ttales.com @PSHSpub Vo lume 69 75075 w w w.wildca X T , o n a Issue 1 Pl l o o 0 A h Sc h pril 3 g i H r 0, 2 io n e 015 S o n a Pl
HONORING JIM DUNLAP
B
Photos submitted by Tammy Welch
Above: After 34 years of service, Plano’s very own Dr. Doolittle, according to the Dallas Morning News, had become the go-to man for all things animal related. “He just loved his job so much,” Wille said. “These animals were his entire life and you could see how much love he had for them.”
Right: A mural painted in the Living Materials Center in honor of Dunlap when he retired in 2010. Katy the Snake is wrapped around his neck, as this is how Dunlap was largely remembered.
By Suhina Chopra
iology teacher and curator of the Living Materials Center Jim Dunlap died on April 5 at 70 years old. He had been struggling with heart disease for years, but his cause of death has not yet been released. A memorial was held on April 26 in the Doyle Dean Theater at 2 p.m. His love for animals led him to care for injured and abused creatures in his classroom when he taught biology. These animals were later moved to the Outdoor Learning Center once it was created in 1989. He believed the best way to engage students and grab their attention was to have the real deal right in front of them. Though he retired as curator in 2010 after 34 years of service, junior Avni Nandu remembered him with his python, Katy, and how he was one of the most memorable people of her childhood. “He used to wear a bracelet with a heart on it because he had heart disease,” Nandu said. “I thought it was a little strange for a guy to wear a bracelet because I was young. When I asked him about it, I remember how he said he was a little sick, but seeing his kids every week made him so much happier.” According to co-worker and close friend of 20 years Tammy Welch, Dunlap left his mark on many. He had a weekly newspaper column, “Backyard Zoo,” in the Plano Star Courier and his own television show called “Animals, Animals.” “He’s basically a celebrity, not just for students in Plano, but all over the metroplex,” Welch said. “He was the go-to person for many years when it came to animal issues, whether it be exotic animals or pets. He’s been on all kinds of news channels and he’s made appearances with people like Jim Faller and Peter Gross. He was so well-known that they would request him and he wrote about six to seven books.” Co-worker at the Outdoor Learning Center and friend Brett Taylor knew Dunlap since Taylor was in middle school, when his father used to work with the caretaker. Since then, he had met Dunlap on school field trips and events with his students, and 13 years ago, he began working with him. “When most people think about Jim, they know Katy the Snake,” Taylor said. “She was the other half of his celebrity team that almost every student in Plano knows. There are students from the 70s and 80s who remember Katy, the Burmese Python.” Katy the snake was very memorable for students, including senior Emilie Wille, who describes Dunlap as her inspiration for going into the scientific field. “He taught me to be more open-minded,” Wille said. “One moment that particularly stuck with me
Online
was when he took out his big yellow snake and said it would have been hunted in the wild because it couldn’t camouflage. I had always thought of such a big snake as a predator, Learn about the pair not prey. He that recieved a grant to travel to France. showed me how misunderstood www.wildcattales.com some animals are, and how peoples’ misconceptions about nature and science can scare them away from exploring things that are fascinating and rather harmless.” Dunlap was not only remembered for his love of animals, but for his approach to teaching as well. Taylor emphasized Dunlap’s focus on the experience of the individual student, and how this impactful method has set an example. “I looked up to him as a premier educator where the student was the most important aspect of the job,” Taylor said. “I know I’ll never have an impact on as many students as Jim did, but that’s something to strive for by trying to provide each student with a positive experience that they will be able to reflect on. He lived everyday that way and didn’t really care about the other stuff. He just wanted to give the students a good experience.” According to both Taylor and Welch, his teaching style combined with his friendly personality is what truly made him unique. “Students are going to remember him because he was bigger than life,” Welch said. “There are people now that he had met one time and who have never forgotten him just because of his warmth. He never met a stranger. Everyone he met automatically felt that he was a friend.” Welch and Taylor hope to continue Dunlap’s legacy of educating students and the public about animals and keep the program going. Dunlap’s passion for his animals, his devotion to teaching and his warm personality are what he will always be remembered by. “He’s touched so many lives in Plano ISD and has exposed children to creatures from all around that they may not ever see again,” Wille said. “He inspired a wonder in students to try to learn more about nature and the creatures they share the world with.”
