Issue 2 October 14, 2011

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The Wildcat Tales volume lxvi

October 14, 2011

Issue Two

Plano Senior High School

JV Football Page Five

If you really knew me Page Eight

By Rachel Romanczukiewicz

Censorship on school computers

By Kathy Santiago

request through Websense about blocking some of their websites,” Hewett said. “We end up giving sites that are safe for teachers to use by buying AP photo archives.”

The associated press archives allow teachers to have images that are safe for use and are approved

by Hewett. A federal law called Children’s Internet Protection Act has been enacted by Congress to address concerns about offensive content over the internet on schools and library computers. The protection measures must block pictures that are obscene or contain child pornography.

“No matter how hard the students try to get around

the system, the websites will always be blocked,” Hewett said.

Last year, Hewett blocked 2,000 websites with the help of her staff members. She sends the website through a server and looks at the site to see which category it falls in.

“Reviewing and searching is very difficult and time consuming,” Hewett said.

“We have to make sure we really look at the website section by section.”

Hewett sometimes blocks half a website by making the homepage available, but certain pieces blocked off. If a student accesses a website that is inappropriate, the staff will report the website to the school office.

“They will investigate the

student and search what they were looking at,” Hewett said. “If found repeatedly on the website, the student can be banned from using any computers from the school.”

“Public radio stations and gaming sites are also blocked throughout the district,” principal Sarah Watkins said.

National Public Radio was used many times by students in the past years. The website contained news stories, music stations, and streamed live concert videos. Once the website was blocked, Watkins hasn’t received many complaints from teachers.

“A lot of students used to get caught being on NPR site and downloading music,” Watkins said. “We were lucky there were no viruses.”

A great day at the fair

Student express expectations at state fair

By Michael Nicholson

With its array of rides and its vast selection of fried foods, the State Fair has a variety of offerings ready for the public. The Fair’s underway, and until October, 23, students have the chance to take advantage of the many opportunities offered.

“Even though I haven’t been to the fair in quite a while, I still remember what a great time I had when I went as a kid,” senior Peyton Kennedy said. “My favorite ride was always the one that spins around and sticks you to the wall.”

While the rides may attract some

Photo by Eilie Strecker

to the fair, others are attracted by the memories of years passed at the fair.

“Big Tex is my favorite part of the fair,” senior Ann Macken said. “Big Tex brings back so many memories, and every year I look forward to seeing him.”

Big Tex, the towering 52-foot cowboy who looks over the Fair every year, recently changed appearance; Big Tex however, is not the only thing that attracts fairgoers like Macken to the fair.

“It’s always exciting to see what deep fried junk food will be offered this year,” Macken said. “Before they’ve had

Guitar Club Page Nine

Friday night fights

No way around the system Elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and staff members are the four levels of blocking systems. Each school has a different level of websites that can be blocked or unblocked.

“Not everything that is blocked in elementary schools is blocked in high schools,” instructional technology executive director Mary Hewett said. “They need more access to websites than elementary kids do.”

The building takes request from all schools of having their websites blocked or unblocked. Hewett considers if the website breaks any of the rules like being inappropriate or distracting.

“Teachers send me

Plano, TX, USA

everything from fried coke to giant deep fried turkey legs, to fried butter.”

Winners of this year’s Big Tex Choice Awards are fried bubblegum, a bubblegum flavored marshmallow dipped in batter, fried and decorated with icing and powdered sugar, for most creative, and fried buffalo chicken strips rolled in jalapeno bread crumbs and a flapjack, skewered and served with syrup for best taste. However, not all students are ready to advocate the unhealthy options offered at the fair.

“While I could see the appeal in eating such unhealthy fried foods, I’m against it because it’s irresponsible to allow children to eat them,” senior Haley Bettin said. “Having options like deep fried butter or deep fried bubblegum sends the wrong impression to kids about the choices they should be making when they decide what they eat.”

The fair’s attractions are not only limited to rides and deep-fried foods.

This year’s fair will also include performances by many popular artists.

“I went to the fair once before when I was younger, and I wasn’t impressed,” senior Rachel Knapp said. “I’m going back this year, though. They have concerts by Miguel, Jack Ingram, and even Crystal Bowersox from American Idol. All in all I’m really looking forward to giving the fair a second chance and seeing what it has to offer. I think it’ll be a great time.”

*Name has been changed to protect identity.

The fight for a win is not the only type of fight that occurs at football games.

Junior Nishesh Sharma has seen fights in the stands at football games. Sharma believes that fights happen more often between fellow students as opposed to students from different rival schools.

“I was in the band down on the field after the show and then I looked up onto the home stands and saw one guy stand up and start tackling another guy,” Sharma said. “He tackled the other kid and their friends started to fight and then the police had to break it up.”

Those involved in fights at football games are not always students here. Senior James Bell witnessed a fight in which the fighters appeared younger than the senior high school age.

“It was these two eighth or ninth graders,” Bell said. “The smaller one beat the bigger one up and threw him over the railing.”

Words often fuel people’s anger. Junior Frank Tumbay believes that when people are arguing, it will make them more likely to fight. The fight that Tumbay saw started with words and resulted in a fight in a parking lot. “[A group] was talking trash back and forth between each other,” Tumbay said. “They were close so they couldn’t fight so they had to go somewhere else.”

Senior Bethany Jones* finds that people are more vulnerable to fights and arguments when under the influence.

“Like 50 people were at my house before the game and we all got drunk,” Jones said. “At the game, this girl called me a name and I told her to be careful and it caused a huge argument and Mrs. Ryerson came to see what was happening.”

Jones did not face any consequences for the altercation or her state of intoxication however she believes she was lucky as students often do face consequences for such behavior.

“I didn’t get into trouble and a lot of people do get into trouble because of it,” Jones said. “I only regret it because I got caught.”

However, Jones believes that more fights are caused by harassment rather than drinking.

“I’ve never gone to a Plano game sober,” Jones said. “That was the only time I ever got into a fight, and it was more of an argument.”

Although Tumbay and Sharma have both been witness to fights, the fights often are unseen by administrators.

Officer Armor and Associate Principal of Curriculum and Instruction Glenn Davis both have not witnessed any fights at games this year. However, Jones sees fights occur at every football game she attends.

“There’s this guy that people are always throwing stuff at so he gets into a lot of fights,” Jones said.

Tumbay believes that fighting will only cause further conflict between fellow students.

“It doesn’t solve problems,” Tumbay said.

“It only creates them.”

Sharma believes that these students are defeating the purpose of attending the game altogether.

“People who fight at football games are just trying to get attention,” Sharma said. “I think it’s stupid that anyone would want to mar an event where everyone’s supposed to act together with something as ridiculous as starting a fight” Sharma finds that fighting at football games pointless and disruptive.

“It’s disheartening to see people fighting at a social event,” Sharma said. “It disrupts the unity of our school.”

