Homecoming happenings - Sherman Independent School District

2201
2201E.
E.Lamar
Lamar
Sherman,
Sherman,Texas
Texas
Vol. 10, Issue 2, Oct. 2013
Photo by Brooke Allen
Sherman High School
Photo by Jaycee Moore
The
oldest Texas
rivalry
Homecoming
happenings
See coverage on pages
4 and
lives
on5
See coverage on pages 4 and 5
News
Kelli Lee
Reagan
Sept.
Oct.
22,
3,
1998
2013
A few weeks ago, SHS
lost a wonderful student.
Kelli Reagan, freshman,
passed away on Thursday,
October 3, 2013. Kelli sang in
the choir and was much loved
by many students and faculty.
She will be greatly missed.
Those who would like
to help her family can make
donations during all lunches.
We will miss you Kelli.
Oct. 2013wPg.2
Using technology to our advantage
With the
start of a new
school year
there are features that have
been added to
the school; one
of them being the addition of
TVs. Four of them are placed
around the school.
With the work of the CTE
department and Assistant Principal Jennifer Kelley, the TVs
were bought and put into the
school.
“The purpose of the TVs
is to keep students informed of
school and community news,”
Assistant Principal Kelley said.
“By adding the TVs we can keep
students updated and reminded
of announcements throughout
the day.”
Some students are huge supporters of the TVs.
“I love the fact that they
place music,” freshman Isaac
Lash said.
Some students, on the other
hand, do not feel that it was a
necessity and feel it was a waste
of the school’s money.
“I personally feel that the
new TVs were an unproductive
way to use the schools funding,”
junior Roberto Alvarado said.
“There are other things that need
the money more.”
There are some things that
students would want to put on
the TVs that would make stu-
dents pay attention and like them
more.
“I would like music to play
that fit everyone’s tastes,” freshman Isaac Lash said. “For instance, rotate the kind of music
that is played.”
Many of the students that do
not think the TV’s were a good
idea believe that there are more
important things that the school
could have spent the money on.
“I think that instead of buying new TVs, SHS should buy
new microwaves for the cafeteria,” sophomore Ashley Villalobos said.
Overall the students of SHS
are mixed in their opinion on the
new TV’s. It will just take a bit of
time to see what all the TVs can
offer us.
Story and photo by Jake
Melton
Government shutdown causes frenzy
Bitter feuding and the
overall disagreement of
Congress led to
the government
shutdown on
October 1, 2013. Congress has
one key duty in the Constitution,
which is to pass spending bills
that fund the government. By
neglecting such responsibilities,
funding agencies that pay out
small business loans and passport
requests grind to a halt.
The holdup is that House Republicans insist any new spending bill include provisions to
chip away at Obamacare. Senate
Democrats however are just as
insistent of the opposite.
The health care law isn’t
directly tied to funding the government, but it is being used to
bargain. A group of Republicans,
led by freshman Sen. Ted Cruz of
If the arguing is not resolved
Texas, believe the president’s sig- soon the United States will have
nature domestic policy achievebigger issues to deal with, includment is so bad for the country
ing the failure of paying the nathat it is worth disrupting govern- tion’s foreign debt.
ment funding
On
to undercut
October 8,
it.
2013, exactly
This
one week
is not the
after the
first time
shutdown
that there
President
has been a
Obama adgovernment
dressed the
shutdown.
nation about
http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/hppr/
Although
the current
it is the first files/201310/government_shutdown_2013.jpg
situation of
time since late
the govern1995, that lasted 21 days, into
ment.
1996. The severity of the shut“The way we got to this point
down can be measured across a
was one thing and one thing
wide variety of things, such as
only: this Republican obsession
the closing of national parks, inwith dismantling the Affordability to get a U.S. passport and
able Care Act,” he said. “Most
the dismissal of Welfare.
Americans — Democrats and
Republicans — agree that health
care should not have anything to
do with keeping our government
open or paying our bills on time,”
Obama said.
While future efforts to compromise still await Congressmen,
some relative facts have emerged.