BACTERIA OUTBREAK IN BLUE BELL FACTORIES By MaryClare Colombo
Recently, iconic ice cream brand Blue Bell released a recall notice for products made in Broken Arrow, Okla. A few weeks later on April 20, the company recalled all Blue Bell products, regardless of the plant in which they were made. Products were contaminated with Listeria, a bacteria that was linked to five sick people in Kansas, three people in Texas, one person in Arizona and one person in Oklahoma. Three of the five hospital patients in Kansas died. Some students, like senior Shanze Noorani, eat Cat’s Corner’s ice cream products on a regular basis. “I’ve been eating ice cream my whole life,” Noorani said. “I really like the Cookie Cones from Cat’s Corner and I really like
Baskin Robins and Marble Slab.” All products were recalled after two samplings from a half-gallon container of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream from a facotry line in Brenham, Texas tested positive for Listeria. Cat’s Corner immediately removed all Blue Bell ice cream products. Noorani eats ice cream four or five times a week, usually in the morning. Cat’s Corner had Blue Bell ice creams, ice cream sandwiches and Cookie Cones. “They don’t always have Cookie Cones, but if they have it I definitely get it,” Noorani said. “If they don’t I get two ice cream sandwiches or get the pints of Blue Bell. I get a pack of M&Ms or Oreos and I put it in.”
Senior Priya Chary eats Blue Bell’s Great Divide ice cream bars from the machine and the ice cream tubs from Cat’s Corner. “I eat ice cream because it’s refreshing on particularly hot days,” Chary said. “The recall did worry me a little bit because I didn’t receive any information or see any signs up that told me whether or not we were affected by it, but I think Cat’s Corner typically does a good job of keeping the food there safe for us to eat.” Previously Noorani had not known about the recall. Despite learning about the Listeria bacteria and its effects, however, she is not very worried.
Continued on p. 2
Photo by MaryClare Colombo
As a result of the April 21 recall, neither the ice cream machines nor Cat’s Corner sell Blue Bell products.
News
2 THE WILDCAT TALES
APRIL 30, 2015
Business club attends PISD named Sports Marketing Night top district By Vincent Tellez
After months of preparation, DECA recently competed in a regional competition broken down into different career clusters of marketing. Last year the school’s team sent several students to the national competitions. This year, however, only one qualified for nationals – junior Avi Minocha. “I chose hotel management because I have always been interested in learning how a hotel really runs,” Minocha said. “I enjoyed meeting other DECA members at competitions who shared the same interests as me. DECA also offers many other events in areas such as fashion, sports and entertainment marketing, entrepreneurship and the stock market.” DECA’s not all about competition and selling cookies on Thursdays. On April 14, the group attended the 2015 DECA Sports Marketing Night at Globe Life Park. The goal was to help the students learn how to advertise in the sports world. DECA’s finance officer senior Jordan Robbins was able to attend DECA night. “We had a lot of fun,” Robbins said. “We received some valuable information from two Rangers employees in the marketing department. One was involved in the selling of advertisements that you see around the ballpark, and another worked on the TV ads that air during the game
broadcast. The presentation was a couple hours before the game, so when it was over, we had time to walk around and check out the stadium.” Not only do students walk away with knowledge in business and marketing, they get practice in the modern world. Robbins and Minocha agree that joining DECA is great preparation for the future. “It’s a lot of fun to be involved in,” Robbins said. “We bake cookies to sell as a fundraiser and we compete in DECA competitions. It’s also a great resume booster if you’re looking to go to a business
school.” Although he’s unsure whether he’ll go into marketing in college, Minocha said that he’s learned the skills that are necessary to any job in the advertisement field. “In today’s connected world, marketing is an integral part of every field,” Minocha said. “Joining our chapter of DECA has many perks. You get to learn from the best marketing teachers around – Ms. Cannon and Ms. Hollingsworth. You can make lasting friendships while marching in the homecoming parade or baking cookies to fundraise.”
Photo submitted by Jordan Robbins
DECA group members attended the Rangers game against the Los Angeles Angels on April 14. “The Rangers Sports Marketing Night was a great experience,” Robbins said. “It’s a lot of fun to be involved.”
Bacteria outbreak in Blue Bell factories By MaryClare Colombo
Continued from front page
“The small ice creams aren’t what I get,” Noorani said. “If I had been eating the little ones I’d stop eating them because of the health risks. Obviously your health is a lot more important than eating ice cream. You can always switch brands.” Chary feels worried about the recall. Lately, she has cut back on eating processed foods and has started eating fresh foods at home instead. “It’s been something I’ve been thinking about for years,” Chary said. “I’ve been really bothered about the fact that a lot of the time we have no idea what is in our food and things we would never think to eat are disguised in ingredient lists through misleading name such as ‘natural flavors’ instead of ‘animal products.’ The recalls were definitely the most recent and major factor.” Despite Chary’s concerns about the recent recall, she understands that mistakes occasionally occur even though she is cutting back on processed food. “The recall doesn’t change my mind about Blue Bell,” Chary said. “I think a lot of times we forget that behind huge companies and machines are just humans running them and human error can happen at any time – it’s a risk we take by buying our food and not knowing what exactly goes in it.” Noorani, on the other hand, will continue to eat ice cream from Cat’s Corner when it comes back, but will be cautious. “It’s the brand getting a bad name and you never know,” Noorani said. “I’d be more cautious against
Blue Bell. It’s one of those companies that’s been around for so long. It’s a traditional ice cream now.”
