project note sticky - Hawk Nation Publications

Hendrickson High School Volume 7, Issue 5 January 31, 2014
theHawk
{
Those behind the mission would prefer
to call what happened this December a
heist. The word sounds daring, forbidden.
Romantic even. But in truth, the only
thing appropriated were the thoughts
of an anonymous few in an unexpected place. Thoughts which were given
(though privately) freely. So no. Heist
wouldn’t do.
Here’s what went down.
Sixteen questions were jotted down on
bright yellow sticky notes.
Silly ones:
“Who is cuter than Ryan
Gosling?”
“When is the last time you
did something for the
first time?”
“What makes you
smile?”
And some not-so-silly
ones:
“What are you afraid of?”
Then, the operation was
in motion— a
mad dash to
d e l i ve r a n d
smooth out 52
yellow questionnaire squares on the surface of every
girl’s bathroom mirror in the school. Before leaving the facility, each bathroom
was equipped with a ballpoint pen.
After each sticky-note delivery, the
deliverer bowed out of the restroom with
a similar solemnity of a prayer muttered
before leaving the pew.
After this came the wait.
What would the girls write? What would
be their approach? Would the girls even
bother to pick up the pen at all?
As it turns out, they did.
These are their answers.
The
sticky
note
project
pg 10-11
In This Issue:
Nine kids 9
Spamalot spotlight 12
Land and sea
17
Fight or flight 19
2 News
Volume 7, Issue 5
District delays school cancellation decision for inclement weather
NYSSA KRUSE co-editor
For the second time in five days, school
was cancelled due to icy weather on Jan. 28.
The decision to delay, and eventually cancel,
school came around 8:00 am. According to
Principal Devin Padavil, the district made the
decision later than usual because it appeared
as though the weather might not hit Pflugerville. However, when elementary school
parents had issues getting their children to
school, the district changed its decision.
“I know taking my own kids to school was
pretty treacherous,” Padavil said. “In front of
the school, walking my kids to Murchison, the band’s head librarian,” Keiser said. “It was
I fell like a baby giraffe attempting figure just my bad luck that I picked the morning
skating.”
that school would magically get cancelled.”
Despite the delay
Teachers already
“Trying to get to school was hard.
announcement comat school stayed to
supervise while
ing before high school
A lot of teachers wiped out on the
started, about 50 stustudents waited for
ice.”
-Principal Devin Padavil
dents and some teachtheir parents or a
ers were already at
bus to pick them up.
Hendrickson, including
They were offered
free breakfast, since the normal amount of
junior Summer Keiser.
“My priority this morning was to organize food was prepared and would go to waste
and label the band’s warm-up books, as I am otherwise, and were allowed to remain in the
{
}
cafeteria, main halls or library. Though many
parents were unhappy with the indecisive
morning, Keiser feels differently.
“I guess we could have made our decision
quicker and could have announced sooner
about the cancellation. But, everything
ended on a good note, and I have nothing to
complain about,” Keiser said. “[The district]
went with the flow and tried to make their
decisions quickly so there wouldn’t be too
many parents being upset. If anything, our
school acted completely calm about this situation and smoothly followed procedures.”
Various
organizations promote dangers of teen dating violence this month
Maria Mendez
staff reporter
February is known as the month
of Love and Valentine’s Day, but
is also the month of the campaign
Healthy Relationships Awareness.
Therefore, on Valentine’s Day week,
Feb. 12-18, Peers Making Peace and
various student organizations under
the lead of social worker Lori Carl,
will raise awareness about violence
or abuse that occurs in unhealthy
relationships.
“Statistics say that 1 out of 3 teens
experience some type of abuse, it be
physical or emotional, and that’s just
too many who have experienced it or
know of somebody who has, ” Carl
said. “That’s why we do the awareness, so kids will be educated and
know if they are in a situation they
need to get out of.”
This year will be the seventh year
of the collaborative campaign, that
will be run by Peers Making Peace
and Carl with the help of various
student organizations including:
Pals, the choir, the art classes, and
English classes. Together students
have various creative events and
campaigns such as murals and open
microphone coffee shop event, and
information will be provided at an
information table held during all
four lunches all week.
“We will collaborate with any
student organization and anybody
who wants to help because this a
huge campaign and we cannot do it
by ourselves,“ Carl said.
The campaign focuses on bringing
students warning signs or “red flags”
that can help determine if they are in
an unhealthy relationship. Students
are also provided with assistance
and resources if they find themselves
in an unhealthy relationship.
There is a huge national and state
outreach for students, ” Carl said.
“We even have a number you can
put in your phone for immediate
questions and help.”
If students find themselves in an
unhealthy relationship they should
confide in a trusted adult for help
to create a safety plan to get out of
the commitment, since often the
most dangerous time of an abusive
relationship is during the break up.
“I don’t think there is anything in
going back and staying,” Carl said.
The campaign has received recognition not only by Pflugerville ISD,
but also from the Texas Domestic
Violence Council and other movements such as Safe Place. However,
the greatest reward for Carl has been
the positive responses from students.
“Seeing peers educating peers,
and if we have stopped one
person from being in an abusive
relationship, that makes it all
worth it,” Carl said.
Hawk Pride
Students &Staff
{
{
{
{
ofofthe
themonth
month
Staff Member of the Month Frances
Contreras was described by nominators as having excellent people
skills, having a positive attitude
and being a team player. She gets
things done.
David Mallon was selected as
Teacher of the Month for being a
super colleague--going out of his
way to help new teachers and
teachers in his department.
Student of the month, Senior
Brenna Hudson was selected for
her exceptional leadership skills
in choir, where she has organized
numerous aspects of the program
on her own time.
Senior Anshu Gupta was selected
as student of the month for his respectfulness and dedication to his
academic work and as a member
of the debate team. He exceeds
expectations on a daily basis.
Students and staff are nominated each month by the
faculty and chosen by the Hawk Pride committee.
Look Ahead: UIL Eligibility Gain-Loss Feb. 4 Mr. HHS Course Fair Feb. 6 Band Solo/Ensemble Feb. 8
News
Accolades
January 31, 2014
&Awards
Angel Jones won a silver key award for
her drawing Western Spirit. She is the
first student at Hendrickson High school
to receive this award. She is also the
winner of the mural design contest for
the Healthy teen dating awareness
week. The UIL Academic team traveled to Burnet, Texas for an Invitational meet, on
Jan. 18. Below is a list of their individual
and team successes.
Computer Applications
John Shall, 3rd place
Connor Corrigan, 5th place
Number Sense
Colton D’Ambra, 5th place
Calculator Apps--2nd place team
Dung Nguyen, 1st place
Colton D’Ambra, 5th place
Science
Dung Nguyen, 6th place and 1st placeChemistry
Lit Crit
Alex Spieler, 6th place
Accounting
Kevin McGarity, 4th place
Computer Science
Dung Nguyen, 4th place
Colton D’Ambra, 6th place
1st place Journalism team
News Writing
Nyssa Kruse, 1st place
Gabrielle Wilkosz, 2nd place
Bella Hernandez, 6th place
Feature Writing
Taylor Bodeen, 2nd place
Madi McVan, 3rd place
Bella Hernandez, 4th place
Editorial Writing
Gabrielle Wilkosz, 1st place
Bella Hernandez, 4th place
Headline Writing
Bella Hernandez, 1st place
Nyssa Kruse, 2nd place
Madi McVan, 4th place
At the Round Rock Invitational Academic
meet on Jan. 25.
Calculator Applications
Dung Nguyen, 4th place
Editorial Writing
Madi McVan, 3rd place
Headline Writing
Madi McVan, 1st place
Garrett Hudson made All-State Choir
and will attend the Texas Music Educators Association Convention in February,
where he will perform with other AllState musicians.
The following students qualified for the
BPA State Leadership Conference:
Vivian Huynh - Fundamental Accounting
Alex Galan - Advanced Accounting
Nicole Onyango - Banking & Finance
Celestial Edmonson - Keyboarding
Production
Royce Vaughn - Integrated Office
Applications
Nyede Silla - Medical Office Procedures
Edward Espinoza - PC Servicing &
Troubleshooting
Noel Scott - Fundamentals of Web Design
Brandon Hoang - Graphic Design
Promotion
Lizzie Nenninger - Digital Publishing with
InDesign
Hannah Meadows - Digital Media Production
Alex Cramer - Computer Modeling
Ravi Singh - Interview Skills
Evan Hannon - Advanced Interview Skills
Briana Walker - Human Resource
Management
Beatriz Espiritu - Prepared Speech
Evan Hannon, Ravi Singh, Royce
Vaughn, Briana Walker - Financial
Analyst Team
3
New freshman counselor
brings new attitude, change
Madi Mcvan
staff reporter
First days are always hard, whether it’s at
a new school or new job. For new freshman
counselor Andrea Warner, the beginning of
the second semester was both.
Warner began work on Jan. 13 after the
retirement of Jim Burr from the position in
December. Despite the challenge of starting
halfway through the school year, Warner is
determined to improve the services that the
school counselors provide.
“I decided to be a counselor because my
experience in high school with counselors
was not very positive. They mostly did
schedule changes, and they didn’t really talk
to us about career options or things we could
do for our future,” Warner said. “I wanted
to become a counselor so that I could help
freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors
decide what they want to be after high
school, because it is hard.”
Starting the job in January means that Warner missed out on events such as freshman
orientation and class meetings where she
would have been able to introduce herself to
the freshmen that she helps. Now, Warner
is faced with the problem of not coming into
contact with most of the class of 2017.
“Because I didn’t know the students in the
first semester, I only have a short window
to get to know my 730-­something students,”
Warner said. “So it’s going to be a little tough,
but I’m going to try to make a point to get
around and meet everybody.”
However, freshmen are not the only people
a counselor must collaborate with. The faculty and staff must work together to keep the
school running smoothly, and each
employee is a part of the complicated task
of managing nearly 2200 students. Warner
is no exception.
“I think she will help our counselors get
better as a team. She is clearly a team player
and she will add to ideas when we discuss
how we want to do certain things,” principal
Devin Padavil said. “Already, she has shown
us ways to do things in a simpler and more
organized way.”
