The Dispatch, Vol. 39, Issue #1 10/23/26

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NEWS Seniors start designing a drone in an attempt to help firefighters prevent and locate wildfires pg. 4

SPORTS Paralympic swimmer overcomes challenges during first year competing on the Bowie Swim Team pg. 11

PHOTO BY Isadora Para

ENTERTAINMENT Culinary program takes on creating the perfect wedding cake for Bowie counselor pg. 12

OPINION Students express their sentiments about the academic building being closed off for lunch pg. 14

PHOTO BY Ashley Marcus

PHOTO BY Julie del Nido

PHOTO BY Ben Wong

Vol. 39, Issue 1 www.thedispatchonline.net James Bowie High School 4103 W. Slaughter Lane, Austin, TX, 78749

THE DISPATCH FRIDAY, OCT. 23, 2026

Pride in Publishing

Budget cuts reshape Bowie fine arts

Programs like band, theater, and dance are impacted after reduced district funding Reese Walker Dispatch Reporter

as a result of the budget cuts is losing bus rides to home football games. Now, everybody drives themselves and The new school year has brought meets at Burger,” Strong said. “The many changes, including district-wide bus rides are where some of the best budget cuts that have affected fine arts memories are made and connections programs such as band, theater, and with your section are built, so it has dance. Along with these programs, the definitely been one of the hardest students involved are also having to things to lose from budget cuts.” adjust to these changes and the chalDespite these changes, Strong is lenges they bring. trying to stay positive and enjoy her Budget cuts are not a new develfinal year in the band program. opment in the Austin Independent “It has definitely been an adjustSchool District (AISD), but this year, ment dealing with budget cuts during their effects have had a greater impact my senior year,” Strong said. “But even on some of the groups that are at the with this I’m trying to make the most heart of Bowie’s culture. Band Director out of my last season and not let that Anthony Paxton explained how these change the fun I have.” changes have impacted his program The budget cuts have affected and students so far this year. different parts of the band program, “The budget has remained the same from transportation to opportunities for the band program as we continue for students. Paxton explained what he to try and provide the same experience wants students and the community to for our students,” Paxton said. “Howunderstand about the situation. ever, we are receiving significantly less “Fine arts programs at Bowie and money from the district.” across AISD will always be more Although the spending for the successful when the community is inprogram hasn't changed at all in past volved,” Paxton said. “It always helps years, the decrease in district funding when people come see performances, has led to changes in transportation donate to fundraisers, volunteer when and students being directed to handle they can.” expenses of instruments throughout It isn't just the band program that the year. has been impacted by the reduced “The biggest change is access to funding, with other performing arts buses for football games. This year programs also facing major changes students must drive themselves to this year. Among those being the home games at Burger Stadium,” Paxtheater program, which has experiton said. “This year we were provided enced its own issues from the cuts this funding for five games of our choice. school year. We have also asked Starlight Theater students to handle Company president the cost of instrument SCAN FOR MORE! senior Marin Lawson, repair throughout the provided some inforyear. This is somemation on how budthing that we previget cuts have affected ously covered through the theater program the program.” this school year. Senior band “Overall, I think president Eme Strong the budget cuts have helps plan and really affected our organize events and show production valVIDEO BY Kiran Hayden activities for the band. ues, such as not being As brass captain, she able to do as many also helps lead and crazy costumes, cool support members of the brass section. sets, and last year one of our teachers Strong explained how these changes in quit, now we have a new teacher and transportation have affected the band they are not getting paid as well,” program and its students. Lawson said. “So, our teachers, having “The biggest thing that I have seen four of them rotate and having to do

ART BY Sara Fowler

art classes as well to keep up with our theater being able to have as much money as we do has been difficult.” While the many changes Lawson explained have been a struggle to navigate, she explained how they are attempting to navigate those struggles and shortages through parents and students. “We also do our own senior shows that we direct, and we aren't receiving as much money so the students themselves have to pay for it,” Lawson said. “We also have been relying a lot on our booster moms who do a lot of fundraising as well as some of our officers who do that as well. So, it can be a little stressful sometimes not having that school support as much as years prior. Instead we are now focusing on our outside of school support, and that can be a lot for moms especially if they have jobs or other responsibilities and they have to pay for many things. So, it's been a little hard, especially having to run the company with not as many fancy things as we had last year for sure.” As for how the community can

support the theater program and its students, Lawson explained that it's truly as simple as just attending and how showing up can mean so much to programs like theirs. “I think the best way others can support us is just by coming to our shows. If you come to a show you get to see a beautiful piece of art but also they cost, so by people paying to come and watch they are supporting our company,” Lawson said. “It also helps if they buy our merch or come and just support our fundraisers. We have fundraisers at Torchy's and Bushes, just like all the sports teams. Overall, just supporting the arts means a lot of all of us lovely theater kids.” The dance program is another part of the fine arts impacted by the budget cuts. A popular class for incoming freshmen, drill team, was cut from students’ schedules due to decreased funding. Freshman Hannah Fowler explained a little bit about the class. “I wanted to be a part of the predrill class to learn more skills, get better at dance, have a class with a bunch of my friends, and have the opportuni-

ty to make new friends,” Fowler said. “From what I had heard, Pre-drill was a class where a lot of freshmen dancers got to know each other and learn skills that they can apply to dances, and also tryouts whether that is JV or varsity tryouts.” Fowler’s experience shows how AISD’s budget cuts have affected both Bowie’s fine arts programs and the students who participate in them. With classes being cut, students have a lesser number of options this school year to take classes they want to and connect with other students. “I was definitely very disappointed when I could no longer take pre-drill due to budget cuts. This did affect students because everyone who had pre-drill on their choice sheet was asked to replace it with a new elective,” Fowler said. “In my case I replaced it with art to get my fine art credit out of the way, which was originally supposed to be pre drill, so now I have to take Art 1 which I don’t enjoy at all. This is very disappointing because I know I would’ve rather been taking another dance class instead.”

The road to school takes a turn: AISD's new bus routes Eve Johansson Executive Editor: News

Over the summer, families received notice that Austin Independent School District (AISD) would be transitioning from regular bus stops to bus “hubs” or “pods." In the email, AISD explained that these changes were due to the financial challenges the district is currently facing, and less buses navigating less routes would be a more financially stable system. While there are still a few neighborhood stops, most of the bus hubs are located at elementary or middle schools. With fewer stops, these "hubs" are more centrally located to each family in the area, but now require most kids to walk further distances. For some kids walking is not a reasonable possibility and their parents must drive them. “If I were to walk to the bus every morning, it would take me 45 minutes to get there,” sophomore Jane St. Peter said. “It saves me a lot of time to have my parents take me, but it is also an inconvenience for them because they have to get to work and get my little brother to school as well.” On the other hand, sophomore Tomas Owens lives close enough to Kiker Elementary School, his hub, to walk in the mornings and after school. But while he experiences no difference in the time it takes for him to get to the bus, he has noticed a difference in the number of students riding his bus each morning and afternoon. “The bus is so crowded, especially compared

ART BY Eve Johansson

INDEX:

NEWS 1, 2 , 3 FEATURES 4 , 5 IN-DEPTH 7

LOADING OFF: Mills Elementary School buzzes with activity every morning and afternoon as students catch the bus on the way to and from school. With AISD budget cuts being put into effect this summer, many systems are affected, especially bus transportation. PHOTO BY Ben Wong

to before,” Owens said. “It’s a struggle to get on and off the bus each day because there’s so many people packed onto it, and we often have to fit three people to a seat.” Less stops means less buses, which was the district's goal to save money while still providing transportation for students who needed it. However, this causes most buses to be at full

DOUBLE TRUCK 8-9 SPORTS 10, 11 ENTERTAINMENT 12

made the process a little more organized.” This new system with bus hubs instead of stops has also changed the way bus drivers fulfill their roles. Obviously, most of them had to learn new routes, but according to Rae Hudson, a long term bus driver, it has also affected the kind of driver she is to the students. “I have been a driver for twelve years,” Hudson said. “Every year my favorite thing about being a bus driver is the relationships I get to build with the kids. However, with hubs instead of stops, there are two buses that service each pickup and drop off location. This means I get new kids everyday and it’s harder for me to get to know the students like I used to.” With the new system, bus drivers also have more logistical changes to get used to. According to Hudson, the safety and well-being of her students are her first priority, and this year she’s had to work around obstacles that could comprise that. “Drop off and pick up is definitely more of a hassle than it used to be when we had stops,” Hudson said. “In the mornings, if I am the first bus to service that stop I have to leave kids behind to wait for the second bus because they do not fit on mine, and who knows how long that can take? In the afternoons, both buses usually arrive at the hub around the same time, but this can cause the streets to become very crowded with students and parents coming to pick them up. Both of these things cause me to worry for the kids I have to leave behind and their safety navigating the streets.”

capacity and backup buses are often sent to each hub because there are too many students to fit on a singular bus. “I think this new system is super inefficient because it takes a really long time for the second bus to come,” St. Peter said. “AISD is doing their best under the circumstances, but I think it would be better for the student body if they

REVIEWS 13 OPINIONS 14, 15 PHOTO ESSAY 6,16

SCAN TO SEE MORE! VIDEO BY Kiran Hayden

FIND US AT @jbhs_dispatch

2 NEWS

THE DISPATCH FRIDAY, OCT. 23, 2026

Rhetoric is no longer a course at Bowie

AISD removes the course and students are forced to take AP Lang or English 3 instead Thia Betts News Editor UT OnRamps Rhetoric was removed by Austin Independent School District (AISD) at many AISD campuses, including Bowie. Teachers and students were impacted by the end of summer decision to cut the course. According to the University of Texas (UT), OnRamps Rhetoric gives students six college credits that they may be able to transfer into any public university in Texas or other universities that could accept the credit. The reason why AISD removed this opportunity is unknown to staff and students on campus.

AP LANG 27.9%

of juniors signed up last year

ENGLISH 3 34.9%

of juniors signed up last year

RHETORIC 37.2%

of juniors signed up last year

GRAPHIC BY Thia Betts

“It was really hard for me because I've been building up that class for nearly a decade,” English teacher Kimberly Wiedmeyer said. “It was such a successful way to get kids who aren't great at taking tests college credit.” The majority of juniors signed up to take Rhetoric last year. According to Academy Director Kaylin Brett, 260 students signed up for Rhetoric compared to the 244 students who signed up to take English 3 and 195 students who signed up to take AP Lang. All students who were signed up for Rhetoric were moved into AP Lang and all teachers who were scheduled to teach Rhetoric had their Rhetoric periods replaced with AP Lang periods. “We received an e-mail late in July that said it was canceled, I have to assume it's because of money. If a student is in OnRamps Statistics, OnRamps Physics, or OnRamps Rhetoric, that's $150 for each course,” Brett said. “So, it has to be because of budget, but we weren't really given a whole lot of context.” AISD continues to go through immense budget cuts with the gap widening between state funding and the cost of educating students. AISD has had to make sacrifices the past year to compensate for the increasing debt. “I know that the district had to make an exception for two schools because they have what's called Early College High School, where the students graduate with their associate's degree,” Brett said. “And those two schools had to keep it so that those kids could finish their program senior year.” AISD is predicted to completely remove Rhetoric from all campuses after this school year. The OnRamps program was put in place by UT in the 2013-2014 school year and Bowie had its Rhetoric course for over ten years. “I feel sad that the course was taken away because I feel like it happened so suddenly," junior Mira Kulkarni said. "There was no warning or rumors of Rhetoric getting taken away, it just happened.” Students who take AP classes have to pay for the AP exams if they wish to earn college credit for those courses, students do not have to pay to earn college credit from OnRamps courses. The district was responsible for paying for the On-Ramps courses. “Students have to pay 100% of the AP exams, and AP exams are $100. And so I have students that take seven AP exams a year and that's $700

ART BY Cooper Ford

where the district's not paying any of it,” Brett said. “And then I said if parents or students want to pay to be in Rhetoric, can they? And I was told they could not because that wouldn't be equitable for other students.” The AISD Board of Trustees holds the authority to approve academic changes. If a decision were to be made about bringing Rhetoric back, the district would have to find a way to get that approved through the AISD Board of Trustees. Students who can no longer take Rhetoric but still want college credit for their junior year English course are now in AP Lang. “The content is similar, we're still talking about rhetoric, purpose, and audience, and looking at a variety of tests,” Wiedmeyer said. “The differ-

ence is now kids have to show what they know in one high stakes test at the end of the year, whereas rhetoric had kids writing college assignments every few months and spending their own time outside a class working on them and using research skills.” AP Literature and AP Language teachers both taught Rhetoric and the course was beneficial for students to take a different approach to the typical structure of an English class. Rhetoric had long periods of time for students to work on one essay and AP classes are often much more fast-paced. “I also saw as a literature teacher the impact that it had on students writing outside of just rhetorical analysis,” English teacher John Flickinger said. “I think it's unfortunate that the

district took that opportunity away from students. I don't think that was fair to students or teachers who were expecting to take or teach that class.” The district sent an email out to students and families stating that Rhetoric would no longer exist on campus at the end of summer. According to Brett, many families reached out to the superintendent asking him to reconsider removing Rhetoric, and to reinstate the course. “I think the majority of my friends were signed up for rhetoric, but were put into AP Lang instead,” Kulkarni said. “When I opened the email I was kind of sad. I was upset because I really wanted to take rhetoric, I want to improve on my writing skills.”

Paredes closes after a series of setbacks and close calls Eve Johansson Executive Editor: News

This July, the AISD Board of Trustees voted to permanently close down eleven schools, one of them being Paredes Middle School. The school was located a couple miles down Slaughter from Bowie, in between Menachca and I-35, and was one of the feeder schools for Akins High School. Families of students that attended Paredes before the shutdown received direct letters after the final decision, explaining the reasoning and outlining what the future would look like for their child. This included things like new transportation routes and rezoning their students to a different middle school. “All Paredes students were rezoned to attend either Bailey Middle School or Mendez Middle School,” Bowie’s Academic Director Kaylin Brett said. “Bailey took the majority of the students, with 55 percent of them being rezoned there, while Mendez took the remaining 45 percent.” Even though Bailey is one of its feeder schools, Bowie itself will not be affected by the shutdown. All Paredes students who now attend Bailey will still be zoned for Akins, meaning Bailey and Mendez will be the only two schools gaining a large number of students in response to the closure. However, since Paredes was already under enrolled, neither Bailey nor Mendez reached maximum capacity even with the sudden influx of students. “To my knowledge, the biggest factor in closing Paredes Middle School was academic performance,” Brett said. “Schools are graded by the state in our accountability system, and when

“While closing schools is a very challenging schools are under-performing, they are put on an decision, this is something our district should improvement plan. When we have schools under have done years ago with our declining enrollenrolled, we cannot keep operating the schools ment,” Brett said. “It only happened this summer because it is too expensive, and since Paredes because, right now, Austin ISD is doing everywas already not making enough improvement, it thing necessary to balance the was a very serious candidate budget and prevent a state for shutting down.” takeover and no superintenJunior Zoe Macias is dent was courageous enough one of the few students at because closing schools is Bowie who went to Paredes bad publicity and faces lots of all three years of middle push-back. They have to balschool. Exceptions have ance the politics, the humanbeen made for students ity, the fiscal responsibility, who might live closer to and the symbolic movements one school than another or of a district. It is an extremely needing a different school hard job.” environment. While district leaders have “My favorite thing about to make these decisions, its Paredes was how all the students who are rezoned to teachers, especially the different schools, and teachers guidance counselors, were are laid off or have to move super nice and encouragAcademic Director to a new school. Two foring,” Macias said. “I feel mer Paredes teachers found like the closure was bound themselves at Bowie this year, to happen because our Michael Brode who teaches Academic Chemistry test scores were low but it's also disappointing and Aquatic Science and Elizabeth Abernathy because it had a lot of character, and I know a lot who is the 504 Campus Coordinator. of students and families will miss it.” “At Paredes I taught AVID Excel for two years, AISD has had to make budget cuts to create a a college readiness class for bilingual students, more financially stable district. These cuts have before I got asked to be Project Specialist,” Aberaffected most everyone in the district, includnathy said. “I really liked the vibe there. The staff ing families, students, teachers, and directors. was very young overall and had a lot of energy, Besides leading to the closure of schools like and I had a great group of students. However, I Paredes, they’ve caused the implementation of love Bowie as well and am very lucky that this new transportation systems and under-financed position that so closely mirrored mine opened arts programs like school bands.