Such as a group Orangutans
are called a “Congress “and
that Google Doodles released a
doodle celebrating the 123rd anniversary of the founding Yosemite National park.
“We’ve got to stop repeating
this pattern. I know the American people are tired of it,” the
president said. “I apologize you
have to go through this stuff
every three months, it seems like.
And Lord knows, I’m tired of it.
At some point we’ve got to break
these habits.”
Story by Anastasia Acobyan
Entertainment
Oct. 2013wPg.3
Grand Theft Auto hits shelves, gamers flood stores
Since Grand
Theft Auto
V’s announcement, fans of
the Grand Theft
Auto franchise
have been anticipating its release.
Hitting shelves on September
sixteenth of 2013, the game was
made for Playstation 3 and Xbox
360, much to the chagrin of the
PC gamers. As with any game,
Grand Theft Auto V has its ups
and downs. However, the game is
overall good, a surprise to those
who have been unsatisfied by
Rockstar’s previous Grand Theft
Auto games. Unfortunately, the
promise of Grand Theft Online
is still no more than a dream for
some, as servers have been full to
bursting since it became available.
The game itself opens with around Michael, a retired jewel
thief, Franklin, a repo man, and
a prologue featuring a bank robbery that ends in tragedy. This pro- Trevor, a redneck with a short use
and a dark past. The real game bevides a nice piece of action right
gins, arming players with no more
of the bat for players. During the
than
protheir
logue,
fists.
players
Weapare
onry is
given
picked
a brief
up
tutoand
rial
added
on the
to the
basic
move- http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2013/09/grand-theft-auto-v- inventory
ment review-multi-platform.html
as the
and
weapon use. Throughout the game, game progresses through Frankthese little blurbs pop up whenever lin’s life as he becomes involved
with fast cars, guns, and crime.
something new is introduced into
game play. The storyline revolves
As a simulation of life on
the edge o the law, the game is fantastic, Grand Theft Auto V delivers spectacularly, with a fast paced
story, character development, and
new dangers around every corner.
As always, players are able to freely
explore the city of Los Santos,
turning it into a sandbox of infinite
possibilities. New weaponry and
vehicles have been added, allowing
players to see the city from the sea,
air, or land.
Without question, Grand
Theft Auto V is a very playable
game, with a moderate replay
value. The graphics are good, while
the controls take some getting used
to at first. Either way, Grand Theft
Auto V is well worth the money.
Story by Christian Rumsey
‘Random Headaches’ sparks audience confusion
Dear friends,
I know a lot
of you at school are
asking me questions
pertaining to my
motives as to why
I feel the need to
make a film with the main theme of the
movie quite literally being nothing, and
to you I say this: no one can fully grasp
the concept of “nothing”. It is vague and
very open to interpretation that has many
different uses towards the meaning in
context. Henceforth, I took it upon myself
to show my comprehension of the meaning and document so all of you can see it.
I understand this movie may make a lot
of you upset and I’m sure the first thought
that will come to your mind is “that was
stupid”, but please try to understand this
is coming from my perspective and I’m not
trying to give you a correct answer for the
meaning, I’m just trying to give you all an
interpretation my friends and I share.
With love,
Walter
SHS has always been able to
boast some of the most talented
students in various arenas. One
of those students is senior Walter
Davis. Davis is a member of the
audio/video tech class and an
anchor
for the
morning announcements.
The
time
that
he has
spent
in this Photo by Walter Davis
class has
influenced him and strengthened
his skills of creativity. Inspired
by an independent film he saw,
Davis decided that the time had
come for him to write and direct
his own film.
With the help of producer
and SHS senior Edward Reynoso, Davis created his 15 minute
film ‘Random Headaches’, and
as fellow senior Drew Allen
would say, it was “better than
sliced bread”.
The
film
opens
with
Davis
waking
up and
starting his
daily
routine.
Then,
throughout the film, viewers will see a
“random” sequence of everyday
events. Davis holds casual conversations with friends, talks to a
mystery girl, reads a book, and,
as the title suggests, takes Advil
for his “random headaches”.
