S S S
Amazing tools for a great yearbook! ImageShare
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R U G B Y
yearbook.
45 min / 120db
track HIGH STANDARD
the visual resource for all things typography
THE DEBATE CLUB
Graduation
SENIORS SENIORS SENIORS ACADEMICS STATE
Yearbook Curriculum
CHAMPIONS xxxxxxx
G IN SP R
S T 7 1 N 0 E 2 T N CO editor’s note........................................................ 02 CAPTION models.................................................03 school spotlight: life SKILLS.............................04 balfour goes to haiti.........................................05 deadline hacks................................................ 06 the big QUESTION..............................................08 ADVISER/INTENSITY workshops................10 student workshops..........................................11 great shot photo contest............................ 12 adviser honorees............................................. 14 national finalists .............................................. 16 the winners........................................................24
editor
Julia Copeland
copy
Judi Coolidge
cover & page design
Oscar Mascorro
contributing writers:
Denise Adams, Maureen Atkins, Maureen Barton, Samantha Berry, Sue Blackmon, Patty Blaszak, Bryan Chicas, Michelle Clatterbuck, Danny Eckstein, Holly Hartman, Meredith Hobson, Terrie Hunter, Cynthia Johnson, Becky Joyce, Zachary Kirby, Catherine Lareau, Kel Lemons, Robin Liesenfelt, Kim Lynch, Katie Moreno, Kristi Rathbun, Lisa Sage, Mary Strickler, Ty Strickler, Sihwa Sussman ads Katie Greenwood & Oscar Mascorro circulation Linda Smith elements
1 spring 2017
editor’s
Note
Julia Copeland, editor Elements is published two times a school year for yearbook advisers and staff members by Balfour, 1550 West Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, Texas 75235, (800) 677-2800. Additional subscriptions $10. Bulk mail paid in Dallas, Texas. Spring Issue 2017. Copyright 2017 by Balfour. Printed in the United States. Reproduction permitted for educational purposes only. Unsolicited manuscripts welcome; magazine assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited material.
We’ve all heard the latest buzz words in education, parenting and the business world: grit, resilience, 21st century skills. They all add up to a term the Oxford Dictionaries shortlisted for the 2016 Word of the Year: adulting. Oxford defined “adulting” as “the practice of behaving in a way characteristic of a responsible adult...” At times there’s a disconnect between the classroom and the adult world. But as advisers know, anyone who wants to see adulting in schools should head for the yearbook room. The skills students learn in publications courses are unlike those gained in any other class. Worksheets and study guides give way to brainstorming and collaboration to generate new ideas. Staffers take the initiative to seek out sources, develop questions, research background information and create original content. They juggle responsibilities when work nights conflict with their part-time jobs. They use their time wisely when deadlines bump up against final exams. In
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planning accurate and diverse coverage, they talk to adults and peers they hadn’t previously met. Heading to the counselor’s office or the crosstown basketball game, they navigate their school and community. When coordinating the feature story and photography on a spread, they contribute to a team effort. At the most basic level, they learn a pen, a clipboard and a purposeful walk can get them past even the strictest hall monitor. The best advisers know when to lend a hand and when to let go. In our school spotlight, we focus on one such adviser, Mary Strickler, whose former students share how their experiences on the yearbook staff shaped their adult lives and careers (p. 4-5). It’s about providing the support and a safe place that allows students to risk failure and learn to bounce back. That’s when “adulting” happens. Then we look at Collaboration Balfour teams with a non-profit organization to take the yearbook experience to a school in Haiti (p. 5). Innovation In the spirit of promoting sanity,
advisers offer their best Yearbook Hacks to help you survive spring and thrive in the fall (p. 6-7). Motivation Our Big Question asks advisers how they fight springtime burnout. Nine advisers tell how they keep their kids, and themselves, moving forward (p. 8-9). Instruction Looking for a place to brush up on skills or train your staff? Check out our workshop list (p. 10-11). Competition It’s Great Shot time again, an opportunity to showcase students’ photography skills. See past winners and contest guidelines (p. 12-13). Recognition Take a look at nationallyrecognized advisers and yearbooks. We spotlight our JEA Special Recognition Adviser and two Rising Stars and feature this year’s Pacemaker and Crown finalists (p. 14-23). Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the best of the best. Celebration Congratulations to Balfour’s Office of the Year and Adviser of the Year honorees (p. 24).
beyond the
OBVIOUS by Judi Coolidge
Well-researched captions complete stories photos begin
Words. Who needs them? Students want pictures. After all, the brain processes images thousands of times faster than text. Because speed is important in accessing information, students prefer visual communication. However, yearbook photos, a visual record of the history of the year, don’t tell the whole story. The Rolling Stones offer insight into a balance between the visual and verbal: “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you just might find you get what you need.” Students need to know who and what they are looking at, not just in 2017, but in 2067. Detailed captions offer readers more: names, places, facts and figures. As a result, students have a more complete story. Storytelling visual communication reflects photographers’ connections to the subject matter. If they go beyond shooting snapshots to telling stories, photographers want writers to be similarly engaged. The bottom line--photographers and writers work together to pursue a passion of telling meaningful stories in expanded captions.
how to write
Storytelling CaptionS
A
Attention-getting Lead
Photo by Chloe B. Oak Mountain High School > Birmingham, Alabama
PULL IT TOGETHER.
⊲ Capture the reader’s eye. ⊲ Connect to photo content.
To pile up points in the Spirit Week Athletic Battle, seniors Bradley Louis, Tal Lovvorn, Maya Johnson, and Madison Curles compete against the juniors in the Tug-of-War. The final pull determined the overall winners. Although they had trouble at first, they finally pulled through and won. “Tal and I got on the front of the rope to get a good initial pull,” Bradley said.
B
Basic Information
⊲ Name up to five people. ⊲ Use first and last names. ⊲ write in present tense. ⊲ Vary grammatical leads.
C
Complementary Information
⊲ write in past tense. ⊲ include facts, things that add to the story.
+Q
Quote
⊲ write in past tense. ⊲ Quote someone in picture. ⊲ or quote a spectator, organizer, or another participant. ⊲ Capture a unique perspective.
⊲ More lead-in ideas.
pull it together pull it together
pull it together
PullitTogeTher
pUll it together
pull it
⊲ Caption Checklist available online: studio.balfour.com
024603 26280.1116
elements
3 spring 2017
Lessons learned help staffers meet real-world challenges
school spotlight:
Harrisonburg High School
Mary T. Strickler Harrisonburg, Virginia Behind every great kid is a teacher who is pretty sure she is screwing it all up! When I began advising yearbooks 35 years ago—when Time magazine named the computer as “Man of the Year”—I was sure I was doing it all wrong. Little did I know how transformative creating a yearbook would be for me as well as my students. Today, it only takes one glance at my Facebook wall to see that beyond building “transferable skills” and bridges to bigger, better careers, yearbooking has helped me create lifelong bonds with my students Yearbook alums joke that when they signed up for yearbook, they didn’t realize they were joining for life. However, that’s just how a family—our yearbook family—rolls.
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Danny Eckstein
Regional Director, Southeast National non-profit College Advising Corps
Bryan Chicas
Elementary Art Teacher
Maureen Atkins
Director of Development for the U.S. Olympic Committee
Catherine Lareau Medical Writer
I learned a number of things from my time on Taj [Harrisonburg High School yearbook]; those days trained my eye to see design more precisely, to follow creative flow and to pay attention to details. However, the most important lesson I have carried forward is the value of “please” and “thank you” when I am managing folks. Thanks, Taj, you have served me well!
Yearbook helped me hone my organizational skills and be more confident at a time when I was exceptionally shy. It was a safe environment for me to learn to be a leader and ask for what I needed from my peers. My organizational skills have helped me in every aspect of my life, but especially now that I manage major gift fundraising for an eightstate region for the U.S. Olympic Committee. Finally, dealing with all the faces in photos in our relatively tiny high school helped me learn to quickly associate and remember faces and names—a gift that is invaluable in my career.
Yearbook journalism gave me the chance to grow as an individual. As an art student, I was able to hone my perception to become a visual critic. I expanded my artistic abilities by experimenting with graphic design, became a better writer by condensing my thoughts in captions, and grew as a leader in the classroom. I learned to bring together a group of diverse individuals to form a family-like partnership while producing the best possible work for our school. Today as an elementary art teacher, I thank yearbook for helping me develop a professional foundation with a strong work ethic and personal responsibility that every young individual needs as they enter adulthood.
In this role I lead the efforts of our partner programs at the University of Georgia, Atlanta City Public Schools, UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State, Davidson, Duke, as well as U.Va. Yearbook taught me more than the intricacies of caption writing and the perils of trapped white space. The skills and competencies that I developed as a yearbook editor come into play in my daily professional life. ■ Manage a new project
with tight deadlines and multiple moving parts? Check! Exhibit A: Yearbook Ladder.
■ Motivate colleagues to
go above and beyond their job description? Let me tell you about yearbook ad sales.
■ Mentor and develop
younger staff for succession planning? Look no further than editing copy by freshman writers.
balfour goes to haiti
Ty Strickler
Writer/Director
Michelle Rice Clatterbuck Senior Vice President of Finance, Consumer Tax Group, Intuit
Working on the yearbook staff required me to make deadlines for our publisher, work with other students to get photos and copy for my pages, and sell ads to help finance the yearbook. At the time I didn’t realize how helpful these skills would be to me in my career. Because time management is crucial in the workplace, learning early about meeting deadlines was incredibly helpful. Rarely do I work on something alone, so working as a team to accomplish a task vs. doing everything by myself was a key skill. Finally, as much as it pushed me out of my comfort zone, getting out in the community and speaking to adults was a wonderful way to gain confidence in sharing my thoughts and ideas.
Yearbook taught me the power of storytelling which is the main focus of my work today. Crafting stories takes creativity, discipline, and a lot of hard work. It can be thankless at times, often resulting in rejection of your work; however, the stories that make it to the screen are incredibly rewarding and worth the heartache. In yearbook, having the opportunity to write the people’s stories and events taught me how to absorb the passion witnessed in others and use that energy to fuel my writing. In addition to crafting a story, yearbook taught me how to motivate others to give their very best to the project at hand. As a director, I’m tasked with motivating the crew around me to bring their “A-Game” in their various departments and ensure everyone is working towards the same vision. As a yearbook editor, I was responsible for motivating others to get captivating stories that accurately represented the events and emotions of the year.
Meredith Hobson
Senior Coordinator Foreign Language and English as a Second Language programs, Norfolk Public Schools
Yearbook class in high school, first and foremost, taught me to work WITH people. I had been on athletic teams, but this was different. Sharing and having to negotiate creative input with others was a first for me at the time and served me well in college and in my career. In that same vein, it also taught me the value and power of different perspectives. In yearbook, you’re trying to capture images that represent a certain club, event, or culture. It becomes obvious your “vision” of how things are can be very different than others and how they experience these events or high school in general. Valuing others’ perspectives is absolutely necessary–in both my personal and professional life.