"

The biggest factor in closing Paredes Middle School was academic performance.

Kaylin Brett

up, I just wish we could have had more advance notice.” Financial instability in the district led to decreased teaching positions and job openings long before Paredes closed down, and so with eleven school closures AISD lost a considerable number of teachers. While some teachers were left unemployed, many were able to secure positions at the two schools where the students were relocated or to other AISD campuses. “I was disappointed to learn about Paredes shutting down as it is sad to see something that played a big role in my life and career go away,” Brode said. “I loved the community so much. My co-workers were a very cohesive group and we all watched out for each other. The students all had such big hearts and constantly reminded us that they trusted us. We can only hope that such a big chance will impact their educational lives positively.” There is no data at this point to determine how these changes will impact the students and teachers impacted. Until then, Brett expressed the sentiment that AISD is truly trying to do what’s best for everyone in the long run, even if it seemed like a rushed decision now. “It is important to think about the kids, the staff, the community and everything that surrounds a school,” Brett said. “The staff especially had a very hard transition because some people did not know what campus to report to on our first day back from summer break. That is very scary not knowing where your job is or what your job is. However, I do think it was handled overall to the best of AISD’s ability given the time constraints.”

kut.org

ART BY Knox Lemmon

NEWS 3

FRIDAY, OCT. 23, 2026 THE DISPATCH

Upgraded lunch lines bring school spirit

Construction completed over the summer modernizes and improves the lunch experience Thia Betts News Editor

towards kitchen and serving upgrades. “Our new serving lines enhance student engagement with our self service model and highOver the summer, with money from a previlight our fresh fruits and vegetables,” Cabrera ous bond, the lunch lines were updated to add said. “This has also reduced other plastic and palarger counter space and with a more efficient per supplies to improve sustainability and reduce design. According to Assistant Management costs. Our new lines help streamline our schools Principal Samuel Cabrera, the lines were finished and improve the overall lunch experience.” a couple weeks before school AISD’s goal is to have zero started. waste by 2040 according to Bowie has three differthe AISD website. This goal is ent lunch lines students can aligned with the City of Austin’s choose from, the Bistro, the goal of zero waste and reducing Grill, and the Fiesta. All of the amount of trash sent to the lines were upgraded and landfills by 90%. modernized. “It had all been here original“Our lines were dated and ly from 1988 and some of the needed some more surface parts were so obsolete we could area to put more food out,” not even repair or replace them Cabrera said. “There are also anymore,” Senior Food Service a couple more heating areas Manager Laurie Womble said. Laurie Womble to keep the food warm.” “It was time, it was definiteSenior Food Service Manager According to the Austin ly time and it’s been a great ISD website, AISD is comchange.” mitted to elevate the student Kitchen equipment should be dining experience. The lunch updated and evaluated every five line upgrades were made possible because of a years depending on how often the equipment is bond that was passed in 2022 allocated towards used according to the USDA school meal stankitchen upgrades. The total bond was $2.44 dards. USDA meal standards also state to ensure billion and $37.5 million out of the bond was put students are receiving balanced meals with fruits and vegetables. “Our custom serving lines are built by ModU-Serve, a company that is based out of the Houston area,” Cabrera said. “We worked with Chrane Foodservice Solutions to help design and coordinate all the efforts of installation and other details of our serving line projects.” Mod-U-Serve manufactures food service equipment for schools, hospitals, corporate cafeterias, and military installations according to the Mod-U-Serve website. Chrane Foodservice Solutions also manufactures commercial food equipment according to the Chrane Foodservice website. “I have noticed that the lines are moving much quicker and they are easier to clean,” Womble said. “With the upper and lower shelving we can move the students through the line faster because we have more options available.” Womble was asked for her input and gave recommendations to what she thought should be added to the project. She thought that the Fiesta line should be more open because in the past it was a continuous U-shape and she suggested that they add upper and lower shelves on all of CHECKING OUT: Senior Food Service Manager the lines. The two levels of shelving allow for Laurie Womble hands a student a bag of chips as warm food to be put on one shelf and cold food the lunch line keeps moving. The lunch line moves on the other. faster after renovations. PHOTO BY Sofia French

"

It was time, it was definitely time and it's been a great change.

FOOD DISPLAY: An assortment of pizza, chicken sandwiches, and bread rolls are laid out and available for students to chose from. The added shelves allow for a larger variety and quantity of food. PHOTO BY Sofia French

“I think the lunch line is pretty efficient,” freshman Brooke Morgan said. “I think obviously there's so many kids at this school so it's not going to be the quickest no matter what but it’s pretty efficient.” According to the AISD website, there are 2,876 students enrolled at Bowie as of April 2026. 1st lunch and 2nd lunch are split between the population of students and teachers which means at least a thousand people are in each lunch period. “The students love it. They are all talking about it saying how nice it looks, which is a positive thing because we did not hear that kind of comment before,” Womble said. “I think they

also like that it moves quicker and easier, everything’s more visible and they can see what we have to offer.”

SCAN TO SEE MORE! VIDEO BY Jude Davis

Trump renames Lake Ontario and sparks controversy When a famous historical landmark gets changed forever, it’s bound to be controversial, especially when that landmark is one of the five so-called Great Lakes. On August 27, Donald Trump signed an executive order changing the name of Lake Ontario, to Lake America. Trump did this to "restore names that honor American greatness." He also stated that The United States was the greatest protector of the great lakes, including Lake Ontario, on various social media posts. “I think that even though (Trump thinks) Canada is treating the U.S. badly, Trump shouldn’t change the name of a famous historical landmark,” sophomore Graham Murkin said. “If he was going to do something, I think it shouldn't have impacted something that has stayed the same for hundreds of years, especially when that thing is a famous piece of history, and a very popular tourist attraction.” Trump is standing his ground on the order, doing things like posting AI-generated videos of him kicking over a sign that says ‘Lake Ontario,' and replacing it with one that says ‘Lake America,' and stating that Canada should be absorbed as the 51st U.S. state if they refuse to coop-

erate on trade. "I think that Trump is being immature about the name change, and should have maybe had a more serious talk with Canada before changing Lake Ontario,” sophomore Quinton Kristiansen said. “Really, before even getting in a conflict with them." Trump renaming the lake has also raised concern about other things he should be doing instead of changing the name of Lake Ontario. Some Americans believe Trump has other pressing matters to take care of, like ending the Gaza war, lowering costs of every day life, and dealing with increasing inflation. “He said he was going to lessen inflation, get us out of endless wars,” history teacher Issac Cowlin said. “ He got elected a second time, and we’re a year and a half into that, and a lot of the things he ran on are not happening, in fact, they’re starting to become the opposite of what he promised he was going to do. His base, even though the majority of them still support him, are beginning to wane because of his questionable and controversial decisions." Another problem with the name change is how it will impact the landmark as a whole. This major change to the landmark could push people away because of its new name. “I think that it could change

how Canadians view the lake,” Canadian citizen sophomore Brady Baldwin said. “It could go either way, honestly. But I think they’ll start to visit in protest if anything.” When the order was passed, Trump immediately urged Apple to rename Lake Ontario on Apple Maps; they quickly complied. However, when a free mapping service, MapQuest, refused to change the name to Lake America, posting that they are not changing it on Facebook, Canadians and Americans alike commended the app, making it rise to the top of the most downloaded apps on the Canadian Apple App Store. "I think MapQuest did the right thing to stand up against Trump and hold their ground on what they think is right," Baldwin said. "If they think what Trump did was wrong, they have every right to capitalize on it." This is not the first time Trump has changed a landmark. Prior to the Lake Ontario change, he changed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. He applied pressure to map apps to change the name back then. “I think that Trump is just dividing people who otherwise would be collectively together,” Cowlin said. “Trump is being petty, saying, ‘Oh, this isn’t your lake, it’s mine.’ He’s doubling down on things he doesn’t need to even be doing.”

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4 FEATURE

THE DISPATCH FRIDAY OCT. 23, 2026

A new solution to wildfires takes flight

Students develop a wildfire-mapping drone to help firefighters track fire boundaries Isadora Parra Senior Editor-in-Chief

DRONE COLLABORATING: Seniors Denisa Cotiga and Gary Gallun discuss their drone project as they work on its design. What began as an idea inspired by California wildfires has grown into a research project involving thermal imaging, prototype testing and guidance from UT professors. PHOTO BY Isadora Parra

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plex, the students also recognized the value of learning from people with experience in aerospace and engineering. Their conversations with UT faculty have helped them seek answers to questions they could not solve on their own. “I thought that we could have just done the project by ourselves, but we realized that we had to have some outside help,” Denisa said. “I had to actually ask for help and learn from people who are obviously better at it than me.” For Garay, the experience has also changed how he approaches learning. Instead of keeping his school work separate from his interests, he has had the opportunity to apply what he learns to a project with a practical purpose. “I think really just putting the thing I learn in school and on my own time towards an actual project with a real world goal,” Garay said. “I think that we are applying to a real problem in

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Building a prototype has allowed the group to move beyond discussing possibilities and begin identifying what needs improvement. The experience has given them a clearer understanding of the adjustments required before the drone could operate in the conditions they have in mind. “Even though it flies great, it still has some design flaws such as being sensitive to unstable air pockets and the trim needing to be adjusted frequently,” Garay said. “These are some more serious issues because if we were to fly above fires, the resulting rising hot air would create turbulence which we would need to account for.” Progress has not always been consistent, especially while the students balance the project with their other responsibilities. Finding a starting point took time, but the group eventually found a way to make the work more manageable. “We went from a long period of not really doing anything because we didn’t really know where to start,” Garay said. “Once we started breaking it up into smaller steps, it was easier to take on those challenges one by one.” As the project became more com-

ART

the camera steady will be an important part of making the project useful to firefighters. “I think the main challenge that we’re going to see once we get into more of the prototyping stage is going to be camera stability,” Gallun said. “The gimbal is a big part of this, and we have to make one that’s going to be able to withstand the turbulence that a fire can cause with the air.” To help turn their research into a working design, Denisa and Gallun brought another student into the project. Senior Adam Garay joined after Denisa reached out to him over the summer following their physics class, and he now contributes to both the research and the drone’s physical design. “I help with collecting sources and brainstorming,” Garay said. “I built a prototype drone that we can build off of and use as reference.” AR

As ideas fill the pages of their plans and conversations turn toward possibilities, seniors Denisa Cotiga and Gary Gallun begin laying the groundwork for a project they hope will eventually take flight. What started as an idea during their sophomore year has developed into a research project focused on using drones to help firefighters understand wildfires. The idea of the drone began when Cotiga and Gallun saw the destruction that the 2025 California wildfires left, which led them to find an engineering solution to help firefighters. “Our original inspiration was the California wildfires,” Cotiga said. “The drone is a fire boundary mapping drone, which is supposed to help map the boundaries of fires and help firefighters know how far the fire spread.” Since then, the project has become more specific as the two have researched what a drone could realistically do. Their focus has shifted toward using thermal imaging to detect wildfire hot-spots and map fire boundaries. “In the beginning, she talked about using a drone to help put out wildfires,” Denisa’s mom Catalina Cotiga said. “As they researched it, their focus shifted toward detecting hot-spots and mapping the fire’s boundaries.” The project is still in the research and developmental stages, Denisa and Gallun are working to determine how their design could function in real wildfire conditions with the help from University of Texas professor Christian Claudel. As they move forward, they must consider both the technology needed to track fires and the physical challenges of flying near them. “We’re not really in the exact prototyping phase right now,” Gallun said. “We’re doing a bit more on the research side with some UT professors, but it will work through algorithms that we can code, or eventually we might get into machine learning a bit.” Beyond developing the drone’s detection capabilities, Denisa and Gallun must also consider how to collect reliable information while flying in unpredictable environments. Keeping

the world currently.” For Susanna Gallun, Gary’s mother, the project stands out because the students have continued pursuing an idea that could address a problem beyond their school community. She has watched their interest develop as they learn more about what the project would require. “I thought it was ambitious and interesting,” Susanna said. “It sounded like a project that could connect engineering with a real problem, and I was curious to see what they could make of it.” Watching the project develop has also given Susanna a greater appreciation for the work involved in turning an engineering idea into something practical. A successful design depends on more than the basic concept, especially when it must function in difficult conditions. “I was surprised by how much there is to think about,” Susanna said. “The idea sounds simple at first, but using a drone to find and map wildfire hot-spots involves a lot of questions about the technology and how it would work in real conditions.” With more research ahead, the students are continuing to develop their design and determine what their prototype might eventually accomplish. Garay said the group has several performance goals in mind as they work toward a more capable drone. “We hope it will be able to carry a payload of up to ~2 kg and withstand high heat and have a range of 500+ meters with a flight time of 15+ mins,” Garay said. “The next steps would be to continue working on the prototype and to reach out to as many people as we can to gather more knowledge on the subject.” Although the project is not yet a finished system, the students’ families hope the experience will help them understand what is possible and prepare them for future work. For them, progress includes not only developing the drone but also learning from the process. “We hope to continue developing the drone beyond high school and find ways to turn our research into something that can help firefighters,” Gary said. “Even if we end up in different places, we want to keep working on the project and see how far we can take it.”