And, of course, it wouldn’t be a
Reynoso/Davis production without rapping.
Viewers going into this film
should not walk into it with expectations of a plotline or complexity. As Davis has continued
to stress, he made it for fun.
Most would say that the film
and its content are pointless,
which is completely accurate!
The ironic twist is that a film
“quite literally about nothing”
holds the gateway to everything.
Although it is quite unusual,
Davis gets the point of randomness and nothingness across, and
does it in a commendable way.
The cast is spot on, and the general effects are outstanding for an
amateur. Considering his motive
and the meaning of his work, Davis receives a strong 4 out of 5.
Keep your eyes open for showing
information.
Story by Elsa Sulejman Feature
Photos by Jaycee Moore
Oct. 2013wPg 4
Battle of the AXE
Photos by Brooke Allen
4 Oct. 2013wPg.5
Photos by Jaycee Moore
The Battle of the Axe is always a lively time of the year, with
spirit days and the biggest pep rally of all. However, it is the game itself
that determines the mood of the students and teachers. The aftermath
determines many things, for better or worse. This year, it seems, it will
influence us for the worse. With an overly disappointing final score of 24
to 42, Denison has claimed the axe for only the thirty-sixth time in the
rivalry’s history.
The first half of the game was fairly disappointing, as Sherman struggled
to both hold and gain ground.
With less than perfect performance with both offense and defense,
Sherman looked to be in some seriously deep trouble by halftime.
However, the team got a much needed break as the bands took the field
for the halftime show. Denison performed their show, “Forever and
Again” first, as is customary of the Away team. Sherman performed
afterwards, taking the field with “Through Darkness, Light.”
With the second half of the game, came a second wind for the
Sherman Bearcats. The team played harder, gaining quite a few points.
Sadly, Denison was one step ahead the entire time. The opposing team’s
offense was better, their defense on their toes. Every move Sherman
made, Denison was there to counter. However, the Bearcats made two
more touchdowns before the end, leaving them two touchdowns and a
field goal behind Denison.
Many a tear was shed by the seniors, who wanted one last victory before
they moved on to college. However disappointing the outcome may have
been this year, there is always next year to think about.
Story by Christian Rumsey
Photos by Roel Rios
Op.Ed.
Dating violence is not limited to adults
Dating
violence isn’t
anywhere near
a joke. From
verbal abuse,
to physical
abuse, it has a
large range of things your partner
could do to you to be considered.
Even the little things count, like
the person you’re in the relationship with telling you what to
wear in a forceful way.
Most people in an abusive
relationship don’t realize it until
it is physical abuse. If they’re
just being emotionally abused
they usually think it’s just a small
problem they’re having.
“Relationship violence can be
confusing because being in love
with someone can also confuse
you,” junior Brandon Warner
dating partner in a single year.
said. “When you think the per“Relationship abuse is horson is just angry they’re actually
rible,” sophomore Carly Reed
not and they will always be like
that. So some people don’t realize said. “If you’re getting abused,
get out of the
it and it hurts
relationship
them.”
because this is
If a person
high school and
was abused
chances are this
as a child by
isn’t the person
a parent for
you’re going to
example, they
marry, and it’s
may be “use”
not good letting
to it and not
them treat you
find anything
in a violent way
bad about it,
just a few com- http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kSfDTPtePNo/ because if they
UWSFhl-5b0I/AAAAAAAACjM/gFRreally loved you
plications.
j0yNI35U/s1600/LoveIsNotAbuseLogo.jpg
they wouldn’t
About 72
hurt you.”
percent of
Most teens, even adults, don’t
eighth and ninth graders are
say anything about it if they were
dating. Nearly 1.5 million high
in a violent relationship.
school students nationwide
“Dating violence is not tolerexperience physical abuse from a
Oct. 2013wPg. 6
able. It should be stopped and
reported whenever any case of
it happens,” sophomore Gracie
Ferguson said.