News

October 14, 2011

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure comes to North Texas

By Shazel Padani

B

reast cancer awareness is supported not only globally but by the local community, as well. It is a disease that has personally impacted students, such as junior Alex Hill, who supports the cause.

“My grandmother was actually diagnosed with breast cancer this year, so I am going to get to walk for her,” Hill said.

“I am glad to be able to tell her about it when get to talk with her after I finish.”

Planoettes Hill and junior Morgan Ericson worked with their drill team last year to help support breast cancer awareness.

“We did it with the Jasper Jazz,” Hill said. “It was something we did as a team to be more unified, and we definitely felt it when we were there.”

After recruiting members from the team who were willing to participate, the girls organized a group to walk in the race and support the cause.

“It’s a really great organization,” Ericson said.

“It was really fun to go with our team and not only get to spend time with our team outside of drill team but also do something really important for the community.”

In addition to participating last year with the team, Hill and Ericson, as well as other members of the student body, will be walking on Oct. 15 in order to support their families and friends in raising awareness.

Page Two

“It’s a really great event,” Ericson said. “It’s really fun to be a part of and just knowing that doing something as simple as walking is helping so many people. I really like that aspect of it.”

Roughly 1.3 million individuals are diagnosed with breast cancer annually.

This disease affects men, women and children of all ages and races, including the Hill family.

“It is one of the popular cancers and one of the ones that people know most about,” Hill said.

“I think this is largely because of the races that this organization has done.”

This organization has several goals listed on its website.

“The organization helps to raise money to support research,” Ericson said. “It also raises awareness and helps information out there to people who need it.”

Although Hill and Ericson attended the race last year themselves, they also believe it is important to have the support and attendance of other individuals.

“I think it’s a cause that sadly affects so many people nowadays,” Ericson said. “In order to find a cure for this disease or make improvements and advancements you need to have the support of people and people have to know what is going on.”

Pep Band to play at sporting events

By JP Salazar

On various Fridays, hundreds of students show up to stadiums throughout the county to watch the football team play. On almost every other weekday, though, a smaller number of students goes out to watch volleyball, lacrosse, basketball, baseball, tennis and many other sports. A major difference in these two similar outings is the presence of the marching band.

But with the creation of a pep band, the directors and captains of band hope to eliminate this contrast.

“Whenever it’s live, it’s more meaningful,” band president and senior Marcus Peters said. “Whenever you go to a concert you think ‘oh this is so cool’ even though you like a song, the live experience makes you appreciate it so much more.”

Peters is trying to find members of band who will play at a few volleyball games in October. He is looking for members of band that are willing to volunteer and sacrifice a small amount of their time, as well as people who will play with great enthusiasm.

“We sat down in a circle and talked to our director Mr. Kondrat and he asked us ‘well what are some of the things you guys want to do this year?’” Peters said. “One of the things that were brought up was a pep band, and I thought that would be easy as president to organize” During officer week, the band officers and directors brought the idea of a pep band to life. The pep band will be a group of approximately seven to 10 students who play various instruments that will show up to play at many sporting events.

“The pep band will do exactly what it sounds like it should do, excite the fans,” spirit committee captain senior Alex Ozlowski said. “By having the pep band at more events, we can bring school spirit to more students and organizations.”

Ozlowski is very excited for the pep band and anticipates a positive outcome.

“Hopefully the pep band will inspire the players and the fans and get some good school spirit up,” Ozlowski said. “The players will play harder, and the fans will cheer more.”

Ozlowski believes that if the pep band develops well, they might be able to play at many second semester sport games.

They hope to have the pep bands really launch off in time for the spring semester, so that the pep bands may potentially play at a majority of the games.

“If we get more than enough volunteers, we might form two or three pep bands that would take turns going to games,” Ozlowski said “That way, there wouldn’t be too much pressure on students as they tried to make it to every game. After all, there’s a lot of sports going on at once.”

Pep bands have been created in the past. This pep band debuted at a Plano vs. Plano West lacrosse game last year. It consisted of 10 members playing different instruments, and they were also in different grades.

“We sat there and played some tunes and we saw a couple of people who had been to the football games do the little dances that we would do at the football game,” said Peters, “I think the crowd really likes it, and we got lots of compliments even before we started playing.”

Peters plans to have the pep band play at least in one or two volleyball games this October. Although this is a very few number of games the band officers hope that it will pave the way for the many pep bands they hope will follow.

“I think home team will have a definite advantage by gaining more spirit and morale,” Peters said. “Volleyball teams get there, and they know the fight song, and we’ll be playing it when they score big, and it will give them energy and spirit.”

The fight song is commonly played by a recording each time the team scores against the opposing team. The replacement of the recording with live instruments is something that they are looking forward to do.

“If the players find it inspiring and the fans enjoy hearing the fight song, alma mater, and Grandioso, then the pep band will be a huge part of the games,” Ozlowski said.

Band captains hope to find cheerful and committed band members to volunteer to be in the pep band and they hope that the efforts of these members carry on throughout the crowd.

“The pep band could be a huge addition to the Plano tradition, possibly even game-changing,” Ozlowski said, “It’s all in what we make of it.”

Sports

October 14, 2011

Tennis swings away

By Dani Surek

Stepping up to the mat Wrestling season starts off with open mats

By Josh Spruchman

Photo by Sarah Malone

The tennis players are serving it up on the court this season. Coach Cliff Lazarine has helped the players work toward reaching their potentials by giving them new drills and conditioning them. After beating Hebron and Lewisville, the team has a record of 3-2.

The season began on August 23, 2011.

“We played a little bit during summer,” senior Smrithi Kurucherlapati said. “The coach watched us every day individually and told us what we needed to work on.”

Kurucherlapati has been playing tennis since fourth grade and has been on the varsity team since her freshman year. To improve her game, she also plays for a team at Highpoint and works with a private coach.

“We practice every single day, and Coach Lazarine makes us do different drills depending on what we need work on after our Tuesday matches,” Kurucherlapati said.

The seniors also take the role of giving advice to the underclassmen in regards to tennis.

“I feel that this year, everyone’s around the same level of skill,” Kurucherlapati said. “So, everyone’s working together to improve.”

Although Kurucherlapati feels that there may not be as much raw talent on the team this year compared to previous years, they are pushing each other to overcome the obstacles of the season ahead. The teammates push

one another playing doubles, which has its differences from playing singles.

When serving in a singles match, the player must serve from closer to the center, requiring better accuracy. Serving wise with doubles, the player serves more out wide and can use the alleys, creating a better chance of keeping the ball in bounds.

“I prefer mixed doubles,” Kurucherlapati said. “With doubles you have to know how your partner plays and anticipate what they are going to do. You have to work with your partner and come up with a game plan. Just be there for one another. We’re motivated to win. But the most challenging part about it is relying on your partner.”

Senior Amanda Gilson, however, prefers playing singles.

“I can rely on myself and my skills,” Gilson said. “With singles you have to figure out your opponent, how they play and how you play on your own. Doubles are easier because you have a partner.”

