The Hawk Eye, Volume 20, Issue 4

The Hawk Eye

Staff contributors

Bree Andrews

Krista Fleming

Shehzil Imran

Peyton Kuschmeider

Hyunsol Lim

Saahir Mawani

Madeline Rivera

Eyesha Sadiq

Emma Short

Heather Wheeler

Caleb Wright

Hailey Yi

Cover design

Henry Pham

Adviser

Steven Jones

The Hawk Eye magazine is an official publication of Hebron High School. It is a student-produced magazine which strives to represent the student voice. We will aim to report all news relevant to Hebron High School and its student body without bias to race, religion or creed. Views expressed by columnists are their own personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of the entire staff. Editorials reflect the staff opinion and may not reflect the views of the school administration. We encourage reader input via letters and story ideas. Contact a staff member or fill out the contact form on our website, hebronhawkeye.com with any of these items. The Hawk Eye is a member of Interscholastic League Press Conference, Texas Association of Journalism Educators, Association of Texas Photography Instructors, the Journalism Education Association and the National Scholastic Press Association.

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Circling around the senior trip

Story by Saahir Mawani

The senior class of 2023 will be going to Circle R. Ranch in Flower Mound for the annual senior field trip May 20. They will leave at the beginning of the day and return before the school day is over, the estimated time frame being 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“I’ve been [comparing the trip to] a giant field day off campus,” algebra II teacher and senior class sponsor Sarah Asmar said. “You get to eat some food, hang out with friends and just be outside during the school day. You can play as many games as you want. There’s sand volleyball and soccer, but there’s also space inside to play games, so [the seniors] can bring their own games as well.”

In previous years, Hebron has had its senior trips at Six Flags, while other LISD high schools, such as Flower Mound, Lewisville and Marcus, have been using Circle R. Ranch. The reason of the switch to the ranch is because of last year’s trip to Six Flags, which had multiple safety and logistical issues.

“Last year, basically everybody in the metroplex ended up at Six Flags on the exact same day,” Asmar said. “[The school] just thought it was unfair for the students who paid to go on this trip to stand in lines for hours. Some students only got to ride one ride and had to wait three hours for food, which ruined the entire experience.”

Safety has been a concern following the events of the past senior trip. There were logistical issues with transportation, which could have been dangerous. Asmar said the moving of the trip to the ranch keeps all students together, and will help students stay safe within the camp grounds.

“The senior class officers were definitely aware of what happened [last year],” senior class officer Josh Park said. “Students did not know what time they had to return to the buses, and some students left without the buses, which became a liability. Having the trip at Circle R. enables the school to keep everyone safe.”

With the added safety changes and having planned for six months, Asmar said she is eager to see the student reaction to the new trip. The students say they have hope for the trip and how they will go about planning the trip.

“I’m excited to hang out with my friends, but [I wonder] what they have planned for us,” senior Janice Shen said. “I’m imagining sections with frisbee and football, maybe a water balloon fight. I would also think there will be some food.”

With all of the added changes to the trip, as well as a new senior class, Asmar is excited to usher in a new phase of the senior trip. As a Hebron alum, Asmar said she noticed the change in the senior trip from when she went to Six Flags in 2012.

“We are really excited to see how this goes,” Asmar said. “[The students] just get more freedom. It’s a gigantic field and you can go do whatever you want. You don’t have to wait for anybody.”

“I’m expecting it to be very reminiscent of a summer camp”

-senior officer Josh Park

This year, the price of the trip decreased by 50%

Design by Saahir Mawani

600+ students are goingonthetrip

Story by Shehzil Imran

Arlington Museum to debut limited time Taylor Swift exhibit

The Arlington Museum of Art will be presenting a Taylor Swift exhibition from June 3-Sept. 24. The exhibit, known as “The Eras Tour Collection,” will feature eight exclusive costumes, as well as various photos and videos from four of Swift’s albums: “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” “Red (Taylor’s Version),” “Folklore” and “Midnights.”

“I’m a Taylor Swift fan myself, so it’s really exciting to work on, not only such an awesome collection of pieces, but also really dive into more of a research take on Taylor Swift as an artist,” registrar and exhibition director Kendall Quirk said. “We’re really excited to present something that’s a little more academic and researched. [We] really hope that fans will take something new away from her collection, [and] it’s going to be really exciting to see people’s reactions.”

Tickets for “The Eras Tour Collection” went online April 17 and will be available until the day of the event. The collection will be accompanied by two smaller exhibitions, known as “Girl in a Country Song” and “Hometown Harmonies,” which will aim to highlight female country and contemporary singers — some of whom got their start in the Arlington area — such as Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Maren Morris and Kirstin Moldonado.

“Arlington is a designated music-friendly community, and there’s been a lot of growth over the last 15 to 20 years in terms of music venues,” creative director Amy Schultz said. “There’s all these little places all around Arlington where musicians are getting their start, particularly in country music, [and] Arlington has a really long history supporting country music stars on their way up. Since Taylor Swift started off as a country music artist, we thought it would be fun to have complementary exhibits that focus more on women in country music in general — kind of like who figuratively paved the path for superstars like Taylor.”

