Issue 3 November 3, 2011

www.wildcattales.com

The Wildcat Tales volume lxvi

November 3, 2011

Issue Three

Rugby stands on its own

Page 3

Plano Senior High School

Profile on Cameron Meyers www.wildcattales.com

Occupy Wall Street reaches Dallas

By Erin Ball

Wall Street is the original location of a protest against social and economic inequality which has sparked a chain of demonstrations across the country. The organization came together for its first march on Sept. 17 in Zuccotti Park in Manhattan. Written all over their website

and across many of the protesters’ signs, slogans such as “We are the 99%” and “We march for hope not hate” support the self-proclaimed resistance movement.

A mission statement released by the leaders of Occupy Wall Street summarizes what purpose these protesters have adopted. “We call for a revolution of the mind as well as the body politic,” reads the statement.

Growing off of New York’s success, movements such as Occupy Denver, Miami, Portland, Chicago and Austin have taken ground. Locally, the Occupy Dallas movement has fixed itself inside City Hall Park with a population of about 120 people showing up daily to protest.

One of Occupy Dallas’s supporters, David

As seniors begin to look to the next phase of their education, many have come to find that the high price of obtaining a college education is a bitter pill to swallow.

College Board pegs the increase in tuition and fees at about 130 percent over the past 20 years. If the average family income in the US had risen by the same percentage, it would now be $77,000.

“Here in Texas we have a growing population, so they have to expand their facilities,” AVID teacher Jackie Dillon said.

“They have to build more buildings, and hire more professors. They have more resources they have to purchase, and they’re going to have to compensate for that somehow.

Nationwide, I think it’s keeping costs under control. And if they don’t have subsidies from the state and federal government, they’re going to have to raise tuition.”

These rising prices have already impacted students and parents.

“Although I’m applying to some out-ofstate schools, the prices are going to affect if I even end up going to [those schools],” senior Eden Stone said. “It’s really going to be hard for me if I get accepted somewhere

that I really want to go, and I’m not going to end up being able to go there.”

Senior Alex Bui has also been forced to change his college plans because of the price of higher education. He is looking at UNT, Tarrant County Community College, and TCU. “I’ll most likely have to go to the community college because it’s cheaper,” Bui said.

In order to cover the difference between what they can pay and what they need to pay, students are taking other measures as well.

“I’m doing the early action for applications, because I need time to see what money I can and can’t get,” Stone said.

“The first year I’m in college I’m not going to be allowed to have a job, but after that I’m probably going to end up working on campus somewhere to have money on the side.”

Teachers in the AVID program have been helping students navigate through the application process. They also are asking their students to apply for financial aid.

“We do have a financial aid night in

If you really knew me Page 5

Basketball season to start Nov. 15

Finch, is a college sophomore attending Southern Methodist University. He is a Plano resident and graduated two years ago from Plano East Senior High School.

“These Occupy movements mean a lot to the people who participate in them,” Finch said. “Some are here because they are tired of watching corporations stick their nose at every piece of political legislation. Others are here because we don’t quite understand how the economic situation got so bad, and it frustrates us.”

Each city is different in terms of where and how often protesters meet. One similarity among all of the movements, however, is that they all adhere to the idea of the people’s assembly, an unofficial legislative body that votes democratically to make decisions for a group.

“We meet up outside, hope for a beautiful day and plan what we want the rest of the world and these big businesses to know,” Finch said. “We make our posters, introduce ourselves, and dive deep into conversation. No one is too pushy. There are some leaders that pop up sporadically.

Continued on Page 2

Rising costs of college affect students

By Miles Hutson

Plano, TX, USA

February every year,” AVID teacher Aimee Ratliff said. “We have two ladies from Collin College, and they walk through the forms with the parents, and they plug in the information, and then they can submit their application from FAFSA that night.”

Students have the opportunity to view scholarships available through College Board and other websites. The counseling department also supplies a list to students.

The Hendrick scholarship is a scholarship where students are given a full ride to Collin College for two years and any other school for the remaining two.

“The big deal is that with the financial problems we have now there’s more demand and more competition,” Dillon said.

Although prices are rising, college attendance has not decreased. According to the Institute of Education Sciences, the number of students enrolled in degree granting institutions has increased by about 5 million from 2000 to 2010.

“A college education is necessary,” Bui said. “If I have to, I’ll have to spend as much as I can to get an education.”

Photo by Paul Burnham

Senior Quinte Mann shoots a basket at basketball practice.

Come out and support the 2011-2012 men’s basketball team this season. First game at home.

Photo by Paul Burnham

Senior Michael Akomer runs a drill

News

November 3, 2011

Graduates struggle to find work after college

By Kimberly Mei

Many high school kids are crazy for college. They can’t wait to live with their friends, pig out on ramen and ice cream, and crash frat parties. It seems like sometimes all they think about is getting out of their parents’ houses and being “independent.”

However, becoming financially independent usually isn’t at the top of their to-do lists.

But after four years of college, many graduates face the daunting task of laying out a path in the “real world.” New graduates in 2009 had 40 percent fewer job prospects than there were the previous year.

To make matters worse, the median starting salary for graduates from four-year colleges in 2009 and 2010 was 10 percent less than what it had been from 2006 to 2008.

“I think it’s harder for college graduates to find jobs now because there are more college graduates,” Deanna Mei, 21, a former student who graduated from Northwestern University said. “I think in the past getting a higher education was more selective and a lot of people just chose to go about and jump into the family business or do their own thing after high school, but I think now almost everyone is getting it.”

