The Dispatch, Vol. 38, Issue#3 12/12/25

Austin Policeincreasepresence with construction near Bowie, students receiving speeding tickets

The stretch of Slaughter Lane from Brodie to Mopac has been under construction to expand the lanes since the beginning of the school year. Throughout the day, construction workers are working along the side of the road and in the median. It’s customary to have a new speed limit in construction zones to protect the workers. Typically this change drops the speed limit by 10 mph. Originally 45 mph, Slaughter’s new speed limit, near Bowie especially, is now 35 mph.

This has essentially created a speed trap along the stretch of Slaughter near Bowie, where police officers and constables are waiting to stop people who don’t realize the speed limit has dropped. The officers are present from around 8 a.m. to well into the afternoon.

“At the beginning of every day, I see around three cops on motorcycles and maybe one constable,” junior Raylie Soliz said. “At least one of them is sitting on the entrance of Bowie at Slaughter.”

There have been many instances of students being pulled over, as well as students seeing other students get pulled over. It happens more so in the morning when people on their way to school and drive through Slaughter. Because of this, it's become something students have started to witness more frequently.

“I’ve seen two cars pulled over,” Soliz said. “I saw a Tesla on Monday at the light when you’re about to enter Bowie; and I saw another car a month ago at the beginning of Wolftrap.”

More than just seeing someone get pulled over, senior Cameron Tishgart was in the car when her friend got pulled over for speeding. They were on Slaughter, heading to 7-Eleven, when an officer had her friend pull into the parking lot.

“I felt so bad when she got pulled over,” Tishgart said. “But I was so thankful that I wasn’t driving because I know I would have sped and that would have been me.”

The officers have been stationed on motorcycles at the exits of neighborhoods and near the school entrance. This has caused stress and inconvenience for many of the student drivers around Bowie. Students have been avoiding Slaughter due to the cops frequenting the campus area in the mornings.

“I cut through the neighborhood because if there’s a cop I can avoid them and I feel like it’s a bit faster,” Tishgart said. “It doesn’t feel as awfully slow as driving 35 on Slaughter.”

The speed drop is necessary and routine when a work zone is active to protect the workers on the road. Although the increase in police presence has been perceived as an inconvenience, they are enforcing this speed drop and increasing the protection of these workers.

“That’s the price of construction, It's for the safety of the construction workers,” AQR teacher Edward Day said. “ People go faster than the speed limit, but they won’t if the cops are there; and we don’t want to lose a life.”

Overall, the increasing number of cops on Slaughter and the fact that there is enforcement of the 10 MPH speed limit drop now has also increased student drivers’ caution with it. To students it may be inconvenient, but it does make Slaughter safer for the construction workers.

“Ever since my friend was pulled over I’ve been so much more aware,” Tishgart said. “I feel bad that happened to her, but I feel so much better now that I know.”

STORY BY Eliza Williams

Peyton Dorsey News Editor

Junior Denisa Cotiga collects canned donations that have been spread across campus in overflowing boxes and brings them back to student council sponsor Alejandro Garcia’s classroom for the annual canned food drive. Cotiga worked alongside student council to boost donation encouragement.

“During the drive I’ve been gathering food from the teachers who have donation bins in their classrooms and then sorting the food,” Cotiga said.

with me, I figured if we’re able to get support in ways other than physical donations then we might as well do it.”

The 2025 student council food drive ran from Nov. 3 - 21. Canned food, rice, and peanut butter were all accepted as donations. This year’s goal was to collect 2500 pounds of food, this number was more than doubled with a grand total of 5305 pounds of food donated to the Central Texas Food Bank.

alongside Garcia with the final donations, and took them to the Central Texas Food Bank. Bowie’s food drive broke the record for the season at the food bank with the most amount of food donated from a program.

“The food drive is probably Bowie’s biggest event of the year when it comes down to helping the community,” Garcia

tions will be used by the Central Texas Food Bank to provide meals for those in need and stock mobile food pantries. The location of these pantries can be found on their website under ‘find food now.’ In addition to food pantry locations, the website provides information on which food program(s) the pantry supports. Most pantries in the area have an open food distribution system, allowing anyone to walk in and receive food during operating hours.

“I feel like we’re making a difference in our community with this food drive,” Watts said. “It’s really satisfy

Charlotte Schwarte Executive Objective Editor

Hands outstretched before him and crouching low, junior Lucas Geleitsmann works his way through the smoke-filled building. Panic briefly fills his chest as his thickly gloved hands lose feeling of the wall alongside him, and his vision is obscured by dark plumes of smoke.

Steeling himself, Geleitsmann crosses one last stretch of emptiness, and then… finally he can remove the wax paper from his goggles, and look across what was not an active fire, but simply a classroom.

Geleitsmann is currently the only Bowie student enrolled in the LBJ Early College High School’s firefighting program. He spends his 5th and 6th period at LBJ, taking on the intensive coursework necessary to be certified as a firefighter and EMT right out of high school.

“The firefighting program is important to me because it is giving me an opportunity to meet and interact with people who share a similar interest with me, and I am

being exposed to a career that I might genuinely follow,” Geleitsmann said. “I think I'll mentally get better at my leadership, and also teamwork.”

The LBJ Fire Academy is a course available to all high school students in the Austin independent school district (AISD) through the Student Sharing program, in which students are able to travel to other campuses for career and technical education specific courses. This includes classes such as Cosmetology, Video Game Design, and Automotive/Collision Repair. LBJ has the resources to offer students real interactive fire fighting training, including instruction from firefighters, authentic gear, and fire exposure.

“The most challenging part of the course so far has honestly been studying,” Geleitsmann said. “We get around two chapters every week or so, and then a test at the end of each. It’s a lot of studying, but then it’s also a lot of mental stuff, where we get to put on our gear, and they make us follow a path or go through obstacles.”

The Fire Academy has two pathways, the EMS and Fire classes, which start in junior year. Geleitsmann is in Fire I, and plans to attend Fire II, which upon completion of 728 hours guarantees Firefighting and EMT certifications.

“Lucas really enjoys the

class, and he’s always talking about it,” Geleitsmann’s girlfriend Citlalli Garcia said.

“He’s always very excited when he gets to take his equipment home, and he tries it out and runs in it, everything. He had the strength to be able to participate

REED WATTS Senior Student Council Co-President

LINING UP THE DONATIONS: Student Council sponsor

Alejandro Garcia's students Caleb Galvan and Liam Crowley helped student council members gather all the donated food at the end of the drive to take to the Central Texas Food Bank. Members filled up roughly twelve cars to transport all the donations.

PHOTO BY Gus Abbott

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VIDEO BY Eva Sweeney

Bulldogs sculpt bowls for a local charity

Sculpture classes join together to support an Austin nonprofit in time for Thanksgiving

Morgan Hertel Dispatch Reporter

Reaching into the kiln, sculpture teacher Cory Bluemling takes out a set of newly fired ceramic bowls. Each bowl is painted in its own set of patterns, colors, and designs for a charity. Some bowls are bright with bold colors, others are soft and more detailed, but all show the hours and effort students have spent on their work.

Bowie’s sculpture classes were recently given the opportunity to participate in making bowls for The Austin Empty Bowl Project, a charity founded by Kit Adams that collects donated charity bowls and donated food that is eaten during the charity event. The leftover food is donated to those in need. Students were allowed to create or design bowls that would be given and used at a charity event held on November 30 at the Central Texas Food Bank.

“I threw the bowls and then students were allowed to either trim them and learn a little bit about the ceramic process or try and throw their own bowls,” Bluemling said. “They could also glaze the bowls that I threw, but a lot of them have been glazing their own bowls. So, those will go into the kiln and will come out in time so we can deliver them for the event.”

During the Austin Empty Bowls event, 30 different restaurants and bakeries donate soups and bread to be eaten the Sunday before Thanksgiving by the families and friends who come to buy the donated bowls. The leftover food

is then given to food charities such as the Central Texas Food Bank and Meals on Wheels.

“I’m not able to go to the event this year, but I heard of this charity when I first moved to Austin in 2021, but I've participated in the events when I lived in Los Angeles and in Colorado,” Bluemling said. “I thought it'd be fun to give the students an opportunity to participate because it gives them an opportunity to immerse themselves in the craft of sculpture without having to start from zero.”

Making bowls for the Empty Bowl Project was not a required assignment. Bluemling explained it was just a chance for students to learn about the pottery process and to donate for a good cause. However, many students from sculpture classes one, two, and three took part in making and decorating the bowls.

“If they wanted to try and throw a bowl on the wheel and make a bowl from start to finish, they could’ve given that a go," Bluemling said. "A lot of students are throwing on the wheel for the first time, so I usually made the bowls for them."

Marcus

Students spent their class periods for three weeks before turning them in on Friday, Nov. 23 practicing new sculpting or painting techniques while supporting a charity driven event. When the bowls were done in the kiln they were then dropped off at Cafe Monet.

“I haven't thrown any bowls yet, but I did get to glaze and paint three bowls that I’m really proud of for the charity, all of them with different little designs,” sophomore Celeste Papas said. Pottery bowls of all different

shapes, colors, and sizes are donated to this project from places all over Central Texas. Many different schools, pottery makers, and art studios such as Austin Pottery, Sunset Canyon Pottery, and Cafe Monet all donated a variety of bowls with different designs to the charity.

“We got to paint the bowls with glaze, and then paint whatever different designs and patterns we wanted on them," sophomore Liliana Manders said. “I wanted to do more gender neutral colors so that everyone could have a bowl and so they're not just specifically all pink so I did a lot of fish

and flowers on mine.”

Bella Prieto, a sculpture one student, explained she used Pinterest to find inspiration for her bowl. She scrolled through and looked at different painting techniques and designs before she finalized her pottery bowls.

“I really like to paint on things and I thought it'd be fun to paint on a bowl that would be given to somebody else,” Prieto said. “I start by looking up inspiration online and I also just like to look around to find painting inspiration, and then I just painted what I wanted to.”

Since the charity's founding in

1997, The Austin Empty Bowl Project has raised more than $1.4 million from people buying the decorated bowls that are donated at the charity event. This allows them to have even more food to donate to different food charities.

“I hope that when someone sees my bowl they think that it is cute or pretty and that they find a way to connect with it somehow, " Papas said. “I would love to do it again because I would have time to participate more and come up with new ideas for painting.”

Record number of amendments approved by Texans

Texans change the constitution

Katie Grumet

Objective Executive Editor

Texans headed to the polls on Nov. 4 to vote on 17 different proposed amendments that would be added to the Texas Constitution.

In this election, all 17 propositions passed, making this the most amendments passed during a single election in Texas history.

Of the 17 passed amendments, 10 had to do with property taxes, tax exemptions, or bans on certain taxes. Additionally, three propositions allow for Texans to make investments in water infrastructure, dementia prevention, and technical education. Two amendments focused on reshaping Texas’s judicial system, and the last two focused on social and electoral issues.

“The people who are in charge of the state legislature won’t create a proposition to be added to the Texas Consti-

tution unless there is some specific political reason, and they don’t want to look like they failed,” Government teacher John Mast said. “They try to make sure things pass, but the issue is that a lot of the time, the amendments are worded in a way that it is difficult to understand.”

Texans also approved Proposition 15, which puts parents’ rights directly in the State Constitution. This proposition will give parents more say over their kids’ education, healthcare, and upbringing. According to the Texas Tribune, there are con-

cerns about how this proposal ensures that the child’s voice is being heard in addition to the parent’s concerns about how the bill language could lead to legal fights over different interpretations of the proposition in court.

“The problem is that they just passed a law that says teachers can’t talk about a bunch of different things,” Mast said. “There's a lot of pressure these days for individual parents to say that their child is being impacted by whatever the teacher says. I think most teachers are pretty conscientious about not trying to take a stand one way or the other, but the current political atmosphere has put a lot more pressure on teachers.”

Increased tax reliefs were approved

The majority of the propositions passed were aimed at lowering taxes, one being Proposition 13 (Prop 13). Prop 13 increases the homestead exemption, which is a home’s value that cannot be taxed to pay for public schools, from $100,000 to $140,000.

“Taxes usually go towards good and helping people in the community,” senior Jack Lowe said. “Lowering taxes would put more people at a disadvantage, and it would hurt the funding for the social services that rely on taxes to provide for their programs.”

Similar to Prop 13, Proposition 11 would increase tax exemptions for elderly Texans from $10,000 to $60,000. According to KUT News, these propositions are part of a recent movement toward

property tax relief, with nearly all state legislators pushing to get these propositions on the ballot.

Additional lower property tax propositions include Proposition 17, which gives Texans along the southern border a tax break for any projects related to border security on their land, and Proposition 9, which lowers taxes for landlords and business owners.

“Certain groups are more favored in politics, especially with tax breaks,” Lowe said.

“Right now, a lot of politics is focused on wealthy people and the debate of whether to

tax them heavily or not.”

In addition to the propositions aimed to increase tax exemptions, Proposition 10 and Proposition 7 are focused on lowering taxes for certain groups of people. Prop 10 provides a temporarily lower property tax for homes that were destroyed by a fire. Similarly, Prop 7 creates tax exemptions on the homes of spouses of U.S. veterans who died in service.

“The tax breaks in some of the propositions were designed for veterans and the elderly who have a more fixed income,” Mast said. “They may have other things impacting their ability to make money, so the legislators want to protect those particular groups.”

Eliminating certain fees for good Building up Texas' future on the ballot

Texas legislators also put four additional tax-related items on the ballot, specifically exemptions or outright bans on certain types of taxation.

For instance, Proposition 2 (Prop 2) bans the state from taxing people or businesses on profits or potential profits, such as investments or real estate. Additionally, according to the Texas Tribune, it would eliminate the franchise tax on business trusts, which would result in the state losing an estimated $152,000 in revenue per fiscal year.

“When people see lower taxes or tax exemptions, they think they’re gonna benefit from those tax exemptions, and so they vote for it,” Lowe said. “However, wealthier people

tend to have a higher chance of qualifying for tax exemptions because they usually have more of an opportunity to gain capital.” In addition to Prop 2, Proposition 6 prevents the state from creating new taxes on financial transactions, such as stock trading. This amendment also includes taxing those who are a part of financial institutions, brokers, or dealers. According to the Texas Tribune, this proposition was prompted by the expected opening of a new stock exchange in Texas and is intended to help Texans protect their personal

investments, such as retirement accounts and pensions.

“In America, the top 1% control so much of the wealth, and the wealth distribution is so uneven,” Lowe said. “Despite that, people who hold so much wealth pay almost equal taxes to the people who hold so little value. If these wealthy people were to be taxed more, that would provide so much help to poor people, but that doesn’t happen.”