As with any story worth telling, this one began with a conversation between friends. In the fall of 2015, Melissa Daniel Bain, the founder of The 610 Project, asked me to join her for lunch to discuss a proposition. At lunch, she told me about her work with her non-profit organization and asked if I could help start a yearbook program for the students at a school in Haiti. Our annual Balfour conference was approaching in January in Fort Worth, Texas, and I thought it would be the perfect time to present my plan to work with the students in Haiti. I spoke with my dear friend Mike Parker, vice president of sales for Balfour Publishing, and shared my idea and how Balfour could help me do “good.” That afternoon I received a call from Mike who asked me to draft a proposal and contract; our plan was on its way. Our resolve to help in such a worthwhile endeavor was unanimously approved, with the cost being shared among the sales, production and printing departments. After all the i’s were dotted, the t’s crossed and the paperwork submitted, the anticipation was great. The board members of The 610 Project and I traveled to Haiti in February 2016 to create memories and record history in the making for the students and families at Ecole Shalom at the Haitian American Caucus. The experience working with the staff and students in Haiti is beyond words. They were eager and fascinated by what they could do. It was an opportunity to become unbound from their circumstances. The students anticipate delivery of their first yearbook in August 2017.
-Sihwa Sussman
Former Balfour sales representative Co-adviser with Raoul Junior Pierre Cesar for the Ecole Shalom yearbook
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YEARBOOK
DEADLINE Tip 1: Eat ”Dump Day” in yearbook land! Everyone brings a bag of something to dump on the table.
-Denise Adams B.F. Terry High School Rosenberg, Texas
What makes deadlines a little easier to face? Advisers offer their best YB Tips
S K C A H
“Play Human Hungry Hippos.”
Tip 2: Have Fun
-Sue Blackmon
Klein Forest High School Houston, Texas
“Play Noodle ball.”
-Kim Counts Lynch Foster High School Richmond, Texas
1. Players are pushed on dollies by
“Waffle Day. We have five or six waffle irons plugged in and the staff makes waffles.”
-Holly Hartman Memorial High School Houston, Texas
”Stock The Back Day. Everyone brings food in bulk to make it through deadline.”
-Katie Kornahrens Moreno Seven Lakes High School Katy, Texas
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Line chairs up facing each other. (Kids have to keep their butts in their chairs.) Use pool noodles to try to get your team’s “ball” (a balloon) into the goal (laundry basket). Hilarious & waaaay harder to score a goal than you first think. (I bought all the equipment for this game at the dollar store.)” “Whoever has best story or photo has complete control of the radio in the room. It’s true–music makes magical things happen! There is quite the competition to be the DJ of the day!”
-Mary Strickler
Harrisonburg High School Harrisonburg, Virginia
their team to the center of the room and attempt to place as many balloons as possible under a basket and return them to their team’s corner. 2. The scooter can NEVER STOP. As soon as the player reaches the center, he or she must be immediately pulled back. 3. Have the team rotate being “hippos.” 4. Only balloons completely in the team’s corner count as points. (If a balloon is close, the team can send the hippo toward that balloon instead of to the center.) The game ends when all of the balloons are gone or when the timer runs out.
Tip 4: Get moving Tip 3: Manage time “Have five-minute meetings at the beginning of class to recap the plan for the day and stay organized.”
-Katie Kornahrens Moreno Seven Lakes High School Katy, Texas
Use the 25/5 technique. Set a timer. (You can use online timers and project the time on a screen so kids can check how much time is left.) Work in 25-minute increments; after each, take a fiveminute break. Get up and move. After four work sessions, take a 20-minute break and eat or do something fun. (See Tip 1: Have Fun.)
“30-second dance breaks and yoga breathing.”
-Samantha Berry Cy Creek High School Houston, Texas
Take a few slow, deep breaths. Breathing deeply sends extra oxygen to your brain to clear your mind and relax your muscles. Do a Mannequin Challenge where staff members remain frozen in action like mannequins while being filmed to a song selected by editors.
Tip 5: Practice Appreciation
“Sticky note deadline countdown— Post a countdown on notes around the door. One student loves calling out the day and then ripping off the Post-It note.”
-Denise Adams B.F. Terry High School Rosenberg, Texas
Appoint someone to call a 2-minute warning before class ends to give time for cleaning up, saving, logging out. Assign clean-up jobs for end of class: One person makes sure notebooks are put away, another handles cameras and SD cards, etc.
“During February, I collect encouraging notes for my kids and write some as well. It’s time consuming but so worth it to see their faces and watch the love wash over them.”
-Samantha Berry Cy Creek High School Houston, Texas
“February is rough so we stop to make Valentine inspiration bags. On one side, they put a personal inspiration–family, pet, dance, sport, etc. On the other side, they put a yearbook inspiration–a cool photo, design, headline, story idea. Then we sparkle them up with glitter and hearts and stickers. On Valentine’s Day, we shared our bags and exchanged Valentines. ...then we got back to work.”
-Kristi Yellico Rathbun Rock Canyon High School Highlands Ranch, Colorado
“You are one of the most positive and energetic students I have known. You make such a huge contribution not only in Practicum in Health Science but in Journalism as well. When I found out that you were co-editor this year, I knew that this would be the best year yet! I truly admire your dedication.”
“You are a bright and capable young lady. Thanks for always giving me your best. Thanks for your efforts in making this year’s yearbook awesome.”
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How do you fight staff (and adviser) burnout in the spring as you work to finish the book?
The
Big Question Mary T. Strickler Harrisonburg High School Harrisonburg, Virginia
The staff needs to recharge their batteries by interaction with people who care for each other. Make class an extremely pleasant experience and you will find them motivated to continue. We do simple things that make the study body jealous that they are not part of the yearbook family. During lunch, we have a potato bar. I simply supply the potatoes (five bucks); bake them in the home-ec room and students bring the toppings. Breaking bread together coupled with the joy of eating something other than the dreaded school lunch is transformational.
Lisa Sage
Jefferson West High Meriden, Kansas
3 F’s: Food, fun, finesse. Of the three, finesse is the most important. Keep it organized; chaos creates stress. Keep it positive; recognize accomplishments and the extra miles – like the kid who takes 1,200 photos when 75 were required. Keep communicating; establish camaraderie and provide opportunities for teamwork. Keep it special; make traditions or develop weird things that are unique to your tribe.
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Terrie Hunter
Warrenton High School Warrenton, Maryland:
When everyone gets that “I can’t do it anymore” look, I start handing out “awesome” cards. It’s a business-card size paper with two hands high-fiving that says, “Thanks for being awesome!” I wander around as staffers clean up for the day and give one to every student who has worked diligently toward their goals that day. On Fridays we do drawings for prizes that vary from gum to gift cards. I often give cards away to kids who do extra work, cover more events and that sort of thing. It’s such a great motivator because they get instant positive feedback, feel valued and recognized and we have a guaranteed fun few minutes every week when we do the drawing.
Robin Liesenfelt McMillen High School Murphy, Texas
Saturday workdays!! Start at 11 a.m. They are useless any earlier! Bring snacks–I usually shop at a big box store. (They bring their own lunch and drinks.) It’s a great way to get a lot of work done to meet those deadlines! The kids were skeptical at first last year, but they ended up saying it was fun.
Cynthia Johnson
Jefferson County North High School Winchester, Kansas
The majority of our production is in the spring so it can be a very busy time. We set up our production into four submission deadlines or goals. To help keep track of these goals, we set mini-deadlines for the spreads such as a picture deadline. When an entire deadline is completely ready for submission, we upload the deadline and have a celebratory party! We organize themed parties with a mix of healthy food and sweets. The best part of the deadline party is taking a break from the workflow and focusing on our relationships with each other.
Becky Joyce
Nelsonville-York High School Nelsonville, Ohio
I battle staff/adviser burnout in the spring by planning some of our fun fundraising events (dodgeball tournament, alphabet auction) at that time to help the staff have something else to focus on. I also try to keep a fun atmosphere with music and food to keep everyone happy. No one wants to work with someone who is HANGRY! Also, if you want the honest answer for avoiding adviser burnout, I finish my book in the summer, taking my time and avoiding working too much on it while also teaching my four other preps and advising the senior class.
Zachary Kirby Chapin Middle School Chapin, South Carolina:
I like to use my springtime to have some last-minute fun. We’ll use this time to work on videos that we’ll set to a QR code and put in a possible supplement or work on next year’s theme development. Down time is also OK! Maybe we’ll order a pizza or play some group games. This is the final countdown so anything I can do to give a last-minute kick to the students, I’ll do. I am a middle school teacher, so I have no filter or shame. If I’ve got to get weird, I’ll do what it takes to keep our team going toward the finish line.
Maureen Barton
Sedona Red Rock High School Sedona, Arizona
We get out of the trenches for a bit and view every layout on the SmartBoard as a class. As we look over each spread, we cheer one another on and hold nothing back. It makes every frustration of deadlines dissolve and the culmination of every effort appear. All that remains is the appreciation of our hard work.
Patty Blaszak
St. Joseph Catholic School Bryan, Texas:
Food motivates. I provide goodies to help achieve goals and motivate kids to come for “after hours” work night. I use a countdown visual on the board to show how many pages we have left. I also offer lots of praise. elements
9 spring 2017
balfour’s 2017
adviser workshop july 14-17> learn more at http://tinyurl.com/17-adviser-training
> inform
> dynamic classroom interaction > customized agenda for all levels > individual consultations > nationally recognized trainers
> inspire
> networking with other advisers > meeting app – agenda/communication > complimentary breakfast & lunch > close to shopping/dining/entertainment
location:
contacts:
executive conference center
julia.copeland@balfour.com (214) 819-8104
hilton dfw lakes grapevine, texas
julia copeland
> innovate
> bonus sessions for extended learning > experiential lab to apply new skills > downloadable classroom resources > in-service certificate or CEUs available
gaylene mabry
gaylene.mabry@balfour.com (214) 819-8259
2017 balfour intensity workshop Sept. 30 - Oct. 2 TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
LOCATION
NEED MORE INFORMATION?
Saturday, September 30
1550 W. Mockingbird Lane Dallas, TX 75235
CONTACTS: kel lemons
Lunch provided Saturday & Sunday.