Though she got her start in Nashville, Tennessee, Swift has been playing in the Dallas area since she was 15 years old, performing at least 30 shows in the span of her career. She is the first artist to play three back-to-back shows at AT&T Stadium during her “Eras Tour” from March 31 – April 2, with a record breaking attendance of 210,607 fans.

“My friend, [our families] and I got tickets [for night three],” junior Kathryn Peterman said. “I [was] stressing about what I [was] going to wear, how we were going to get there and if we were going to make [friendship] bracelets [to trade], but all of the stress was worth it. It was an amazing concert. I think [the idea for the exhibition] is amazing [and] a really good idea. It’s amazing for her and people who really connect with her to be able to go and experience that.”

The Arlington Museum does temporary exhibits each summer, having partnered up with Walt Disney Animation Studios artists Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston and Andreas Deja to bring last summer’s exhibit, “Disney Art from Private Collections.” The museum’s exhibits are traditionally focused on visual arts, but Quirk said she hopes to show attendees that visual art is more than just a two dimensional painting on a wall — a musical artist can be just as much of a visual artist as they are a performer.

“We’re really trying to highlight women in songwriting and music and how they present themselves as artists,” Quirk said. “Visual art can be a lot of different things — it can be a brand, short film [or] wardrobe pieces [and] it’s always a really fun challenge [in] every exhibit. [At the end of the day,] it’s all about making sure that we’re respectful of the artists, giving our visitors the best experience possible and making fine art accessible to our community.”

Design by Saahir Mawani

“[We] really hope that fans will take something new away from her collection, [and] it’s going to be really exciting to see people’s reactions.”

-exhibition director Kendall Quirk

Arlington Museum of Art: The Eras Tour Collection

Photo by Shiren Noorani

Photo by Emma Short

Photo by Saahir Mawani

Photo by Saahir Mawani

Carrying Their Legacy Seniors share their extracurricular high school experience

Story by Eyesha Sadiq

The electives that students pick during their high school career shape who they become in the future. With high school coming to an end, seniors reflect on how their electives formed who they are today.

EMMA TRAN

Her love for cheerleading began in the seventh grade. Hebron cheerleaders came to Arbor Creek to perform for the pep rally. Watching from the audience, she realized she wanted to become one of them. Now, senior Emma Tran is a co-captain and flier for the Hebron Cheer team.

“My favorite part of cheer is probably competing,” Tran said. “We compete a few times in school cheer, and I also do competitive cheer outside of school. I just love the adrenaline rush, the nerves [and] the butterflies in my stomach. I love being able to react on those nerves by performing and showing off all the hard work that I’ve put into the routine.”

Tran said she hopes to cheer at the University of Oklahoma. She has gotten through the first round of tryouts and will start the second round of tryouts this month.

“Cheer has definitely taught me many life lessons that I will take with me beyond college,” Tran said. “It’s not only taught me time management skills, but also [how to] persevere. [Cheer also taught me] how to be a hard worker, a good athlete [and a] good person.”

SUHANI RANA

It was middle school night.

After being told to be in orchestra by her parents, she saw the band perform at a football game, and the moment she heard the music of the instruments during the halftime show, she knew that band was her calling. Now head drum major Suhani Rana has been playing the flute for seven years.

“Before joining band, I was a very quiet kid,” Rana said. “I think because of band, I learned that everyone makes mistakes. It’s worth going out and doing something that you would think is scary because by doing that, you’re expanding your knowledge and expanding your abilities. Also getting yourself out of your comfort zone is the only way you’re going to ever change or improve.”

When Rana joined the Hebron band, she auditioned to play percussion, but right before the first day of school, she changed to playing the flute and has been playing it since. To achieve one of the highest positions in band, Rana went through a two-phase interview to see if she was ready to take on the challenge of being a drum major. Luckily, she was just the right person.

“I was planning on just being a regular member, because I knew there were different forms of leadership [and], as a freshman, I was very unaware of all the behind the scenes stuff that goes on in band,” Rana said. “Towards the end of my freshman year, they introduced a concept of student leadership and the different roles like squad leader, section leader and drum major. That’s when I realized that I have some ideas and I want them to be heard in the band.”

If granted the opportunity, Rana said she hopes to be able to play flute with the University of Texas at Dallas band, where she will be majoring in computer science. Band has become an escape from reality for Rana and has allowed her to meet new people and travel in areas she never would have before.

“My favorite part of band is getting to know the people because everyone is so unique,” Rana said. “I love getting to talk to individual people and see their views on certain parts of band. I wouldn’t have known [facts about them] if I hadn’t talked to certain people [as a leader].”

9thGradeBand

Design by Eyesha Sadiq

Q&A: Senior student athletes reflect on their sport

As the school year ends, seniors athletes will either be continuing or taking a pause from their sport after graduating. Take a look at their favorite memories, toughest times and overall reflection of their sports:

What sport do you play? How long have you been playing it for and what made you want to start the sport?

Senior Jake Foughty: “I’ve been playing water polo for around five to six years. What made me want to start playing was randomly scrolling through [my] TV and [encountering] the international friendly play of the United States in Croatia. I was like, ‘Oh yeah this is cool. I want to try it.’”