Photo by MaryClare Colombo
Senior Shanze Noorani bought ice cream a couple of days before the full recall. “I only like chocolate ice cream,” Noorani said. “But I like all brands.”
in music ed By Corey Picklesimer
According to the National Association of Music Merchants, Plano ISD plays the tune of a top school in music education. This group’s Best Communities for Music Education program singles out districts for outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders to make music education accessible to all students. Junior Lyla Cazares said she enjoys her orchestra class because it makes her a better musician. She plans on taking it again in her senior year. “Plano’s music program has made me a better musician by pushing me out of my comfort zone with what I’m normally playing,” Cazares said. “It has definitely improved my technique and boosted my confidence. I never really thought I would have to learn vibrato and shift that much.” According to junior Emily Broyles, her music classes have prepared her to be a music teacher in the future. “Not only has it improved my playing skills, it’s helped me decide for sure that I want
to pursue a career in music,” Broyles said. “Plano has understanding and dedicated teachers. I think we have one of the best music programs in the state of Texas and in the United States.” Music theory teacher and choir director Dr. Terry Eder has been teaching music for 40 years, 11 of which were at this school. “We’re way ahead in Texas,” Eder said. “We have more people taking music theory in Plano ISD and all three of our schools than anywhere else. We have one of the largest music theory classes in the world, for that matter.” According to Eder, the key to musical success is having empathetic teachers. “Without question we have really good music teachers in this school district,” Eder said. “This district has found teachers that love to be with students, work with students and have compassion for students. I think all of those things are necessary ingredients for great music learning and great music leading.”
Feature
3 THE WILDCAT TALES
Girls advancing across gain line Traditionally, rugby is a sport designed for males of the upper class. However, junior Faith Waller joined the sport early this year, breaking the folklore. The Plano Girls Rugby Club is undefeated this year and won the Girls Division last season. Faith started playing rugby in January, but is not new to the sport. Her brother, a Class of 2014 Plano graduate, plays on St. Mary University’s rugby team with a threefourths scholarship. Her father Frank Waller, who also used to play rugby, is the coach and founder of the Plano Rugby Club. “When my brother comes home, all we talk about is rugby,” Faith said. “I don’t get compared to him a lot, which is surprising, but it’s really nice. I started playing when I went to his state championship game and saw girls playing. I thought that it was just a boy’s thing.” According to Frank, he was completely shocked when
Faith announced that she wanted to play rugby. “She gave no inclination in the past whatsoever,” Frank said. “We are definitely a rugby family. I’m happy that she’s doing it now.” Rugby does not get a lot of recognition or exposure at the school and Faith said she would love to change that so more girls would be interested in joining the team. Faith attributes that to the stereotyping of female rugby players. “It’s frustrating that there is a reputation for the big build, non-feminine girls,” Faith said. “They are all different types of body shapes – there’s this one girl who maybe weighs 90 pounds.” The more exposure Plano Rugby gets, the more girls, Faith hopes, will be interested in playing. Like football’s seven on seven, Plano Girls Rugby puts seven players on the field at a time. Another way to play is 15’s, which entails putting 15 players from one team on the field against the
Where it all started Seniors attend elementary reunions By Anna Villano
Samar Faiz “First of all, I’m excited to see all my old teachers. It also makes me realize that graduation is actually happening and that it isn’t just one or two years away. It’s happening right now. It’s bittersweet. I also want to go because when I was in elementary school I remember seeing the ‘big kids’ come visit and now I’m the ‘big kid’and it’s kind of crazy. If my elementary school offers scholarships, I would still go. I’ve been looking forward to this and I think it’s cool that we go back and visit where we all started.”
Helena Habtemariam “I’m definitely planning on going to my reunion because I’m really curious as to how my old friends are doing and where they’re going to college next year. It should be fun to catch up with them all. As stressful as it can be academically, I’ve honestly enjoyed the Plano school system because I’ve had some amazing teachers. Plus, I’ve met all of my good friends through PISD.”
Kishan Srikanth “I want to go to meet my old teachers and catch up with my elementary friends. We can reminisce over how silly we were in elementary school. I love Plano and it has prepared me for the outside world. Time for me to test it out.”
Bethany Dawson “I want to go see the people I went to elementary school with and old teachers. I feel grateful for being in a good school system that has hopefully prepared me for college for so long.”
Clayton Neider “I want to go to my reunion because I want to reconnect with my teachers. I also want to see how it’s changed and where I began my schooling days. The possibility of getting a scholarship adds to my drive to go.”
