Wildcat Tales: Issue 9, Volume 69

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75075 Plano, TX l o o Sch High r o i Sen

w w w.wildcattales.com @PSHSpub Volum e 69

Issue 9

April 9,

2015

THE NEW FRONTIER OF ADDICTION

O

By Haley Samsel

District hosts synthetic drug conference for parents

love them.”

Wolfe’s experience was one of the many stories shared at a parent presentation on synthetic drugs held on March 31. Campus substance abuse prevention specialist Dawne Neithamer said the conference was a direct consequence of junior Evan Johnson’s death last December. The Collin County medical examiner ruled in February that Johnson died at home due to an overdose of the synthetic drug 25B-NBOMe, known to its users as “N-Bomb.”

“Some of you in our Wildcat family may know that we had a junior in December who overdosed on this drug and passed away,” Neithamer told the crowd. “When we hit this campus on Jan. 5, the first day back from break, our staff members asked themselves, ‘What are we going to do about this?’ And I knew then that this presentation needed to happen.”

Led by a federal officer, the conference focused on educating parents about new threats posed by synthetic drugs. The officer, who cannot be identified publicly for security reasons, emphasized how the Internet’s rising popularity has gone hand in hand in with the accessibility of “designer drugs.”

“We’ve been talking about cocaine for 40 or 50 years,” the officer said. “We’ve been talking about marijuana for 80 years. Some of these drugs we weren’t even talking about two years ago. If you’ve got an iPad, you can order meth sent to you from China. They can use Alibaba, China’s Photo by Sonam Benakatti Google.

And the kids Substance abuse prevention specialist Dawne Neithamer said the age don’t even know what students are aware of drugs is getting younger and younger. “I had the opportunity to be on a middle school campus about a month ago and talk they’re taking.” with babies, sixth and seventh graders,” Neithamer said. “And they have The officer admitted

ffice manager Jeri Wolfe never thought it would happen to her. All three of her kids graduated from PISD schools and went on to college. They went to church every Sunday night and were active members of their youth groups. There was never an indication that addiction would lead one of them astray.

“We really were the all-American family,” Wolfe said. “We did all of the right things with our kids. Addiction couldn’t happen to us, right? Our kids wouldn’t take drugs, right?”

Wrong. Wolfe’s middle son, Casey, first experimented with marijuana in eighth grade.

In Casey’s junior year of high school, Wolfe was concerned when she saw that Casey had been in his sister’s room while she was away at college. When Wolfe searched the room, she discovered a spoon with a burnt spot on it. She knew then that her son had begun to use heroin.

“My mind could not comprehend it,” Wolfe said. “I went into denial. Denial is a lovely place to go if you have kids with issues, but you can’t stay there – not if you

questions about these drugs.”

Photo by Sonam Benakatti

After hearing testimony from Frisco parent Eric Brown, Texas lawmakers moved on March 10 to further criminalize synthetic substances that mimic drugs like LSD and marijuana. Brown will also speak at the Collin County Substance Abuse Coalition’s parent education forum on May 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Collin College’s Preston Ridge campus in Frisco.

that federal agencies are behind the curve on synthetic drugs due to a lack of funding and the speed with which the drugs’ use has spread.

“These drugs are made in a lab and we just don’t know a whole lot about them yet,” the officer said. “We don’t have enough personnel – we’re down about 800 agents worldwide. We just haven’t caught back up on these drugs.”

Eric Brown, father of Frisco teen Montana Brown, who died from a synthetic drug overdose in 2013, spoke briefly at the event. Brown has become the public face of legislation that bans the sale and distribution of “designer drugs” in Texas.

“These drugs can get psychologically addictive,” Brown said. “It’s more about escaping from whatever environment you’re in that you’re not happy with. Some kids escape into social media, some escape into gaming. We need to get them to quit

A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS Vigil honors those lost in recent tragedies

It is no secret that recent tragic events have sparked much sorrow among all races and religions. In order to commemorate and reflect over the frequent tragedies across the world and promote religious unity, a candlelight vigil open to people of all religions was hosted by Student Congress on March 30.

According to organizer junior Caroline Gaggini, the vigil was intended to reflect on misfortunes surrounding Ebola, the terrorist group Boko Haram and conflicts in the Middle East and Ferguson, MO. “I think that this a is a time of conflict in our world, and students can get caught up in their own lives and forget that there are people suffering

and dying around the world,” Gaggini said.