However, not all majors are feeling the pinch equally. While job prospects have been lowered overall, graduates of computer science or math majors are most likely to find a job. In contrast, humanities and area studies majors, such as Women’s Studies or Film and Media Studies, are having the hardest time. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, those in the fine arts should expect “keen competition,” and the the lowest rating for job opportunities. “[The job hunt] has been quite slow,” Bethany Lo, 22, a former student who graduated from Ringling College of Art and Design said. “I started interviewing in April while I was still a senior. The answers were usually vague. After graduation, I tried

my best to network and spread my demo reel and resume. Still, the answers were the same. One recruiter even told me, ‘We love your stuff and style so much. Please expect a phone call in 15 months.’ I can’t even count how many resumes and emails I sent out.”

Lo, who graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Computer Animation, now works for Moonbot Studios. She received a call from them after five months of job hunting.

“The harsher job market is all I really know,” Lo said. “Due to the economy, a lot of senior artists are willing to take pay cuts to continue working. If artists of their caliber are being paid at a lower price but are still creating top quality work, why would companies want to hire and pay fresh graduates that have little experience and a possibly lower skill level?

Not to say that some bigger companies haven’t, but more and more companies are taking away their entry level positions.”

As a result, instead of plunging into the harsh job market straight out of four years of college, many graduates are now opting to continue on in their studies.

“Most of [my friends] are getting a higher education, or like me, doing a gap year between undergrad and graduate school,” Mei, who has resumed her job search after taking time off to study for the Law School Admission Test, or LSAT, said.

“Though we all have to enter the job market sometime after college, the years spent at Plano can play a significant role in preparing us.

“The biggest thing that’s helped me in high school was actually AP English,” Mei said. “I know AP English can be perceived as a headache because of the standards of the teachers and the repetitive writing assignments on books you are forced to read, but just being able to write coherently on any topic you’re assigned

really helps to write cover letters. Having to read a lot of convoluted language might help you get to the point faster and figure out what the employer is asking for because if you don’t tailor [your cover letter] exactly to the job, you won’t have as great a chance of getting interviewed.”

Classes at Plano helped Lo prepare specifically for her future area of study and work. “[High school] set a standard on what quality of work I should be outputting,” Lo said. “The AP art courses that I took helped because my teachers helped me gain a better understanding of what being in the art industry was like. Basically high school taught me good work ethic which helped me create a strong portfolio in college.”

But being at school offers chances to hone more than just academic abilities.

“The best thing to prepare for work is your interpersonal skills,” principal Sarah Watkins said. “Get to know people who are different from yourself and try to understand different perspectives so you’re not just focused on how you and your family see the world. The great thing about a school the size of Plano is you can meet a wide variety of people, and you can learn how to work and communicate with a large variety of people. And frankly, be likeable to a wide variety of people.

You have to be very tolerant yourself.”

Moreover, performances in high school and what colleges attend will determine what the networks have to pull from once it comes time to focus on starting a career.

“Networking is more important than ever because you never know when a classmate could help you find a job,” Lo said. “I’ve gotten used to recruiters ignoring my emails. I think the best thing is perseverance, keeping in touch with past alums and updating recruiters so they remember that you exist. Giving up is out of the question.”

Yet Mei wants students to know that there’s never a guarantee for a job after you graduate.

“Plano is a really good school district, but don’t expect by taking all APs and being the best of the best students that you’ll be guaranteed a job. There are a lot of factors,” Mei said. “You have to figure out what you want to do with your life; you have to have everything in order. In high school it’s good to research exactly what you want to do and I know it might be hard, but to make sure that you’re good at what you intend to do. The earlier you can figure that out, the better.”

Watkins believes that being diligent and hardworking are crucial traits that still apply to today’s generation of students.

“You have to be smart and willing,” Watkins said. “You’re just going to have to put in a lot of hours. Students should try very hard to make live contacts, even though your generation connects very comfortably through technology.”

In a brighter turn of events, the National Association of Colleges and Employers has found that 53 percent of employers surveyed intended to hire more college graduates this year than they had in 2010. The NACE also reported that starting salaries for college seniors have risen for the first time since 2008 at 3.5 percent from last year. Watkins also feels optimistic about the future.

“I think [job prospects] will get better,” Watkins said. “Absolutely. Always.”

Lo doesn’t want students to be discouraged about pursuing careers that don’t have the highest job prospects.

“Everybody always talks about this starving artist nonsense, but keep up the hard work and you’ll reap the benefits in the end. If you really love whatever it is you wish to be, then by all means you’ll achieve it through the amount of effort you put into getting it. Don’t be the grasshopper, be the ant.”

Occupy Wall Street reaches Dallas

By Erin Ball Continued from cover They get the crowd going and are the loudest of all the voices.”

Unlike Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Dallas does not have a general assembly. The New York General Assembly at Occupy Wall Street combines all the protesters into one. They have a common session every day with facilitators. These facilitators discuss issues such as funding and location.

“The General Assembly in New York is where we look for support,” Finch said. “They have a lot more to deal with, though, because most of their protesters stay the night. They have to raise money for stuff like laundry, extra food and poster supplies. We don’t have that here, but we take most of our cues from them.”

Finch’s father was a finance attorney for Chase Bank. He graduated with a law degree from Stanford University, and was hired right of college. His job included managing contracts and securing mortgage and foreclosure settlements for new businesses. His father often dealt with cases in the $5 million to $10 million range.

“I remember a few years back when my dad would tell me that the Bank was sinking further and further in trouble,” Finch said.

“He had to take more and more people to court to get the branches more money. His

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bosses stressed that the branches needed more money. Now looking back on it, it bothers me that no one knew the type of trouble the bank was in. Sure my dad told me, but telling a 10-year-old about an evolving financial crisis doesn’t help much. That’s what I feel like happened with the nation’s economy. Big businesses and banks were spending too much and not making enough, but the people who were supposed to raise the red flags only told their ten year olds.”

The nation went into a recession in December of 2007. A bailout bill worth 700 billion taxpayer dollars was passed in congress and signed by President Bush.