Warner was previously a teacher at
Pflugerville High School, where she taught
classes such as child development, fashion,
and principles of human service. She holds a
Master’s Degree in Family and Child Studies
from Texas State University and a counseling
certification from Texas A&M.
Forensics qualifies state competitors
After their last few tournaments, the Speech and Debate team
has qualified 24 students to the state tournament in Houston on
March 6-9. These students are:
State Qualifiers
Trey Goach – Policy Debate
Emma Ha – Policy Debate
Daniel Alvarado – Congressional Debate
Marcus Ayala – Public Forum Debate,
David Huber – Public Forum Debate
Candace Kosted – Humorous InterpretaDomestic Extemp
Christina Bui – Policy Debate
tion
Anally Contreras – Public Forum Debate
Brooke Marvets – Congressional Debate
Naomi Niyah – Public Forum Debate
Taylor Cope – Duo Interpretation
Zach Falkenbury – Public Forum Debate,
Brenda Ortegon – Duo Interp
Foreign Extemp, Impromptu
Jordan Rojas – Public Forum Debate, DoHarmon Gamble – Duet Acting
mestic Extemp, Impromptu
Anshu Gupta – Policy Debate
Ardian Shaholli – Public Forum Debate
Travis Tiffany – Policy Debate
Matthew Tomasek – Humorous Interpretation, Poetry
Rebecca Trevino – Congressional Debate
Josh Villarreal – Policy Debate
Courtney West – Duet Acting, Dramatic
Interpretation
Danielle Williams – Public Forum Debate,
Domestic Extemp
Nico Williams – Policy Debate
Silver Dancer Show Off Feb. 11 Slang Bee Feb. 13 Prom Fasion Show Feb. 19 Blood Drive Feb. 25
4 Opinions
Volume 7, Issue 5
Importance of pledge lost amongst teens
the Hawk
{
Staff editorial
Hendrickson High School
2905 FM 685
Pflugerville, Texas 78660
http://cms.pflugervilleisd.net/HHS
512.594.1100
Adviser : Kari O. Riemer
Principal : Devin Padavil
The Hawk, official student newspaper of
Hendrickson High School, is an open forum
for the exchange of ideas and opinions.
Opinions expressed reflect the beliefs of the
student author, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the entire Hawk Staff, the
Hawk Adviser, the Hendrickson Faculty and
Staff, or the Principal.
Letters to the editor are welcomed, and may
be dropped off in E102.
editorial staff
co-editors
Nyssa Kruse Gabrielle Wilkosz
copy editor
Gus Louis
news editor
Taylor Bodeen
opinions editor
Kayla Meadows
life, style & arts editor
Lucibella Hernandez
sports editor
Nathan Way
reporters
Brianna Alfaro
Julian Colwell
Jonas Garza
Echo Hickrod
Madi McVan
Maria Mendez
Deonte Orange
Jacob Overheim
MarQuise Prince-Salone
Kylie Ruffino
Katy Sammons
Tasia Serrato
Holly Sill
Naihla Temple
Travis Tiffany
Hendrickson High School Volume 7, Issue 5 January 31, 2014
theHawk
{
Those behind the mission would prefer
to call what happened this December a
heist. The word sounds daring, forbidden.
Romantic even. But in truth, the only
thing appropriated were the thoughts
of an anonymous few in an unexpected place. Thoughts which were given
(though privately) freely. So no. Heist
wouldn’t do.
Here’s what went down.
Sixteen questions were jotted down on
bright yellow sticky notes.
Silly ones:
“Who is cuter than Ryan
Gosling?”
“When is the last time you
did something for the
first time?”
“What makes you
smile?”
And some not-so-silly
ones:
“What are you afraid of?”
Then, the operation was
in motion— a
mad dash to
d e l i ve r a n d
smooth out 52
yellow questionnaire squares on the surface of every
girl’s bathroom mirror in the school. Before leaving the facility, each bathroom
was equipped with a ballpoint pen.
After each sticky-note delivery, the
deliverer bowed out of the restroom with
a similar solemnity of a prayer muttered
before leaving the pew.
After this came the wait.
What would the girls write? What would
be their approach? Would the girls even
bother to pick up the pen at all?
As it turns out, they did.
These are their answers.
Everyday teens are reminded to emit
gratitude towards those who have served
and have died protecting American citizen’s rights. With flags in every classroom
and school celebration of national holidays
such as Veteran’s Day, it’s hard to forget
how this country got to where it is now.
However, in recent times, reciting the
pledge of allegiance has gone ‘out of style,’
and it isn’t particularly clear as to why
that’s the case. The cause could range from
teens’ better perception and knowledge of
the world leading to a gloomy sense of patriotism or simply a major loss in caring.
Instead of sloughing silently in a cloud of
apathy while the lone voice pledging to
the flag is the teacher in the classroom, students should say the pledge to show their
daily thanks and respect.
It is very important that students be taught
to take pride in who they are. Students that
are U.S. citizens should be encouraged to
understand what it is to be an American. By
providing the option of saying the pledge of
allegiance, students are being taught that it
is important to be an American. America is
one of the strongest independent nations in
the world. Any time there’s an international crisis concerning America, its citizens
Hit
generally presume a triumphant victory,
and automatically assume that there’s no
reason to fear, but without fear, there isn’t
really an accurate way of truly appreciating all the good things that have happened.
The situation is like how Thanksgiving
and Christmas have lost their meanings, by
being blinded from what the true meaning
behind the tradition. Although the status of
the Pledge’s true importance and symbolic
meaning is an opinion, there still should
still be some essence of respect and projection of dignity upon America’s foundation. If the pledge of allegiance isn’t said, it’s
like all the men and women in our armed
forces, past and present, that we do not care
that they have lost their lives to protect our
freedoms.
America has achieved a standard of living never before thought possible, and has
been one of the major leaders in technology
since WWII. Throughout all of America’s
history, the flag has been there, symbolizing freedom from oppression, liberty to
live as the people chose, and justice for all
as guaranteed by the Constitution and Bill
of Rights. It should be considered an obligation, and a privilege, to pledge your allegiance to the flag of the United States of
America.
Weather day confusing
If you don’t like the weather in Texas, stick around for five minutes
and it will change. That adage could not have been more true than
in the last week and a half. However, the Weather Day on Jan. 28
could have been handled better on the District level. With teachers
and elementary students already braving icy roads before a call for
a delay was made, both where put in unnecessary jeopardy. The
Superintendent did issue a formal apology explaining how the decision was made, however the late response in the school delay and
subsequent cancellation were way off target.
pg 10-11
In This Issue:
Nine kids 9
Spamalot spotlight 12
Land and sea
17
Fight or flight 19
Cover Design By Gabrielle Wilkosz
Copy By Gabrielle Wilkosz
Photo By Ameer Joseph
Pep rallies only for football
Not all sports can be compared to football. Football involves the
intense energy of the crowd in the bleachers, the tackling of players on the field, and of course the infamous ‘Wiggalo’ in the stands.
However, that doesn’t make football above other sports and although
volleyball was notably announced at the football pep rallies, many of
our sports aren’t acknowledged through their own celebrative pep
rally; such as tennis, swim, golf, cross country, soccer and basketball.
We find that pep rallies only celebrate football and not other sports
way off target.
Complete stranger brings
staffer enlightenment
Bella Hernandez
Life, style & arts
Art by Kylie Ruffino
rates the ups and
r MissStaff
downs of life at HHS
The
sticky
note
project
Some would say that forcing teens to recite
“under God,” contradicts America’s main
principals that all citizens are entitled to
freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
Regardless, students should say the Pledge
of Allegiance in honor of all servicemen
and women who’ve sacrificed their life for
their country and their freedom.
Unsung heroes
The first ones in the building in the morning, the last ones out at
night, our custodians work hard to keep our nest clean. They put
in long hours, do some of the dirtiest jobs imaginable, all while being the backbone of Hawk Nation. We find our awesome custodial
staff a direct hit.
School store under utilized
Recently, The Nest made its debut as our school store, selling tshirts in the textbook room before school and during lunches. While
this is a good service, The Nest would be much more purposeful if
it also sold schools supplies, as many students come unprepared
and would benefit from having a place to buy materials at the last
minute. This would also help The Nest bring in more business. We
find the current use of The Nest somewhat off target and suggest
it widen its selection.
Courtyard picnic tables inaccessible
Over winter break, large picnic tables appeared in the courtyards. Although they are a nice addition to the yards, they serve
no purpose other than decoration as long as students are not
allowed to eat lunch or otherwise enjoy them. Even though it’s a
nice idea, we believe that the lack of student access to the picnic
tables is way off target.
Opinions 5
Though rosy-cheeked Santas
and candy canes have long since
left the shelves of stores, in my
living room still remains a fully
adorned Christmas tree.
Under the plastic pine rests a
lone present.
On a corner of the package,
written in my mother’s beautifully loopy hand,
is the name of a man I hardly
know: Augustine.
I had heard his name whispered in adult conversations here and
there, but didn’t expect to meet him. He was a man that my grandmother had come across in passing, sitting alone in a restaurant
without the money to buy a meal. My grandmother bought him
dinner, and in exchange he shared his story.
In search of a better life and money to support his family, Augustine came to America. By foot. Walking hundreds of miles in his
lone pair of shoes with nothing but the clothes on his back, he went
from town to town, sleeping under bridges and working odd jobs
were he could.
Not long after their meeting, I met Augustine for the first time.
He came to my house one evening with my father. The timid man
dressed in worn down sneakers and dirt-caked jeans removed his
battered baseball cap to say hello. While my mother and I readied
dinner, my dad offered Augustine soap, shampoo and a loofa and
showed him to our bathroom.
He came to the dinner table clean. My mother handed me the
prayer card. I stumbled over my Americanized Spanish, embarrassed, but Augustine didn’t seem to mind.
“She knows Spanish. She speaks it well. She’s just self-conscious to
speak in front of others. Silly girl,” my dad said offhandedly.
“Yes, very well,” Augustine agreed politely.
We all served ourselves some of my dad’s homemade tortilla
soup; perfect for the December weather. After a dinner full of polite conversation (that I listened to, but was not a part of, and that
my brother couldn’t understand at all), we all sat in the living room
in continuance of sobremesa. That evening Augustine left with a
suitcase my parents had filled with hygiene products, clothing and
nonperishable food as well as blankets and a space heater. Though
my parents offered, he wouldn’t be staying at our house.