The idea came about when Gaggini was approached by a Muslim student, junior Nuran Nuri, who wanted to lead a prayer in order to mourn the loss of civilians due to conflict in the Middle East. However, due to potential controversy, the event was broadened to address more occurences in today’s world. Nuri was especially troubled by the recent shooting deaths of three Muslim students in North Carolina.

“It was not based on conflict in the Middle East at all, but it is a small piece of a larger picture,” Nuri said.

“As Martin Luther King once said, ‘injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’”

By Suhina Chopra

About 25 people attended the vigil, and Nuri spoke a few words on the the necessity of unity among religions.

Junior Alex Wu, a Christian student who attended the vigil, felt inspired by the general call for peace and love among people.

“They talked about the butterfly effect, in which a small group of butterflies making however small an impact on one side of the world will cause a storm on the other side of the world,” Wu said. “I was also touched by the girl who inspired the event. She said that the social media does not unite as, but we need to be in unity.”

Continued on p. 2

escaping and deal with their lives.”

Office manager Wolfe’s son Casey couldn’t stop escaping. He eventually got clean after a stint in rehab and moved home with his parents. He was doing all the right things – attending sessions with a counselor, taking medication to curb his cravings, meeting with a sponsor. But it was not enough. Wolfe’s family lost Casey to an accidental heroin overdose five years ago. He was 22- years-old.

“We are members of the most unimaginable club in a parent’s world,” Wolfe said. “It’s a club no one wants to belong to, and we don’t either. But we do.”

Wolfe pleaded with parents to talk to their kids and to not let the stigma of addiction prevent them from speaking out.

“Don’t let the secrecy of addiction stop you from doing everything you can to protect your child,” Wolfe said. “Reach out for help. You are not alone.”

Online A razor blade was found in cafeteria enchiladas. Read the cafe’s response online!

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Photo by Julia Patterson

Although it was intended that all religions present give a prayer, no other religions besides Islam stepped up. “I listened in on a Muslim prayer conducted by one of the senior class president’s close friends, and to comments of others in the vigil, such as that we need to love and be kind to one another,” Wu said.

News Open-carry controversy

By MaryClare Colombo

On March 16, the Texas Senate approved a bill that allows the licensed open-carry of handguns. If the bill becomes a law, gun owners will be allowed to carry their weapons in belt or shoulder holsters. We asked students to weigh in on the opencarry controversy as the bill heads to the Texas House.

Daniel Fritsche, senior “To be eligible for a concealed handgun permit, one must be over the age of 21 and completed a concealed carry class, which teaches marksmanship and basic combats tactics. Any eligible student able to fulfill these requirements is responsible enough to carry a firearm for protection, regardless of the gun’s location. I personally feel that I would rather carry it in a concealed fashion in order to retain an element of surprise should there be an attack on myself or others, but I cannot speak for others that would feel it appropriate to carry openly.”

Halla Haobsh, junior “I’m a naturally peaceful person and I feel like you can honestly talk about any problem without resorting to guns or violence. I’m so against violence, you could say I’m a pacifist. Guns do give me a sense of unease because they do go off suddenly, and I don’t think they’ll make me feel safer – especially when the legislators are arguing about if teachers should carry guns. I feel like that’s going to bring more harm to the students because you never know if a faulty trigger or something could happen.”

Kenneth Nguyen, senior “I’d open-carry to show people that I can defend myself. I’m more than willing to use force to protect my person. I don’t carry an actual firearm around, except if I had a Derringer, but I don’t have one. Right now I currently carry a butterfly knife, because it’s concealable and they’re fast and easy to deploy. It says, ‘I’m willing to use force, so if you mess with me, you will get stabbed or shot.’”

Brandon Wang, junior “At colleges, it’s unnecessary to open carry. Outside, at a Walmart, that’s okay to an extent. Dangling a rifle out is overkill. Sure, someone can be allowed to but they don’t need to. But if you have a pistol or a smaller weapon on your side, that’s okay so you can protect yourself. It’s all about situation and how to apply what you know about weaponry. It has to be suitable situations and appropriate times.”

2 THE WILDCAT TALES

APRIL 9, 2015

Vigil honors lives lost

By Suhina Chopra

Continued from front page

Nuri feels that Islam is a victim of injustice despite its preachings for peace and respect among all religions.

She believes that all Muslims are blamed for the actions of small groups of radicals like ISIS, a terrorist group operating out of Iraq and Syria. Nuri said ISIS is only a power-seeking organization that does not follow Islamic teachings.