Citigroup, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Chrysler, American Express and many others have all taken a share of this bailout money because they were considered too big to fail. A small percentage of this money has been returned but not all of it.

“When I was in high school, I didn’t have stocks in a company or really understand what subsidiaries or lending firms were,” Finch said. “To be honest, I still don’t understand it as much as I should. It seems to me that since it came down to $700 billion, this was no small matter. No one knew about it. No one talked about it. I just fear that if we keep letting the government and these

companies work the way they were before, one day we’ll wake up and the president will be signing another bill for $800 billion, then one for $900 billion, and it won’t stop.”

Occupy Dallas points out flaws with the social strata that comes from an unstable economy. They fight against unfair taxation, the growing concern over medical insurance and lack of jobs.

“I just don’t think it’s fair,” Finch said. “You have me working my butt off in school and at a full time job. I don’t have bad enough credit for a tax break or a lot of stuff to donate to write off. I’ve been an adult for a year now, and my parents will help me as much as they can, but there is line that needs to be drawn. I am here because, frankly, I’m annoyed. I am going to graduate college and be so far in debt that my first few years with a degree will be the poorest of my life, with or without a job. That’s scary.”

Anyone can be involved in the resistance movement whether it is through participation physically or through donations. Occupy Wall Street and its affiliates have taken their campaign online to Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. The website www. occupytogether.org hosts a chat and a forum for its members. It also offers free posters and other information resources.

“Everyone should be involved because the truth is that no one will remain unaffected,” Finch said. ”It is especially important for the young people. It doesn’t matter if you don’t pay taxes. We admire reasonable people. This is not an elephant in the room anymore. It is okay to ask questions and it always has been. It’s okay to be idealistic. I don’t want opportunity to end with reality. That’s why I fight.”

The Occupy movement recognizes that there are a lot of people who do not support what they’re doing. It is true that the protesters contribute to rising sanitation and security costs in every city they rally in.

“My dad is one of those people who sees me and my friends as hooligans,” Finch said. “He’s partially right though because not everyone is in it for the right reasons.

He tells me that I can plant a tree or build a house, and be doing more good. I don’t see it that way because it’s not just the fact that I want more money in my pocket.

It’s everything. It’s education, insurance, medicine, the idea of privacy, government and economics and how separate they really are or should be. The protests won’t last forever, but corruption will.”

November 3, 2011

Rugby stands on its own

Sports

By Yeesoo Lee

Plano rugby club faces off in a scrum.

A

t school, one will be able to find amongst the various clubs and organizations that the school offers the rugby team. The rugby team is not UIL sponsored nor supported by the district. That means the team does not get much publicity or awareness. Nevertheless, the team has a significant number of players and is continually growing.

“When my brother, Jared Baird, was a senior back in 2008-2009, he joined the rugby team after football season was over,” senior Jordan Baird said. “I loved watching him play, and through him, I developed a love for rugby myself, so this year I made the decision to join the rugby team.”

Rugby is not available for off campus

set up in Plano,” Theodore said.

“Because we have kids from Wakeland, Rockwall and Plano schools, we cram everything into these times so people that are far out do not have to come out more than twice a week.”

Even with the diversity of schools, the Rugby team is able to support and motivate each other. With the variety, players are able to learn about other school districts and meet other players from different regions.

“I get to meet a whole new set of guys from different schools, and I love it,” Baird said. “We always talk about

past games from our respective schools.

There is some trash talking when Plano beats East and West in certain sports, but that’s part of the fun.”

This year, the rugby team is pushing forward and dedicating time to practice in defending their record.

“We find our ways to do as much as we can,” Theodore said. “Our team is constantly growing, and there’s generally a rush after football. We are defending the state’s seventh rugby champs with many returning starters and hope to bring home another state championship this year.”

Photo submission by Matt Theodore

credit, which means the players cannot take seventh period off, while campus sports like lacrosse and gymnastics are able to. The financial responsibility also falls on the team members.

“All money comes from direct fundraising from the team members,” Theodore said. “Travel expenses for tournaments and other events can rack up pretty quickly.”

Another responsibility that the rugby team has is scheduling practices and meetings. Because not all players on the team go to Plano, all the players have to work together to set up practices so that the whole team can meet and practice.

“Meetings and practice are traditionally

The scrum half punts the ball into play.

Photo submission by Matt Theodore

Page Three

Features

By Stephanie Jabri

I

November 3, 2011

The odd ones out

n auto-tech, girls are the minority.

Five of the 70 total students are female. Senior Alicia Condrey is one of the few girls who are taking autotech this year and is the only girl in her zero hour and first period class.

Condrey is originally from a rural background, which helped spark her interest in fixing up cars.

“I grew up on a farm, and my dad and I just worked on the machinery there,” Condrey said. “I have a little bit of background knowledge, but I wanted to learn more.”

Condrey feels that her peers were apprehensive at first to accept the presence of a girl in auto-tech.

“Everyone was looking over their shoulder, like, ‘Why is there a girl in our class?’” Condrey said. “After a while they warmed up to me, and I warmed up to them, and I made a couple friends.”

Auto-tech teacher Robert Watson says that as long as someone is willing to work hard, his or her gender doesn’t matter.

“Most of the first year students are pretty much all novices,” Watson said.

“Very rarely do we have anybody that has any kind of experience and that pretty much levels everybody out, so as long as the person is willing to put in the time and pay attention, they can learn the skill and actually be productive.

And that’s anybody; male or female.”

Watson also believes that auto-tech can offer valuable information that a student can use throughout their life.

“This class is good for understanding the workings of your car,” Watson said. “If you drive a vehicle, it’s not a bad idea to understand how some of the parts work, especially for emergency situations. Also there are some instances when you might be able to save yourself some money by doing the work yourself.”