The college commitment process gets a helping hand Baya Carlisle Dispatch Reporter

I was going to commit there, but I took a chance with ULM.” Alvidrez shares advice on the college recruitBefore the first pitch is thrown, senior Cici ment process through her TikTok account and Alvidrez is already focused, her eyes on the field her involvement with Extra Innings, a nationwide as she prepares for another game. Whether she’s softball ranking platform. As a member, she posts stepping onto the field for a close match-up or three times a month, sharing her experiences and facing a team she’s never played before, each game tips to help other players navigate recruitment. gives her a new challenge to work through. Years of Through both platforms, Alvidrez hopes to give softball have taught her that success isn’t measured younger girls the advice she wishes she had when only by the plays she makes or the runs her team she first started the process. scores, but also by the encouragement she gives “Extra Innings is a nationwide ranking plather teammates and the way she helps them push form that ranks players based on nominations. through difficult moments. I’m part of the Commit Crew, which is made up of Alvidrez has been playing softball since she was 2027 commits who have already been ranked by six years old, but she can pinpoint the moment she them. Every month, we post three videos about truly fell in love with the sport to an out-of-state Extra Innings and engage with the community,” tournament during her freshman year. She had Alvidrez said. “I see a lot of girls with the potenjoined an organization called tial to play in college, but they Top Team at 14 years old, aren’t always going through and during a tournament in the recruiting process the Oklahoma, she and her team best way they can. I think the defeated their opponent 7-0. advice we share can really help The win made Alvidrez realize them.” just how much she loved Through creating videos competing and confirmed that for Extra Innings, Alvidrez she wanted to pursue softball has discovered an interest in in her future. Her dedication to combining creativity with her the sport is also something her love for softball. What started teammates notice. Senior Alex as a way to share advice with Cruz has observed Alvidrez’s other players has helped her growth and her determination explore potential career paths, during practices and games. including marketing and sports “She’s always been very media. Senior hardworking but humble. “I love the creative side of And she’s just a good overall content creation, coming up teammate, very welcoming,” with ideas and turning them Cruz said. “During practice into videos. I also love helping she’s always uplifting, and she’s very encouraging people, and I think it’s a great way to share advice to others when they’re down.” with others,” Alvidrez said. “Ever since starting As Alvidrez kept playing softball, she started Extra Innings, I’ve developed a bigger interest thinking about where she wanted to take the sport in editing and content creation. I’ve always had after high school. She originally pictured herself a creative side, and I want to study marketing in playing somewhere in California, but an opportuni- college. In the future, I could see myself doing ty in Louisiana ended up changing her mind. Before graphics or other creative work for sports media her junior year, her coach received a call from teams.” University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) expressing After graduation, Alvidrez plans to continue interest in her, and wanted her to go to their camp. pursuing her interests in softball and content Alvidrez fell in love with the school’s community creation. She said she can’t wait to start at the and softball opportunities immediately. University of Louisiana Monroe, continue her “I’d heard of ULM, but I didn’t know they were softball career and use her creativity to explore interested in me until my coach told me they wanther passion for social media and marketing. ed me at their camp. I went to Louisiana and fell “Something everyone can learn from Cici is her in love with everything. I remember leaving camp dedication, and that hard work pays off. She leads and telling my mom I really wanted to go there by example, and I think in her mind, when they because the coaches were so welcoming,” Alvidrez put they’re mind to it, when they want a goal, said. “I thought I’d end up at Abilene Christian or they just keep working hard and strive for it,” somewhere in California. But the weekend before softball coach Elizabeth Wissel said. “I think visiting ULM, I went to Abilene Christian and reshe’s only gonna work and get better and strive to alized I didn’t see myself there anymore. I thought be stronger for the upcoming years.”

"

My accomplishments drive me to be better and improve, but it can also add pressure. Cici Alvidrez

UNDER THE LIGHTS: Cici Alvidrez warms up on deck before stepping up to bat. Through her work helping student-athletes navigate the college commitment process, Alvidrez uses her own recruiting experience to help others find the right fit. PHOTO BY Vincent Yowell

FEATURE 5

FRIDAY, OCT. 23, 2026 THE DISPATCH

Homsy gives a harmonic helping hand Junior provides cello lessons and tutoring to students at Gorzycki Middle School Baya Carlisle Dispatch Reporter A cello bow moves across the strings as a student works to find the right notes. The sound fills the room, interrupted by occasional mistakes as a student adjusts their fingers and tries again. As students work through these challenges, junior Samantha Homsy helps them correct their mistakes and improve their playing. Through her own cello lessons and tutoring, Homsy guides young musicians through DAVID JARROTT the challenges Orchestra Director of learning the instrument she has played for nearly 12 years, helping them improve their skills and grow more confident along the way. Outside of school, she offers cello lessons and tutoring to elementary and middle school students. She teaches students at her house around six in the afternoon on Mondays or Wednesdays. Students pay $30 for 45-minute lessons and $40 for hourlong lessons By teaching students outside of her own school, Homsy

can share what she has learned with younger musicians who are still developing their skills and confidence. “I started because my driving passion is that I experienced really good middle school teaching and sometimes bad teaching during my music career,” Homsy said. “I wanted to give other students an opportunity to receive a more relatable education because I’d experienced it before, so I can get to teach them on a deeper level in some ways.” Homsy started the process of creating her tutoring sessions with help from her current orchestra director, who connected her with middle school teachers. Once she found out Gorzycki Middle School had interested students, she sent out a flyer with a QR code students could scan to fill out a form showing their interest. When she recruited her first students, she only had to figure out the other details. She began organizing lessons and communicating directly with the students interested in learning from her. “At first, I talked to my own high school director about wanting to start some tutoring to help out other students. At first, I was going to start with Bowie students, but then we found that I could also teach middle school students, so then he connected me to the Gorzycki teacher cause that’s where I used to go. And that

was like the easiest way to start it,” Homsy said. “Then I made some flyers with a QR code that connected to a Google Form where students could sign up, and I gave the PDF of that flyer to the Gorzycki teacher and she sent it out to all her students, and then once the students got it they signed up on the Google Form, and once I saw the responses, I reached out to them.” She also wanted to share her experiences in different teaching styles and ways of learning the instrument. Homsy would tell someone starting their own tutoring or lessons to ask for advice from teachers and adults in their life who have more connections. Reaching out to teachers can help students interested in tutoring connect with other educators and potential students and have access to more schools than just their own. “I would suggest just talking to the adults that you know in your life. Like if you want to be a math tutor, talk to your math teacher and try to get them to help you out by talking to other teachers around them,” Homsy said. “Cause that’s kind of how I did it. I talked to my director and he talked to other directors in other schools. That’s kind of how I would get involved in that if I were just starting out.” Homsy’s current orchestra director, David Jarrott, helped her out with advertising her tutoring because of his

LESSONS AND LIBRETTOS: Samantha Homsy looks at sheet music as she practice her song for her next tutoring session. Homsy has been playing the cello for nearly 12 years and started these tutoring sessions to share her passion of teaching and helping others. PHOTO BY Chelsea Rodgers

connections to other middle school and elementary teachers. Jarrott says that Homsy starting this tutoring shows lots of strength in her abilities as a cellist, and responsibility. “Samantha’s tutoring absolutely shows leadership and responsibility. It also speaks to her talent and capability as a player, and her knowledge base just as a cellist with her ability to set up younger students for success,” Jarrott said. 11th grade “She’s really driven to be a successful musician. She makes it look easy, but it’s have to switch up your teaching style because she does work hard, and has or move to a different topic to keep been at it for some time.” During the tutoring sessions, Hom- them engaged,” Homsy said. “This is my first business where I’ve had to sy helps students with different things run everything myself, so I’ve had to depending on their experience level. learn how to communicate better, esShe gives lessons to students who are pecially when it comes to scheduling completely new to the cello. Most of and rescheduling lessons. It’s about the students Homsy teaches already meeting in the middle and learning play the cello, and come to her for adhow to communicate with each other. vice on whatever they want to play, or That’s something I’ve struggled with, get help on music for competitions or but I’m getting better at it.” auditions. The lessons allow students Homsy said she thinks that exerto focus on the parts of playing they cising creativity and having an outlet find most challenging, rather than for a passion outside of regular school following the same plan regardless of subjects like math and English is very their experience or goals. This allows important for everyone, but especialher to work with students at different ly for kids and their development. stages of learning, from those picking Homsy thinks that having an opporup the instrument for the first time tunity to practice something you’re to those preparing for more advanced passionate about is something people opportunities. shouldn’t miss out on because they’re “If they’re completely new, then we too busy with regular schooling. have to walk through the basics like “I think music is very important for how to hold the instrument, how to kids’ development and just for them use the bow, everything like that. And to have in their life, because it’s good then if they’ve had some experience, for them to have ways to express their then we would just work on whatever creativity and having that creative side they want,” Homsy said, “There’s like of you open is very good for everyan audition coming up that happens one,” Homsy said. “Because we spend every year called Region, and they most of our time learning strategies or gave me the music for it. So, we’re problems in school, we don’t really get working on those excerpts together, to exercise our creativity, so I think and then just some like solo reperthat’s like a really cool opportunity for toire, like any songs they wanna play, everyone.” we can work on that as well.” Homsy hopes her students will see While creating and running her music as more than just a skill they own business, Homsy has run into a learn when they’re young. Jarrott has few complications. A challenge she’s seen how creative outlets can continue had to work around is her students’ to matter well into adulthood, giving motivation, their younger age can people a way to step outside their roumake it harder for them to stay entines and reconnect with something gaged and motivated to keep working. they enjoy. Homsy has also had to learn to be “I absolutely think it’s important better at communicating with her for children to have a creative outlet students, and making sure she’s clear like music, and I actually worry for on availability and details. students that are involved in artistic “Because they’re still young and in pursuits and then leave it because middle school, it’s hard to keep them they feel they want to focus on motivated, especially when we’re doengineering,” Jarrott said. “Students ing tedious things during lessons. You grow up and end up missing it.”

My passion comes from being able to express creativity, because most of the time when you are in school, you don’t get to do that. Samantha Homsy

Abigail Grabouski shadows at UT to boost her passion Gracie Ruland Feature Editor

Inspired, passionate and determination are qualities Abigail Grabouski carries with her as she studies sports medicine, according to her teacher. These qualities first started in her health science classes, and has spiraled from there. “First of all, she has an interest in Health Science. Without an interest in anything it is difficult to learn about it,” health sciences teacher Corey Hooks said. “She was able to watch one of her upperclassmen compete and win big last year in HOSA/Sports Medicine and I think that helped encourage her.” After her first efforts in class, Grabouski had the opportunity to grow her passion for sports medicine by shadowing a professor at the University of Texas so she could learn in a more in depth setting. “I was able to shadow this trainer because he is my friend’s dad, so she put me in contact with him and he was willing to let me shadow him for my HOSA event,” Grabouski said. “I wanted to help people and specifically I wanted to ABIGAIL GRABOUSKI combine my interest 10th grade in sports and immediate care with health care overall.” Grabouski didn’t just enjoy the experience of being in the intense, yet exciting medical environment, she was also able to pick up some new habits and information about what it is like to be in the medical field. “I learned that there is so many technology, techniques, and resources that you can use in this field,” Grabouski said. “You really have to be a people person, because, for example, there was this girl that came in and was very stressed out and he was able to deal with her and be very

patient.” As far as the UT connection, UT’s facilities for sports medicine are very professional, she said. Grabouski especially loves the connections and growth that stem from there and even though that is looking far into the future, she hopes to find a college just like UT, or even aim for that college itself. “I want to go to UT because it has really good academics and it has a really good athletic training program for undergraduates,” Grabouski said. “My favorite part was being in the actual environment with UT’s nice facilities. I can be the best athletic trainer I can be when I am surrounded by that environment. Also being at university was fun because I am a Texas fan and getting to see the inner workings was really cool.” While shadowing this past summer, Grabouski also got the opportunity to meet with professors at the university. “I met staff like athletic trainers, PA’s, nurses, and I also got to meet the athletes that came in like rowers, track and field, and swim and dive,” Grabouski said. “I went to the UT sports medicine camp this summer and we got to do some hands-on labs and practice with UT athletic trainers and professors as well as some students who are part of the athletic training program. It was a really insightful experience.” Even further than college, Grabouski has been considering what her career will look like and the possibilities that will be available to her. “I’m inspired to work in healthcare because I’m passionate about medicine and want to help people hands on and in a fast paced work environment, which are things healthcare involves,” Grabouski said. “I just find it interesting and it’s a job that gives me purpose like I know I would be making an impact.” Hooks described Grabouski as attentive and inquisitive in the classroom. These characteristics highlight Grabouski’s passion. “Abby loves anything to do with healthcare and absorbs information like a sponge,” Hooks

MINDFUL MEDICINE: Abigail Grabouski works in her health sciences class to sort through and find the right equipment. Grabouski approaches each class task with attention to detail, including smaller assignments. PHOTO BY Gus Abbott

said. “Abby is an absolute pleasure to teach.” Grabouski wants something with impact and a fast paced hands on environment, which is why she believes focus on the medical field is perfect for setting up a possible career path. “My favorite thing to study medically is probably new research that comes about discoveries within the body and new treatment methods,” Grabouski said. “Also just the anatomy and physiology of the human body and how different

injuries occur and are healed. I picture myself working at the collegiate or pro level if I pursue athletic training.” Grabouski believes she will forever remember this important first step she took towards her dream career. “My favorite part of shadowing was gaining real life experience,” Grabouski said. “I have grown as a person and I’ve gained different skills in an actual work setting.”

6 PHOTO ESSAY

THE DISPATCH FRIDAY, OCT. 23, 2026

Bowie spirit takes over student body

CAPED CRUSADER: Sophomore Samantha Pecina stands in her Hero Day costume during halftime. Just moments earlier the team performed their first two quarters of performance to motivate the stands. “Being able to wear Bowie across my chest just gives me a sense of pride every single time,” Pecina said. PHOTO BY Rider McIntyre

MARVELOUS: Seniors Maddux Defilippo and Kade Smykal cheer on the varsity players, dressed in full hero costumes to show their pride. Defilippo proudly cheered on his team up until the winning touchdown, clapping, shouting, and having fun with all his friends and peers in the stands. “I love showing school spirit because I love Bowie and I have a lot of friends on the football team so I want to show support and just make the games a little more fun,” Defilippo said. PHOTO BY Rider McIntyre

Looking deeper into how Bowie makes the student section light up with Bulldog pride Rider McIntyre Photo Essay Editor Intimidation pours over the opposing school as they see Bowie students on the opposite side of the football field dressed head to toe in bright red, all jumping, screaming, and chanting for their favorite football team. Fridays in the fall semester look a little different in the student section, with spirited high schoolers dressed in familiar themes such as western, red out, and heroes day, these exciting themes organized by cheerleaders for all students to show their pride. Before they are released, the cheer team, consisting of cheer coach Hailey Scott, and spirit committee members including sophomore Bree Miller and junior Lily Williams work tirelessly over the summer to curate the best and most engaging themes for both students and staff to participate in. This comes with a more intricate structure than students see on the outside. “So, the way we organize the spirit days is we first come up with a list of our ideas, and then we have to get them approved by our coaches and administrators,” Williams said. “Once we get them approved, we begin to send them to Instagram and the beginning of year slideshows to promote it and let everyone see the plans for

the year.” The cheer spirit committee uses various factors to decide the school’s dress up days each school year, considering every student at Bowie and their limitations. “I think depending on the theme, more students are able to contribute and actually get to participate,” Williams said. “Since I’ve been working on it, we’ve tried to make the themes based on how easy they are to contribute and participate with, mostly things that many people could find in their closet at home.” Under the surface level of picking themes that they think would be fun, exciting, and doable for everyone to participate in, they take responsibility to collect information from years prior and see how the turnout for each theme was, and base their new ideas on old information. “We usually take which theme days are most popular from previous years, and pick the ones with the best turnout,” Miller said. Even with the information and insight the committee puts into their choices, many do not feel compelled to show their school pride with dress up days every Friday. “If it’s harder to find something to wear, then it’s less likely for people to go out and buy something,” Williams said. “And I think just having a big group of people that dress up encourages

people to do it. So, when people don’t dress and others feel like they can’t dress up either.” Along with the engaging themes, cheerleaders set a model for spirit days to encourage students to follow by example and continue participating even when it’s out of the ordinary from what they might choose to wear. “The team is required to dress out for every single spirit day. We are ambassadors, so we lead by example,” Scott said. “So, they are expected to participate and show excitement for each day, they also provide encouragement for friends and peers to dress up,” This year, the school had an impromptu “Purple Out” day for epilepsy awareness, in addition to the already planned western day. “We learned about the devastating news, and wanted to show the community and show that family that we are thinking about them during that time, and so my captain reached out to me to see how we could change the Spirit Day,” Scott said. “Unfortunately, we had been boosting Western Day but we found a way to incorporate the purple into our theme, even with small things like purple bows in the cheerleaders’ hair.” This process also included a purple wristband fundraiser to support a family who recently experienced great loss due to epilepsy, and the

committee navigated that on very short notice, and ended up raising $1,310. “We saw that this family was going through some very hard times, and we decided to find a way to somehow raise money for them,” Miller said. “I think it was football that started wearing purple to show epilepsy awareness, and then we built on to that and started selling these purple bracelets to show support for them.” The spirit committee is actively coming up with new and exciting ideas to boost school spirit for years to come, while still using information they’re learning from this year. “We are super excited to continue making new ideas for spirit, and even this year we have new plans involving new structures of pep rallies, and just helping people feel encouraged to join in on all of the excitement,” Williams said. Within the inner circle of the spirit committee on top of planning and laying out ideas for years to come, they see it as an opportunity to bring Bowie together and show support for everyone around the school. “We love planning it, It’s really so fun for us. It gives us something else to do and be able to give back to our community and find something fun to encourage the school every week, or even give them something to look forward to,” Williams said.