“We real Muslims are taught from our earliest years that all religions deserve respect from all others and great sayings like ‘May God lead you with peace,’” Nuri said. “This is what it means to be a Muslim, and I am not going to be quiet about terrorists who hide their mistakes behind the word of God.” Junior Iman Abdelgawad is a strong advocate for religious unity as she feels personally connected to these tragedies, especially when it concerns Islam.

Abdelgawad feels that the media distorts the reality of terrorists’ actions, so much so that cumulative media coverage has distorted public opinion toward Muslims.

“I believe it is more important to touch on these subjects not from a religious or cultural standpoint, but rather from a humanistic view,” Abdelgawad said. “These tragedies are too often categorized by importance based on the religious affiliation of the victims and the offenders.”

Abdelgawad tries her best to promote religious unity and stand up to radical individuals who claim to act in the name of ‘religion’. She believes that doing so can help eliminate myths created about every faith.

“As a teenager, there is not much I can do to change the situations, but I can educate those around me through the use of social media,” Abdelgawad said. “I believe it is important to go about life and be a good example as a Muslim, and participate in the community in positive ways.”

Being a devout Christian, Gaggini feels that Christians have received a bad name for being hateful in relation to these tragedies. According to Gaggini, the vigil allowed for students of varying beliefs to show their love and involvement in the community as well as reflect on the meaning of these events.

“We don’t have to agree on everything, but we do need to be a generation that works together to make the world a better place,” Gaggini said. “This event gives us a chance to take a step towards this goal. I would consider having even 5 to 10 people of different backgrounds reflecting together to be a success. The number is not important. It is the meaning and the intent that matters.”

Key Club hosts clothing drive

By Abigail Werner

The traditional clothing drive does not come with a of Key Club, in helping people around the world by pay-off. But using a method called ‘Green Fundraising,’ participating in volunteer events throughout the year.

Key Club was able to turn old T-shirts into cash for their “Compared to last year, I would say the club has cause. grown in members and participation in the events we Vice president Chisom Ogoke said the method entails offer,” Singh said. “I can’t wait to see what the club has people bringing in only gently used items, compared to in store for the years to come.” other clothing drives where almost anything is acceptable. The drive ended March 27.

“We bring in these items to an organization called the World Wear Project,” Ogoke said. “They, in turn, pay us per pound donated and redistribute the clothes overseas to developing countries, reselling them at extremely low prices.”

In developing countries, new clothes aren’t typically affordable, so this type of project is great for the families effected by the prices. Ogoke thought the project was ultimately rewarding because of where the funds were going.

“I’m most excited about the effect this clothing drive can have on fighting Maternal & Neonatal Tetanus, or MNT,” Ogoke said. “It’s Photo by Haley Samsel a painful and excruciating disease that Vice president senior Chisom Ogoke poses with the largest distribution bin for the kills thousands of newborns each clothing drive outside of the cafeteria. year.”

The disease mainly touches those who are geographically hard to reach, the poor and those without healthcare.

“With this clothing drive, we can send our profits to fund the Eliminate Project, which uses the donations to send vaccines, syringes, and skilled staff over to immunize the mothers,” Ogoke said.

Secretary senior Sabrina Singh said she was excited to see many people donate belongings that were no longer of use to them but could benefit others.

“I was proud of what we accomplished and I am thankful that this is another way to help out with the Eliminate Project,” Singh said.

As far as plans for the future of the club, Singh doesn’t know what is to come, but she is excited for the rest of the year.

“We might have one or two more meetings,” Singh said. “One for the officer elections for the next year, and the other for a final goodbye or something along those lines.”

Singh said the purpose of Key Club is to assist the Kiwanis Club, the adult version

Feature

3

Figuring it out along the way

THE WILDCAT TALES

APRIL 9, 2015

Teen mom pregnant with second child

By Stephanee Smith Every three minutes brought a circuit of agony. Tears fell down her face as she had no other option than to leave her and her baby’s life in the hands of a doctor. In the end, each tiresome and frightening moment resulted in happiness.

It was always an objective for junior Ashley Perez to be a younger mom so that she could be more involved in her child’s life. Although earlier than expected, Perez gave birth to her first baby, Micheal, at 15 during her sophomore year. Perez is currently pregnant with her second child and her due date is July 21.

“I was happy when I found out I was pregnant. I have always had the mentality of having my kids young because I want to make sure I can spend time with them,” Perez said. “I was going to have my first baby after I graduated high school and then take a year off and go back to college – that did not work out. Some parents are older and are sometimes too busy to play with their kids.”