Senior Dana Gingrey: “I have played basketball for five years. I think my parents just put me into it. I played a lot of sports growing up [and] just liked basketball, so I kept playing. It’s very fast paced, and I feel like there’s a lot of freedom, and I really enjoyed it.”

Senior Dante Bush: “I play on the Hebron golf team [and] I’m one of the captains. It’s actually a funny story [on] how I started playing. It was over 10 years ago; I’ve been playing for 11[years] now. After [a] birthday party [for] one of my friends in elementary school, I wanted to play more putt putt. It was one of those mini golf courses [and I said,] ‘You know what mom, I want to do it again’ and she signed me up for my first golf lesson, and it stuck.”

Senior Srijia Venna: “[I run in] cross country and track. I’ve been doing both of them since seventh grade, so six years now. It’s one of those sports where it’s a good balance between individual and team sport and, if I’m being totally honest, I just joined it in seventh grade, tried it out and enjoyed it and continued doing it.”

How do you think your sport helped shape who you are now?

Foughty: “Definitely physicality [wise]. I was really weak in middle school, I wasn’t strong [and] I was like a stick to be honest. I was kind of discouraged because of my size. I was skinny, small [and] I wanted to be this big football star. That never happened until water polo came and I was like ‘oh, I’m actually pretty good at this.’ Water polo helped me become a lot stronger – I’m a lot more conditioned, physical and aggressive as an athlete.”

Gingrey: “In basketball, you make a mistake in the game or do something that’s not good, you can’t stop the game, be upset and let it affect the next play. You can kind of parallel that to life outside of sports because, even if something bad happens or doesn’t go your way, you can’t let it affect your future decisions. I feel like little lessons like that kind of shaped who I am [today].”

Bush: “It’s taught me a lot of life lessons [with] patience and leadership, and just being able to get back up [and] keep fighting above the water. The people I’ve gotten to know, becoming captain, getting to work with the team, trying to have that leadership role and trying to lead other kids my age, it’s definitely a new experience I wouldn’t have gotten [without] golf. It’s shaped how I interact with other people and how I interact with myself and just how I motivate myself. Even on tests, how I study, how I [did my] college application essays, it’s just having that motivation to keep going [and] keep fighting, and I’d say that’s definitely where the game of golf has helped me the most.”

Venna: “Cross country and track both instill a sense of discipline and accountability for yourself. It’s having to show up for you and your teammates on a daily basis, and it’s that discipline to wake up and do things that definitely don’t feel good. It’s one of those things and I think that carries on into aspects like academics and other extracurriculars.”

Design by Hyunsol Lim

Story by Hyunsol Lim

Advisory to be adjusted next school year

Story by Krista Fleming

Due to new protocol from the district, the daily 35-minute advisory time after second period will be shortened to 17 minutes, with time added to every other class to fill the 18-minute gap.

“Our goal is to only have advisory [lessons] when needed,” assistant principal Marybeth Coen said. “There won’t be a required lesson every day because we want it all to feel authentic.”

with learning gaps from COVID-19, we can’t afford to waste time.”

New Bell Schedule:

First period: 8:20–9:50

Second period: 9:56–11:43

Third period: 11:49–1:59

Fourth period: 2:05–3:35

The new schedule will keep passing periods at six minutes. First and fourth period will both be 90 minutes, second period and advisory will be a collective 107 minutes and third period will be 120 minutes, including lunch time. The added minutes will be for the required topics that don’t fit under a core class. Principal Amy Boughton said she does not plan on changing the schedule further, but cannot guarantee it will stay the same.

“Sometimes, things happen,” Boughton said. “We’re still waiting for the legislature to be done, and they could push a bill through that changes requirements. If that happens, we’d make the appropriate changes, but we’re not planning on that happening.”

Why is the schedule changing?

Though the district required a specific time to be allotted to advisory weekly, schools across LISD operated on different schedules. Now, all high schools will run on the same schedule within ten minutes of each other. This standardization of the schedule is to avoid the career center having unnecessary conflicts.

“[The career centers] didn’t know when to start their classes, and students would arrive late all the time,” Boughton said. “It was a district-wide issue that needed to be fixed.”

The number of required instructional minutes per class per day also contributed to this change. Currently, each class had the state-mandated 90 minutes, but first and fourth period had fewer minutes than previous years. Boughton said she wishes there had been more instructional minutes.

“I don’t think [advisory] was being utilized properly every day, so we were losing minutes,” Boughton said. “Especially

Another thing that contributed to the new bell schedule is the state-mandated topics to cover each year, which are in constant flux. Currently, there are 14 which get stretched into multiple lessons. Many of those requirements are currently being met by sites like EverFi and Choices360, but it is not set in stone that those programs will be used in the future, nor that only 14 topics will be required next school year.

“The biggest difficulty is that every year, what’s required by the state has changed,” Coen said. “So as the changes come, we have to adapt. That’s what keeps us from having consistency [each year].”

How will advisory change?

As of now, the plan is to have advisory lessons less often and only when necessary — what is currently estimated by administration to be once a week. A part of this is due to testing at the end of each semester.