TEAM SPIRIT: The cheer team hypes up the students and players at the Pink Out/Jersey Day game last Thursday. Keeping school spirit exciting from game to game can be challenging, but the team continues to show energy and pride at each game, winning or losing. “I’ve been cheering since I was little, and organizing spirit since 9th grade, and we all love coming up with the themes every year,” junior Lily Williams said. PHOTO BY Rider McIntyre

STARS AND STRIPES: Students gather with others in the student section, showing school pride and national pride in their Red, White, and Blue day outfit. Students recited the National Anthem and coordinated spirited outfits, some going all out for their senior year. “I love spirit days especially being a senior because its just special being the last year and even though some might think its embarrassing its just a fun thing to do to get the students and the team hyped for the game,” Powell said. PHOTO BY Rider McIntyre

FRIDAY NIGHT BRIGHTS: Senior fans scream in excitement as varsity scores a miraculous touchdown. Neon day lit up the student section along with their cheers and chants, leading the team to a resounding win and fun for all students. “I love starting chants to show support and dress up for all of the spirit days I possibly can,” senior Jayden Youngblood said. PHOTO BY Arlo Stocksill

IN-DEPTH 7

FRIDAY, OCT. 23, 2026 THE DISPATCH

Click, apply, repeat: the job application cycle Competition, qualifications, and employer timeliness shapes how teenagers get hired Sydney Murphy Senior Editor-in-Chief Application stacked on top of application, followed by weeks of silence and rejection, this is the exhausting reality defining the modern teenage job hunt. The classic high school rite of passage has transformed into an ultra competitive atmosphere, forcing young workers into a frustrating environment where employers demand prior experience but refuse to provide the entry level roles necessary to gain it. Additionally the teen job market has shrunk as older adults increasingly fill retail and food service roles, leaving today's teenagers with little to no options. According to CNBC, In recent years teen jobs have dropped over 17%. This decline highlights a major shift in the employment market for younger workers. “Now it is so difficult to get a job because you don't have a work history,” history teacher Charles Stampley said. “So, employers are sometimes hesitant to give you a job, because they don't have a reference point to look at your background.” Without a traditional work history, young applicants face a difficult cycle of needing experience to get experience. According to senior Keegan Cox, to break through this barrier, students are increasingly focused on using personal achievements and a strong work ethic to prove their value to employers. “I think changes in education could better prepare students for the workforce but we still should rely on personal achievements to stand out,” Cox said. “Developing a strong work ethic is important for teenagers trying to successfully navigate the hiring process.”

pect us to work more hours whenever we're already busy with school and sports and friends.” Balancing full-time summer work with a packed school schedule often creates scheduling conflicts for busy students. According to Stampley, as a result, carefully reviewing job requirements beforehand becomes essential for finding a position that fits a teenager's availability. “In addition to preparation, understanding the requirements of each position can help teenagers identify jobs that fit their schedules and experience levels,” Stampley said. “Some positions may require evening or weekend availability, while others may offer hours that better accommodate students.”

MANAGING AVAILABILITY

Beyond finding a job that fits their schedules, young applicants must also master professional interaction to secure employment. The hiring process involves a series of information exchanges between the hiring manager and an applicant. “For teenagers entering the workforce, learning how to communicate can also be useful,” Cox said. “Since we may need to contact employers with questions, follow up about applications or respond to interview requests.” Balancing a demanding workload with academic and social life is not the only obstacle younger workers face once they enter the workforce. According to CBS News, the percentage of teenagers able to successfully secure a job has significantly decreased in recent years. “I think of applying to jobs as getting real life experience,” Cox said. “Each apTHE CYCLE OF REJECTION plication can also provide an opportunity to become more familiar with hiring procedures Finding employment presents double the and workplace requirements.” challenge for teenagers who must overcome While applying for jobs serves as a valuable both a lack of professional references and comlearning experience, navigating the hiring propetition for limited opportunities. Additionally, cess has become increasingly difficult for teenaccording to Endeavorexecutive, employers favor agers. According to Stampley, young applicants older applicants due to concerns over scheduling now face steep competition from a growing conflicts with school and activities. number of adult workers vying for the “Even if there are places that do offer jobs, same entry-level positions. like, there's not enough for the amount of teens “I think the application that want to work,” senior process has definitely Lauren Druebert said. “They become harder over the see us as less experienced or, years,” Stampley said. not as reliable since we have to “There are also so many balance school.” more adults applying Druebert highlights how for jobs that historically academic commitments and teenagers have had, which extracurricular activities create makes it even more coma competitive job market for petitive.” younger applicants, leading The shifting job market employers to commonly priorhas directly impacted stuitize an older workforce. This dents. Cox has applied for highlights how employers tend H-E-B, Sweet Caroline's, to assume that age translates and TCBY, but has not had to greater professionalism. luck in getting a job. Charles Stampley “Most businesses are going “Since I have applied to History Teacher to want to hire somebody older so many jobs, I am familjust because they have more iar with the job applicalife experience and they're tion process, and it is very more mature,” Stampley said. “If they had the extensive,” Cox said. “It takes a lot of option between an adult and a teen, the obvious time and effort to apply and I have gotten choice is the adult.” rejected from all of them.” Stampley expressed why employers favor Despite putting significant time into adults due to an assumed gap in maturity and extensive applications, many students life skills. This preference creates a hurdle for face a continuous cycle of rejection. To teenagers who find themselves trapped in a overcome these setbacks, experts at cycle of needing prior employment to get a basic Forbes suggest that widening the job position. search while sharpening application “I have struggled to get a job and part of it preparation can help teenagers build the has definitely been because I don't have much confidence needed to land a role. experience,” Cox said. “I feel like now, em“Teenagers may need to explore ployers expect kids to have already had a lot of several opportunities before finding a job experience but are not willing to offer us position that fits their qualifications and experience.” availability,” Stampley said. “Preparing Although Cox notes the difficulty in finding applications carefully and understanding work without prior experience, some teens employer expectations can help students secure employment despite these high expecapproach the process more confidently.” tations. For example, Druebert started working at Chick-fil-A, yet her job has high demands that come along with it. “Over the summer I worked full time,” Druebert said. “However, now that we are back at school they still ex-

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I think the application process has definitely become harder over the years

The repetitive cycle of applications and rejections shows the learning curve teens face when navigating the labor market alone. Druebert argues that schools should take a more proactive role in teaching students about the workforce. “I think that schools should provide kids with more information about the corporate world,” Druebert said. “If kids were provided more information they would be more successful in the job searching journey.” According to Druebert, the responsibility shifts back to the students to apply those lessons. This balance between school and individual initiative shows the mixed approaches teenagers take when entering the workforce. “If I had to give any kid advice on finding a job I would tell them to keep trying, be dependable, and be

open and honest

about what you're gonna do on the application,” Stampley. “They have to keep applying and eventually they will find the perfect job.”

IN-DEPTH 9

8 IN-DEPTH

THE DISPATCH FRIDAY, OCT. 23, 2026

FRIDAY, OCT. 16, 2026 THE DISPATCH

New principal’s first changes take effect and impact campus Dawg Diaries Principal Bradley Lancaster switches policies regarding FIT, lunch, parking, and attendance incentives for the 26-27 school year Morgan Hertel Junior Editor-in-Chief

The first bell echoes as students begin walking towards their first period, backpacks draped over their shoulders, conversations dwindling as students part ways to their classes. Familiar faces of assisted principals and administrators greet students as they file through the school’s entry doors. Among these familiar faces sits a new one. Sitting at a nearby table, new principal Bradley Lancaster, checks students for their IDs, greeting them, matching names to the faces that will fill his hallways for the next few years. After former principal Mark Robinson resigned, Lancaster arrived to oversee daily operations for the school. In his first few months of being principal, Lancaster enforced some new policy changes in order to fix some of the issues he noticed on campus while observing the year before. One of the first changes Lancaster applied was regarding tardies and the consequences that come with them. Previously, if a student were to receive a tardy, it would get marked on their at-

tendance and when that one tardy grew into five tardies, it would be considered an absence which could potentially affect the chances of students receiving an attendance incentive for their final exam. “I spent a few days a week for the last month of the school year coming to campus to get to know people and look at how things were going. It was very eye-opening to me as I was back in Mr. Robinson’s old office and kids would continuously be coming in an hour late,” Lancaster said. “So, to me I was thinking ‘woah is the tardy policy that loose here?’ I took my concerns to the teacher leaders and they informed me that it has always been crazy. They stated that it’s hard to teach because there’s a constant knock at the door of kids coming in late.” In response to the old tardy system, Lancaster introduced tardy passes. When the bell rings for class, those who are still in the hallways or walk into class after the bell, must be sent out to a designated area to receive a tardy pass from an administrator. After receiving a pass, students will hand it to their teachers so they can be marked as tardy. Once a student has received their

fourth tardy of the week, they will receive a lunch detention. After their fifth, they will receive Saturday school. Once a student has reached six tardies in a week, they must attend ISS. “I think tardy passes are kind of dumb,” senior Charlie Debelak said. “Teachers can already mark you tardy so why do you have to go across the school just to get a pass a teacher doesn’t really need.” Despite the different student opinions on tardy passes, Lancaster explains how since introducing them, he has seen a significant drop in tardies. With this reduced amount of tardies, more funding is given to the school. This is because in AISD, state funding is reliant on the average daily attendance, meaning when a student misses school, the district loses money for that specific day. “I think as people begin to get used to the changes, they might start to like it more,” Butler said. “ The data does show that there are less tardies than last year which gives us more money to operate, so I think the change is good from that perspective. I would consider being able to continue existing funding wise, a good change.”

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Lunch Detention (4 tardies) = tardy to 20% of classes Saturday School (5 tardies) = tardy to 25% of classes In-school suspension (6 tardies) = tardy to 30% of classes ART BY Morgan Hertel

Incentive change hits underclassmen most significantly Every semester, before final exams, the attendance incentive calculation form is posted for students to check how many incentives they receive for that semester. In past years, freshmen through senior students were eligible to receive two final exam incentives if they had less than two absences that semester. Attendance incentives allowed for students to request that both of their nine weeks grades from that semester be averaged in order to replace their final exam grade. This reward system was set to encourage students to take their attendance seriously. “Some concerns I had heard from the staff were debating if the systems that were in place were setting students up to be successful on high stakes exams. I think there is a certain pressure when it comes to taking big tests, and I don’t want that pressure to feel foreign to somebody outside of high school,” Lancaster said. “The other main concern about incentives was that administrators were having to deal with all of the unique situations from parents that all related to attendance incentives and how many their children were receiving. When modifying these changes, Lancaster decided to keep giving juniors and seniors

attendance incentives because those grades were where attendance was lacking the most. Despite 11th and 12th graders being able to keep their incentives, students in 9th and 10th grade are no longer eligible to receive attendance incentives. Over the years, it is shown that attendance for freshmen and sophomores tends to be more consistent than upperclassmen. “Sophomores’ attendance is still important because it affects their parking situation for next year, and so there’s pressure for them to be here. Freshmen generally are not the attendance issue, It’s the juniors and seniors because they’re starting to get that senioritis stage,” Lancaster said. ”So, I still wanted to have some incentive for those juniors and seniors, but sophomores still have that little bit of pressure.” Sophomore Ella Messerli explained that it makes underclassmen feel no reason to come to school because students don’t have anything to earn

without incentives. Additionally she explained that students should be able to have incentives for their harder classes. I don’t like the new policy because I think it’s going to bring my grades down and overall increase the amount of absences,” sophomore Teagan Harrison said. “The only reason I didn’t miss a single day of school last year was so I could get my incentives for finals.” Freshman Rayelle Cowsert stated that incentives were one of the benefits that she was the most excited to receive when going to high school, but now she is unable to receive them. According to Cowsert, she had heard about the looser rules of high school compared to middle school, and was excited to have more freedom. However, when she got to high school, there were a lot of rule changes. “I think that they should have made the incentive changes so that sopho-

mores, through seniors are able to get incentives, at least just for this year when they start the change,” junior Oliver Gibson said. “That way everyone that had attendance incentives before didn’t get them taken away.” Sophomore Caleb Torres stated that although some of the changes could be beneficial to the school, the rate at which the changes are being applied is causing students to be upset. Additionally, junior Willa Hibbs, similarly stated that if Lancaster had more evenly spread out the implication of these changes, students wouldn’t be as against them because at least they are not all being introduced at once. “On behalf of the 2029 student body, I believe that we should stand up for what we believe in,” Torres said. “Losing my incentives made me feel less motivated to come to school this year. Last year, I would focus on my attendance because I was working toward earning them for my finals, but this year I feel like there is no real purpose of me going to school because I’m not going to getting anything out of it.”

*Data not factual but representative per principal Bradley Lancaster ART BY Jenny Kimbrough

GRAPH BY Morgan Hertel

Flexible Instructional Time adjustments impact tutoring options In past years, Functional Instructional Time, otherwise known as “FIT”, served as a 25 minute homeroom, tutoring, socializing, and studying time where students could sign up or get assigned to go to a teachers classroom after their first or fifth period. After observing the strengths and weaknesses of the process last school year, Lancaster decided to change the system by having students stay in their first/fifth period and give teachers the ability to sign students up for tutoring. “When I had talked to staff about the FIT process last year I noticed that, on a good FIT day, we’d only have about 500 students signing up on enriching students, and the other 2,500 were either going to a class and being let in or not going to find a

class that was empty and running off campus,” Lancaster said. “So, the change that we came up with was to keep everybody in first and fifth period, but I wanted to make sure that the kids that need tutoring and want tutoring have the opportunity to get it during the week. Before making new changes, Lancaster checks in with administrators, teachers, and student body leadership to think the changes through and ensure that it will benefit the school in the long run. Working with him are Student Council presidents senior Carter Lax and junior Jordan Butler. Together, the three work together for events such as pep rallies, communicate student opinions and suggestions, and help support the student body.

“I think the new system that Mr. Lancaster has applied has been working pretty well for FIT,” Butler said. “I think there are definitely ways it could potentially be improved in the future, However, Mr. Lancaster has been really open to hearing people out about different changes this year.” With the implication of extending first and fifth period and allowing teachers to sign students up for tutoring, classrooms began to overflow, with students who weren’t going to tutoring already being in the classroom. It left teachers with a limited amount of space to bring kids in for tutoring. Responding to this situation, Lancaster created the FIT Overflow Plan. “This overflow plan is hopefully going to ease

the issues of students not being able to go to teachers for tutoring because there is no room in their classroom,” Lancaster said. “I don’t want to be a barrier for kids to not ask for help or get the help that they need, so we’re gonna roll with this new schedule for right now. We will have a staff member supervise each of these overflow areas because that seems to be working well so far.” Before the new FIT plan, FIT was often used as a meet time for clubs around campus. However, with Lancaster’s new changes, and new school board policies, club meeting times had to be adjusted. Complying with Board Policy FNAB, Secondary Schools Non-Curriculum Related Student Clubs from General Counsel, Kenneth M. Walker II, prohibits the

district from sponsoring any non-curriculum related student clubs during the school day. Activities considered non-curriculum related, are required to meet during a set non-instructional time which can include before and after school, lunch, or advisory times. “From my understanding, our school specifically, has about 15 academic clubs here on campus to offer to students,” Lancaster said. “In order for a club to be considered an academic club, the subject of the club has to be directly connected to curriculum we currently offer on campus. So, different clubs are offered at different schools due to the different curriculum that schools around the district have to offer.”