In most relationships every
once in a while there is teasing
and name calling. Some people
may just be joking around but
that could be the start of it all. It
starts with the small things, and
leads up to the big things.
Most adolescents and adults
don’t notice that teens deal with
dating violence. Some also don’t
realize that it is a serious thing.
If you have reason to believe
you are a part of an abusive relationship, seek help.
Call 1-866-331-9474 or you
can text “loveis” to 22522
www.loveisrespect.org
Story by Kathryn Jennings
Former child stars can still be role models
Most teenagers grew up
watching television shows on
the Disney channel or Nickelodeon with strong
female role models such as Miley
Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Amanda
Bynes as their stars.
Even movie stars like Lindsay
Lohan took this spot in young girls’
minds. But unfortunately, as we
grew up, they did as well, but at a
much quicker pace.
Hannah Montana, a popular
show which aired for the first time
on March 24, 2006. The show followed a young girl from Tennessee
named Miley Stewart who moved to
California. She lived a normal life,
Editor-In-Chief:
Emily Williams
Reporters: Ana Acobyan,
Gracie Ferguson, Kathryn Jennings,
Jake Melton, Christian Rumsey
and Elsa Sulejman
Adviser: Brooke Allen
Principal: Peggy Van Marter
going to school, hanging out with
her friends, and just so happened to
also be a pop star. This show was
wildly popular for many years.
But as Miley grew up, the
content of the show matured some
too. Facing the issues of change,
loss, and serious relationships. By
the time the show ended in 2010,
viewers had watched Miley mature
into a young adult. Unfortunately,
Miley Cyrus, the star of the show,
had matured a little too much.
One month after the last episode of Hannah Montana, Cyrus
released a music video for a song
called, Can’t Be Tamed, which
showed her scantily clad in black
leather, dancing in a bird cage.
Although she had finished
filming Hannah Montana, the video
Sherman High School
2201 E. Lamar
Sherman, TX 75090
(903) 891-6440, (fax) 903-891-6446
The Paw Print is the official
student newspaper of Sherman High
School, Sherman, Texas. It is produced
by students enrolled in, and members of
the SHS Publications Department.
Its main purpose is to serve as a
lab for students who wish to increase
came out before the last season was
aired, overall tinting America’s view
of the child star. Cyrus claimed she
did this on purpose to prove to her
viewers that she was ready to be an
adult.
This practice of taking more
suggestive roles was copied by
many of her child star peers. Selena
Gomez, another Disney sweetheart,
played a lead role alongside Vanessa Hudgens in director Harmony
Korine’s Rated R raunch-fest, Spring
Breakers. Both of them also said
they wanted to be taken seriously by
other adults as they broke out of the
child star shell.
Lindsay Lohan and Amanda
Bynes lashed out in a different way.
Instead of searching for roles in suggestive movies, these stars used bad
decisions to get publicity.
By drinking, using, drugs, and
badmouthing people via Twitter,
Lohan and Bynes have made it quite
clear they are no longer children.
Although I understand that
these entertainers want to be taken
seriously, I do not agree with how
they get their publicity.
Would it not be better to be
respected, talented actors in movies where they play strong young
women? This would be the better
way to prove they were adults while
continuing to be good role models
for young girls. By thinking through
their actions, they would get the best
of both worlds.
their experience in journalism and put
that experience to work. It also serves
as a tool for those students who want
to make a positive contribution to our
school.
The Paw Print is not written
to reflect the opinions of the
administration or staff at SHS, and
no part of this publication should be
construed as representative of the
thoughts, ideas, or goals of the school or
school district administration.
We invite and encourage letters
to the editor as well as other guest
columnists. Letters to the editor must
be signed. Letters to the editor and
guest columns should be turned in to
Mrs. Allen in A131.
Advertising is accepted.
Please contact the adviser for rate
information. The Paw Print is a
member of the Interscholastic League
Press Conference.
Story by Emily Williams
Sports
Cross country runs towards success
On Saturday October 5,
the Sherman
Cross Country team had
their fifth meet
of the season
at Old Celina Park. They took
home a second place overall position for Boys Varsity, and saw
significant improvement not
only in placement, but personal
achievement.