APRIL 30, 2015
By Maggie Cross
15 players on the opposing team. “I would want us to be able to play 15’s, now we can only play sevens,” Faith said. “We don’t have a facility, and if it rains we don’t have anywhere to practice.” Rugby is not a UIL sport – the club instead has to rent fields from the city, which can get expensive. According to Frank, it would be nice to have school support. “People don’t realize that girls like to tackle things too,” Frank said. “In rugby, there is a position for every size.” Not only does Faith get to use rugby as a time of emotional release, but it has helped her build character as well. “It’s confidence building because I’m going up against players that are bigger than me and that have been playing longer,” Faith said. “The Plano girls won last year, and we’ve gone undefeated this year. I feel like I’ve contributed to that and it has made me feel better.” Faith said that if she could, she would love to play in college. According to her, Rugby is different than other sports and that is one of the reasons why she loves it. “Going out there, playing and actually hitting something is fun,” Faith said. “Just playing with people that are nice is helpful, and when you’re new they are really happy to have you because there are not a lot of people in the sport. In rugby, you feel like one of them the first minute of practice.” Photo submitted by Faith Waller
Junior Faith Waller gets set on the field. “Rugby’s fun because as a girl, you don’t really have many contact sports because it’s not seen as the norm,” Waller said. “It was confusing at first, but playing it helped a lot.”
Plano hockey teams talk merger
NHS works community
By Anna Villano
Towards the beginning of the year, the futu for the National Honor Society were secured for the next school year. Although specific posi not yet been assigned, many already have ideas f improve the organization on campus. Junior Conan Juan has been in NHS since his so year and is now an officer. With the organizati close to 400 members, it is difficult for all the to become neighborly with each other. “We’ve discussed it as a group and our main p next year is to make NHS a more familiar envi Juan said. “We’re aiming to make the socials more fun for the members, so that our NHS organization will be more tightly knit as a group.” Junior Bill Yang, who is also an officer for next year, feels that NHS needs to do a better job with bringing members together because they want to be there and not as much for how it will look on college applications. “For NHS what I want to do is make it more like the smaller organizations we have on campus because when I see the As one of the more small organizations get think the biggest r together, they have a lot volunteers togethe of fun,” Yang said. “Since we have so many people I want people to ge each other better and so we can have that dyna Another officer, junior Vishal Rajesh, has co ideas for how to enhance the participation in the coming year. “We are planning on sen newsletters so they are aware their fellow members are impro community through their service Rajesh said. “We also want to prov service opportunities for them to ge each other and host activities throu school not necessarily related to vo so members appreciate NHS more. In addition, Rajesh wants t
Photos submitted by Hunter Buchanan
Buchanan and his teammates sit on the bench during their game against East. “We’ve been rivals with East since even before I started playing,” Buchanan said. “To merge with them is not something I want to do.”
After years of playing each other on the ice, the senior high schools may have to put their competitiveness aside. Following this school year, the Plano and Plano East hockey teams are considering a merger into one varsity team. According to Wildcat Hockey’s board president Jodie Rea, a final decision about the merger will have to wait until after the summer season. “We are only talking about it at this point,” Rea said. “I won’t know more until after the summer season ends in the middle of July.” In hockey, the varsity and junior varsity hockey teams are split up into gold and silver subgroups, which are based on how many upperclassmen are on the team. Currently, the school has one JV silver team. “In the past, we’ve had up to three or four teams at a time,” forward junior Hunter Buchanan said. “Now, we’ve gone down to just one team because of the dwindling number of hockey players in Texas.” Just last year, the school had enough students to have a varsity team. Because of this, the team had to adjust appropriately to their loss of players. “At the end of last year, there were about 20 people who graduated,” Buchanan said. “We basically started with nobody this year. There are definitely a lot more young kids this year, which is why we were in JV silver.” Since there is only one team, girls that are interested in playing have no other choice than to join the boys’ team. Junior defenseman Jessica Rea was the only female on the team this past season and is in favor of the merger.
“The guys on the team are great and it’s no different than having a bunch of brothers,” Jessica said. “I’m honestly excited for it. If it goes through, it means that we will have a varsity team next year and I would love to finish my high school career on varsity.” According to Jessica, the team is usually more competitive against West in comparison to East. “We don’t have any rivalry with East when it comes to hockey, so there’s no problem there,” Jessica said. “We’re also not merging with West, so it’s not an issue.”