Lunch seating areas also change

In previous years, students have had the ability to sit in the cafeteria, courtyard, or tables in all of the academic wings for lunch. After speaking with teachers, administrators, and other staff members, Lancaster made the decision to close the academic building for both lunches, ultimately leaving students to eat in the cafeteria, limited portions of the fine arts building, and the courtyard. “We only have so many adults who can supervise areas for lunch and the more areas we open up, the more room students have to take advantage of,” Lancaster said. “We now have teachers who are working seven out of eight periods, and I am not going to give them lunch duty on top of that. Teachers are stretched so thin and I want them to to know that we love them and that I am doing everything possible to take as much off their plates as I can, so until we can get to a point where we can potentially open up an area, this is where we are currently at.”

Starting on September 23, the downstairs A Hall and F Hall wings were opened back up for students to eat lunch. Due to tables being put back into the hallways for the FIT overflow plan, more potential seating was opened up for lunches. Lancaster explains that making this change was to open more seating for students to eat and help reduce the over-crowding of the cafeteria and courtyard. Additionally he explains, the limited areas that students are allowed to eat in, are a safety precaution used to ensure that all students on campus are supervised. “I think that changing lunch locations has made the fine arts building and places where we are allowed to eat, too busy,” junior Amalie Stuhr said. “Opening A hall and F hall has seemed to help the overcrowding a little bit. However, I eat outside so the change doesn’t affect me too much, but sometimes it can still be hard to find a spot to sit outside.”

“I personally don’t like the new FIT policy. As a student who has athletics first period because I am stuck in the gym where it’s hard to focus and I don’t have a desk to get work done on.“ Tatum Mast senior

Parking is a constant problem and changes try to address those issues In addition to his other changes, Lancaster also added parking policies. When applying for parking, students have the option of A Lot, the garage, church lot, and the band lot, starting second semester. Students are ranked in order of priority determined by grades and attendance to decide who gets first pick on their parking spot. When making the policies, Lancaster explains there needed to be consequences in place for those who don’t follow the rules. “You will receive a sticker on the first offense, and a sticker on the second offense, then you will receive a boot that costs $50 to get it removed on the third offense, and then the fourth offense is you’re gonna get towed, and you’re going to get your parking privileges revoked,” Lancaster said. “The reason we have that in place is because of the limits of parking. We can’t have somebody taking a parking spot of somebody that’s playing by the rules, and now that person doesn’t have a place to park.” Lancaster explained that students not having their sticker or permit on their car, or if they’re parking in a handicap spot or in the two-hour parking area for a long period of time, or if they are parked in the teacher parking lot, there will be consequences. Lancaster also explained that these are the most common reasons for getting a consequence when it comes to parking. “I see a lot of people parking in the garage without a permit and it makes the traffic worse,” senior Alex Doles. “So I have no problem with stickering and booting process.” Lancaster explained that attendance is the primary subject that effects students priority when picking their parking spot. The students with the best attendance are the first priority and will get to choose their parking spot first,

whereas, the students who lack attendance, will be lower on the list and have the risk of potentially not being able to receive a parking spot. “I think the priority list when buying parking spots isn’t fair for the students in extracurriculars or practicum classes,” junior Adler Landon said. Students in those types of classes have to leave school early and come back mid school day with no where to park.” According to Lancaster, the priority list is in place due to the limited amount of parking spaces available. When buying a parking spot, certain parking lots fill up faster than others. If students are unable to buy a parking spot, there are some free parking options around campus that are open to anyone. The free parking area that is the closest to campus is the street of Wolftrap which is located between the school and the church. “The fact that my attendance effects my parking next year is even worse than not having incentives,” Torres said. “Now I’m not going to have anywhere to park unless I wake up early enough to get to Wolftrap.”

“The new club changes scared me at first. Hose is a huge part of my life and as a part of leadership, I understand that one specific day before or after school isn’t going to work for every single member. I want everyone to be able to experience the community and joy I found through Hosa.” Dahlia Wildman

junior

“I just feel like Mr. Lancaster is switching up a lot of the rules that a lot of the rules that a lot of us were just getting comfortable with. “ Caleb Torres sophomore

10 SPORTS

THE DISPATCH FRIDAY, OCT. 23, 2026

Splashing into the swim season

Bowie’s volleyball team Freshman para swimmer Tessa Brown glides through the 50 free paves their way to playoffs with 5-2 record Reese Walker Dispatch Reporter

Addison Fey Student Contributor

Junior Addison Fey credits personal record of 100 blocks to team chemistry and positivity With the new district realignment, we are placed in a district with the expectation that our team makes the playoffs. Hearing this news, I individually and my team as a whole know we need to do everything we can to win the necessary games so we can make our first playoff appearance in many years. For me this means finding new ways to contribute to my team’s success. As a middle blocker you are only set on an almost perfect pass. Since this can be rare, instead of focusing on not getting set I’ve directed my attention to defense. By the end of the first round of district I totaled over 100 blocks. This doubles my stats from freshman and sophomore year. A new challenge presented to me this year is serving. In the two years past, I have only played my three front row rotations and then gone out. This year I am the serving middle. This was a big adjustment for me but I have handled it to the best of my ability and I am tied for most aces on the team. Both serving and effort while blocking are things that I can control on my own. By focusing on the controllables I stay more positive on the court and gain the understanding that if I don’t do my job it affects the entire team’s success. In the first round of district we showed great fight against some talented teams and took both Johnson and Dripping Springs, who are the top of our district, to five sets. By beating Akins and Hays both rounds we have secured our spot in the playoffs. This is a great achievement for our team that was not easy to come by. In early October, we swept Johnson. During this game I had five blocks and five kills. My team displayed great chemistry and communication skills. Beyond my performance on the court, I work to be more of a voice to my teammates and help create a better environment by organizing team bonding activities. Being a part of the Bowie volleyball program has taught me that being a leader does not require you to be named a captain. Instead, you can lead by example through your play, find ways to improve the team environment, and be a positive presence on and off the court. Want to contribute your thoughts about your team’s sports season in the next issue of the Dispatch? Contact Sports Editor Olivia Hunter or Advisor Michael Reeves in room F214.

COMING UP IN SPORTS:

The starting signal sounds, and freshman Tessa Brown pushes through the water. As she races toward the other end of the pool, Brown works to focus on herself, the clock above her and the freedom she feels in the water. For Brown, swimming is more than a competition; it gives her the opportunity to do things in the water that she cannot always do outside of it. Freshman Tessa Brown is new to the Bowie Swim and Dive team, but she also competes independently at meets throughout the year, including Junior Nationals. Over the summer, Brown competed at a meet held at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center. However, Brown’s love for swimming is nothing new. “I started swimming when I was two but didn’t seriously start getting into it until I was about six when I started wanting to swim at a meet,” Brown said. “I was in my first meet when I was seven and I just loved swimming so much swimming against people who

were more like me and the adrenalin and from then on I just kept swimming.” Para swimming is a form of competitive swimming for athletes with disabilities. According to Brown it’s an opportunity to be confident and express herself in a beautiful way. “To me being a para swimmer means you go out there and swim your best just like everyone else. Sometimes people put a lot of pressure on people with disabilities in any sport that you need to do more to prove yourself because they look different,” Brown said. “I think that just putting yourself out there and doing your best and doing it for you not to get attention and not because you need to feel like you need to prove something.” For Brown, swimming is about more than just competition. It gives her a sense of freedom she doesn’t always have outside the water. “What I enjoy the most about swimming is the freedom that I feel in the water. There are a lot of things that I can’t do out of the water that

ON DECK: Freshman para swimmer Tessa Brown excitedly prepares to mount. Brown competes in the 50 fly and 50 free. PHOTO BY Clarke Chiang

FULL SEND: Junior Taylor Hall launches into the lane. The swimming team slices through the water as they race to get new records and place for invitationals. PHOTO BY Clarke Chiang

I can do in the water,” Brown said. “Not even just in a comparative way. I love doing stuff with my friends that make me feel normal and swimming in the summer is something that does that for me.” While swimming gives Brown freedom, it also challenges her to grow as an athlete. Head coach Chloe Carr has seen that dedication first hand. “Tessa is a remarkably dedicated, resilient, and focused athlete. She brings an unbeatable work ethic to practice every single day, approaching training with a relentless drive to improve,” Carr said. “She sets high standards for herself, never asks for shortcuts, and maintains a consistently positive, motivating attitude that lifts up everyone around her.” Carr explained that Brown’s dedication is especially evident in how she adapts to the challenges she faces in the pool. “Tessa faces unique physical demands, from adapting her stroke technique and balance in the water to navigating equipment adjustments and

up for anything,” Alexander grueling conditioning sets,” said. “I think her positivity is Carr said. “She handles every amazing because in competiobstacle with patience, adapttions people get nervous and ability, and unwavering poise. her bright attitude is going to Rather than viewing challengbring some amazing things to es as limits, she treats them as opportunities to problem-solve the team this season and for the season to and push her come.” capabilities As Bowie’s even further.” swim season Kate People put a lot of continues Alexander is Brown is excitsenior captain pressure on people ed to getting of the swim better and and dive team with disabilities. To me and has been being a para swimmer beating personswimming for means putting myself al records. “I’m looking nine years. forward to Alexander is out there and the swimming the also a para doing best I can. 50 free and swimmer, that’s my as well as Tessa Brown normal event, Browns “big” Para Swimmer and I also do this year. 100 free and This is a team then the 50 tradition breast and 50 fly. But overall, I where upperclassmen mentor am very excited for this season a buddy, known as their “litand this is the largest team tle.” Alexander explained the that I have swam with,” Brown positivity Brown has brought said. “The team is very fun. the team in such a short I’m not sure what the future amount of time. “Tessa is always so positive, looks like but I would love to always smiling, she has no fear go to the Paralympics someday.” of everything and is always

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Trainer Ysabel Cuellar tends to every break and tear Paul Saenz Dispatch Reporter If someone plays a sport, it is mandatory to go to early practices and play games, so one might think most of the workload goes onto the players. But does anyone think about the people that make all of it happen? The ones that work behind the scenes and help the players with training and recovering if they are injured are the athletic trainers, and there’s only one of them this year, so all of the work of a job that’s better to have multiple staff on is being worked by one person, Ysabel Cuellar. Cuellar is a relatively new member of the staff, assuming the position of an athletic trainer in the year 25-26. The last athletic trainer, Pablo Riera, left last year, leaving Cuellar on the job alone. She is in her second year now, except this time she has to work on her own. “When I heard I would be the only athletic trainer I was definitely a little nervous and worried, but I knew I had to make it work and I had to do what I could to make sure that all of the kids are taken care of and confident to play every game they go to,” Cuellar said. ““Because we’re such a big school, a lot of stuff is going on everywhere, so I try my best to make sure I’m everywhere and everyone is taken care of to my fullest capability. It’s a lot harder than last year to manage my time since I am the only person working the job this year, not to mention I have a life and other things to do outside my job.”

TAPE UP: Trainer Ysabel Cuellar jumps into action after every play. The Sports Med team is suited up along the sideline ready to tape ankles, evaluate concussions, keep players hydrated, and manage chronic conditions like fractures. PHOTO BY Annika Monkman

Despite being short on trainers, the athletic department has had no shortage of help and support due to Cuellar’s hard work. Along with her assistant trainers, Cuellar has to manage the strenuous workload of managing a whole school’s worth of teams, not to mention also having to tend to injured players and help them recover so they can get back to playing. “I would definitely say the biggest challenge of being the only athletic trainer is trying to be in multiple places at

OCT 23 Va r s i t y G i r l s Vo l l e y b a l l v s . D e l Va l l e @ Bowie High School

once,” Cuellar said. “It’s also really hard to make sure when I’m not somewhere, the kids are prepared and ready without me being there to help them.” Cuellar works very hard to keep up with the athletes and other work she is responsible for. If that means taking extra hours or skipping an event she wanted to go to, she’ll do it. This makes her student athletes and trainers alike admire her “determination” to keep doing her best no matter what challenges she faces on

OCT 29 Va r s i t y B o y s Fo o t ball vs. Akins @ Akins

the way. “I really admire her thinking, I think she has had lots of good ideas that have helped the program a lot more than previous years,” senior student trainer Andrea Garcia said. “There’s been things she has changed about the program and I’m like, ‘I really like how this is working,’ or ‘I really appreciate that she made this change happen’. Another thing I appreciate about her is she is very open to ideas and listens very well. Also, if I had a problem with something, I would

OCT 3O Va r s i t y S w i m @ Greater YMCA Meet

feel comfortable enough to tell her about it because I know she’ll take the problem into account and act on it.” Through all of the obstacles and challenges, Cuellar has pushed through them one by one. Whether it be time management, taking care of kids, or teaching other trainers, she’s stayed strong through all of it. “She’s definitely kept after a lot, even with all of the work she has to do,” junior football player Gavin Hernandez said. “She just takes the workload and doesn’t let it affect her. She does everything she can, and more. Every time something tough happens, she just perseveres through it and gets it done.” Even when overloaded with work and responsibilities, Cuellar still tries to make the most of it. She bonds with the students, and makes sure to keep her students in high spirits after a bad injury. If this does happen, Cuellar takes care of the students with extreme care and skill, and does her best to get them back onto the field as soon as possible. “My favorite part of the job is interacting with the students,” Cuellar said. “We get to know them very well because of all the time we get to spend with them, and seeing them come back from injuries is really great. Seeing a kid get hurt on a Friday football game and then taking care of them all week and building them and their confidence back up then getting to see them get back up and do what they love again is the best thing.”