Girls Varsity kicked off the
meet at 8:30 a.m. with the first
competition of a two mile distance run.
“I was very pleased with the
way that we ran, and everyone
continues to show significant
improvement,” Coach Tony
Shearer said. “We are headed
in the right direction and will be
peaking at just the right time for
district.”
What Girl’s Junior Varsity
lacked in placement, they made
up for in encouragement and
team spirit.
“I feel like our team has the
most
fun,
and
really
makes
an effort to
support
each
other,”
HanPhoto by Jaycee Moore
nah
Walker,
JV runner, said. “It was really a
bonding experience.”
Boys Varsity saw an outstanding victory that surpassed
anyone’s dreams.
“I felt really good about
the meet, and I thought we did
Few
people know
that tennis is
a sport that
occurs in both
the spring and
the fall. Fewer people know
that the SHS tennis team has
started this year on a positive
note, already having several
wins under their belt.
“Keep the balls low and
hit them over the net,” Coach
Rodney Pilcher said.
A strong contributor to
the success of the SHS tennis
team is Coach Pilcher. Several
players have claimed that he
is encouraging and that his
advice has significantly improved their tennis game. It is
this very advice that remained
drilled in their minds as they
ing lost many of last year’s
carried wins against teams
seniors, replacements needed
such as Greenville and Denito be made. Now, the team
son. Despite the loss against
roster is quite young in comLovejoy, SHS varsity tennis
parison to prior years. Though
emerged from
last year’s
district play in
seniors are
third overall.
missed,
“Tennis
the newest
isn’t usumembers
ally a team
of the team
sport, so it’s
have proven
nice to have
themselves
teammates to
an asset on
depend on,”
the court.
senior Vignesh Photo by Amberly Langton
“We’ll
Sundaram said.
give [this
During the fall season,
next tournament and the rest
team tennis is stressed more
of the season] our best shot,”
than individual tennis, and this senior Sarah Walker said.
year there were some changes
After placing within the
to the team line up. After hav- top four teams in district, the
pretty well. I was nine out of
two hundred and twenty, which
I thought was amazing,” Mason
Perales, Varsity runner, said.
Even
with
obstacles
placed
in the
way, they
continued
to push
for excellence.
“It
was really
cold and
rainy, but
we still tried our best!” Hannah
Walker said.
Boy’s JV followed suit, and
wrapped up a memorable day.
“I was nervous at the beginning of the race, but at the
end of the day I believe I did
Oct. 2013wPg.7
amazing,” Tristan Frasure, JV
runner, said. “Our whole team
performed very well.”
With only eight weeks of
practice under their belts, the
amount of progress shown has
qualified this year’s team for
greatness.
“We did well and had a
wonderful meet, especially for
the ninth graders who competed in varsity and did outstanding,” Coach Marc Dick said.
Hopes for the future remain
high as anticipation for the
district meet propels the rest of
the season.
“I hope we get to run our
very best at the district meet,”
Coach Dick said. “I believe we
will be able to compete with the
other teams. If our team this
year is strong, then next year we
will be unstoppable.”
Story by Gracie Ferguson
Tennis proves strength, shows determination
SHS tennis team has qualified
to go to an area tournament
in Tyler. This tournament is
crucial, as it will allow the
team the chance to rise above
and prove themselves after all
of the hard work they have put
into this season. It will also
give them the opportunity to
redeem themselves after the
tough loss against Lovejoy,
considering the fact that their
team will be at this tournament as well.
Whether they emerge from
this tournament victorious or
facing a heartbreaking loss,
great things are expected from
the SHS tennis team for the
duration of the year.
Story by Elsa Sulejman
Photo Essay
Monday
Round Up the Jackets
tuesday
Outsmart the Jackets
Oct. 2013wPg.8
wednesday
Don’t Sweat the
Jackets
Photos by Jaycee Moore
Battle of the Cans
thursday
Don’t Fear the Jackets
Friday
Bearcat Blowout