There are lines faint along my cheeks, deep bags beneath my eyes, and creases along my forehead when I lift my brows. I am seventeen years old and I feel old and ugly. I no longer have the blemish free skin of a prepubescent girl.
In truth, it’s selfish and privileged of me to fuss over such meaningless things. I’m lucky, as is everyone else who has had the resources and care that allows us to age. I remind myself of that when I see young girls throwing away their allowance on skin care they won’t need till they’re well into their 20s. I remind myself of that again when I look in the mirror and pick out the developing creases and textures of my skin.
To look in the mirror is a privilege in itself. I should know this most of all.
I’d been four, fallen eight feet from the bleachers.
I remained unconscious for three minutes.
Blood was seeping on to my brain after a blood vessel hemorrhage. Six months of memory had been lost.
I went undiagnosed and unchecked for 5 years. Within that time, I was having hundreds of seizures a day. By the time I was 7 years old I’d had four strokes. My memory and my vision were permanently impaired. The mobility in my arms had been slightly damaged, making it difficult for me to brush and wash my hair as it required me to lift my arms up.
stroke is much more pressing.
Regardless of my medical issues, I struggle with aging myself mostly on account of how it is constantly blasted in my face on a daily basis that my number one priority in life is to maintain my prepubescent features and aspects. I see videos of women with so much cosmetic surgery they resemble a doll more than they do a human. I see product after product advertising anti-aging on TikTok and Instagram. I’ve even been exposed to ads specifically for breast augmentation surgery. Painful products to remove body hair, red masks to delay aging, and serums to reduce cellulite and loose skin are consistently plastered across my screen. I, among many young girls and women, are constantly being told there is something we need to fix. We have been convinced certain features are ugly. The women who take the steps to alter themselves have then been convinced it is because they dislike those aspects of themselves, not that the media has told us from the get go what is and isn’t desirable in a woman.
It angers me to see people prioritize youth and this warped idea that “beauty” can only be found in certain features while I fear never getting old enough to truly worry about forehead wrinkles or crows feet.
Recently, the librarian has instituted a new system that requires students to get a pass before school if they want to come into the library for lunch. This change comes after repeated issues with students leaving garbage strewn around the library and misbehaving. The passes will help keep track of the students who were in the library during lunch hours, which is when the library receives the highest number of visitors. Hopefully, this will make our library cleaner and more pleasant, making this new system a hit
Since the beginning of the year, a shortage in substitute teachers has resulted in classes without teachers getting sent to the library, where they are supervised by the librarian or teachers on their conference period. This has become even more common with the advent of the softball, baseball, golf, tennis, and track seasons, when coaches are usually absent for tournaments and meets.
This system has helped compensate for the lack of substitute teachers, but it creates more problems for the faculty, who may have to supervise up to two classes at once. When called on during their conference periods, teachers lose valuable time needed to work on grading and curricula. The librarian also loses time that could be spent running the library. Additionally, when they are sent to the library, many students will use this opportunity to skip class. Because it is directly responsible for all of these issues, the substitute shortage is a miss
The average life expectancy of someone with epilepsy is 10-12 years shorter than that of the average person (ScienceDaily.) According to Practical Neurology, only 1% of stroke survivors live twenty years past the time of their stroke. I am lucky enough that after years of testing different medications I have found one that contains my seizures. But there is always the possibility of one occurring, especially as I grow older.
In 2018, after being seizure-free for four years, I had a seizure late in the night on Valentines Day. My eyes had gotten heavy and partially swollen in one. My vision grew blurry and I began seeing double. My parents had rushed me to the emergency room where they had me take an MRI. Following the 6 years since then, I have not had any seizures. However, there is constant fear of having one that follows me around. The fear of a fifth
It only furthers my anger to see these “undesirable” features geared strictly towards women. Men don’t “age like milk” or have a certain age range that is considered their prime. They are silver foxes who age like fine wine. Skin care, makeup, and plastic surgery are not targeted towards men because they are perfect in every stage of their life. They don’t need to alter their bodies or dye their graying hairs. They are ageless.
Not only do men get to live and age, they get the luxury of wanting those things. I want to want those things, and I want other women to want those things. I want my smile lines to deepen and my eyes to crinkle at the edges and I want to see people who look the same. In the end, I won’t be on my deathbed thankful I don’t look my age, and nor will I be on my deathbed regretful that I do.
Illustration by | Avery HoweThe school has begun taking it up a notch in rallying more spirit among students and staff. In the past year, many school programs have introduced a variety of events aimed at increasing morale. For instance, the continuation of the Lip Dub, the influx in pep rallies and club fundraisers, and the upcoming Unified Champions sports event on March 8. These events have kept much of the student body engaged and excited to participate in school and provide a positive change from the mundane cycle school days can fall into.
Not only is this beneficial in creating a more positive educational environment for students, it also gives students involved in setting up these events something to look forward to. For instance, the animation and production students who work on the Lip Dub are able to both unify the student body to participate in the event and showcase their hard work to their peers. Overall, the school’s recent emphasis on boosting spirit has helped breathe new life into an environment that can easily become dull and repetitive, making these events a hit
“I think the pros in construction is that with how urbanization is going in Pflugerville, a lot of people are entering with migration. A lot of people are coming in, causing it to become more populated, which I think is a really cool growth within the economy. But with the cons, traffic, it’s going to get really confusing. Overall, construction is just going to be a real hindrance on the area with the people already here.”