So far, Condrey does not have any regrets about taking auto-tech. She enjoys the curriculum and describes the class as fun, exciting and mind blowing.

“I find the class interesting

because of the different kinds of jobs we perform,” Condrey said.

“We’re not limited to one task, because there’s always something else going on with which I can help.

Plus, I’m not stuck sitting in a quiet classroom, reading some weird book titled ‘Auto-Tech and You.’” Condrey says the class is based more on physical experiences working with cars than it is doing bookwork, and it is easy to get dirty while fixing the cars.

“I get oil on my clothes all the time,” Condrey said. “And that’s exactly what [Mr. Watson] told us on the first day: we should wear whatever we can get dirty because it will. I used to bring clothes to change into, but I got used to having little spots on my pants or shirt, and everyone knows I’m in auto-tech, so they think ‘Oh, you did something today.’”

Condrey enjoys auto-tech so much that she is contemplating auto-mechanics as a career option.

“I hope to pursue it further after school and maybe build a future around it,” Condrey said.

On her list of possible colleges she noted Lincoln Tech.

“It’s a technical school, and that’s where my boyfriend goes,” Condrey said. “So far he has nothing to say about it but good things.

He’s going to become a diesel mechanic, so he thinks it’s pretty awesome that I’m in auto-tech.”

Condrey has a message for all girls interested in cars.

“If there are any girls out there interested in taking auto-tech, I really recommend it,” Condrey said. “If you’re interested in the trade or just want to learn, it’s definitely worth it.

Just be prepared to get your hands dirty.”

F

ashion design has always interested senior Alex Miranda. Miranda decided to enroll in the Fashion Design class during his junior year. He is now in the Advanced Fashion Design class.

“Initially I decided to take Fashion Design because I had an interest in making hoodies,” Miranda said. “I didn’t think there would be a lot of guys in the class, but I didn’t think I would end up being the only one.”

Miranda is the only guy in the two hour class of 18 students. He says being in a class full of girls is interesting.

“The people in the class are really cool, and you hear a lot of interesting topics in a class of girls like some party where people were really stupid or issues with parents,” Miranda said. “I do end up getting a girl’s point of view on a lot of stuff.”

Currently Miranda is working on a dress he designed for his girlfriend, senior Jacqueline Jewison. He says she is very supportive of him being in Fashion Design.

“She’ll make snarky jokes every now and then,” Miranda said. “She thinks it’s hilarious. She jokes around and calls me a ‘fashionisto.’ It’s kind of cool because no matter what, I’ll always have a model.”

Jewison hasn’t seen the dress yet, but she knows Miranda is working on it.

“I hear it’s really complicated to make,” Jewison said. “I’m excited about it, but I just really want to see it because right now it’s an imaginary dress. I’ve seen a couple things that he has made, but not a whole lot. The stuff he has shown me is pretty good, but I think it’ll just get better as he continues to work on it.”

Jewison and Miranda have been dating for seven months. Jewison says she knew Miranda was in Fashion Design when she met him.

“I think it’s kind of funny that he’s

The girl who does it all

By Emma Barishman There is no one like senior Tara Brown. She begins her day with AP Music Theory and then continues on to Music Corporation rehearsals, followed

by Varsity A Capella choir rehearsals. She has a break for lunch if she’s not studying or practicing, and then Brown continues her day with Honors English, Chamber Choir and Honors Theatre Productions.

After a full school day, Brown often has play rehearsals or voice lessons.

Brown has been planning her senior schedule since eighth grade. She has taken four classes on e-school and in summer school in order to work her schedule out the way she wants it.

“I love my schedule and all my classes,” Brown said. “English is my least favorite because it’s my only core class.”

However, Brown did face some challenges because of her driven scheduling. She often took classes that her friends wouldn’t take until later in their high school careers.

“None of my friends could help me with a lot of the work I had, since they

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hadn’t taken the classes I was in yet,” Brown said. “I consistently had more work to do than many of my peers.”

But Brown doesn’t mind the work.

She has been planning ahead in order to achieve her dreams. Brown got her start in theatre when she performed in the musical Oklahoma! in sixth grade. Since then, she hasn’t been able to imagine doing anything else.

“I saw Thoroughly Modern Millie at Plano in middle school and that truly confirmed my passion for musical theatre,” Brown said.

Some of Brown’s favorite memories come from the time she has spent with her choir and theatre families.

“I loved the Branson trip last year - all my best friends spending one wonderful weekend together,” Brown said. “And all of my years at theatre camp over the summer are my fondest memories.”

Brown plans to major in musical theatre and obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ithaca College, Carnegie Mellon University, Point Park University

or Coastal Carolina University. She would like to move to New York City and pursue a career on Broadway.

Brown has been working outside of school to prepare for her college auditions.

“First I have to find all my monologues and songs,” Brown said. “Then I work them with my voice and acting coach, David Gaschen, as well as drilling them by myself.”

In order to attend auditions, Brown must juggle different colleges’ demands for audition times. However, Brown faces more than just scheduling challenges as she prepares for her college auditions. No matter how much she prepares, Brown still may not succeed.

“I am extremely worried about going into such a subjective major,” Brown said.

“My looks are very generic, so getting into a program could come down to the way I look when compared to other students instead of being based on my talent.”

Despite her anxieties about college auditions, Brown feels academically

By Danielle Deraleau

in Fashion Design,” Jewison said. “Not a lot of guys do it, so it’s neat. I’m glad that he’s pushing through that. This is what he wants to do: be a fashion designer.”

Advanced Fashion Design teacher Bonnie Turnbo has had guys in her Fashion Design and Advanced Fashion Design classes before.

“I feel like he fits in with the rest of the class,” Turnbo said. “I even told him one day that he brings a lot to the class because of his point of view and perspective. He’s very into fashion, and he works well with the ladies. He’s a very complimentary part of the class.”