When receiving the news of her first

pregnancy at a clinic, Perez’s boyfriend of five years was present. According to Perez, his reaction was what she had hoped for.

“When he heard the news, he immediately joked about how he was going to have to work,” Perez said. “He told me we’re going to do what we’re going to do, and that he wasn’t going to leave me because I was pregnant. Everything was great with my boyfriend.”

Although her boyfriend handled the situation positively, she said her biggest fear was how her mother would react.

After discovering papers from the clinic confirming Perez’s first pregnancy, her mother was officially aware and immediately reacted.

“My mom didn’t talk to me for two days,” Perez said. “I guess she was worried, which I understand. Another person means that there’s another mouth to feed and a lot of expenses, because a baby is really expensive.

But when we got closer to the due date, she was happy that I was going to have a baby.”

While some high school students’

schedules consist of snoozing until eight, watching TV and procrastinating to do their homework until midnight, Perez starts her day at 7 a.m. and ends her day exhausted.

“I’ll get ready and then get the diaper bag ready and by eight a driver is here to take me and my baby to daycare,” Perez said.

“It’s not much of a struggle in the morning.

He sleeps really well and after I drop him off at daycare I come to school. My mom usually picks him up from daycare around 3 or 3:30 p.m. When I get home, I do my homework and take him out to the park, and we’ll have fun.”

When she was pregnant with her first child during the end of her freshman year, she attended Richardson High School.

Perez said that she told very few people about her pregnancy and let the students at her school figure it out themselves.

“To be honest, everyone stares,” Perez said. “It bugs me when they keep staring, but I guess you can say I have gotten used to it.”

Continued on wildcattales.com

Photo submitted by Ashley Perez

Although Perez had children earlier than expected, she looks forward to spending time with her baby. “I’m happy,” Perez said. “Maybe I could have waited until after my senior year, but now I’ll be able to see them grow and play with them.”

Welcome to Wildcat Nation

Baseball players initiate teammates with buzzcuts

By Maggie Cross

It has been a tradition in baseball for years.

You see them in the halls and you wonder where all of their hair has disappeared to.

On March 15, returning varsity players had the opportunity to shave the heads of their new teammates.

After moving up from junior varsity to varsity during the playoffs last year, second baseman and right-fielder junior Christopher Cloud was no exception to going bald. Varsity returners shaved the front of his head to resemble the avatar arrow, with the rest of the way back being a Mohawk.

“We go to a camp-out every year,” Cloud said. “At some point they just decide ‘Let’s do it’ and all the newcomers have to line up and wait to get shaved.”

Second baseman senior Seth Neilsen moved from Arkansas at the beginning of the school year. According to Neilsen, the team is a lot closer than his team was in Arkansas – to the point that they allow each

other to shave their heads.

“I was excited to get my head shaved,” Neilsen said. “It’s something cool that the team does, and it was like I was finally in.

They shaved a guy taking a dump on the back of my head – I was pretty happy to shave the rest off.”

Last year, the team made it through to the Region II Finals, but since then 12 seniors have graduated. The team struggled against Flower Mound earlier this season, losing 1-5 after having several pre-district play tournaments canceled due to weather concerns. Since starting the season with a three game losing streak, the team has improved their district record to 3-5 at press time.

“We could get there this year, but we are not there yet,” Cloud said. “Our first three games were against really good teams, but we are bouncing back now.”

Now that the team is considered evenly shaved, they can focus on their expectation

Graphics by Ariana Leyva

of being third in District 6-6A. “Our goal is to win state,” Neilsen said.

“We are ready for big things. There is no reason why we shouldn’t. We just need to get on an awesome win streak, and the best place to start it is against our rivals – Plano West and East.”

According to Neilsen, this year’s district

is considered the most competitive in Texas since it includes two of the state’s top teams, Flower Mound and Flower Mound Marcus.

“We played Flower Mound early,” Neilsen said. “We beat ourselves, but we can hang with them for sure. No one is out of our reach for district.”

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“We all push ourselves, and we all expect to win and do very well,” senior Seth Neilsen said.

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auto collision wreck-amended

Photo by Elizabeth Ritchie

Senior Tanner Phillips in the paint booth working on his mustang. “Mac has helped me a lot,” Phillips said. “He’s taught me so much and I can’t wait to move forward in the automotive industry.”

For car lovers, the sound of an engine running is a feeling like no other. The oil and grease stained on their hands are recognized as trophies and accomplishments. The auto programs on campus are for those with a passion for cars, such as senior Tanner Phillips.