Direct: (214) 819-8292 Mobile: (512) 784-0274
9 am - 12 pm 12 pm - 1 pm 1 pm - 4:30 pm 5:00 pm
Lab time & breakout sessions Lunch provided Lab time & breakout sessions Dinner on your own
Sunday, October 1 9 am - 12 pm 12 pm - 1 pm 1 pm - 4:30 pm 5 pm
Lab time & breakout sessions Lunch provided Lab time & breakout sessions Dinner on your own
Monday, October 2 9 am - 12 pm Lab time & breakout sessions 9:30 - 10:30 am Critique sessions 11 am - 12 pm Plant tours (by appointment) elements
10 spring 2017
$125 per adviser or staff member
HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
DOUBLETREE BY HILTON DALLAS – LOVE FIELD 3300 W. Mockingbird Lane Dallas, TX 75235 $135 per night
kel.lemons@balfour.com
GAYLENE MABRY
gaylene.mabry@balfour.com
Direct: (214) 819-8259 Fax: (214) 631-4222
(tax & breakfast included)
>>>REGISTER ONLINE: http://tinyurl.com/17-intensity-workshop
student
JULY
JUNE
MAY APRIL
Days
State
s p o h s k wor City
Place
Contact
Phone
Email or Web Address
11
PA
New Brighton
New Brighton High School
Kasey Nicol
kasey.nicol@balfour-rep.com
27
TX
Houston
Hilton Houston Post Oak
Dee Moore
(713) 782-0700
yearbooks@houstontpc.com or yearbookworkshops.com
22
NJ
Branchburg
Raritan Valley Community College
Sharon Bodnarchuk
(908) 625-7421
yearbookline@aol.com
6-8
TX
Houston
Houston Baptist University
Dee Moore or Kathleen West
(713) 782-0700
yearbooks@houstontpc.com or yearbookworkshops.com
09 - 11
IL
Chicago
Saint Xavier University
Brad Nemsick
(815) 254-9790
nemsick@ameritech.net
13 - 16
MN
St. Bonifacius
Crown College
Shannon Hart
(952) 484-9917
shannon.hart@balfour-rep.com
19 - 21
FL
Orlando
Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista
Steve Ferguson
(727) 488-FERG
yearbookman@aol.com or floridayearbookseminar.org
20 – 21
LA
Bossier City
Airline High School
Debbie Vaughn
(903) 316-7518
Debbie.Vaughn@balfour-rep.com
20 - 21
OH
Athens
Ohio University
Lindsey Swank
(740) 591-1177
lindsey.swank@balfour-rep.com
22 – 23
TX
Whitehouse
Whitehouse High School
Debbie Vaughn
(903) 316-7518
Debbie.Vaughn@balfour-rep.com
22 - 24
CA
Anaheim
Red Lion Hotel
Susie Bretting
(714) 615-1054
Kre8ions@gmail.com
26 - 28
KS
Olathe
MidAmerica Nazarene University
Whitney Baker
(816) 607-1019
Whitney.Baker@balfour.com; www.ybkcsummercamp.com
27 - 29
AZ
Phoenix
Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at ASU, Downtown Campus
Susan Fearnside
(480) 980-3842
Susan.Fearnside@balfour-rep.com
27 - 29
NJ
Bridgewater
Hilton Garden Inn
Sharon Bodnarchuk
(908) 625-7421
yearbookline@aol.com
29 - 7
WA
Seattle
Seattle Pacific University
Kerri Smead or Talli Gonyaw
(425) 503-7016 or kerrismead@comcast.net or talligonyaw@comcast.net (253) 225-2330
14 - 16
CA
La Quinta
Homewood Suites
Frank Ortiz
(909) 855-2892
frank@socalyearbooks.net
17 - 19
TX
Grapevine
Grapevine Convention Center
Cheryl Chrisman
(817) 307-2551
cherylchrisman.rep@gmail.com or northtexasyearbooks.com
20 - 23
VA
Harrisonburg
James Madison University
Tami & Scott Stalcup
(434) 989-8316
tami@stalcup.com
21 - 24
TX
College Station Texas A&M University
Dee Moore
(713) 782-0700
yearbooks@houstontpc.com or yearbookworkshops.com
24 - 27
CA
Malibu
Corey Mundwiler
(323) 823-0565
IgniteU.net
25 - 26
NC
Carolina Beach Courtyard by Marriott
Josh Lovell
(910) 465-0499
Josh.Lovell@balfour-rep.com
25 - 26
TX
Lubbock
Indiana Baptist Church
Jerry Clark & Susan Cox
(806) 795-0525
Jerry.Clark@balfour-rep.com or Susan.Cox@balfour-rep.com
25 - 26
IL & KY
Carterville, IL
John A. Logan College
Stacey Sisk or Jim Hawkinson (618) 528-0749
jimhawkinson99@yahoo.com / freedomfreddy@yahoo.com
26 - 28
CO
Denver
TBA
Rob Rathbun
(303) 909-8386
rob.rathbun@balfour-rep.com
28 - 30
CA
Los Gatos
TBD
Shelly & Scot Townsend
(925) 998-4140
greatyearbooks@gmail.com
CA
Anaheim
Red Lion Hotel
Frank Ortiz
(909) 855-2892
frank@socalyearbooks.net
OCT 7 - 8
Pepperdine University
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Great Shot Photo Contest
New: People’s Choice Award. More chances to win!
April 3-21 #balfourgreatshot
Here’s how the contest works:
Now you can share your photos showing emotion or involvement and win money in the process! The top prize in each category is $500. This is a great way to recognize staff work and promote your yearbook.
• Visit facebook.com/balfouryearbooks to enter. • Share your best photo(s) depicting Emotion or Involvement. • You can enter more than one photo, but a photo can only win once, so choose the category that best describes each entry.
IT’S AS EASY AS THAT!
Check the gallery daily for contest entries and like your favorites.
Fall 2016 Great Shot Photo Contest Winners
FIRST PLACE: "Hold Your Breath" by Gabrielle P. Allen High School–Allen, Texas
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12 spring 2017
SECOND PLACE: "Out of the Trap" by Kaleigh M. Texas High School–Texarkana, Texas
THIRD PLACE: "Air Interception" by Kim H. Lecanto High School–Lecanto, Florida
Two categories. More chances to win! $1,800 in total prizes.
Great photography, crucial to a fantastic yearbook No matter where you are in the production process, photo skills need to be introduced, reinforced and mastered. For interesting photo opportunities, school events provide the actions and reactions of students and staff. If you are looking for ways to showcase, reinforce and reward photo skills, enter Balfour’s Great Shot Photo Contest. It is easy to participate. As an incentive to enter, have students submit their best shots for a grade. Besides getting them thinking about photography and taking great photos for your publication, they can win up to $500. (Photos taken by advisers can be entered, too.)
Rising Stars
Two Balfour advisers, John Horvath and Tim Ryckman, were named 2017 Rising Stars by the Journalism Education Association in January. The Rising Star award honors student media advisers who have completed five or fewer years of advising and have shown “exceptional promise as an adviser and in service to the profession.”
John Horvath
Hill Country Christian School Austin, Texas
Horvath, who has been teaching for 17 years, became the adviser at Hill Country Christian School in Austin, Texas in 2012. Despite being unfamiliar with the yearbook world, Horvath learned quickly, taking steps to improve coverage, photography and design each year. The book was a CSPA Gold Medalist in 2016 and NSPA All-American in 2015 and 2016. “I was intent on it not just being a normal book,” Horvath said. “I wanted to do something awesome. I think kids like doing something awesome. It’s hard to recruit kids to do something mediocre.”
Tim Ryckman
Rocky Heights Middle School Highlands Ranch, Colorado
In his third year at Rocky Heights Middle School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, Tim Ryckman advises the yearbook and multimedia publications, including a video magazine. His publications have won two yearbook CSPA Crowns and a broadcast NSPA Pacemaker. “If I were to select one piece that I enjoy most,” Ryckman said in his JEA application, “it would have to be the connections made with my students as we spend lunches working on content, as we stay late to hit a deadline, as we feel the pressure of getting every student in the book.”
JEA will honor the 10 advisers selected April 8 at the JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention in Seattle. elements
14 spring 2017
LELAND mallett
JEA Special Recognition
Adviser
Leland Mallett Legacy High School Mansfield, Texas
The Journalism Education Association recognized Leland Mallett, Legacy High School, Mansfield, Texas as a yearbook Special Recognition Adviser in their Yearbook Adviser of the Year program in January. Mallett began his teaching career in Big Spring, Texas, a small rural community in west Texas. There his publications won three state awards. After seven years, however, he was offered a position at a new school in Mansfield that he couldn’t refuse. Even though he only had four girls in yearbook and six students in newspaper (none with experience),
“they had heart and an incredible work ethic,” Mallett said. The fresh start paid off, when the second volume of the Legacy yearbook won a CSPA Crown and was a NSPA Pacemaker finalist. “It was the first national award for me and for Legacy,” he said.
Gold Stars from ILPC (Texas), Gold Medalists, Gold Circles, Silver and Gold Crowns from Columbia Scholastic Press Association; All-Americans, Pacemaker finalists, Pacemakers and Best in Shows from the National Scholastic Press Association.
Mallett has since been recognized as a teacher and adviser, winning state and national awards: Legacy HS–Teacher of the Year (2010); ILPC–Edith Fox King Award (2012); Texas PTA—finalist for Teacher of the Year (2013); Texas Association of Journalism Educators– Trailblazer Award (2013); Dow Jones News Fund–(2015); Max Haddick UIL– Texas Adviser of the Year (2015). Since winning national recognition in their second year, Legacy’s yearbook, newspaper, and its students have accumulated accolades: Silver and
Working on deadline, Leland Mallett helps a student with a spread. Mallett was named a JEA Yearbook Special Recognition Adviser for 2016.
Journalism groups offer Awards, Critiques, Conventions The national journalism organizations recognize not only top advisers, but also outstanding student work. The Gold and Silver Crowns from the CSPA (Columbia Scholastic Press Association), Pacemakers from the NSPA (National Scholastic Press Association) and ACP (Associated Collegiate Press) are presented to the best yearbooks, newspapers, online publications, magazines and video productions. To capture the attention of the judges, a book must be
creative from front to back. The cover needs to be eyecatching and visually appealing, offering visual and verbal motifs that are developed throughout the book. The theme/concept should be creative and memorable. It should also reflect what’s happening at the school that particular year. Finally, photos support the message. In addition to theme development, judges closely examine the photography, writing, design, content and coverage. The
books chosen for the top awards feature copy, captions and headlines, stunning design and complete coverage of the year. The national associations also offer valuable critiquing services to help yearbook staffs understand what they did well and in what areas they need to make improvements. State scholastic press associations also hold contests and conferences similar to those sponsored by CSPA, NSPA and ACP. By
joining and participating in the competitions and attending the conferences, students learn the benefits of networking and sharing ideas with other advisers and staffs. The greatest benefit of joining state and national organizations, however, is learning the secrets to producing top quality publications that please their audiences.
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15 spring 2017
National Finalists
CSPA Crown & NSPA Pacemaker Finalists
Ursus
Granite Bay High School Granite Bay, California Adviser: Bernadette Cranmer Editor: Ambreen Siddiqui Representative: Shelly Townsend
CSPA Crown Finalist Dyed Hair
"I like dying my hair in general because it's really fun and it's cool if you do it right," Eller said.
Columbia Shirt
Leggings "I wear leggings because they are comfortable and easy to move around in," Martin said.
Zubaz Pants
Brenna Martin, 7
BENDING
James Hoard, 8
THE
TRENDS
Alexis Brock, 6
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16 spring 2017
STUDENT LIFE
Christian Walker, 7
Mason Wilbanks, 8
Hunter Boots
Lucy Debonis, 6
White Converse
adele
"In her song, 'Hello,' I think that Adele has a very strong voice and that the song has a lot of emotion." Rebekah De La Cerda, 7
taylor swift
"I like Taylor Swift and her songs because she writes about things that have actually happened to her and her music sounds really cool." Sophia Norman, 6
MOVIES star wars: the force awakens
Nike Shorts "The new dress code change makes it easier for athletic kids like me because it saves time when I'm changing," Walker said.
"Justin Bieber is really the only artist who sings about what he is feeling, and even though he's made bad decisions, he has proven that everyone makes mistakes but that doesn't define who you are." Kaitlyn Zellner, 8
Vineyard Vines
"Four or five people bought them, then it got cold and now everyone is buying them," Wilbanks said.