Miranda prefers making women’s clothes instead of men’s. However, changing men’s fashion is something he wants to embrace.

“At Homecoming, there were a lot of guys wearing pretty much the same thing,” Miranda said. “It was almost a uniform. There might have been one bow tie and a couple vests. When you look at all the different dresses that were there, that’s the type of variety I really like.”

Miranda feels that people judge him or come to a fast conclusion when they find out he’s in Fashion Design.

“A while back when people heard that I was in fashion design, they would kind of joke, and I would get a gay joke every now and then,” Miranda said. “A lot of times I’m fine with it, but some other times it’s been a little more troubling.

It’s odd, and it’s a guy in a class full of girls. I wouldn’t be surprised if they questioned my intentions of being in the class or questioned who I am.”

Despite the jokes, Miranda says he wants to pursue a career in the fashion design industry.

“I don’t regret taking fashion design,” Miranda said. “I love the class.

It’s something I definitely want to carry through with.”

prepared for college thanks to the classes she has taken. The skills that her complicated schedule has taught her will last her throughout her life.

“Being in so many classes throughout my high school career has definitely taught me time management skills,” Brown said.

“And I have learned to relax even in the midst of extreme stress and endless todo lists.”

Brown has learned life lessons from individual classes, as well.

“Besides teaching me about diction, projection and making choices, theatre has taught me compassion, understanding, communication, unity and most importantly, patience,” Brown said. “Besides the obvious – sight reading, musicality, tonality – choir has taught me that singing is more than just something to do; it is art, creation, expression and anyone can touch another’s life with music.”

Features

November 3, 2011

If you really knew me...

By Haley Bunnell

T

Photo by Haley Bunnell

wo years ago around Thanksgiving, senior Brittani Feledichuk faced one of the biggest struggles of her life, which was being honest with whom she really was and becoming comfortable with her difference. Brittani is attracted to girls.

She became open about her sexuality to only a few friends at first, worried about certain friends’ and her family’s reactions.

Luckily, her friends stuck with her. It was not as easy when her parents found out.

“When they found out, they decided to sit me down and talk to me and brought a Bible to the discussion,” Brittani said.

“They were pretty harsh at first, my dad especially, because he wanted me to be his perfect little angel. The phrases they used were ‘it was God’s will I was straight, that it’s supposed to be that way.”’

Even before she came out to her parents, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community topic wasn’t acceptable in her Christian household.

One day while she was watching the part in “Finding Nemo” where Dory, voiced by Ellen De Generous was singing “Just Keep

Swimming,” her father started ranting on gay people, and how it wasn’t right.

“He didn’t realize what he was saying,” Brittani said. “He didn’t know that it hurt me. When I was growing up, gay people always seemed to be a group that was out there, a group where I could never know one personally, let alone be one myself.

Stuff like that really solidified a wall in front of me. Telling me not only are my feelings wrong and horrible but I should do whatever I could possibly do to get rid of them, and I tried everything. The challenge wasn’t necessarily that they couldn’t accept me; it was that my parents were hurt by it also. I tried for all three of us to be what they wanted me to be, and it didn’t work.”

Brittani read books on how to be straight, popped a rubber band every time a “bad thought” came to her mind and tried to completely disregard her feelings.

“When certain feelings crept up, I would try to get rid of them,” Brittani said. “I would think someone’s cute, but I would try to automatically change what I just thought.

I’d say in my mind ‘she is a great friend and that is all.’ Then I would look at guys, and say ‘he has big muscles, and he is hot, I guess maybe. Maybe I should want to be with him?’ It was really awkward trying to convince myself that I was straight.”

Brittani struggled with the fact that her parents didn’t accept the idea and tried to explain it to them.

“I told them that I tried being straight for quite some time,” Brittani said. “Once I realized it myself, I still tried. I still dated guys, trying to be what they expected me to be, because, honestly, it would be a lot easier if I was straight. I wouldn’t have to worry if I am going to be able to get married, pay insurance, or adopt a child. I wouldn’t have to worry about any of those things, but because I choose to be open with who I really am, I do. It wasn’t that I woke up one day and decided ‘Hey, I really want to have a hard life.’ It was definitely something that I

fought for some time, something I did not want to be.”

Through time, however, her parents are becoming more accepting and trying to be there for Brittani.

“My parents have gotten so much better,” Brittani said. “I give them credit because I can see how hard it would be for them because they are very religious people. The general idea of it was they hated the sin but not the sinner. Both of my parents aren’t 100 percent accepting yet, but they love me.

They say they are trying, and I know they are because they just took pictures of me, and my homecoming date. It was a little awkward at first, but I know it was effort on their part.”

When Brittani’s brother George Feledichuk found out about her sexuality, they weren’t on the best of terms. Through time, he became very supportive by being there for her to talk, providing connections to a community of open- minded friends and standing up for her when times got rough.

“I’ve always been supportive of my LGBT friends,” George said. “That was no different for her. Even though we fought a lot, I would defend her endlessly against close-minded individuals. Brittani is one of my best friends. I could not have said that a few years ago, but life changes people. When we hang out, we play video games and talk about life. The same stuff I do with any other friend.”

Not only was it a struggle at home when she came out, but it was a challenge at school, too from remarks by teachers and students.

“The first year I was out, it was horrible,” Brittani said. “Just daily, things would pop up and rip me down. I’ve had teachers before that didn’t really check what they were saying and didn’t realize it [hurt me]. There still are people that make remarks here and there. I have been called dyke quite often, and faggot down the halls, even been pushed a couple times, but honestly that was more Jasper

than Plano. Here not many people care that much. I still have gotten a few remarks like ‘hey dyke’. And I’m just, like, ‘Hi, okay’, and I smile awkwardly. I don’t really know how else I am supposed to respond.”