Phillips’ car, a 1998 Mustang, has been in the school’s auto shop since his junior year.

“My Mustang was in bad shape when I first got it,” Phillips said. “I decided I wanted to fix it up when I joined the auto collision program.

Originally I wanted to join Auto Tech, but my brother Zach convinced me to do collision.

Auto Tech is more about the mechanics of a car while collision is more paint and body.”

In total, Phillips has been working on his mustang for four years and plans to have the car running and fully painted by the end of the year.

His passion for cars is attributed to his greatgrandfather.

“When I got the Mustang he helped me start building from the ground up,” Phillips said. “He came in town just to work on the car with me.

He helped me with Photo by Elizabeth Ritchie ideas and taught Seniors Cole Dority and me so much.

Tanner Phillips showing off Unfortunately Dority’s Celica outside the he passed away a auto collision garage. “I couple years ago originally brought my car into auto collision to repaint and will not get to my car,” Dority said. “I have see the mustang been able to accomplish finished. I am a lot more than just paint sure he would be and body since i joined the program.” proud of my accomplishments with the car because I never gave up on

By Elizabeth Ritchie

it.”

Senior Cole Dority has been in the Auto Collision program since his junior year.

Dority’s first car was a Toyota Celica, which he brought into the shop to repaint and make improvements.

“I try to really take care of my car,” Dority said. “Since it is my first car it has become special to me. The collision program is fun and it gave me a new perspective on cars when I first joined.”

Auto Collision teacher James McCray, known as Mac to his students, wants to encourage students to join the program. McCray believes there is a lot to teach for anyone willing to learn.

“I love teaching my students to take pride in their work,” McCray said. “It is very satisfying to take students who have no knowledge of cars and teach them new things on a daily basis.

I want the students to have a passion for their work in any subject. I feel the program provides students with life skills they can carry on into their future.”

McCray has been teaching Auto Collision for a total of 30 years. Before becoming a part of the school, he owned his own body shop, and wanted to become a police officer. However, he chose to take his knowledge and start teaching students.

“I chose collision over being in the police force because at the time it was the piece that fit best,” McCray said. “I have always had a passion for cars. I had the opportunity to work on over a thousand cars, and I love giving the opportunity to my students. It is rewarding to see the amazement on their faces when they are successful in a long-term project. It is good to show my students they can do so many things they never thought they could.”

sho whe w off els you r

By T

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Erin Ward, senior Ford Mustang

Cameron Brunner, senior 1967 Ford Galaxy 500 2011 Ford 250 Tanner Havens, senior 1991 Jeep Wrangler YJ

Zach Gingrich, senior 2008 Chevy Silverado

Jensen Jones, junior 2005 Volkswagen Beetle

Graphics by Ariana Leyva

Freedom riders

By Lydia Sebany

In Texas, there are 438,551 motorcyclists, making the state the third most popular for riding bikes.

Of that number, only a small percentage are teenage riders.

Even though they can be perceived as dangerous due to their cinematic appearances, there are crowds that think the opposite.

Senior Sameer Ahmed has been riding motorcycles since he was 15-years-old and considers himself Photo by Lydia Sebany an adrenaline junkie. According to Ahmed credits not having been in an accident to the control he maintains on Ahmed, although he considers riding his bike. “So many car accidents, fender benders and stuff like that, are virtually his bike fun, he takes certain measures non-existent with the motorcycle, because of the maneuverability,” Ahmed to stay safe on the roads. said. “You can move it around more.”

“I wear my helmet and gloves all the time,” Ahmed said. “They are encounter with the vehicles while on a cross country reinforced gloves, so if you fall your hand and your trip. knuckles don’t break. Those things are necessary for a “The first time I rode was when I was riding as a motorcycle. They are your insurance.” passenger with my dad out on the highway”, Valis said.

In 2013 there were an estimated 500 motorcycle “I felt free. I could feel the power in the engine. It was crashes, but most could have been prevented. a really enjoyable experience to go on the highway like “Safety isn’t as bad as everyone thinks,” Ahmed said. that.”

“You basically drive defensively. It’s mainly up to the Even after having been in an accident, he prefers his motorcycle operator to save himself.” motorcycle to driving a car.

For a driver to obtain a Class M license, they have to “I find being more nimble and able to avoid collisions go through the same process as someone who is getting a lot better than being able to take a harder collision,” a license for a car. If they are under 18, they must take a Valis said. “I am more okay with riding a motorcycle two-day course, but it is not required for adults. than I am with driving a car.”