Although the idea of bringing the schools together presents possibilities regarding the city hockey programs’ growth, Buchanan opposes the idea of a combination. “I have been playing on the team since ninth grade,” Buchanan said. “When I started playing, I was playing for my school. I’m not playing for just my school anymore.”
o t e m o c l e W e r u t u F t a c d l Wi
Kicking off the new season For football lovers, the adrenaline rush that comes from regular season games is everything. Cheering on the home team, making memories with friends and having fun is what brings joy to student athletes as well as the screaming fans in the stands. But before any of these moments can take place, spring scrimmages and offseason workouts prepare the team for the season to come. Their first scrimmage was on April 24, with the next scrimmage scheduled for this Friday, May 1 at Clark Stadium at 5 p.m. Long snapper junior Hayes Schmitt said that he is really looking forward to the
scrimmages and can’t wait to get a feel of how the team will play together next year. “Being able to strap up and see who has what it takes for next year will be really exciting,” Schmitt said. “I expect everyone, including myself, to put in 100 percent and go as hard as we can ever play.” Offensive lineman junior Spencer Tripp said the team is coming together smoothly. “We are starting to put the pieces together,” Tripp said. “I’m really looking forward to walk down the tunnel with my brothers. Everyone on my team I consider family, and I can just feel that the season is going to be a great one.”
By Abigail Werner
Tripp said the adjusting process was easier than expected with the new players coming in. According to Tripp, the new team hasn’t been playing together long, but the younger players have meshed well with experienced players. “I don’t have any complaints about us fitting well together,” Tripp said. “I’m so excited for next season. I can’t wait.” Defensive tackle junior Darion Foster said he is doing strength training outside of team practices. “At the moment I am in the weight room getting bigger, faster and stronger,” Foster said. “I have to make sure that I’m
not letting up on my training since there’s a few months in between this year and next year.” Foster said the competition next year will be hard to beat, as other teams in the district work just as hard for the upcoming season. “The toughest thing will just be recovering mentally from this year’s loss in the playoffs,” Foster said. “It will be hard to have that mindset as well as take on the new incoming juniors and learn how to become a team. It’s hard to work well together with new people each year, but I know the team can do it.”
s to improve y By Lydia Sebany
ure officers d positions itions have for how to
ophomore ion having e members
priority for ironment,”
the organization’s banner that comes along with their reputation. “I would like to help NHS come across as more of a club than an organization that solely involves volunteering and giving back to the community,” Rajesh said. “This could include greater member interactions, as well as enabling NHS to serve a greater role not only in the community but also in the school itself.” Senior officer Sruti Gopalakrishnan has a positive prediction for the next officers that will have the responsibilities of improving NHS. According to
Photo by Lydia Sebany
e populous clubs on campus, the organization strives to unite members. ”I role that NHS serves for our school is that we can organize a large group of er,” Yang said.
et to know amic.” Rajesh, has hance the ing year. nding out of how oving the projects,” vide more et to know ughout the olunteering . to expand
Gopalakrishnan, the senior officers were not exposed to the help they have been offering the junior officers. “I think the junior officers will be fine next year because they work well together like us senior officers do,” Gopalakrishnan said. “Last year we were kind of confused because everything was coming at us at once. If they are really confused we will help them out. I think because they have that guidance, they will be fine.” As a project coordinator, Gopalakrishnan has had enough experience to offer the less seasoned junior officers. “Stay on top of everything,” Gopalakrishnan said. “Don’t procrastinate and keep on top of all your work. Also communicate with the other officers and sponsors. There is always room for improvement.”
Photo by Terry Quinn
White Guard members junior Rickey Black and senior Au’Juan Porter charge across the football field at Clark Stadium with their maroon and white Plano flags after the team makes it into the end zone. Whenever the football team scores, whether it be a touchdown or a field goal, the boys in White Guard race across the field in celebration.
White Guard holds tryouts White Guard members spend their summer learning stunts and routines for football games. The team, which is comprised of senior and junior students, will be meeting to practice and prepare for next year. Junior Rickey Black is a member of White Guard and participated in last year’s summer camp. “Guys that want to be in White Guard need to be dedicated to their school,” Black said. “One of the toughest things about White Guard is learning all of the stunts.” According to Black, students in White Guard also participate in going out and encouraging others to stay active and always try their best. “To be in White Guard, you have to be relatively fit,” Black said. “If you’re not, then you might have trouble with running the flags up and down the field and the push-ups we do at football games.” White Guard tryouts were held April 15. Varsity Cheer Coach Randall Curry said he is ready for another year and a new set of students to join
By Nathan Allen
White Guard. “I can’t wait to see how well the new guys can work together,” Curry said. “It’s going to be a lot of work for them in the summer, but that’s the reason they’re here.” Curry also works out with the White Guard members during the summer as he teaches them all of their routines. “I help them work on their technique and form to get them ready for football games,” Curry said. “It’s nerve-wracking the first time out there, but they’ll get used to it early on.” Whether it’s due to lack of support from the school or lack of excitement from male students, White Guard has recently had trouble getting students to try out. “I think the reason people don’t want to try out is just because they aren’t motivated to,” Black said. “Most people think we are just cheerleaders, but I feel like we are the spirit of Plano.”