Brittani explained that if anyone was to slam a kid to the locker because of his or her sexuality there would be 30 people right behind backing the victim up. Even outside of school there are campaigns like the “It Gets Better Campaign” where firefighters, marines, teachers and other people are saying, “It might suck right now, but it gets better” to individuals in the LGBT community in order to prevent suicide. There are also many books like “Stranger at the Gate” by Mel White who came out and struggled with religion just like Brittani, which helped Brittani move on.

“I am not as comfortable as I hope to be, but eventually I will get there,” Brittani said.

“I am much better than I was my sophomore year. I dress how I want, do my hair how I want, talk how I want and I don’t let those people who hate on people like me bother me like they used to. It used to be such a stab in my heart every time they would say or look at me badly. Now I just take it how it is.”

Brittani has stood up for herself through all of her struggles and lives day to day, even with such hatred.

“We are just like everyone else,” Brittani said. “We want to grow up, have successful jobs, and have families. We want to be a part of society. People might not ever be able to understand. I don’t even understand.”

Through all Brittani has been through, she would like people to try not to jump to conclusions, and realize that it is not a choice she made.

“If you really knew me,” Brittani said, “you would know that I have the capacity to love as much as you do.”

Ain’t no mountain high enough A series following senior Lauren Burgess through the college application process

By Meital Boim Sitting at her computer for three hours a night, three nights in a row, senior Lauren Burgess filled out her TCU application. She wrote and rewrote her essay on an influential person in her life, and she and her mom read over it several times.

“It was tiring when my mom was checking over it because I had to change so many little things,” Burgess said. “[It was] so relieving when I was done to finally be able to sit and wait.”

But after finally submitting the application, she realized that something was wrong – she had made a mistake.

“I filled out an activities resume online, and I didn’t realize I checked ‘I’ll be mailing a hard copy of it, too,’” Burgess said. “I did not mean to check it, but I already submitted it, so I had to make another one and type it on Word and print it off.”

Writing a second resume, however, gave

Burgess a chance to add to the blank work experience section. Oct. 22, she participated in a photo shoot for a cheer and dance catalogue, from which schools buy uniforms, practice attire and color guard costumes.

“Our cheerleading coach sent out an email to us, and it was, like, ‘Represent Plano cheer, send in a headshot and a body shot to this place.’ You had to be 5’5” or a small to a medium,” Burgess said. “I sent in my picture and they emailed me back saying, ‘Come in, and we’ll take measurements, and you can try on our clothes,’ so I went in.”

Burgess got one of six spots for the seven hour shoot. After all, putting the job on her resume was not the only perk.

“The photographer was like, ‘I don’t know if I told you, but you’re getting paid,’” Burgess said. “I didn’t even know we were getting paid, so it was a good surprise.”

Page Five

Opinion

November 3, 2011

By Alyssa Matesic I’ve always considered myself to be among those drowning in a glass halfempty. The idea was always romanticized, though; to be cynical was to be somehow more poetic. Tragic events inspire me most, and I’ve swept myself away in their tumultuous nature countless times.

Recently, my half-empty glass spilled, and I suddenly understood the horrible realness of my once sought-after pessimism.

A tragedy is not always picturesque in its fall. Sometimes we see a disaster from a third-person perspective – a distant, disconnected sort of outlook like that from a plane, where people below become ants and are no longer recognizable as human figures at all. We don’t know their story; they serve solely as placeholders, names associated with an event.

History books condense a catastrophe into a few sentences, news channels spit out facts one day and forget the next, and too often that is all that the public knows of the occasion. If we dove further beneath the surface, if we sought to understand

that those who experienced the tragedy are of our same nature, perhaps we’d better understand ourselves.

It may be morbid to have a favorite catastrophic event, but the Titanic sinking has fascinated me since single-digit ages.

Everything about the story is perfect: the lavish time period where it took place, the irony surrounding the so-called “unsinkable” ship and that Leonardo DiCaprio is eternally associated with it.

Throughout my infatuation, I liked to think that I sympathized with the victims.

I thought I understood them on some level – or, at least, understood their last few minutes of life.

When I went to a Titanic museum, however, I realized my research of those people and that ship were meaningless.

There was something there that stretched across eras, something only accessible through experience.

The feeling first hit me upon seeing a deck chair on display. It had been on the first class deck at one point, and was

salvaged a few days after the disaster when a ship went to retrieve bodies from the site.

The wood was battered, the seat broken and torn, the paint completely absent, but it still retained its structure. I wondered who last sat there. What they had been thinking about. If they survived. It seems a silly thing, a chair, but it connected me to that victim on a deep, human level that my research failed to.

The second wave crashed when I saw two lifejackets encased. I stood there for a few long minutes, staring. It was the closest I had ever been to the Titanic. There were pictures of the lifeless bodies, too, but having an item that may have determined the fate of a victim manifested in front of me completely surpassed any other Titanic articles I saw that day. They were human, fighting in that jacket with the exact craving for life that so characterizes people today.

Another detail that drew me so close to the Titanic was the heartbreaking decision that all had to make that night: to live at another’s expense or to die at their own.

There was an older couple on the ship who both were offered seats on a lifeboat.

The man still saw women and children running frantically about on the deck, so he declined his seat as to offer it to them.

His wife followed him, quoting, “We have lived together for many years. Where you go, I go. As we have lived together, so we will die: together.”

I understand that my long-time obsession caused me to have a more emotional experience at the museum than most, but still some form of a universal message presented itself to me. When we simplify tragedies, or any news, we fail to respect or observe the true humanness that lies underneath them all.

I don’t think human nature has changed much historically. Whether the event was centuries ago or just yesterday, we can still ask ourselves the same questions that occurred on the day of the catastrophe – like whether to fight or to succumb – and perhaps find insight into our own character, as well.