For Kurucherlapati, one of the best parts about playing tennis is the feeling of a family.

“I enjoy the friends, the games, traveling with the team and being with everyone,” Kurucherlapati said. “The younger members were already close from Jasper and even though they didn’t know us, we still felt included in their conversations. We just have

fun cheering for each other.”

Unlike most sports, tennis has more than one season in a year. The team will finish off the fall season and prepare for Regionals in November, and then they will begin preparing for the spring season.

For the team overall, the biggest test will be facing a rival that is in our own district.

“Our biggest challenge is going to be when we play West,” Kurucherlapati said.

“We will definitely be preparing and getting ready for them.”

Kurucherlapati and her teammates will be doing extra drills to prepare for this game.

“We’ve never beaten them,” Kurucherlapati said. “It sucks. It’s always a really close game.

I always go in with the mindset that they’re better than me so I go in with a bad start.”

Although the past records of this matchup may suggest that West will walk away with the win, the seniors are trying to hype them up.

Not only does winning matches greater the chance of securing a spot in the playoffs, but it always gets the player hyped for the next match.

“After winning matches we get more motivated and get even more excited for the next match,” Kurucherlapati said.

During the six weeks wrestling has been training for the upcoming season.

Wrestling has been around since 900 B.C. in ancient Greece, and it has been in every modern Olympics games.

The wrestling season starts Oct. 17 and wrestlers like junior Michael Kubik said he is ready for his first match.

“You need the mentality to be a good wrestler, and most of all you need a lot of heart,” Kubik said. “There is an activity after school called open mat, where anyone from any school can see what wrestling is like. People can see the moves that the wrestlers do and get help from the coaches on stances.”

The open mats at Plano Senior are on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. On Mondays students can go to Plano East and practice in their mat room from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. There is also training at PSA near Jasper High School with a coach from New Jersey.

Each session offers the students the opportunity to learn from different coaches. After the warm ups the coaches will ask for everyone to group up, and they will show the various wrestling moves that they will be learning. After the coaches teach a move, everyone will be partnered up with people that are the same weight, and will use that move that they just learned on each other. Then at the end everyone will be able to freestyle wrestle, which is wrestling ones partner using any moves, but beware sometimes the loser will have to do push-ups. The wrestling coach is Clay Goodloe.

“I have known Coach Goodloe for a while,” Kubik said. “He wrestles with us during open matt sometimes, and helps other wrestlers if what they are doing is wrong” The training for wrestling consists of running on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and going to the weight room on all the other days. The training does prepare wrestlers for the season, and so does open mat.

“Practice is very good, I run two miles around the track,” Kubik said. “I also do weight training, but the running is the worst.”

The captains have not yet been picked for wrestling “I have been wrestling for Plano senior since I was a freshman,” Kubik said. “I hope that I’m picked to be a captain this year.”

For more sports stories, check us out online at

www.wildcattales.com Page Three

Sports

October 14, 2011

Taking the Court

Volleyball team continues its winning season

By Maddie Patton The volleyball team is ranked first in the district and continues winning game after game. The team has had six wins and has only lost to Hebron High School.

“Since we are first in the district, we need to keep pushing like we have,” senior Alexa Novoa said.

“We need to beat everyone again in the second round [of games] toward the end of the season.”

The team prepares for their games with the help of coach Jennifer Cron.

“Our coach pushes us to be the best we can,” Novoa said.

“We watch films of our competition to learn how they run their plays, so we can be well prepared to defend our court.”

Each year, the girls who have played set the bar higher, pushing the next team harder. All past teams’ records have been broken this year.

“It’s clear that we have improved significantly as a team,” Novoa said. “I want to be better than any other team our school has had.”

Many have been playing for several

Junior Lauren Stahlman prepares to serve the ball.

Photo by Michael Nicholson

Junior Bari Elfenbein gets ready for a pass.

years. Novoa has been playing since seventh grade at Prestonwood Christian Academy.

“I started playing because I wanted to join a team sport and make friends,” Novoa said. “It was a good way for me to get involed in my new school.”

After she had moved to Jasper her freshman year, she made the varsity team her sophomore year. She had never been on a high school team before and knew it was going to take hard work and determination.

“Every year our goal has been to make it all the way through playoffs in November,” Novoa said. “We run drills day after day to make our team stronger on the court.”

Novoa said that during the five month season, all of her focus is dedicated to practicing and preparing for the games, and she sees her team more than her family.

“I have really enjoyed my teammates this year,” Novoa said. “We have really great chemistry and all work so well together and have the determination to accomplish our goals as a team, not just individuals.”

Photo by Michael Nicholson

Sophomore Natalie Fazio gets low for a play.

Photo by Crystal Pajunen

Senior Bethany Werner prepares to score a point.

Junior Megan Berry celebrates with her teammates after a play.

Page Four

Photo by Crystal Pajunen

Photo by Michael Nicholson

Up Coming Games Oct. 14 v. Marcus Oct. 18 v. Lewisville Oct. 21 @ Plano East Oct. 25 v. Plano West

October 14, 2011

Sports

Wildcats on the prowl

Junior varsity football maintains undefeated season

By Daniel Hinson The junior varsity football team is off to a winning start. The team has a 6-0 record on Oct. 6.

“We are all bonding really well,” junior John Cummings said. “We all communicate with each other and we put in a lot of effort and hard work. We’re just adjusting to each other in a really positive way.”

The team started off the season by shutting out Lakeview Centennial.

“Beating Lakeview Centenial 43 to 0 was a really good way to start off the season,” Cummings said. “It really pumped us up and got us really confident for the season.”

Sophmore Dearian Johnson gains yardage during the Hebron game. The wildcats win 37-22.

Photo by Daniel Hinson Photo by Daniel Hinson

Freshman Tim Yoder tackles Hebron player.

Junior John Cummings kicks a field goal

Photo by Daniel Hinson

Sophomore Derian Johnson gains yardage

Photo by Daniel Hinson

Page Five

Features

October 14, 2011

By Kathleen Shaffer Students come and go through the hallways said ‘You should have known better.’”

Kurt continued to entertain Renee as time of high school. They move on to new things and gain new experiences. However, some progressed. students come back to their alma mater after “I remember making her laugh at the dinner they graduate. Renee Doty has returned to table all the time when she was still going Plano as teacher while her younger brother Kurt Doty is a senior.

Renee graduated in 2006.

They also have a middle brother named Chad Doty who graduated in 2008.

Having two older siblings graduate heightened the anticipation of becoming a junior for Kurt.

“It was a long time coming,” Kurt said. “Both of my siblings came here so I would always have hand- Photo by Kathleen Shaffer me-down shirts, and I remember being in middle school at football games.

Once I was finally here, I felt like I belonged. I was really excited to finally be at this school. ” After Renee graduated, she went to college at Collin County Community College and then the University of North Texas. Last year, she was a long term substitute in McKinney. Renee has Photo by Kathleen Shaffer managed to stay in the area to school at Plano,” Kurt said. “The trouble after graduating from high school.