Arts & Entertainment
Drumming up a show Spettacolo is a concert that is exclusively for percussionists. This concert, which will take place on May 8 and 9, is an opportunity for percussion students to showcase what they have worked on all year. Percussion ensembles have been a part of the school since they were established in 1992. Since then, according to percussion director Michel Hernandez, the idea behind the percussion concert has changed. “In 1998, we started a new concept in percussion ensemble concerts,” Hernandez said. “We called it ‘Spettacolo,’ which is an Italian word that means ‘show.’ When it started we wanted to try a different approach to our percussion concert. It wasn’t so much a concert but close to a Cirque du Soleil type of show without people flying across the stage on wires.” Before Spettacolo, according to Hernandez, percussion concerts were prim, proper and traditional. Hernandez was inspired by the musician Prince, who released albums in the mid-90s. Prince’s music had transitional music between each piece. “I was working here with Shawn Schietroma,” Hernandez said. “We had just graduated from the University of North Texas and we were exposed to a lot a new percussion experiences and environments. We thought it fitting to continue that legacy, if not push it a little bit into a different direction. We just wanted to try something new.” Unlike some concerts, the music in Spettacolo is continuous with seamless transitions. Senior Corin Drumm is participating in Spettacolo this year. “The experience of being able to perform in something like this is really amazing,” Drumm said. “We have to crawl out onto the stage to get behind our instruments while the group before us is performing. Two seconds after the first
APRIL 30, 2015
fantastic evening.” In a traditional percussion concert, sometimes a famous musician is brought in. For the night, the focus is on him. Plano has done this in the past, but with Spettacolo there is not just one superstar, according to Hernandez. “What has become a treat for me personally, as the guy behind the scenes, is the fact that rather than having one superstar artist to show off for the community it is actually our students that are doing this,” Hernandez said. “They are the ones that are the superstars. The level of musicianship and the level of excitement that they bring is really on par to what the world class musician would be giving the audience. It’s always neat to see our students putting forth that energy.”
Photo by Caroline Duke
The school’s percussion team performs at PDLC, or Plano Drumline Competition. “I think my favorite part is probably the opportunity to be able to perform,” Drumm said. “It’s a really cool experience.”
Sophia Baram, junior
By Jameriya Owens
In 1996, the Academy of American Poets dedicated the month of April to the spread of creativity through poetry. As well as celebrating the poets who participate, National Poetry Month also encourages everyone to share what they love about the art form.
Taylor Andrews, junior “It’s a beautiful thing to celebrate, I think we don’t spend that much time on it in English though. I feel like as a society we look at poetry as something simple that anyone can do when really it’s pretty intricate and beautiful. It’s had an amazing impact on art in history and I wish the school did more to showcase it. I think it can be a good outlet for some people, like the feeling I get in band. Some people use music, some people use paint and some people use writing to express themselves. I think whatever makes you happy you should do more of. The month is motivation for people to come together and be united.”
That’s a wrap
THE WILDCAT TALES
By Gabrielle Lammons
act is over a new group pops up and starts performing. That’s a really cool aspect.” Percussion will perform up to four pieces as an entire group. The rest of the performances at Spettacolo are ensembles made up of smaller groups of students. In addition to an entire group practice once a week, students also practice with their ensemble group once a week. These groups are volunteered for, auditioned for or assigned. “They compose, arrange or purchase music,” Hernandez said. “They take it upon themselves to learn that ensemble. It’s a nonstop kind of semester, and it’s intensive. The students do an incredible amount of work on their own. There are a few things we do to help guide them with rehearsal structures, but for the most part the spring semester is very busy with lots of music opportunities for the students.” Drumline members specialize in a particular instrument in some schools, but the percussion line here does not operate like that. Every percussion member is taught to play every instrument. “Plano percussion is very fortunate,” Drumm said. “We have a really good program and Mr. Hernandez does a really good job to make sure everyone knows how to play everything. Everyone has limits in their ability, but they don’t have limits in what they are able to participate in.” Spettacolo does not only include juniors and seniors. It includes grade levels six through twelve, which gives students from the feeder schools a chance to participate. Spettacolo even has a parent ensemble opportunity available. “The younger players feel like superstars so it’s a very unique opportunity,” Hernandez said. “When it comes to the performers and the community interacting, it’s just a
Poetry month reflections
6
“The first thing about poetry that I really like is that almost anything can be poetry. I’m an artist, so I’m exposed to so many different kinds of art. There’s this famous artist I heard of once who basically got his fame by splattering paint on a canvas, and I think poetry is almost the same thing. You put words down on a piece of paper, but in in the end it becomes something really beautiful. So to have a whole month dedicated to that art form is really something special.”