NOV 3 Va r s i t y G o l f To u rnament @ Star Ranch Golf Club

SPORTS 11

FRIDAY, OCT. 23, 2026 THE DISPATCH

Blitzing downs, receiving touchdowns Senior Marrell Hinton nominated for Austin American-Statesman’s top central TX player Olivia Hunter Sports Editor

The field hummed with anticipation, the student section a sea of red, and photographers scrambled to set up their cameras as the air horns went off. Cleats pounded against the turf; players burst through the tunnel, with senior Keegan Cox leading the way onto the field with a flag in hand. The season’s biggest rivalry had just begun: Austin vs. Bowie. The Bowie Bulldogs football program has been around for 38 years, and as seasons come and go, the team’s core values stay the same: unity, loyalty, and “Pride in Performance.” Head football coach and athletic director Jeff Ables emphasizes how these values extend beyond the field into classrooms and long-lasting friendships. “I think we have great team chemistry. The players get along with each other and want to play for each other,” Ables said. “We always judge our success off the field by the way our young men grow and mature into leaders in our community. They always play hard and give us their very best. That is all you can ask for as a coach.” This 2026 season, with the team holding a 5-2 overall record, marks a new chapter for junior captain Gavin Hernandez as he figures out how to lead. Hernandez, who has been a part of the program since his freshman year, says he’s taken on more of a leadership role. “After becoming captain, I was given more responsibilities, including being a role model, teaching the younger players, and always being prepared for all of the ups and downs,” Hernandez said. “As captains keep the team motivated by making sure TACKLING TEXAS: Football players Marrell Hinton and River Faver work together as they attempt to tackle Austin High. Before we have goals and that everyone feels the season, multiple players including Hinton earned a spot in the Top Central Texas 100 players to watch, with this in mind, seen and appreciated both mentally both were ready and fired up for this game. PHOTO BY Arlo Stockstill and physically.” As reported by The Ohio State field. tends to have strengths and weakWinning is beyond just scoring University, selflessness is key to “I want the younger nesses. However, what distinguishes touchdowns and making tackles athletes’ performance and a team’s player to know they don’t a good athlete is a person’s ability to during games; according to senior victory. Co-Offensive Coordinator Ty recognize the difference and take steps need to be afraid of being captain Marrell Hinton, it’s about Branyon agrees with this sentiment uncomfortable. The man to work on them. This season Bowie’s building chemistry, and describes Bowie’s success as that says something coaches are working on teaching the motivating others, being influenced by players’ when no one else steps team to play smarter and having fewer showing up, willingness to be dediup becomes the guy flags. and pushing cated. coach can rely for “I would say that our strength is people “I think this on and off the field,” our offensive and defensive lines. outteam has a Hernandez said. “We They do a great job controlling the side is selfless attit a h t ne o e have quite a few younger lines of scrimmage, which allows our m tude and o s for n and players that have had play-makers to make plays on both o r each of e We look d a a le e to fill in due to injuries. sides of the ball,” Branyon said. “Well, b t a them is to h t going eone m They have done a great there are always many areas for us to o S deter. ld e and l job of growing improve on, o o off the fi h mined c ts our s quickly to fill but I would n e . to do s s e s r p la c SCAN FOR MORE! up re h it those spots.” say that we w y whatit n commu Three playneed to work ever ers, including on limiting their es is asked Jeff Ablall Coach Hinton, seniors our penalties comof them ootb Cade Venas a team.” fort Head F to help the able and Rhys Austin zone. team sucMoreno, received ISD empha“Honestly, I ceed,” Branyon recognition from sizes caring want to say finsaid. “Coach Ables the Austin-Amerishing, and our offense for every always talks about how we ican Statesman for kid, valuing has been able to score points won’t know the true success VIDEO BY their performance. effectively and keep our defense off the inclusion, and of our team until 10 years or so down Sydney Cotsonas Ables applauded fostering refield,” Hinton said. “The whole team the road when we see what kind of them while also spect, Hernanhusbands, fathers, and members of so- is just so much different, like QB-wise acknowledging the importance of dez utilizes these principles when and receiver-wise. People actually ciety they have become. I think shortthe underclassmen. The team mentoring the underclassmen. One of want to be here and show up to play.” term success for us is determined by his biggest suggestions is to rise above includes twenty-six juniors Branyon notes how every athlete, whether or not we are improving every and ten sophomores, and he and be assertive when taking over the whether a football player or swimmer, week.”

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says all the younger players contribute heavily and work to improve every week. “It is always nice to have any of your players get recognition. They are good kids. They are fun to be around, and fun to coach,” Ables said. “You know that there are a lot of your players that get very little recognition, but they are valuable members of the team. At the end of the day, we are proud of all of them.” At the beginning of the season during a non-district game the Bulldogs played Vista Ridge. Up until the second half Bowie was winning by a couple touchdowns. The game ended in a 40-37 loss for the Bulldogs. Hernandez believes that mentality is a critical component that shapes performances and that this game would’ve resulted differently if the team worked on having a consistent attitude. “The biggest challenge our team has faced this year is ourselves. I know we have the talent to accomplish all these achievements; we have to just get past our own mistakes,” Hernandez said. “I believe we can improve our mentality. It’s not that we have a bad one; it’s just that we need to work on maintaining a consistent attitude throughout the entire season.” In addition to staying healthy and safe, Hinton focuses on setting goals and pushing himself to achieve new personal records. Currently, he has four sacks, a con fumble, and seven tackles for loss (TFL’s), which is when a player tackles an offensive player behind the line of scrimmage. As a defensive linemen Hinton follows a workout regimen consisting of deadlifts, power snatches, and bench press. “I usually wake up pretty early on my off-season days to go to the weight room and I try to do chest on certain days legs on another days, cardio, and line workouts,” Hinton said. “Goalwise I would say like ten sacks out of district play, and then during playoffs probably fifteen sacks and a couple TFLs.” Team culture is the foundation of behaviors, attitudes, and values. Association for Applied Sports Psychology highlights how creating an effective team culture leads to better performances and drives leadership. As the ‘‘Dawgs continue their season as second overall in district, they have high hopes for the playoffs and are hoping to reach their personal goals, motivated by a passion for their sport, a hope to get a title for the program, and a strong brotherhood that continues after high school. “I would say that the culture of this team is built around the brotherhood that our players have with one another,” Branyon said. “With the amount of players returning from last year’s playoff team we expect this year’s team to compete for the district championship and make a run in the playoffs.”

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12 ENTERTAINMENT THE DISPATCH FRIDAY, OCT. 23, 2026

Thoroughly Theater Students shocked by stricter shift for upcoming festival selection process Alice Goss Student Contributor Questions? Concerns? Email:

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For the second year the For the second year the Starlight Theatre Company (STC) will return to the Texas Thespians State Festival in Grapevine, TX. The students who attend the convention participate in workshops throughout the day and will bring one scene or song to compete with. As a whole the STC can only bring 15 pieces to compete, putting a limit on the amount of students who can attend. With new director Christina Pozzi taking charge of the process, information was quickly sent out and auditions were held with many students debating whether the process benefited from a stricter approach. I support the stricter approach used to decide who would attend this year because of the increase in people interested in attending, the grade requirements to attend, and the benefits for rehearsal later in the process. Last year was the first year the STC attended the festival, which resulted in a small group of students interested in participating. There were a total of 19 students, multiple performing in duets, which brought the company to a total of 14 pieces. This year over 20 pieces were requesting to compete, bringing the total number of students interested well over last year’s involvement. Due to an increase in interest the directors were required to hold auditions and select the strongest pieces to take to the festival. Since they are required to register which students are going by mid September it made the most sense to quickly decide in order to give families the most amount of time to financially prepare for their student attending, as the process starts very quickly. Students interested must also be a sophomore or older, this exclusion of freshmen guarantees that anyone auditioning was aware of the opportunity to attend the convention before the school year started. Meaning all students who auditioned could have prepared before the school year started if they wanted. By only working with seasoned students in our company it makes sense that the directors had confidence that the company could handle a quick turnaround with auditioning the pieces. Being decided on which students will be attending earlier into the school year also opens up more opportunities for the actors to rehearse as the school year progresses. The directors decision to quickly complete auditions now allows them to focus their feedback on the selected group of students and make sure everyone is working on their pieces for the most amount of time possible. Now students are able to take advantage of class time to prepare their pieces, making our company more competitive as a whole once they attend the festival. Although I would also like to acknowledge how many students felt there should have been time to workshop their pieces before auditions. The requirements for auditions followed a strict time limit, source material list, and more. So offering the opportunity for students to receive feedback before auditions would have been very helpful for those feeling overwhelmed. Though I still support the early audition process because I feel it would have been difficult to cut pieces if the directors couldn’t differentiate between the students who did their own prep compared to those who relied on director feedback. Leading me to believe that holding auditions earlier into the year and maintaining the strict requirements from the convention sets the students selected up for success at the festival and greatly helped the directors distinguish what pieces were going to be the most prepared. Now the directors and the selected students are well into the process of polishing performance pieces and preparing for the convention next month.

Bakers craft a delicious contribution Students come together to celebrate counselor Shelby Pennington’s big day Kona Badgley-Finan Entertainment Editor

Every wedding needs something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue – and beautiful treats at the centerpiece of it all. Thanks to the creativity of guidance counselor Shelby Pennington, who will be married in March, and Bowie Baking and Culinary teacher Ricardo Howard, baking students are getting a first-hand role in designing creations that will be included in Pennington’s wedding. “It was a project. I talked to Chef Rick about it and I let the students pick the flavors they wanted to make and the way they wanted it to look,” Pennington said. “I am really excited to see what the students come up with. It feels like a really special piece to have at my wedding since Bowie has meant so much to me these previous years.” Pennington, who has worked at Bowie for six years, previously taught in the Career and Tech Ed Department, and now works as a guidance counselor. Although baking students aren’t making her actual wedding cake, they will be making other treats that will be featured at the wedding. “Bulldawg Blooms is doing my flowers and then culinary is doing treats and I think Ready, Set, Teach students might contribute something decorative,” Pennington said.“I haven’t really gotten to see much of what they have made yet so I’m excited for the big reveal.” Olivia Musitano, one of the students participating in the project, said making the wedding treats has been a unique and exciting opportunity for students to repay someone who has made such a big impact on them. “This experience has been special because she trusts us with such a big part of her wedding,” Musitano said. “I have known Ms. Pennington for

CAKE MAKING: Students tried out different frosting recipes for cakes they made. Their baked goods will be featured at Shelby Pennington’s wedding. PHOTO BY Ashley Marcus

WEDDING CAKES: On September 9, Bowie Culinary displayed homemade cakes. These cakes were made for Shelby Pennington, a counselor at Bowie who is getting married on March 13. PHOTO BY Ashley Marcus

like four years because we had to take her class to be able to get into the Bowie Baking program, so I feel like more of a connection.” As part of the project, Bowie Baking students have been curating and executing their own wedding cake designs and have also been making miniature versions of wedding cakes for the last few weeks. “One of the best parts of this whole experience has definitely been working with the rest of my group and experimenting with how the cake will look,” Musitano said. “We have been practicing a lot of piping, like little flowers and dollops and how to get them even and uniform so the cakes end up looking good.” Howard has played a massive role in executing this idea. He proposed this idea to his students at the beginning of the year and has guided them through various bakes and builds, including two rounds of making a tiered cake that allowed them to practice and refine their techniques. “I had already started planning this project before school started and how I would be able to execute it with the baking class, this project has become a big part of what we are gonna do this year,” Howard said. “The students had to make presentations to prove that they were ready to execute this project the best they could. So they put what ingredients they would need, and how to assemble the cake.” In addition to creating the tiered cakes, students have also been able to experiment with different themes, such as ocean-inspired; flavors, such as lemon; and decor inspiration, including flowers. Howard said he wants to ensure that students have the time, creativity, and skills needed to perfect whatever creations they get to contribute to the wedding. With all of the work the Bowie baking

students have put into this project, Howard believes that getting to provide treats will be very gratifying for the students. “I have loved getting to see the students improve, and how, after the first round, they started going toward the right path,” Howard said. “I think the coolest part of this experience, though, is going to be seeing the last version of the cake and seeing all the changes they were able to incorporate.” Baking students aren’t the only ones who will play a role in Pennington’s wedding. Paige Gomez-Green, who teaches the floral design class, is working with her students to create various floral arrangements that will be showcased during the special day, including all of the wear and carry pieces, centerpieces, and many others. “My class is planning on doing a couple different versions of the floral arrangements to see what Ms. Pennington will like the best,” Gomez-Green said. “We are going to make the floral arrangements based on the color scheme and designs that Ms. Pennington wants.” Faculty contributing have stated that when Pennington’s wedding finally arrives, it is sure to be a special day infused with thoughtful touches from many of the same students she has helped guide throughout her career at Bowie. Although her students will not be able to attend the wedding physically, they still get to show up for her in a way that is even more special,delicious treats and beautiful decorations. Every flower and treat is carefully crafted with love and is an ode to the impact Pennington has had on students and faculty at Bowie. “It’s really special that Ms. Pennington asked me and Bulldawg Blooms students to be a part of the wedding,” Gomez-Green said. “Ms. Pennington is one of my best friends, and I am so glad I get to be part of her big day.”

A local orchestras commitment to community Connor Ewalt Dispatch Reporter

The Starlight Symphony Orchestra is a regional community orchestra, with members from all across Central Texas. The orchestra allows for students to perform and practice alongside adult musicians, providing free performances at venues like churches, schools, and universities. Last fall, the orchestra held their annual Fall Concert at Bowie High School, playing pieces from composers like Tchaikovsky, Dvorak and Sibelius. Alongside using Bowie as a venue, some Bowie students are also members of the orchestra. Junior Samantha Homsy, a cello player and member of Bowie’s orchestra program is one such member. Homsy, who is also a member of the Austin Youth Symphony Orchestra, first joined the orchestra as a sophomore. “I first learned about the Starlight Symphony Orchestra when our orchestra teacher told us about it,” Homsy said. “It seemed to have people with big spirits and a lot of people to learn from, so I kinda just joined to see how it was.” The Starlight Symphony Orchestra provides valuable experience, even for students who may not want to pursue a career in music. “I thought about majoring in music but I’m probably not going to,” Homsy said. “Being part of that orchestra showed me that you can have a full time job and still play your instrument somehow.” Homsy’s teacher, orchestra director David Jarrott is also a member of the Starlight Symphony Orchestra. Jarrott is the first chair player of the viola section, and additionally serves in the symphony’s board of directors. “I’ve been doing this before I was even an orchestra director,” Jarrott said. “The Starlight Orchestra has a mission to bring symphonic music to lesser served communities that don’t have access to this type of entertainment.” In order for students to join, they have to compete in the Young Artist

STARLIGHT SYMPHONY: The Bowie Starlight Orchestra practiced their violin routines for the upcoming concert. The orchestra will be performing on October 21 at 7 p.m. in the Betsy Theater. PHOTO BY Ashley Marcus

Competition. The competition, eligible for students up to high school, involves the selection of three players to be admitted to the orchestra. “If you get those top three spots you can perform with them,” Homsy said. “I won the first prize so I got to perform with them.” In addition to students being admitted to the orchestra, the Young Artist Competition also allows students to showcase their musical abilities to professional musicians for feedback. In a professional orchestra, this sort of feedback is invaluable for maturing players. “One of my cello members was a concerto winner (Homsy),” Jarrott said. “It gives students the ability to showcase their skills in the form of concertos. It gives students the chance to perform for a professional orchestra.” The professional setting allows students to become increasingly

exposed to what it means to be part of a professional orchestra, and perform alongside professional musicians. “I’d played in concertos before but not for an orchestra organization,” Homsy said. “It was my first exposure to a professional musical setting in that way.” This sort of exposure not only allows players to improve their musical ability, but serves as a base for potential careers in music. “Another important thing is the fact that the orchestra gives students first-hand exposure to a professional setting, “ Jarrott said. “It looks really good on a resume for students planning to go to music school.” Alongside the orchestra’s other venues, the SSO uses Bowie’s school grounds for both practice and concerts. “We do sometimes put on shows at Bowie,” Jarrott said. “And I think that’s in conjunction with the orches-

tra’s mission to promote orchestral music in schools. Playing here at Bowie not only provides a great service to students, but also the theatre company and access to high quality orchestral entertainment.” The Starlight Symphony Orchestra serves communities all over Central Texas, with the sort of high quality orchestral entertainment, Jarrott said. In commitment to this goal of serving the region, the orchestra offers completely free admission. As stated on the Starlight Symphony Orchestra’s official website, “The SSO’s vision is to continue to perform free concerts each year.” “We serve communities all across the region including places like Buda, Round Rock, Kyle and others,” Jarrott said. “The orchestra really believes in serving this region and area, at large, especially when it comes to less served communities.”