“Take the course,” Ahmed said. “I don’t care how Like Valis, Deari also enjoys the leisure that comes old you are, you should take it. They tell you about the along with riding a motorcycle. safety and how to properly do everything, and that “It’s just like you’d imagine,” Deari said. “Just sitting actually comes in handy really often.” there with the wind blowing in your face. You have Senior Amir Deari started off riding dirt bikes in more freedom -- it’s a different experience.” the sixth grade and has gradually moved up to larger Ahmed also drives a car but unless it is raining, he engines. Deari feels that riding a bike is dangerous due prefers riding his motorcycle because they offer several to drivers around him. advantages.

“It is dangerous during rush hour and while people “People perceive that bikes are very dangerous, are getting out of school”, Deari said. “Pulling out of but the pros definitely outweigh the cons in my eyes,” places is a lot harder. You have to be more cautious.”

Ahmed said. “Riding a bike is more environmentally Junior William Valis has been riding his motorcycle friendly than driving a car. You take up less room on for two years now and was inspired to pursue driving the road. A car is kinda like a cage. Who doesn’t want to them after his brother got his licence. He had his first drive in open air and be able to see everything vividly?”

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TIRES

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OIL 3

BRAKES 4

BATTERY 5 LIGHTS

YOUR CAR: TOP 5 THINGS TO CHECK

Arts & Entertainment Got promblems?

Francesca Bleys, junior “I'm looking forward to prom mostly because I'm excited to go eat amazing food. I don't feel weird about going to prom as a junior. If anything, I'm lucky. Most other juniors don't have this opportunity, since it's only for seniors, but now I have the chance to go twice and I'm going to take it. I have honestly not been preparing very much, I bought a dress and went to a group meeting. I'll cross the bridge when prom comes closer.

Michael Champion, senior “I would love to have a lot of cool things to do and a fun atmosphere at prom, without having it feel like the most important day of your life. I am personally looking forward to having fun times with my friends after the dance.”

DJ Phoenix rises

By Lydia Sebany

Emily Buchanan, junior

“I've been twice already. I've seen three of the bands before and loved them the first time and can't wait to see them again. I am also really looking forward to seeing Death Cab for Cutie and The Kooks since they're older bands that probably wouldn't be touring with anyone I would go see. The atmosphere is amazing – everyone is there for the music so complete strangers will bond over basically anything.”

Photo submitted by Suzzanne DeRoune

The band Smallpools performs at Toyota Stadium during last year’s Edgefest. According to senior Suzzanne DeRoune, they weren’t as popular at the time. “They were a really good band,” DeRoune said. “I didn’t know any of their songs, but now I listen to them a lot more.”

“I'm looking forward to seeing Weezer and The Offspring. I've heard the lineups of bands the past couple of years, and they normally had one or two bands that I liked. But this year, there are a lot more that I personally want to see so I thought that I might as well go to see all of them.”

By Mari Brown

Syed began his DJ hobby at his previous school when he was asked to make the music for a pep rally that had a blackout theme.

“Since they only knew me as the ‘tech geek’ around the school, they came to me and it ended up being something I enjoyed, so I started making the different types of mixes,” Syed said. “During the spring time, I did of a more popbased theme that reflected how students just wanted summer and stuff like that.”

Although he started playing music at school, his gigs now expand beyond, ranging from parties to dances to even weddings.

“Usually I do them for free because I just enjoy the fact that I can make people enjoy their music – even when I am offered money, I refuse,” Syed said. “If I did accept money, it would be due to necessity in order to do something specific that was asked by the person themselves.”

According to Syed, he has a huge passion for being a DJ, but his future may be aimed towards other aspects of his life.

“I wish to DJ after high school but more in my free time because I want to go more towards other areas of

2015 Edgefestivities

Hunter Buchanan, junior

APRIL 9, 2015

“I’m really excited for the entire aspect of it. I’ve dreamed of prom since I can remember. I have always wanted to feel like a princess for one night, and I think prom is perfect for that. I’m super pumped for pictures and the dance itself as well. Prom time is extremely stressful for every senior, but I think it’s the one night nobody will ever forget, whether it’s with their friends or their date. It should be an overall awesome night. The best part was probably picking out decorations and a theme. We wanted something elegant this year so both guys and girls could get the feel for prom.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing everything – the decorations, the music, the food – come together. It’s really exciting to think about how it’s going to look when the time finally comes. It’s cool to be a part of something that everyone is going to experience. I really hope everyone will like this prom, because we got input from a group of students for opinions on music, food, themes and decorations. We’ve put so much detail and work into planning everything so I hope everyone will enjoy the prom that we planned.”