This election, voters passed several amendments aimed at investing in the state’s future. Starting with Proposition 1, which creates two new funds to help Texas’ technical colleges by providing money for buying land, building new classrooms, and updating equipment. Following this, Texans also approved Proposition 14, which provides $3 billion to create a Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas to study dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other brain-related conditions.

I will vote when I'm older because a lot of people fought for my ability to vote so I should use it.

“Some of the things that passed were for things like funding Alzheimer's research,” Mast said. “Why does that need to be in the Constitution? But then there’s Proposition 4, which helps ensure funding

for the state’s water infrastructure that would force the state to make sure there's always money for water projects, but you would kind of assume the state should do that anyway.”

Proposition 4 allocates $1 billion a year to fixing pipes, building reservoirs, and supporting the state’s water supply against future droughts. According to KUT, this money will begin to address the state’s numerous issues with aging water infrastructure.

Voters also approved several changes to the state’s judicial system, one of which was Proposition 16, which reinforces that only U.S. citizens can vote in elections. According to the Texas Tribune, this proposition aims to prevent local governments in Texas from allowing residents who are not US citizens to vote in state and local elections.

“Even though that proposition is already in the U.S. Constitution, it still sounds important to me,” freshman Jessica Arce said. “I feel like immigration is a big problem right now, especially since we’re right by the border and there’s probably important stuff that we should be talking about related to that.”

“This proposition is needed,” Lowe said. “A couple of years ago, we had the freeze, and it showed how weak our water infrastructure was. When the freeze happened, it impacted everyone, and it showed people that we need to invest in a better water system, and that's why this proposition passed.”

THE FINAL COAT: Junior Tarin Scannell paints a bowl for the Austin Empty Bowls Project, an event run by the Central Texas Food Bank. These bowls are a main attraction for the event, and will help raise money for the Central Texas

Howard Ricardo Culinary teacher was surprised by a lot of the things that passed especially with voting to add to the state's constitution.

Jack Lowe Senior The right people are not getting taxes because of the heavily uneven distribution of wealth in the U.S.

John Mast Government teacher Voting on propositions doesn't immediately impact teens, making there not a lot to be interested in.

Jessica Arce Freshman

ART BY Sara Fowler

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VIDEO BY Ashley Marcus

Taking on the mental health crisis

Maddie and Charlie Debelak create nonprofit raising suicide awareness

Marissa McGowan Objective Executive Editor

This November, a long-standing project run by senior Maddie Debelak and her sophomore brother Charlie Debelak was launched. The siblings were connected in their goals of raising mental health and suicide awareness through their nonprofit organization by the name of Eliphino. This decision was rooted from their own personal experiences with mental health struggles within their family.

“Three years ago, my little brother and I lost our dad to suicide, he struggled a lot with bipolar disorder and alcoholism our entire lives. It took some time, but we decided we wanted to do something about it,” Maddie said. “One of the biggest things he struggled with was feeling very alone and isolated in those struggles. So, we started talking in the spring of the 2024-25 school year, we began working on the organization and developing our ideas.”

Eliphino is a grant-based nonprofit dedicated to building community around mental health, reducing stigma and giving students and adults a place to share their stories. Eliphino will use donations to award grants to mental health projects, school clubs, and local organizations.

“Our goal is to give grants to medical professionals. So, all the money we raise goes towards local organizations and nonprofits to do research studies like UT has a National Alliance for Mental Illness (N.A.M.I.) organization that we really want to work with,” Maddie said. “In the long run, I think we're really looking to do actual, like events and things in the community that have to do with mental health. So, we really want to partner up with those organizations that have, like, medical background and do, you know, kind of educational and engaging things.”

Eliphino’s first campaign began Nov. 15 and will last till Dec. 15, 2025. This campaign is run primarily online through the Eliphino social media and website. The campaign features daily posts about understanding mental health, coping strategies, stories and more. Eliphino will begin their campaigns fully online, with a future goal of working towards in-person events and student ambassador programs. “At its core, it’s about discussing the elephant in the room, about building community, knowing that you're not alone, that everyone

is struggling in some way, it helps,” Charlie and Maddie's mother Michelle said. “The thing is, we want to discuss all the struggles, not just the big ones, but all the daily challenges and all the ways, big, small and all the variations in between that drain us.”

Much of Eliphino’s board is based in Cleveland, a reflection of the strong community their father, Peter Debelak, built during his years of living and working there. Many members of the Eliphino board knew Peter personally, are lawyers, or come from nonprofit or fundraising backgrounds, making them suitable advisors for this organization.

“We tried to kind of cherry-pick different roles that could suit our board the best, people with law backgrounds or more like financially savvy, just to get a well rounded board of people with individuals with a lot of wisdom,” Charlie said.

“They've helped out with finances, with kind of strategic planning on getting the nonprofit up and going, we've

kind of taken the initiative on setting up everything else”

For Bowie students, Eliphino also serves as a resource. The organization offers an outlet for anyone struggling and encourages those to share their experiences through an anonymous Google form available on their social media and website.

“People often don't feel comfortable speaking about their mental health, they feel like they're crazy. I think that's something my dad struggled with a lot. He was feeling like he was burdening other people with that,” Maddie said. “So, our biggest goal is to build an environment where people can feel comfortable enough to at least have one place where they can share their story and feel seen by other people.”

While building this nonprofit, Maddie and Charlie relied deeply on the guidance of their mom, Michelle, who works professionally as a nonprofit fundraiser. She took on the role of the organization’s official Organizational Agent, a legally required position she currently holds. Once Maddie reaches adulthood, she plans to assume this responsibility herself.

“It makes me enormously proud that Maddie and Charlie are stepping

into that legacy, motivated by a deep desire to do right, create a community of people discussing mental health. In many ways, they’re creating a space that they would have benefited when their dad died,” Michelle said. “Knowing that you’re not alone, that countless people are struggling in their own ways, may not fix anything, but it can lift some of the mental burden, provide a little light, a little hope. I don’t have the words to express how proud, and impressed I am with them.”

According to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, one in ten adults in the United States experienced a mental health crisis in 2024. Additionally, three-quarters of adults suffering reported seeking some form of help, most commonly health care providers (53.2%) and family or friends (39.8%)

“At its core, it’s about discussing the elephant in the room, about building community, knowing that you're not alone, that everyone is struggling in some way, it helps,” Michelle said.

“The thing is, we want to discuss all the struggles, not just the big ones, but all the daily challenges and all the ways, big, small and all the variations in between that drain us.”

Raising flags for winter wonderland

Thia Betts Dispatch Reporter

On Dec. 7, Colorguard’s Winter Wonderland fundraiser filled the school with holiday spirit and winter fun with a red carpet entrance towards Santa Clause, Christmas trees, a hot chocolate station, and inflatable ornaments hanging from the ceiling. The market had holiday and winter themed decorations all throughout the fine arts hall and dance gym.

Parents of students in Colorguard have set up Winter Wonderland every year for the past four years to fund Winterguard. A variety of vendors owned by small businesses or students from Bowie come to sell their products.

“There are performances that go on in the cafeteria while vendors sell food and all the different things,” Colorguard director Daniel Riley said. “We use the whole fine arts wing here, and we have all the vendors set up inside the dance gym and along the hallways.”

Senior Gina Linsalata is a member of Colorguard and makes things to sell with her sister, senior Theresa Linsalata. Their cake pops were $2 each with free samples and their stuffed animals range from $12, $20, and $30 each and $5 key chains.

“Both my sister and I work together. She crochets stuffed animals; this year she's making Snoopy and Hello Kitty key chains. I'm knitting ferrets and corgis and I sew big teddy bears. Then we both bake cake pops and put hot cocoa bombs together,” Linsalata said. “We

try to sell out and make as many stuffed animals as we can, because those usually sell out faster.”

Small businesses can rent out tables to sell their art and services and make a profit while still supporting the fundraiser.

According to the James Bowie colorguard Instagram, vendors like Toni’s Toffee, Philogranic which is a family owned business that sells wellness products, and Angie Baby’s which sells their signature Jalapeno Ranch Dip and more. Other businesses include Crackpot Clay, TW Hat Co., Jingle Mouse which makes Christmas decorations and activities out of vintage Christmas ornaments, and Kaitlyn’s Creations which sells a variety of homemade gifts.

“There's this woman, and she makes the cutest quilted bags ever and I love seeing everything handmade,” Linsalata said. “Like there's vintage tea cups; they're so beautiful.

I love it.” Junior Rylen Rea is in Colorguard and she volunteers with the vendors during the market. She encourages small businesses and participates in several of the crafts and activities.

“I think Winterguard is important because it raises awareness for smaller businesses and it gives more opportunities to people who have small businesses," Rea said. “Sometimes I get to help with face painting, and that's really fun. And I just really like helping out.” All profits go towards the Winterguard season. Money for student’s food, bus rides, costumes, and for the staff come from the fundraiser.

“People get to see all the different kinds of unique crafts that people bring to the market.” Riley said. “Students definitely felt the holiday spirit, and had a good time.”

Gates improve campus security

New safety measures effect campus policy

The bus drop off area is more secure than ever with new doors installed over Thanksgiving break that require a staff’s badge to open. According to Austin Independent School District (AISD), all doors in their schools should have restricted access that only key cards can open. Secure doors similar to the door system at the front of the school will make it hard for non-school issued people to get in. According to management assistant to the principal Samuel Cabrera, AISD is making these changes for safety and security.

“This will improve Bowie because the doors are more secure than a gate with a chain that can be cut,” Cabrera said. “It will also prevent vehicles or motor bikes from driving in the courtyard.”

According to AISD, school courtyards are permitted for public use but only with permission. Students think that these changes could affect the environment of the school but still believe it is a safer way to get into the building, some think Bowie’s aesthetics could change for the worse.

“I think it makes me feel safer but it definitely could make the school look different and feel less welcoming,” sophomore Oliver Gibson said. “I think it might make it feel more prison-like, but overall I’m happy that the school is taking extra precautions when it comes to the safety of the students.”

This project is funded with the HVAC upgrade bond from 2022 which according to AISD, is to address campus deficiencies and to modernize school buildings, this bond gave the district $2.4 billion.

“I think that safety should be a top priority for our school but there are many other schools in Austin that don’t have half as many safety precautions than we do,” Gibson said. “I think that other schools should be prioritized as well when it comes to funding these kinds of projects.”

According to Cabrera, the gates that are changing are the two middle gates going from the courtyard to the bus lanes; these are the gates that will turn into doors. The AISD website says that secure entrances are important for ensuring all visitors entering the building are checked and where they are supposed to be.

“I feel like it would stop a lot of violence in the school and maybe make it more comforting for people who have fears of those things actually happening,” freshman Reese Wheeler said. “I feel like the gate makes it just easy for people to come in.”

STORY BY Thia Betts

Canned food drive sets Bowie records

CONTINUED from pg. 1 The city of Austin website states that 18% of Travis county residents experience food insecurity, which is roughly 240,000 people. The website also offers links and information about other resources that can help Austinites gain access to healthy food.

“With the general na ture of our government and food benefits right now there is a higher need than ever before for food banks,” Garcia said. “I really have emphasized that if people have an opportunity to give this year, please do so, a lot of people are in need.” While food banks are able to provide many meals to those in need, they cannot cov er all those in need of assis tance. Feeding America states that for every meal a food bank pro

vides, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nine. During the recent government shutdown, the Trump administration announced they would not tap into the contingency funds that are in place to cover costs like continuing SNAP during a shutdown. This caused a high increase of anxiety in those who rely on SNAP, and there was an increase in food insecurity across the nation. Food banks saw an increase in participation after this announcement, reinforcing the need for donations.

“The food drive was supposed to make people feel good, which is the whole point of giving,” Garcia said. “You give to give, not for any kind of return, and it is the season of giving. If you have the opportunity to help, then you should have that drive within yourself to do so.”

HOLIDAY CHEER: Senior Theresa Linsalata and Gina Linsalata set up shop for the Color Guard's annual winter market. This market raises enough money to support the program for the whole year. PHOTO BY Katie Grumet

FUNDRAISING FRENZY: Maddie and Charlie Debelak shown working on the Eliphino Website. Eliphino uses their website and social media platforms as their main form of running their first fundraising campaign lasting from Nov. 15 to Dec. 15. PHOTO BY Izzy Maes

SCAN TO SUPPORT ELIPHINO!

SUPER SOUP: Student Council advisor Alejandro Garcia carries bags of cans. A total of 5,305 pounds of cans were donated by students and staff, setting a Bowie record. PHOTO BY Gus Abbott

HO HO HO: Santa Claus makes an appearance at the Colorguard market. This is an annual fundraiser. PHOTO BY Ben Wong

LOGO PROVIDED BY Eliphino

Sailor Haley sets off into open waters

Junior starts sailing in preparation for possible profession, gaining freedom and resilience

Charlotte Schwarte Executive Objective Editor

Wind buffets the sail and pushes the dark water into a frenzy, spraying over the bow of the ship and onto its crew. Corbyn Haley stands at the helm as gusts of wind continue to assault the sailboat, holding on tight as it almost keels over. Undeterred by the weather conditions, Haley stands smiling, feet planted, as lines and pulleys activate all around.

Over this past summer, junior Corbyn Haley joined Outbound Sailing, an American Sailing Association (ASA) accredited school based in Lake Travis. Since then her passion for sailing has bloomed, and she has grown her skill through weekly practices on the water.

“It’s very relaxing feeling the wind while sailing,” Haley said. “My favorite part is when the whole boat tips over and I feel like I’m going to fall off, but won’t actually. It feels very risky and thrilling, but also calming.”

Haley started sailing with the idea of pursuing a career in the United States Coast Guard. Her father was a pilot in the military, and has prompted her to join the military as well. Haley prefers the water over the idea of flying a plane, which led her to the Coast Guard and sailing in preparation for the future career.

“It would be cool to go into the Coast Guard to save people or go after them on a boat,” Haley said. “It'd be fun, and I’d get to serve the country too, but for good causes. I wouldn’t be hurting people but I’d be there to rescue them.”

At Outbound Sailing, Corbyn participates in “community sails” during which large groups of sailing students go out on a boat for around four hours and learn the ways of the boat. They take place every Friday and Saturday, and Haley is the only high schooler on the team of adult sailing students.

“We start simple, learning how the wind works, what all the lines and sails do, and how to keep the boat balanced and moving,” Outbound Sailing owner Jason Burns said. “From

there, students start taking the wheel, hoisting sails, tacking, jibing, all the hands on stuff. Every day we add more skills, and by the end they're running the boat like a real crew.”

Burns is also the lead instructor for Outbound Sailing, teaching the “community sails." The goal is to achieve a certain amount of hours on the water to gain different sailing certifications, with Haley already working on her second. So far she has completed her “ASA 101: Basic Keelboat Sailing," with other certifications including specialization in “Basic Coastal Cruising” and “Bareboat Sailing."