-Cosima Umberson, 10
“I think what surrounds the school is really important, and the industrialization outside the school is something that has been going on for a long time, so I am excited to see what is going to be built and how it could affect the students and traffic.”
-Noah Cantrell, 12
“I just feel like [the new developments] take up a lot of space. But then again, it’s good that we’re expanding because we have things like Stone Hill and new places nearby us.”
-Afomiya Michael, 11
“The cons of there being construction would be that there’d be more traffic, it’d be crowded, and you would most likely see someone from school. The pros would be that there would be places closer to where people live to make it easier for people to get around the town.”
-Jahnvi Patel, 10
“The pros of the construction going on near the building is having more buildings to hang out and shop. The cons would be that there would be less environmental space for animals.”
-Joselyn Alfaro, 9In the past few years, the fields in front of the school have largely dissolved, transforming into an active center for retail and business. Currently, the very last bit of open land that fronts the school has been under construction in order to provide more open territory for businesses to claim. Although the establishment of these shops have provided students and locals with easily accessible goods and services, it has also contributed to the recent congestion on the roads to school as well as the campus’ pest problems.
The presence of these shops give students and staff quick and easy access to certain food places and goods they may want or need. Rather than travel all the way to Stone Hill or further, individuals now have the ability to get what they need within a few minutes and head back to campus. However, this convenience is at the cost of road safety. The roads that run past the campus used to be used solely for students and staff going to and from the schools. Even then, the roads would face a decent amount of traffic from the amount of parents and students driving to the school. Now, the roads face an even heavier flow of traffic from the schools with the addition of individuals traveling to and from these shopping centers. This makes it increasingly difficult for students and staff to make it to school on time or, if an individual has obligations after school, it makes it difficult for them to get out of the school zone to meet those responsibilities. It measures the convenience of business above the convenience of timeliness.
Additionally, this traffic puts drivers in more risky situations. Within recent years, wrecks on the roads outside of school have become a common occurrence, especially during the mornings before school and the afternoon when students are released. Given that high school is where many student drivers who are not yet used to driving gather, putting them in an environment where there is an overflowing amount of drivers on the road can
put themselves as well as other students at risk. This is especially concerning considering that a large number of those drivers on the roads are new drivers who might not know what to do in situations of high congestion and lots of stimuli. Even for seasoned drivers, environments of high congestion are difficult to manage. So, although the establishment of these shops brings good business and provides school members with easy access to what they may need, it does so at the expense of the well being and safety of those on the road. The construction and creation of these stores has also largely contributed to the school’s pest problem. The fields in front of the school often host a variety of rodents and pests, such as mice, rats, and crickets. The destruction of the fields force these creatures to abandon their homes and migrate to a new nearby environment. This has left the school incredibly vulnerable to the presence of these creatures. This past fall is a prime example of these pest problems, as the rain drove a wave of crickets into the building. These crickets covered the halls of the school, and once dead, the smell of decay lingered throughout the building. Similar to the crickets, we also face a mice infestation, who have made homes within the walls of the school. Now teachers and students are left with the discomfort of knowing that such rodents may be in their classrooms. In addition to the general discomfort school members may feel, these rodents may also carry diseases that can transfer over to humans if contact is made. Not only is this depressing from an environmental standpoint, it is also a health concern.
While the construction of these buildings provides locals with beneficial business, it leaves students and staff vulnerable on the roads and inside the building.
The Speech and Debate CrossExamination (CX) team triumphed at the CX District meet on Feb. 1, winning Team Overall Sweepstakes. Senior Aidan Cheely and sophomore Marvellous Aije were also declared District Champions, beating out rival teams such as Georgetown High School and progressing to CX State.
“I felt excited that our work had paid off,” Cheely said. “The team felt proud we had managed to beat Georgetown; they’re pretty good at CX.”
Other competitors who placed at the event were Rin Moore and Ilhaam Hassan, who came in third, as well as Peyton Lin and Gabby Frias, who came in fourth. The team’s victory comes after the departure of their coach Aly Mithani, who left the school last year. Now, the responsibility of coaching CX falls on the sole Speech and Debate coach, Kirsten Nash, and outside consultants.
“CX has definitely become more difficult because we don’t have as many resources as before,” Aije said. “Mithani was a very experienced person and a policy debate alum, but I think our consultant David has really filled the gaps and he’s done a pretty great job.”
In order to prepare for District and other tournaments, Aije says the team did a lot of extra work over the summer and throughout the debate season.
“CX basically comes down to studying a lot,” Aije said. “This year’s topic is about economics, so we had to look into economic trends and research case studies. We also updated our evidence and watched a lot of debate rounds.”
The UIL CX State meet will take place from March 15-16 at the University of Texas at Austin.
“Now that we’ve won districts, looking forward we’re trying to prepare for CX State and ensure we’re ready for it,” Cheely said.
On Feb. 2, there were seven contestants competing for FCCLA (Family Community Career Leaders of America), with different topics such as public policy advocacy, event management and sports nutrition.
“Competing in FCCLA is a really fun experience, I was with awesome people the whole time, we did tons of fun things and when we presented, it was actually a really fun moment,” sports nutrition contestant Mary Lattin said.
Sophomore Yuna Wallace advanced to state, competing in the topic of event management.
“I felt really happy hearing I got to advance to state,” Yuna Wallace said. “I almost cried.”
FCCLA can mean different things to some more than others.
“FCCLA is a way that I can reach out to the community and help people out to connect and have fun,” Mary Lattin said.
There are small and big things to focus on, especially when it comes to a competition.
“My main focus is to just talk out and not be shy in front of the judges,” Yuna Wallace said.
