy Elizabeth Noble Lucia Roma Mircea Tatulescu Eleanore Williams Kyle Zabroski Kendall Koster

Head Photographer Dan Tatulescu

Ads Editors Kate Delgado Libby Grizzell Joy Meyers

Ads Staff Selby Funk Isabella Leal Hannah Morris Ellie Noble

Interim Building Principal Raymorris Barnes

Advisor Janice Cummons

*Editorial Board Members

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.

Publication costs are covered through advertisements.

For more information, contact thestratfordoracle@gmail.com OR call at 713-251-3454

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The Oracle • March 13, 2020

One Big Day of Service

The Big Day is a day where students participate in service projects to give back to our community WRITTEN BY BECCA DAWSON PHOTOS BY KENDALL KOSTER AND MAGGIE VIERRA

Future Spartans The cheer team helped soccer with a field day for Thornwood kids. They played games, handed out prizes, and also got to teach the kids fun cheers that they use at games.

Courtyard Clean-up Juniors Gabe Fails and Jackson Piercy cleaned up trash from the East Courtyard flower beds with AOF and BPA.

Trash Pick Up The basketball team, including Hector Ikbikiowubo, Jamie Harris, Garret Dudley, Axel Waguespack, and Jameson Cronin, helped pick up trash at Sherwood Elementary.

Field Day The Boys Soccer team hosted a field day for the Thornwood Elementary students with the cheerleaders. Other groups cleaned up the courtyards at school and made goody bags to give out to homeless people throughout Houston.

It’s Cold Outside

Hedging the Bushes

The Muslim Students Association made fleece blankets to give to people in need.

National Honor Society went to Sherwood Elementary to clean up the garden area.