“The goal is to get to December, April and May with as few lessons to go as possible,” connects liaison and creator of some advisory lessons Kari Perkins said. “Between STAAR testing, AP tests and final exams, students are booked. To put any required lessons during those times is unfair to the students.”

The lessons will change as well; many lessons that have been recycled throughout the past few years will have to be looked at and adjusted to fit the 17 minutes allotted for them.

“I know [students] get frustrated by those videos,” Boughton said. “We do, too. I just wish they updated them more. Sometimes, it’s the same exact video for a couple years in a row, and that’s just not engaging.”

On average, do you complete your advisory lessons?

In a poll surveying student and faculty response to advisory done by the Hawk Eye, 62.4% of students said they did not do their advisory lesson and 39.6% percent said their teachers did not make them do it. In the same poll, 65.3% of students said they did not think advisory affected them at all. Perkins said she

Q&A: How do you feel about advisory being restricted?

“I hope they don’t take away advisory next year. It’s beneficial to students because we get to study, go to tutorials or just get work done. As a person that rides the bus, it’s hard to get transportation before or after school, so advisory helps out with that.” Samar

Pirbhai, freshman

“Advisory should be restricted because it has not provided anyone with anything useful. It would be more useful for club times or tutoring, so we can learn for our necessary classes instead of the dumb advisory lessons we have now.”

Abigail Wueger, sophomore

Design by Krista Fleming

hopes the new schedule changes that.

“How a teacher responds to advisory is how a student responds,” Perkins said. “If a teacher thinks it is important and has the discussions like requested, then the class will get involved. Then they all get something out of it — the [teachers] and the students. If a teacher doesn’t find it important, there’s no reason for us to expect a student to.”

What will happen to clubs?

Boughton plans to have an alternate schedule weekly for club days and pep rallies, as neither could fit into 17 minutes. This plan is not set in stone, but the principal’s advisory committee is set to discuss it at an upcoming meeting.

“I don’t want to lose all the opportunities to get involved,” Boughton said. “We have a lot of good club participation, and I’m going to figure out how to keep that.”

Another idea for club time during the day frequently discussed amongst students and faculty opts to bring back block lunch. There, some students would go to clubs or tutoring, and others would go to lunch for the first 30 minutes, before they switched to conclude the hour-long period. Block lunch was removed in 2020 due to COVID-19, and never returned.

“They should bring back block lunch,” senior Zi Thompson said. “Yes, advisory is time to get our work done, but we can’t go anywhere or have enough time to get proper work done in clubs. Block lunch was a time where you could do all the things you needed to do, and it’s definitely worth bringing back — despite it being chaotic.”

What are the challenges with this schedule?

One of the most discussed challenges with advisory is the overall negative view from some students regarding the lessons. In a poll done by the Hawk Eye, 44.6% of students said they did not find advisory necessary. Boughton, Coen and Perkins plan to get student input within the coming years with the goal of making the lessons more engaging.

“I do not like wasting people’s time,” Boughton said. “Some of the lessons did that, and I want to alleviate that as much as possible.”

With 17 minutes added for every advisory lesson, some teachers, such as English teacher Hannah Wheeler, worry that the loss of 18 minutes to cover the same requirements will cut into second period.

“There’s a lot of things we

“I really like the time that [advisory] offers, but the lessons themselves aren’t that beneficial. Without that time to study or get work done, it may be a downgrade, but the extra time in class would help me understand some of the material a little bit more.”

Olivia Evans, junior

Design by Krista Fleming

need to get done that are state mandated, and I don’t want that to take away from class time,” Wheeler said. “If advisory were to go away, I don’t know where we’d find the time to get those lessons done.”

Another issue comes from the changing bell schedule with the implementation of club and pep rally days. One of the reasons the school chose to have advisory every day was due to teacher complaints about the confusion of multiple schedules, but a consistent schedule would not be in place if club time or pep rallies were to be during the school day.

“We’re trying to take what’s required, make it effective and make as many people happy as possible,” Boughton said. “Educators are inherently very scheduled, and different bell schedules can frustrate that. Having that one consistent thing — it’s better for everyone.”

Are you for or against advisory being restricted?

During a poll done by the Hawk Eye asking those against the restriction of advisory why they felt that way, the majority said it was due to needing a break or time to get some homework done during the day. The general consensus of the 102 students polled is to limit advisory lessons while keeping the time for WebEx tutoring, asking teachers questions or getting homework done. Boughton said she agreed with those concerns, and shared similar worries about the loss of time.

“It’s good for [students] to have a minute to breathe each day,” Boughton said. “But with AP classes, fine arts and sports, when are they supposed to find time? Sitting down at 10 p.m. to finally have a breather is just not enough.”

Others think that the allotted time for advisory, if kept, should be modified in a different way, with 50.5% of students and faculty against the restrictions — many of them claiming the time would have been better as tutoring time.

“[Advisory] definitely needs to be modified,” English teacher Donna Friend said. “Kids aren’t using it for study hall. It’s downtime, and sometimes we need that, but it would be more beneficial to use that as tutoring. If we’re taking out time in our schedule for advisory, we should use it to the best of our ability.”