“Corbyn was awesome to teach,” Burns said. “She showed up ready to learn, asked great questions, and picked things up super fast. She’s got really good instincts for how the boat moves, she feels what's happening instead of just reacting. She stays calm, pays attention, and I can always count on her to do her part right.”

On the boat, trainees are expected to help with activities like raising and lowering sails based on wind direction to maintain speed, manage different lines (ropes), and steer at the helm. Sailing is also at the whim of weather conditions, and sailors have to watch for wind, fog, and storms affecting the water and boat itself.

"There has to be an understanding about how wind works and why to do certain things, like tacking and jibbing, and I have to learn all the commands,” Haley said. “I honestly feel like a pirate. I have to learn how to do everything safely and properly, without hurting myself or accidentally doing something to damage the boat.”

In order to

pursue her sailing dreams, Haley has had to balance her time on the water with her other big time commitments. Outside of sailing, Haley plays the guitar and bass in her band and is closely involved with the Bowie Starlight Theatre Company (STC). Fellow STC member junior Tilly Wooten has joined Haley in her sailing endeavors.

“At first I was really nervous, because the boat can tip really far and it feels like I’m going to fall off, but it’s never going to happen like that,” Wooten said. “It was scary at first but when we got to easy water it was pretty chill and beautiful, because we got to see the sunset. Corbyn was really proud of herself for her work then.”

This summer, Wooten tagged along with Haley during a community sail and got to see Haley put her newfound knowledge to use. Wooten’s grandfather is also a sailor, which helped Wooten prepare for the experience and a reason for her love for the activity.

“Sailing opens up new horizons,” Wooten said. “It lets people explore what they are capable of and what they can do. Corbyn is very dedicated to what she does, when she puts her mind to something, she always follows through with it and gets it done.”

Haley is currently working on her next certification, one that will qualify her to work on larger boats in moderate weather conditions as both a crew

member and skipper, the person who leads the vessel and takes the helm.

With a Coast Guard future in mind, she already believes in the positive effects of learning to sail and the impact it’ll have further in life.

“Sailing is one of those things that teaches you way more than just how

to drive a boat,” Burns said. “You learn patience, teamwork, problem-solving, and how to stay calm when things don't go exactly as planned. Plus, being out on the water is just an amazing reset from screens and stress. It’s freedom and focus all at once.”

Student stokes the flames of ambition at Fire Academy

CONTINUED from pg. 1

At this point in the school year, Geleitsmann’s class has covered topics dealing with ladders, radio communication, forcible entry, and extinguishers. These lessons have laid the groundwork for the skills necessary for firefighting and are taught through normal in structional lessons as well as ‘skill days,' which are special weekend events at the Pflugerville Fire Training Facility where students can practice what they’ve learned so far.

“Lucas has a strong sense of integrity and has always been interested in helping people,” Geleitsmann’s mother Denise Geleitsmann said. “When he was about four years old we saw a crash and his first instinct was to ask us if we should stop and help. He’s full of compassion and concern for others and wants to help people stay safe.”

The “Risk Management System” is a firefighting concept that Lucas has taken to heart, and plans to implement if he pursues firefighting. It’s a phrase that consists of “risk a lot to save a lot, risk a little to save a little," and the expectation is that if there is the opportunity

to save a life, a firefighter will risk their life to do so.

“There’s a lot of times when I’m not sure what to do exactly or might be afraid to do it, but if I just step in and help other people it really builds confidence that I need,” Lucas said. “Firefighting really just builds teamwork, everyone is helping each other.” Lucas has been using the exercises at the Fire Academy, like practicing hanging off of ladders to reach windows and walking in full gear with vision covered by wax-paper, to overcome his fears of heights and claustrophobia. Through team exercises, Lucas believes he’s already making progress on this goal.

“I mainly like interacting with people, and with firefighting you basically build a family with everyone you work with, which I think is super cool,” Lucas said. “I would prefer actually going out and doing stuff rather than just sitting at a desk, which is the same with my interest in piloting. I would prefer to be flying somewhere, traveling.”

While Lucas has only recently

been interested in becoming a firefighter, he has multiple other passions that came first. He has been fascinated with planes since a young age, runs the plane-spotting and photography Instagram account @aviation_ lucas dedicated to his hobby, and had previously planned to be a pilot. Lucas has found a passion for daring careers, including storm chasing.

“We have been very excited at the prospect of him becoming a pilot and were surprised last year when he decided to apply

to the LBJ Fire Academy,” De-

nise said. “I believe his interest in aviation and his love of travel are why he is interested in becoming a pilot, Lucas’ desire to help others is why he is interested in firefighting. He has actually never shown an interest in any other career except storm chasing.” Lucas first became interested in firefighting after hearing the personal experiences from firefighters he knew through his parents or friends. His goal is to gain more leadership skills and confidence throughout the

course, and by senior year to figure out his intended career path. “I believe the Fire Academy will help Lucas develop leadership skills and confidence to try new things and be open to adventure,” Denise said. “We have a few friends who are firefighters and have seen how it can be

NEW HORIZONS: Sitting on a sailboat at Outbound Sailing, Corbyn Haley gazes out at the setting sun. Haley started sailing with the interest of pursuing the National Coast Guard, following in the footsteps of her Army father. PHOTO BY Will Olenick

TAKING THE HELM: Corbyn Haley stands at the helm, steering the boat. At 'community sails,' she's able to work as a skipper and crew-member. PHOTO BY Will Olenick

SCAN TO SEE MORE!

PHOTO GALLERY BY Will Olenick SUITED UP: Lucas Geleitsmann stands in

BY Ava Weaver

ART BY Charlotte Schwarte

Poetry blooms through the cracks

Zoe Stover Dispatch Reporter

Pen in hand, she pours words onto a fresh page of her journal, thoughts and emotions spilling from her mind onto the paper. She sits by her window, pondering new ideas as she stares out at the Zinnias in her garden. A spark of inspiration ignites in her mind as she carefully traces each letter, the ink swirling carefully to create the next line in her poem.

This year, senior Emma Lopez published a poetry book titled “Through the Cracks, We Bloom” with Kindle Direct Publishing under the pen name Lillian Connors. The book features a collection of 185 poems inspired by her personal experiences and mental health journey. Lopez spent three years writing poems for her book, recording her revelations about anxiety, depression, hopefulness, and joy.

“When I was younger, I really struggled with my mental health,” Lopez said. “It got really bad, but then I got myself out of it. I was always really proud of that, and so I wanted to write about that and how amazing I feel now that I’ve really healed and found peace.”

The titles of each chapter of Lopez’s book use the phases of a flower as a metaphor for the progression of her mental health. The first section of the book, titled “Withering,” recounts her experiences with bullying and the effects it had on the way she perceived herself. Lopez describes the thoughts and emotions of her younger self, covering topics like depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

“Whenever I see someone having the same issues that I had, the same insecurities, I’m like, ‘Oh my God, if only I could show you my thought process of this exact issue that you’re going through, just to show you that you don’t have to think about yourself this way,’” Lopez said. “Publishing a poetry book is really the way I can get my ideas out there. If anyone who reads this had the same issues as me, I want to make them feel like they’re not alone.”

a happier state of mind. The fresh start gave her time to rethink her insecurities and discover new revelations about her mental health.

“It was the first time I’d ever been completely away from all the people who were so mean to me, and I was also really far away from my friends who weren’t really my friends,” Lopez said. “It really gave me a lot of time to think because I was kind of reflecting in isolation. That was where most of the change in me becoming confident happened, and that was when I really started writing a lot.”

In the third and final section of the book, “Blooming,” Lopez explores feelings of hope as she heals and finds peace within herself. Her poems describe her self-love as she discovers joy in her life and finds the freedom to be herself.

Lopez’s mom, Dana Lopez, supported and cheered for her as she unveiled each chapter of the book.

“As I read the poems, I can see Emma expressing her whole self, working her experience, imagination, and empathy into the lines,” Dana said. “I’m really proud of Emma for taking on this project and seeing it through. The difference between a dream and a goal is a plan, and I’m so glad this one came together.”

Emma used Canva to create the illustrations for her book. Her illustrations highlight the metaphors in her poems, conveying themes of social anxiety, hope, and self-love. Emma expressed herself through her art, choosing to make the drawings simple and abstract.

“In later parts of the book, there is a bird that I think I did really well on,”

Emma said. “It takes up half the page, and it has a broken wing. I really like that one, because I think it’s my prettiest drawing in the book.” Emma dedicated her book to her close friend Serra Gomez, who inspired her to write. Gomez was amazed by her poetry and encouraged her to put her poems into a book. She supported Emma throughout her poetry journey and helped her brainstorm ideas for poems.

The second section of the book, titled “Growing,” describes the shift in her mindset as she begins to heal and recognize her self-worth. In seventh grade, Lopez moved to Austin from California, a key moment for her transition into

“Her book shows how much she loves to write, and it also is a little bit of a window into her life,” Gomez said. “She has a goal to be the best she can, and I think that goal was channeled into making the best book she could. I’m really, really happy for her.”

Emma stated she uses poetry as an artistic

outlet to express her inner thoughts and emotions. She believes that the last poem in her book encapsulates her entire journey through mental health and poetry.

“It’s a short poem, and it only has a tiny illustration, but it’s more of a poem about how I am so stubborn and have so much willpower, that

even though all this bad stuff happened to me I am still blooming from within,” Emma said. “One of the lines from the poem is, ‘What are weeds, if not survivors,’ because I felt like a weed for most of my life, and I really felt like it was a bad thing. But now I realize, I have a lot of perseverance, and that’s really something I should be proud of.”

Cadet major Printz marches with pride and precision

Olivia Hunter Dispatch Reporter

Cadets march and whistles blow as junior Eli Printz steps forward to lead his flight. With a uniform on and a perfect posture, he calls out commands that echo across the courtyard. Trusting his technique, he goes through each movement with precision and confidence.

Printz, now a Cadet Major, has been a part of Bowie High School’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps(JROTC) program for three years. He serves as flight commander and is responsible for teaching a small group of student Air Force personnel otherwise known as cadets. What began as a simple elective choice quickly shifted into something more meaningful as he developed new skills.

“I came to Bowie in eighth grade for ‘Dawg day and after seeing JROTC’s recruitment stand I decided to put it on my choice sheet,” Printz said. “I would say JROTC is a great opportunity to get some leadership and teamwork expertise because you’re immediately made responsible for maintaining and wearing your uniform on day one.”

JROTC is a course dedicated to helping students become responsible leaders who focus on serving their community. According to the U.S. Army Junior ROTC website, the program started in 1916 and was established as a way to educate, motivate, and empower young people.

“It’s a really great program; it

builds people’s character,” sophomore Rhyland Rigg said. “Despite common belief, it’s not the military; it’s more about learning discipline and respect.”

Lessons range from aerospace science to principles about civics. Despite the variety of topics, Printz often emphasizes the student-led format and learning the structured curriculum.

“We start the class with the pledge of allegiance and then our flight commander will take attendance since it’s mostly a student-led program,” Printz

said. “We have two instructors where one of them teaches us about air space topics like science of flight or astronomy and the other teaches us things like civics, the U.S. government, and how to keep track of money.”

According to Chief Lauren Owens, one of the longest tenured instructor at Bowie. JROTC is more than just a class; it’s a place where students like Printz learn qualities like teamwork and responsibility in hopes of preparing them for future challenges.

“It’s an academic class that teaches students the tools they will need to navigate their life after Bowie High School,” Owens said. “They go from being shy and non-assertive to doing brief ings and holding leadership positions in JROTC and at Bowie.”

Through experiences like morning formations, marching drills, and boot camps, Printz has grown to be a mentor.

As Deputy Commander of Operations, he oversees all functions, organizes events, and guides younger cadets to ensure everything runs smoothly.

“He’s a strong-mind ed leader who’s open to others’ opinions, and just a great overall person,” freshman Brenn Williams said. “He was super helpful when he took charge and showed me the ropes at boot camp.”

Rigg explains that a Cadet Major’s role extends beyond just following procedures. They set the tone for the program, teach valuable lessons, and serve as a role model for other cadets.

“He was my flight command-

er last year, where he really got me into the program, and he’s taught me everything I know,” Rigg said. “He definitely can take charge in teams and makes things fun, but when it comes down to it, he gets work

In addition to mentoring, Printz stated he focuses on motivating others, solving issues, and challenging himself outside of his comfort zone.

“He is a mentor to our younger cadets, and gives honest feedback to help others reach their goals,” Owens said. “ We often use the phrase, ‘lead from the front.’ Eli has done exactly that. When issues arise, he tackles them headon and solves the issue before it becomes a larger issue that affects other students.” As Printz looks ahead for his final year in the program, he hopes to continue leading and making meaningful changes.

“I kept myself responsible and made sure I was helping everyone out and staying reliable,” Printz said. “I saw some things that could be improved in the way we introduce our program to first years and helped my instructors set goals to change them.”

HEALING THROUGH WRITING: Emma Lopez sits reading her own self-published poetry book, “Through the Cracks, We Bloom.”

MIRROR TO THE INSIDE: Emma Lopez scans the words of her poetry book. These words serve as a mirror into her brain and reveal her true feelings. PHOTO BY Zoe Stover

A slam dunk to start basketball season

Bowie basketball share their excitement and goals as they head into the new season.

Alice Goss Entertainment Editor

The final bell rings, players on the court come to a halt as the sound of shoes squeaking against the floor is overpowered by the cheering of the crowd. The team rallies together with hope in their eyes, looking forward to the upcoming season.

The 2025-2026 Bowie Boys Basketball season kicked off with a decisive victory over the Stony Point Tigers 76-55. This season shows true potential to varsity basketball head coach and student leadership teacher Joseph Pendell. The team has started the season off with a streak of six wins and look to continue their successes throughout their season, going 14-1 and winning their own tournament.

“There have been a lot of good Bowie teams in the past and we hope to be joining them,” Pendell said. “All of our guys have put in a lot of time and dedication in the off season. If we can apply pressure for all 32 minutes and play team basketball, I feel like we have a great chance of winning every time we take the court.”

The team practices during the school day and as they get closer to the start of season there are additional hours after school and on the weekends. Sometimes they work on traditional drills, but also take time to lift and then let their bodies recover. This workload can be strenuous, so many athletes have to find ways to take care of their bodies leading up to games.

“Everyone does their own thing to make sure their body’s right and ready to play,” junior point guard Joshua Baskin said. “I went to the trainer the morning before the first game and then as a team we watch film with our assistant coach individually, and then watch film all together with both coaches during the period.”

The staff and team as a whole has decided to shift towards a more uptempo playing style this year, encouraging the players to be more creative and make higher-scoring decisions. The team plans to be more aggressive during games defensive wise to create pressure and really push the other team.