Advancing to state will always have a way to change you in some way.
“Getting my place made me realize that even when I don’t think I can do things, I know I can do it better than nothing,” public policy advocacy contestant Lucy Piggott said.
In order to expand the current available space for business around Pflugerville, the city is building new lots with the intention of building stores for people to use. The lots are adjacent to Colorado Sand Drive, right in front of the school, and are contracted by Ironwood Real Estate.
Currently, there is nothing planned to be built on the lots, but instead, they are
being prepared to be purchased for the construction of business on them. The introduction of new businesses would mean that students would have closer access to food from the school, meaning that they would not have to go all the way to Stone Hill on their off periods or lunch.
It is unclear how the new lots would affect traffic, as roads or even the foundation have not been placed yet.
On Feb. 2, 10 contestants of HOSA (Health Care Occupation Students of America) went to Houston to compete in different topics such as job-seeking skills, dental science, EMT, public service announcements, and health care photography.
“HOSA is like my second home, it’s enjoyable and you learn such amazing stuff there,” health care photography contestant Navya Jain said. “Ms. Brumley and Ms. Hardy are my favorite teachers, they’re the best, they made me comfortable with the school and learn new things.”
Sophomore Shraddha Rajen went to state, competing in the topic of dental science.
“It made me so happy when I heard I was going to state,” Rajen said. “I didn’t think I did that well in performing the skill, but I underestimated myself.”
HOSA is about more than healthcare.
“People think its mainly just for people who want to be in healthcare, but I think it’s important to note that it helps with communication skills that you will need in your life all the time,” EMT contestant senior Taylor Marines-Molter said. There will be thoughts running through your head during and while preparing for
the competition.
“My thoughts while preparing for the competition were just thinking to myself like I got it, just be confident and it’ll be okay,” public service announcement contestant sophomore Aparna Girish said.
Students in HOSA have different experiences when it comes to competition hence why they each compete for different topics.
“My event was job-seeking skills,” Senior Natalie Le said. “This meant that I got to choose any job in the medical field that I wanted and conduct an interview. I decided to choose EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) mostly because I’m currently studying to become one right now, The event was exactly like an interview for a job but timed. The judges asked me questions about why I chose this specific field, what skills I would bring, my biggest accomplishments, etc.”
When it comes to winning or losing a competition it can always change you in some way.
“Getting 10th place made me think about things that I need to fix throughout myself,” Jain said. “It made me experience more things that make me grow as a person.”
Zoe Ewing | Photographer
For the second year in a row, the campus will be hosting a Lip Dub event in which students will show their creativity and camaraderie through lipsyncing to a medley of popular songs.
The Lip Dub, scheduled for March 8th, aims to bring the school community together in a fun and entertaining way.
“The Lip Dub is a compilation of many songs where we go around the school and we lip sync to them,” Joshua Villa, a student organizing the event said, “Everybody is going to be in it, and we will sing popular songs that define our generation.”
Ashley Sullivan, Joshua Villa, and Matthew Skyles are the heads of production for the Lip Dub and are working hard to make this event a success.
“We’re trying to up our abilities from last year, like including much more difficult animation and adding totally different music and singers,” Sullivan said, “All the singers have been chosen, they have already auditioned, and
Lilianna Moran | Co-Editor Speech and debate coach Kirsten Nash and principal Michael Grebb were nominated for the HEB Excellence in Education Awards and awarded as finalists during the school pep rally on Feb. 21.
“I was told that we were doing a pep rally for Waleed who had won UIL State and that we were also going to recognize the swim and wrestling kids who were going to state and the TFA kids that were going to go to state,” Nash said. “Grebb also didn’t know that he got nominated, so it was like, he surprised me, they surprised him.”
Grebb had nominated Nash and alongside the District planned the pep rally to reveal her award. However, unknown to Grebb, the district had also planned the pep rally to surprise him.
“I was a little embarrassed,” Grebb said. “When the district asked me to have a pep rally for Nash, I was like we didn’t do that for Mrs. Lucas last year. So then, when they said I was a finalist, I felt like it looked like I set up a celebration for myself, but I had no idea it was happening.”
HEB finalist, social studies teacher Sara Lucas recommended Grebb for his award
this year after he had nominated her the year prior. After being nominated, both Nash and Grebb had to complete a variety of extensive paperwork.
“Once you get nominated, you fill out this long packet with lots of essays and stuff that talks about your educational philosophy, problems you see in education and innovative ways you’ve handled issues and your resume,” Nash said. “Finally, you submit it and then they go through all the submissions and they pick one person from each region for one of the categories.”
Along with the title of finalist, both earned 1,000 dollars by HEB as well as the school who earned 2,000 dollars. The final round of awards will take place the first weekend of May after a short interview session with each finalist. The winners and their school’s win $10,000, a chance Grebb and Nash are grateful for.
“For me, I love it when other people like Mrs. Lucas and Mrs. Nash get recognized,” Grebb said. “I want people to see all the stuff they do for the school and get spoiled. I like to see other people recognized more but I also think it’s cool that I get to represent Hendrickson and all the great things we do here.”
we placed everybody based on those audition tapes.”
Everyone who has auditioned did so over the last few weeks, where they submitted audition tapes, and those who ended up getting chosen practiced their songs through Talon and after school rehearsals.
The Lip Dub has happened once before in 2016, and due to popular demand, it has been brought back.