Ivory Ella "Ivory Ella is really nice quality, and I think the patterns are super cute and fun. When you buy a shirt it donates to Save the Elephants, and it made me feel like I was making a difference," Brock said.
phhhoto
"My favorite part about Phhhoto is that you're making a moving picture unlike a still picture, but it's not a video. It's really unique." Jack Franklin, 8
MUSIC
Kallie Eller, 7
This year's changes included allowing all colors of dyed hair, athletic shorts and leggings worn with fingertip length shirts.
New dress code allows for new style
Columbia Jacket
Austin, Texas Adviser: Lindsey Shirack Editors: Victoria Hernandez, Aspen Kissinger, Halle Krogstad & Gail Roggenbauer Representative: Stacy Mehrens
elements
Janzen Lewright, 8
justin bieber
The Roar
Gorzycki Middle School
color switch
"I like how Color Switch is unlimited and you don't have to buy things. I like how it's really addicting." Becca Jones, 7
"They're amazing and so comfortable. I love them because no one else has them," Lewright said.
Nike Shoes
Austin Dunham, 6
APPS musical.ly
"Musical.ly is a really fun app because you get to pick a song and do cool moves, and it looks really realistic." Adina Khan, 6
"The new Star Wars Movie was really action packed and there were things you didn't expect." Cross Lowder, 6
zootopia "I liked Zootopia because of the story of the movie and how it was different from other Disney movies." Benjamin Forrest, 7
the martian
"I liked The Martian because it had a lot of action, and it kept you on the edge of your seat." Kate Livingston, 8
McKamey Elliott, 8
TRENDS
15
NSPA Pacemaker Finalists a year in the making
Student groups rekindle past parade tradition
After a year of preparation, parents, students and administrators held a parade commemorating Homecoming week. There were over 1,000 participants and the band and choir led the parade. Parade Marshal, Mayor Christopher Fielder and principal Tiffany Spicer waved at the crowd as they rode through the neighborhood ahead of the floats. "I think it is amazing that we started with a small idea," Spicer said. "We expected a great parade but the end result was beyond what I even expected. It was so amazing." Clubs and organizations including Student Council, HOSA, swim team, baseball, softball and theatre worked hard to build their floats to show school spirit and be the most impressive of them all. At the community pep rally after the parade, the Blue Belles float won first place in the contest. "The parade was a lot of fun and a great opportunity to show our Lion pride," senior Bobbette Luton said. "I was surprised on how many people participated and everyone's floats turned out awesome." Students, parents, and members of the community line the street from Lakeline to Bagdad Road to support their friends and family. "The parade really made a great impression on the community because it showed all the activities that they have and how much the school has to offer." freshman Andrea Benitez said.
Ashley Horn
Megan Marshall
Shannon Dodd Emily Walton Gabrielle Walton Hailey Mackay Madalyn Booms
Oh Captain, My Captain Junior theater student Nicholas Davila promotes musical 'Anything Goes' by dressing as a sailor. "The windmill [and the wagon] was a fun little touch I added," Davila said.
March it Like it's Hot The drumline students carried their drums for almost two miles along the route. "It was fun, [because] we have never marched in a parade," senior Brendan Winters said. "It was really cool to get to play with the whole community watching us."
Waves of Pride Among the parade participants, junior Jared Bouloy waves the flag and leads the way for Student Council. "Student Council is a great way to involve yourself in school affairs and to put new and innovative ideas for school events into use," Bouloy said.
Swinging for Spirit As she participates in the parade with her teammates, senior Gabrielle Walton represents the softball team. Even though it was the first year for this group to participate in a parade, it turned out to be a complete success. "I really liked how we changed things up this year and did something other than Meet the Lions," Walton said. "I thought it was a super cool atmosphere."
Story by C. Mouton and A. Benitez
Autumn Corbin Autumn Corbin
Photos by Ivana Garcia
"I love participating in Spirit Week. I like the random things I make up to wear so I can go all out," McKinney said.
Coach Heermans
16
Ekeira McKinney
"I really liked Mum day because I got together with some friends and made mums," Hall said. "It was fun."
Leader of the Pack Senior Cydnie Tschoepe and her group of friends hope to win the spirit stick in the Homecoming pep rally as they hold up the Senior Letters. "It was a spontaneous moment," Tschoepe said. "Katie Unger's mom made the boards and Katie told us to hold them up during the pep rally." Watch Me Dancing a hip hop routine to "He Ain't With Me Now (Tho)," senior lieutenant Sheyanne Davis performs during the Homecoming pep rally. "[It] was really fun because everyone was really hyped up about the game," Davis said. "When the crowd is hyped up, dancing is fun and I feel excited to dance." Make It or Break It
With a few moments to think before she performs, freshman Olivia Cuellar waits nervously, before cheering at her first pep rally. "It's really nerve-wracking before we go on," Cuellar said. "You don't know if you're going to mess up or fall out of a stunt."
Sabrina Stafin
Pop, Lock and Drop It! Trying to pop as many balloons as he can in the C2 game, senior Adam Broyles strives to win. "I never experienced playing in a pep rally game," Broyles said. "So I just wanted to join in."
Michelle Castillo
spirit and STYLE
Photo by Ivana Garcia
Isabella Hall
The Lair
Leander High School Leander, Texas Adviser: Danielle Bell Editor: Autumn Corbin Representative: Stacy Mehrens
autumn
autumn
Benjamin Koch
"I enjoyed participating because it makes it a lot easier to pick my outfit in the morning," Stafin said.
Many students spend time and money on mums to wear for one day, so some of them choose to make it special. Mums are only appropriate attire for homecoming and some students go all out, especially for their senior year. Senior Katelyn Unger got her mum idea from another girl's design on the Internet. "[I] thought it was really cool so I decided that's what I wanted for my senior year," Unger said. Supplies can be expensive and it can take a while to make. "We typically spend around $400 for my mum and it takes about six hours to make, but my mom normally breaks it up and does the flowers before doing all the ribbons and extra stuff," Unger said. But with that comes a good side and a bad side and some special details that make it all worth it. "My favorite part about my mum has always been the lights and the candy," Unger said. "It just makes it more fun and I get snacks throughout the day."
Page by A. Benitez & C. Mouton
7
CSPA Crown & NSPA Pacemaker Finalists Q: What started your obsession? A: I started it watching it since everybody else was, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
Q: How much time do you dedicate to your obsession? A: When rewatching the show, 10 hours a week.
Q: Why are you obsessed? A: I love it because it’s like a mystery, and it also has aliens in it. I love the humor that’s in there and that there’s always new conflict with aliens and The Doctor. Macy Roe, 9
we must Disney
Q: What started your obsession? A: I mostly remember Cinderella from when I was little.
Country music
Q: What started your obsession? A: I listened to it as a little kid, and then my dad got me back into it.” Q: How much time do you dedicate to your obsession? A: Probably 2-3 hours a day
Q: Why are you obsessed? A: No other music has the same feel as country music. It can really put you in your best spirits, capture your very best emotions or make you cry. No other genre can really do that. Matthew Green, 12
Travel
Pokemon
Q: What started your obsession? A: When I visited Hawaii in 2013. I immediately fell in love with the idea of going different places and being there instead of looking at pictures.
Q: What started your obsession? A: I’ve been obsessed ever since I got Fire Red Version when I was 8 years old. Q: How much time do you dedicate to your obsession? A: At least 15-20 hours a week
Q: How much time do you dedicate to your obsession? At least every break is spent traveling.
Q: Why are you obsessed? A: I play the video games, and I watch the TV show. I enjoy the fact that I can play these games over and over again but never get tired of them. Each play through of the game is different.
Why are you obsessed? It’s just there are
many different, beautiful places with fun and adventure in the world. It just makes me plan vacations and attempt to get my family to take me.
Aaron Cheatham, 11
Shoe cleaning Q: What started your obsession? A: I just like longevity in my shoes.
Q: How much time do you dedicate to your obsession? A: About 5-10 minutes a week
Q: Why are you obsessed? A: I like all types of shoes. I’m not limited to a brand or style. I use dishwashing soap, powder laundry detergent, Jason Mark and bleach. If I keep shoes looking nice for a long time, they won’t go out of style. Isiah Jones, 10
Netflix
Q: What started your obsession? A: Three or four years ago when I watched Doctor Who.
Q: How much time do you dedicate to your obsession? A: About 8-10 hours a week
Q: Why are you obsessed? A: I’m not really an outside person, and I’m definitely not athletic. Netflix gives me entertainment indoors. Doctor Who really made me obsessed. It made me so mad when they took it off.
Kelsi Davis, 10
Emily Williams, 9
confess, The Office
Q: What started your obsession? A: The jokes and pranks Jim pulled.
Q: How much time do you dedicate to your obsession? A: At least 2-4 hours a week.
Q: Why are you obsessed? A: There’s so many things you notice in the movies you never saw before and there’s so many aspects to Disney that you never get bored. There’s always something new. Kathryn Pedroza, 9
Q: How much time do you dedicate to your obsession? A: When rewatching the show, 10 hours a week.
Q: Why are you obsessed? A: This one I think has a better storyline than others. It’s not just funny, it’s emotional. Jim and Pam are also a good reason to watch the show because their relationship is perfect. Garrett Leever, 12
in addition: “I watched one episode of the Office and fell in love.” Zane Hudson, 9
Zane Hudson
Harry Potter
Q: What started your obsession? A: I started reading them in the first or second grade.
Q: How much time do you dedicate to your obsession? A:When rereading the series, 14 hours a week.
Q: Why are you obsessed? A: You keep noticing new things every time you read them. It’s such a thought-out world that JK Rowling created, and you’re always intrigued by the things you don’t get to experience everyday. Taylor Glover, 12
we are
obsessed. Red Bull
Q: What started your obsession? A: I started drinking them a couple years ago as a lifeguard.” Q: How much money do you dedicate to your obsession? A: About $45 a week on two Red Bulls a day.”
Q: Why are you obsessed? A: The taste is definitely what makes it worth $2,300 a year. Because we have to show up so early for school, I need energy to make it through the day.
Nicholas Tulbane, 12
Books
Q: What started your obsession? A: When I was litlle it was always a ritual to read before bed. Q: How much time do you dedicate to your obsession? A: Somewhere around 20 hours
Q: Why are you obsessed? It’s nice to escape to a different story. You can worry about fictional problems instead of those in real life for a bit.
Skylar Fegley, 12
Grey’s Anatomy
Q: What started your obsession? A: When I first saw McDreamy. I’d watched everything else on Netflix so it made sense to watch Grey’s.
The Arena
Q: How much time do you dedicate to your obsession? A:When rewatching the show, 10 hours a week.
Q: Why are you obsessed? A: The show has great character development and each episode just keeps me on edge.
Billy Stevens, 12
Legacy High School STUDENT LIFE
Doctor Who
OBSESSIONS
Homecoming Week/Parade
Photos by A. Corbin, D. Hanna & C. Mouton
"I've always loved being patriotic and since Fourth of July is my favorite holiday, I'm always ready for patriotic occasions," Heermans said.