“The players have worked hard and prepared themselves well,” assistant coach Bret Atkins said. “The players have improved individually and have a better understanding of what we are trying to do as a team in the game.”

Senior captain, center Lamin Jabbi has gone from barely playing in the games to barely ever coming out of a game. As captain Jabbi spends countless hours with his teammates, and is expected to keep them in check, lead them during games, and keep them united on and off the court.

“As a team we get warmed up and we know what we’re there to do and that’s to win the game,” Jabbi said. “Working with this team, the trust just has to be there and as captain if someone’s having a bad day, I’ll help them out. It’s really taught me that I’m going to meet a lot of people in my life and it’s good to learn to get along with them.”

The shift in training and in-game tactics, paired with new leadership has created a stronger community between the team this year according to Baskin. This year the coaches have relied on student leaders like Jabbi and Baskin to help the team during games and tournaments.

“Our coach talked about how in practice, that’s his time to be a coach, but in game it’s up to us,” Baskin said. “It definitely made my leadership role bigger just because it’s more of a player-led game, pushing me to make sure that if we’re in a bad position then everyone knows we’re okay. I really think we’re going to have a good season. We have the right players, the right team chemistry, and we could make a big run this year.”

DENIED: Applying pressure, senior Derek Osobase blocks a lay up sent up by the Reagan Rattlers. The ‘Dawgs utilize a new high pressure defense in this year’s season, aiming to contest each and every offensive possession by the other team, trying to get as many fast breaks as possible. “Our defense is built on pressure and enforcing turnovers,” Osobase said. “All of practice we scrimmage and constantly work on our

DUNKED ON: In a season tournament senior captain Lamin Jabbi uses his hight to jump up for a dunk. This sets the tone for the rest of the game leading the Bulldogs to a 66-55 win over the Reagan Rattlers and eventually a win in the championship. “I’m never nervous,” Jabbi said. “Theres no pressure, I know what I’m here to do and that is win, as a team we have decided to take high percentage shots, and do what is most likely to give us the most guaranteed points.”

PHOTO BY Arlo Stockstill

Arlo Stockstill

Baskin puts

Women overcome obstacles to pursue careers in STEMM Shifting the gears of change

Liberty Pittman Media Editor-in-Chief

Sketching out her design, she reaches for a ruler, making sure to be as precise as possible. As the lines come together, an image is formed. It may look like a simple building, but it is actually much more, it is a design for a base on the moon.

Whether designing livable bases for the moon, or working on low orbit satellites that are now in space, senior Zeynep Ozgun has been preparing to be an aerospace engineer throughout her time in high school. She is just one of many women looking to pursue a career in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM).

“I did an internship two summers ago, and the person in charge was a woman, and I worked under her,” Ozgun said. “It was so cool being able to see such a powerful woman, and honestly that's kind of what solidified what I wanted to do with my life. Along with that, there's a lot of girls that participate in the NASA program that I participated in, which makes me really happy. STEMM is a male dominated field, so it's really nice that younger girls are finally starting to see they have a space in this industry."

GROWING FEMALE PRESENCE

According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) there has been significant growth in the percentage of women in STEMM fields since 1970, having grown from 7% to 26%. However, since 2000 the growth of women in STEMM has remained more stagnant with a growth of only 1%, remaining unchanged since 2010.

I know I'm a girl, and he said, ‘You must score at least 10 points higher on stuff than boys to get the same grade.' So, I ended up with a D in the course. I was a little 18 year old kid, and that was the culture I was in. I was stunned, because I'd never really felt that way in high school, and my parents had never alluded to anything like that. I was also told by my advisor that I had to take three semesters of calculus instead of two because I’m a girl. That was the stigma.”

CHALLENGES FACED IN THE FIELD

According to the European Center for Women and Technology, on average women in STEMM make around 4% less than the typical man in STEMM. While this can be as simple as being paid less, according to the Women in Stem Network, the pay gap may be much more complex. Women can be offered lower starting salaries which affects their pay over the entirety of the time they work, they can be steered towards less rewarding STEMM roles than their male counterparts like coordination and communication, and they can be looked over for discretionary bonuses and promotions which can favor men over women.

Kate Snyder said. “Even with the toys we give to children, many of them are not math and science-based when it comes to girls, and this subconsciously, kind of dissuades them from pursuing careers that are built upon these fundamentals. In the media a lot of STEMM representation is male. One show I watched as a kid which is a part of my crazy love of the ocean was the Octonauts, and in the show there was a girl bunny rabbit engineer. That was my first introduction to engineering as a little kid, even if I didn't realize it. That was also probably the only representation of women in STEMM I ever watched as a little kid, there is just not a lot of representation out there.”

According to a survey done by the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), when asked why women don’t pursue careers in STEMM as much as men, 45.31% of respond ers said it is because women aren’t encour aged to think about STEMM careers while in school. One aspect of school which Ozgun believes has impacted her involvement in STEMM was the presence of female teachers and role models in her life.

“There is definitely a gender pay gap in STEMM and it is completely unfair,” Ozgun said. “It undermines the effort that women put into these jobs and frankly, I honestly think they put more effort than men to be able to get where they want to. I think that definitely impacts how much women want to get involved in STEMM because gender pay is less prevalent in other study areas. It's just really discouraging.”

"“I've had a decent amount of STEMM teachers who are women, and I feel like they've really allowed me to feel like I have a place in this area of study, and they've made me really feel comfortable,” Ozgun said. “My parents are also really supportive, and they're really proud of me for what I've achieved, their support definitely helps. It's important to have women doing everything, especially for younger girls who are in elementary school, they need to have maturing people to show them that a woman has space in every single industry and every single thing that they want to do. That's a really im portant thing that we lack.”

“Some of the stats I've seen show that there are more women in STEMM fields than there used to be, but specifically in engineering, women are still underrepresented,” Water Treatment Plant Operations Manager at Austin Water Stephanie Sue said. “This still likely has something to do with gender stereotypes where females are discouraged from pursuing STEMM or engineering fields.”

The growth across and current percentage of women in different STEMM fields is not even. According to the DOL, women make up 61% of social science occupations, 44% of mathematical occupations, and 45% of physical science occupations, while they only make up 24% of computer occupations, and 16% of engineering occupations.

“In my practicum class there's a lot more girls than guys, but in anatomy and biology, it was pretty mixed,” senior Sarah Anderson said. “From what I've heard guys tend to focus more on engineering and physics, but I'm not sure why. I think it may be just because they see healthcare as being female dominated.”

Recent proposals by the U.S. Department of Education to change the classification of professional degrees may harm fields currently dominated by women. According to National Nurses United, by removing something from the list of professional degrees, the amount of federal student loans a person can receive for their degree under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” would be cut in half. Therefore by declassifying degrees in female dominated fields like nursing, those pursuing those careers would no longer be able to receive as much in federal student loans.

“It's going to exacerbate the nursing shortage because less people will be able to afford to go to school for it,” senior CJ Pelt said. “It's an insult to the profession, I mean nursing is not like getting an English or even an engineering degree, I would say nursing school is more akin to trade school than college in some aspects. With nursing being a female dominated field it's just one of the many other ways the Trump administration has shown us how much they hate women.”

SEXIST SETBACKS

One global factor which can draw women away from STEMM fields is sexism. According to The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), sexist attitudes which uphold traditional gender roles, and behaviors which trivialize female abilities or intellect can affect women’s confidence and educational outcomes.

“There used to be this underlying assumption that women were just not cut out to be scientists or mathematicians or physicists, and it's one of those cultural things that has been so difficult to overcome, because females really take themselves out of the equation, because they're female,” AP Physics and Engineering Design and Problem Solving teacher Janet Gummerman said. “They just don't have the confidence in a room full of boys to be the one that says, ‘No, we're going to do it this way.' They step out of things and let other people take over, because boys tend to be more assertive and more domineering.”

According to the NCBI, while there has been improvement over time, implicit gender-science stereotypes still exist today across ages, genders, and nations. These stereotypes which stemmed from ideas of women being less intelligent, weak, and emotional have persisted in biases which are still held by people today, influencing both hiring and compensation for modern female workers.

“My freshman year at UT I was in physics, and I had a C in the class, but when I got my report card, I had a D,” Gummerman said. “I went in to talk to my professor, and he said, ‘Oh, you don't know? You're a girl.' I said, Well,

In addition to inequity in pay and hiring practices, throughout STEMM pathways women can face additional challenges due to being in the female minority in their chosen field. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), women can face discrimination, and lack support and representation in their field. Being surrounded by men women can struggle to find a community they feel they fit in with, and can struggle to be heard.

It is important to have diverse opinions in all fields, but especially problem-solving fields like STEMM.

Sarah Tower Silicon Design Engineer

“In math or different classrooms like that, the guys bunch together, so even if I had questions or answers, I wouldn't really feel comfortable asking them,” Anderson said. “It’s not necessarily because I'm a girl, but because guys tend to pack together.”

While some may think that the increase of women in STEMM would create more equality, and improve the working environment for women, according to the NCBI, studies done on the “backlash” effect have shown that women in more equally gender balanced STEMM fields face more sexual violence victimization than those in non-STEMM fields, or STEMM fields still dominated by men. According to the Communications of the ACM, in a survey done by the ITIC, 61% of women in STEMM said they had experienced workplace sexual harassment, and 78% said they experienced gender bias.

“When someone is required to do things in order to get a promotion or get a job, and they're not willing to compromise themselves in that way, and they get fired because of it, there's a problem,” Gummerman said. “Constantly being reminded about parts of their body or getting pinched or, just overt touching, there's all kinds of things that young females in certain situations are subjected to. I don't really know how it is nowadays, but I know when I was younger, it was pervasive.”

Apart from how they are treated within the field, women's lives outside of work can also impact what fields they go into and how they are seen by their employers. According to the NCBI, in a poll done in 2018, 25% of U.S. responders agreed that it is better for women to stay home while men work. In addition to this, the NCBI states that parental status and its correlation with expected commitment negatively affects women while it positively affects men, with women being paid on average 7% less when they have kids while men are paid 4% more.

“I haven't directly noticed a lot of misogyny or harassment in my experience, but I am cognizant of situations where assumptions are made because I am female,” Sue said.

“When I had both of my kids, a lot of my colleagues assumed that I would quit my job or scale back my work schedule significantly, but this assumption challenged me to work hard to make sure I didn't miss a beat when I returned to work from being on maternity leave.”

ENCOURAGING INVOLVEMENT

Early media interactions children have can influence their chosen careers. According to a survey done by ZenBusiness, around six in 10 people say that media such as TV and books influenced their career choice. According to research done by the Geena Davis Institute on streaming content from 2007 - 2017, women made up only 37.1% of STEMM characters. Women made up 41.1% of STEMM characters in television while they only made up 20.9% of STEMM characters in film.

“I don’t think women are encouraged to go into STEMM early on,” senior

According to Aspen University, increasing the number of women in STEMM is important to address the current imbalance in STEMM research which specifically ignores women's health issues and female user preferences. In addition to this, according to the Cancer Research Institute, an increase in women in STEMM ensures diverse perspectives, and the representation can motivate girls to consider pursuing a career in STEMM.

“It is important to have diverse opinions in all fields, but especially problem-solving fields like STEMM,” Fellow Silicon Design Engineer at AMD Sarah Tower said. “As a society we are more successful when we incorporate multiple points of view and differ ing strengths. Having women in STEMM is crucial for innovation as well. Women bring unique perspectives and approaches, which can lead to more effective solutions for com plex challenges and for driving technology advancements.”

Even with more STEMM encouragement for young girls, there is still the problem of the "leaky pipeline." The leaky pipeline phenomenon is seen when the participation of women in academic classes is high, but the number drops as courses advance or as women move up in their field. According to the MIT science policy review, there are many things that can cause the leaky pipe line such as lack of female mentors or role models, implicit bias, and challenges due to parenthood.

“Women belong in STEMM fields and the more inclusive schools can make the curriculum that supports STEMM careers and encourage females to be curious about math and science, the more they will be inspired to pursue a STEMM career,” Sue said. “If you are a female considering a career in STEMM, expand your network by talking to other women that are in STEMM careers. This can not only help find career opportunities, but also connect with other females who can share their experiences and perspectives on the field.”

JANET GUMMERMAN Engineering teacher

Senior Kimberly Wood aims to pursue a career in mechanical engineering. She was inspired by the movie Hidden Figures, based on a true story, which portrays a group of African American women rising above stereotypes to make significant contributions at NASA during the Space Race.

Senior CJ Pelt aims to pursue a career in nursing. She was inspired by Mel King from the TV show The Pitt, who is a resident in the emergency wing of the hospital she works in. Pelt, who wants to work in the ER, was inspired by a realistic portrayal of a woman in STEMM.

Junior Eleanor Klentzman aims to pursue a career in aerospace engineering. She was inspired by the character Hermione Granger, in JK Rowling's Harry Potter book series. Granger, although not necessarily a STEMM character, is a strong intelligent woman who Klentzman feels represents herself.

Senior Victoria Ramirez aims to pursue a career in mathematics. She was inspired by Ruth Gonzalez, a Hispanic woman born in Texas who received a PhD in applied mathematics from Rice University. Ramirez was inspired by the new heights Gonzalez reached by becoming the first Hispanic woman in the US to receive a math doctorate.

Senior Victoria Combs aims to pursue a career in biomedical engineering. She comes from a family of engineers, and was inspired by her sister Vivian Combs who is currently majoring in biomedical engineering at Texas A&M University.

Senior Kate Snyder aims to pursue a career in civil engineering. She was inspired by Tweak who was an engineer in the Octonauts TV show. Snyder felt Tweak was the only female STEM representation she saw as a child.

INFOGRAPHIC BY Liberty Pittman

MODERN MASCULINITY

How social media is influencing young men’s definition of what it means to be a man

Elizabeth Yowell Print Editor-in-Chief

Scrolling past AI-generated brain rot and skit videos, senior Dylan Shahid-Russell lands on a video titled “maximize your masculinity,” where a muscular man urges him from the other side of the screen to disregard his emotions and perform his duties as a man.

lives accompanied by the claim that ‘if you do what I do, you can have this life too.’ According to recent data, many young American men are experiencing discontent with the state of their lives. In a men’s health study done in 2023 by the research group Equimuindo, it was reported that two-thirds of young men feel like “no one really knows them.”

political science professors at Kristianstad University in Sweden had the goal of determining the effect of perceived threats to men’s status on men’s attitudes. Using a hierarchical regression model, they found that exposure to threats to men as communicated by ‘manfluencers’ would increase misogynistic attitudes among young men.