As always, this year's acts at the spring music festival Edgefest are predicted to captivate the crowd. Performances range from chart-toppers like Vance Joy to Edgefest veterans like New Politics to and up-and coming musicians like Robert Delong attempting to get their music on the airways. For many, this will be their first time experiencing the event, but for others, it’s become a tradition to attend. On April 25, Toyota Stadium will be filled with lovers of all genres of music.

THE WILDCAT TALES

Kinza Sohail, senior

By Vincent Tellez

Myhan Doung, senior

The crowd is his muse and the dance floor is his home. The lights are flashing, the beats are pounding and there are fists pumping everywhere. Unlike students who may spend their weekends with friends, junior Akeaf Syed spends his time controlling the dance floor as DJ Phoenix.

“Being a DJ as I consider it is an art of music that branches out beyond what we can imagine,” Syed said.

“What I do is basically find the biggest hits in music ranging from Electronic Dance Music down to the top pop hits that most people listen to. Taking these, I remix them and mix them around so that they become part of a mix that is created based on what I’m focused on.”

Being a DJ isn’t just about playing songs and taking requests. They make music remixes that are created to reflect the vibe of the crowd or an event.

“Sometimes I make dubstep remixes of other mixes and songs that I mess around with to bring the ‘rave’ vibe,” Syed said. “At other times, I bring in the trance portion and add a sense of serenity to the crowd.”

6

Jocelyn De La Rosa, senior

“I'm pretty psyched about Banks and Hozier.

I've enjoyed listening to them for quite some time now. I'm mostly excited to just hangout with my friends before heading to prom that night. I think it'll be extremely loud and hot. I'm hoping to find new artists that I will listen to in the future.”

Photo submitted by Akeaf Syed

A program on junior Akeaf Syed’s computer runs his music.

“Music expresses our soul through something worth more than words,” Syed said. “It’s us in the worst and best of times.

Without it, the world would be too silent for us to live in.”

education,” Syed said. “Being a DJ is something I want to do just as a hobby – but a very addictive one.”

Syed said he finds ways to connect with others through his music and as a DJ because the people on the dance floor are the ones to please.

“I do it because I enjoy doing it,” Syed said. “I enjoy mixing music and playing it and realizing that my mix is the reason people enjoy their day because they heard it and feel a bit better. Music unites us all in ways we can’t imagine and it’s great knowing I’m someone who helps.”

Opinion

7

Secret life of an American teenager

By Kelsey Campbell A typical Monday morning for my father in high school involved waking up to a traditional home style breakfast. Eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy – the works. Back in this day and age, health was not emphasized as much. Afterwards, he would be rushed off to school with the faint holler “Make good choices!” from a concerned matronly voice playing in the background.

Most weekdays I wake up groggy from the previous night’s busy schedule. While running out the door, having timed my morning ritual to the second to allow maximum sleep time, I have a spilt second to decide if I want to grab a quick and easy on the go breakfast or simply not all. Most days I regretfully chose the not-at-all option and am ravenous by lunch time.

The overall pace of life has sped up for teenagers now. Everyone is in a hurry to get somewhere.

My dad spent the morning half of the school day looking forward to lunch and the last half counting the hands on the clock longing for the final bell. Don’t get me wrong, my dad knows he wasn’t a star student. He spent his silent reading days shooting spitballs and his homework assignments were turned in a day late if the teacher was lucky, but he graduated high school with flying colors.

A good school day for me is not having a test until after lunch, ending the day without intense pain in my right wrist from the aggressive yet speedy note taking I have mastered, and being able to spend

lunch with my friends instead of cramming for a pop quiz I heard about in what I call the “High School Grapevine.”

The “High School Grapevine” is a network of anxious whispers scattered throughout the hallways. These whispers can contain anything from little red horned devils carrying around the hottest gossip to angels with wings warning of quizzes in my next period.

Unlike when my dad was in school, the education system has turned into one big hunger games.

Everyone is in constant competition with their neighbor.

The word “good” isn’t good enough for this generation. The student fulfilling his or her personal best is no longer qualified as successful. Friendships momentarily halt upon entering the battlefield commonly known as the classroom.

High grades are barely commendable. Students are evaluated in a number of different areas that have no correlation with grades such as how many days they attend school, what they do for fun and how often or not often they participate in charitable acts. A student’s whole high school career can be compressed onto a white sheet of computer paper in a series of quantitative data to be easily compared to other students.