Katherine Thornton, English teacher “I think that having a National Poetry Month is a great idea, but unfortunately we don’t always celebrate it. Poetry really gets a bad rap, especially since we analyze it to death in English class. I’ve never been much for poetry in its own right, but I think that music is a form of poetry and I love music. I do have one spoken word poet named Suli Breaks that I like. He really speaks to students about what is wrong in education.”
Students end year in theater by directing plays
By Mohona Aziz
In the Theatre Productions class, students have the opportunity to direct their own plays. In total, there will be four shows playing on May 14 at 1 p.m. – “Dog Sees God,” “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” “Five Women in the Same Dress” and “The Lesson.” It is completely free. Junior Payton Mayfield is in charge of stage managing the show “Dog Sees God.” This is her first time being the stage manager after six years of acting. “It’s really cool to see it coming together since I’ve being acting for such a long time,” Mayfield said. “It’s interesting to be able to see the process the actors go through and be able to see both sides.” “Dog Sees God” is a spin-off of the cartoon “Peanuts.” “It’s about all the characters, like Charlie Brown and Pig-Pen, who are teenagers dealing with real issues that all high school students go through,” Mayfield said. “It’s really cool to see the characters that we all know, but more grown up and less cartoon-like.” The change in authority includes more power than Mayfield is used to having, but she said she does not see it as overwhelming.
“I’m having a really good time,” Mayfield said. “It’s Pietruszewski said. “You realize where they’re coming really cool to be a part of the process to help out the from. It helps you be a better actor when you direct. I like actors because when you’ve been acting and then decide getting the actors out of their shells because sometimes to go direct it’s really cool to use your past experience for they’re very reserved, and I want to try to help them get out of that shell.” the advantage of other actors.” Junior Noah Cantrell plays the part of Pig-Pen in “Dog sees God.” The actors had to individually audition and be picked by the theater teachers. “It’s weird playing older versions of one of the characters,” Cantrell said. “It’s more about the characters and the relationships they’ve had. It’s less of the original story and it’s more of how the innocence of youth changes, mainly in the high school arena where drugs and sexual attraction are introduced. It puts them in a situation that is a little bit more realistic.” According to senior Tyler Pietruszewski, his new position as director entails a lot Photo submitted by Tyler Pietruszewski more work than he thought it would. Senior Tyler Pietruszewski’s cast rehearses for “Dog sees God,” the play he is “It’s so weird being on the other side,” directing. “I want to help them be bigger and better actors,” Pietruszewski said.
Opinion
7
Ain’t no mountain high enough
By Mari Brown Vulnerability. Being vulnerable is not easy. With words on paper, I can have my guard down. But when it comes to words from my lips, I struggle. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, the word vulnerable means to be in a situation where one is likely to meet with harm. The definition does seem to show the obvious reason why people may be anxious about being vulnerable. I mean, who wants to open themselves up to harm? And if that means having a wall as high as Mount Everest, then most of us are going to achieve the ideal. There was a time when I regretted being open to someone who later turned out not to be worth my time. I lost a piece of me when that person fell out of my life. After that, I now struggle with being able to tell someone about all the thoughts running through my head. Now there are only certain things I tell to specific friends. There may be a friend
who I can talk to about my religion or a friend for boys, my family or the future. Nowadays with social media, our society tells us to keep our guard up all the time – the usual “what you post on social media says a lot about your character.” Teens typically have the habit of posting daily about their lives, opening up about what they had for lunch or how they feel about a particular person. There isn’t always an
emotional openness with social media, but in today’s society we are more prone to sharing the side of us that is acceptable rather than who we
“Good kids” are not safe By Lydia Sebany
I worry, but I don’t worry for myself. I have a younger brother who goes to school everyday carrying his Spider-Man lunchbox in his tiny hands and a backpack that lights up whenever he runs. He
I worry about my brother becoming the next Freddie Gray, the next Michael Brown, the next Eric Garner, the next Trayvon Martin. I know I am not the only one who has to worry for their own
“I worry about my brother becoming the next Freddie Gray.”
won’t stop teaching me how to add single digit numbers with 2,000 and about the gold stars he earned in class. He’s a good kid, but the good kids don’t always end up in the best hands. Freddie Gray was a young black man who was arrested and struggling to walk when taken into custody then could not breath or talk after being dropped off at the police station. Seven days later, the man who only got to live for 25 years sparked another chapter of protests concerning the lives of black men during police interactions. According to members of his family, their Freddie Gray was a good kid.
brothers, fathers, uncles, or grandfathers. It is hard to be a black son in America because of the injustices they face daily. It’s 2015, but it feels like 1968 – the year Martin Luther King, Jr. was murdered in Memphis. These peaceful protests turn into riots. The riots turn into curfews that are broken and met with tear gas holding officers. But after a certain point, what can you do? The fight for justice goes on and I won’t sit still and watch the cycle continue. I will do everything I can to not let my brother or any other person become a Freddie Gray. Will you?