“I try to have dinner with my family one was I would always inadvertently time my night a week,” Renee said. “Even though jokes while she was trying to drink, so many during band season I don’t always manage of our meals together ended with her nearly to come over, we’re still really close. Family choking and me laughing uncontrollably.” is a really big priority, and I want to stay in contact with my brothers. We’re really tight-knit. When I was at college, I made it a point to call my brothers once a week, and they would come to Denton to visit me. I’ve continued to build a relationship with Kurt. It’s great we haven’t drifted due to age differences.”

Renee and Kurt have share many memories from when they were younger.

Once in elementary school, Renee brought Kurt in to show off to her class.

“She brought me to school when I was three weeks old,” Kurt said.

“Renee was in kindergarten, and used me for her show and tell, even though it was just supposed to be an object. It was during the letter ‘K’ week. So I guess she’s always been rather fond of me.”

Renee recalled a memory from their childhood of one Photo by Kathleen Shaffer time when she was playing Every summer the family takes a 20 with Kurt.

“Once when we were younger,” Renee hour road trip to Colorado to visit extended said. “I can remember training Kurt to be family.

“There’s a lot bonding time in the car,” my pet tiger. He crawled around following me while pretending to be a tiger, but then Kurt said. “Things we run into create funny, he didn’t end up being a good pet. He bit awkward, amazing conversations.”

Another thing the duo share is watching me! He bit me so hard that my hand started bleeding. I started screaming and ran to my the television show Community.

“We’re both pretty busy so we end up mom but she had no sympathy for me, she

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watching it on Hulu when we get the opportunity” Renee said. “Kurt really has had an effect on my sense of humor. He’s really funny and there are few people that can make me laugh as hard as him. We both

Photo by Kathleen Shaffer

Photo by Kathleen Shaffer

love to watch the show and find it hilarious.”

Now both of them share being at school at the same time. Renee works as a long term sub for English IV honors and English III honors. Kurt supports his sister in working

as a substitute.

“I’m excited when I see her in the halls,” said Kurt. “It’s great that she works here, it’s awesome. More than anything I’m glad she found a job in this competitive job market.”

Kurt being a student here hasn’t created any conflict for Renee.

“I do try to see him during the school day because I know where his little area

is,” Renee said. “A lot of times we just text outside of school or talk on the phone. The campus is just really big so it’s not like I see him all that much. Though, it might have been strange if he was in my class. It is neat getting to have students in my class that I’ve known since they were pretty young because they grew up with my brother. ” Renee was involved while she was a student, and Kurt was involved even before he was a junior by being in junior varsity wrestling and football during his sophomore year, as well as coming to the campus for band camp.

“I was on campus so much even before I went here,” Kurt said. “Once I finally got here it was nice, I didn’t have to deal with commuting for my various activities.”

Football was one of Renee’s favorite memories.

“I would always make a shirt and be there to cheer on the football team,” Renee said.

“Also, I really love Duck Week.

The whole story behind it is crazy.”

Kurt on the other hand feels differently than his sister about what his favorite part of the tradition is.

“My favorite part is definitely being in band,” Kurt said. “I love being drum line captain and in the jazz band. I remember looking up to people on the drum line when I was in middle school.

Seeing younger band students I always wonder if they look up to me, and if I’m up holding the same tradition.”

Renee goes to all the home games to support the band and see her brother.

“I think it’s great to see how Kurt progressed,” Renee said.

“When he first started band in sixth grade, I remember him coming home and playing on the little drum pad. I told our middle brother ‘I can’t wait until he actually knows what he’s doing. Right now it’s just noise.’ Now it’s not just how he’s come along as a musician but as a leader too. I know they have a lot of respect for him, and it’s not only for his talent, there’s so much more.”

Renee’s desire to lead can be shown through her involvement with PALS. “Being in PALS was a great experience and the school will always be special to me,” Renee said. “It really helped my future by going here; college was less intimidating for me than it was for some of my peers. Many of the graduates are extremely successful because of the high standards set.”

Kurt has positive sentiments towards the school.

“It’s everything that I could want it to be and more,” said Kurt. “From the teachers to the tradition, I love it. I’m glad that my siblings and I were able to share such a school that provides great experiences.”

Features

October 14, 2011

By Cristina Seanez If anyone can comment on the growth and development of this school throughout the years, that man would be AB Calculus and Pre-Calculus teacher Randal Curry.

“You can always rise to the challenges the school presents you,” Curry said. After being a student in our school himself, Curry tells about his experiences and anecdotes he went through during his junior and senior year.

“When I was here the school was pretty much the same,” Curry said. “There are some exceptions like the carpets, which used to be just plain gray. But a lot of additions have been made since then.”

After experiencing the way the school teaches, Curry identifies some differences with other schools.

“When the students get to college they would find out that the courses they took in high school were probably a lot tougher than the ones students in other schools and cities are taking,” Curry said. “That’s something really unique to Plano, and I think that students that graduated from here are much better off than students who graduated from other high schools.”

When Curry was studying the school had specific cliques. Being part of one group, back in the times, “prohibited” the possibility to be in another.

“Now there are not that many groups, and you are more free to move around, which is really nice,” Curry said. “There are not as many comments of ‘Oh she is blank or hey he is a blank’ than there were back then. When you walked from one class to another, you would see these large groups of people, which would have names such as the kickers and the punks. You don’t see that as much anymore.”

Curry also participated in extracurricular activities.

“I was a varsity wrestler,” Curry said. “I always felt that being a wrestler required to have a lot of self-discipline, which goes across everything, like schoolwork and a job. I worked, as well, and I was also in band. All of this required you to be disciplined and do well in school.”

Curry experienced a lot of things in high school. Some that left a mark, and he still remembers them well.

“I once got my picture on the front page of the Plano Star Courier during a wrestling match,” Curry said. “I was pinning the captain of the other team. I thought it was really cool to have my picture shown in the paper. I don’t remember having any bad moments during high school. I liked everything in here.”

According to Curry learning how to work, develop, and express ideas in high school is crucial because after it, there would be no more help. Curry always tries to share his high school experiences with his students, preparing them for what could come next.

“When you go off to university, teachers won’t care,” Curry said. “This, high school, is the last place where anybody would ever care about what you do.”

Graduation was another special thing for Curry. Being in a large class brought some changes to the traditional high school graduation. The typical thing in school of giving tickets out for parents and family was changed and limited.

Curry in his 1982 yearbook photo of the Varsity wrestling team

teaching at Plano, but I knew I wanted to utilize my mathematics major, because it was something I always wanted to do,” Curry said. “Being an expatriate consultant it’s something I always dreamed of doing too, and it changed my life. I met my wife in Japan, which was the point when my life was completely changed and fulfilled.”

AB Calculus and Honors Pre-calculus students express their opinions about having Curry as teacher.