Upon my father’s arrival home from school he would get the glorious choice of either soaking up the sun playing simple outdoor games with the neighborhood kids or helping Grandma with dinner. After dinner, my father would retreat to

“The word ‘good’ isn’t good enough for this generation.”

Graphics by Ariana Leyva

his room, telling Grandma he was busy doing homework but would in turn sneak away and go on adventures with his neighborhood band of misfits - Tom Sawyer style.

What I do after school makes my hectic school day look like child’s play. I somehow manage to balance two hours worth of family time, two hours worth of friend time, two hours worth of procrastinating, and eight hours of homework into a single night. The secret is no sleep. I normally get two to three hours of sleep per night, but, hey at least I have an A in Physics.

What’s even scarier than my lack of the sleep is what my life would be like if I got the suggested amount of sleep. I would have no friends, my 6month-old niece probably wouldn’t even be able to recognize me without the dark circles under my eyes and my grades would be in the single digits.

High school students never seem to have enough time for anything, always taking breaks to check up on social media. Don’t check social media? That’s unheard of. Don’t you know that’s where teenagers get their self-worth? Unlike our parent’s generation, when the school day ends, the day is never over. Due to social media the day carries on all night – nonstop.

Being born in the late ‘90s automatically signs you up for a whole different life than your parents. Students in this age are doomed to a life their parents could not even imagine.

Change is a brother-less house

By Mari Brown Ah, change. Change hits every part of your life at some point. This year, the changes I am experiencing can be found within my family. My family has always been a huge part of my life and with my siblings leaving for college, I feel like something is missing. I have always thought of myself as someone who embraces change, but with my siblings leaving me, I’m not as big of a fan.

I’ve lived with a family of six for nearly 15 years, one younger sister and two older brothers.

Now it’s a family of four – my brothers are off in college. Of course I was happy at first. From the outside, it looks like I’m living the good life – no one around to eat all the food and hog the T.V. But, as a younger sister, that’s what we do to our older siblings. Pretend we won’t miss them when they leave.

As the days turn into weeks and the weeks into months, I realize that this adjustment is something that takes time to adapt to. Of course my brothers can come home for holidays, and I may get to visit them on Parents’ Weekend. But that’s a lot different from having them home with me 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

After they graduate from college, they will be out in the real world with a job and eventually a family. In two years, I will be in college, with my sister following the year after. Our family won’t be whole for much longer. When the six of us are together, I forget to treasure those moments. Then, just like that, my brothers are gone and the four of us are left behind.

Surprisingly enough, the annoying things my brothers did are some of the things I miss the most about them. My brother Matt would

always kick me off the TV when he wanted to play XBOX. Now I watch endless hours of TV with no breaks because no one’s here to tell me, “I’m on, Mari.” It was probably a good thing I had him around. My procrastination levels have definitely increased since he left.

Graphic by Ariana Leyva

My other brother, Jake, would always hound me and my sister, Jenna, on what we’ve been up to, asking how school was and if we learned anything new. Now when we Skype him I love telling him about everything that’s been going on and give him big hugs when he comes home.

Jake would also wake us up early on the weekends so we wouldn’t waste the day away. I am not a morning person so I wasn’t always happy to see him shaking me awake at 9 in the morning. I may not necessarily miss waking up early, but I do miss seeing his face around the house.

It may seem like every moment with them was an annoyance, but we shared fun times. Matt is a big fan of rap music, so whenever he drove me and my sister around, he would crank up his rap station and we would all just start dancing like we were at the club. Whenever I drive to school and there’s nothing good on the radio, I’ll go to his rap station and think about him and how he’s doing at his first year at college.

Jake and I always considered ourselves to be the smartest out of the four kids. We’d always discuss what books we were reading and I liked hearing him and my dad talk politics. Now I wear his oversize t-shirts because they bring a sense of comfort for me as he lives 14 hours away from me, studying abroad in Germany.

There are good changes, like getting a driver’s license, or a new car – when you fully embrace the change cause it satisfies what you want. Although embracing change isn’t really my forte this year, I’m hoping to eventually accept it, knowing there’s a bigger picture behind it for why it’s happening. But, for now, change means missing out on Matt’s rap music and Jake’s constant questions. For now, change is not on my side.

April 9, 2015 Volume 69 Issue 9

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

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8 THE WILDCAT TALES

APRIL 9, 2015