“They did the Lip Dub years ago before I was even here,” Sullivan said. “Since then students have been asking if we could do it again until Mr. Grebb finally said yes last year. We didn’t know what we were doing, so we planned it as meticulously as we could and it turned out pretty good for our first try.”
The filming for Lip Dub will take place on March 8th, the day before school lets out for spring break.
“We have been working really hard on this project,” Sullivan said. “Our biggest request for the school is to show up and have fun.”
Lilianna Moran | Co-EditorThis spring break, the band is hosting a five day trip to Hawaii for all its members to commemorate their hard work and perform.
“We’re allowed to have one of these bigger trips every few years, so we’re taking advantage of this chance to try something different that we haven’t done before,” senior Nathan Ross said. “Hawaii just seemed like a great destination that allows us to do new things, try new performances and just have fun together.”
Their trip will consist of a variety of tourist activities as well as a performance at the Pearl Harbor Memorial.
“There’s going to be a lot of free time for the beach, hanging out at the hotel and shopping,” Ross said. “We’ve obviously got our performance booked as well as some sightseeing tours at Pearl Harbor and around one of the islands.”
For Ross, and many other seniors, this trip is special.
“I’m looking forward to spending time with the senior class,” Ross said. “I know we have a senior activity planned for one day that [the band directors] haven’t talked about yet. This is our last year, last trip together, so I’m excited to get to spend some time with them and experience this with my friends for one of the last times.”
Overall, Ross feels this trip is a chance to appreciate the bands’ progress and work put in throughout the years. For himself, this is a final hurrah to his dedication to the program and a chance to commemorate his highschool career.
“I feel like this is a celebration of everything I’ve been doing and we all have been doing for the last few years because it’s been a lot of work,” Ross said. “It’s been fun, but it’s been challenging, there’s been a lot of hard times, and this is just a great opportunity to let go of all of that, relax and spend some time together.”
Gia Patel | Asst. Editor
Junior Kennedy Thompson never expected to have her TikTok account suddenly blow up after a viral video.
“It feels weird because you normally see everyone else on your For You page,” Thompson said. “You don’t expect for your account to be on someone else’s and it to happen to you.”
Thompson’s account experienced a quick surge of over 34,000 followers on her platform when she posted a video on November 11, 2023 that got 1.6 million views and over 330.3k likes.
“It was a video of me lip syncing to a song [that blew up],” Thompson said. “It was the song “Never Lose Me” by Flo Milli.”
Social media, including TikTok, has an influence on the products Thompson chooses to purchase.
Kate Hayes | Co-Editor
I didn’t have social media until I was 14, which is actually pretty uncommon nowadays. It’s hard to find someone entering high school who doesn’t have any social media apps, if not multiple. Just a few months before COVID-19 hit, I had downloaded Snapchat at the request of a friend, and the other platforms quickly followed—TikTok, Instagram, the like. The pandemic provided a perfect setting for me to explore this new world I had unlocked. Pretty quickly, I realized that I was “behind.”
I was fully exposed to all of the trends, culture, and discourse I previously only saw glimpses of, and my peers had years of experience I didn’t. At first, I was
“I usually buy what’s popular,” Thompson said. “I’ll be scrolling on my For You page and then I’ll immediately buy something just because I see it.”
Thompson looks up to other TikTok creators that post similar content.
“I feel like Alix Earle [inspires me],” Thompson said. “I just really love her content.”
Earle inspired Thompson to create the similar content of “get ready with me” videos.
“I like that she does get ready with me videos,” Thompson said. “Those are my favorite videos to watch, so I started doing it with my TikTok.”
Thompson interacts with her followers on social media by going live every so often.
“I go live sometimes,” Thompson said. “I’ll comment back to them and stuff like
that, but I usually don’t respond to their messages like the DMs or anything.”
Thompson tries to go live as often as she can on her TikTok.
“I usually try to go live every other night or every night whenever I can,” Thompson said. “The followers ask me questions and then there’s a thing on live where you can get sent gifts and make money off of it, so I’ve learned that going live is how I make the most money.”
Gifts from TikTok live allow for the creator to earn money while live.
“[The money I earn] depends on whatever I make my gift goal,” Thompson said. “The gift goal is how much money you could get sent for that gift.”
Having a following on TikTok has impacted Thompson’s self-esteem in a positive way.
“I think that because there’s so many
people that are nice in the comments and they say nice stuff about me, it has boosted my ego a little bit,” Thompson said.
Thompson understands the importance of being careful online with thousands of followers and the precautions that are needed to take when having an online presence.
“I definitely feel like you have to be more cautious about what you say on the internet because you never know what could happen,” Thomspon said. “I think you have to be careful about what you wear, like I never wear stuff that has my school’s name on it or school clothing.”
With having a large following on social media, it comes with a lot of pressure to perform.
“I felt like everything happened so rapidly,” Thompson said. “I didn’t expect it at all.”
embarrassed. Luckily, though, there was a lot of learning I could do in isolation, and after a few months, something changed. I was learning a lot about myself through exposure to people with different life experiences than mine. I had known transgender people in real life, but I didn’t realize how much I related to their thoughts and feelings, which I saw broadcasted through social media. I realized I myself was transgender.
In the summer of 2020, just six months after beginning my social media journey, it had fundamentally changed me by helping me form my gender identity. I would have arrived at that conclusion at some point regardless, but I think it would have taken me a lot longer to find out if not for the
of teenagers report social media makes them feel more confident
proliferation of “relatable trans content” that was popular on TikTok at the time. Through social media, I began conversing with other transgender people and learning about the issues and history unique to my community. That’s the greatest thing about social media: even if it is through a warped digital lens, we are still more connected than ever. We interact with people we might never interact with otherwise. It’s enlightening, but also manages to create a lot of problems.