I have only seen him a few times since then. A bike here, a pair
of shoes there; we never let him leave empty handed. But despite
my parent’s charity, every time he came over, I felt guilty. As I sat
curled up on the couch in my comfy clean clothes with my smartphone and laptop at hand, this kind man sat across from me with
nothing. I had a warm home; he slept in a half built house that
he worked to construct when he would wake. I had so much that
I did nothing to earn and he worked so hard for nearly nothing.
It put things in perspective for me. Though I’ve always known
my life is cushy and pleasant compared to most, it was different to
actually see how good I have it. I have food, a home, clothes, a loving family and a bright future. Some days my life will seem rough,
others mediocre, but ultimately it isn’t as bad as it could be.
While I know someone else’s problems do not invalidate or belittle
my own, meeting Augustine did reinforce a piece of advice I had recently misplaced in the clutter of my memory. Despite what we often tend to believe, everyone has autonomy. Everyone has a choice.
You can choose to sit and complain about your circumstances, or
you can work to do something about them. And I will always thank
Augustine for reminding me of that.
January 31, 2014
Full steam ahead
Emotional stereotype frustrates editor
I hate this.
(Perhaps hate is too
strong a word.)
Let’s say I’m passionate about this.
Demeaning the female
sex for having a “higher
onset of emotions” boils
my blood, it makes me
Gabrielle Wilkosz
want to smash some
Co-editor
dishes, rattle a couple
cages, I just… *mascara runs down face* ...I’m sensitive
about this issue. The way western media has handled the
idea of the American teenage girl is simple— We are erratic, fun-loving, vain, and tend to love nail polish. (Anyone picturing a 90’s rom-com?)
Better yet, when the adolescent female creatures in
our lives rear their beautiful heads, sometimes we don’t
know what to expect: The pure face of an angel? A melancholy sweetheart with a slight pout? An angry, bloodthirsty fiend with sharp, pointy teeth?
Clearly we could all use a guide to help through the
murky waters of being in the same vicinity as a teenage
girl, whether you are friends with one, are dating one,
want to date one, are an interactive adult figure in one of
their lives, or are one.
Myth 1: If a teenage girl is in a sour mood, it’s a free pass
to say whatever you want.
Sorry to break it to you, but this is false. Depending on
how strongly the female is affected by her emotion at
the time, she will either forgive you for not being understanding, or remember it for the rest of your lifespan and
hers combined. Fact of the matter is, both you and the
teenage female are responsible for the interactions that
you share, regardless of anyone’s emotional patterns.
Myth 2: When a teenage girl is in a sour mood, you
should make fun of her to lighten her spirits.
Yes. Try, foolish mortal. Try and see what happens.
For your own sake, don’t joke around about the emotional state of the wild teenage girl unless you have
complete consent, especially if you are an adult male
who doesn’t know P. Diddly-squat about being a teenage girl. (Sorry dads, that means you, too.)
I, for one, have definitely made many a human head
roll in my time upon hearing other’s thoughtless comments. Only after looking at the decapitated corpse I
had produced, could I sigh with relief. Yes, now their
thoughtless comments were appropriately paired
with a physical form also not capable of thought.
Myth 3: It is impossible to walk the line between saying girls are emotional and not being sexist.
Ahh. This one is a thinker. The way I look at it, how
we invalidate female emotion in general, by viewing
it as excessive, is a no-no. Nature’s gift of emotional intelligence to women is every bit as important as any
of the other predispositions men and women have.
In fact, it is one of the generalized human character
traits that have facilitated the success and survival of
the human race throughout the course of time.
Factoid: A teenage girl is no less intelligent, savvy,
capable or awesome because of the way biology has
forcibly shoved her into a temporary ball of I’m-NotMyself-Right-Now. In situations like these, we do not
call females “emotional train wrecks,” instead, we do
our best to respect and sympathize.
On a final note, it doesn’t hurt to always carry a mirror. You never know when you’ll get caught in a dark
alley with a teenage girl who has had a particularly
rough day and needs to see the face of the only person
who understands.
Life, Style & Arts 7
January 31, 2014
Style & Arts
6 Life,
Volume 7, Issue 5
Switching States
Moving to Texas poses educational challenges for new Hawks
Madi Mcvan
staff reporter
Since 2000, Pflugerville has nearly tripled in
population. About 30 percent of the current
population was born out of state, resulting
in a large number of students who left everything behind when they moved across
the country.
Korina Houghtaling
KORINA HOUGHTALING
In Gig Harbor, Washington, a large snow-capped
mountain overlooks the
docks and marinas filled
with boats of all shapes,
sizes and colors. Wooded islands are scattered
throughout the natural harbor that gave the
town its name.
To j u n i o r K o r i n a
Houghtaling, Gig Harbor was home until she
and her sister moved to live with their father
in Pflugerville.
“I was really nervous and opposed to moving,” said Houghtaling. “Since it’s junior year,
everyone already had their friends and had
settled in. I was scared. I didn’t want to do it.”
Along with her reservations about the
social aspect of changing schools, Houghtaling’s school in Gig Harbor was far from the
high standards that Hendrickson has set for
it’s students.
“It was really laid back. There were no rules,”
Houghtaling said. “But the education wasn’t
that great, and the teachers weren’t as good
as they are here.”
Despite the contrast between Gig Harbor
and Pflugerville, Houghtaling managed to
find a group of friends through her classes
and extracurriculars.
“First I joined the debate team, and then I
just clicked with my friends,” Houghtaling
said. “Most of my friends are through one mutual friend that I have in one of my classes.”
However, the move promised more than
just a higher quality education and new
friends: it allowed Houghtaling to focus on
her future.
“My plans for the future are better because
Hendrickson is more focused on your future,”
Houghtaling said. “The classes are more
future-specific and there’s more people to
help you. It’s also a better environment that
Washington was for future aspirations.”
son
in
Hutch
y
e
l
h
As
Brianna Alfaro
You are here
ASHLEY HUTCHINSON
Senior year. For most
people, these words conjure up images of homecoming football games,
hanging out with friends
during off periods, and
graduating high school
with the people you’ve
known forever.
However, senior Ashley
Hutchison’s vision was
shattered when she and
her family moved from
Rancho Cucamonga, California to Pflugerville in March of 2012. Despite all efforts to
seamlessly transfer class credits between
the states, differences in graduation requirements meant that Hutchinson would be
spending her senior year in classes that most
people take as sophomores or freshmen.
“I faced having to take classes that I wasn’t
required to take before,” Hutchison said. “I
had to take Speech, I had to take Foundations
of Fitness, I had to take World Geography,
and I had to take a fine arts class.”
Being required to earn credits for all those
courses, along with the basic core classes that
most seniors take, left Hutchison with a full
schedule and very little time for socialization:
another bump in the road for a new student
trying to make friends.
“It’s hard, because I can hear people saying
thinks like, ‘hey, are you going to the
3:30 movie?’ and I’ve got economics, I’ve got
government- I can’t do it,” Hutchison said.
Although she has less free time than her fellow seniors, that didn’t stop Hutchison from
being involved in clubs and organizations
like the Doctor Who club, Student Council,
and Guitar Club.
“It all started when a girl in one of my AP
classes noticed the Doctor Who button I
have on my backpack and let me know abut
the club. Ever since then I’ve been meeting
people through there. Ms. Lacey has been
encouraging me to do student council, and
I met people through there,” Hutchison said.
“Right now it’s just about finding where I fit
in the best.”
BRIANNA ALFARO
It’s 2:35.
Here in Pflugerville,
students are filing out of
classrooms and into the
halls, preparing for their
last class of the day.
In Pleasantview, Utah,
the final bell is ringing
and students are packing up their belongings
and racing to their cars,
finished with another
(seemingly long) day at school.
Junior Brianna Alfaro is still adjusting to
the effects of moving 1300 miles across the
country, from a school with shorter days
and less restrictions to a school with less
privileges and longer days.
“[In Utah] The freshmen were still in Junior
High, you were given letter grades instead of
number grades and school was only six hours
and 45 minutes long,” Alfaro said. “Moving to
Texas has been a huge change.”
Along with the differences in schedules
and grading, disciplinary measures in Utah
are less harsh, causing students to have more
issues with truancy and tardiness.
“I was late every single day of the week,”
Alfaro said. “No, I didn’t go to court and I
didn’t go to in school suspension, not only
because it did not exist, but because you
would be given community service hours if
you were late. I racked up a lot of community
service hours. That was the only downfall I
had with the schooling system in Utah.”
Despite the pleasures associated with a less
demanding education system, the move to
Texas had its benefits.
“There are perks to going to Hendrickson,”
Alfaro said. “I’ve had the opportunity to meet
so many new people. The students here also
have a lot of school spirit, which is something
a lot of people in Utah were lacking. I enjoy
going to Hendrickson.”
How far to Pflugerville?
Gig Harbor, WA
...about 2200 miles
Pleasant View, UT
...about 1300 miles
Rancho Cucamonga, ca
...about 1400 miles
EducationAcross the Ocean
Diverse school systems set up in different countries
Kylie Ruffino
staff reporter
British school for teens
The basics of British schooling is complex and very different from America.
Younger grades like seventh-ninth go
to what is called the “form,” almost like
homeroom, for all their lessons, while the
rest of the grades just use the “form” to
check attendance. When teenagers reach
year ten they start a course called ‘GCSE’,
which is required for the entire country.
Amy Nobles* attends a school in England,
and is now taking the ‘GCSE’ course. This
class teaches students all of the information needed to take their final exams,
taken at the end of year eleven. They are
required to take the GCSE exams for English, math, science and a foreign language,
but they also get to choose three courses
they want to take the exam for. This is to
help focus on the student’s career path.
After their exams they enter what is
known as sixth form (year twelve and
School life of an Aussi
thirteen.) This acts like a pre-college, so the learning is more
selected, taking only the
courses they will focus
on. Students then take
another exam at the
end of year thirteen.
It helps colleges decide which students
they will accept.
“I like how the
lessons are only
35 minutes long
otherwise, I would
probably die of boredom,” Nobles said.