A 2018 study by the National Institute of Health highlighted that not being able to feel, and process negative emotions leads to an increase in anxiety, depression, and PTSD. When coupled with rising statistics of mental health struggles among young men, philosophies like those of Tate and others become incredibly controversial.

Social media has created an outlet to share cultures, beliefs, and lifestyles with anyone who is willing to watch a video anywhere from 30 seconds to two minutes long. Memes and trends circulate, and among them are videos from influencers who provide a variety of interpretations of how to be masculine.

“In this day and age, it’s really easy to just turn on your phone and then there’s someone there yelling at you about what the ideal man is, “ Shahid-Russell said.

On social media, how-to’s are a common content type. ‘How-to get rich’ or ‘how-to maximize gym gains,’ are just a few found floating among the algorithms. However, just a few clicks away, a ‘how-to’ on masculinity may be lurking, especially if you’re a young male teen.

“I have seen a lot of these masculinity influencers on Instagram and the way that they’re doing this is they’re targeting young men,” senior Aiden Schexnaydre said.

Social media platforms use algorithms, or rules computers follow, to track data and push out content that aligns with viewer’s previous choices. These algorithms connect certain demographics with other content that are trending among that demographic. Many influencers of this content type belong to what is referred to as the “manosphere,” like Andrew Tate, Jordan Peterson, and Joe Rogan.

“I definitely think that men’s mental health is a big thing that doesn’t get talked about as much as it should,” senior Aidan Schexnaydre said. “Men have emotions and feelings, that should be obvious. I feel like these stigmas that men have to be strong, men shouldn’t show their emotions, most of these things have been placed on men by other men.”

As the New York Times puts it, recent studies show that young men ages 16-24 are ‘falling behind women’ in categories like education, mental health, and transitioning into adulthood. Influencers like those of the manosphere offer an avenue to young men to feel like they have a way to ‘catch up.’

“A lot of those ideas, unfortunately, are suppressive,” junior Adam Hart said. “They may be backed by what they believe is a good cause, but they definitely don’t do women justice.”

This study cited a definition of misogyny as hateful beliefs and contempt toward women, and deeply held prejudices about women.

have seen a lot of these masculinityinfluencers on Instagram and the way that they’re doing this is they’re targeting young men.

Aiden Schexnaydre Senior

“Influencers like Joe Rogan and Andrew Tate promote hyper-masculinity on their platforms,” Schexnaydre said. “They encourage men to ignore their emotions in order to become more masculine and pursue dominate relationships with women.”

At the height of his influencer career in 2022, Andrew Tate had nearly five million followers on Instagram, and videos captioned #Andrew Tate reached upwards of 12 billion views. Tate remarked, in an interview with popular streamer Adin Ross, that being a man means “waking up in the morning, looking in the mirror, and thinking; how do I become the best version of myself.”

That ideology is one utilized by a number of the more currently trending masculinity-focused influencers, and Tate copy-cats.

“I think how it begins is sometimes coming from a background that doesn’t give positive examples of masculinity, and it just leads you down this track of the Charlie Kirk’s and the Andrew Tate’s of the world,” Shahid-Russel said. Young men are not only struggling with loneliness and falling behind, but are experiencing higher rates of intense mental health struggles. In 2024 statistics from the National Health Institute, suicide rates among young males aged 15-24 were four times higher than that of young females. And since 2000, suicide rates among men, in general, have risen 2.5% percent.

“One reason, I think, we have these rising suicide rates is because we feel like we have too much duty, these certain things that we have to uphold,” junior Spencer Findley said.

“When we feel like we have to carry out these duties and be a provider, it really makes us feel like we have a weight being placed on our shoulders that we can’t control.”

That’s what I think Andrew Tate’s issue is. It’s not that he encourages being the best, it’s that he thinks his best version applies to everyone.

“That concept of wanting to wake up in the morning and be a better version of one’s self isn’t inherently wrong,” Shahid-Russel said. “In fact, it’s actually positive to focus on how you can be the best version of yourself, but success is different for everybody. That’s what I think Andrew Tate’s issue is. It’s not that he encourages being the best, it’s that he thinks his best version applies to everyone.”

Dylan Shahid-Russell Senior

These influencers advertise their lavish

A lot of those ideas, unfortunately, are suppressive. They may be backed by what they believe is a good cause, but they definitely don’t do women justice.

Influencer Myron Gaines of the Fresh and Fit podcast published a book in 2023 titled “Why Women Deserve Less.”

“When you say that a man should be in charge, or that they should be the man of the house, that kind of narrative, it doesn’t just affect the man who holds the idea,” Shahid-Russel said. “It also impacts the concept of femininity around it because that implies that a woman should be willing to have you be dominant, and willing to have you in charge.’ Gaines said in this book, “Women are surrounded by this tornado of misinformation, but nobody corrects them because we want to f*** them.”

He also urges men to consider the ‘opportunity costs’ when putting efforts into relationships with women.

Wanting to wake up and work to become the best version of oneself, especially in the face of crippling mental health issues, may offer motivation to those struggling. However, there is a more dangerous side to the ‘manosphere’ and similar types of masculinity content.

“I think the process in men’s minds who don’t have that positive influence of masculinity is ‘there’s no other way,’” Shahid-Russel said. “A lot of times there’s this idea that men should just be born with it, just know what to do, which is not the case. So, I think that’s where we run into a problem. They’re seeing these videos saying they should be a certain way and if they don’t know any better they are going to think they have no other place to turn to.”

While encouraging men to chase a better life, like acquiring wealth, wanting to be more physically fit, and gaining respect, many of these influencers walk the fine line separating men’s self-help from the modern concept of toxic masculinity. Toxic masculinity is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as attitudes or behaviors exhibited by men that have a negative impact on men and society as a whole.

“There’s nothing wrong with promoting masculinity, but when you use that to disguise sexism, that’s a big problem,” Schexnaydre said.” A lot of these masculine influencers are attacking women. They’re not only promoting men, they’re putting women down, and that is a big problem.”

One 2024 study done by psychology and

“Masculinity is not about throwing your emotions away,” Findley said.

“Men deal with a lot of mental health problems, so much so that we have a men’s mental health month. I think it’s very important for us to be in tune with our emotions, so that we don’t overpower other people close to us.”

However, masculinity-focused influencers do not all create content exhibiting toxic masculinity.

Many more recently trending male influencers actually build their platforms on shutting down these ideas.

"Masculinity is not about throwing your emotions away. It’s very important for us to be in tune with our emotions so that we don’t overpower people close to us.

Spencer Findley Junior

“It causes a distorted view of what relationships should be and how consent is,” Shahid-Russel said.

“Obviously, no means no, but it you’re told over and over that no is a different thing, then it leads to a lot distortion and negative associations with consent and relationships.”

Another popular manosphere philosophy is about how men should handle their feelings. In a clip where Tate was asked to define masculinity, Tate noted that he believes masculinity is “ignoring your emotions, and doing your duty.”

“Andrew Tate has said a lot of things about throwing your emotions away,” Findley said.

“He’s said that throwing your emotions away will help you get through things, but if you throw away your emotions you can’t manage them as easily. We need to learn to use them in a healthy way.”

“Theres a guy who’s one of my favorite influencers, they call him Papa Noel,” Findley said. “ He’s made videos talking about how he didn’t grow up with a dad, and he’s now using his platform to help men grow into being in-tune with how you feel and making sure they feel like they’re enough.” In the age of social media dominating young people’s lives, it can be hard to decide which influences to tune out, and which ones to heed. Definitions of masculinity will continue to morph and develop, so many young men are beginning to turn within to define what it means to them.

“The word masculinity is very powerful because of the fact that no one really has the same definition of it,” Hart said. “I believe it’s about being, ultimately, the best human being you can be with the duty and the heart and power you have. It’s about trying to make the world a better place in whatever ways you can and not trying to force yourself to get through something at the cost of neglecting yourself.”

VIDEO BY Elizabeth Yowell

ART BY Elizabeth Yowell

Adam Hart Junior

Going once, going twice, sold!

The Bowie Boys Lacrosse team held a raffle on a sports car for fundrasing

On Saturday Nov. 8, people of all different ages could be spotted driving a Ford Maverick around the streets of Circle C. While it was exciting to see and take for a test drive, the car held a much bigger purpose for the members of Bowie’s Boys Lacrosse program.

The fundraising team has utilized this entertaining and unique method of fundraising in years past, offering the opportunity to drive a cool car and, in return, earning money for the program with every test drive. This operation is called the Ford Drive For Your School Fundraiser, and has worked relatively well for Bowie Boys Lacrosse in the past.

“The fundraiser took place at the Child Development Center (CDC) in Circle C and we were able to bring people into the parking lot to test drive the Maverick,” junior Hunter Horvath said. “They were also able to purchase raffle tickets, where the car was the winning prize.”

The program raised money by their efforts at the CDC, but also got proceeds from out of state. The car raffle is available to people out of Austin and even out of Texas.

“This is our second car raffle fundraiser,” coach Will Laurel said. “Last year, we raffled off a vintage Mach 1 Mustang, and since it was such a niche car, collectors from all over the U.S. were registering.”

The lacrosse program has an Instagram account where they keep followers from all over Texas updated on their season and promote their events as well as fundraisers. Players were also able to promote the CDC fundraiser with signs and persuade people to come test drive the Maverick.

“Some of us held signs up by the pool, trying to get people to come donate or take the car on a test drive,” junior varsity midfielder Hayden Elley said. “We were able to advertise the fundraiser pretty well and raise the money we wanted.”

The program had an idea of the amount of money they wanted to raise that would give them enough to pay for all the expenses in the upcoming season. According to Horvath, it takes more money than most think to run a club sport.

“We wanted to raise as much as possible as any amount helps fund the team,” Horvath said. “We use it for light and field maintenance and taking us on trips.”

Sports like lacrosse have a lot of gear: helmets, gloves, sticks, cleats, jerseys, and more. Fundraising is super important for these sports as they need to be able to provide the necessary equipment for their players.

“As a club sport, everything is funded by the players and families,” Laurel said. “Our goal as a program is to provide the players with the best experience possible and be able to purchase everything from field rentals, team gear, dues, tournament fees, and more.”

The coaches and booster club members strive to raise enough money each year to equip the players for a strong season and make sure they are ready to play their best. With this money they are able to buy matching team gear and nice fields which can boost team morale and strengthen the players’ bond as a group.

“Fundraising really helps the team out a lot,” Elley said. “We help each other promote, see how much money we raised as a program, and then get to see what cool gear and competitive tournaments we can get into. It’s fun coming together to try and reach one big goal.” STORY BY Eve

Johansson

Lacrosse takes Texas by storm

Bowie girls start a new season by attending the Texas Best tournament

Caroline Baxter Sports Editor

Battling for the ball, running up and down the field, and scoring goal after goal, the Bowie girls’ lacrosse team dominated the Anderson Trojans. The Bulldogs lacrosse team had the opportunity to play multiple games during the Texas Best tournament.

Getting an opportunity like this isn’t something just given to anyone; it must be worked for. Teams play multiple qualifying games and get spots to attend the fest. Junior Sadie Dauterive gave insight into the route a team travels to get a chance to play at the festival.

“In the fall, we participate in various tournaments around the city, and Texas Best is one of those opportunities that we go to,” Dauterive said. “Our team enrolls in these qualifying games to help build the team up and give us game opportunities in the preseason.”

Marquart said. “We did very well for one of our first tournaments together.”

Having a positive and open mindset is very important when going into a game, according to The Mental Game Clinic. Furthermore, shaking off the nerves early in a game can help benefit the team’s overall performance.

“We were all a little bit nervous and tired because it was very early in the morning,” Marquart said. “Other than that, we all wanted to be there and play, so we all worked our hardest and did our best.”

According to Marquart, because of the hard work and dedication from the players, there were many good goals from standout players during the tournament. Many players stood out and helped lead the team close to a victory.

“Harper Pardue and Sadie Dauterive played really well that weekend. Sadie scored a really great goal to tie the game up near the end,” Marquart said. “They seemed like they knew what they were doing. Sadie has a lot of experience in the field, and it has helped the team a lot. She scored at least two goals in our Saturday games and another one in our

Playing in the three games was a great opportunity for more exposure, according to Dauterive. Players get the chance to be seen by college coaches who are recruiting players. She believes playing well in these games is important to future tournament, and playing against them helped improve the team.

“We were all working very well together, even when playing really good teams,”

These tournament games at the event were slightly different from a normal lacrosse game. The tournament games had shorter quarters compared to a regular-season lacrosse

“Because of the shorter quarters, the speed of play of the game picked up,” junior Clarey Warstler said. “Everyone needed to be aware of the time clock because some of them might not have The sport of lacrosse is similar to many sports in terms of rules and plays. Lacrosse games have 12 players from each team on the field, and are divided into attack, midfield, and defense.

However, unlike most sports, lacrosse players are allowed to play behind the goal, and they have rolling subs, meaning they substitute players while the game is still in play.

“I like being able to play behind the goal because it lengthens the field

and allows for more space to move around and play,” Dauterive said. “The rolling subs are a good thing because they keep the game moving and allow players to stay more locked into the game.”

In lacrosse there are many different formations a team can play, including a 2-3-1 triangle, which is two players up top attacking, three players leading the midfield, and one player behind the goal. Different formations highlight the different strengths in a team.

"a big role in games, according to Marquart. She explained that if the conditions of the game change to rainy, windy, cold, or hot, it could impact the game positively or negatively.

We played very well during the games at the tournament.

Even though we didn’t win, it was a chance for us to learn

Sadie Dauterive Junior

“We played in a 2-3-1 triangle which is a more attack style formation,” Dauterive said. “This has benefits of having more players able to score goals, but a drawback is that it leaves the goalie and the one defender very vulnerable to counter attacks.”

Weather conditions can play

“It was raining at first at the tournament, which made the fields super slippery to play on. This sort of hindered our performance at the start,” Marquart said. “It got hotter later in the day, and it was nice outside, which allowed the team to not slip on the turf anymore.”

The lacrosse team plays in the Texas Best tournament every year, always having games the weekend before Thanksgiving break. However this year differed from prior years including time of play and team spirit.

“Last year was a fun tournament but this year had a different energy and made the

tournament even more fun than usual,” Dauterive said. “We played a weekend early which allowed more people to attend since no one was missing for Thanksgiving, so I believe that’s what helped lead us to success.”

Now done with tournament play, the next step for the Bowie lacrosse team is working towards season play. Dauterive is looking forward to a successful season, as many players are new to the team.

“During fall ball, which is our pre-season, we have prepared a lot for the spring when we have our real games,” Dauterive said. “With all our preparation, we have developed a lot as a team and hope to go into the season strong.”