I'm a SENIOR
27
Mansfield, Texas Advisers: Leland Mallett & Rachel Dearinger Editors: Brooke Jackson & Kyle Sims Representative: Tammy Bailey
page design by Angela Austin
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17 spring 2017
National Finalists
CSPA Crown Finalist First day Dress up "I believe people should get dressed up because it's high school. They are the most important four years of your life because after this, you have to fend for yourself. So I think you would want to make a lasting impression."
Christopher Gutierrez, 9
OR DOWN? Back together Catching up with his buddy sophomore
Beginning in America
Owen White, and Brady Kusting reminisce on summer days. "I was mostly at work. Other than that, I was spending time with my family," Kusting said. Photo by J. Holloway // Laughing it off at lunch, junior Zippy Miles recounts her relaxing break. "It was so hot outside, so I went swimming, skateboarding, went to parties, and hung out with my friends," Miles said. Photo by J. Holloway // Sharing her funny memories from the summer, junior Gracie Sullivan describes her first day lunch with friends. "We all caught up with each other, hugged, laughed, and just enjoyed being back together," Sullivan said. Photo by J. Holloway
first day
The Pix
Little Rock Central High School
Entering a whole new world, exchange student Andrea Deramo comes from Italy to America for the year. "I didn't get a schedule, so my first day was two days after the first day. My first class was programming and I was scared to approach the new environment, but I eventually got comfortable," Deramo said. Photo by J. Holloway // Transferring to a new country, Italian native Leandra Maurer frets over the size of Central. "I was scared to death of getting lost in the school, but some very nice people helped me out. I had drama as my first class and it was very interesting and fun. I'm staying with Mr. Olson the computer teacher," Maurer said. Photo by J. Holloway
Awkward encounters to start off the year
Hanna Shaddix, 11
lunch antics
shen an igans
"It was literally a graveyard at first lunch. I had no friends out there and I was so hungry the rest of the day. It should be called second breakfast."
Physics lesson: Sophomore Liam dokoutchaef really hits the books “I was on the fourth floor talking to my friend and I set my book on the rails. Next thing you know I bumped into them and they fell all the way down the middle.”
"First lunch is always empty, especially on the first day. They're like super quiet. But I really like having first lunch because I like the quiet time with my friends."
Fly's undone: nior Abby rushin describes her embarrassing introduction “This is my first year at Central, and in one of my classes I had to stand up and introduce myself. The whole class was laughing at me because my fly was down.”
Little Rock, Arkansas Adviser: Roy Vaughn Editor: Becky Sherman Representative: Pamela Hopkins
"I think dressing up on the first day is too much. You shouldn't get extra pretty just for the first day. Dress like you normally do. Don't be a different person than you are. The first day is just like any other day of the year."
junior Connie Zheng discusses the differences between the languages. "We started off our first class with vocabulary. They are complete opposites. English has two dialects but Chinese has 'pinging' where they combine words and make different tones and words. It's very complex," Zheng said. Photo by J. Holloway // Debating her opinions, sophomore Gloria Ede talks about the challenges of her first civics class. "It's a fun class, and we get to discuss our opinions of the government and political issues. I also met some amazing people," Ede said. Photo by J. Holloway // Discussing with her group, junior Zayna Abdulla comments on the nature of her AP U.S. History class. "It was actually really chill," Abdulla said. "Of course we had some reading to do the first night, but I like Ms. Garner a lot, so it was okay." Photo by J. Holloway // Receiving help from English teacher Jacob Morris, junior Finley Daniel takes criticism on her latest essay. "Mr. Morris is a really cool guy. He's very open-minded and willing to work with us and really goes in depth. I'm looking forward to this year with him," Daniel said. Photo by J. Holloway
Dalton Shea, 10
Whip my hair: junior Terry julian whips hER hair and hits the wall "I was trying to move my hair out of my way because it was all in my eyes but I wasn't paying attention and walked right into a wall. It really hurt."
Madelyn Morris, 11
I keep on fallin': Senior kristin orsi talks about her gravity issue "My first day at Central, I wasn't watching where I was going and I fell down the stairs, except I just kept going. I slid down the whole way."
"I've always preferred second lunch because there's so many more people and it cuts my day exactly in half, just like a lunch should."
Attendance issues: Sophomore devan harris finds a new class "On my first day, I looked at my schedule wrong and went to my B1 instead of my A1 and stayed there the entire class. The teacher never even noticed."
saved by the bell Studying over her Chinese notes,
Julia Turner, 10
20 first day of school
21
Designed by: D.Snyder and b.martin//j. holloway
CSPA Crown & NSPA Pacemaker Finalists KILLER
LOOKS
FIFTY
SHADES
Top fashion trends transforms hallways into runways
Montana Meador & Lucy Tomforde • Reporter, Co-Photography Editor
AMERICAN APPAREL Striped T-shirt Romper $54.00 americanapparel.com
ZARA Linen Bomber Jacket $79.90 zara.com
TWO
1
Trendy sunglasses fit all face shapes, sizes
"I like my sunglasses because pink is my favorite color, and I like the reflective lenses." Grayson Gabrisch • 12
"I got my sunglasses freshman year and just never moved on." Clayton McGee • 12
"I chose these sunglasses because they are super different, like my style. I love them because they are unique." Sophia Sensano • 12
"The reason I love these sunglasses so much is because of the brown and gold tints." Victor Salazar • 11
"I love my sunglasses because they are really good at blocking out the sun while they are also fun and stylish." Emma Rowe • 11
"They are cool looking and are comfortable to wear. I like the color because they go with everything I wear." Jack Michie • 12
CHAINZ 10
WHAT ARE
ZARA Black Skinny Jeans $79.00 zara.com
ZARA Black Fringe Bucket Bag $60.00 zara.com
HENRY FERRERA Laser Cut-out Upper Casual Slip-on Shoe $49.99 nordstrom.com
Reata
Memorial High School Houston, Texas Adviser: Holly Hartman Editors: Caroline Jones & Aniston Hill Representative: Lisa Schwartz
MY
TWO
Abby Simpson • 12
CE
ZARA White Velvet High-top Sneakers $90.00 zara.com
Chase Patton • 11
2 3
9
8
4
1. TORY BURCH: Robinson Zip Coin Case $115 2. LOUIS VUITTON: Key Pouch $200 3. LEGO: Darth Vader Key Fob $28.50 4. ETSY: Pom Pom Keychain $24.70 5. GIRLY TWIRLY: Acrylic Initial Keychain $12.00
5
6
6. ETSY: Tassel Keychain $19.00 7. FANATICS: Houston Astro's Keychain $9.00 8. Named keychain from Puerto Rico 9. O-VENTURE: Big O Keychain $55.00 10. SMATHERS & BRANSON: Texas Flag Needlepoint Key Fob $28.50
THOSE?
Fashion fans dish on to-die-for shoes
Students show off fashionable key chains
7
"I love New Balances because they are super cute but casual at the same time. They can go with almost any outfit and come in different styles and colors. Not to mention, all the boys look really good in them." Avery Fay • 12
"I like my Air Maxes because they are comfortable to walk around in during school. I also like them because everyone has them in different colors and styles. They come in handy whenever I'm in a rush because they are easy to throw on quickly." Remi Greenwood • 10 "I love slip on Vans because they are quick and easy and go with everything. They are really fun and different, so it changes my outfits up a bit. You can dress them up, or dress them down, just whatever you are feeling." McKinley Yanke • 12
"I like Nike Blazers because nobody else had them. They are comfortable, and they look cool. It is a part of my unique style and overall outfit." Derek Tolson • 11
N TS
“My style is vintage and freakish, with clothes from the '70s and '80s era.” Elias Ewing • 11
elements
18 spring 2017
STUDENT LIFE · FASHION
35
CSPA Crown & NSPA Pacemaker Finalists WORK HARD, PLAY HARDER
SEPTEMBER'S SCHOOL SHENANIGANS
2
3
K HUTCHISON
D YEHLE
4
GARRETT WRIGHT '16
"
"
U
HOW LONG COULD YOU GO WITHOUT TALKING?
2
3
2
1. In Mr. Blumberg’s Chemistry class Sept. 10, Evangelia Demos ’17 looks through a cobalt glass to see what color the fire has turned. “The lab was cool because all the different colors the flame turned,” Demos said. 2. Sept. 11 Matthew Pearson '17 works on his displacement calculations in Mr. Ferguson honors chemistry class. 3. Weston Zblyski '17 and Ngwena Mancho '18 hold a bananna over flames and observe the color, Sept. 10. 4. Saket Merredy '18 tests his displacement calculations to see if he could make the object with sand float to the surface, Sept. 11. "The best part of Chemistry is my teacher, Ferg. I enjoy trying to solve his lectures like a puzzle," Merredy said. 5. Sept. 10, Evangelia Demos '17 and Rach '17 test an emement in fire to see what color it will turn, the colors ranged from purple to red. 6. Cayden Bro '17 and William McKinnon '17 perform a density experiment for AP Chemistry, Sept. 11.
S NANDY
1
S NANDY
S NANDY
MARCHING BAND; A FAMILY, NOT JUST A GROUP
3
4
“It depends on who I’m with, if I’m with my family I could probably go a couple of days, but probably only ten minutes when I’m with my friends,” Michaela Deck ’16 said.
“I could probably not talk for a while, maybe a day or two. I don't think it would be that hard,” Alexander Coudeyras ‘18 said.
“Pretty long because if I’m bored it would be easy. But if we’re also not allowed to laugh then I wouldn’t be able to go as long,” Estella Gomes ’17 said.
“Probably not very long, I’m a super social person. However, I could go a while without talking with my family," Steven Gordon ‘17 said.
028 DISTINGUISHED
U
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?
“One of my favorite music artists is Fetty Wap. His music is good to just hang out to. 679 is my favorite song by him, it’s really catchy,” Olivia Borini '19 said.
5
“I listen to Drake a lot. But I wouldn’t be able to name a favorite song, I guess I just like them all. I think it would be really cool to see him in concert,” Taylor Chadwick '19 said.
6
"I listen to Fetty Wap a lot and my favorite song of his is 679. If he came to Colorado, I would immediately buy a ticket and go see him live,” Brody Loughlin '19 said.
S ZIZZO
1
J ZIMBEROFF
J ZIMBEROFF
6
S NANDY
5
S NANDY
Black and Gold 4
S NANDY
1. TWIRLING TALENTS Sept. 1, Rachel Day '18 practices her color guard performance beside the band. 2. LOUD AND PROUD Tyler Loretz '16 plays the trumpet in preparation for the upcoming homecoming football game, Sept. 1. 3. HIT THE HIGH NOTE Lauren Cole '18 and Taylor Martin '18 play their flutes, Sept. 1. "This is my first year being in marching band. You get really close to the people in marching band, and they become your second family," Cole said. "Even after the season is over the band spends time together because they are so close." 4. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Riley Busch practices with the band, Sept. 1. 5. LINE UP Sept. 1 a group of marching band students practice and perform their performance. 6. STEP TO THE BEAT Mariah Moore '18, a member of the color guard practices her routine, Sept. 1.