“Another thing I really like that they don’t
do in America is that every six weeks we get one week
off and use it as a time to de-stress.”
Australia has some similar aspects to British schools, but there
are a lot of differences. High
school starts in grade seven
and anything below that is
primary school. Instead
of starting school during
August, Australian students start at the very
end of January after
summer break, which is
seven weeks that starts
in mid December. In
school, students are required to wear uniforms,
in order to eliminate rude
comments about what they
look like.
Cobi Gittens*, a high-schooler
living on the coast of Australia, doesn’t get her “timetable,” or
schedule, until Jan. 28, but she
will have six class periods that are
different every day, with a house
tutor period (homeroom), two 25
minute recess breaks and an hour
lunch. Gittens, plans to take seven
different courses: maths, extension
maths, advanced English, extension English, biology, Japanese, and
geography.
“I like the length of the school day
(8:15 – 3:20) and how the classes are
split up and spread out throughout
the week,” Gittens said. “I also like
the controlled amount of students
per grade because it allows the
teacher to control the class and
share their attention.”
*The author attended school with Gittens and Nobles previously.
Home Is Glaser reflects on transition from homeschool to public school
Where the
School Is
Holly Sill
(at right) Senior
Meghan Glaser
works on an
assignment in
Communication
Applications.
Photo by Ameer
Joseph
staff reporter
It’s been seen in the movies. The trembling new kid nervously steps through
the front doors, bracing himself or herself
for what is to come throughout the day: a
sea of new classmates, several new teachers and a new campus to learn every
nook and cranny of.
Despite being
homeschooled until the age of 15, for
now-senior Meghan
Glaser, the switch to
public school came
with relative ease. No
trembling kid here.
“I wasn’t nervous
in the slightest,” Glaser said. “Of course
it was a very differe n t e nv i ro n m e n t
for me, but I’m pret-
ty good at adapting to change quickly.”
That is not to say that there were no complications or concerns for Glaser. As a newbie to
public school, some fears did come to surface.
“ My b i g g e s t w o r r y ab o ut p ub l i c
school was failing,” Glaser said. “I didn’t
want to go from being homeschooled
and doing really well to going to pub-
{
“Of course it was a very different environment for me, but
I’m pretty good at adapting to
change quickly.”
}
-Meghan Glaser, 12
lic school and messing up completely.”
Even with stereotypical remarks from
new fellow students like ‘But you look
normal,’ and ‘You missed out on a social
life because you were homeschooled,’
Glaser claims that the transition to public
school couldn’t have gone any smoother.
Luckily, with several similarities between the
two schooling systems, the curriculum and
required classes weren’t that different. Along
with the core subjects, several opportunities
for extra-curricular activities were available
to Glaser when she was homeschooled.
“I played basketball and volleyball for
a homeschooled team,” Glaser said. “We
played other private schools and homeschooled teams. Art, dance, choir and
gymnastics were also available as electives.”
While Glaser notes that homeschool did
have the luxurious advantages of working at an individual pace, being able to
eat whenever the stomach desired and
having her mother as her teacher, she
also states that public school has helped
her in ways that homeschool couldn’t.
“I’m very happy with public school,” Glaser said. “I had to adopt a different work
ethic with eight teachers each giving me
work, I made new friends and I learned
how to be more brave in front of people.”
8 Life, Style & Arts
Volume 7, Issue 5
Just Kidding Just Hurts
Sophomore reflects on how joking is actually offensive
Taylor BOdeen news editor
When people say something rude,
many often follow it up with “just kidding” so no one gets offended.
Despite hearing the phrase “just kidding,” some still feel the reality at the
heart of the insult because everyone
knows there is truth to most every joke.
Emma Louis stands and listens to her
friend tell her whole story. She nods at
appropriate times and laughs if necessary.
Her friend continues on and on and she
eventually cuts in.
“Get a life!” Louis jokes.
Wait, that’s too blunt. It seems mean. I need
to try working on that. Laugh it off?
“I’m just kidding!”
But she meant what she said. She believes
her friend has a life but it is consumed with
celebrities that she will unlikely meet.
Still, she doesn’t want to hurt her friends.
*** 3 hours later, 8th period***
Walking into her last period, she notices
one of her good friends got a hair cut.
“Your hair style is kind of old looking,”
Louis blurts. “LOL, JK.”
She feels a pang of guilt in her gut.
Dang it Emma! Again?
She bluntly insulted her friend and covered it up with a joke.
I want to be honest with everyone, but I don’t
want to hurt them. How do I do that?
“No, but really, your hair isn’t bad, but I
liked it before.” That’s better.
The final bell rings, dismissing her from her
seat and she heads to meet her best friend
before leaving the school for the day.
Once she arrives home, she surfs the Internet and catches that she is treating herself
as she would her friends.
Goodness Emma, get a life.
JK.
She catches her instinctual response.
How about ‘Maybe you should try doing
something besides searching the Internet all
the time...’
It’ll work for now, but she knows she needs
to work on it.
Her phone buzzes in her pocket and she
reads the message. An insult instantly pops
into her mind, but she swallows it. She
doesn’t want to hurt her friends, even for
honesty.
Decoding Dialogue
Phrases frequently used by teens contain alternative meanings
Kayla Meadows opinions editor
As the world gets more and more caught up in social
media and technology, conversations often contain
phrases that are said and not always meant. Below is a
text example with explanations of things people tend to
say but don’t necessarily mean.
Starting a conversation usually begins with,
“Hi, how are you?” Most of the time the speaker
does not really acknowledge or care how you
are, it just seems like a polite conversation filler.
Try asking more personal things, not something
vague.
When the conversation gets awkward and
neither party knows what to say, the question
“What are you doing?” is often asked, but usually, the other person is not really interested in
what you are doing or reciprocating back the
answer. Because we can all agree the conversation could not get any less boring than when
someone replies “nothing much.”
“I will talk to you later” is a phrase often used
to end a conversation and most of the time,
they probably won’t talk to you later. So get off
the couch, turn off the TV and go do something exciting besides waiting for your friend
to text you back.
Messages
“Friend”
Edit
Hi how
are you? It feels like
its been forever since we
talked!
Lol, uhhuh sure..haha just kidding
So what
are you doing?
Just
texting you (:
Cool, we
should hang out!
Yeah...
I don’t know if my
parents will let me
Okay,
we will see. I will talk
to you later :)
As much as it might feel like its “been forever since
we talked,” it most likely hasn’t been. Everyone
knows that the last time you probably talked was
last week in chemistry class gossiping over the latest drama. So, next time just leave this phrase out
of the text.
Saying, “just kidding” is something many teens use
as a get-out-of jail free card for an offensive joke. No
matter how many times they say it they probably
weren’t kidding and need to realize that it’s not monopoly, it’s life.
As sweet as it might be thinking that the other person you are texting is only “texting you,” it’s probably not true. Most likely they are watching embarrassing chick flicks and eating popcorn on the couch
or they are just too lazy to text every single action
they are doing.
One of the most common excuses in the teen
world is “I don’t know if my parents will let me”
or otherwise known as the parent card. If a text is
received that says someone can’t hang out because
of parents, most of the time, they are lying and just
don’t want to hang out with you.
9
Life, Style & Arts 9
January 31, 2014
Who are the Bentons kids?
Kids
& Done
Counting
Eli
Hannah
Enoch
Age 17
Age 15
Age 14
“Get-It-Done”
Guy
The HardWorker
The GoGetter
Tim
Paul
Hope
Age 13
Age 12
The Athletic
Artist
The Random
One
Age 10
Photo courtesy of Benton family
Large family formative in teen’s outlook on life
NYSSA KRUSE co-editor
11 people.
1 car.
3 days straight.
This might sound like a torture trip
to most people, but for senior Eli
Benton, it doesn’t bother him one
bit. He’s used to it traveling with
such a large number of people—
they’re his immediate family, after
all.
Benton is one of nine children in
his family, aging from seventeen
to two. As the oldest, Benton often
babysits his younger siblings and
retains certain responsibilities the
younger ones don’t.
“I’m a role model. It’s sort of like
being a sub-parent, but not really,”
Benton said. “I can’t dish out conse-
What does it
take to keep a
family of 11
going?
quences, but I can try to teach them
what I know.”
All nine children have the same
parents and live together in a sixbedroom house. Though most would
{
}
“One of the biggest misconceptions
is that it’s always loud and obnoxious—it’s actually not.”
-Eli Benton, 12
expect this to create a noisy home
environment, Benton says this isn’t
always the case.
“There are times when it’s really hectic and chaotic and there are
times when it’s like, ‘where is everybody?’ Everyone will be at the house
except it will be dead silent,” Benton
2
pantries
1 freezer
said. “One of the biggest misconceptions is that it’s always loud and
obnoxious—it’s actually not.”
However, Benton does admit there
are times when his siblings get loud
or annoying, and for this he has
developed a philosophy.
“You kind of adopt this policy
of if you can’t do anything about
it, just keep quiet and don’t say
anything because if you ignore it
won’t bother you at all,” Benton
said. “If you find something else to
do with your time, then it won’t
bother you.”
For good or bad, at least one thing
reigns true for Benton’s life as one of
nine children.
“You’re never alone,” Benton said.
“Ever.”
The Budding
Brainiac
Pearl
TJ
Age 9
Age 4
Age 2
“Calm, Cool
Collected.”
The Intuitive
One
The Goofy
Goober
2 refrigerators
Shiloh
trips to
2 monthly
Sam’s and Costco
15-passenger van
6
bedrooms
Style & Arts
10 Life,
Volume 7, Issue 5
Editor finds solace in unusual place
If These Stalls
Could Talk
Stories of secret lives gathered
from rest room sanctuary
Gabrielle WilkoSZ co-editor
I
t’s the most unassuming place.
However, amid faucets and the groans
of doors being prodded open by an occasional draft, a high school girls’ rest
room contains snapshots of the many lives
that pass through its terminal before moving
on to the next destination.
This place—despite its intended purpose—
contains fragments of the lives of those
around us. While many are only concerned
with his or her own prerogatives, outside of
the individual, there is a still world turning.
The following are simple glimpses into the
lives of others.
Recorded on Dec. 18, Jan. 8, Jan. 14 Jan 16
and Jan 18, the subjects of these girl’s stories
could be your sisters, friends of friends, or
complete strangers, but they are among
us, and in the way of the universe, they
embody fragments of human nature. They
embody us.