For example, I only started seriously thinking about the value of my appearance and presentation once I started using social media, and it started my self-conscious streak. But, self-consciousness isn’t unique to social media, either. Before apps, it
was TV; before TV, it was magazines; we constantly invent new ways of promoting some kind of beauty standard. As communication gets easier, upholding a standard gets easier. But social media didn’t create the beauty standard, and it won’t end with it, either.
Sometimes I feel like social media has ruined my self-esteem, and other times I can’t imagine a life where I continued to stay in the dark. But, for all of social media’s disadvantages, I don’t see a world that moves forward without it. The challenge is simply learning to adapt—and I think we’re all still trying to figure that part out.
69% of teenagers report social media
makes
them feel
more
included 71% of teenagers regularly post selfies on social media platforms
32%
45% of teenagers report that social media has had mostly positive effects for them
In an age of digital conformity, one’s existence on social media is considered a norm, something everyone is and should be a part of. However, some students have chosen to avoid that path, opting for a life free from having an online presence.
“It started out as my parents’ choice but then it evolved into a combination of both, in that they don’t really allow it and that I also enjoy it,” sophomore Isaac Bendixen said. “I think I like it better this way, because I see other people with it and it doesn’t seem to have the benefits that I’d like.”
Although Bendixen has never had a presence online, he feels that social media has become a hindrance in forming personal relationships.
“Social media is meant to help you connect with other people and you can see what other people are doing, they can post things and all that stuff, but I prefer personal connections and in-person relations,” Bendixen said. “Like my friends that I have at school; I talk to them at lunch or during class, and I enjoy the interaction, whereas over a phone it feels less personal. I also don’t want to get entirely absorbed into social media where I am constantly checking on other people’s things rather than focusing on myself.”
Without apps such as TikTok, Snapchat or Instagram, Bendixen feels he has more opportunities to explore his hobbies and interests.
“I have time to do other things,” Bendixen said. “I practice music, I have some other hobbies, like knitting. Whereas
if I have social media, I’d spend more time on it because it’s a never ending cycle of stimulus.”
“Sometimes I feel like there are conversations where I’m missing out,” Bendixen said. “Like, I don’t know who
Although the benefits outweigh the negatives for Bendixen, sometimes it can be exclusionary.
you’re talking about, what you’re talking about, but that’s alright with me.”
For junior Savannah Brewer, much of her
early youth was exposed to social media. So, she understands firsthand the harms of these platforms.
“I had TikTok and I had Snapchat before in sixth or seventh grade, mostly I had free reign for a while,” Brewer said. “Things like Snapchat feel not as personal as a message. People don’t take things seriously and also there’s just a lot of toxic things out there.”
Brewer’s decision to quit social media was largely based on the negative impacts these platforms had on her self esteem.
“After I got off social media, I became so much more confident,” Brewer said. “I had it before and I was a lot sadder then. Now, I just feel like me. You don’t realize until you get off it that you kind of imitate other people’s behavior. Even subconsciously, if you’re fine with yourself, you’ll still mimic behaviors that aren’t really yours and then later you realize that wasn’t really you or what you’d normally do.”
Brewer feels social media is especially critical of women’s appearances as they constantly advertise certain body images, beauty and anti-aging products and diets towards female audiences. This is another reason Brewer left these platforms.
“Everyone looks different for a reason,” Brewer said. “The first example of this was the Gibson Girl. She was the standard and all the women tried to look like her, that’s where it started. Women are subjected to a lot more standards on social media, which is ridiculous and just overall really damaging to a girl’s confidence and self esteem.”
Diane Salazarcastaneda | Artistof teenagers report being “self-conscious” about their bodies
50% of teenagers say images on social media caused them to worry about body image
90% reduction of social media use has improved self-esteem in clinical studies
40% of women and nonbinary people aged 18-30 have edited social media photos
50%
The Beatles’ 1964 album “A Hard Day’s Night’’ encapsulates many of the emotions of spring. The record features a variety of songs that explore the concepts of love, grief, and joy, emphasizing the complexity of romance. Songs such as “If I Fell,” “Any Time at All,” “And I Love Her” dive into the sensitivity of love through the expression of devotion and commitment, while songs such as “I’ll Cry Instead,” “Tell Me Why,” and “You Can’t Do That” depict the frustration and remorse over the loss of a relationship. These songs coupled with the lighthearted songs, “I’m Happy Just to Dance with You” and “A Hard Day’s Night” complete
the depth of the album, creating a perfect mesh of emotions all while maintaining a consistent theme.
The album as a whole is very refreshing and upbeat, similar to the freshness that spring brings. Its steady discussion of love falls hand in hand with spring, widely considered the season of love. Overall, the album is one I hold close to my heart. I was first introduced to this album by my dad. I remember often listening to the Beatles in the car as a child, while my dad would tell me all about the meanings behind their works. When I was twelve my parents gifted me their 2006 “Love” album, encouraging me to further develop my interest in music.
Sophia Johst | Copy Editor
In 1977, Fleetwood Mac released their most popular album “Rumours.” Many of the songs, like “Go Your Own Way” and “The Chain,” revolved around drama between bandmates and their crumbling relationships. The songs take on an airy, spring-like feel through both electric and acoustic instrumental elements against the backdrop of the complicated relationships behind the scenes. The tracks included in this album make it such an iconic staple in Fleetwood Mac’s musical history.