“I like his class because the way he teaches is very unique, he gives fun examples, which makes you remember better,” junior Young Bi Ahn said. “He is patient and very helpful with his students. You could tell he loves what he does.”

Curry believes in letting students figure out things by themselves.

“Time would tell you the answer,” Curry said. “Teachers will show their personalities throughout the year, so I’m not big with giving information out front, it better for students to discover.”

Curry in his senior portrait in the 1982 Plano Senior High yearbook

“The class I graduated with was the largest in the United States at that moment,” Curry said. “It was over 1600 students. I remember distinctly that I, as well as the other students, received only two tickets, so only two members of the family could go to the baccalaureate. I don’t remember well how many people could go to the actual graduation, but of course it wasn’t enough so we divided grandparents, parents, and family, so they could all go.”

After graduating, Curry went to Texas A&M, and then he transferred to the University of Texas in Arlington.

He graduated in 1989 with a degree in mathematics. He also minored in engineering and computer science.

After graduating college Curry moved to Japan. His first work there was as an English teacher. Then later he became an expatriate consultant working with Japanese nationals working with the United States.

“I never really imagined I would be

Curry helps senior Chelsea Sartor succeed in class

Photo by Amber Robinson

Page Seven

Features

October 14, 2011

Ain’t no mountain high enough

A series following senior Lauren Burgess through the college application process

By Meital Boim Essays, recommendations, transcripts, test scores. Senior Lauren Burgess has started her college applications. Despite some uncertainties, Burgess knows where she’s applying: UT, TCU, Arkansas and Alabama.

“All of them asked for normal information about me and activities resumes,” Burgess said. “I filled all those out with community service and extracurricular activities and work experience, which I don’t have much of.”

Because 75 percent of students at UT must be automatically accepted, Burgess is skeptical about getting in. To be automatically admitted into UT’s class of 2016, a student must be in the top 9 percent of his or her class.

“I’m not in top ten percent, so I won’t get automatic admission,” Burgess said. “I heard they’re CAPing everyone, sending them to a feeder school for a year, which I’ve looked at.”

UT’s CAP program offers those who weren’t accepted to UT a place at one of its feeder schools like UT San Antonio. Burgess considers the program a possibility, as she would be able to transfer to UT after a year if she maintains a 3.2 GPA. Arkansas has lower automatic admission requirements: 3.0 GPA and a score of 20 on the ACT. “I’ve heard people talk about Arkansas and say it’s pretty,” Burgess said. “They have good football, and I have friends who have gone there, and Kelly McCarthy is going there [next year]. I just thought, ‘Why not apply?’”

Burgess’s reasons for applying to Alabama are similar. She plans to visit the two colleges in the upcoming months and has already visited UT, UTSA and TCU. “UT was a big urban campus, lots of concrete buildings,” Burgess said. “It wasn’t as pretty as TCU for sure. I like TCU because it’s open, and it’s a small school but a big school feel. Big football, big science program, but you’re not just a number, you’re a person. They actually know you because there are a lot less people than at

UT.”

When Burgess visited TCU over the summer, though, the campus was almost empty, so she plans to visit again and stay in the dorms with a friend who goes to TCU.

“I didn’t get a feel for whether it’s crowded,” Burgess said. “I’m just going for the atmosphere to see what it’s like when there are actually a lot of students there and parties on campus.”

Photo submission by Lauren Burgess

Visiting UT Austin with her mom, senior Lauren Burgess poses in front of a Bevo statue.

If you really knew me Smiling in the halls and waving to students, junior Danielle Lagerlef embraces her life. Danielle has Down Syndrome, a development disorder with cognitive and physical growth impairment. Danielle’s math models teacher Aimee Ardoin spends an hour with Danielle every day working on math. Danielle is learning how to tell time, count money and relate things to everyday life.

“She has to relearn things, because they will fall away if she doesn’t use them,” Ardoin said. “It is also more challenging to put them in her memory bank. I would describe it as it is easier to forget and harder to learn new things for her, so we just have to do lots of different ways of learning a single thing. It’s like a normal person has to wade in a baby pool that is a foot tall, but she has to wade in water that is up to her shoulders in order to learn something, so it is a lot harder.”

Since Danielle is a junior, she had to get used to new surroundings, but according to Ardoin she has adjusted very well.

“Sometimes change is hard for her to adjust to,” Ardoin said. “Overall she is very comfortable with all the students, and she brings joy to everyone. Socially, she is great.

Page Eight

No matter what school she chooses, Burgess plans to continue with cheerleading.

She has started looking into the try out processes at UT and TCU. “[At UT] you can either send a video of you trying out, where you have to meet certain criteria, or you can go in and try out,” Burgess said. “I think the video is just if you can’t come in during tryout days.”

The TCU tryout process is different.

Burgess’s friend from TCU and former Plano cheerleader Kelsey Dwyer has been explaining the TCU tryouts to Burgess.

“She told me it’s an open gym kind of thing, where they watch you do what you want,” Burgess said. “If they like you, they ask you to come back, and it gets smaller and smaller each time. Once they have a certain amount, they have official tryouts where you come in by yourself and do cheers. I feel like the open tryouts till the callbacks would take a few weeks.”

Cheerleading has been a longtime factor in Burgess’s college dreams.

“When I started getting into cheer in the fifth grade, you would always see the UT cheerleaders, and they looked so cute and small,” Burgess said. “But as I started getting older, I realized that I wasn’t itty bitty and I couldn’t fly and toss up; I didn’t really focus on that. I realized I’d probably be on one of the all-girl teams, and at UT, I don’t think the all-girl team cheers at the football games. I wouldn’t be on TV. I wouldn’t do any of that. It kind of made me not into it as much.”

Although she knows that she wants to continue with cheerleading, Burgess isn’t as sure about a major.

“I like math, so maybe something mathematical, and I took economics over the summer, and it was interesting to me, so my mom suggested real estate finance,” Burgess said. “But I know most colleges have undergraduate classes where you just take them, and they’ll help you figure out what you want to major in.”

She makes jokes and has a fantastic sense of humor. Whenever she comes to class she is always ready to try and try harder, either at the same thing we did the day before, or sometimes we do new things. She is just a lot of fun.”

Ardoin has a passion to teach and enjoys spending time with Danielle.

“I just enjoy seeing and helping others enjoy learning,” Ardoin said. “I never want to stop learning myself. I love each individual because they are different, and we are all so valuable. It is fun to see the different ways that people can sparkle. I think what is important to you is the same thing that is important to Danielle on a very human level. We still need approval; we still need the acceptance and the pat on the back, even though our jobs are a little different.”

Ardoin is not the only person proud to know Danielle. Danielle’s mother and father are her supporting team. They take walks every day after school, and make sure she eats healthy.