Boughton plans to devote specific staff training about the allotted advisory time in August, and said she does so in hopes of stopping teachers from teaching through that time.

“I want to make sure teachers are valuing that time and honoring that,” Boughton said. “[Students] need a minute to get caught up, or at least to take a breath. I’m going to make sure they have that time — even if it’s just 17 minutes.”

“They should keep [advisory] because it’s the only time we have to not do anything. Without an actual assignment, you can get caught up. If you can’t do anything before or after school, then you at least have that slot of time to do something.”

Zi Thompson, senior

Story by Emma Short Making

“Ugh, that’s not fair!”

It’s a sentiment I’ve been sharing from the time I first learned to speak, and one I still find myself mumbling under my breath.

As you can probably guess, I have never been afraid to voice my opinion. From the time I was 2 years old and my new baby brother started attracting the attention of every adult within a 50-mile radius, I just knew I could identify when things were “fair” or not.

I have been lucky enough to grow up in an extremely political and influential time where social media and opinions on controversial subjects infiltrate every aspect of daily life. In my high school years alone, I have witnessed the growth of the Black Lives Matter movement, the controversy behind COVID-19 and its vaccines, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the #MeToo movement, countless school shootings and far too many other important social and political events where equity is a pivotal issue to count.

I also, both luckily and unluckily, am part of the first generation with the opportunity to use the internet as a voice for causes we believe in and to sound the alarm for situations that are unjust. During my sophomore year, after exploring a variety of classes to pursue in high school, I was given the greatest third medium through which I can voice important information on unjust situations: my school’s newspaper program.

Over three years, I have worked my way up from a rookie reporter to the Editor-in-Chief of “The Hawk Eye,” and I have thrived during every minute of it. Even as a reporter, I was obsessed with the idea of being the one educating our audience and using my platform to advocate for those of marginalized status. I have always poured the majority of my energy and passion into investing in people, whether that be checking up on the mental health of those close to me or using my voice to advocate against injustice. Through my work on the newspaper staff, I’ve been able to bring attention to those issues.

It has been the morning ritual of my family since I was in elementary school to turn on the news while eating breakfast before school. I witnessed countless significant events in my fascination with watching the news, inspiring me to write stories on controversial topics such as the gender pay gap, social media’s effects on the mental health of teens, the double standards between fangirls and sports fanatics, Gen Z teens handling grief, the controversy behind COVID-19 vaccines and the importance of people using their vote to voice important opinions.

I found my place writing for the newspaper, not just by writing stories,

column

a difference senior

but by diving into the world of photography, attending and covering protests and interviewing people with incredible stories.

Because of newspaper and my love for journalism, I’ve had the opportunity to have one-on-one meetings with world-renowned journalists such as Emmy-award winning news anchor Shannon Bentle and KXAS DFW Consumer Correspondent Diana Zoga and discuss what journalism in the real world entails, both the pretty and the ugly. I now yearn to be in their positions and make the differences the journalistic stars above me have. I’ve had freelance job opportunities arise, received scholarships related to the writing skills I developed on staff and, through my role as an officer of the New Voices Texas board, a group of student journalists working to enact a law to end student censorship, I am already helping shape the future in my own way. I had the incredible opportunity of driving down to Austin over my spring break to speak to lawmakers about passing our bill during the 88th legislative session. Using my own voice to advocate for necessary social change will continue beyond my college years, and I know through my career as a journalist, I will help change the world.

While there may be bias and limited journalistic integrity in certain media outlets, what I have learned is this: student journalists are superheroes. I have spent a huge chunk of my high school career giving a voice to the voiceless and informing my peers on unjust situations they may have not otherwise gotten educated on. One step at a time, I am working to change the way my audience views unjust situations happening in my community. Learning the appropriate ways to speak up about the injustices in society through either an unbiased story or an opinion column has transformed the way I respond to controversial situations in my day-to-day life. I can recognize the feelings those that are involved in unfair situations are experiencing and work to help solve the conflict in an unbiased way — something I struggled with growing up.

It is fair to say the little girl who just wanted her share of dessert has been given a platform to help others get theirs many years later. I can say, with confidence, that elementary school Emma is proud knowing she can now do her best to ensure what is not fair gets its air time. I look back and cannot believe how much I have grown into a passionate woman in journalism. My value of seeing justice served is now being expressed in a new way: I am no longer a 2-year-old jealous of my brother’s unfair advantages — I am instead using my passion for speaking up for those without power, without a voice and without privilege, and I cannot wait to continue this journey for the rest of my life.

Design by Krista Fleming

Staff editorial: Growing uphas changed for the worst

Growing up has changed. What used to be a process of slowly learning life lessons has become constant worry about looking “good enough” and not knowing if your day at school might be your last. Growing up has always been something kids dream of until the moment they get to that point. As a child, the biggest problem in your life is deciding which game to play or show to watch. After growing up, that changes.

As people grow, those problems become what they should wear to school so they aren’t judged or what snack they should eat based on calories so they can maintain an “ideal” body image. Simple decisions begin to have doublesided meanings, and that’s what growing up is about. This year’s graduating class has faced growing, concerning challenges that previous generations did not face. Increased school violence, COVID-19 and the rise of social media have shifted the definition of what it means to ‘grow up,’ and though rewriting that definition is a long term goal, there are short term victories we can fit in now.

Social media has influenced the term “growing up” more than most think. We went from using social media as a platform to keep up with current events and showcase key personal memories to using it as a way of showing off and narrating false perceptions for others’ eyes. Social media is a key factor in setting standards and, as we grow up, we get blinded by it more and more.

Of course, a multi-year pandemic hitting in the midst of your formative years

has an impact as well. During the two-and-a-half year long COVID-19 pandemic, more than 2,200 adolescents fatally overdosed; 96% of these were teens from the ages 15-19. During this time, opioid overdoses became a global crisis and studies have shown that there is a connection between mental disorders and overdoses. The increase in substance and mental health issues often stems from lack of resources which many teens face as so many have the ideology that having a mental disorder is “embarrassing” or makes you “weak.” If these statistics don’t shock you enough, imagine how teenagers feel seeing their peers as statistics.

Mental illnesses aren’t just tied to COVID-19 and overdoses as the increase of violence in schools can make every day a mental strain. Since the Columbine Massacre in 1999, at least 185 children, teachers and faculty members have been killed by gun violence in American schools. That’s the reality of our world and the reality of growing up. Regardless of those harmed or unharmed physically in these shootings, several studies have shown that these incidents have detrimental effects on the youth’s mental health. Research has also shown a higher number of antidepressants are being used by those who have been exposed to a school shooting. At one point, “growing up” was about going from diapers to pull ups or from ordering food from the kid’s menu to a normal menu; now, it’s about wondering if you’ll even make it that far.

Some parts about growing up are still vital and things we all go through. The best part about growing up is the relationships people build because they help us navigate through life. Growing up has many ups and downs and, even though it isn’t exactly this awesome thing we all love about life, it brings us life lessons, maturity and even unity.

No one should have to grow up alone — it’s a process and a journey that should be shared. As a society, we can change the meaning of growing up for the better. For starters, reposting something that brings awareness on social media often goes a lot further than we initially think or even reaching out to people. So many mental illnesses are worsened by isolation, but we, as humans, can change that. Growing up may not always be fun or easy, but it’s important – it’s a part of life.

Design by Krista Fleming

HIT OR MISS?

Story by Heather Wheeler

First, there’s “Maleficent” (2014), an adaptation of “Sleeping Beauty” (1959). The animated version is about how, after not being invited to the baby princess Aurora’s christening, an evil fairy puts a curse on her, forcing her to prick her finger on a spindle when she turns 16 and fall into an almost eternal sleep.

As for the remake, I love it. It keeps the same narrative of the original movie, but adds a whole new perspective on the villain’s relationship with Aurora and gives Maleficent more of a reason for cursing the princess than “FOMO.” It also adds complexity to the world itself, adding a fantasy world called the “Moors,” which explains where Maleficent came from. Overall, while “Maleficent” adds a lot to the story of “Sleeping Beauty,” it does so in a way that is natural and enriches the plot and characters.

Then, let’s look at a classic: “Cinderella.” The original movie came out in 1950, and follows a young girl who was forced to be a servant by her evil stepmother who goes to a ball and falls in love with the prince. The remake of the same name came out in 2015 and did a great job expanding on Cinderella’s story while still keeping the irreplaceable feeling the original movie created. While it takes some liberties, like making “Cinderella” a nickname instead of the princess’s real name and adding scenes between young Cinderella and her parents, it stays true to the original plot and tone. In fact, the live action movie added a song that Cinderella’s mother sings to her, and it still gets stuck in my head eight years later. Both movies are good, and the 2015 film does a great job at adapting a classic.

Next, there’s 2019’s “The Lion King,” an adaptation of the 1994 version. While it’s not technically live action, it uses CGI to make the animals look real. The animated movie is about a young lion prince who, after his father gets killed by his uncle, runs away and is raised in the jungle by a meerkat and warthog. However, he is eventually forced to return to his kingdom and take back his rightful place on the throne. This movie is not very good. It doesn’t add anything to the original story, so it didn’t make too much sense to add a remake in the first place. The CGI is good, but the realism sucks the life out of the characters. The emotion you see on the animated characters just isn’t present in this remake, and it really just turned out to be a disappointment. The original movie is incredible, and the remake does not meet its standards.

Lastly is an adaptation that came out in 2020: “Mulan.” The original movie came out in 1998 and tells the story of Mulan, a girl who disguises herself as a man to take the place of her ailing father in the war against the Huns.

Mulan is a great film that has likeable characters and catchy music. However, the remake doesn’t live up to the standards the original movie set and, as a remake, fails where the Cinderella remake succeeds. Mushu, one of my favorite characters, is not in the movie, and there is none of the original music I loved. But beyond the lack of the animated movie’s charm, it adds in new plot points that just don’t support the original movie, like two brand new villains and a complete misrepresentation of Chinese cultural aspects. For example, the Chinese concept of qi is a life force present in every living thing, but “Mulan” (2020) treats it like superpowers. While the movie does have good cinematography, it is nowhere near true to the 1998 version, and does a terrible job at representing the culture it’s set in.

Disney remakes are very hit-or-miss. I love seeing new takes on these nostalgic films, but if it’s not done right, it’s not going to be a movie that respects the magic in the animation while still expanding on the plot and characters. But, as we can see in “Cinderella” and “Maleficent,” it’s possible to make good movies, so I have high expectations for remakes in the future.

Feng Cha

Open Mon. - Sun.

12-8 p.m.

BOBA FIVE MUST TRY PLACES

Nothing is better than drinking boba in the hot weather, but the place you get it from could ruin that feeling. Finding the best place to get a refreshing drink is important so you’re not wasting your time or your money. Here’s my list of the best boba places in the area.

Though Feng Cha doesn’t have places to sit and talk, their drinks are amazing. Feng Cha is one of my favorite places to get boba — especially in the summer. They have five types of milk foam: cheese, matcha, taro, sea salt and tiramisu. I would recommend getting milk foam to go with your milk tea to make your drink even better. Feng Cha not only sells drinks, but desserts as well, with six different cheesecake flavors: tiramisu treasure, Oreo cheese, strawberry princess, sea salt pearl, matcha love and taro chocolate.

Kung Fu Tea has many options you can choose from and adjust to your liking, such as the sweetness level of your drink. They have milk tea, slushies, coffee and regular tea. They offer different toppings other than tapioca pearls for your drink, ranging from bubbles and milk caps to different types of beans and jellies. Considering that I get Kung Fu Tea every chance I get, it’s definitely in my top five boba places. My personal favorite is their kung fu milk tea with tapioca pearls, less ice and a regular level of sweetness.

R&B Tea

Open Mon.-Sun. 11 a.m-11 p.m.

Kung Fu Tea

Open Sun.-Thurs. 11:30a.m.-

9:30 p.m.

Fri.-Sat. 11:30a.m.10:30 p.m.

R&B Tea is one of the most unique boba places I’ve tried so far. Their drinks are not only colorful and fun, but also delicious. R&B has many different drink series which are just categories of the different drinks they have, such as the coffee series, cream cheese series, fresh tea series, fruit milk tea frosty series, fruit tea series, matcha series, milk tea series, stormy series and Yakult series. The drinks from R&B are very different from other boba places I’ve been to because of the wide variety of flavors they have. R&B also sells puffle waffles, which are just bubble waffles that are freshly made – something I highly recommend getting.

Moge Tee can be on the pricier side, but is delicious. They have many drink series to choose from like fresh fruit slush, milk tea, fruit tea, milk swirl, fruit Yakult, uji matcha, cheese foam tea and yogurt fruit tea. They also sell taro and red bean tofu pudding. Moge Tee has plenty of places to sit and books to read if you’re feeling bored or want to relax. The interior is calming and is great for taking pictures. Their wood floors, white and green color schemes are gentle on the eyes and have comfortable seating to sit and enjoy your drink.

OneZo

Open Mon.-

Thurs. 12 a.m.8 p.m.

Fri.-Sun. 12 a.m.9 p.m.

Moge Tee

Open Sun.-Thurs.

11 a.m.- 9 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.10p.m.

I don’t go to OneZo often, but when I do, their drinks never disappoint. There aren’t many seating areas, but people don’t usually stay long, so it’s not a big problem. OneZo doesn’t have many varieties of drinks like other boba places, but they have a decent amount. They have milk teas, fruit teas, blended and original teas and coffee jelly, coconut jelly, cheese foam, tiramisu foam and Oreo crumbles for toppings. When I’m in the area, I never miss a chance to get boba from OneZo.

Story by Hailey Yi

Magical moments from prom

Seniors Garret Welch and Madi Brown dance together.

Seniors Angel Pham, Angelina Nguyen and Anna Nguyen take photos together while dancing.

Juniors Isabel Matibag, Allison Kim, Madeline Cha, Hailey Cho and Navya Chekuri pose in the photo booth together.

Junior Ricardo Reynoso and senior Alanna Ward look at the exhibits.

Senior Sophia Witis Hughes and junior Molly Lundy hug upon seeing each other.

Prom queen senior Melody Ebrahimi and king senior Josh Park share a dance after being announced as the winners.