It was then that I started my independent journey into the works of the Beatles.
Funny enough, it feels like the Beatles have always been present in my life, as now I have a girlfriend who loves and appreciates the Beatles’ work more than anyone I have ever met. So, for me, this album reminds me of her and our time together in addition to that of spring.
I think the Beatles will always have a unique connection to my life and continue that funny pattern of following me around, regardless of the seasons I am in.
Aside from the contrast between the light instrumental background and the less than light lyrics, a main component of the album’s popularity comes from the drama between bandmates that occurred near the release time. Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham’s tumultuous on and off relationship was heavily recorded and embellished by the press, garnering Fleetwood Mac much attention. Additionally, married bandmates Christine and John McVie went through a divorce in 1976. Fleetwood Mac was known for having high tensions among the group,
Kate Hayes | Co-Editor
Mazzy Star may have become indie icons with the release of “Fade Into You” in 1994, but their underappreciated debut album “She Hangs Brightly” (1990) is a remarkable effort that laid the foundation for Mazzy’s signature sound. It’s also the perfect soundtrack to the upcoming spring season, with its extensive use of cheery tambourines and acoustic guitars.
“So Tonight That I Might See” and “Among My Swan,” Mazzy’s more popular 90s albums, consisted mostly of dark, brooding anthems. “She Hangs Brightly” stands in stark contrast to the rest of the group’s discography, influenced heavily by country, roots, and the blues with an upbeat sound. While the lyrics revolve around depressing subjects—failed relationships,
suicidal ideation, lies—you’d never know it just from the instrumentation. That’s what I like most about this album: whether you’re happy or sad, it always has something to offer.
Mazzy Star is my mom’s favorite band, and she was the person who first exposed me to their music. When we’re in the car together, it’s my first choice of music that I know we can both agree on. I still remember singing along to the album’s opening track “Halah” on our porch, which by no coincidence is my favorite. The subsequent track, cover “Blue Flower,” is also a favorite. David Roback’s distorted guitar which drones throughout makes this the most energetic tune on the record. Unfortunately, placing the album’s strongest tracks in the very beginning
means that the rest of the record struggles to live up to the expectations it’s created, and the music just begins to all sound the same.
While the album starts to feel monotonous in its second half, it doesn’t compromise the quality as a whole, and I still enjoy the songs. The vibe it creates is that of a lazy, warm spring day, where everything seems to blend together. However, some songs still manage to break up the monotony— such as psychedelic rocker “Ghost Highway” and the title track, which I could only describe as “gothic country.” Most of the songs, though, remain sleepy ballads, which remained the usual format for Mazzy Star albums. Some people may find it boring, but maybe it’s just the thing you need to relax as the stressful school
thus making them such an interesting group to me and many others.
One of my personal favorite songs from “Rumours” is Songbird. Written and performed by Christine McVie, the track centers on the selflessness of love. The song includes naturalistic references to songbirds and the shining sun, taking on a somber spring-related feel. Much of the album has a very whimsical feel despite the somber undertones of the lyrics and the meaning behind them.
year winds down and spring begins.
Before I even started elementary school, I knew the entire “Mamma Mia!” soundtrack by heart, which fostered my love of the Swedish group ABBA and every song they created. Today, ABBA is still one of my favorite bands that reminds me of my childhood, and the warm seasons that are upcoming.
ABBA released their eighth studio album “The Visitors” on Nov. 30, 1981, consisting of 13 songs. This album was a step away from the more lighthearted pop music released by ABBA as this album has deeper themes and meanings behind the songs. While this album is less lighthearted compared to the rest of ABBA’s discography, “The Visitors” still incorporates ABBA’s signature melodies
and rhythm that makes the music have a “feel good touch” to it that instantly transports me and other listeners to the warm seasons, bringing back memories of spring and summer.
Eliana Grant | Asst. Editor
By the time I was 11 I had developed an enthusiastic love of music. All new bands were introduced to me, particularly from my father’s car stereo. One band I developed an intense love for was The Decemberists. Formed in 2000, The Decemberists are an indie rock band from Oregon. Released on Jan. 18 of 2011, their sixth studio album “The King is Dead” is a flourishing and eclectic album, with music anybody can enjoy. The single “Down By The Water” was nominated for a Grammy in the categories Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song, and it remains their most commercially successful album.
The spring energy can be found in slower melancholic songs such as “June Hymn” and
of instrumental hip-hop, and his legacy continues to resonate through his work. One of his most celebrated creations is the Luv (sic) Hexalogy, a six-part album cocreated by hip-hop artist Shing02, it is a piece that stands not only as a testament to their creativity and influence on the hip-hop scene, but also as a love letter to music itself, and how it affects the human soul.
The Hexalogy was released between the years of 2001 to 2015 in a series of 6 parts, in which Nujabes’ soulful beats and Shing02’s spiritual lyrics effortlessly blend jazz, soul, and hip-hop elements into a metaphorical love letter split into six parts, each telling a different side of Shing02’s relationship and feelings with music.
Gia Patel | Asst. Editor
Who Cares? by Alexander James O’Connor, known professionally as Rex Orange County, is his third studio album. The album released on March 11, 2022 and consists of 11 tracks, one song having a feature from Tyler, The Creator. My personal favorite tracks on this album consist of "THE SHADE" and "OPEN A WINDOW" featuring Tyler, The Creator. “THE SHADE'' expresses Rex Orange County’s feelings through lyrics of nostalgia and him reminiscing his regrets with backing sounds of electric guitar, which give the song both a gentle and electric feel at the same time. The album has a spring feel to it as the album focuses on Rex Orange County’s experience of having to move on in life, representing the new beginnings of the spring season with the incorporation of unique instrumentals and beats. This album
is the perfect choice of music for a sunny spring day.