“With having these children you will work hard, there will be some tears, and there will be times when you wish for the way you thought it would be,” Danielle’s

By Haley Bunnell

mom Brenda Lagerlef said. “But that is not all there will be. You will also be a recipient of the deepest hugs imaginable, the brightest smiles, love so honest and pure it will take your breath. You will never be the same, and when you look back, you will be glad for the opportunities this difference brought to your life.”

Brenda has raised all of her children equally and makes sure all of their needs are met.

“The basics of parenting are the same for kids with and without disabilities,” Brenda said. “Parents must know each child’s strengths and weaknesses help them build on those and prepare for their adult life. Danielle struggles academically with math and sometimes becomes sad when she is lonely and wishes she had friends to hang out with. Danielle’s biggest strengths are her love of life, her desire to please and her social skills.”

It was on May 17, 2008 when Danielle encountered another struggle. At 9:30 a.m., a tragedy struck. Brenda left her hair iron on, and the house burned down. Danielle became devastated and fearful. Many of her toys were gone, but her parents were able to save her cheerleading and basketball

trophies that she was very proud of.

“My mom picked me up from Carpenter Middle School,” Danielle said. “I was scared that all my toys burned. My brand new stuffed puppy was my favorite is now gone, and I slept with it every night.”

For three weeks after the incident, the family stayed in a hotel, and then moved into a rental duplex. Danielle couldn’t go back to the house after the fire, but watched the house get moved to the contractor.

When the new house was rebuilt, Danielle picked out the paint for her room and helped decorate it. She is very content and happy with her new house. Danielle loves people and wants love in return, as well.

“What I would like others to know about any person with a difference is that they get lonely, too,” Brenda said. “If you can be their friend, do it. It may be the single most rewarding act of your entire life and the most impactful act in your life.”

Through her academic struggles the effects of the fire, Danielle still stands strong.

“If you really knew me,” Danielle said, “you would know I am awesome.”

October 14, 2011

The Battle of Angels O

Photo by Daniel Hinson

Senior Emma Barishman and junior Cam Wenrich argue heatedly.

ver the past month, the theater department has been rehearsing for the upcoming fall play Battle of Angels by Tennessee Williams. “[The cast and crew] have been working really hard,” theater teacher Greg Arp said. “They have so much dedication.”

The cast and crew have rehearsals almost every day of the week, reciting lines and practicing hours on end.

“They’re really passionate about it.” Arp said.

For most the process takes a lot of preparation starting with the audition.

“I get nervous before my audition,” senior Dennis Ryaznov said. “But I’m usually pretty well prepared. I think everyone feels that way, but the more prepared you are for your audition the less nervous you will be.”

Preparing for auditions for Ryaznov was quite the process.

“For this particular play’s auditions I found two monologues that I rehearsed,” Ryaznov said. “I also did research on the play, and memorized a lot of lines.”

Senior Emma Barishman turns from junior Cam Wenrich in disgust.

Photo by Daniel Hinson

Features

By Jessica Allman To some students, theater is more than just rehearsals and performances.

“We’re all really close,” junior Madison Jones said “We’re like a family, we’re all here for each other.”

The cast and crew put in a lot of effort to put on this theater production.

“We all work together,” Ryaznov said.

“I know I can rely on [my theater friends]” For these students there are many reasons why theater is one of the activities they do in high school.

“It’s a way to express yourself and do things you can’t normally do,” Ryaznov said. “You get to turn into someone you’re not for a certain amount of time.”

This production will be done differently than most plays the theater department has put on in the past.

The audience will be more involved. The stage will be surrounded by the audience with a three quarter thrust which is when the stage is surrounded by the audience on three sides.

The involvement of the audience will make the

Photo by Daniel Hinson

Senior Emma Barishman and senior Keegan Latham share a passionate kiss.

play seem more captivating. This is intended to further the interest of audience and make them feel as if they are part of the action.

Battle of Angels was Tennessee William’s first Broadway production, written in 1940.

The play is a southern drama with the classic good guy vs. bad guy scenario. The main character Val, played by senior Keegan Latham, is trying to escape past mistakes, and moves into a rural town of Mississippi hoping for a clean slate. He takes a new job in a local shop, and meets a woman named Myra, played by senior Emma Barishman.

When Val meets Myra, whose husband is slowly dying, things take a strange twist causing chaos all throughout the town.

“I couldn’t be any more excited and grateful that the people in theater are so kind,” senior Josh Caves said.

The play will be in the Dr. Doyle Dean Performing Arts Center in D building October 20, 21, and 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Junior Cam Wenrich interrogates senior Brandon Wilson.

Photo by Daniel Hinson

Guitar club gains ground

By Matt Wood

Photo by Matt Wood

Taking charge of Guitar Club this year is senior Chris Bourgeois, who has been in the club for two years.

“Before my junior year, I came here for Cat Camp, and I saw Mr. Snider’s band playing,” Bourgeois said. “I played with them, and Mr. Snider suggested I come to Guitar Club when it started the next week.”

Bourgeois believes that the club has made a lot of progress, from its originally simple idea and generally laidback nature, to broadening its horizons and becoming more focused.

“Last year, there was no organization at all,” Bourgeois said. “It was just everyone playing together. We tried planning events, but they didn’t quite work out. This year, I took charge to make sure that things were in line, and we had a full band playing songs for Stay Day, and we’ve gotten more people playing different instruments.”

Within the club itself, the members divide into different groups to decide what they’ll be doing and organize themselves depending on what instrument they play.

“You form groups, and say ‘Hey, I want to do this song for Stay Day,’ and someone might choose to work with them and practice it during meetings,” Bourgeois said.

The members of Guitar Club cover a span of different skill levels, and the club has a spot for each of them in their weekly meetings.

“With Guitar Club, it changes,” Bourgeois said. “You have the guitarist who is ready to play songs for Stay Day, but you also have people who are just interested in learning how to play guitar at first, or people who want to improve.”

This year, the focus has grown from only guitars to other instruments. They are hoping to progress into doing more performances with more instruments.

“It’s not just for guitars these days,” Bourgeois said. “We now have drummers, bassists, and singers participating as well.”

The club is sponsored by history teacher Joseph Snider. Snider plays bass in Custer’s Last Band, a teacher band.

“Since the start of Guitar Club, it’s been about progressing as musicians,” Snider said. “But even more so, it’s about learning how to work together and being ready to perform.”

The club meets on Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. in Snider’s room and is currently looking for more members.

“People who don’t know much about Guitar Club should know that you don’t have to be very skilled at first,” Bourgeois said. “You can learn, or you can just come to listen. And if anyone out there plays bass, we need bassists.”

Page Nine

Opinion

October 14, 2011

By Paul Burnham Your mom grounded you because you missed curfew.

She’s gay. You failed your Econ test and your teacher won’t let you make it up. She’s gay. Your dog thought it wise to relieve himself on the carpet in your bedroom.

He’s gay. You just walked into a door frame because you were too busy texting sweet nothings to this week’s lover. That door frame is pretty gay too.