Photos by Peyton Kuschmeider

Design by Caleb Wright

Childhood memories activities

WORD BANK

CARTOONS

CAMPING

PAPER AIRPLANES

SCHOOL PLAYS

THEME PARKS

HOP SCOTCH

SLEEPOVERS

HIDE AND SEEK

FIELD DAYS

PLAYGROUND

SANDCASTLES

TAG

Design by Caleb Wright

Senior Linkage

…Brianna Priest whose favorite color is yellow just like Cailyn Newcomb who was born in February just like Lauren Thomas who thinks Chick-Fil-A has the best fries just like Cooper Pace who is a Pisces just like Kashika Anand who is 5 feet 7 inches just like Hyunsol Lim who thinks Jhene Aiko is an underrated music artist just like Alice Kang who is attending Texas A&M after high school just like Aishwarya Aby who was born in India just like Sakshi Agashe who has dark brown hair just like Daniela Pruitt whose favorite drink is a Starbucks strawberry açaí refresher just like Raian Bhojani whose favorite Netflix show is “Breaking Bad” just like Josh Flores who plays soccer just like Sophia Witis Hughes whose favorite store is Urban Outfitters just like Madeline Suggs who thinks Morgan Wallen is overrated just like Christian Harness whose favorite vacation spot is the mountains just like Brady Richardson who likes hunting and fishing just like Catcher Ridings who doesn’t like ketchup just like Dalyn White whose favorite artist is Kanye West just like Olivia Lowary whose celebrity crush is Theo James just like Pranavi Reddy whose favorite drink is Dr. Pepper just like Alyssa Brou who thinks Jack in the Box has the best fries just like Diogo Lopez who thinks The Weeknd is overrated just like Soorya Sankar whose favorite candy is KitKat just like Shimona Rajaretnam whose favorite teacher is Mr. Woodward just like Nathaniel Good who is in band just like Barrett Adams whose favorite candy is Snickers just like Gage Hanley who has blonde hair just like Emma Short who likes photography just like Rahil Tanvir who likes wearing hoodies just like Joshua Pearson whose favorite movie is “Jurassic Park” just like Jacob Thomas who thinks Wing Stop has the best fries just like Julie Penagos who is a Libra just like Anaya Coverson who is in Hands of Hope just like Ayra Kanji who wants to be a lawyer just like Beomjun Kim who thinks pineapple on pizza is good just like Abby Pierson whose favorite music artist is Lana Del Rey just like Victoria Ulrich whose go-to gas station snack is a protein bar just like Jack Holsinger whose favorite fast food fries are from McDonald’s just like Gabrielle Le who plays piano just like Claire Nguyen whose favorite subject is English just like Kaitlyn Lutz whose favorite restaurant is Lazy Dog just like Madi Brown who thinks Taylor Swift is overrated just like Fatima Mithani whose favorite color is blue just like Andrew Harris who plays golf just like Nicolas MacDonald who wants to own a business just like Owen George whose favorite sport is soccer just like Jet Thompson whose favorite drink is blue Gatorade just like Katie Booth who likes dancing just like Alana Wesley who plans to attend University of North Texas just like Abby Mathew whose celebrity crush is Jenna Ortega just like Aaron Kessler who is 6 feet tall just like Ozarid Martinez whose favorite subject is math just like Shimona Rajaretnam whose favorite vacation spot is Florida just like Kimora Wright whose favorite candy is Sour Patch Kids just like Jared Santillan whose favorite restaurant is Texas Roadhouse just like Janine Jimenez whose favorite store is Target just like Sahar Hasanali who thinks Gracie Abrams is underrated just like Eleanor Hays whose favorite movie is “Legally Blonde” just like Anjiya Kilwani whose favorite influencer is Alix Earle just like Nina Woods whose favorite candy is Sweet Tart ropes just like Niel Kent whose celebrity crush is Ice Spice just like Sonith Guduru who likes Jordan shoes just like Daniel Callahan whose go-to gas station snack is beef jerky just like Drazik Balko who enjoys working out just like Kamille Tapley who has brown and blonde hair just like Leila Jackson who plays volleyball just like Payton Gissler whose favorite store is Lululemon just like Reed Pope whose favorite sport is basketball just like Kiran Jacob whose favorite Netflix show is “Stranger Things” just like Lauren Herfurth whose favorite candy is Snickers just like Ashton Wetterlin who plays football just like Case Holleron who was born in Houston just like Ace Burnett who thinks Billie Eilish is overrated just like Caroline Elson whose favorite color is purple just like Sanai Martens whose favorite influencer is Monet McMichael just like Naledi Ndlovu whose favorite subject is English just like Raahim Irfan who is in the Red Cross club just like Soorya Sankar who is an Aries just like Aliya Awad who likes hot fries just like Camila Sucre who has dark brown hair just like Lauryn Reeves who is in track just like Mycca Clay who plans to attend Stephen F. Austin University just like Emily Olive whose go-to gas station snack is Takis just like Alejandro Appio-Riley who is a Virgo just like Kanvi Maniar who has black hair just like Marielle Bustamante whose favorite drink is lemonade just like Taryn McKinstry who was born in Plano just like Garner Rice whose favorite sport is baseball just like Lakeshia Hickey who likes Arizona tea just like Steven Baker who likes Nerds gummy clusters just like Jacob Martin who thinks Kanye West is overrated just like Steven Carillo-Logan who was born in June just like Nandika Jayaprakash whose favorite movie is “Interstellar” just like Ashlyn Kaupp whose favorite restaurant is Chick-Fil-A just like Jake Utterback who has brown hair just like Dysan Barraza who thinks TikTok is not a good app just like Juan Lavieri who likes gaming just like Kendric Frank whose favorite store is a grocery store just like Shaina Railborde whose favorite subject is science Justin Habich who was born in January just like Cailyn Martinez who has brown hair just like Kiki De Leon who plans to attend college after high school just like Ash Du Fief who was born in Texas just like Lance Gorton who’s a Gemini just like…