Tearing down the walls

By Maelyn Schramm He smells. I don’t want to sit next to him first period. She does drugs. I will not be eating lunch with her. That boy talks to himself, he freaks me out. I would never ever be caught walking in the hallway with him. And that girl has special needs. I won’t even speak to her.

High school students, myself included, judge others 24/7. We see others’ faces in the hallways and judge them on their looks, friends, activities, grades, religion, sexuality, disabilities and many other reasons. In our minds, we deem them acceptable or not, worthy of our friendship or not, “cool” or not. Those who are different and don’t fit in are automatically kicked to the curb. We place these walls of dislike and indifference between ourselves and those we don’t want to associate with, hoping we won’t, God forbid, be forced to work on a project with them in class.

But it’s not okay. I don’t think it’s ever been okay.

In second grade gymnastics, a girl named Emily was in my group. Right away, I thought she was weird. I didn’t talk to her or even try to be her friend just because I assumed we had nothing in common other than gymnastics. I built this wall between us and proceeded to contently avoid her throughout the rest of our classes. In fifth grade, Emily attended my Sunday School class. We instantly became friends after

By Paul Burnham cracking jokes and sharing candy, as fifth graders do. This is our second year to work together, our fourth year to coach a basketball team together and our seventh year of being best friends. Emily’s been by my side through thick and thin. I can’t imagine where I would be without her.

Emily’s friendship has taught me that there is more than meets the eye. If I continued to shun Emily in fifth grade, I would have missed out on memorable sleepovers, crazy road trips and excessive shopping sprees. More importantly, I would be short one loyal friend that has served as more of a much needed sister throughout the years. Judging others can prevent you from getting to know someone who could potentially be a great confidant, an adventurous partner-incrime or a valuable mentor.

Behind these faces that we label, there are stories. There are stories of heartbreak and downfall, stories of perseverance and courage, stories that teach priceless lessons. Others’ activities, wardrobes and disabilities do not define who they are.

Their experiences, their personality, their ambitions and beliefs define who they are.

Maybe it’s about time we stop focusing on the faces we see. Maybe, instead, we should start getting to know the stories behind the faces. It’s time we tear down the walls.

We’re all familiar with that kid in the back of the class that always thinks he or she is right. We are all miffed by their urge to argue everything the teacher says, and equally as enthused when they come up with a new excuse for missing assignments on the daily. Always off topic, never on time. I could keep going, but I think it’s clear which lesser awesome group of students I’m referring to.

I’ve never quite understood why kids feel the need to be so disrespectful to their teachers. Teachers have gone to school for years, degreed in education and a major of their liking, and they’ve dedicated their life to make sure you are ready for the real world that for some of us, is merely months away. Teaching, to me, isn’t a job, it’s not a profession and it’s not for everyone. Teaching is a service to our community, one that is too valuable for words and one that no amount of appreciation will ever compare to the amount of work they put in for students.

Without teachers, without the free public education we take for granted every day, we would be nothing. We would have no government, we would have no jobs, and our future would be a big black hole.

Our education is a privilege, one that millions of kids around the world would kill to have. Yet what puzzles me, is that we are so ignorant to this issue and go without realizing it as we skip class for

a double lunch and refuse to turn in that English paper assigned at the beginning of the semester. For example, when a teacher makes it explicitly clear from the first day that use of cell phones is prohibited in his or her class, yet you consider yourself the exception to the rule and proceed to text through lectures, you’re defying someone that has authority and reason. To make matters worse, you have the audacity to argue when your phone gets taken up claiming that you’re “unaware” or “texting mommy.” The Latin’s once famously said “Ignorantia juris non excusat” which says that ignorance of the law excuses no one, a saying that personally I feel should be taught in kindergarten.

I wish that the aforementioned idiot would take a hint. It’s not fair to me, nor the 30+ other kids in the class, nor the teacher, nor to anyone whose time has been wasted listening to his or her senselessness. I wish that kids would respect not just the people who have committed themselves to a lifelong promise to educate younger generations and to enrich them with the knowledge they need to be successful, but to their peers as well. It’s not that hard of a concept to grasp, respect that is, because it’s all frame-of-mind.

Leave the negativity in the parking lot in the morning, and try, just for a minute to have a little decency while you’re here and you’ll be thoroughly satisfied with the benefits and opportunities that come your way.

Page Six

Review

November 3, 2011

Just In Time

Rating: A

By Ashley Gaudlip

In Time Twentieth Cetntury Fox © 2011

Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried in “In Time.”

The movie “In Time” starts out in the near future where time is used as the currency. In this world people stop aging at the age of 25. The rich are able to become nearly immortal because they never run out of time, while the poor are constantly dying due the lack of time they receive.

Will Salas (Justin Timberlake), a young man from the ghetto, sets out to change this system using the time he is gifted by a wealthy man who has become sick of living. After picking up his new partner in crime, former rich girl Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried), they set out on an actionfilled, Robin Hood-like adventure that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.

Throughout the film, I found myself caught up in both the stunts and the storylines of the characters.

As the movie went on, I could see the parallels between their world and our world today, and I loved the fact that it really made me think about the way money is handled today. All the elements of the film, from the romance to the adventure, blended together immensely well. Uniquely, the underlying plot involving the relationship between Timberlake and Seyfried’s characters worked well as a strong basis for the many other plot lines, as opposed to the normal use of a random romantic relationship to appease the women watching.

In addition, the actors did a superb job; Timberlake’s and Seyfried’s characters were unbelievably thought out and 3-dimensional. It was also exciting to see some familiar faces in roles completely different from what

“Clear As Day” Scotty McCreery album review Name? Scotty McCreery. Age? 17. Talent? Singing. Genre? Country.