1.
8:32 am Dec. 18
“So my sister came in last night before
going out with Robbie, for like, five seconds,
and she cut all her hair off. It looks… I just—
when I get some money, let’s say I’m going
to buy her some extensions. I told her that
too. When I get work.”
“Do you start in the spring or summer?”
“I start training in a few months.”
“So like spring?”
“Probably before then. People are like, ‘I
want to go swimming even though it’s
cold,’ so I’ll just sit there
and do nothing and get
paid not enough. I don’t
have to do anything
though. It’s haha yeah.
It would be easier if my
parents would just pay for
things.”
2.
8:41 am Jan. 8
“So my mom is always doing
that PX-90, 360 whatever
work-out. Saturday night, girl,
I did it with her and I woke
up feeling bad all day, just like,
NOPE. It was even worse that
night; I couldn’t sleep.”
“That’s why you take that Advil P.M. That
will have you knocked out and feeling
nothing.”
“I know. I should have. Lying in my bed I
could feel it all up in my thighs.”
“Haha, mm. That’s why I don’t do no
exercise.”
“My mom didn’t feel nothing after. I tried
to ask her and she’s just telling me that I
probably need to work out more if it made
my legs so sore.”
“Work out more?”
“It’s just no, if anything I’ll be working out
less, you know. She’s like a teenager though
with all that PX-90. I don’t know how she
even does it.”
“Does she feel sore though?”
“If she does, she never talks about it.”
3.
Lucibella Hernandez life, style & arts
“If
4.
8:48 am Jan. 14
“Hey!”
“Yeah, what’s up? I guess we’re both here.
I thought it would be empty.”
“Haha, awkward. Where were you in
health yesterday?”
“I had a doctor thing, a-yeah. I forget what
it’s called.”
“Appointment? ‘Doctor thing?’ Wow.”
“It’s early. I
just... ahh.”
“Alright. Haha.”
“So what was the
video? Did we have
a worksheet? I don’t
want to have to fill
anything else out.”
“Yeah, it wasn’t
too long or
a ny t h i n g . I t ’ s
like the whole
class was gone
our period.
You and that
other girl who
sits by us—I
forget her
name—she
was gone, too.
I was just sitting
there thinking that
I need to get new
friends, haha.”
“Next time you
can come to my
appointment
with me. Is that
better?”
“Then we can
learn ab out
health there.”
“O h my
God, yes.
You are so
dumb.”
*Names changed
8:32 am Jan. 16
“Get your a-- over here, Boo.”
“Why’re we in here, what ‘chu wanted
me for?”
“I’m getting everyone to sign this card for
Carlos for his birthday.”
“You have a pen?”
“No. Wait. Yeah, I have this.”
“Okay, I’ll sign it, but you better make me a
card like this for my birthday haha. Carlos is
nothing, he wouldn’t do s--- for any of ours.”
“Just sign the card.”
“Is everybody going to Marquez’s house
this year too?”
“Ask Carlos. S---, I don’t know.”
“He’s gotten to be so different, I swear.”
5.
8:32 am Jan. 18
“I got mine for 35.”
“How much was yours?”
“Like 98?”
“Why did you buy this one for a hundred
dollars? It’s the same jacket. You could have
waited for it to go on sale. That’s what I did
pretty much.”
“I didn’t buy it for a hundred dollars. My
mom bought it for a hundred dollars that’s
her fault for being stupid. Buy a
jacket for hundred dollars. Who does that?
My mom. So whatever.
But me and my mom get
along
now. So that’s great. [At]
Christmas she was like,
‘Aww you guys are so cute
singing karaoke for Nonnie.’”
“Haha karaoke and twerking.”
“Twerking. She—uh—said
she was just happy and surprised I had friends. I was all,
‘Huh. Thanks, mom.”
Photos
“Is your shirt inside out?”
by: Am
eer Jos
“It looks like it is.”
eph
bathroom
stalls could
talk
they would
know
the silent
sisterhood
that
lives
within
their
walls.”
There comes a time
when every young girl,
every Wendy Darling, realizes that she must transition into womanhood.
My time came, much
like any other girl, in the
school rest room.
Locked in a dimly lit
stall, tissue paper wadded in my fist, I realized
my time had come. At
seventeen, I had almost
thought it never would,
but I suppose I was just a
late bloomer.
As all girls are in that
moment, I was overwhelmed with emotion:
embarrassment, shame
and bitterness. All I wanted was privacy, but that is
the last thing that could
ever be found in a public
bathroom. The only thing
I could do was reassure
myself that the stains on
my clothes would dry up
and no one would be able
to tellTell that I had been crying, that is.
Perhaps bawling in the
bathroom is a girl’s rite of
passage, a sort of coming
of age. It appears in movies and TV shows, transcending age and culture;
it is something accepted
and, in some ways, expected. I can’t say my
performance was worthy
of an 80s film, full of girls
in pretty dresses consoling me and women with
cigarettes offering brief
comments of wisdom
that even at their vaguest
didn’t relate to my situation,
“A woman needs a man
like a fish needs a bicycle,”
a puff of smoke, a few
half-hearted agreements.
No, it was nothing like
that. Sitting on the filthy
ground, my back against
the hard plastic and my
knees tucked against my
chest, I muffled my crying in the sleeve of my
shirt; all that could be
heard were a few sniffles.
No one came to console
me. Not the girls who saw
me rush past teary eyed,
nor the teachers in the
hallway who saw exactly
what happened to cause
the tears.
Soon enough I was alone
while everyone else was
either at lunch or in class.
A few stragglers came in
and out, rarely ever using the bathroom for its
intended purpose.
Combing hair.
Checking outfits.
Staccato conversations.
It wasn’t until my lunch
was almost over that I
finally heard a voice directed at me.
“Are you okay?”
Silence.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Oh. She’s talking to me.
“Mhmm,” I mumbled for
fear of my voice betraying me.
She shuffled nearer
until I could see her feet
poking from beneath the
door. After a few seconds
of silence, she decided to
The sticky note project
Continued
from the cover...
console me in the form of
a story: The story of the
time she too cried in the
bathroom.
I let the door creak open
so that I could see her
electric green contacts
and dark hair. She made
me smile—laugh even—
because she also knew
the achy, snotty, feeling
of crying in quasi-privacy.
Though I didn’t catch
her name and her face
has since faded from my
memory, I don’t think I’ll
ever forget her warm gesture. She wasn’t a friend,
or a teacher, or a classmate, but a stranger.
A stranger came to my
rescue when I needed
it the most. If bathroom
stalls could talk, they
would know drama, gossip, pain and secrets, but
they would also know
the kindness of strangers
and the silent sisterhood
that lives within their
walls.
Life, Style & Arts 11
January 31, 2014
Staffers craft guides
to rest room etiquette
from female, male
perspectives
Girls
NYssa Kruse
co-editor
Leave your friend just inside
the door. Lock the door and relish
the next few moments of privacy.
Wash your hands. Make small talk
to the friend you came in with and
checking reflection again. Dry
hands. Continue small talk. Walk
out, together.
Gabrielle WilkoSZ co-editor
“ The girls
wrote back
across
yellow-tabbed
mirrors, the
varied
answers of
many
minds’
whose
identities
will forever
remain
unknown .”
Guys
MarQuise Prince-Salonestaff reporter
Get in. Be weary of where you step.
Do whatever needs to be done, including washing your hands. Get
out. It’s not that hard. Ignore anyone
and anything that could be in there.
That includes no eye contact, no conversation, and definitely no noise.
Barely breathe. In fact, don’t even
breathe, you may pass out from the
smell. Treat going to the restroom as
if you were in a prison, except you
actually wash your hands. Leave.
Style & Arts
12 Life,
Volume 7, Issue 5
Life, Style & Arts 13
January 31, 2014
Moving in the Right Direction
Spamalot
Spotlight
Junior finds passion for directing through AV production
Naihla Temple staff reporter
The theater department performed the musical Monty Python’s Spamalot
on Jan. 23-26. This quirky British comedy is “lovingly ripped off from”
Monty Python and the Holy Grail featured many musical numbers and an
almost endless string of quick fire jokes.
Photos By Sydney Anthony
(above) Sophomore Matt Tomasek,
who played Sir Robin and Herbert’s Father, discusses a swallow’s ability to carry a coconut.
“I’ve always been a fan of Monty
Python, so naturally I was excited
for Spamalot,” Tomasek said.
(left) Patsy, portrayed by senior
Brenda Ortegon, and the Knights
bear the teasing of the French
Taunters. “I loved playing Patsy,”
Ortegon said. “At first I would
have such a hard time making decisions on how to play him, but in
the end I found a way to connect
to him as a character.”
(above) Sophomore Harmon Gamble, as King Arthur, performs
the number, Knights of the Round Table with his knights. “It
wasn’t about me being Arthur,” Gamble said. “It was about us
coming together on stage and creating something amazing.”
(right) Senior Trevor Dillon dances
during Camelot as
a knight. His major
role in the show
was as Herbert,
a flamboyantly
gay prince who
ends up with Sir
Lancelot, played
by senior Justin
Mendoza. “It was
fun because it was
a controversial role
and I wanted to
expose Pflugerville
to it,” Dillon said. “I
really couldn’t have
done it without
[Mendoza.] I’m
so glad he was
Lancelot.”
Junior Antonia Crenshaw paces the school
hallways searching for the perfect spot to
shoot her music video with her group along
with the rest of her audio production class
deliberating around other parts of the school.
From taking audio video production things
like how to think outside of the box, use effects and other skills on the computer, and
how to follow directions are learned.
“Audio video production is more beneficial
than just an easy grade if projects are done
thoroughly,” Crenshaw said.
Crenshaw took the class out of curiosity and
wound up making a life changing decision
because of it.
“This class has helped me figure out that I
want to be a director because I like working
with cameras and putting clips together on
the computer,” Crenshaw said.
•Principles of Manufacturing
•Engineering Design &
Presentation
•Concepts of Engineering
& Technology
•Robotics & Automation
Junior Antonia Crenshaw works with a camera.
Photo by Madi McVan
Technology Student Association members
fix glitches, grow together as group
Gabrielle WilkoSZ co-editor
(left) Sophomore Ben Mendoza, as Sir Galahad, and senior
Courtney West, as The Lady of
the Lake, perform “The Song That
Goes Like This.”
(right) Senior Justin Mendoza
introduces himself as Lancelot,
who eventually comes out as
gay and gets together with
Herbert, played by senior Trevor
Dillon. “[Lancelot] breaks the
stereotypes in an excellently
comedic way,” Mendoza said. “I
couldn’t have done the sequences with Trevor if it was anyone
but him. He’s just so cool and
funny and absolutely perfect for
the part.”
The class gets assigned projects every one
to two weeks depending on the progress the
class has made as a whole.
“We get assigned projects, go anywhere in
the school to video and come back into the
room to edit and add things like credits and a
title to produce a short film,” Crenshaw said.
Some projects include composing 150
pictures into a stop motion picture video,
a music video, a cloning video and others.
“I liked our midterm- to make a music video
the most because it was fun to be creative,”
Crenshaw said.
Audio video production may be a smart
choice to take for those who wish to be
creative. Anyone who is creative, or wants
to be imaginative would benefit from taking
this class.
“It brought out the creative side of me that I
never even knew was there,” Crenshaw said.
Senior Gregory Giger works on his trebuchet. Photo by Victoria Hoang
Students interested in taking
courses concerning engineering
and technology should talk to
their counselors about the following classes:
A room strewn with cords and electrical
wires may not be everyone’s idea of a safe
harbor, but for the fifteen members of the
Technology Student Assertion, Mr. Mallon’s
room is that and more every Wednesday.
The organization deals with making technology, environment or fashion-oriented
projects, that are sent into competition by
individual deadlines. In total, TSA completes
15 different projects annually; each member
is required to do two to three projects.
“One group I am in is working on a trebuchet right now,” senior and president
of TSA Gregory Giger said. “It’s a model of
a medieval siege engine that was used to
knock down walls in its day, but we won’t
be knocking down any walls with this one.”
Although Giger and his teammates will
be catapulting water balloons with their
project, it’s not all fun and games.
“It requires physics and technology,” Giger
said. “You need the physics to figure out
how much force you need and technology
in order to actually build it and make sure
everything is working.”
For Giger and his fellow techies, a common
interest in mechanical and mathematical
components keep them connected and will
also set many of them on similar math and
science courses after graduating.
“Most of us plan on going into technical
fields,” Giger said. “Right now I’m planning
on going to college, studying robotics and doing the ROTC program. [Then I’m ] planning
to transfer into a robotics company.”
But before his last year comes to a close,
Giger has one more line of business to attend
to during his time at TSA: the Waco spring
semester competition. There, the team will
meet 30 other schools from the Texas circuit,
but Giger isn’t nervous.
“When our team is together we’re strong.
Like me and the vice president Kelly—we’re
practically brother and sister,” Giger said.
Win or lose, TSA is a family of kids who just
like doing the same things.”
•Geometry in Construction
•Introduction to Engineering
Design
•Principles of Engineering
•Digital Electronics
•Civil Engineering & Architecture
•Web Technologies
•Digital & Interactive Media
•Computer Maintenance
•Fundamentals of Computer
Science (the Nuts)
•Computer Science I (the Bolts)
•AP Computer Science
•Principles of Information
Technology
Style & Arts
14 Life,
Volume 7, Issue 5
Book Nook
Historical fiction blurs
the lines between
reality and fantasy
Reeling Classics Back In
Real World, Real Worries
Realistic fiction provides teens with insight to real-world problems
Holly Sill
staff reporter
While corrupted governments, rebellions, and star-crossed lovers
usually prove to be good reads, there are also several books written
for teens that touch on current problems of today’s world like drug
addiction, self-harm, abuse and mental illness.
Ironically, most of these books that deal with these mature yet
very real issues are constantly being challenged and banned by
disapproving authorities, a form of censorship, which could potentially prevent awareness of such issues throughout today’s youth.
Furthermore, being educated by reading about these heavy topics
is certainly safer than actually experiencing them.
Old films
compared to their remakes
staff reporter
Maria Mendez
Carrie
Thi s scar y clas sic is
based on the Stephen
King novel under the
same name. The film
relates the stor y of
a lonely teenage girl
that finds out she has
tele kin esis pow ers
and see ks rev eng e
from her oppressive,
religious mother, and
classmates who bully
her.
2013
1976
+Chris is a blonde and Sue Snell is a brunette in this classic, while in the new film
their hair color is switched.
+ In this version the evil bully Chris does
show realistic inklings of thoughtfulness,
like when she gets a look at the gym all
decorated for prom and realizes that she
won’t be there to enjoy it.
John Travolta’s Billy is actually portrayed
as goofy, as opposed to the serious Billy
in the new version.
- Carrie is awkward and silent girl who
although dislikes a lot of her mother’s
rulings she almost never speaks up.
ptations
+Other than a few modern ada
nes and
pho
cell
g
urin
feat
ts,
twis
and plot
the
cally
basi
YouTube, the new film follows
ion.
vers
same plot as the 1976
ite (Juli+ Carrie’s mother, Margaret Wh
and
time
anne Moore) gets more scre en
t.
character developmen
a few
-Carrie is a Telekinesis pro after just
gle.
Goo
ugh
thro
s
click
owing
+ The new film includes foreshad
just
than
er
rath
,
ense
susp
that adds to the
.
lode
exp
rie
Car
having
d finale,
+ Carrie has no mercy at the gran
.
gore
e
the film features mor
Holly Sills
staff reporter
Gunshots ring in the distance and tenyear-old Felix, a Jewish orphan, is too
consumed by his innocence to realize the
truth behind the fired shots. Felix’s story,
the Once series by Morris Gleitzman, is just
one of many historical fiction novels that
provides a realistic telling of events that
occurred in previous times of turmoil, such
as World War Two, however, the main
characters tend to be fictional.
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
tells the story of Lithuanian teenager Lina
as she finds comfort in her art as she makes
the trip to a Siberian work camp by train
in 1941.
From an American view, What I Saw
and How I Lied by Judy Blundell, teen
Evie unfolds the truth about her parents
and a handsome young ex-GI who served
alongside her father during battle.
Opposing the trend of fictional characters,
The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell
Bartoletti is based on the true life of
Helmuth Hubener who was sentenced to
death as a teenager for exposing the truth
about Hitler.
Though popular throughout literature,
not all historical fiction is written about
World War Two. The Cross My Heart
series by Sasha Gould is takes place in
1585 Venice, Italy intertwined with secret
societies. The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen follows Manhattan Socialites in 1899.
Similarly, the Flappers trilogy visits high
society Chicago in the roaring twenties,
full of jazz and extravagant parties.
History is more than wars and colonization. Historical fiction can be a scary concept to go into, but with a real world and
fictitious protagonists it’s anything but a
history textbook.
The Crank trilogy by Ellen Hopkins:
This trio of books, focuses on drug use, and
the life-long consequences that addiction
can bring to the victim and their family. As
high school student Kristina soon finds out,
once the “monster” has a hold of you, there
is no loosening its grip. Ellen Hopkins is also
the author of several other similar young
adult novels dealing with other issues in
today’s world, exposing the effect they have
on youth.
Every You, Every Me by David Levithan:
Skinny by Ibi Kaslik:
With unique photography incorporated
into the novel, Every You, Every Me is filled
with suspense as the main character Evan
tries to come to terms with his best Ariel
leaving due to a mental disorder. Believing
that Ariel is the reason why the mysterious photographs keep showing up, Evan
comes up with the idea that she is trying
to punish him for something, but he can’t
figure out what.
Hawk
Harmony
Poll reveals
favorite music genres
p
The Great Gatsby
Ibi Kaslik’s touching novel Skinny follows
the lives of sisters Holly and Giselle, alternating between the two girls’ stories throughout
the novel and highlighting the struggle of
living with an eating disorder. While Giselle’s
self-destructive eating habits prove to do
more than deprive her of food, Holly realizes
that it’s possible for the family members to
suffer just as much as the person fighting the
eating disorder.
10%
Po
y
tr
un
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous book tells a tale
of love, lies and liquor
in the New York City of
the roaring 1920’s. Nick
Carraway, a Midwesterner, becom es fascinated with his new rich
neighb or, Jay Gatsby,
who obsesses over his
lost love. Carraway is
then put in the middle
of a love triangle and a
tragedy.
Rear Window
k
12%
p
p
Brianna Alfaro & Naihla temple staff reporters
Hi
Like snowflakes, no two people are exactly alike. We look different, act different and like different things. In a highly diverse
school such as our own, it’s no surprise the range in tastes varies as widely as it does. The following poll illustrates a random
sample of over 200 students’ favorite music genres.
h
Ot
Ho
er
2013
+ A disheveled Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) starts this new version with a recount of
the tragic story that scarred him. This helps
display the greater focus on Nick Caraway
and his transformation, rather than just
focusing on Jay Gatsby’s character.
+With vibrant costumes and crazy, overthe-top party scenes, the film exudes the
recklessness of the roaring ‘20s that Fitzgerald describes.
+The new adaptation’s soundtrack is composed of modern songs from different popular artists, which include Beyonce, Lana Del
Rey and The XX, to help new audiences
relate to an old tale.
23%
Co
c
Ro
1974
Robert Redford as Jay Gatsby Starts out
strong, in spite of not even speaking a line
until the 35-minutes into the film. During
this time, Jay Gatsby’s character and past
is introduced.
Other than that, Jay Gatsby and Daisy
Buchanan, the lovebirds, are portrayed
coldly by Robert Redford and Mia Farrow.
In contrast to Leonardo Dicaprio’s forced
and out of place “old sport”, Redford’s “old
sport” is delivered with intelligent diction
and elegance.
This 1974 edition feature d traditional
music and some Frank Sinatra.
32%
23%
had
Based on the 1942 short story “It
olri ch
to be Mu rde r” by Cor nel Wo
story
the film adaptations relate the
icion
susp
rs,
cula
bino
t,
men
of confine
two
the
that
plot
c
basi
The
der.
mur
and
linte
but
d
bore
a
films base off is one of
and
room
his
in
k
stuc
is
ligent man who
hbors
with binoculars observes his neig
ever,
How
s.
through their rear window
that
e
crim
a
s
esse
witn
one day the man
der.
mur
ger,
dan
in
life
own
his
will put
this
He then bec omes obsessed with
films
suspicion of his neighbor. Both
and
ods
peri
time
r
thei
to
are adapted
and
ds,
tren
and
gy
nolo
tech
the
ure
feat
fears of their era.
1954 (Rear Window)
+ In contrast to Disturbia where
the mai n focu s is on the mai n
characters, Hitchco ck gives us a
vast array of characters to observe
from Jeff ’s point of view that is
limited to their rear windows.
s
+ Stella the nurse that befriend
to
rd
acco
own
her
on
s
Jeff goe
explore the susp ect’s house, unlike in Disturbia where Kale tells
Ashley to do so.
+ Jeff has to convin ce the rest
,
of the characters to believe him
la.
Stel
kick
side
including his
2007 (Disturbia)
+Di stur bia has a sub urb an
setting.
-In this modern edition Kale
(Shia LaBeouf), a troubled teen
living under house arrest becomes convinced his neighbor
is a serial killer.
-Even though Kale lives under house arrest the film still
feat ure s a larg er pan oram a
for scenes in his large house
and the neighbor’s crime scene
house.
+Disturbia has multiple murders and features a suspected
serial killer.
Life, Style & Arts 15
January 31, 2014
Web Watch
A Nice Bowl of
Creepypasta
Julian Colwell
staff reporter
From tall faceless monsters to malicious
serial killers, the short story website
Creepypasta.com has a little something
for any fan of the horror genre. The page
has its own cult-following as thousands
visit the website for their daily dose
of terror. Followers can also submit
their own stories for approval, as well
as comment on other writers’ works.
Upon my first visit to the website, I
found myself indulging in some of the
greatest short stories I’ve ever laid my
eyes upon. These tales, often dark and
gruesome, have become rather mainstream on the Internet, sometimes even
leading to its own video game or movie
One story, Candle Cove, is one of the
website’s most famous fiction stories,
where people on a chat room discuss
an old children’s show about pirates
with the same name. It follows a young
girl, Janice, who wakes up one morning to find herself trapped in a world
of pirates. With the aid of the cowardly
Pirate Percy, she must find her way
home. Along their journey, they must
combat the villainous skeleton, The Skin
Taker and his assistant Horace Horrible.
However, there is something dark residing within the series. Each user discusses
the strange and disturbing elements that
the show had, such as an incident where
Janice asks The Skin Taker why his
mouth “moves weird” and he proclaims
that it’s to grind her skin, leading them
to the conclusion that the patchy clothes
he wears are made of children’s flesh
After my reading I was left with chills
running up and down my spine. It was
unlike anything I’d ever experienced.
While most of the stories feature plot
holes and grammatical errors its still a
truly amazing site that has much to offer
any fan of horror.
Style & Arts
16 Life,
Volume 7, Issue 5
Regrets teach major life lessons
Kayla Meadows opinions editor
Lurking around the corners, hiding under beds, creeping
behind the shadows-regrets are everywhere. Blinded by the
present tense, waiting for the wrong decision to be made
is when regrets sneak into the lives of many, leaving the
feeling of remorse and unhappiness, haunting lives forever.
For English teacher Ryan Morris, the Friday night-lights
from the football field, the idea of being a coach and the pressure and competition to receive high demand jobs stepped
in the way of his dream of receiving his Master’s degree and
possibly becoming a college professor.
“I regret not getting more of an education. I have always
strived to better myself, but over the last nine years I have
focused on coaching on top of teaching and it has forced me
to stop college,” Morris said. “I regret the fact that I am 34
years old and I do not have a Masters degree.”
As for English teacher Colleen Ayala, the decision to leave
the military and go from military police officer to teacher
often times leaves herself wondering what it would be like
to be back in the military.
“I met a lot of great, wonderful people and I miss just the
camaraderie, the professionalism, the friendships and the
bonds that you gain when you are in the military.” Ayala said.
Although regrets can be a negative aspect in life, it can also
be positive in the sense that they can teach major life lessons.
“I’ve learned that I have always been the type of person to
put others in front of myself and that it’s not always a good
thing,” Morris said. “Sometimes, especially when it comes
to your own life, you have to put yourself before others.”
When it comes down to being able to change the regret
or not, many people would say no. Considering the lessons
learned and the places they are in their lives, they are not
willing to risk a different life for a different chosen path.
“It was my ambition and my goal and I kind of lost focus of
that goal,” Morris said. “At the same time if I had and maybe
was a college professor I don’t feel like I could touch as many
lives as I do in the position that I am in right now.”
Anyone who has ever regretted anything can most likely
give advice based on previous experiences.
“Decide really what it is that you want to do. Weigh the
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pros and the cons and think more ahead even though it is
hard for us to do, no matter what age it is,” Ayala said. “ That
would be my advice, honestly think about whatever choice
that you make, would it cause a regret?”
In the end, regrets are in the past and rarely anything can
be done to take back a regret. However, trying to make up
and find a positive way to redeem one often helps those get
over a regret and move on with their lives.
“Wanting to try to make a difference in peoples lives like
I did when I was in the military and just remembering that
what I do a teacher is still the same [is what helps me get
over my regret].”
For most, regrets are a tough topic to talk about. But as
lessons are learned, regrets become apart of life and at some
point it’s time to move on and take away the positive aspects
from those years.
“You can’t really think about regrets because they are in the
past and you learn from your mistakes or from what choices
that you did make,” Ayala said. “And no matter what age or
how old you get, you make best of what you have.”
That
moment
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Diving in:
Important SCUBA Gear:
-wet suit,
-regulator,
-buoyancy compensator,
-snorkel,
-mask, fins
-and SCUBA boots.
January 31, 2014
17
Senior, family venture into
all-inclusive organic living
Gus Louis copy editor
To many, eating locally means going to the
local farmer’s market once a month to eat
healthier for one or two meals. However, to
Senior Tori Dinan it means eating hunted
deer meat for the entire year with vegetables from her family’s garden.
Five years ago, as an initiative to save
money and eat healthier, Dinan’s family
decided that venison and supermarket fish
would be the only meat that they would eat.
“We save probably a little over a thousand dollars a year on groceries,” Dinan
said. “Venison can be substituted for almost any meat and on top of that, it’s a
leaner healthier meat, which is why we
use it like most families use ground beef.”
Dinan’s extended family `are big hunters. Near the end of the year they go
to a hunting reservation and with the
okay of the owner, live out on a reservation for a week hunting deer.
After this, the venison is taken to the locally owned and operated Hudson Meat
Factory where it is processed and turned
into a wide variety of different sausages
and steaks.
“[Hudson Meat Factory] isn’t a big shady
corporate thing so there’re no problems
with E-coli or anything,” Dinan said.
Dinan’s family took it a step farther three years after starting their local venison shift when they decided
to go local with their produce as well.
“My younger brother has bad food allergies
so he would eat grapes from one supermarket and he would be okay, but another supermarket’s grapes would cause him to have
an allergic reaction,” Dinan said. “We figured
out it was the pesticides they were using.”
Dinan’s family set up an herb garden inside
their house for spices and a larger outdoor
garden where they grow fruits like bell peppers and watermelons. For any other produce they need, they go to the local farmer’s
market where the produce is always fresh.
“You don’t know what the cow at the
supermarket ate or what the produce was
sprayed with,” Dinan said. “We just like to
know what’s going into our food- it’s the
only guaranteed organic [food] and it tastes
good too, so it’s worth it.’”
Fish explores marine world through scuba
Maria Mendez
staff reporter
His head submerges under water. Taking from the oxygen
strapped to his back,
h i s
eyes adjust
and there it
is. A beautiful 360 view
of the underwaPhoto by
Madi McVan
Life,Style, Arts
ter world.
Freshman Alvaro Ortola has always admired
the ocean world, so to better explore it he officially started scuba diving this past summer.
“I have always loved the ocean and admired
fish so I thought it would be a good activity to
do in order to be closer to the ocean,” Ortola said.
In order to start his underwater adventures,
Ortola had to attend to a three-day class in
which he took tests every day and took a
final exam that required a minimum
of an 80 percent score to pass. After
the completion of the course Ortola
also had to master four open water
supervised dives.
“My first time underwater was
plainly exhilarating because of all the
things I saw,” Ortola said.
In total Ortola has dived in five times,
four times at the local Reveille Peak Ranch
quarry and once in Spain. Although Ortola’s
license permits him to go 40 ft underwater, the
deepest he has submerged is 27 ft. However, to
Ortola the hardest part of scuba diving has not
been about depth but about controlling natural
instincts.
“You need to allow yourself to become part
of the water, but it’s scary because you need
to fight your natural urge to hold your breath
when you don’t have the regulator in your
mouth,” Ortola said.
Apart from some severe dangers such as
decompression sickness (excessive nitrogen
bubbles entering the bloodstream and muscular
tissue or lungs bursting with holding of breath),
scuba diving is expensive with basic gear ranging from $700 to $1000. However, Ortola’s
parents were supportive and were willing to
pay the price to let Ortola fulfill his wishes of
underwater exploration.
“My parents just honestly support me in
almost everything I do so I’m mostly always
confident with my decisions,” Ortola said.
Although Ortola has studied the ocean and
wanted to become a marine biologist even
before his Scuba diving experiences, his dives
have given him a closer look at the vast world of
marine life. Some of his favorite moments in this
new experience were being able to see various
types of fish, including baby fish in an embryonic sac waiting to be released into the water.
“When I graduate from college I want to become a marine biologist, because it combines
the ocean and science, two of my favorite things
Ortola said. “This experience has made more
aware of the beauty that lies beneath the waves,
and makes me want to do more to maintain this
living, and ever changing work of art.”
18 Sports
Volume 7, Issue 5
Scores
Coach’s Corner
&Stats
Special Education teacher helps out
baseball, softball teams during free time
Kayla Meadows opinions editor
]
A smile lights up Tom McKinney’s face as
he reflects back on his days playing minor
league baseball for the San Antonio Missions.
He remembers the extensive and horrible
bus rides, the nearly empty bleachers that
came with each game, the returners giving the rookies no slack and the rigorous
practices.
However, those seemed like nothing
compared to the amount of enjoyment he
had, the amount of friends he made and the
amazing people he had come to know during that time.
After playing minor league baseball,
coaching an industrial women’s fast pitch
softball team to two back to back national
championships and umping college baseball,
McKinney began work as a Special Education teacher, helping Essential Academic kids
and troubled youths.
Since McKinney is not a certified teacher
and does not teach a subject, the UIL policy
states that people of his position are not
allowed to coach any school sports. However, the softball and baseball coaches asked
McKinney to help coach young athletes on
his free time, orchestrating batting practices
and helping with mechanics on the fields.
McKinney shares his knowledge and skills
SPRING
SPORTS
PREVIEW
2
0
1
4
]
Nathan WAY sports editor
about the game while working with the
softball and baseball teams within the limits
of the district policy.
“Working with athletes is just one of the
best things I have ever been blessed to do in
my lifetime and for me to be able to give back
to athletes kind of gives me the ability to fill
the shoes that a coach did for me,” McKinney
said. “Coaches for me molded who I am and
I would like to think that somehow, someway, I am able to show you and teach you
through sports that you get out of it what
you put into it.”
McKinney is willing to work with any aspiring baseball and softball players anytime
they wish to receive extra help on batting
and fielding.
“My commitment is anytime anywhere, as
long as your commitment is one of effort and
an approach to improvement,” McKinney
said. “I would meet you as long as you bring
as much energy and effort to the table that
needs to get you where you need to be. It’s all
about effort to me. If you are going to waste
your time, don’t waste mine. Time is our most
valuable asset, be careful how you spend it.”
Although McKinney works with athletes
for no cost, he is willing to take donations
that he would donate back into the school
system to help the students he works with.
“I coach for absolutely free, I have and I will
continue to do so. I would do it gladly and
with enthusiasm.” McKinney said. “However,
if athletes here at Hendrickson wanted to
pay me for me to share knowledge, which is
basically what it is, it would not go to me, it
would go to a specific organization like our
essential academic kids. If I could spend some
of my time and spend donations towards
that I would.”
On top of his busy job and helping young
athletes at school, McKinney finds time to
also coach athletes over at the Dell Diamond.
He coaches summer camps, and even works
with some players who have even gone as far
as the major leagues.
“Just being out there, helping people and
enjoying the game, is what makes it a really
fun place to work.” McKinney said. “It’s just
another way to be around the game and being around people who love it. It’s just a neat,
warm, friendly environment.”
Baseball and softball are what take up
most of McKinney’s life. He loves the game
and would do anything to be around it any
way he can.
“To know the depth of the game and the
complexity of it is really what I like.” McKinney said. “I think it is the greatest game
on earth.”
[
]
Girls’ & Boys’
Soccer
Younger Team
Boys: Team building
Girls: Consistency
Prediction: Solid year, but
next season should be much
better, with a strong emphasis
on growth.
Baseball, Softball,
Wrestling
Varsity Boys’ Soccer
1/6 vs. Harker Heights Knights 2 - 0
1/10 vs. San Marcos Rattlers 2 - 0
1/14 vs. Anderson Trojans 1 - 2
1/16 vs. Reagan Raiders 2 - 1
1/17 vs. Austin Maroons 3 - 1
1/17 vs. Elgin Wildcats 1 - 0
1/18 vs. Akins Eagles 1 - 0
1/21 vs. Canyon Cougars 1 - 1
Varsity Boy’s Basketball
12/12 vs. Austin Maroons 80 - 68
12/13 vs. Connally Cougars 72 - 75
12/13 vs. Ellison Eagles 58 - 68
12/14 vs. Shoemaker Wolves 36 - 53
12/27 vs. Georgetown Eagles 38 - 56
12/31 vs. Stony Point Tigers 58 - 57
1/3 vs. Westwood Warriors 66 - 70
1/7 vs. Pflugerville Panthers 49 - 64
1/10 vs. Round Rock Dragons 55 - 40
1/14 vs. McNeil Mavericks 55 - 58
1/21 vs. Cedar Ridge Raiders 66 - 53
Varsity Girls’ Basketball
12/28 vs. Austin Maroons 50 - 31
12/28 vs. McNeil Mavericks 63 - 57
1/2 vs. Stony Point Tigers 38 - 65
1/4 vs. Westwood Warriors 56 - 86
1/7 vs. Pflugerville Panthers 41 - 68
1/10 vs. Round Rock Dragons 53 - 74
1/14 vs. McNeil Mavericks 58 - 69
1/21 vs. Cedar Ridge Raiders 44 - 73
1/24 vs. Stony Point Tigers 39 - 50
Fight or Flight
Nathan WAY sports editor first, but by the time I was thirteen,
The lights are the only things that
remain constant. They don’t move,
they don’t go away; they just sit
and stare at him – like the audience
crowding around his space.
They watch him on the mat, blind
him when he flips and runs his
routine. They follow him when he
leaves, when his feet move from
the cushioned floors to the stiff platform of the octagon.
They don’t leave when his world
changes from the open safety of
the gyms to the calamity of the octagon. The octagon where nothing
is the same, not the opponents, not
the motions, nothing but the lights.
They taunt him now, challenging
his sight in a realm where his vision
is the key to victory. Still, he doesn’t
mind it entirely. It’s nice to have
challenges when you’re ranked
the third best MMA fighter in the
world.
Sophomore Josh Hodgson started
his athletic career as a gymnast
when he was a child, competing
at a national level for nearly seven
years before primarily moving on
to becoming a mixed martial artist
– working his way to a professional
level while maintaining his education.
“My grandma put me in Gymnastics when I was just six, since I was
already flipping all over the place,”
Hodgson said. “It was difficult at
I had been competing all over the
country, and was doing incredibly
well. At that point though, I had to
make a difficult choice if I was going
to be a successful athlete.”
Hodgson was a level-9 gymnast
at thirteen, just below the professional rank of 10, but was also performing well in Mixed Martial Arts,
which he began at age eight. He
could either go elite with gymnastics or reach the professional level
with MMA, but he couldn’t do both
while also managing his grades and
health.
“Gymnastics was a lot of fun for a
long time, but after a while it felt out
of place,” Hodgson said. “I was doing the same routine over and over
again, I needed more excitement. I
was driven a lot more toward MMA
from the start, anyways. It was almost the only decision worth making.”
After quitting gymnastics, he was
able to spend more time practicing
his fighting, and truly focus on his
skills. Currently, Hodgson studies
seventeen different styles of martial arts, using every one in a different way for his match-ups.
“At my level, it isn’t just being more
physical or powerful than my opponents, it takes a lot more strategy,”
Hodgson said. “I don’t win because
I am stronger or faster, I just have a
better mental state in the octagon.
Strong Senior Lineups
Baseball: Working off last year
Softball: Build team leaders
Wrestling: Stay strong
Large Age Divide
Track: Build talents
Prediction: First year in what
will become a chain of successes, built on good balances
of age groups.
Prediction: Complex situation
leading to an average finish,
but later seasons should show
steady improvement.
Girls’ Soccer vs Westwood Feb. 7 vs Pflugerville Feb. 11 vs Round Rock Feb. 14 vs McNeil Feb. 18
Track &
Field
]
[
Sports 19
January 31, 2014
Sophomore quits gymnastics,
achieves top-3 international MMA ranking
I have this gift of spotting weaknesses and technical flaws, and my
desire to come out the winner generally reaches a lot farther than my
opponents.”
Because of his abilities, the UFC
has already guaranteed him a spot
in the major competitive MMA
league, and he has been classified as
a lethal weapon. He was required to
officially register himself, and is restricted to fighting only in the organized competitions.
“I wouldn’t fight someone outside
the octagon unless my life, or someone else’s, was dependent on it,”
Hodgson said. “Getting registered is
safer for everyone, and necessary
for me going into a professional career after college.”
When Hodgson turns 18, he is
automatically qualified to join the
UFC, but he plans to attend the University of Miami in his hometown
before moving to the next level
of his career, even if it means a bit
more work to hold on to his spot.
“Getting a back-up job is important, but that doesn’t mean I will
quit, not when I’ve struggled this
far,” Hodgson said. “If I was going to
stop, it would have been a long time
ago. I don’t fight because I want to
prove something, I fight because it
is inside me, and any extra trouble
that gets in my way before I accomplish my dream will be nothing.”
Girls’ & Boys’
Basketball
Sophomore Josh Hodgson demonstrates fighting stances in the open
space of the weight room. Photos by Logan Taylor.
Tight competition
Boys: Pick up the pace
Girls: Team building
Prediction: Little changes from
last year, ending with an average
finish but a strong second half of
the season.
Boys’ Soccer vs Westwood Feb. 7 vs Pflugerville Feb. 11 vs Round Rock Feb. 14 vs McNeil Feb. 18
Look
20 Last
Volume 7, Issue 5
Valentine’s Day Etiquette
Brianna Alfaro staff reporter
DO
Do think outside of the box when planning your gift or date. Just because it’s
quirky doesn’t mean it has to be over the top.
DON T
Don’t just give your significant other a gift and think it will suffice.
Do spend time with your significant other.
Don’t over think the gift. Something small and meaningful is better than something outrageous and insignificant.
Do remember your friends on Valentine’s Day. It isn’t just a day for couples, it
is a time to show your affection for the people who are closest to you.
Don’t be the bitter single friend on Valentine’s Day. Just because you’re not in
a relationship doesn’t mean you will be alone forever.
Cut and fold candy Hearts
1
3
2
After cutting out your Valentine using the c olore d
blocks below, fold along the
dashed line pictured above.
(The white is the back of the
Valentine.)
Now fold the bottom flap.
Before folding the top flap
down, make sure that the first
part of the phrase is here.
5
Take one corner and fold it up
along the middle crease.
8
7
6
4
Do the same to the other
corner.
10
9
RU
Mine
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S
J
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e
n
d
s
s
s
e
Layout and graphics by Bella Hernandez
t
e
e
s
t
o
f
r
t
i
r
i
Flip over and you’re done.
r
k
Fold the newly made corners
inward.
a
e
B
Now fold both top flaps down.
e
Fold both side corners inward.
H
Flip the Valentine over.