The Dispatch, Vol. 33, Issue #5, 5.4.21 Digital Only

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BULLDAWGS GET VACCINATED Students reflect on their experiences with the COVID-19 complete vaccination process

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SWIFT'S SURPRISE Review of Taylor Swift's albums that have taken her fandom by storm

STARLIT CELEBRATION Class of 2021 dances away in a "Night under the stars" for senior Prom

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pg.13

coming UP

May 19- May 21 STAAR EOC Exams May 31 Memorial Day Holiday June 3 Last day of school and senior graduation

Vol. 33, Issue 5 www.thedispatchonline.net James Bowie High School 4103 W. Slaughter Lane Austin TX, 78749

THE DISPATCH TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2021

Pride in Publishing

'Bulldog Nation' fosters Class of 2021

The upcoming graduation ceremony signifies Mark Robinson's first four years as principal Cade Spencer and Faith Lawrence Editors-in-Chief

Since his arrival on campus just four years ago, principal Mark Robinson has transformed Bowie High School into “Bulldog Nation.” With a self-proclaimed emphasis on inclusion, peer empowerment, and community development, Robinson has expanded the value of campus: he has made it a home. From 2017 to 2021, Robinson has led as the school’s principal, and the Class of 2021 will be the first group of seniors he will oversee from their first day on campus until graduation. “‘Bulldog Nation’ is a way for us to identify our collective ‘Pride in Performance,’ in a way that is inclusive and representative for everybody,” Robinson said. “It just represents the school community, we are all Bulldogs forever.” Within his initial morning announcements to the student body in 2017, Robinson coined the term “Bulldog Nation” that would grow to be a cornerstone of campus life. “I can remember the first time he used the phrase ‘Bulldog Nation,’” School Improvement Facilitator Ruth Ann Widner said. “I loved that he was coming into this community and the forefront of his mind was this idea of really creating a sense of community and unifying everybody. That gave me insight into the direction he wanted to go, what his values were, and what was important to him.”

Behind the Fence Dimitri Silva Dispatch Reporter

As the 2020-2021 school year ends, the construction of the new fine arts performance hall has begun. In addition to a concert stage, the overall project will house its own ticket booth, lobby, and large concession stand. The new theater will also have its own storage and full scene shop area.

Throughout the remote environment of the 2020-2021 school year, Robinson has maintained his lively morning announcements, publishing a daily announcement video on the BLEND Community Course. “Principal Robinson has contributed to campus culture immensely,” junior Kylee Diniwiddie said. “He is super spirited, and his positive attitude is contagious throughout the school. He has really emphasized what it means to have pride in being a bulldog. I will always remember his “Gooooodmorning Bulldog Nation” and things like that which have made the environment of the school what it is today.” Before stepping into his current position at Bowie, Robinson was the principal for Hudson Bend Middle School in the Lake Travis Independent School District. “I know that this has been a huge jump for him and it has been really nice to see how he has settled into the job and matured into this position,” social studies teacher Patricia Maney said. “I am really proud of the way he has handled the things that he has had to deal with here at Bowie between COVID-19, supporting teachers, students, and parents, and different issues he has had over the past four years. I am really glad he came.” Upon his arrival, Robinson stated that, among other subjects, his primary goals centered around “diversity and inclusion,” “community,”

FOUR YEARS OF PRINCIPAL... 2017-2021 BULLDOG NATION BULLDOG NATION BULLDOG NATION BULLDOG NATION BULLDOG NATION BULLDOG NATION PHOTO & ART BY Cade Spencer

and “student social, emotional, and educational readiness.” “I want to make sure that every student at Bowie knows that they are welcome, that they have a seat at the table, and that they have a voice,” Robinson said. READ MORE

Mark Robinson

“Four years of Robinson's 'Bulldog Nation'” pg. 8-9

Construction underway on new Fine Arts hall As a facet of Phase 1 of the 2017 Bond campus modernization project, the new performing arts hall is expected to be ready for use by June of 2022. “I have been really impressed by the construction of the new auditorium, and I did see that the foundation appears to be pretty big,” senior Brennon Zaveleta said. “I just saw the construction crew working on it, and I am

excited for the students that get to use the facility in the future.” While the new performing arts hall is constructed, the original theater will undergo repairs and modernizations as well. In the month of February, the theater was damaged as a result of Winter Storm Uri. “The hallways next to the current theatre will be converted once the fine arts

classrooms are completed in the current gym area,” theater teacher Betsy Cornwell said. “There will be two dressing rooms with designated lockers in that current hallway which can be used by anyone performing in the theatre or fine arts area during rehearsal times.” In addition to the theater, the campus gym also experienced severe water damage in the winter storm. Howev-

SETTING THE STAGE: The Page Architects and JE Dunn Construction team construct the foundation for the new Fine Arts performance facility to be accessible for use by June of 2022. As the facility is completed, it will be the next major step within the 2017 $91,030,000 campus improvement bond project, and the facility itself will consist of a performance stage, lobby, ticket booth, and large concession stand. PHOTO BY Cade Spencer

INDEX

NATION NATION NATION NATION NATION

News 1 , 2 Politics 3

Feature 4, 5 Photo Essay 6

Entertainment 7 In-Depth 8, 9, 16

Sports 10, 11 Pop Culture 1 2

er, the new athletics facility, another facet of the modernization project, is expected to be open for use by July of this year. “Bowie should prioritize the athletic facility more than the theater because there are more opportunities and uses with a new gym than a new theater,” sophomore Nico Colegrove said. “With a new gym, the basketball team can practice there, the football team can run drills in there, and it is better for housing more students during the day.” As a result of the winter storm, the construction plans for the current theater have been revised. Initially, it was intended for the old theater to be transformed into a black box theater. A black box theater is a theater whose walls, ceilings, and roofs are painted black. “Having two proscenium theaters was never part of the original bond plan,” Cornwell said. “In the original plan, our current theatre (which they called the ‘Little Theatre’), was going to be converted to a Black Box theatre like the one in the PAC and three other high schools. This was also part of the specifications for equitable Fine Arts facilities that were published several years ago.” The specifications for equitable Fine Arts facilities were outlined in the Facilities Master Plan (FMP) approved by the Austin Independent School District (AISD) Board in 2017. Through completion, the district-wide plan is scheduled to take 25 years

Reviews 13 Commentary 14,15

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with a goal to “create learning spaces worthy of our students’ talents as they prepare for an ever-changing global marketplace. “With cost overruns of the parking garage and inflation since the bond, both the Fine Arts facility and the PE facility took a financial hit,” Cornwell said. “The first thing to be cut from the new Fine Arts area was the conversion to a Black Box.” As for seating, the new theater is supposed to have 100 more available seats and a second story level. The new theater will also house better equipment for technicians behind the scenes, allowing for more creativity in light and sound variation during performances. “The new space has separated light and sound booths,” Cornwell said. “Currently, all of our technicians work in one booth at the back of the house in the theatre, which does not allow for as much variation in creation.” When the theater facility is complete, it will join the modernized athletic facility, parking garage, and renovated parking lot as campus updates that have been undertaken within the 2017 Bond program. “I think the new theater is a great way for students to pursue their dreams and possibly future careers in theater and Fine Arts,” Colegrove said. “This new theater shows how much Bowie cares for its Fine Arts community, and I am excited to see the completed hall and see students perform once it is done.”


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