really are. It seems like the privacy setting on our lives is switched to off and on at the same time. Letting down a wall makes a human being feel exposed or even naked. The person sees your flaws, your demons. It takes a really genuine, special person to bare their souls and finding the person who will stay afterwards is the hardest part. People may want to run from your imperfections, your weirdness, and your mistakes. But they’re no better than you. A song that really speaks to me about this is Kelly Clarkson’s “Dark Side” where the lyrics are “Everybody’s got a dark side. Do you love me? Can you love mine?” It really shows the sensitivity of opening yourself to someone and waiting to see if they will accept you. Being vulnerable doesn’t make you weak – it makes you a protector of yourself. You’re waiting for that person to come along who will love you, flaws and all.
What you see isn’t what you get
By Haley Samsel Last Saturday night, journalists and celebrities crossed paths at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. President Obama doled out the customary oneliners, and Cecily Strong brought the house down with her deadpan delivery. Less than 40 miles away, peaceful protests demanding justice for the mysterious death of Freddie Gray rocked Baltimore. Twitter was alive with updates from the streets, quoting protestors and documenting the police response to the demonstrations. But CNN barely mentioned them. During their broadcast of the correspondents’ dinner, their coverage never went beyond a casual comment. But when the peaceful protests turned violent Monday, CNN was there. So were the rest of the networks, broadcasting disturbing images of looting, burning buildings, and people frantically running through the streets on the day of Gray’s funeral. The networks were there to witness the carnage, but not to tell the real
the destruction of Baltimore than the oppressive system that brought us to this point. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not always a fan of Twitter users-turned-journalists. The vast majority of coverage by citizen journalists is unsurprisingly tinged with opinion, full of emotion and personal experience but often void of relevant facts. That’s why I turned on CNN on Monday, the day the protests turned violent and turned back the clock on years of progress made by black leaders around the country. It’s why I expect national reporters to not only tell me the news, but to tell me what it means. My expectations have gone unfulfilled. Mainstream journalism failed me on Baltimore, just like it failed me on Ferguson. We are left to sift through the thousands of articles on institutionalized racism, searching for some kind of truth to bring meaning to the deaths of Freddie
story. It’s hard not to feel that these networks are selling headlines, not facts. AP U.S. Government and Politics curriculum tells us the same – mass media is there to sell what they think will make them the most money, what they think people want to see and read and hear. According to CNN, the American public would rather be surrounded with coverage about
Gray and Eric Garner, to the killings of teenager Trayvon Martin and 12-year-old Tamir Rice. The only truth I have found is that Monday was the last time I count on a major news network to tell me what the protests in Baltimore, or any other city, mean. I’ll leave that to the people out on the front lines, telling their stories through action rather than rhetoric.
“Mainstream journalism failed me in Baltimore.”
April 30, 2015 Volume 69 Issue 10
Torie Brannen
Print Editor-in-Chief
Haley Samsel
Online Editor-in-Chief
Sonam Benakatti Managing Editor
Ashley Stuber
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Taylor Norris Photo Editor
Anna Villano
Assistant Graphic Editor
Terry Quinn Adviser
Staffers Nathan Allen Mohona Aziz Mari Brown Kelsey Campbell Suhina Chopra MaryClare Colombo Maggie Cross Cameron Drummond Ella Hunt Gabe LaBounty Gabrielle Lammons Arim Lee Jameriya Owens Emily Perez Corey Picklesimer Rose Rana Elizabeth Ritchie Lydia Sebany Stephanee Smith Vincent Tellez Erienne Terpak Zane Vakser Abigail Werner
Mission Statement: Wildcat Tales is a student produced publication that serves to educate, inform and entertain the student body in a professional manner which will provoke thought while upholding the principles of a free press. The publication is a forum for the students of Plano Senior High School. Any opinions expressed in Wildcat Tales are the opinion of the writer and of the writer only.
Policy:
Students and faculty are encouraged to send in any questions, comments, concerns or criticisms to be published. Letters to the editors can be put in the envelope in room B208 or emailed to The Wildcat Tales at pshs.pub@pisd.edu. The staff reserves the right to edit a letter for grammatical errors and space issues. Any errors found in the publication will be rescinded in the following issue. Additional and daily updates can be found at our website www.wildcattales. com. Past issues can be viewed at www.issuu.com/ wildcattales.Businesses wishing to advertise in Wildcat Tales can email us at pshs.pub@pisd.edu. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisements deemed to be inappropriate.
Wildcat Tales is the official student publication of Plano Senior High School 2200 Independence Pkwy Plano, TX 75075 469.752.9336
Advertisement
8