REVIEWS 13

FRIDAY, OCT. 23, 2026 THE DISPATCH

AUSTEA turns drinks into an experience

From customizable boba to savory bites, AUSTEA creates a menu full of new possibilities Sophia Shaw Review Editor AUSTEA is a delicious boba shop that boosts a huge menu with endless combinations of different drinks, add-ins, flavors and authentic Vietnamese food. AUSTEA offers a nice, quiet, calm atmosphere where you can work, talk, or hang out. According the AUSTEA website, this little boba shop is an independently owned business to maintain their creative free-

dom without being limited by brands. The restaurant is located at 500 E. Ben White Blvd and has simple, minimalistic decor. It is a very uncluttered space to foster an environment where work can get done. You often see a handful of people at the tables fully engrossed in their work. The first thing on the menu was the drinks. They have a large selection of milk tea, fruit tea, smoothies, marbled drinks, with fully customizable toppings. You can adjust the

sweetness, add more or no ice, and choose between black tea and green tea. My favorite drink is the fruit tea. It is absolutely delicious and flavorful. They add real fresh fruit into the tea which makes it so refreshing while keeping the authentic fruit flavor. Then I had to try the classic milk tea with tapioca pearls. This milk tea has a nice, slightly sweet and earthy taste. The sweetness isn’t too overpowering and the tapioca pearls added

PEARL JAMMED: Mango marble, brown sugar boba and strawberry milk tea sit together, showcasing the drinks’ colorful layers and creamy textures. The menu features specialty drinks priced between $6.25 and $7.50, offering a mix of fruity flavors and classic boba favorites. PHOTO BY Schoen Thibert

tion, when blended it creates an a nice sweet chewiness to the interesting marbled look on the drink. outside of the cup which someThere are many different flahow comes out vors of milk tea including, taro, perfect every matcha, strawberry, and the classic time. brown sugar Another thing boba. They I haven’t really seen in also offer any other boba places their own is smoothies. AUSTEA spin has a balanced selecon the tion of smoothies from brown fruit based smoothies sugar to cookies and cream drink, it’s smoothies. I tried the a Creme mango smoothie and it Brulee was extremely flavorful. brown It tasted similar to sugar boba the fruit tea counterpart where they but it was thick and torch the creamy. It was more of top of the a filling drink and some drink. They of the other smoothhave many ies, like the cookies unique opand cream smoothie, are considered full-on tions that I haven’t seen desserts. in other Then there’s the boba shops food, there is a lot of before. food on this menu The first which surprised me for thing that a drink shop. piqued my They have sandinterest were wiches, wings, K-dogs, the mardumplings, and some bled drinks. desserts. These drinks I tried the are blended chicken versions of dumplings the previous first. h g ART BY Jenny Kimbrou drinks. They They were offer all the same deliciously crispy flavors and then some desert and juicy. The type options. They have the entree comes with cookie monster marble, cookies six dumplings in each & cream marble, Thai brulee, serving, which I always and coco kumquat. find is the perfect amount to fill me up. I tried the cookie monster Then there’s the K-dogs, marble drink, it has a creamy there’s the milkoriginal based which comes layered SCAN TO with the with choice of cookie SEE MORE! sausage, crummozzarella, bles and VIDEO BY or both, blended Emma Exter topped with togethcinnamon er. The sugar, marble ketchup and mustard. And the name comes from the presenta-

I tried the mango smoothie and it was extremely flavorful.

hot Cheeto K-dog which comes with all the same toppings and customization options. My favorite of the two is the original, cinnamon sugar with cheese and sausage might sound disgusting but don’t knock it till you try it. This is the perfect mid-day snack when you just need to wind down. It’s warm, comforting food that’s not only delicious, but consistent. After the delicious meal comes the desserts. They offer a delicious taiyaki which is a Japanese fish-shaped cake that comes in four or six pieces. You can choose to fill them with Nutella, Oreo, ube, or a savory option, mozzarella. I tried one of each of the sweet flavors and my favorite was the Nutella. The breading on the outside is very soft and squishy and when you get them hot in the store they have a nice warm golden brown color. The nutella melted into the soft breading, mixing the flavors together. It was nice, warm, and very chocolatey. The Oreo taiyaki is actually an Oreo fried into a fish-shaped cake; it tastes like an elevated deep fried Oreo. Finally, they serve ube. This isn’t my favorite because I don’t like ube but my sister told me she really liked it. She loves ube and said it tasted ART BY Jenny Kimbrough “like a light, creamy, sweet filling wrapped around a pillow.” So, it has the seal of approval from an ube lover. There is really something for everyone at this fine establishment. The employees at AUSTEA are extremely kind. They make each drink and entree with care and expertise that has it coming out perfect every time. This store needs more recognition so when you’re in that part of town, maybe stop by.

A fresh start for a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man That question has hung over the MCU since the ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Almost five years ago, Parker made the ultimate sacrifice, asking Dr. Stephen Strange to cast a spell that would erase every memory of him from the people he loved. In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, that sacrifice is no longer just a heartbreaking ending—it is the beginning of Peter Parker’s next fight. Kicking off Spider-Man: Brand New Day, we see Tom Holland return as Peter Parker, which could be the beginning of another trilogy for him. Zendaya returns as MJ while Jacob Batalon reprises his role as Ned. Their return helps the film maintain an emotional connection to the previous trilogy. Brand New Day adds several new faces to Spider-Man’s world, including actors Sadie Sink, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando, and Mark Ruffalo. The familiar faces helped the movie feel connected to the previous films, while the newcomers give this chapter a different energy, especially Sink. Sink delivers one of the film’s standout performances, particularly in the third act. Joining a cast that had already become such a close-knit family is not easy, yet she fit naturally alongside them. She was also one of the few actresses reportedly offered her role rather than going through the traditional audition process. After watching her performance, it’s easy to understand why. I especially enjoyed seeing Sink bring Jean Grey to life. Even with the introduction of mutants to the MCU, the film never loses sight of Parker’s story. Unlike previous Spider-Man films, the Marvel Studios opening immediately sets a more reflective tone. Rather than the usual logo sequence, the film revisits Parker’s memories through flashbacks from the previous trilogy as he slowly fades from the lives of those he loves. Accompanied by Michael Giacchino’s haunting score “Suite New Day,” the opening is both nostalgic and heartbreaking. After waiting nearly five years since No Way Home, it immediately reminded me why Parker’s sacrifice mattered and made me eager to see how he had survived the four years since then. The story begins with a true Brand New Day for Parker. Despite the heartbreaking opening, Brand New Day quickly shifts its focus to Parker rebuilding his life. Believing he no longer deserves the chance to simply be Parker, he throws himself entirely into his responsibilities as Spider-Man. For a 22-yearold carrying that weight alone, he had adapted remarkably well to his new normal, kind of, well better than others would’ve. Still, the film quietly reminds us

ART BY Logan Cottle

Brianna Saucedo Dispatch Reporter

of his grief through his frequent visits to Aunt May’s grave, where he’d always bring fresh flowers. The only question I found myself asking was how Parker manages to afford both his apartment and those flowers while living on his own, while

quite literally being a nobody and his name being something of a ghost. One creative decision I found particularly liked was that Holland reportedly pushed for a darker direction for Parker’s next chapter. While

Marvel Studios ultimately chose not to lean into the more horror-inspired elements in order to keep the film accessible for younger audiences, they kept the idea of Parker’s powers continuing to evolve. As someone who was hoping to see the Man-Spider storyline make its MCU debut, I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that those more unsettling ideas never made it to the screen. With Grey’s introduction, Brand New Day begins laying the groundwork for mutants in the MCU without allowing that larger universe-building to overshadow Parker’s story. I think it intertwines perfectly together, spreading a powerful message that you’re not alone. To get to that powerful message we have to get into the conflict, which stems from Damage Control, who ultimately wanted every person who is different like Grey, to control them the way they wanted to. Grey’s older sister, Sara Gray, becomes one of their first known victims. So, that only pushed Grey toward a destructive path through New York City. Her search for the truth—driven by information about V-Max left behind by her sister—sets the events of the film into motion and places Parker directly in her way. I liked that Parker isn’t the cause of Grey’s story. Instead, he’s simply another person caught in the fallout, trying to protect the city while also helping someone who clearly isn’t beyond saving. It keeps the conflict feeling more personal than a typical hero-versus-villain battle. I think the message that came from Aunt May’s speech towards the end was so special, especially because it reminds readers to never stop being yourself, don’t be different to what other people want you to be. Overall, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is easily my favorite Marvel Spider-Man movie now. I loved the action and the emotional moments. I cried, I laughed, and I found myself completely invested from beginning to end. It feels like a fresh start for Parker while still honoring everything that came before. For me, Brand New Day is exactly the kind of Spider-Man movie I had been hoping to see after No Way Home. It’s the kind of movie that reminds me why I love Spider-Man and Parker so much in the first place, and I honestly can’t wait to watch it again, as well as see where Parker’s journey goes next, because if Brand New Day is any indication of what’s next I also can’t wait for more Grey Gray in the MCU, and a new era of mutants for this new generation. I’ve always wanted to see the X-Men become part of the MCU since they’ve always existed separately in their own universe, so seeing that Marvel is finally opening the door for the X-Men to join the MCU makes me very excited to see what comes next for the X-Men.

14 COMMENTARY

THE DISPATCH FRIDAY, OCT. 23, 2026

D ISPATCH STAFF Co-Senior EiC Sydney Murphy Isadora Parra

New FIT system = insufficient

Junior EiC Morgan Hertel Chief of Staff Arlo Stockstill Executive Editor: News Eve Johansson Executive Editor: Photos/Video Ashley Marcus Co-Executive Editors: Art/Graphics Sara Fowler Jenny Kimbrough News Editor Thia Betts Feature Editor Gracie Ruland Sports Editor Olivia Hunter

Commentary Editor Kate Alexander Photo Essay Editor Rider McIntyre Online EiC Claire Ferrante Assistant Online EiC Skylar Haywood Webmaster Sawyer Daniel Co-Social Media Editor Sydney Cotsonas Logan Cottle

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Students and staff need adjustments to help success rates EDITORIAL Everyone should have access to tutoring and extra help in classes from teachers, but with the removal of the old Flexible Instructional Time (FIT) system, that has become difficult for many students. FIT was a 26-minute session after first and fifth period that allowed students to sign up for a class with a teacher to get help with schoolwork, receive one-on-one instruction, study for tests, and participate in other activities. Having this period in the middle of the day helped students get the assistance they needed. Although FIT still exists, the new system has made it harder for students to access these opportunities, and the administration needs to find a better way to organize it. The old FIT system allowed students to decide which classes they needed extra help in and sign up for the teachers who could best support them. Through Enriching Students, they could sign up for a teacher based on their individual needs. Not every student learns at the same pace, and some need more time to understand certain topics. Regular class time focuses on teaching the entire class, so teachers cannot always stop to help every student individually. FIT gave students extra time to ask questions, review difficult material, and complete unfinished assignments without taking time away from other students. It also allowed students to take responsibility for their own education by recognizing when they needed help and deciding how to

use their time. The old FIT system was especially important for students who could not arrive at school early or stay after school. Transportation issues, jobs, and other responsibilities can prevent students from meeting with teachers outside the regular school day. Having a designated period for extra help gave these students an opportunity to receive support without sacrificing their time outside of school. FIT also helped students maintain their academic performance by giving them time to catch up on assignments, prepare for tests, and manage their workloads during busier times of the school year. Teachers also benefited from being able to organize FIT sessions for groups of students who struggled with the same topics. Instead of spending extra time explaining a concept to individual students during a regular class period, teachers could hold a small-group session and review the material more in depth. This allowed students to receive additional instruction while teachers are keeping regular lessons on track. As exam season approaches, such as STAAR and AP tests, these opportunities become even more important. Students need time to review difficult material and prepare for important tests. FIT Blitz, which is held during FIT in the spring, also provided additional opportunities to study before STAAR tests, and the school should develop a plan to ensure students continue to receive this kind of support. The previous sign up system also made it easier for students to know where they were supposed to go.

Through Enriching Students, students could sign up for sessions and plan their schedule, while teachers could check attendance and hold them accountable if they did not show up. Although some students didn’t use the system responsibly, requiring teachers to sign students up creates additional work on their end. Teachers must now enter students onto a Google Sheet instead of allowing students to manage their own schedules. A better solution would be to improve the sign-up process and enforce attendance expectations while allowing students to register independently. FIT was not only useful for academics, but it also gave student-led clubs time to meet during the school day. In previous years, students could participate in club meetings without having to arrive early or stay after school. With fewer opportunities to meet during FIT, some students may have to choose between extracurricular activities and other responsibilities. This can make it harder for clubs to stay active and can decline student involvement. The school should let clubs meet on different days of the week, not just Fridays, so it's easier for students and teachers to attend. Another logistic problem is classroom overcrowding. Because FIT is connected to first and fifth period classes, some teachers may receive more requests than their classrooms can comfortably accommodate. Hallway overflow areas are a reasonable attempt to solve this problem, but they do not always provide the best environment for students to concentrate or receive individual help. Setting limits on the number of students in each ses-

sion, assigning appropriate spaces, and providing designated overflow areas would help teachers work with students more effectively. Rather than making FIT more difficult to access, the school should find ways to make the system work better for everyone. Students should be able to sign up for sessions through Enriching Students, while teachers set reasonable limits to prevent overcrowding. Students should also be expected to attend the sessions they register for. As major exams approach, the school should offer additional review opportunities, such as FIT Blitz, and create more chances for clubs to meet during the school day. With these improvements, the school can keep FIT organized while allowing students to get the help and support they need. FIT may only be 26 minutes, but those 26 minutes can make a big difference for both students and teachers. The current system still provides opportunities for extra help, but it has made the process more complicated than it needs to be. Instead of restricting student choice because of problems with organization and accountability, the school should find ways to fix those problems. The administration and staff should develop a better plan that can be implemented when students return from Christmas break. Until then, students and teachers can continue working with the current system, but FIT should once again provide the flexibility, academic support, and opportunities that made it so valuable in previous years.

Why Bowie's newest tardy policy matters Chelsea Rodgers Dispatch Reporter Questions? Concerns? Email:

bowie.journalism@gmail.com

ART BY Claire Ferrante

Entertainment Editor Koko Badgley-Finan

The bell rings, students grab their stuff and the halls fill quickly as people rush to their next class. Within a few minutes, the halls are empty again and teachers are ready to start teaching. Getting to class on time may seem like a small part of the school day, but when thousands of tardies add up, it can become a much bigger problem. That is why Bowie’s new tardy policy is an important step towards creating a more organized and focused school environment. This year, Bowie’s new Principal Brad Lancaster implemented a tardy policy with more severe punishments for people who repeatedly arrive late to class. Four tardies in one week results in lunch detention, five tardies lead you to Saturday school, and six result in In School Suspension (ISS), and the tardies reset every week. While these rules may seem harsh at first, the policy gives students a way to take being on detention, Saturday school, or ISS. However, time seriously, instead of treating being late as students are not receiving these consequences a minor thing. The new system for being late just once or twice. A encourages students to take restudent has to reach four tardies sponsibility for being on time. SCAN TO in one week just before receiving This policy is especially imlunch detention, which is already a portant, because last year Bowie SEE MORE! significant amount of time to be late accumulated over 30,000 tardies. in only five days of school. With that many students arriving Being late four times means late, the problem affects more missing the beginning of a class people than just the people walkalmost every day that week. If ing in late. When students walk students are consistently arriving into class after the bell, learning late enough to reach that number, can be disrupted, teachers have the punishments can serve as a to stop what they're doing, and reminder that being on time is part other students can lose focus. of being responsible at school. The Even a second of disruption can goal is not to punish students for add up when it happens repeatVIDEO BY Eva Sweeney an occasional delay but to address a edly throughout the day. A policy repeated pattern before it becomes that addresses the issue can an even larger problem. help make the classrooms more Also enforcing the policy can help students' productive for everyone. futures. When you grow up you cannot be late Some students may argue that the conseor you'll get into much bigger trouble than just quences of the policy are too harsh, especially a lunch detention. Imagine being late to a job when a few minutes of lateness can lead to lunch

interview. What does that show to the people you're applying to? Ultimately, the new tardy policy is more about getting students into classrooms before the bell. It teaches students that being on time is their responsibility and they need to be accountable for it. High school is a place where students are preparing for responsibilities outside of the classroom, and learning time management is an important part of that preparation. The more than 30,000 tardies showed that Bowie had a serious problem, creating stronger expectations for students is a reasonable way to address the situation. However students can also help take steps to avoid the consequences by planning their routes between classes, talking less with friends in the hallways and making getting to class on time a main priority. The new policy is going to take some time to adjust to, especially because of how lenient it was last year, but the goal of it is simple. To reduce disruptions, increase learning time, and have a school day that runs more smoothly for everyone.