Voice? Incredible.

With his success in American Idol last year, McCreery has risen quickly to stardom with not only country audiences but general audiences, as well.

His new album “Clear As Day” is no exception. One of the greatest things about it is the wide variety in types of songs. The songs range from upbeat to slow, happy to sad, old southern country to young pop country, all while maintaining lyrics which contain high moral values, southern hospitality and small town living.

Compared to other country artists, his voice is closest to Josh Turner

“A Great Day at the Fair,” I thought was a great article. However, there was one paragraph that was negative, and I thought contradicts the title and threw me off a little bit. I thought listing out all the attractions was nice. “No Way Around the System” was not a great article to me because it was listing out all the things that I already knew. It could’ve been better and shouldn’t have been on the front page. It could’ve maybe listed out the type of things the school blocked out. “Friday Night Fights” was an interesting article, I’ve never been to a football game, and I haven’t heard of any fights, or know anybody that would go to a school event and get drunk, so that was interesting to hear about. “Wildcats

for simple songs, but these seemed too young. One exception to this is the song the album is named for, “Clear As Day.” It starts as a young love story song but has an unexpectedly touching sad ending. A song like this gives the impression that there is more to McCreery than a young southern boy living the dream. A song like this shows a lot of potential and future possibilities for the new artist.

I won’t say this is the best country album I have ever heard, but for a first album with little experience, I wouldn’t bet against Scotty McCreery’s future as a top country singer. If nothing else, this album has proven his talent and proper place in the country music world.

on the Prowl” was a good story, but I thought it was too short. “The Doty Bunch” was a really cute article. I also thought “That’s so Gay” was a really funny and true column.

Junior Phoebe Chung

Songs to listen to:

1. Clear As Day 2. You Make That Look Good 3. Write My Number On Your Hand 4. Walk in the Country

I really liked “That’s so Gay.” I love the column that Paul Burnham has because I feel like I can relate to his writing topics and stories so far. I really liked “That’s So Gay” because I have a cousin who is gay, and he really struggles with accepting his sexuality.

This column is important that everyone reads because it has a really good message behind it.

Junior Sydney Richardson

The articles in all were a nice improvement from the last issue. I actually found myself enjoying your features “The Doty Bunch” and “Blast from the Past.” They included cute stories, and nice quotes that made the article that much more enjoyable. Once again I also enjoyed your opinion section including Paul’s return to keep Plano “classy.” I just think articles concerning larger groups such as sports, bands, and plays should try getting more quotes not just from those groups but maybe even other students opinions from around the school on the subject Junior Lesley Cazares

Volume LXVI Issue Three

Editors-in-Chief

Copy Editor

Staff Writers

Daniel Hinson Eilie Strecker

Meital Boim

Jessica Allman Erin Ball Emma Barishman Haley Bunnell Paul Burnham Danielle Deraleau Ashley Gaudlip Miles Hutson Stephanie Jabri Yeesoo Lee Alyssa Matesic

Editorial Editor Online Editors-in-Chief

Maelyn Schramm

Diva Gulati Madison McDaniel

Business Manager

Layout Editor

Adviser

Meaghan Pulliam

Terry Quinn

Amber Robinson

Clear as Day 19 Recordings, Inc. © 2011

Letters to the Editor

The Wildcat Tales

November 3, 2011

Rating: A-

By Eilie Strecker

mixed with Garth Brooks, giving him a very mature sound. His style ranges anywhere from the fun-loving Brad Paisley type song, ensuring the adolescent fun tone, to a George Strait deep song, giving McCreery dimension beyond his years, to a care-free-vacation-on-the-beach Zach Brown Band song, showing his relaxed country attitude.

The only thing that was slightly inferior to some of the other great, long time country artists is the quality and depth of McCreery’s lyrics. They sounded slightly inexperienced, and kept mostly to the simple themes of girls, little towns and families, such as “The Trouble With Girls,” “Water Tower Town,” and “Dirty Dishes.”

There is always something to be said

Kimberly Mei Michael Nicholson Shezal Padani Maddie Patton Rachel Romanczvkiewicz Kathy Santiago JP Salazar Cristina Seanez Kathleen Shaffer Josh Spruchman Dani Sureck Matt Wood

they’re normally known for. Johnny Galecki, who is known for playing the nerdy Physicist Leonard Hofstader in “The Big Bang Theory”, plays an incredibly believable low-life alcoholic, while Olivia Wilde (of “House” and “Tron: Legacy”) played Will Salas’ doting mother.

I was rather bothered, though,

by Alex Pettyfer’s British accent, which seemed to make random appearances throughout Pettyfer’s scenes as a menacing, murdering gang leader.

“In Time” is the type of movie that keeps you thinking about it long after the credits roll. From the characters to the storyline, it is completely different from anything I’ve ever seen, but I think that made me enjoy it even more.

I read the Oct. 14th with great admiration for the obvious social consciousness of its stories- censorship, fighting at games, the use of “that’s so gay,” “If You Really Knew Me” and “Criminals and Consciences.”

Unfortunately, most school papers don’t have this many stories of that kind in a year.

And their seriousness does not keep Wildcat Tales from being a great and lively paper.

Bob Greenman

Correction: Susan Bin was not given credit for her cartoon on page 11 Issue 2.

Chris Bourgeois was not named in the photo on page 9 Issue 2.

Mission Statement: The 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 The Wildcat Tales is 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/wildcattalesonline. Businesses wishing to advertise in The Wildcat Tales can email us at pshs.pub@pisd.edu. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisements deemed to be inappropriate.

The Wildcat Tales is the official student publication of Plano Senior High School 2200 Independence Pkwy Plano, Tx 75075

469.752.9300

Page Seven

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November 3, 2011

Issue Three

Plano Senior High School

Plano, TX, USA