Cheer changes the norm to show team spirit

Eve Johansson Dispatch Reporter

Bowie pride echoes throughout the gym as the cheer team shouts words of encouragement to the players on the court. A Bowie basketball player lines up on the free throw line and prepares to shoot the ball while the cheerleaders jump up and down with anticipation. This season, the Bowie Cheer team plans to maximize its support by combining its JV and varsity teams and attending as many Bowie basketball games as possible. According to head Coach Hailey Scott, the program’s new changes will reflect AISD’s current focus on togetherness.

“This arrangement is the epitome of ‘together.’ Supporting our programs at Bowie is our top priority, and being international about how we do that makes it more impactful,” Scott said.

“Anyone can show support but doing it as a family, united and engaged, is what truly transforms the experience.”

The Bowie cheer coaches believe that bonding and togetherness is very important. The coaches randomized groups filled with both JV and varsity athletes to bring them closer together.

“The purpose of mixing JV and varsity is so that varsity can cheer some JV games and JV can cheer some varsity games,” junior Reagan Pfeffer said.

“Through this, we are also giving JV the opportunity to experience a varsity game and cheer with varsity to prepare them for what a higher level team environment looks like.”

As varsity cheer is a higher level than JV, their stunts, cheers, and energy

at games tend to be more intense. By allowing JV to join in on varsity games and cheer, the coaches prepare them more effectively for varsity and give varsity the opportunity to practice their leadership skills when helping the younger girls get the hang of things.

“Mixing JV and varsity wasn’t an easy decision, but it was the smartest one for the long-term development of our program. There were pros and cons, but ultimately the benefits outweighed everything else,” Scott said. “Having the teams cheer and stunt together has strengthened our culture. They collaborate, support each other, and learn to operate as one unit.”

In addition to mixing the JV and varsity teams together, Bowie Cheer are testing out a brand new sideline court formation at Bowie basketball games.

According to senior varsity captain Genevieve Casas, the new formation has the cheerleaders split into different groups. The groups line up in rows, with the very last row holding megaphones.

“This year, we stand in three rows, where the front row sits, the second row kneels, and the last row stands,” Casas said. “We typically have twelve cheerleaders go to each game, so we can have three stunt groups.”

Supporting the athletes in the game is every cheerleader’s main priority, and each tier in the new formation is able to provide a different kind of encouragement. From the signs in the front row, to the pom-poms in the middle, and then the megaphones in the back, Bowie cheer has it covered.

“Our structure requires the athletes to be attentive and engaged for the

entire game,” Scott said. “We are part of the team’s wins and losses by contributing to the atmosphere, energy, and school spirit. My hope is that our presence helps the players love what they’re doing a little more.”

Each cheerleader has a different preference on their favorite way to cheer: sitting down, standing up, flying, spotting, and more. When assigning positions in the formation, coaches try to base them on each cheerleader’s choice.

“I usually sit in the middle front row, or if it’s not symmetric, I’ll just sit somewhere along the front row,” Casas said. “Since I’m in the middle, whenever we have a free throw, I get to count everyone down from three, and then

we bring out our signs and cheer on the person shooting.”

Casas is excited for the members of the Bowie Cheer team to get to know more about the game and each other. Combining teams has allowed them to spend more time with teammates that they normally wouldn’t, and has brought the team dynamic to its peak.

“I think combining JV and varsity has brought me closer to the younger girls on JV,” Casas said. “I remember how cheer helped me my freshman year, because I already had a designated group of people, and I’m glad we get to provide that same friendly environment to the freshmen and sophomores this year.”

SCAN FOR MORE!

VIDEO BY Andrew Covert

FIGHTING FOR THE BALL: Junior Ella Lovejoy goes into a battle to win the ball against an Anderson Trojan defender. The Bowie Girls Lacrosse team fought hard to the end but came up short. PHOTO BY Andrew Covert

FIGHTING FOR THE BALL: Junior Clarey Warstler gets ready to pass the ball to another teammate in front of the goal.

The Lady ‘Dawgs played the Anderson Trojans and lost with a score 12-10. PHOTO BY Andrew Covert

TEAM SPIRIT: Sitting on the sideline, Bowie’s cheer team shows support during a basketball game. This year cheer decided to combine JV and varsity teams to help maximize support for Bowie’s sports teams. PHOTO BY Nick Forrest

Sydney Murphy Sports Editor

The gym air was thick with sweat, the roar from the crowd traveled around the building, vibrating the walls. The lights shine harshly down on athletes, blinding them as they fight to bring the other to the mat. A sharp whistle cuts through the air and reaches their ears. Ethan Frost has won his match.

Frost is senior, first-time captain for Bowie Wrestling. He has been a part of the program for all four years earning multiple achievements like advancing to state. Although Frost dedicates a huge amount of time to Bowie’s Wrestling Program, he also competes outside of school.

feeling of responsibility was, to some extent, shaped by the fact that Frost is the team leader and by the nature of wrestling practices that demand concentration, self-control, and partner-based drills. The players feed off the energy that Frost has, resulting in them having a training environment that is more orderly and disciplined.

“The environment at Bowie Wrestling is very intense and mentally challenging but it’s encouraging,” junior wrestler Quinn Loyd said. “It makes you want to work hard and it makes you feel rewarded for working hard.”

Dobinsky Head Wrestling Coach

“Outside of school I wrestle for 3F Wrestling club which has given me a lot of opportunities to get better,” Frost said. “I get to wrestle with some tough guys, and get more variety in my coaching.”

Frost trains for wrestling almost every day, wheth er it be during school, after school, or before school. According to his teammates, this goes far, and represents him as a person.

“Ethan reflects positivity and I can tell that his teammates respect him,” head wres tling coach Tyson Dobinsky said. “They respect him and his work ethic, and it shows a lot that all of his teammates chose him to be captain unanimously.”

Frost concentrates fully during practice which, ac cording to Dobinsky, goes a long way with his teammates who see this and want to raise their level also. The shared expectations of the team keep everyone on the same page.

“Everyone in Bowie Wrestling holds each other accountable,” Frost said.

“Everyone has their own individual goals that they want to achieve.”

According to Dobinsky, the team’s

As meets come closer, the preparation of each person turns out to be a very essential part of the competition. Frost prepares himself by being very focused and concentrating before the game so that during the calm.

“Last season we had a really solid lineup and we took four guys to state with one girl being an alternate,” Frost said. “I think that all our wrestlers this year are ready to achieve more and push themselves

According to Dobinsky, leadership roles have been a key factor in the team’s success. Being the captain, Frost is instrumental in establishing the behavior norms of the wrestlers both on and off the mat, for instance, during the practice, he motivates them to increase self assurance.

“One of the things Ethan has done that is important to the team is that since the beginning of last year he has found a positive insight in himself, he thinks everything he does is awesome so he kind of shows that for other people,” Dobinsky said.

“He has really worked on his leadership through the years and that has made an impact on his teammates.”

Frost’s progress in his confidence and skills has changed his role as a captain in the program from a freshman who lacked skill to an advanced wrestler who went to state last year.

“As a leader I have an opportunity to push myself and the other wrestlers around me in an impactful way to be the hardest working and best versions of themselves,” Frost said. “Any

success that they find individually is entirely up to and depends on them.

Frost has grown with the program and according to Dobinsky, is a key part of their success this season. However, he has not always been the team’s key player.

“Ethan as a freshman was not the most athletic kid, he was not the best wrestler,” Dobinsky said. “Every year he has transformed himself into the best

athlete, the best wrestler, and the best person.”

Frost has worked closely with his coaches to help him improve over the years. They have been able to see his progression every day since freshman year.

“Bowie wrestling got me into the sport,” Frost said. “I wouldn’t be where I am without it and the coaching and environment is just another opportunity to get better at wrestling and push my limits.”

Bowie’s foundation has not only shaped his physicality, but his mentality. According to Dobinsky, he has become more involved in the sport and now it is a key part of his life.

“Ethan is a really great captain, leader, and he is the most committed person I know,” Loyd said. “He eats, sleeps, breathes wrestling, it is his passion and he is really good at it.”

ENTERTAINMENT

Thoroughly

Theater

Bass Concert Halls annual pass builds strong connections

bowie.journalism@gmail.com

A tradition that runs in my family is purchasing the annual Bass Concert Hall pass to the theatrical performances performed by the national tour casts of Broadway productions. The pass may be on the pricier side but it does not disappoint with its multiple show offers. You will get to see eight shows with the package and my great expectations were exceeded beyond anything I could have ever imagined.

One of my favorite productions I have ever seen at Bass Concert Hall was the second show of the eight in this year’s show package and it was absolutely life changing. Most students, including myself, already know the story due to reading and analyzing it in past school years, but even going into it knowing the book, The Outsiders had some of the best talent I have ever seen. They turned the classic story into a hit musical and absolutely did the story justice. The soundtrack is unbelievable and I personally listen to it often.

I also loved the national touring cast of MJ the Musical. It told the story of Michael Jackson and I thought the mashups and sound were absolutely brilliant. My favorite part of that show was the song Thriller, where the audience discovers the true monster he was running from. The lighting, special effects, and choreography was spectacular!

Another reason Bowie students should specifically purchase one of these passes is the connection building it offers among people. I have bought the pass the last three years and over time I see more and more of my friends or just people in my class coming to see one or multiple of the shows. Before the show, during intermission, and after the show, I personally love to build those similar interests of excitement or curiosity for the show through communicating with students. After the show, we got to get signatures from the cast members, and we still love to talk about it to this day. Due to these interactions, I have gotten to know more people and build my friendships through our shared memory of the show.

Lastly, one of the best experiences I have ever had with my friends was getting a backstage tour due to our connection with the Bowie teacher Ruth Narvaiz. If you purchase one of these passes and know her, she always updates students on offers she gets from these productions. For the Outsiders, she was able to update us on a meet and greet for one of the main characters. But my personal favorite offer she gave us was a backstage tour, offered by the production of Moulin Rouge. Me and a handful of other students got to see the costumes, makeup/ wig room, and got to go on stage. It was so much fun and a memory I’ll never forget about the Bass Concert Hall pass.

I hope to buy one of these passes in the future to continue building connections. So even if you don’t purchase the annual pass, you should still go experience one of the many shows Bass Concert Hall has to offer because I promise it will not disappoint.

Bowie at booming theatre convention

Students swept the competition at Texas Thespians Festival 2025

Alice Goss Entertainment Editor

The lights dim as show tunes blare through the room, thousands of theatre kids singing and dancing as the energy in the room rises to an ultimate high. A huge inflatable duck dances across the stage as the audience settles down and prepare for an exhilarating and busy next four days.

Texas Thespians is the largest theatre chapter in the nation and hosts two state festivals every year. Bowie’s Starlight Theatre Company (STC) attended the thespian festival (ThesFest) in Grapevine, TX for the first time this year, representing Troupe 4361. Directors Kade Lasseigne and Marco Bazan, as well as assistant principal Christina Burbank took nineteen students to the festival this year from Nov. 19-22.

“I have always felt that the STC should be going to Texas Thespians,” Lasseigne said. “Not only because this program is so impressive, but because of the training side of it all. A good artist is always learning to shape their craft and I felt that these students would grow and benefit from the exposure to other theatre programs.”

Every student who attended had the opportunity to compete in a ‘thespy,’ which is an event where students compete against other students from across the state with the goal of nationally qualifying. There are performance and technical categories that can be completed alone, in pairs, or in groups. People can dance, sing, design costumes, and much more.

“I want to pursue acting professionally so I wanted to strengthen and refine my monologues as much as possible,” senior Noah Enriquez-Torres said. “Because of this I selected one comedic monologue and one dramatic monologue for my thespy and then created a transition movement that helped me shift from one monologue to the other smoothly.”

The festival took place at the Gaylord Texan Convention Center. Surrounded by more than 8000 other attendees, students were re-

quired to pay close attention and balance workshops with the time it might take them to prepare for their thespy.

“I had been working on my song for a long time and I didn’t want to spend the day stressing about my piece, so I spent the morning going to workshops,”

senior Olivia Nanda said.

“About an hour before I warmed up my voice and after performing my piece, I felt really confident because I had really fine tuned my piece.”

When competing, judges are not comparing competitors to each other, but scoring them against a 20 point rubric, broken evenly into four categories. If competitors received a score between 18 and 20 from each judge then they will qualify nationally.

“For me personally a national qualifier would be someone who gave a great performance and has room for improvement,” Lasseigne said. “In a mainstage callback I was looking for someone who gave an outstanding performance that has little room for improvement.”

When students were not competing they had the opportunity to attend workshops, with over eight time

slots a day, and more than 20 options each time slot. All workshops were first come, first serve, including directing, acting, dancing, singing, tech theatre, and more.

“I did a lot of dance workshops and it felt really freeing to move without worrying about who was watching,” Enriquez Torres said. “My favorite workshop was definitely the “Dancing Through Life” choreography.”

Seniors interested in pursuing theatre or musical theatre professionally had the opportunity to send in a video audition of themselves which got dispersed to all the colleges attending ThesFest. Over 30 colleges participated at the ThesFest giving seniors the chance to be seen by multiple colleges and start getting considered for callbacks.

“It’s not hard to add to the to-do list of going to ThesFest and it gives you exposure and hopefully scholarship offers,” Lasseigne said. “This allows the colleges to really watch and take time to think about who they want to call back.”

For students seeking out more competitive opportunities, there are competitive events exclusive to Texas ThesFest. This year sixteen out of the eighteen members of Bowie’s troupe competed in the lip sync battle Texas only event, which had a theme of 20 on 20. Seniors Genevieve Downing and Al-

ice Jefferies choreographed the lip sync battle with the assistance of sophomore Mila Maxon. The lip sync team competed against over 80 other schools and came out in first place with a perfect score.

“Putting together a piece quickly was definitely chaotic, but I think the one thing that kept it together was everyone’s professionalism,” Downing said. “I always love seeing my vision come to life and when our troupe told us we won first place we all started cheering in the cafeteria.”

On the final day of ThesFest, the closing ceremony was very exciting for Bowie’s troupe this year. All members of the lip sync performed on stage in front of about 4,000 students alongside the best of the best pieces from callbacks.

“I was having so much fun performing with my friends and it’s an experience I will never forget,” Downing said. “I am super proud to have shown my choreography and it was the perfect ending to the festival.”

Spanish Honor Society performance spreads culture

Fluorescent spotlights beamed on the stage, highlighting the intricate patterns and vibrant colors of the dancers’ costumes. The long, radiant dresses flowed to the dancers’ heels, which tapped rhythmically to the beat of the Mexican folkloric music. They grasped the hems of their colorful dresses as they gracefully spun across the stage, creating swift swirling effects that mesmerized the audience. They danced as one, their movements blending in synchronicity as they passionately celebrated their culture with the crowd.