COMMENTARY 15 FRIDAY, OCT. 23. THE DISPATCH

Attendance incentives should be fair No seating at lunch makes times tough

Academic building closed during lunch causes issues Chelsea Rodgers Dispatch Reporter Questions? Concerns? Email:

bowie.journalism@gmail.com

ART BY Logan Cottle

Freshmen and sophomores deserve to have incentives too tal health. This is because it shifts their motivation from a positive reward system to a fear of failure. When students feel as if there is no recognition for their hard work, it becomes incredibly hard for them to stay motivated and maintain a healthy balance between school and their personal lives. Adding the pressure of having to maintain perfect grades without incentives leads to students feeling more burned out than motivated to succeed. Lancaster’s new program completely disregards the students’ well being without any reason. He states in the weekly newsletter that “our administrative team and teacher leaders met for additional thoughtful discussion and collaboration. We have decided to keep the current attendance incentive program in place, maintaining eligibility exclusively for juniors and seniors.” Here he states that the attendance policy has changed but he does not state explicitly why. This is only going to make student scores worse, not better, which takes an even bigger toll on our campus. A good resolution for this would be to create an attendance incentive program based on improvement instead of grade level. Students who improve their attendance during the semester could receive an award. According to Minnesota State University Moorhead, giving an award, or perk, after a student improves their attendance adds a stimulus right after the action occurs, which encourages students to continue to show up. The university also states that behavior followed by positive reinforcement is more likely to be repeated. Bringing back incentives to all grades would give underclassmen a chance to earn incentives while also encouraging students to improve their attendance. On the topic of positive reinforcement, receiving these incen-

funding the district receives. Now, attendance will not completely solve the budget issues, Questions? Concerns? Email: but it could encourage students to bowie.journalism@gmail.com come to school. Offering incentives would give students an even bigger Should your grade level deterreason to want to come to school mine whether you get rewarded while also having the opportunity for good attendance? I don’t think to contribute to this goal. Since the so. Starting this school year, our district is in a $181 million deficit new principal Bradley Lancaster as of June 3, 2026, it makes more announced that freshmen and sense for the school to offer attensophomores will no longer be able dance incentives so more students to receive attendance incentives at are motivated to come to school. the end of each semester. Freshmen and sophomores These incentives allowed stushould receive incentives because dents to replace their final exam attendance can affect students’ grade with their semester average academic success. The Austin ISD as a reward for good attendance. website states that attendance is This new policy only makes juniors directly correlated to academic and seniors eligible to earn these achievement and that regularly incentives. attending school helps students Students could perceive this develop skills such as responsibilias unjust because students can’t ty and time management. Younger choose their grade level. Freshmen students should have the opportuand sophomores could have perfect nity to build these habits just like attendance and still not get the upperclassmen. same opportunity as juniors and Allowing underclassmen to earn seniors do. For instance, if two these attendance incentives will students have the same attendance help build positive habits that will percentage and one is a freshman persist into their later years. and one is a junior, one receives Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools an incentive and the other doesn’t. stated that higher attendance in The new system does not award earlier grades is positively corattendance equally. It would be so related to better attendance rates much more beneficial for freshin higher grades. This shows that men and encouraging atsophomores tendance in earto have ly high school SCAN FOR MORE! incentives years can help because it students build creates good those habits as attendance they approach habits early upperclassmen on in their roles. high school Developing career. A these habits fair program early are not would give only beneficial equal recogto high school, nition to all but future jobs VIDEO BY Emma Exter students for and college their comcourses as well. mitment to These are both showing up. pretty stressful roles, so being able Attendance has proven to be to manage bigger responsibilities important to Austin ISD because and developing good habits at an it affects how much funding the early age are crucial to being more district receives. The state of Texas successful and independent. increased the Basic Allotment to I believe that Mr. Lancaster’s $6,215 per student in the average new policy strips almost every studaily attendance for the 2026-2027 dent’s ambition to come to school school year. This means students each day. regularly coming to school and The removal of incentives counted in average daily attenmakes students overwork themdance can affect the amount of selves and take a toll on their menJulie del Nido Dispatch Reporter

Not only is the new policy unethical, but it also overlooks the effort that freshmen and sophomores put into their school work and attendance.

BULLDAWGS SPEAK!

PHOTOS BY Julie del Nido

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tives can create a better learning environment for everyone. When more students come to school, it becomes much easier for classes to stay on track with lessons, group activities, and assignments. Students who miss school more often have a harder time catching up on work, which makes learning and keeping up more difficult for them as well as their teachers. All students should receive recognition for their efforts, regardless of their grade level. By removing these opportunities for younger students, it could make them feel like all of their hard work isn’t as important as upperclassmen. Freshman and sophomore classes are still adjusting to the expectations and environment of high school, and recognizing their efforts proves to them that their progress is valued by the campus. By limiting the incentives, the policy completely ignores the challenges younger students face when adjusting to a new environment. Mr. Lancaster should consider the effects that rewarding their efforts could have on making the younger students feel more supported by the school. Enabling access to all grade levels demonstrates to students that they are all valued equally. Recognition can mean a lot for students under a lot of academic pressure. Acknowledging their accomplishments can help them see that they are noticed. This creates a sense of belonging which creates a more positive bond between students and the campus administration. Not many students are encouraged to attend school each day, so taking away something that motivates students is just going to make students more tempted to skip classes or not come to school at all. Not only is the new policy unethical, but it also overlooks the effort that freshmen and sophomores put into their school work and attendance.

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Freshman

I think its too strict because students try their best to get to school on time.

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INTERVIEWS BY Julie del Nido

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How do you feel about the new tardy policy? I think it’s a good idea by the new principal to reduce tardies, I just don’t think he’s implementing it the right way.

Instead of using rewards to get people here on time, they’re using punishment, and its making students care less.

Sarah Allen

This year, lunch has looked a little different for students across campus. With limited seating in the main designated lunch areas, finding somewhere to sit can be difficult. While some students may not like the new changes, the new lunch policy is supposed to address concerns about cleanliness, food, and keeping the academic building focused on learning and not eating. New principal Bradley Lancaster instituted a new rule which prevents students from eating in the academic building. Lancaster took full blame for this policy, but it was actually not his personal idea. Teachers raised concerns about students eating in the academic building, including problems with trash, food and disruptions in the hallways while teaching. On top of the cleanliness and disruption concerns, the school only has a limited number of Assistant Principals to monitor lunch, and since there are so many different areas to sit in the academic building they needed to cut down the space to help with the lack of AP’s. In response to those concerns, Mr. Lancaster implemented the new policy to keep learning and eating separated, and focused on its primary purpose of learning. But at the same time, the school knows that students still need other places to sit during lunch. Rather than reopening the entire academic building, Mr. Lancaster started giving out limited seating in a designated hallway, which is usually the A hall. This gives some students another place to eat while still addressing the concerns that teachers originally raised. This requires one AP to monitor that area, which helps the admins as well. Some students may argue that the policy makes lunch more difficult because there is not enough seating in the cafeteria and fine arts building. Students have a limited amount of time for lunch, and searching for a table can take away from the time they have to eat and relax. When all seats are taken, some students are forced to sit on the floor. These concerns are reasonable, however completely reopening the academic building could create other problems. Allowing students to eat throughout the building could lead to more trash, making the small amount of custodians have even more work to do. It could also lead to more noise in areas where classes are taking place, imagine taking a test and hearing people outside your classroom yelling during lunch, causing you to lose focus. The new policy provides a compromise. Instead of allowing students to eat anywhere in the academic building, the school is starting to open designated spots for lunch. Lancaster has even said that in the future he is planning on putting more picnic tables, with umbrellas outside for students to sit at. Adding more trash cans and expecting students to clean up after themselves is a reasonable outcome. Ultimately, the new policy is about finding a balance between student comfort and the concerns raised by teachers. Although some students may prefer the previous system, limiting where students can eat helps protect the academic environment of the classrooms while still allowing the school to provide other seating options. Lunch should be a time for students to relax. With designated seating areas and guidelines for students the school can provide students with places to eat while keeping the academic building clean, organized and focused on learning. Moving forward, the admins should continue to find ways to make lunch easier for students while still addressing the concerns led by teachers. Adding more outdoor seating, opening additional hallways and providing more trash cans could give people more seating opportunities while not going back to the old system. By making changes based on student and facility feedback, the school can create a lunch that is ideal for students while still keeping the academic building focused on learning.

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Alicia Hutchins Sophomore

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Oliver Gibson Junior

I think that the tardy policies are

counter intuitive in a way because a

lot of teachers last year and the year

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before wouldn’t count you tardy. It’s

not up to the discretion of the teacher anymore.

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Cannon Chiang Senior

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Katelyn Debuskey Chemistry Teacher

I like it because [it] keeps students accountable. I used to get students being tardy at the start of the year but now they’re on time.

"

16 PHOTO ESSAY

THE DISPATCH FRIDAY, OCT. 23, 2026

Freshman band rocks Hole in the Wall

Jackson Dugan and Miles Breeland jam out and share new album at downtown show Arlo Stockstill Chief of Staff

Green light fills the room. The crowd cheers as the amp screeched announcing the last microphone was plugged in. The bands’ warm-ups had finished, the show was ready to start. The guitar roared and signifying the show has begun. The band Edge of Change, composed of two freshman ‘Dawgs played their recently debuted single “What “What if I Find a Way” for the crowd packed into the Hole in the Wall. On Sunday, September 27 the band Edge of Change played their most recent show at the downtown venue the Hole in the Wall. The band is made of two freshman Miles Breeland who is the drummer and also occasionally sings, and Jackson Dugan who is the bands lead singer and guitarist. Making a band came naturally to the two, as Dugan mentioned his passion for music made it impossible to not join a band. “There are two songs we have out that I wrote in the sixth grade,” Dugan said. “I used to, and still do, walk around with melodies constantly playing in my head, and whenever I think of something I like I’ll go play it at home, I write it down, and I perfect it. I always have music on my mind, and that is part of why it was so important to me that I join a band. Ever since I met Miles, our drummer, everything has just clicked as far as music goes.” After the band was formed, it was time for them to go on stage and perform. However, before the show, Breeland goes through his routine warm up to get himself physically and mentally prepared to give his best show possible. “To prepare to get on stage, I just make sure to listen to lots of music and follow the tunes to get my mind right as I get ready to perform,” Breeland said. “I like to do some basic, rudimentary warm ups, just to get the body moving and to be pumped up so I can go on stage with confidence. Being on stage is the most fun part of playing music. Sure it is nerve-racking but it gives lots of validation considering the countless hours of practice I put in after school. ” After the hour-long show,

the band took their final bow and hopped off the stage to go greet their fans. Breeland reflected on how far he has come from being just a kid watching shows at the venue, to now performing at it. As he hugged his dad, he started to realize the depth of this full circle moment. “It was rewarding to say the least,” Breeland said. “Getting that hug from the people that love you so much, and took time out of their day to come watch you display your talents means the absolute world. After the show which you have put so much effort into, taking the bow and knowing you did a good job sends relief through your whole body.” The show not only brought in friends and family, but brought enough fans to pack the venue. The set list consisted of nine songs, some originals written by Breeland and Dugan, and some covers of more mainstream heavy metal bands. This entertained audience members such as sophomore Rhett Kopplow who is a good friend of singer Jackson Dugan and runs with him on the cross country team. “I really enjoyed how many people were there,” Kopplow said. “It is super cool to be able to see somebody carry out their passion like Jackson did, especially at an actual venue like the Hole in the Wall. The environment was just super fun overall and watching them head-bang was really fun.” The journey does not stop there. After filling up the medium sized stage at the venue, the manager requested that they return and perform on the main stage filled with new stage lights, an elevated platform, and more space for fans to pack the room. In parallel with upgraded shows, the band will also be putting out their own life themed album which will be out on all streaming platforms at the beginning of 2027. “My goal right now is to keep working on getting our 12 song album out,” Dugan said. “We previewed some new songs on our nine song set at the show, but getting out our first full album after great feedback off of our lead singles is going to be so exciting. Serve our shows really well.”

STOMP: Lead singer and freshman Jackson Dugan rips his guitar at their latest show which happened at the Hole in The Wall on September 27. Dugan is pictured playing the bands recently released single “Ever Anymore”. “Getting feedback is a crucial part of music,” Dugan Said. “Before releasing our album, we are making sure we have gotten as many second opinions as possible, while yes about our music, but also for all of the other behind the scenes stuff like how the recording sounded, and also feedback on how we preform.” PHOTO BY Arlo Stockstill CRASH: Crashing symbols and banging heads, freshman drummer Miles Breeland played at the Hole in The Wall in downtown Austin. Halfway through the show he completed his drum solo, giving the singer time to rest his voice, and also helping set up the next song . “Warmups to me are rather important,” Breeland said. “I am confident in my ability to play drums, but that being said, getting my wrists prepared to play an entire show, and listening to the songs on our set-list to get my head in the right place is still beneficial regardless of how ready and experienced I am.” PHOTO BY Arlo Stockstill HIT IT: In their latest show, the lead singer of the band Edge of Change, Jackson Dugan, bangs his head while rocking out to their cover of “Hemorrhage (In My Hands)” by the band Fuel. This was the second to last song that the band would play that night. “Being on stage is the best feeling of all time,” Dugan said. “Being able to perform the songs we have worked so hard on making, writing, producing, and then getting time to perform, is super rewarding. Hopefully when we get to play on the bigger stage next time we perform there we will have even more fans be able to come see us.” PHOTO BY Arlo Stockstill

GET UP: Freshman singer Jackson Dugan performed with freshman drummer Miles Breeland at the Hole in the Wall. In their last song of the show, they invited the audience members to stand up and join them to sing their last song of the night, filling themselves with energy, for the last bit of their show as a final send off. “Getting to interact with the crowd is a really unique and fun experience,” Dugan said. I think it really just includes them into the show and makes them feel like they are part of the performance with us and it can really make them, along with us, feel like we are part of something seriously special. PHOTO BY Arlo Stockstill

FLOW STATE: Manning the drums, freshman Miles Breeland focuses really hard on his rhythm while he is on the stage. While also drumming, Breeland also adds vocals on numerous songs to add depth to each song that Edge of Change plays. "When you are on stage, you enter this sort of flow state,” Breeland said. “While yes, every move is conscious, your body just moves on its own and you feel like your just moving smoother than you ever have..” PHOTO BY Arlo Stockstill