What’s really gay, is the fact that every time you use the word “gay” to describe something stupid, you’re putting down the 4.3 million English speaking Americans that identify themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. What’s even gayer, is that your poor word choice is tacky, ignorant and not to mention extremely out of context. It’s not cute, it’s not cool, and it’s far from being politically correct.

As much as I hate to admit it, I used to say it. I didn’t say it to deliberately put down members of the GLBT community, and I didn’t say it because it was cool. I used the phrase because sadly, I had become so accustomed to hearing it from my peers that it just stuck.

Were my intentions to hurt or offend anyone? No. Do most people say “That’s so gay” because they are in-

tentionally trying to bash another subculture? Probably not. But when you use the word “gay” in place of the words “stupid”or “dumb” or in any other derogatory fashion, you are directly offending at least 10 percent of the population, not to mention the enlightened heterosexuals as well.

Sure, we live in a country where you are guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution that your word choice will not be limited by anyone. But if you receive personal gratification from bashing other human beings, you should probably see a doctor. However, considering the odds of you intentionally putting down members of the GLBT community are slim, I think that it would be in your best interest to simply think before you speak. The last thing anyone wants is for someone to look down on them because their choices in wording are tasteless.

Think about this. Take the phrase “That’s so gay” and replace the word “gay” with another word. Perhaps “That’s so Mexican” or “Shut up dude you’re being so black” or dare I say “You’re so white”. Now I want you to picture yourself sitting in that economics class

By Alyssa Matesic I felt like an insect. For two hours I had been driving into black when suddenly my headlights were washed out by an overwhelming light. I approached the illumination with a captivation I had been long deprived of on the road thus far.

I brainstormed the possibilities of the source – a stadium, perhaps, or an airport.

“The state prison,” my father concluded.

I’m not sure if the wave of coldness I felt while passing was self-inflicted or not, but it was undeniably noticeable. Upon further inspection I could make out a long, white building surrounded by a sole barbed wire fence. There was a watchtower in the center, sitting much higher on the horizon than the institution below. By the time I glanced back to the road, I had been staring long enough to create lightning when I blinked. I determined that the inhabitants there must live in perpetual daytime. I wondered if that bothered them. I wondered what they felt like. I wondered who they were.

It’s easy to categorize a person based on what their statistics or track record look like, but the idealist in me wants to believe that a human can only be judged by their conscience. It’s extremely discomforting to think of my life as being defined by numbers and listed accomplishments rather than moral inclination and makeup of the heart. Some would argue, with substantial physical proof, that those who commit crime can automatically be deemed immoral. I have to challenge that notion. Working at the animal shelter led me to question my previous judgments.

Orientation day was eye-opening. I went in expecting a vast majority of the volunteers to be either teenagers in need of service hours or lonely middle-aged women with a particular fondness of orphaned animals. The handout we were given had two choices at the top: volunteer or community worker. I looked around and realized that I was in the minority; a largely unshaven, less-thanclean-cut audience surrounded me, all circling the second choice.

In volunteering regularly, I came across many contradictory sights. Guys with sideways base-

Page Ten

ball caps and chains spilling out of their sagging pockets suddenly became weak when witnessing the crying kittens in the back room. Girls with a plethora of eyeliner, studded belts and ripped jeans crowded around the cage of baby rabbits with unnatural smiles plastered on their faces.

Once I saw a teenage couple cleaning litter boxes for a few hours. As I left, they were sitting on the bench outside taking a smoke.

Seeing these people out of their felonious element was somewhat disturbing. People tend to like things black and white, but my lines were being blurred with all kinds of gray. I wondered if all accused criminals could be so humane.

I was being shown around the shelter one day by an older community worker.

“Here’s the washing station,” he pointed at the row of sinks in the back. “Down there’s the dog room, the cats are up at the front. Food is right here, water bowls are over there, and litter boxes at the bottom of this shelf.” I was impressed by the knowledge these people had of the place.

One could almost be convinced that they actually liked the work. He led me outside, where rows of cages littered the cemented ground. An oddlooking black box sat in the center of the pavement with a small metal door.

“And here’s where they incinerate the ones that don’t make it,” he smirked. In that moment I felt the same cold I had felt in passing the prison that night.

It’s easy to follow the light, I think. It’s easy to blind yourself. There’s always going to be a level of distance between do-gooders and those with a questionable agenda, but I think it’s nearly impossible for even a criminal to completely abandon their humanity. At the end of the day, we are not statistics, salary, accomplishments or records. We are blood, flesh, heart and mind; and that makes us all more similar than different.

that you just failed, or perhaps in front of that door frame you just walked into, and I want you to imagine what would happen if you casually passed one of those phrases off. The odds of you being suspended or worse, having your face smeared into a wall by one of your fellow classmates, are great, and while I can’t change the way other people handle said phrases, I can offer this insight to you. It’s not fair, and just because in any other situation the affects would be seemingly less detrimental, doesn’t make it okay to use it in this context.

If I can get one thing from writing this article, it would be knowing that in the that my little tirade got your attention. Not only is it trashy to depreciate the value of another human being’s lifestyle, but it would make the world a little bit better if people did something about it. Kids hang themselves over these things.

While I’m not familiar with the feeling of knowing that my harsh words pushed someone into ending his or her own life, I’m certain you don’t want to find out either.

Let’s keep it positive, and as I’ve said before, keep it classy.

Where is the ine

By Maelyn Schramm

NewSouth Books published a more family friendly version of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” in 2011. This “new and improved” copy replaced the “N-word” with the term “slave,” and nixed the word “Injun” from the original version, as well. Many students and scholars were outraged, claiming that the “N-word” was simply a part of the dialogue in the 1830s and 40s, the time the story took place. Whether readers were for or against the new copy, people began questioning the extremes of censorship and where the line between learning and protecting the students lies.

It seems as if censorship has become more prevalent within the past few years. From “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” to Internet websites, schools are cracking down on what students are exposed to during class. Educators have reasons to be protective of their students, whether it’s to avoid a lawsuit from an angry parent or to keep their students from using foul language found in an English book. However, it’s a bit over the top when a student cannot find pictures of animals from the temperate grasslands for his science project because all of the sites are blocked.

Because it’s quicker and easier to get to, students prefer using the Internet as a source of information rather than the old school encyclopedia. It is understandable that schools block sites with raunchy pictures, vulgar language and social networking, but many search engines and innocent pictures are banned, as well. Even searching for an image of George Washington will result in many blocked websites, claiming they are for “Staff Only.” The reasons these images cannot be viewed are questionable. Many sites with videos like YouTube are blocked even though they contain educational films that can be helpful for students to understand certain material.

Other websites like U.S. History Files are banned because they are found on Wordpress, while they may have vital information needed for a history project. These ever present restrictions have become obstacles to overcome while students research for their classes.

It is important to realize the inevitable consequences of increase in censorship. If it is fairly easy to take out a few bad words in a story, who’s to say that inappropriate parts of the plot cannot be removed, as well? As restrictions become tighter, the risk of wiping out accurate, important historical moments increases. Students should be revealed to the truth while learning, instead of revised information that may not be factual.

Although educators’ intentions are good when they protect their students in the classroom, their boundaries are becoming too extreme. Once students have trouble learning because of the school’s censorship, the school is crossing the line between learning and protecting their students.

Review

October 14, 2011

The Script

Rating: A+

By Meaghan Pulliam

Rating: A-

By Eilie Strecker 50/50 is a quick witted-made serious movie. Although it is ultimately a movie about a young man’s battle with cancer, the overall tone manages to stay fairly light and humorous.

The main character Adam, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is portrayed as the average mid 20s, going-through-lifewithout-a-care guy who has never thought twice about his morality.

After Adam goes to the doctor, complaining about back pain and waking up in a sweat, the doctor informs him that he has cancer. At first his reaction to this surreal news is unique in the way that he simply numbs out, refusing to truly let the seriousness of his situation sink in.

His friends and family actually take the news harder than he does, between his best friend Kyle, played by Seth Rogan, his girlfriend at the time Rachel, played

by Bryce Dallas Howard, and his mother Diane, played by Anjelica Huston.

When they first find out they all play the typically concerned and supportive go-toguys, but through the process of actually following through, the characters become surprisingly deep and multi-dimensional, all relating to Adam’s situation and their own feelings about the possibility of losing him in different ways.

Adam’s love interest throughout the

movie is Katherine, played by Anna Kendrick. She begins as his therapist, but slowly their relationship transforms into something much more important to both of them. The possibility of Katherine falling in love with someone who may be on a time limit makes everything more meaningful and intense.

This movie is made for not only the seriousness of an older audience, but also gets the younger teens with the humor and age of the characters. It hits a nice middle ground that dives deep into the essence of what it means to live life to the fullest and take chances while you can.

Though the movie starts out slowly, portraying an average lifestyle, the momentum and the acting picks up steadily throughout the movie, giving it a very powerful and meaningful ending.

It takes a morbid situation and takes the audience to the root of the problem thrusting you into the reality of cancer and forcing you to ask yourself: what would you do if you found out at the age of 27 that you had a life threating disease with a 50/50 chance of survival? The raw, gut wrenching sadness and the side splitting humor of this movie leaves you satisfied and thoughtful as you leave the theatre.

The Irish pop-rock band, The Script, stormed the Palladium Ballroom on October 2 on their “Science & Faith Tour” across America. I had been looking forward to this concert for over six months, and they did not disappoint one bit. Surprisingly, not that many people know about The Script, or if they do, only their over-played songs on the radio are all they know. The Script has been a favorite of mine for quite some time. They first struck a chord with me when their song Before the Worst was the free song of the week on iTunes about a year ago. I then proceeded to buy the entire album.

The concert’s venue was intimate and had an underground feel. The band performed spectacularly and nearly moved me to tear on more than one occasion, which is not an easy task.

Because The Script has a fairly small fan base in America, all of those in attendance knew every word to every song, including myself. The band took a minute break to speak to the crowd in the most attractive Irish accent.

After making a few jokes about alcohol consumption and being Irish, the cords to The Man Who Can’t Be Moved began to play in the background. The crowd screamed and Danny, the lead singer, halted the guitar and commanded the crowd to sing along. Not one person in the ballroom held his tongue or hushed his off-key voice. The walls

were shaking from the crowd’s voices and it seemed more powerful than the speakers themselves. It was beautiful and by far the most groundbreaking moment at the concert. After the song was through, Danny paused for a moment, looked at the crowd, shook his head and said that moment will stay with him for the rest of his life. I felt the same way, and I think everyone there did, too. Ever song was stronger, more meaningful, and more touching than the last. By the end of the concert, the crowd and I wanted more. Scri-ipt, scri-ipt, scri-ipt! I cheered and screamed until my lungs felt like they were going to collapse or until the band jauntily walked back onstage. Under the dim stage lights, they emerged once again to play For the First Time, one of my absolute favorites because it holds significant meaning in my life. Once again, the entire crowd began to sing along with the band in a addition to the speakers. It was extremely loud and even more personal.

The Script gets me through a terrible day, helps me through heartbreak and lets me know I am not alone when that is all I feel. The lyrics to every song are beautiful poetry put to even more beautiful music. The Script’s Oct. 2 performance exceeded all expectations, and they will always be one of my favorite bands, holding a special place in my heart.

Letters to the Editor I think the articles pertaining to Homecoming should be on the front instead of Lake Texoma, and the ones about the district “Budget Cuts Wound the District” and “Rezoning for West: Take Two” were just recaps of things we already knew. It’s old news. I really liked the sports articles about cross country “The Running Man” and football “Rivalry Runs Deep.” They were interesting and easy to follow, although I thought the swim team quotes should be cut down. They were really repetitive.

Maybe next time just use one captain from each team instead of all. I really like the column “Your Hemline Irks Me.” I loved the sarcastic humor, and the majority of the people can relate to the article. Overall the newspaper was good.

Senior Jamie Trout

The layout of the newspaper appeared very professional. I appreciate the stories written aren’t solely about what’s going on at Plano, but what’s happening in the community, as well, such as “5K for Nicole LeGrow.” The story “Lake Texoma” felt that it should have been mentioned maybe towards the end of last year seeing as the summer season is over, and there is a decrease in people going to the lake at this time anyway.

“Globe Trotters” was a great story to write about and added comedy to the newspaper with the quotes. “Rivalry Runs Deep” I felt like it was too long, and I lost interest towards the end. “Your Hemline Irks Me” was very well written and very entertaining.

It was one of my favorite pieces.

Junior Myiah Jones

Correction: Senior Bobby Giebler was misnamed in the photo on page seven

The Wildcat Tales

October 14, 2011

Volume LXVI Issue Two

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

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 Kimberly Mei a free press. The publication is a forum for the students of Plano Senior High School. Any opinions Michael Nicholson expressed in Wildcat Tales is the opinion of the writer and of the writer only.

Shezal Padani Madeline Patton Rachel Romanczvkiewicz Policy: Students and faculty are encouraged to send in any questions, comments, concerns or criticisms to be Katiria Santiago published. Letters to the editors can be put in the envelope in room B208 or emailed to Wildcat Tales JP Salazar at pshs.pub@pisd.edu. The staff reserves the right to edit a letter for grammatical errors and space Cristina Seanez issues. Any errors found in the publication will be rescinded in the following issue. Additional and Kathleen Shaffer daily updates can be found at our website www.wildcattales.com. Past issues can be viewed at Josh Spruchman www.issuu.com/wildcattalesonline. Businesses wishing to advertise in Wildcat Tales can email us at Dani Sureck pshs.pub@pisd.edu. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisements deemed to be inappropriate.

Matthew Wood

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

469.752.9300

Page Eleven

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October 14, 2011

Issue Two

Plano Senior High School

Plano, TX, USA