On November 21, Austin High School’s Ballet Folklorico performed in Bowie’s theater for a crowd of students in advanced Spanish classes and the Spanish Honor Society. Ballet Folklorico is a traditional Mexican folk dance featuring lively music and colorful clothing to share their heritage and celebrate Mexican culture. Erika Mitchell, the Spanish teacher at Bowie and sponsor of Spanish Honor Society, coordinated the event with Austin High School. She wanted her students to enjoy a special performance and have the opportunity to be immersed in Hispanic culture the day before Thanksgiving Break.

“A Ballet Folklorico live performance brings Spanish to life and students are not just studying the language, they are living it,” Mitchell

said. “It deepens cultural understanding, connects history to traditions, and builds authentic communication in a real and memorable way.”

The Ballet Folklorico performance was primarily attended by students in advanced Spanish classes and the Spanish Honor Society, but students in other languages and lower levels of Spanish were also welcome to attend. The performance featured dances from three different regions of Mexico, including Hidalgo Huasteco, Zacatecas, and Jalisco. Spanish Honor Society presidents, seniors Sara Lenahan and

Ava Lee, looked forward to being immersed in Hispanic culture through dancing and music. “I’m most excited to see the dancers expressing their heritage and sharing their culture,” Lee said. “I think that in the Spanish Honor Society, we spend a lot of time learning the language and being taught about the Hispanic and Latino culture, but with the Ballet Folklorico, we are more immersed in the culture and getting first-hand experience.”

The ballet folklorico performance was primarily attended by students

in advanced Spanish classes and the Spanish Honor Society, but students in other languages and lower levels of Spanish were also welcome to attend. This Ballet Folklorico show was Bowie’s fourth collaboration with other schools in the Austin school district to bring a culturally immersive performance onto campus. In past years, Bowie has hosted a Panamanian dance group, a mariachi band from Akins High School, and another AISD Mexican folkloric dance group.

“Having a different high school bringing and showing their traditions

and cultures is just so amazing, and I’m so happy that we’re able to put it on this year,” Lenahan said.

The show was 30 minutes long and took place during flexible instruction time, so students would not have to miss other classes. Sophomore Addy Hampton attended the Ballet Folklorico and enjoyed watching the unique performances during school and learning more about Hispanic culture.

“I really loved all the designs on the dresses,” Hampton said. “They were very colorful and bright, and whenever the dancers twirled, the fabric would be very graceful and mesmerizing. The moment they went on stage, my attention was drawn to them.”

Austin High School charged a fee to showcase their performance at Bowie, which was paid for by parents and students in Mitchell’s advanced Spanish classes. Mitchell is thankful for the support of all parents and students, who helped raise $335 for the show. Mitchell also acknowledged the help and support of principal Mak Robinson, academic director Kaylin Brett, and assistant principal Crystal Keck.

“They have been extremely supportive these past four years, whenever we bring groups,” Mitchell said. “They are the first ones to be on board and very supportive of all these activities, and they just want the best for the Spanish learners.”

GLITTER AND RAINCOATS: Senior Genevieve Downing applies bright red lipstick as she is getting ready to perform the lip sync dance on the main-stage. Downing was one of the choreographers of the award winning lip sync battle. PHOTO BY Elizabeth Yowell

Zoe Stover Dispatch Reporter

HONORING HERITAGE: The Ballet Folklorico dancers flourish on the Bowie stage as they immerse students in the culture. They wore extravagant dresses that highlighted their Mexican heritage. PHOTO BY Zoe Stover

MAIN STAGE MAYHEM: Bowie students pose for a group picture as they rehearsed for their main stage performance. They per-

formed a mashup to songs from the 1920s and the 2020s and added a rain theme to stand out. PHOTO BY Elizabeth Yowell

SCAN TO SEE MORE!

VIDEO BY Elizabeth Yowell

ERIKA MITCHELL Spanish Teacher

SCAN TO

PHOTOS BY Zoe Stover

Sharpen your knives and heat the popcorn

The star packed film dazzles audience and

Eleanor Blue Dispatch Reporter

In March of 1949, renowned mystery author Agatha Christie published “Crooked House,” a thriller surrounding the death of a fictional patriarch, killed by poisoned eye drops.

Over 50 years later, in 2001, Radiohead released the song “Knives Out.” It contains cheerful pleasantries like, “Cook him up, squash his head,” and “put him in a pot.”

What do these two seemingly unrelated artistic endeavors have in common? They were the inspiration for the first movie in a wonderfully gruesome trilogy directed by Rian Johnson.

The Knives Out series is one near and dear to my heart. I remember watching the first one with my family in the theater, gripping the Alamo armrest tight as I peeked through my fingers at the unfurling chaos. We watched it again when it was later released on Netflix, unpacking every clue and glance weeks after its initial release.

That was in 2019, and almost six years later, the Knives Out movies are coming to a momentary close with the newest release, Knives Out: Wake Up Deadman.

To say that the initial movie was successful is a gross understatement. My family wasn’t the only one obsessed with the story of Benoit Blanc’s first case. The first Knives Out movie grossed over $312 million worldwide with a $40 million budget. It wasn’t just a box-office success, however.

The first Knives Out is a classic whodunit with a notable cast and memorable imagery. The storyline is simultaneously complex and easy to follow, with turns that have stayed in my mind since my initial viewing.

Not to be outdone, the second movie in the franchise, The Glass Onion, was another enjoyable experience. Although the directorial style keeps the two projects consistent, the changing cast and distinct story lines keep it fresh and enjoyable. The only solid commonality between the two is Benoit Blanc (played by Daniel Craig), a lovable and clever detective who is a grounded outsider throughout the chaos.

With so many additions to the mystery genre, the first two films of the Knives Out series find something new and exciting to add. They’ve been consistently interesting and shocking.

lives up to the standard

set by its prequels

So, stepping into the Paramount for the premiere of the third movie, my hopes were high. The cast was stacked, with appearances from Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Jeremy Renner, and, of course, Daniel Craig. It was set in a Catholic parish with an authoritative leader, Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Thomas Haden Church), and a new arrival to the community, Jud Duplenticy (O’Connor). When secrets and manipulation are unearthed in Jud’s early days at the parish, a murder accelerates the small community’s unraveling.

Visually, this movie is simply stunning. The church is gorgeous, and the attention to detail is consistent with the standard in every Johnson movie. There is a constant battle between

light and darkness, which culminates in the end with a dramatic confrontation. Johnson also lets media and recordings play a part in the reveal, which I thought was tastefully done if not a little on the nose.

The acting is also wonderful. O’Connor is a standout, consistently tying humanity and conflicting ideology to a frantic storyline. He serves as a solid contrast to Craig’s inevitably intense performance. Acting-wise, the weak link for me was Mila Kunis, but her falling through did not diminish the excellence of the film.

I was engaged the entire time, full of anticipation. There were several points during the movie that I audibly gasped. And although I wouldn’t say that the third Knives Out is a horror by any means, it was fast-paced and

Wicked hits the big screen

Gracie Ruland Entertainment Editor

The glow of emerald city, the shine of Dorothy’s silver slippers, and the sound of Elphaba casting a new spell has finally arrived back in theaters. A continuation of the famous, magical, and classic story has been drawing in the crowds, full of excitement and joy from the last movie, although the came in for a surprise when act two takes an unexpected tornado whirl of emotions. This movie started off with cu riosity about Elphaba and a closer look into Glinda’s fame blinded perspective. As the story grew, we started to see Fieryos longing for Elphaba grow and Glinda’s good persona she “had” to keep up. The story is filled with twists and turns as we discover the truth behind the classic characters such as Tin Man, Scare crow, and Cow ardly Lion and as we see Fieyro and Elphaba’s relationship blos som. What I real ly liked about the movie in particular was the Glinda perspective on the situation. I have known the story but never under stood the emotional

impact that Glinda must be feeling throughout the story. She lost everyone and has to still be Glinda the Good. As a previous viewer of the musical, I wondered what new perspectives and pictures could be painted within the film. I was pleased to hear they were keeping Dorothy the same as Broadway, a faceless character. Although I believe an in depth weave into Dorothy’s story and Wicked’s story could have been interesting and different, the point of Wicked is to showcase Elphaba and Glinda’s story. I appreciate that Jon M. Chu, the director of the film, stayed true to the meaning of the story. Even though that important detail was the same as the Broadway version, a new surprise shocked fans as they announced shortly before the movie’s release that two new songs will be added in the movie. After reviewing the movie, I personally feel like adding these songs was unnecessary but interesting. The new songs included an Elphaba solo titled “No Place Like Home” and a Glinda solo titled “Girl in the Bubble.” While I enjoyed both new and fresh deep perspectives on the characters motives, I felt that the songs didn’t move the plot and could have easily not been added. Another song that disappointed me was “As Long as You’re Mine” sung by Elphaba and Fieyro. I felt that the movie didn’t capture the intimate feelings or romantic tension of the song. Even though those songs were slightly different than I wanted them to be, the movie as a whole was breathtaking and emotion filled. My personal favorite show stopping number was “No Good Deed,” it was sad, action packed, and vocally stunning.

The actors such as Cynthia Ervio, Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, and Jonathan Bailey really did an amazing job with the shift in motives for all the different characters and made this movie unbelievably bursting with talent. Not to mention the costumes, special effects, and makeup really shined in this movie. Overall, the movie was different from the first, and although I loved it, my personal favorite was Wicked part one.

interesting throughout.

There’s something nice about not being constantly in fight or flight while watching a movie. Having that pump of adrenaline without a lingering fear.

It wasn’t gory shock-value that made it so eerie; it was the camera angles, lighting, and acting that kept my eyes wide.

It’s so impressive when a director and actors just melt together, into a story and a flow. Knives Out: Wake Up Deadman, did that seemingly effortlessly. It moved quickly, towards an ending that I couldn’t have guessed even two minutes before the reveal.

Johnson leaves no stone unturned, no lingering questions. In the end, everything is wrapped up neatly. It’s comforting, it’s reliably entertaining.

Although Johnson is taking a break

from the franchise, both he and Craig have expressed interest in bringing the series back, as long as the premise stays fresh and exciting.

I’ll be the first to say, keep ‘em coming. I’ve loved every movie in this installment. Theater is such a special ritual, an idea expressed by Johnson during the Q&A after the screening. When asked about his hopes for the newest movie, he commented on the importance of making a fun film that people enjoy and talk about later.

He’s not attempting to change history with the newest movies; he’s just trying to make something that people will enjoy.

This genuine love and respect for movies is evident in his newest film, a wonderful addition to the series and to the mystery genre as a whole.

Dearly Beloved

Katie Grumet

Objective Executive Editor

As the semester closes, Bowie’s AP Literature and Composition classes wrap up their annual reading of a curriculum classic, Beloved. Written by Toni Morrison, the book focuses on the haunting effect slavery has on generations by following one family throughout the novel and switches perspectives throughout. Published in 1897, Beloved remains a staple in Bowie’s curriculum and is even guaranteed by the school’s English department to be a novel that will most likely work with any literary argument prompt given on AP test day.

The story begins in 1873, set in Cincinnati, Ohio, following former slave Sethe. Sethe lives with her youngest daughter, Denver, at 124 Bluestone Road. One day Paul D, a former slave from Sweet Home arrives at 124 and forces out the evil spirit that had been haunt ing their home. The home is then visited by a strange young woman named Beloved. Sethe eventually realizes that Beloved is the reincar nation of her deceased daughter. Beloved consumes Sethe’s life as she demands that Sethe devote all of her time and resources to Beloved. This allows Beloved to become more controlling and powerful over Sethe, causing Sethe to physically and emo tionally shrink to meet Be loved’s needs. Denver, who has never stepped outside of 124 Bluestone Road, decides that she needs to take action to save her mother and ventures outside of her safe home into the outside world. She seeks help from the community to help her mother support Beloved by attempting to get a job. Denver gets a job from a family friend, but also gets the community’s involve ment in an exorcism to remove Beloved from the home. The novel shifts from the past and present to explore how psychological scars from slavery impact the present. Sethe is

consumed by grief and guilt, causing her to struggle for true freedom and be blinded by her maternal instincts.

This book explores complex themes of trauma and devastation caused by slavery compellingly. As stated in the dedication at the beginning of the novel, this book is for the 60 million or more who died as a result of the transatlantic slave trade, making this novel bigger than just the family it focuses on. The alternating perspectives further create several viewpoints that represent all those who could not tell their story of suffering, in a way that prevents premature judgment, since many of those enslaved had to make extremely difficult decisions just to survive.

I had never read the book before so I was engrossed throughout reading this book. This

slavery, not just from firsthand experience but also impacted trauma. Beloved novel with a light of hope that those impacted can heal and live a life not haunted by the this novel being put on and off books list for scenes, it still pactful story. scenes are intentional and help further meaning and

Both AP Lit teachers break down the novel in great detail by helping students understand the meaning of the sensitive moments, rather than shying away from it. The way Beloved is taught allows students to engage with complex exposes students to story lines that are often silenced in other contexts, therefore this book should still be taught in English classes. With this being the first book we read in this class,

other book that we will read this year will be as

ART BY Ryan Zuniga

PHOTO BY Liberty Pittman

ART BY Claire Ferrante

COMMENTARY

Future politicians need socials

EDITORIAL

Everywhere you go, you see someone on their phone. People’s days are dominated by time spent on social media as content is constantly being thrown at them. At the same time, American politics has undergone massive amounts of change over the past decade due to the new digital world. It's an extremely hostile and polarized climate, which is exhausting for voters. Misinformation is being spread like wildfire just to get a

But social media is also a tool that isn’t going to magically disappear, so it should be properly utilized. New politicians shouldn’t be dissuaded by the complex social media environment, and should instead lean into the digital world. Using social media to campaign and spread legitimate and positive information will give politicians a leg up over their competition by capturing the largest possible audience.

To start off, America’s “young votto pick up more young voters, and the simplest way to do that is to incorporate more social media into their campaigns. The American Psychological Association reported that Gen Z spends an average of 4.8 hours a day on social media, and Pew Research Center claims that millennials have spent over 3,500 hours online throughout their lives. These generations are way more likely to see political content through social media compared to traditional media, like live TV and commercials.

ticians should work with other accounts to gain a larger audience that wouldn’t necessarily seek out political accounts.

Recent New York City mayor-elect Zoharn Mamdani was able to execute this plan. He made appearances on other accounts on TikTok, including Gaydar and Subway Takes, and used these videos to explain his campaign in a simple and fun way. The video on Gaydar has over one million views, and the Subway Takes video has over six millions views. Through those collaborations, Mamdani was able to reach millions of social media users who wouldn’t normally be directed to see his content.