SCORCHING SCIENCE
S ZIZZO
1. Zoltan Wolfe '19, Troy Quintana '19 , Drew Parker '19, and Kyle Kevin Dimapilis '19 take advantage of the fall sunshine and get outside during access to play wall ball, Sept 9. 2. Jumping for greatness; Zoltan Wolfe '19, tries to jump and catch the tennis ball, Sept 9 while playing wall ball outside the 8000's pod. 3. After hours of sitting in a classroom, Drew Parker '19 goes outside during access and plays wall ball, Sept. 9. "We go outside normally and we play wall ball with a tennis ball," Parker said, "I do this with all my friends, so access for me is my favorite thing in school."
J ZIMBEROFF
3
K SHEA
K SHEA
2
making meaning in chemistry classes
September is a good month because I think it builds a lot of school spirit. The football games are always the best to go to, and Homecoming week is always really exciting with all the different events that go on every day.
S ZIZZO
1
K SHEA
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K HUTCHISON
students immerse themselves in school and show spirit
1. “I started choir in fourth grade and have been doing it ever since. I think choir is great and I’ve met so many people through it, they are all so welcoming," Talie Stowell ‘16 said. 2. "As much as I hate to say it, homework helps me learn," Brittney Hutchison '19 said. 3. "I didn’t expect anyone to ask me, and when two guys asked me at the same time, I was shocked and didn’t know who to say yes to,” Natalie Loebach ‘19 said. 4. "We painted our faces, wore colored beads, and wore a school jersey. It was a blast to hang out with friends, watch the football game against Castle View High School and get in the school spirit,” Karley Guest '18 said.
Rock Canyon High School Highlands Ranch, Colorado Adviser: Kristi Rathbun Editors: Celia Adams, Azile Nelson & Emma Haworth Representative: Rob Rathbun
“My favorite song is Old Money by Lana Del Rey. When I just want to chill out and listen to music I listen to Lana Del Rey," Trent Writer '19 said.
SEPTEMBER - SCIENCE | 029
FALL
CSPA Crown & NSPA Pacemaker Finalists
Dangerous
3. Not so fun four wheelin’ “My friend and I were riding an ATV and it drifted and hit the side of the road, and landed on top of my leg,” Ben Naylor (7) stated. “My friend, J Hansen (7), had to pull the ATV off of me and had to run around to look for help. My parents were not with me at the time.” 4. swimming with the shark “I had to jump off of a cliff into water filled with whale sharks. My dad pushed me into the whale shark’s tail and it knocked off my snorkeling gear,” Madeline Snook (7) explained. “It was a very thrilling experience!”
STORIES OF SOME SCARY INTERACTIONS
5. in the middle of nowhere “Once my friend and I were at my dad’s property, we were on a tiny piece of wood on a lake, and forgot to tie the wood to the dock,” Jada Horan (7) said. “We accidentally floated out onto the middle of the lake with my dog for three hours. My dog tried to jump off the wood piece and it was really scary.”
Have you ever been in a scary situation that seems anything but funny at the time or down right terrifying? Neverthewless, days, months or years later you and your friends can laugh about it? Well, everyone loves a good story and so here are a collection of stories about Nighthawks whose interactions didn’t turn out so well. Strange, scary, but true.
3.
6.
1.
Photo by: Brianna Mellor
Photo by: Sophie Rosati
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Photo by: Sophie Rosati
7.
Photo by: Sophie Rosati
5.
Spread By: Brianna Mellor & Sophie Rosati
Photo by: Brianna Mellor
The Nighthawk
2. 1.1.you youfell felldown downwhat? what? “I “I fell fell down down an an elevator elevator shaft shaft aa couple couple months months ago,” ago,” Ryan Ryan May May (6) (6) said. said. “It “It happened happened because because II went went in in between between aa normal normal door door and and an an elevator elevator door. door. The The elevator elevator went went up up and and itit pulled pulled me me to to the the top top of of the the door door frame frame and and itit dropped dropped me me about about 30 30 feet. feet. My My dad dad had had to to pry pry open open the the elevator elevator doors doors to to get get me me out. out. II had had two two broken broken heels heels and and aa broken broken humerus humerus bone.” bone.” He He was was in in aa wheelchair wheelchair for for months months after after the the accident. accident. 2.2.not-so-bouncy-house not-so-bouncy-house “One “One time, time, II was was at at my my sister’s sister’s lacrosse lacrosse game,” game,” AJ AJ Ruder Ruder (7) (7) said. said. “I “I was was bored bored and and saw saw aa bouncy bouncy house house so so II decided decided to to go go in in and and II went went to to the the top. top. AA giant giant gust gust of of wind wind picked picked up up the the bouncy bouncy house house and and rolled rolled itit 300 300 meters. meters. II had had aa concussion, concussion, and and aa dislocated dislocated shoulder.” shoulder.”
Photo by: Sophie Rosati
6. how am i supposed to breathe with no air? “I was scuba diving in Cozumel and you have this little backpack on that inflates,” Cole Dreyfuss (7) explained. “My backpack malfunctioned and I started floating to the top and my lungs almost popped. I almost died.” 7. full body cast “I was skiing and I hit this really big jump and tried to do a backflip,” Jake Likes (7) said. “I landed wrong because both of my skis popped off midair. I broke both of my forearms and one leg.”
Photo by: Sophie Rosati
STUDENT LIFE
09
Rocky Heights Middle School Highlands Ranch, Colorado Adviser: Tim Ryckman Editors: Madeline Ashbeck & Molly McEowen Representative: Rob Rathbun
elements
19 spring 2017
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NSPA Pacemaker Finalist Photo by Kayla Bionson
LOW-KEY JAMMING OUT 1. At the Winter Concert on Dec. 10, Show Choir and Jazz Choir work together to perform a variety of songs. Freshman Andrea Wilkes had three costume changes with Show Choir and Jazz Choir as well as a small show dance number that finished off the night. 2. Concert Choir performer junior Matthew Domingo plays the song "Growing Old". "It's from one of my favorite movies, 'The Wedding Singer.' It has a good plot, I thought it would be a nice song to sing to a future wife," said Domingo. 3. Jazz Choir member junior Sara Grattan sings "Back to Black" by Amy Winehouse at the Fall Revue on Nov. 13. "Amy Winehouse is one of the more modern jazz singers with one of the most unique voices. Since I'm in jazz choir, and I really enjoy her music, I decided to sing this song."
What is your favorite part of choir? "Performances. They allow me to express myself and do what I love. I also get to do it with and awesome group of people who have the same interests as me. Choir gives me the opportunity to have fun while being myself. My favorite performance this year was when we competed at Burbank high school. We were able to have a blast, and even win first place!" -Carrie MacLearn, 09 "I love getting to learn new songs in both Show Choir and Women’s Ensemble. I love meeting new people that come into choir. Learning new dances is fun as well. I cannot wait to see what we do next year." -Sara Abbott, 10
1 Photo by Alexandra Hill
"Concert Choir allows me to demonstrate my vocal ability to its full extent. Jazz Choir is something I really enjoy, due to its ability to make me happy. My favorite part about both choirs is demonstrating all the hard work we do to an applauding audience, which is the best feeling in the world." -Robert Miller, 10 "I like being around people that want to sing. It’s a cool experience to be around people that are so passionate about music. In choir everyone is there because of their love for music and singing." -Clara Dorst, 10
3
SINGING IS MY FORTE 4. During the Winter Concert, junior Jered La Giusa-Riedeman sings the song "Lazy River" with jazz choir members senior Cameron Simer and sophmore Robert Miller. La Giusa-Riedeman said, "I am in jazz choir. I really enjoy the music we sing, and the people that are in it. They are in-credible people and have become some of my closest friends. Jazz music is also very influential to music throughout the time periods." 5. After winning the Burbank Blast competition held at Burbank High on Mar. 5, Show Choir went to Wendy's to celebrate. Freshman Kyle Shick said, "I am proud of us for winning first place in the Burbank Blast competition. The competition started our scary, but as our performance progressed, it got less scary. I just felt honored to be in the performance and to be able to perform with my friends and have a good time on stage."
"I'm in Jazz Choir and [I like] meeting new people that eventually become really close friends. It's a plus that I get to be able to sing with them too. At the LOVE concert, it was my favorite concert because of all the performances. Also, all my friends had great solos and my choir, which is jazz, performed really well. ." -Allyson Conant, 09
Photo submitted by April Dooley
"Everyone makes you feel accepted and glad to be there. The best part about them [choir friends] is that at any moment you're with them, they will break out in song and you can't help but join in. My favorite performance was the 40th Anniversary of Saugus, because we got to sing really up beat songs and we got to dance." -Hannah Blair, 10 "The concert choir New York trip was one of the best expieriences of my life. It was an honor getting to perform in Carnegie Hall where tons of amazing singers have performed I learned a lot to help the choirs perform our singing skills while as being able to explore the beautiful city." -Joelle Rubio, 09
Sword & Shield
Saugus High School
2
2 Photo Photo by by Alexandra Alexandra Hill Hill
"I am in both Jazz and Concert choir, I joined them because I have been singing my whole life and I enjoy it very much. I took choir as another way to really start learning about voice and to make new relationships with people. My favorite part about choir is the experiences. I have been able to perform at so many of the most amazing places." -Cameron Simer, 12
Saugus, California Adviser: Christina Tolisano Editors: Chantel Batchelor & Kirsten Kristensen Representative: Frank Ortiz
5.
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i knew you were treble
"I like the atmosphere, and just how happy everyone is. Everyone is so motivated and willing to do things most of the time. My favorite performance was our second competition at Hart High School. It was the first time my family watched me perform my entire set and it was the second competition we won." -Justin Wiredu-Agyepong, 09
4 Photo Photo by by Kayla Kayla Bionson Bionson
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Student Life: Choir
Page by Alexander Devictoria & Kylie Rasplicka
NSPA Pacemaker Finalist
elements
20 spring 2017
high school
impossible to calculate what fills up my day. I never quite know
180
how one day’s events will roll over to the next. Two days in and we were left in the dark, waiting for the power to come back on at the school and in our lackadasical brains. There’s over one hundred days of opportunities, and I’m ready to slay them all.
“My favorite part of football is just playing with my teammates. When we sing the school song, it feels really good after a win, but after a loss it really just helps pick you up and feel better.” -Jacoryon Larry, 12
36 weeks our
calendars count down the weeks for us without even being told to. We fill blank spaces in our planners with endless events needing our attention. I missed Mr. Schroeder but adjusted to the new faces patrolling the hallways. I found clubs to join and showed my spirit by tagging TWA on my Insta. As weeks pass, I worry if I can fit it all in.
each
part of my high school career is measured in hours. I calculate how many hours I’ve studied so I’ll know how much sleep I’ll get. I threw colored powder at the Color Run but slept through the rain when Dash for Cash was cancelled, all in hopes my volunteer hours would add up.
1305 hours
Every new year
is full of new lessons and opportunities. When I pull up to school, maybe I’ll be lucky enough to avoid the tapping at my window telling me to exit my vehicle, or maybe I’ll be able to hide my dress code infractions behind other swift legs. Maybe my attendance will be good enough to save me a seat at lunch in the Tiger Zone. Whatever happens, take it from me, it’s going to be a memorable year.
OPENING
k. moreland
hail “texas
it’s
days
STARTED 5 THEME
Texarkana, Texas Advisers: Rebecca Potter & Clint Smith Editors: Madison Maynard, Colleen Russell & Elizabeth Tullis Representative: Debbie Vaughn
OPENING
Texas High School
4 THEME
Tiger
k. moreland
“Starting the year as a sophomore, you get over the whole freshman thing, and as a sophomore, you really feel like you’re a part of the high school.”
it’s
Jacob Weems
-Jacob Weems, 10
“
National Finalists
C
“I was doing what we call the ‘Unicorn,’ where you hold the rifle that you tossed up like a unicorn,” freshman Cameron Murry said. “I’m in color guard because it is a really great way to get involved and to express yourself.”
CSPA Crown & NSPA Pacemaker Finalists
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and Natasha Chukka sing during one of the songs at the beginning of the musical, “My favorite part of the musical was when we performed for the first time in front of an audience and everything went so smoothly, and the songs and dances matched perfectly making everyone in the audience cheer,” Chuka said. Middle left: Allison Cooper practices one of her solos during a rehearsal in Middle right: Neelam Penson Gym. Jivani and Margaret Woodberry introduce the next musical number, while acting out a short skit about Dr. Seuss. Bottom: Caroline Jones practices her choreographed dance. “Being able to dance in almost every song and time I was on stage was my favorite part of the performance because I know that if we would have done a regular musical I wouldn’t have been able to do that as much,” Jones said.
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13 girls helped build sets while on the musical crew
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The production cast 90 students
◍ Top: Katherine Petty, Fiona Fearon
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FIRST UNITED METH
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2 performances
HEADLINERS
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Pulling �HROUGH BROADWAY
Photos by Lizzie Raff, Charlotte Hoskins and Abby Bush
‘‘
Cornerstones
The girls rushed back and forth, up and down flights of stairs, trying to get to their allotted position on stage on Oct. 30. Although the eighth grade musicals are typically frenetic, this year’s performance of “Broadway Lights” was especially hectic because the students had only rehearsed in their new location, the First United Methodist Church, a few times before their first actual performance. Adding to the stress and chaos of the first show, Casey Freeman, an eighth grader who had danced for over four years, pulled a muscle in her left leg while attempting to land in the splits at the end of her dance. But the show had to go on. The dance ultimately was altered to ensure that Freeman did not aggravate the injury. Freeman’s past experience with dance proved to be helpful. She relied on her expertise to remember her new routine. “I have a lot of experience remembering new dances right before [a] performance,” Freeman said. Although, she had to be cautious during the dance it all worked out in the end and there were no other injuries during the show. And Freeman, along with the rest of the cast, was happy with the end result. “The final production was amazing once everything was put together,” Freeman said.
I love to use my facial
expressions to tell the story to the crowd. I feel like the facial
EXPRESSIONS
really make a big difference in the quality of the number. Kate Woodhouse ‘20
The Hockaday School Broadway Lights Ines Guevara “It was fun because everyone was able to do what they love and I really liked the songs and dances,” Guevara said.
�� \ Middle School \ Performing Arts
8th Grade Musical \
Dallas, Texas Adviser: Ana Rosenthal Editors: Talia Meidan & Ilana Perkins Representative: Mickey Mehrens
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CSPA Crown & NSPA Pacemaker Finalists From afternoon swims to fireworks on the Fourth, summer months hold endless possibilities
LIGHT UP THE NIGHT
Mason McCury 11, Haley Yu, Hailey Gilmore & Shelby Haney 12 Photo courtesy of Mason Mccury
Victoria May, Nicole Bauer, Ciera Beckman & Josie Vivas-Flores 10
Photo by Sammi Johnson
SUMMER 9
SHOWING OFF TV series hook us into binge watching
GREY’S ANTOMY
“I watched every season of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ again on Netflix. It’s one of my favorite shows. I love the story line. My favorite character is probably Meredith Grey.” Taylor Copp 10 Fourth Fun With their July 4 sparklers, seniors Taylor Marx, Kaitlyn Maggio, Kelsey Mucha and Noah Scibana write out their graduation year. The group celebrated at Marx’s July 4 party. “It was one of the last fourth of July’s I got to spend with my friends,” Marx said. Photo by Hunter Harwick
PRETTY LITTLE LIARS
“I watched all the seasons of ‘Pretty Little Liars’ three times. I love it because it’s just so suspenseful. I’m always wondering what’s going to happen next.” Rhakayla Alcaraz 9
ONE TREE HILL
“‘One Tree Hill’ is my favorite show because it’s about high school, relationships and drama. Once I started watching it, I couldn’t stop.” Ashley Flood 11
SUMMER
SCENARIOS
“Lifeguarding was a great experience because I had to be constantly responsible. I made a difference, and it helped me prepare for a career in nursing.”
BEHIND THE WHEEL
YOUTUBER
IN THE PIT
FREESTYLE SWIM
BOOT CAMP
“I crammed all the courses in June right before my birthday in July. I failed the test the first time in Georgetown, so I waited two weeks and then took the test again in Pflugerville. I got my license that time. I was excited but also overwhelmed because even though there is a lot of freedom in being able to drive, there is a lot of responsibility in it as well.” Sarai Davis 11
“Vid-Con is a video convention for YouTubers and Viners. My favorite person that I got to meet was probably MannyMua, a makeup artist on YouTube. It was really great getting to see all those people who share the same interests as you in one room. I’ve been watching YouTube forever, and I always thought it was just a little community of people with no lives, but I was wrong.” Yujin Han 9
“I was at band camp from the end of July to the Friday before school started, and before that I had drumline camp as well. I didn’t march because I was in the pit, the front ensemble, playing the xylophone, but we were there almost all day, and it was very hot. It was difficult, but I also really enjoyed it. In the end, all of our hard work payed off, and we had an awesome season.” Joseph Villarreal 10
“Over the summer, I was in Singapore to compete in the 800 and 1500 meter freestyle. In order to compete, I had to be one of the two fastest 18 and unders in the U.S. nationals a couple weeks before. I placed ninth in the finals. My favorite part was definitely competing on an international stage. I learned how to better manage myself in a foreign country and stay calm under pressure.” Chris Yeager 10
“I went to Boot Camp and Camp 75; each camp was a week long. Boot camp was where we met our teams and got to know each other to prepare for Camp 75. We learned new material to teach the kids, practiced and just had fun. Camp 75 was a backyard Bible club where we would go in teams to people’s backyards and teach kids about the gospel and Jesus and play games with them. ” Karlee Daughtery 11
“Chinese food is the best. I like how it’s cooked. I always go to Amy’s China Cuisine and order sweet and sour chicken and fried rice.” Jessica Apt 12
What struggles come with playing lacrosse? I plan to go to the Naval Academy, still continuing to play lacrosse, and then go into the navy. Lacrosse makes it harder to accomplish this because the Naval Academy is a rigorous academic school, so it’s hard to balance both lacrosse and my grades, which I have to keep at an A/B average.
BREAKING BAD
“I watched ‘Breaking Bad’ on Netflix. I’m actually still not done watching it. But I really like it because it’s interesting, and it sort of contradicts society.” Amir Jaimes 12
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
“I finished ‘Friday Night Lights’ this summer. It’s about a high school football team, and it’s cool because it was actually filmed here.” Kendall Prossner 12
These
SUMMER Describe your summer practice. At camp we practiced every day for most of the day during the season, but after that we couldn’t practice much more because there are rules against practicing out of season. I learned new moves because practice is the place where my team and I have the opportunity to improve the most.
“I watched ‘Parks and Rec’. I like the show because of Ron Swanson, he’s my favorite character because he is really funny and to the point.” Nicholas Scholz 11
Senior Lauren Herrington trains for lacrosse & future at Naval Academy
Why did you choose the Navy and how has it changed you? Joining the Navy is a great opportunity. I get the chance to travel a lot. It has also made me more responsible. I’ve been focusing more on school so that I don’t lose out on this opportunity.
ARE MY SUMMER RITUALS Vacations, traditions make summer worthwhile
SWEET TOOTH
“Every summer, I go to Six Flags and Lulu’s Cafe for my birthday. My best friends, my family and I all hop in a big van and go. Lulu’s has a three-pound cinnamon roll, and we always eat it as my birthday cake.” Esai Gutierrez 11
The Lonestar
Vista Ridge High School
CAMP OUT
“For the past few years, we’ve had a tradition of going camping every summer. My family stays in Georgetown for about two weeks. My favorite part is swimming in the lake because I can scare my sister.” Mirlyn Carter 10
Cedar Park, Texas Adviser: Jamie Ray Editors: Halee Jorgensen & Kira Virgel Representative: Morgan Tuggle
NATURAL ADVENTURE
“During the summer I always go to Bull Creek with my friends on Saturdays. We swim and sometimes take pictures. The first time we went we liked it so much that we just kept going back.” Elena Marez 11 “I like Mexican food because I eat it most often. My favorite type of Mexican food is tacos from Chuy’s” Noah Alsina 9
MEXICAN
CHINESE
Grace Kimball 12
A LOOK AT MY
PARKS AND REC
elements
21 spring 2017
National Finalists
CSPA Crown & acp Pacemaker Finalists
Photo // Cory Ewing
CONNER MORRIS JUNIOR, BUSINESS FELLOWS MAJOR Q: What is your part in Chamber? A: I do a number of different things. I’m on several committees: Homecoming, Family Weekend, Baylor Line and a number of others things like by-laws. Q: What is your favorite part of being Assistant Field Manager?
STOKED & SOAKED
Roundup
A: I mean obviously having the best seats in the house is a huge perk, but honestly it’s just being right there in front of all the action and being able to see the expressions on the opposing teams coaches and players faces and seeing all these freshmen take part in their first Baylor football season and just being front and center of some of the biggest moments in the sports world? Q: During your freshman year, did you run every game?
FANS BRAVE THE RAIN FOR HOMECOMING GAME
A: I have not missed a Baylor football game since I’ve enrolled.
Baylor University
Photo // Cory Ewing
Waco, Texas Advisers: Paul Carr & Julie Freeman Editor: Hannah Neumann Representative: Jim Anderson
ABOVE Drenched from head to toe, a freshman fan gets riled up after a play against Iowa State. Students tried to cover themselves with ponchos or rain jackets, but others gave up on the attempts at warmth altogether. FROM LEFT Junior wide receiver Corey Coleman and senior offensive tackle Spencer Drango celebrate after another touchdown. SECOND After coming off the field, Coleman gives head coach Art Briles a fist bump. Coleman had two touchdown catches, making the homecoming game his sixth consecutive game with multiple touchdowns. THIRD In response to the constant rain, the Golden Wave Band threw on ponchos to continue their duties for the entire game. FOURTH Making his way across the field, sophomore wide receiver KD Cannon jumps over an Iowa State player on his way to the end zone. Baylor defeated Iowa State 49-28.
Photo // Trey Honeycutt
Photo // Trey Honeycutt
Photo // Haley Rodriguez
Photo // Haley Rodriguez
HOMECOMING GAME | STUDENT LIFE | 27
acp Pacemaker Finalist Since dorms are the primary space for students that live on campus, the InterResidence Council hosted a Cool Cribs Contest to see who had the best home away from home. story by: kai mcneil
E
Agromeck
North Carolina State Univ.
Raleigh, North Carolina Adviser: Martha Collins Editor: Molly Donovan Representative: Josh Lovell
DORM LIVIN' x Haley Riggs, freshman in animal science and semi-finalist of the Cool Cribs Contest, decorated her corner of the room to remind her of home. PHOTO BY KAI MCNEIL
26 x MARCH
elements
22 spring 2017
x Taylor Purvis, a junior in industrial engineering, won the contest with over 400 likes on Facebook. BY KAI MCNEIL
x Lindsey Tesney, freshman in animal science and semi-finalist, paired with roommate Haley Riggs to give their room an “eclectic” feel. PHOTO BY KAI MCNEIL
x On February 15, Madison Bell and Hannah Humphrey, freshmen in First Year College, entered their dorm in the IRC Cool Cribs Contest. The two based the room in Tucker Hall around their colorful futon. Humphrey brought the futon from home and coordinated with long-time friend, Bell. “We had the futon, so we then got the bed spreads, the curtains, the tables and everything else followed.” said Humphrey. PHOTO BY KAI MCNEIL
very August, students and their families spend countless hours preparing their home away from home, their dorm room. From vintage artsy to blacklight lit, each dorm is carefully crafted and decorated to the needs of its occupants. By the spring semester, rooms have been rearranged and adjusted to perfection. But the question arrives every so often, who has the best dorm on campus? This spring, the InterResidence Council, hosted a Cool Cribs Contest. Participants were required to submit several photos of their room to IRC. After hundreds of submissions, IRC then picked the top eight rooms to be chosen as semi-finalists. The eight rooms were posted on Facebook, and “likes” on the photo acted as votes as they raced to the top, hoping for first, second or third places in the contest. “We’re in our room too much,” said Haley Riggs. Riggs and her roommate, Lindsey Tesney, both freshmen in animal science, were featured as semifinalists. The two roommates stay in Lee Hall and found out about the contest after seeing a flyer posted on their resident adviser’s door. Over the summer, the two exchanged ideas based upon a comforter by using the colors for inspiration to make wall letters and other things, such as an ottoman and a futon. The rest of the decorations came as the year progressed. “Functional-Homey describes our room because we have a lot of pictures of our friends,” said Tesney. “We have artwork from our sororities and stuff our bigs made us; it’s colorful.” “Eclectic, artsy and vintage” are the three words Lauren Blackwell used to describe her room. Blackwell, a semi-finalist in the contest, was left with a room to herself in Turlington Hall after her roommate was chosen to be an RA. Blackwell then gathered things from home and local thrift shops to decorate her room. “I wanted to enter it. I really like interior design, and it’s something I’ve considered as a career before. I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on my room so I thought I’d enter it” said Blackwell. Some of the key pieces in her room include a collage of all of her artwork and a trunk that her grandfather used during a war. “I like to take something old and give it a new purpose,” said Blackwell. Blackwell wasn’t the only entry with an interest in home decor and design, or from Turlington Hall. Taylor Purvis, a junior in industrial engineering and winner of the contest, also shared the same interests as Blackwell. “I’m very crafty and have a strong interest in home decor, so I used pictures in magazines and things I found online as inspiration to replicate,” said Purvis. “Most of the decor found in my room was either up-cycled or made on my own,” Purvis said. Taylor Purvis is also a Residential Adviser and found out about the contest while handing out the flyers to her residents. “My inspiration for the decor of my room was really a development of the past three years living on campus. As a freshman, I really wasn’t excited about living in a ‘dorm room,’” said Purvis. “So my goal was to make my housing experience as homey as possible,” Purvis said. She won the competition with 434 likes on Facebook and was the only one to break the 400 “likes” in votes. She received a Polaroid 300 camera and a 50 dollar gift card to Bed Bath & Beyond. Purvis believes the same job that lead her to the contest also lead her to victory. “Honestly, being an RA was what allowed me to get so many likes. I shared the post once, but after that, all of the other shares were my residents and a few family members promoting for me,” said Purvis. When asked to describe her room in so many words, Purvis said, “Home sweet home.” x IRC: DORMS x 27
ACP Pacemaker Finalist growing trend or dying fad Students discuss their use of anonymous social media app Yik Yak BY MORGAN DONAWAY
Y
ik Yak launched in November 2013 and since then it has made its mark on college campuses around the world, Texas Tech being one of them. According to the Apple App Store, Yik Yak works like a local bulletin board that allows anyone to connect and share information such as news, funny experiences and jokes anonymously. Although the posts are anonymous, the app has a location setting, so the comments and posts that come up on Tech students’ phones are representative of activity nearby.
Jayden Parker, a junior business major from Canyon, said during Fall 2014 and Spring 2015 he used Yik Yak to post funny stuff, read people’s views on hot topics and to keep up with what was happening around Tech. “I used the app when I was bored in my dorm or in class, when I was in a ‘serious’ debate in the comments section, or when I came up with something funny to post,” he said. Parker said some of the funniest posts were posted after Tech athletic events.
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La Ventana
Texas Tech University Lubbock, Texas Adviser: Andrea Watson Editor: Davian Hopkins Representative: David Dixon Photo illustration by Kirby Crumpler and Ashley M. Morales
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CSPA Crown & acp Pacemaker Finalists Netflix & Chill
BAE
Retweet (RT)
Lit
YAAAASS
(verb) This can be considered the new way of booty calling someone when you don’t want to be too obvious.
(noun) A pet name to call your significant other. Stands for “before anyone else.”
(verb) While this used to mean to copy someone’s tweet onto your own feed, it is now used as a way of agreeing with someone.
(adjective) This term has a variety of meanings, but it is most commonly used to describe something really awesome.
(adverb) Derived from the word “yes,” this term is used to aggressively agree with something that is so on point, you can’t contain your emotions.
“Hey, want to come over to watch Netflix and Chill?” “Sure”
“Bae took me to the Rat the other night. Then he walked me back to Hecht. It was so cute.”
“Al Golden needs to be fired already.”
“That party last night was lit.”
“Retweet”
“Great, I’ll get the condoms.”
“YAAAASS GIRL YAAAASS, YOUR MAKEUP IS SO ON FLEEK!”
WHATCHU Sayin’
Ibis
University of Miami
Kids these days have a lot of new words flying around, but don’t worry if you can’t keep up we’ve got your guide to all the hot new phrases
OTHER TERMS INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
>> Turnt >> Slay >> V (instead of very)
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LIFESTYLES
Trends
>> Fleek >> Squad >> THOT
>> FOMO >> AF >> Shade
Every so often, a trendsetter comes up with new phrases that catch on rapidly amongst a young crowd. It quickly makes its way onto social media platforms and our everyday conversations. Popular slang such as "binge-watch" and "cray" had even made it into the Oxford dictionaries. You may have started ironically, but before you know it, you can’t stop (won’t stop) talking like millennials. By Alize Ramirez and Emily Eidelman
CATCHING UP In a break between classes, juniors Maria Gabriela Torres, Carlos Calderon, Victoria Ormacechea and Adley Calixte, along with freshmen Dustin Ha and Allyssa Proulx hang out on the Foote Green. It is one of their favorite spots to relax on campus. Photo by Ronnie Braithwaite
Design by Sera Takata
Coral Gables, Florida Adviser: Randy Stano Editors: Emily Eidenman & Yuna Jo Representative: Marcia Meskiel-Macy
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elements
23 spring 2017
the
office of the year Lindsey Swank
s r e n n i w
Sales Representative Athens, Ohio
Why was Lindsey Swank recognized as Balfour’s Office of the Year? Just ask her advisers. Lindsey recognizes, respects and responds to student and adviser needs. At the heart of her success is her commitment to her yearbook staffs’ successes. “Lindsey’s great about providing support and answering questions...and if she can’t answer a question, she puts us in touch with someone who can,” Dublin Coffman High School adviser Janie Saunders said. “She’s a patient, kind and fresh voice for our students (as opposed to mine, from whom they hear every day and sometimes want to tune out!).” A wife and mother of three little girls (ages 7, 5 and 2), Lindsey balances the demands of home and work by “planning it all out to make it happen.”
“Lindsey’s support for me and my staff is unending; she is always available for questions, advice and the always needed moral support,” Nelsonville-York High School adviser Rebecca Joyce said. Her Masters degree in education sets Lindsey apart when she steps into classrooms. She enjoys “doing some of the great parts of teaching by getting to work with lots of schools and students.” Her greatest reward has been the long-lasting connections she has made with students and teachers. “Lindsey is always a text away, willing to help at all hours of the day,” Kari Phillips, Olentangy Orange High School adviser, said. “Her focus has always been on education, not just ‘getting the book done.’”
Mike Parker-vice president of sales, Lindsey Swank & Mark Goshgarian-General Manager of Publishing elements
24 spring 2017
balfour’s office & adviser of the year
adviser of the year Patricia Lewis Brownsboro High School Brownsboro, Texas
Long-term effect. Indelible impression. Deep-rooted influence. After 43 years in the classroom and 40 years as an adviser, Patsy Lewis’s impact on people’s lives lasts. “When it comes to journalism teachers, there are none who have earned more respect than Patsy Lewis,” colleague Mikyela Tedder said. “From students, to co-workers, to administrators, and especially other journalism teachers, Patsy has made a positive impact on many lives.” Balfour representative Debbie Vaughn, who nominated Patsy for the Adviser of the Year honor, met her in 1990 and lauded her accomplishments as an adviser, mentor and leader. Also, she recalled years of friendship: laughter, dinners, trips to New
York and Washington, DC. When they were facing a crush of people in Times Square, Debbie said, “If Patsy can get through, I’m going to be right behind her.” As a teacher at Palestine, Van and Brownsboro, Texas, high schools, Patsy has led the way for many. “Even after 24 years as a yearbook adviser, not a day goes by that I don’t think of Mrs. Lewis and the impact she’s had on me,” Jeanette Germany, former student & current journalism teacher, said. “Whenever I am faced with yearbook drama, I think WWPD —What Would Patsy Do? Mrs. Lewis is more than an amazing educator; she is one of my best friends. She is truly one of a kind and loved beyond measure.”
Debbie Vaughn-representative, Patricia Lewis & Mike Parker-vice president of sales
Balfour Great Shot Photo Contest, Victoria G, Mansfield Legacy High School, Mansfield, TX.
bt eYearbook
BalfourTools
BAL4.tv
ImageShare
The first truly interactive yearbook viewable on a computer or mobile device
The premier yearbook plug-in for Adobe™ InDesign that integrates seamlessly with Adobe™ Creative Cloud™
Extend yearbook coverage and transform the way students remember school with links to multimedia
Easy-to-use photo upload app that allows the school community to share snapshots of the yearbook
For more information, see your Balfour representative or visit us at balfour.com/yearbooks.
PRSRT.STD U.S.Postage PAID PERMIT No. 3193 Dallas, TX
1550 W. Mockingbird Lane Dallas, TX 75235
balfour’s 2017
adviser workshop july 14-17> learn more at http://tinyurl.com/17-adviser-training
> inform
> dynamic classroom interaction > customized agenda for all levels > individual consultations > nationally recognized trainers
> inspire
> networking with other advisers > meeting app – agenda/communication > complimentary breakfast & lunch > close to shopping/dining/entertainment
> innovate
> bonus sessions for extended learning > experiential lab to apply new skills > downloadable classroom resources > in-service certificate or CEUs available