Luv (sic) portrays the universality of human emotions, shown in the deep reflections in Part 2 to the vibrant and energetic tones of Part 4, each chapter explores a different facet of love, loss, and self-discovery that Shing02 has felt throughout his life in music, and with the addition of Nujabes’ ability to evoke profound emotions with just his music, it is obvious why the Hexalogy struck a chord with millions of people around the world.
A fact to point out is that during the production of part 5, Nujabes got into a fatal car accident that left the whole world in shock. Many artists around the globe paid tribute to Nujabes in their music, and part 5 of the Hexalogy was a way for Shing02 to pay tribute to his dear friend as well. A year
Emily Rodriguez | Reporter
An album that gives me spring whimsical vibes is Frank Ocean’s 2016 album “Blonde.” Some songs from that album that are my favorite would be “Pink + White” and “White Ferrari.” “Pink + White” can make you feel like you’re living your best life, and “White Ferrari” can make you feel reflective. This song has a way of evoking deep emotions and taking you on a journey of self-reflection. They’re good songs to vibe to whether you’re working on an assignment, or just lying down and feel like listening to music. My favorite parts of these songs are the endings because of the vocals and the beat. Every aspect flows together; they’re what I think is perfect for spring. It’s a
“Rise To Me,” while songs such as “Rox In The Box” and “Don’t Carry It All” provide a more upbeat and exciting aspect to the album. Overall, The King is Dead offers a sweet and melodic array of songs that makes one envision flowers blooming and the sun shining.
later, Shing02 was visiting the store Tribe Records when the owner brought up that Nujabes phone had been found, and on it, was a track simply known as “Grand Finale.” Instantly, Shing02 knew he needed to finish the series, and created the 6th and final part of the Hexalogy known as “Luv (sic) Grand Finale.”
The Hexalogy is a masterpiece that represents the beginning of a new season, since even after the death of Nujabes, Shing02 managed to bring life to the end of the Hexalogy, allowing people to make it past the dark winter of Nujabes’ death, and into the spring that was the full album of the Luv (sic) Hexalogy.
beautiful blend of pop and R&B with a sense of joy and warmth. It’s a feel-good album with some spring vibes.
The Varsity Boys Basketball team experienced a successful season for the 2023-2024 school year. Although they faced hardships throughout the games, they were able to work together as a team throughout the adversity.
“I started off playing rocky,” junior Julian Esparza said. “I just got better after falling back with the team and after all those obstacles we faced earlier this season.”
The team had its ups and downs, but they were able to persevere through it.
“I felt like overall as a team, we did pretty good,” senior Clint Smith said. “We had a little bit of hiccups throughout the
season, but I feel like we did really good.” Basketball performed to its best ability through all the games.
“We were one step off of what we thought we could be,” Quiller said. “But for the most part, we did what we could do.”
The team maintained their consistency throughout the season by being prepared for whatever came in their direction.
“I felt like we were prepared for everything that was thrown at us,” sophomore Maddox Quiller said. “Sometimes throughout the season, the decisions will change and it will get hard. When times are hard, our consistency will
Junior Julian Esparza practices before the game on Feb. 9. “It’s [been] a lot of growth,” Esparza said. “I feel like I grew a lot as a person. There’s just a lot of ups and downs and I feel like that just made me a better person.”
fall off, but for the most part, I felt like we played pretty consistently throughout the season.”
Playing at tournaments was a highlight for Quiller.
“A highlight for me was when we went to a tournament in Dallas, and we stayed in the hotels,” Quiller said. “We also played a bunch of teams in Sunday’s tournament.”
Finishing off his senior season of basketball was a memorable moment for Smith.
“The highlight has just been passing off my senior year with all my friends and some of the best coaches,” Smith said. “It has been really fun to finish off my four
years here.”
The team planned out how they wanted their season to go, in order to have a successful season.
“At the beginning of the season, we had a team meeting,” Smith said. “We set our goals and talked about it.”
The end of his final season of basketball is a bittersweet moment for Smith.
“I’m a little sad, it’s not something I like,” Smith said. “I’ve got four more years of college basketball left, even though I haven’t committed.”
Sophomore Maddox Quiller prepares to shoot a ball. “Basketball is a place to just have fun,” Quiller said. “I like to compete in basketball and there’s a lot of talent in our area.”
both.”
With end of swim season, team sends out regional qualifiersTravis Tellez | Reporter
With the passing of the state swim meet at the University of Texas at Austin, the school’s swim season has come to an end. The swim season started in early September and has taken the athletes to race in many different schools in Texas, ultimately ending at UT for the 5A State championship.
“The season went really well,” coach Ashley Campbell said. “There were 16 regional qualifiers and 1 state qualifier, which is roughly what we had last year.”
The regional swim meet took place at the A&M pool in College Station, where 16 swimmers qualified from the District
meet in Georgetown.
“Having 16 regional qualifiers is really impressive because of how competitive our region is,” Campbell said. “Especially because we are going against state champs like Georgetown and A&M Consolidate.”
The regional meet is where most of the team got to shine, as quite a few swimmers had made it into the top 16 or even the top eight of their respective events.
“It felt great to make it to A finals,” top eight swimmer for the 100 backstroke sophomore Haydn Helmcamp said. “I had gotten disqualified in my 200 Individual Medley earlier in the meet, so it felt good that I was still able to go to finals and
redeem myself.”
In addition to the regional qualifiers, Stephanie Oiesen also qualified for the state meet at UT for the third year in a row.
“It feels really good making it to state,” Oiesen said. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
Oiesen is also a swim team captain and is in charge of leading the team to perform better throughout the season.
“The team has been really supportive and great this entire year,” Oiesen said. “I think we definitely showed up at regionals and had a lot of big time drops.”
Coach Campbell is also making sure
that the team is functioning well, and is actively planning for next year’s season as well.
“In the future, if we could have a facility and an athletic period, our attendance and training intensity could improve greatly, especially because it is hard for the swimmers to swim at 6 a.m in 30-degree weather,” Campbell said. “Although I do think that the swim team is currently doing really well in keeping up on their training, and we will come back better than ever next year.”
Two students, upon Creative Writing teacher Liana Gonzales’ urging, submitted an original work of theirs to the Young Writers Literary Magazine. Senior Adedayo Johnson and sophomore Jane Mann were selected to have their works published in the magazine. The magazine contains all mediums of writing by teenagers given a specific prompt and word limit.
“The series is called Hunted,” Johnson said. “The prompt was to write a short story in 100 words or less about something that is being hunted, or something that is hunting something else.”
The loose prompt allowed Johnson and Mann to take creative liberty when
deciding the course of their story.
“It’s just pretty much about a sock that is on the run to Guatemala and the Feds are after it,” Johnson said. “Honestly, it wasn’t too deep, it was more a comedy because of the absurdity of a sock.”
Johnson took a more comedic take with the prompt, while Mann adopted a serious tone for her story.
“It was just about someone being chased and running away,” Mann said. “It was kind of just for fun to see if I would get published, but I wasn’t expecting to, so this was surprising.”
The writing process varies from person to person. Johnson wrote a single draft, while conversely, Mann wrote several
different versions of potential stories for the magazine.
“I sat in my room and just wrote short story after short story, seeing which one I liked best,” Mann said. “Then, I had different people read them and tell me which one their favorite was, and they all said the same one.”
Unlike Mann, Johnson only wrote one draft which he struggled to cut down to the limited word count.
“I honestly didn’t think much about it since I only had 100 words, but I was like dang, I have to cut a lot,” Johnson said. “I think it is a testament to how you never know what could happen because I’ve definitely worked harder on other pieces,
but this one was the one that won.”
Both students were ecstatic after learning they’d be published.
“It’s pretty big, especially as a sophomore,” Mann said. “I feel like this is the first opportunity and there are going to be so many more.”
The publication will open many future doors for Johnson and Mann, whether that be in writing related opportunities or during college applications. Gonzales had discovered the magazine and recommended it to students who may be interested in publishing their work.
“Ms. Gonzales is an amazing teacher,” Johnson said. “She inspires us every day.”
I am the one you’re looking for.
For eons, humans have searched for the missing sock of the pair. This conundrum has even driven some to insanity. No one has realized why this is happening, but they are beginning to catch on.
I’m currently hitchhiking a ride to Guatemala on the back of a truck as the feds are after me. There’s even this random pair of underwear chilling next to me. His name’s Jim.
Helicopter propellers boom overhead, beginning to blow me away, but Jim holds me back.
“WE GOT HIM!”
“What the—!”
I am the missing sock.
My lungs are burning as I try to run away, as I try to get as far as I can from any human life. I don’t know what that monster is, but I know it can do anything it can BE anyone. I have to choose my actions carefully.
“I found you.”
No. No it didn’t find me I’m safe I’m okay. I repeat these things in my head, trying to will my safety into existence. I know it won’t come true.
“Accept it. Your soul is mine, your life. Mine.”
I’ll never accept it. I will never stop running.
On Feb. 24, the Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) took place among Texas high schoolers. Students Diane Salazarcastaneda and Katie White competed in the event by submitting and presenting their original artwork.
“One of them I did was kind of inspired by pop art, like lots of bright colors and I wanted to emulate the feeling of being overwhelmed or overstimulated,” White said. “The piece turned out very busy, which was what I was going for.”
White’s submission included various colors, patterns, and vivid markers to
create an intense reaction from viewers. Alternatively, Salazarcastaneda created a 3D puppet as their piece.
“The message was to express yourself as we grow up,” Salazarcastaneda said. “From what I see, what adults wear is very basic and I really wanted to show how as we grow up, it’s important to express ourselves through clothing.”
With the theme of expression through fashion, Salazarcastaneda incorporated their Mexican roots into their project.
“I wanted to connect it to my Mexican roots,” Salazarcastandea said. “If you wear expressive clothing in a Mexican
household, they would look at you like you’re crazy.”
The preparation for VASE consists of a lengthy process, mostly taken up by the time required for one to complete their artwork. Additionally, a verbal explanation on the process and meaning behind the art is included in the competition.
“In class we did our artwork, and then on competition day we went up to Lake Travis High School for interviews,” White said. “We talk to a proctor about the process of making the art and then based on that they score us on our written and verbal evaluations and the artwork itself.”
Following the presentation, selected students will receive a medal and move onto States.
While neither Salazarcastaneda or White qualified for State, students Carlos Rodriguez, Sarah Curran, Samantha Morales, and Sofya Zharikova did.
“I had a good time and I felt pretty good about my piece and my knowledge of my piece,” White said. “I am a little sad I didn’t move onto State of course, but I’m personally happy with where I am with my art.”