Agree with stance

EDITORIAL BOARD VOTE 15 1

Disagree with stance

If they really want to be seen, politicians need to be on social media., However, they have to do more than just create an account and post mundane videos of themselves talking directly into the camera. They should at least be using social media to document their campaign and show what they are doing to win the public's trust. Videos that display action instead of empty promises are how to truly get young voters on their side. That isn’t always enough though. To get more attention on social media, poli-

Posting on social media will keep campaigns more public and accessible. According to Wired, broadcast TV has been declining for two decades now. If viewers are turning off TV news, then the commercials that cost billions of dollars won’t reach a large audience. If social media becomes a larger part of a politician's campaign, they can make videos on their own for free, and it will always be accessible on their account. Algorithms like to promote consistency, so the algorithm may even push a politician's content to the front of the line if they are staying consistent with their campaign. There has already been an increase of politicians on social media, and some of the content being posted hasn’t been very productive. Some use the convenience of the internet to post harmful things about different politicians or political groups, so it’s reasonable to be afraid of encouraging politicians to increase their social media usage. However, the best way to combat politicians that use the power of online communities to further divide already polarized parties is with positive political content that inspires confidence and brings pride back into the government. It would be amazing if political figures would stop using social media to spread hate, but sadly, wishing it away won’t do any good. Instead, people need to start focusing on the productive content to drown out all the other noise.

Social media is a tool that should be used to promote healthy, positive, and informative political content in order to connect with a larger audience. People who want their name on the Texas or federal ballot in 2026 should consider using social media to connect directly with the people.

Online school gives students more control

Balancing double blocked extracurricular classes with electives and core classes can feel almost impossible, but the online high school Garza has changed that. Garza allows students to take required classes on their own flexible schedule, opening up space for off periods, electives and other extra activities. Programs like Garza are really helpful for students, because they give control over their education and make high school more manageable for everyone.

Garza has over 31 different course options that students can take at any time of the year and is mostly self-paced, depending on whether a class is semester long or year long you can take health over the fall, spring or summer. Another advantage is if you need graduation credits, but your on-campus schedule is already full, you can take that Garza class allowing you to achieve that credit.

If you want an off period you can take a class over the summer and earn that free time, and on top of that, every course is free for AISD students, you just need internet access, basic computer skills, an e-mail address, and to make sure your computer is up to date.

Another big advantage is the effect Garza has on students' mental health. School is such a big source of stress for students and allowing them to take classes more spread out and take their time instead of pressuring four to six classes into a single semester, students can spread out their work and focus on fewer subjects at once, which reduces pressure and actually helps students understand the material instead of rushing through it, Garza could make you actually pass and get an A in the class rather than failing and ruining your GPA, on top of your already stressful lives.

Another strength of Garza is the wide range of courses that are available to take. Garza offers classes from Algebra I all the way to Astronomy. If you're the type of person who needs all of the electives possible on their resume for college but doesn’t have

time in your schedule you can take the electives through Garza. And whether you need to take core classes like English I to English IV or other cool electives like Creative Writing or Art, Garza provides a class for nearly every interest. Garza also offers languages like Latin I & II or even ASL, as well as technology based classes like Computer Science I & II and Fundamentals of Computer Science.

With choices spanning from English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Languages, Technologies, and Arts, you can make your own schedule at home to match your goals, for example students in double blocked extracurriculars like band, or any of the athletics end up with no time to meet the required graduation credits, Garza allows them to stay involved in sports, and other activities while also still being a student and graduating. You can do both the things you love while also getting your diploma. So if you're trying to get ahead of everyone, catching up or even exploring a new interest, Garza would be perfect for you.

Some people argue that online classes are less structured than in-person learning, Garza challenges that.

According to the AISD website the U.S. Department of Education recognizes Garza among 40 other schools in the country, providing the best practices and improving outcomes for students who are struggling. Students still have to pass final exams and turn in their school work to receive credit for their classes, but the difference is that Garza gives them the time to do it on their own schedule without rushing through a class. Ultimately, Garza is more than just an online program, it offers real academic support and helps students take control of their own lives, rather than being stressed by school work. More schools should offer programs like Garza, it would make school so much more manageable for students and improve everyone's well-being. Beyond the flexibility, Garza makes students build their own education in a school system that makes every student learn at the same pace, at the same time Garza is proof that education can be personalized and way less stressful, Garza shows that the future of adapting to students needs, rather than students adapting to rigid school structures reduces mental health struggles.

ART BY Charlotte Schwarte

ART BY Jenny Kimbrough

Its not that deep Gen Z

Meaningless trends put pressure on teenagers and young adults

Toxic masculinity spreads

As unhealthy ideas about manhood grow, effects continue to worsen

Ava Weaver Review Editor

Questions? Concerns? Email: bowie.journalism@gmail.com

Oxford lexicographers have chosen rage bait as Word of the Year.

If I were in the room with Oxford lexicographers, I would have pointed us towards words that explore feelings of greed: overconsumption or gluttony.

This is the time of year when everyone is excited to find out their music stats with Spotify Wrapped, but I, on the other hand, anxiously wait for Oxford to announce its Word of the Year. Yes, I am joking, and even beyond joking. I am only perplexed that I obtained a milligram of hope in my blood to believe in Oxford to accurately choose a Word of the Year that reflects the current state of our society. I mean, it’s common knowledge that the lexicographers employed at Oxford lack the expertise to dictate what word is fit to describe a whole year.

Don’t you hate being rage baited like that? That attempt to get you angry and the temptation to fall for it and make a fool of yourself. Oxford claims that the reasoning for choosing rage bait as its Word of the Year is because it explores what gets people hooked and how it reflects society’s digital well-being.

And for Gen Z, I would say we could improve our digital well-being. Because if you’re like me, you probably got irritated that Oxford chose a two-word phrase to receive an award that contains a title suggesting it belongs to one word. And if I got rage baited by Oxford’s choice of its Word of the Year, I need to step back from my phone for a bit. Ironically, this phrase invokes its definition because it received an award that it contradicts.

Although I would consider rage bait a phrase and not a word, I agree with Oxford that rage bait accurately describes our digitally acclaimed generation, and if Gen Z had their own Word of the Year Award, I can see rage bait being considered. But not chosen, because that contradiction is unsatisfying. I believe that Gen Z is a generation that has terrible digital ethics, and is the reason that rage bait is Oxford’s Word of the Year. Gen Z is susceptible, capable, and guilty of rage baiting daily. Though, of course, the intent is usually care-free, and the rage bait is directed towards friends.

To rage bait someone is embarrassing. And to be rage baited is equally embarrassing. It is embarrassing for every participant. The child-like cat-and-mouse game, poking someone till they blow, is embarrassing.

However, every generation likes to play and poke fun at each other, and I believe that type of rage baiting is harmless. And, to know what small, irrelevant thing that will make someone tick, shows how strong your relationship is. There is a connection in knowing that.

Many people who are a part of Gen Z paradoxically have a poor understanding of digital footprint, digital privacy, and the societal impact they are making with their online actions. For being a digital generation, there is a lack of education being provided. Digital ethics goes beyond cyberbullying, and people in every generation should start being aware of the moral compass of brand-name companies, not just your social media mutuals.

Gen Z rage baits, and so does every generation. But this generation’s way of specializing its usage for digital environments reflects the generation’s digital environment. And personally, I think we can improve our time spent online. Be mindful of what decisions lead to the most productive outcome for you. Is it: rage baiting your friend on a game or putting that phone down?

BY Thia Betts

I

Wyatt Commentary Editor

How to raise brave and strong boys: never let them cry out of pity for themselves, raise them as sheepdogs, and most importantly, make sure they spend time with women they won’t seduce. Toxic masculinity is a set of harmful and outdated beliefs that emphasize traditional values in men and promote aggression, control, and the suppression of vulnerability. One common notion in men who exhibit toxic masculinity is that they should be the head of the household, and women should submit to them.

From the belief that men must always be in control to the growing acceptance of sexual aggression toward women, toxic masculinity shapes our daily lives and continues to become more normalized. Toxic masculinity should not be normalized or supported, and people need to see the severity of the issue so they can prevent it before it is too late.

When people think of “toxic masculinity,” they usually think of the more obvious examples, such as notions about alpha males and negative denotations of women. Though these are examples of toxic masculinity, it actually goes way deeper than we think. Many of these men hold the idea that women need to submit to them, which has made them think that they can act on any impulses they have against women.

In a study done by Binghamton University, it was found that men with higher toxic masculine traits, such as the belief that men are the main providers and the concept of emotional resilience, reported that they would continue to make sexual advances on

perpetrator has not been taken seriously, and follows the trend we see with toxic masculinity minimizing the severity of sexual assault. Not only does this broken system that lets men off easily leave the victim unprotected, but it also leads the assaulter to believe that his behavior is okay and he can do whatever he wants without any real consequences. Toxic masculinity is not only dangerous for the men it affects but also the

As social media continues to grow, and we continue to see different personalities come across our feeds, the idea that toxic masculinity is normal continues to grow. Many different social media influencers are promoting toxic masculinity, such as Andrew Tate, who has over 10 million followers on X and is known for his blatant misog-

During his prime year in 2022, his presence on social media was normal, and it was no big surprise when he came across everyone’s feeds once again, spreading his misogynistic views. His return on social media led many young and vulnerable boys to believe that it is normal to behave in the way he does, since there were not many advocates against his harmful behavior. Though he is not as popular as he once was, there have been many other men, and even women, who have similar views to Tate, and continue to trick young boys into thinking that is how they should treat the women around them. Not only is toxic masculinity harmful to women, but the effects of toxic masculinity are becoming increasingly dangerous for men. There is a common expectation

BULLDAWGS SPEAK!

I think it’s bad because it teaches young kids unhealthy habits.

among men that they are to repress their emotions because emotions are reserved for women only. While this is obviously not true, many men believe it anyway, which has caused them to ignore their mental health.

In a study done by JAMA Psychiatry, it was found that men with higher perceived traditional masculinity are 2.4 times more likely to die from suicide than men who do not present with it. Not only are these men with high toxic masculinity suffering from issues with their mental health, but in the most extreme cases, they are committing suicide because of it. Many people who support these harmful ideas about both men and women commonly deny that toxic masculinity even exists. They think that this is how society should be, and usually use religion to justify it. They point to Bible verses preaching male dominance and an overall push for absurdly traditional values. If your household lives by these orthodox ways and everyone is happy, then by all means, continue living that way. However, it is a different story when it comes to pushing these ideals onto young individuals. Those who are seen trying to sell toxic masculinity as “traditional values” should be educated and encouraged to stop. We can combat the normalization of toxic masculinity by promoting the idea that we are all human, and it is okay for us to express our emotions. No one should be held to a higher standard or value simply because of their gender. Additionally, spreading ways to cope with strong emotions properly can help to actually raise boys to be the best version of themselves possible, without the threat of toxic masculinity.

The everyday pressure for men to hide vulnerability and assert dominance creates an environment where harmful behaviors toward women are overlooked or dismissed. As these attitudes continue to blend into our everyday lives, the damaging effects become harder to notice until they’ve deeply taken root.

I’m not sure about certain influencers online but I don’t think they should promote toxic masculinity. It’s not good because these unrealistic expectations are probably going to create toxic masculinity.

It creates a lot of criticism and comparison and I feel that young men see other young men and feel the need to adjust themselves.

Capri

ART BY Jenny Kimbrough

ART BY Jenny Kimbrough

Ryan Ratliff Freshman

INTERVIEWS BY Thia Betts

Amelie Risinger Sophomore

Will Edmondson Junior

Willow Lampert Senior

PHOTOS

Kade Lasseigne Theater teacher

A night of movement and warm magic

Dancers kick off the first performance of the school year with energy and precision

Isadora Parra

Dancers glide onto the stage in a burst of color, their costumes glowing beneath the lights as music fills the room. The air hums with excitement as every leap and turn invites the audience into a night alive with rhythm. With each confident step, the dancers share the passion and hard work that brought them to this moment, creating an experience that shines from the stage to every seat in the crowd.

Since the summer, and through early October, the Bowie Dance Company has been preparing for their first production of the 2024–2025 season. This year’s Fall Show marks the 35th annual celebration of the program’s dancers, featuring a wide range of performances from Silver Stars, JV dancers, dance class periods, Dance for Athletes, and dance company solos. The production is led by dance directors Leanne Bilnoski and Alyssa Paramski, whose guidance brings together the hard work and artistry of every dancer on stage.

“We start preparing pieces as early as August, and by October everything begins coming together,” Bilnoski said. “Our goal is always to balance technique with enter-

tainment and make sure every dancer feels confident onstage. Seeing the show come to life with costumes, lighting, and an audience is the most rewarding part.”

The preparation for fall shows involves months of rehearsal, planning, and coordination. From choreography to costumes and stage management, every detail is carefully orchestrated to ensure a seamless performance

“I’m a manager, so I help out with costumes and help run all the organizing stuff on the team,” junior Rilynn Huffman said. “I work on a headset to let everyone know when to turn on lights and play music when people are set on stage. The most challenging part is staying organized.”

For the dancers themselves, the Fall Show is not only a performance but also a showcase of personal growth and skill. Many of the routines are choreographed by the students themselves, giving them an opportunity to lead and express their creativity.

“I think it just showcases the work that we put towards it throughout the fall,” sophomore Sydney Bennett said. “It started out really hard because we had to choreograph it ourselves, but now it’s clean, polished, and we’re ready to perform. I’ve learned so much about respect and discipline from my teammates and directors.”

The show also allows students to perform routines that challenge them both physically and mentally. Dancers must

maintain stamina, precision and synchronization across multiple numbers, some of which have been rehearsed for months.

“Jazz Company is so specific with movements, and you have to keep your stamina,” sophomore Bella Stewart said. “I really like performing in hiphop companies because the choreography is so fun, and I love the people I dance with. We’ve all improved so much, and it’s coming together really nicely.”

Directors oversee every element of the production, from stage logistics to choreography selection, ensuring that both technique and entertainment are balanced.

“This show has truly been a labor of love from everyone involved, and it’s been incredible to watch it come together over the past few months,” Paramski said. “A lot of the choreography is done by the student officers and class dance aides. It’s always impressive to see the level of dedication and teamwork that goes into each show.”

Senior dancers often take on leadership roles, guiding fellow team members and helping to keep the group motivated during shows and rehearsals.

“I’m a senior lieutenant, so I lead the team and choreograph dances,” senior Neha Raghunathan said. “I’m most proud of the show itself because it’s a lot of work to put six dances together, but it really represents our determination and teamwork. This is my last Fall Show, so I wanted to make the most of it and enjoy every moment.”

Photo Essay Editor

COASTAL FLOW: In a sweeping wave formation, the Silver Stars glide across the stage during their routine to Coastline. Dancers have been

Nadia Nepustil leaps across the center of the JV

BECAUSE

Isadora Parra SURVIVOR: