BY Sydney Cotsonas
STUDENT ELECTIONS
Vol. 37, Issue 6 www.thedispatchonline.net
James Bowie High School 4103 W. Slaughter Lane, Austin, TX, 78749
Student Council opens up polls
Elections for student body government held & new positions announced
Peyton Dorsey News Editor
As student council candidates anticipate the election results, they sit idly by, unaware of what information they’re about to receive. The results of the election are revealed by a personalized envelope for the presidential candidates, and a list of names for the vice presidential candidates. Both results are attached to student council sponsor Alejandro Garcia’s classroom door for candidates to see.
This year's winning envelopes contained the names of juniors Reed Watts and Gabby Bochey, who were elected as Bowie’s student council co-presidents for the 20252026 school year.
“I’ve done a lot for the organization after having been a part of it for so long,” Watts said. “Being able to accomplish something like winning co-president is what I’ve wanted for a while and is very rewarding.”
Watts has been involved in student council since his freshman year, and held the title of vice president over yard work last school year. He’s helped provide to Bowie in many ways over the last three years, one of his main contributions has been keeping Bowie beautiful by maintaining gardens and overseeing upkeep of the greenery around campus.
“I’ve been here every Thursday after school, helping Mr. Garcia with whatever needs to be done,” Watts said. “I’ve been trying to learn everything I can about student council and prepare myself to know everything I need to know about the organization.”
Watts wants to emphasize student’s opinions on what happens in their school. He plans to do this by sending out an optional Google form
every month as a check in with students, a place for them to call attention to any issues they have with the school, any plans or suggestions for improvement.
“I’ll go through each response and bring important issues to the attention of Mr. Garcia or Principal Robinson to actually get something done,” Watts said. “I want to give students more of a voice and make sure everything keeps running well.”
Bochey has also been involved in student council since her freshman year. Her previous efforts involved gardening and maintenance of the Bowie landscape, alongside painting posters for teacher appreciation. Bochey held the position of vice president of Bowie’s Got Talent this most recent school year; she had a big part in organizing the event, overseeing auditions, and hosting the show.
“Since the beginning of being a part of this organization I didn’t see the change till someone came up to me and mentioned little things around the campus that are beautiful because of the student council,” Bochey said. “Things like this really encourage me to keep being active in my community and continue to bring enjoyment, which the student council does in so many lives.”
Some of Bochey’s plans involve the revitalization of old traditions such as ‘Blue Out Bowie,’ a fundraiser which helps bring awareness to child abuse and donate to those in need. She also wants to add unique murals to the inside of Bowie painted by student organizations.
“I think the student council plays a big role in campus spirit and overall bringing life in many ways to the campus,” Bochey said. “I want to help
out to bring back some of the beloved traditions that make Bowie the school it is.”
Garcia has high expectations for the newly elected presidents and expects they will succeed in office. He highlights the fact that they have both been long time members and have made continuous contributions to student council throughout their involvement with the organization.
“I’m super happy for both Reed and Gabby, they each bring their own unique strengths of communication skills and leadership experience,” Garcia said. “They’ve both learned from and watched people ahead of them and paid attention to how they’ve accomplished big things.”
The election process involved every person on campus.
CONSTRUCTION
Students, teachers, faculty, and principals all played a part. In the election of student council president, there is a panel consisting of Wendy Uzzle, Kaylin Brett, Mark Robinson, and Alejandro Garcia. The panel interviews each presidential candidate to get an understanding of their goals and plans for Bowie if elected.
“I believe that interview is a very important part of the process,” Watts said. “It helps the principals to scan through all the students running and make sure that everyone is a worthy candidate.”
There were a total of seven presidential candidates, the five candidates who didn’t win ran for vice president. This resulted in a total of 18 candidates for vice president, of which 12 were selected in various roles.
The 2025-2026 vice presidents include Noah Dougherty as VP at large, Joaquin Flores as VP for the HoCo Game, Lennon Bres and Nate Lowe as VPs for the HoCo Dance, Denisa Cotiga and Luka Hedenberg as VPs for Community Engagement, Lucy Campsmith and Shivani Dilip Latha as VPs for Bowie’s Got Talent, Emery Lieneck and Mallory Hartono as VPs for Teacher Recognition, Carson Ledford as VP for Dodgeball, and Carter Lax as VP for Yard Work.
“I’m looking forward to working closely with the other VPs this year,” Dougherty said. “We will each share ideas, support one another, and combine our strengths to create a council that will be better connected for the student body.”
Campus construction to fix ancient AC system
Eliza Williams Dispatch Reporter
Built in 1988, James Bowie High School has been open for 37 years, and its water loop/HVAC system is just as old. Due to its age, problems have become more prominent, including leaks and fluctuating temperatures within classrooms. Construction to fix the school’s AC system is currently ongoing and projected to be completed before the upcoming 2025-2026 school year.
The goal of the construction is to create individual chilling systems for each building on campus. Currently the only building with its own chilling system is the athletic building, so the construction is primarily targeting the academic and fine arts buildings.
“Separating the fine arts from the academics will be beneficial because the fine arts will be on its own water loop system,” assistant management principal Samuel Cabrera said. “The original loop system will just have to heat and cool the academics instead of the whole campus.”
A total of three new chillers will be brought in for the campus. One to fix the broken chiller in the academic building, so that the entirety of the campus isn’t just running on one. The two other chillers are going to the fine arts and cafeteria.
“There’s going to be two systems dedicated to the school,” contractor Phillip Shuler said. “The new air cooled chiller system it’s going to alleviate the demand and pressure that’s on the current water cooled system.”
There are many looking forward to the improved AC system, especially teachers in the academic building, who
have dealt with its complications for many years. The air conditioning in history teacher Alejandro Garcia’s classroom has been host to some of those problems.
“Last year, in the middle of a class, a guy came in to fix it because it wasn’t working, and he did something to it that caused the pipe to blow up,” Garcia said. “Water started going all over the classroom. My whole class had to stop and move away from the AC because it had started flooding because it was so badly clogged.” According to sophomore Alex Brady, the unstable temperatures caused by the AC can affect the learning environment.
“If the air conditioning breaks it’ll
be humid, and gross,” Brady said.
“I’ve seen teachers get into bad moods because of it, and students want to go work somewhere else.”
The majority of the construction will be done during the summer, to minimize the effect it has on the students and staff on campus during the school year. Currently, the parking lot behind the cafeteria has been blocked off, becoming a temporary work-space for welding.
“We’ve had some welders set up there since January, and they’re making weld connections everyday,” Shuler said. “That limits the amount of work we have to actually do down in the crawl space area.”
While most of the construction is happening in crawl spaces underneath the school, the act of welding is above ground. Having it there and instead of the crawl spaces, is meant as a safety precaution.
“The crawl space adds an extra layer of safety as far as construction goes,” Shuler said. “The goal is to minimize as much risk as possible.”
Cabrera notes that since his time at Bowie in the past four years, they have had issues with the HVAC, but with the recent renovations at the school it’s become more prominent.
“With the addition of the fine arts building renovation, it created a bigger draw on the HVAC system than anticipated,” Cabrera said. “So further upgrades to the system are needed.”
The upgrades, as well as bringing in two new chillers for the water loop, include increasing the size of the piping in the HVAC system, to allow for more cold water to circulate around the building.
“Think of it as these are the arteries or veins of your body, and they’re too small, so they’re not getting the blood flow to where you need it,” Shuler said. “This is upsizing it to allow better circulation throughout the building to cool it down.”
Throughout the years there have been many measures taken to attempt to fix the AC system at Bowie, especially in the academic building, and the new piping is something many teachers, along with Garcia, are looking forward to.
“It’s worth it, and it’s needed,” Garcia said. “If that’s going to be a long term solution compared to all these temporary fixes then I’m all for it.”
Students
Exams for college course credit begin
junior Alexa Sanders said. “My sister passed her AP tests, and she didn't have to
to
some classes when she
which
of
I feel like it's definitely worth it in the
run.” AP tests are
on a scale from one to five. A score of three or higher is generally considered passing, though the exact score required for credit can vary depending on the college.
“I truly believe taking AP classes and studying for AP exams prepares students for college,” assistant principal Kaylin Brett said. “The AP exams are very focused on higher-order thinking, and getting to practice this skill in high school is going to prepare students to be successful in college.”
While administrators, like Brett emphasize the long term benefits of taking an AP course, teachers and faculty are equally passionate about the day-to-day content covered in these classes, encouraging students to expand their knowledge, push deeper thinking and help prepare them for real world scenarios.
“I think AP Classes are important to take because they allow you to challenge yourself in ways that you may not have thought,” social studies teacher, Matthew Parente said. “Yes, there's the reading, writing, and lectures. AP classes delve deeper into content, expanding knowledge about a subject and helping to understand bigger patterns and connections that happen in the real world.” At Bowie, teachers and staff work to provide strong support for AP students. Teachers use a variety of strategies to help students feel prepared for their exams. The school offers 29 AP courses, each designed to challenge students in different ways and build college-level skills across subjects.
“If a student is in an AP Class at Bowie High School, they are prepared well,” Brett said. “Our teachers are great at what they do, and I love seeing how excited the kids are to come in and show off everything they learned on their AP Tests.” Parente teaches both AP research and AP seminar, classes that are a part of the AP Capstone Diploma program offered by the College Board. This program focuses on transferable skills rather than subject-specific skills.
“I feel that AP capstone classes help prepare students for the rigors of college and everyday life after high school,” Parente said. “AP Research doesn't have a sit-down exam. Their score is entirely on their paper and presentation, which was worked on for the entire year. The AP seminar exam is more skills-based than needing to study content. AP Seminar is composed of two separate tasks, which are then replicated within the exam environment.” STORY BY Marissa McGowan
COLD CAMPAIGNING: Student Council co-president elect Reed Watts exchanges an ice cream sandwich for a vote. Watts watched as students selected his name on their ballot and submitted their choice to ensure he would get a vote, and voters would get a sandwich.
PHOTO BY Arlo Stockstill
UNDER THE SURFACE: Contractor Philip Shuler sheds light on the new cold water pipes being installed underneath F and E Halls of the Academic Building. This will allow for more enhanced cooling of the building's classrooms. PHOTO BY Grace Cajuste
Bowie band boosters brings in bucks
Booster club hosts their annual band and color guard auction to help fund raise for them
Marissa McGowan News Editor
Paddles dart in the air as parents aim to win the much awaited prizes of spa packages gift-cards and more. The band families turned out to support the James Bowie Outdoor Performing ensemble (JBOPE) and Color Guard, by playing an active role in fundraising.
On May 5, the Bowie Band hosted an auction event where students, parents, and directors came together to raise funds for the program’s needs, including new instruments, costumes, and travel expenses.
Tyler Jacks
“Some of my favorite moments from the past auctions are just watching how excited the students are to bid on the experiences with the directors,” assistant director Tyler Jacks said. “Like going bowling with us or having a dinner party with us.”
Assistant
The auction features various items such as gift cards, paddles, mystery boxes, and experiences like pizza parties with the directors, spa packages, and sporting events.
“Usually the items that end up getting the highest bids are the experiences with the directors, like going bowling or having a dinner party,” Jacks said. “Families can group up for those experiences and pitch in the money together, and I think those are the items that generate the most enthusiasm from the students.”
The auction is set up and run by
the Bowie Band Parent Booster Organization, and the fundraising committee that exists within the organization.
The directors are consulted to help establish the date of the event, however parents take on the main responsibilities of putting the event together.
“They look at what has been successful at raising money in the past and spend time thinking about what the community might be interested in or what opportunities might be new and exciting that would spark interest,” Jacks said.
The event took place during the spring show reveal, where the theme and title for the JBOPE 2025 performance was revealed. The auction, which features both live and silent options were held before the reveal.
“I'm really excited for the show and band season next year,” junior Zoe Moutard said. “I like that the band connects it to the auction to make it a fun environment for everyone.”
This auction is a yearly event for Bowie Band fundraising. The auction has grown over the years, and now offering a wide variety of prizes and raising more money than previous years.
The event is available for participation by students, family members,
“The auction has raised money for us for several years now, and our community seems to enjoy the opportunity and finding ways to grow the event,” Jacks said. “We've continued to support this project as a critical part of our fundraising efforts that we
undertake throughout the year."
The funds that are raised by the auction event will go to the fundraising budget in the booster organization. This will support the band to cover additional costs that cannot be covered by Austin Independent School District
“Parents work really hard reaching out to companies, and donating things that can be provided for the auctions,” senior drum major Sophie Thollander said. “Before the auction is announced the parents reach out to everyone involved in band for things to auction off.”
Thollander’s family is especially involved in the auction, her family chose to provide a pool party for 12 to contribute to the prizes for the auction. These types of prizes are frequent within the prize list, families go above and beyond to contribute to the program.
“I'm always excited about seeing the ways our community comes out to support our students and the program
as a whole,” Jacks said. “It was great to just see a big crowd of people ready to do whatever they could to help out in their own way.”
Part of the event was the Heads or Tails game. All players participating in the auction began standing, the band directors rolled the dice, either landing on band director Jennifer Hanford, or assistant director Tyler Jacks. Players held up their paddles, available for purchase from the booster committee, guessing which director the dice landed on. Those guessed correctly moved on to the next round, those incorrectly sat down. This game was played twice throughout the night.
“I only got to see a little of the game, but it looked super fun and everyone was hype,” Moutard said.
“All of the prizes were really good and parents seemed to love them.”
The fundraising event was originally scheduled for May 2. However, due to weather conditions, Bowie canceled all after school events, resulting in
the auction being delayed till Monday, May 5.
“The delay of the auction actually didn't have a negative impact on our funds raised,” Jacks said.“We pivoted the live auction to an online platform and moved the silent auction to be in combination with our jazz and steel concert that was already scheduled a few days after the storm cancellation.”
The event is hosted every year, following the end of the Spring Camp, where the band welcomes incoming 9th graders to campus to introduce the following year's marching production and music.
“Its fun to be part of a live auction,” Thollander said. “It's more interesting and entertaining ten a silent auction, so I'm excited for that”
With there being over 38 available prizes and offers, many families went home with an item from the night.
“There were so many items, I didn't realize how much the parents had done to get everything in order,” Moutard said. “I didn't have a chance to participate in the auction but the events with the directors were really popular choices.”
STAAR ratings take a hit in school districts across Texas
Isabella Verette Senior Editor-in-Chief
On April 24, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) released complete accountability results for Texas public schools and districts for the first time in over five years. The results from the 2022-23 school year were delayed in their release due to a lawsuit following TEA changes to college readiness metrics. The 2023-24 results are still delayed due to a separate lawsuit. The results reflect these changed metrics and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as one in five schools received an F or D rating, and the number of F-rated schools increased by 233 percent.
“When they first changed the accountability standards, instead of letting us know before the school year started, they notified us in November,” academic director Kaylin Brett said. “It was kinda like, how do we suppose to fix it? We are seeing a lot of growth in many areas, but the increased standard isn’t showing that growth currently.”
In the 2017 legislative session, House Bill 22 established the TEA rating system to asses education performance. School districts and their campuses are rated on an A-F scale based on three categories: student achievement, school progress, and closing the gaps. Student achievement is measured through student performance on state standardized tests and college and career readiness. School progress is measured by how much students improve on state tests, such as the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). The grading comes in two sections, 70 percent of it comes from the higher of the two scores. The remaining thirty percent comes from the ‘Closing the gaps’ category, which measures how much schools improve scores for disadvantaged groups.
“At Bowie, we have the luxury of having pretty good test scores, but I think individual students who maybe are looking for a less traditional way to approach their future will have to focus on test prep,” English teacher Jacob Morgan said. “It’s also going to put more pressure on the kids that don’t do well in a standardized way of learning. It goes against everything I think is important as a teacher. I think it’s also scary that they’re raising these standards as we face school closures across our district. It feels like they are pulling a rug out from under these schools and throwing them into chaos.”
Bowie dropped from an A to a B, receiving an overall numeric score 87. Bowie also scored a B in all three categories. Within the student achievement category, Bowie earned a 93 in STAAR performance, a 79 in college career and military readiness, and a 95 for its graduation rate. Bowie scored an 85 in closing the gaps, making up 30 percent of its score.
“We anticipated a B from the scores released a few years ago regarding accountability standards. It had to do with the fact that the finish line became harder to achieve,” Brett said. “It became harder to achieve an A on almost every single account, especially in college career and military readiness, because it used to be a footnote, and
it’s not anymore. To bridge the gap created, we made some changes regarding the number of Advanced Placement and Career and Technical Education courses we offer.”
Austin Independent School District (AISD) dropped from a B rating to a C, receiving an overall numeric score of 77. AISD scored a 78 in student achievement and a 74 in school progress. AISD scored a 73 in closing the gaps. Over 40 percent of AISD campuses received either a F or D rating.
“The rating that the district got as a whole doesn’t affect our campus,” Brett said. “It affects the campuses that got an F rating because it shows the district that they need to provide in-
tervention and more resources to those schools.”
In 2023, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath changed college and career readiness metrics to require schools to have at least 88 percent of their seniors enroll in college, enter a career, or join the military to earn an A. The benchmark was previously 60 percent. Further, scores may have been affected by the STAAR being redesigned to be administered entirely online and having fewer multiple-choice questions. This is causing teachers, like Morgan, to have to pivot the way they teach.
“I think the digital platform is and can be helpful for students; things have been a little less frantic since the STAAR switched to digital,” Morgan said. “I think the way I teach a class for the test will change. It’s going to affect the way I approach writing. It’s a little more writing-based since it’s moved to the digital platform, I’m trying to teach students a more overarching way of writing so they know how to handle it. It’s going to be harder to be super formulaic.”
According to The Texas Tribune, on May 6, House Bill 4 was passed unanimously in the Texas House of Representatives, which aims to overhaul standardized testing throughout Texas public schools. The Senate also has a proposed bill that would overhaul standardized testing, but it differs from the House bill. Both would change standardized testing throughout public schools by eliminating the STAAR tests and implementing three tests at the school year’s beginning, middle, and end. How they measure success through those tests and when they would be implemented differ between the bills. Instead of measuring academic performance on a rigid scale, the House bill would compare scores to peers nationwide. The Senate bill would continue to evaluate performance on a rigid scale to ensure grade-level expectations are met.
“There are always a lot of opinions on testing, and it's great for us to have information on how well our students are receiving information and our teachers are giving it,” Brett said. “If the STAAR test goes away and they add in these tests, it will be more stressful for students. We already have what we call ‘short cycle assessments' that are every nine weeks in these STAAR classes, to see who needs extra support. If a first-year student maintains all four test subjects like Biology, English 1, algebra 1, and geography, they are
very
could
out and having
READY TO BID: A volunteer at the Bowie band fundraiser explains the rules to students for the balloon pop game. The balloon pop game
WINNER, WINNER: Megana Eveleigh claims her award won in a balloon pop game. The gifts were given to students who paid for the balloon pop game. PHOTO BY Cooper Ford
Abbott approves voucher program
Texas House passes Senate Bill 2, allowing tax dollars to go students at private schools
Katie Grumet Politics Editor
English teacher Chrissy Hejny walked into the Texas state capitol at the crack of dawn on April 23 prepared to give testimony against the passage of vouchers. Hundreds of people gathered at the capitol, protesting throughout the day. Hejny spent 14 hours there, and despite all those efforts, the next day they all found out that Senate Bill 2 (SB2) had been passed.
On Thursday, April 24, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed SB2 into law. According to CBS News, this proposal allows tax dollars to be used to fund children's private school education through vouchers. Vouchers are different from public schools’ general allotment because in Texas general allotment is the amount of money schools receive per student, while the amount of money vouchers provide can change based on the specific needs of the student or the voucher program itself, according to an article in the Texas Tribune. Texas lawmakers passed the bill 19-12, and it was the first time in history that the Texas House passed a bill related to school vouchers. The voucher program is set to start in the 2026-2027 school year.
“It’s pretty obvious to me that the Texas Legislature has one goal, and it’s to dismantle public education and privatize schools as much as possible,” Hejny said. “In past sessions, vouchers have failed because they’re bad for education and they don’t benefit people in rural districts. Legislators kept pushing vouchers because they knew that eventually it would help chip away at public education.”
According to CBS News, SB2 is a $1 billion bill that will provide varying amounts of money to different students. Most students who attend a private school through the voucher program would receive $10,000 a year, students with disabilities could get up to $30,000 per year, and home school students could receive up to $2,000 per year. As stated in the Texas Tribune, the general allotment is $6,160 per student, which hasn’t increased in the past six years.
“One of the legislature’s talking points is that vouchers will help with special education and special needs children, and that’s a lie,” Hejny said. “Private schools, for the most part, do not accept children with special needs or with behavioral issues. At public schools, we have so many resources and we do so much for kids with special needs, and we always will be available to help those kids, no matter how much the Legislature takes from us.”
Vouchers have been advertised as “parent choice,” but according to the National Education Association, this can be misleading since private schools can still reject the applicants they admit based on various factors. These factors include gender, religion, sexual orientation, behavioral history, prior academic achievement, standardized test scores, interviews with applicants and parents, and income.
“I feel very negatively about vouchers being passed,” junior Hazel Lura said. “Why are our public tax dollars going to pay for privatized education
School
Sara Fowler Dispatch Reporter
for kids who can already afford private education? It’s not fair that taxpayer dollars are going to other families, and it’s not benefiting a large majority of the population.”
According to the Texas Private Schools Association, families often choose private schools for their smaller class sizes, individualized attention, specialized programs, and for an education designed for the specific needs of the student to increase student academic achievement.
Chrissy Hejny
" It’s pretty obvious to me that the Texas Legislature has one goal, and it’s to dismantle public education and privatize schools as much as possible"
Despite this, in the 2021-2022 school year, 39% of public schools in the U.S. had 500 or more students enrolled, meanwhile 82% of private schools had fewer than 300 students, according to Pew Research.
According to the NEA, 90% of students attend public schools, and vouchers take away the already scarce funding from those schools. When funding is taken away from public schools, it creates challenges for those schools, such as larger class sizes, fewer resources, like textbooks, school nurses, counselors, lab equipment, and a reduction in programs such as music and athletics.
English Teacher
“I don’t think Bowie will be as impacted by vouchers because we have such a large student body, and I feel like there's not really gonna be that much driving people to leave Bowie because we are a really good high school,” Wood said. “I do worry that vouchers will significantly decrease funding because right now our funding is so attendance-based, and if a bunch of kids go to private school, that will decrease public school funding.”
On April 16, the Texas House voted to advance Texas House Bill 6 (HB6), which would broaden Texas public schools’ authority to discipline students. Simultaneously, three additional bills addressing student discipline have been passed in the Senate. In addressing school safety, these bills aim to combat statewide challenges with teacher retention and shortages.
“If we took care of problems and made students more accountable for their behavior, I think teachers would be happier,” English teacher Becky Hertel said. “Just because we’re in school doesn’t mean it should be a free-for-all.”
Currently, according to TEA, Texas students may receive a maximum of three days of suspension for any behavior that violates the school’s code of conduct. Students can face either in-school or out-of-school suspension. If a student receives out-of-school suspension, the student is not allowed on the school campus for the duration of their suspension. In contrast, in-school suspension, a student remains on campus but is removed from their regular classes and placed in an office or other assigned area, according to AISD Code of Conduct. For serious offenses, a student may be moved to an alternative education program.
“I think that there’s a culture at Bowie where students can behave how they want and I think to a certain extent schools should increase disciplinary action so that students understand that there are consequences for their actions,” junior Isaac Almodovar said. “There needs to be a balance between doing too much or too little and I think it really comes down to how we can make Bowie a better social environment.”
While HB6 would continue the current three-
"I think that the fine arts programs are being cut or are underfunded and I also think that teachers and subs should be paid more money," Lura said. " I would say that vouchers hurt public schools because they take money that could be going to public schools and give it to private schools instead."
A concern students like Lura have is th at vouchers are primarily given to students who could already afford private school. This worry has been proven true in Arizona, where they have an implemented voucher program, and according to the National Education Association, 80% of voucher applicants in Arizona did not previously attend public schools, meaning they were already in private school or were being homeschooled.
day maximum of out-of-school suspension, the maximum for in-school suspension would be expanded to ten days. Conversely, HB6 would reverse a 2017 bill that restricted out-of-school suspensions for students in 3rd grade or below, except in the case of serious offenses. In addition, HB6 also undoes a 2019 bill that placed similar restrictions on out-of-school suspensions for homeless students. HB6 would also repeal a 2023 bill that requires students who vape to be sent to an alternative education program.
“Disruptive students can negatively impact the classroom and school environment in general,” Almodovar said. “I can say as someone who has ADHD, even having others talking loudly or being distracting can really harm the way I learn. However I think that it's important to meet these students where they’re at and try to assess and address the problem through outreach by counselors and teachers.”
HB6 would also allow alternative education schools to offer virtual learning. According to Texas Policy Research disciplinary alternative education programs would improve temporary alternative education placements for certain students and would help remove previous limitations that decided when and how a student could be suspended. Additionally, this bill was designed to give districts broader discretion when dealing with serious or dangerous student behavior.
“I think some kids work better in an online situation,” Hertel said. “Some of the behavior issues with kids in my teaching career happened with kids who are gifted and are just so bored in the classroom that they act up, so being able to just take the class online is a great option for them.”
Alongside HB6, three bills in the senate also seek to expand disciplinary authority in Texas schools. Senate Bill 27 (SB27) is designed to ex-
“I feel like the kids whose parents are already sending their kids to private school could already afford private school, so in that sense, they probably don’t need the vouchers,” Lura said. “Vouchers are detrimental to public schools that might receive that funding. In the future with vouchers, I think that public schools will have a lot less to work with and there will be less variety in curriculum due to the decreased budget.”
The National Education Associationindicated that when vouchers are initially passed with cheaper or more limited parameters they still ultimately balloon spending, creating a statewide budget crisis. According to AP News, this scenario has been seen in Arizona, where they had nearly a $1 billion budget shortfall after the state began funding vouchers. This led to numerous cuts of essential public services, leading the state to postpone building projects and have agencies return unspent state money.
"Vouchers have been passed in other states, and it all went very badly,” Hejny said. “I’m angry about vouchers being passed because as a public school teacher and as a product of public schools, I see all of the beautiful things that public schools provide to kids and families every day and I have a lot of parents who are very grateful for the services we provide to their children and they are super supportive.”
According to the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), private schools are not required to comply with
pand teachers' authority to remove students who interfere with the learning environment, engage in bullying, or exhibit abusive behavior. Similarly, under Senate Bill 1871 (SB1871), students who assault a teacher or bring a firearm to school would be expelled. Additionally, Senate Bill 1924 (SB1924) would allow students who exhibit disruptive or dangerous behavior, such as fighting, to be issued a class C misdemeanor, reversing a previous 2013 bill that banned law enforcement from issuing citations to students for school-related offenses.
“Some teachers misuse their power to be mean to students; if they are given more disciplinary authority, they will use it unfairly,” sophomore Elizabeth Crunk said. “But, there are some teachers who understand the purpose of disciplinary actions and use them to benefit the class and the disrupter themselves so they can help the student and further their education. When students are being disruptive to the class, it's usually an underlying issue, and just because they are disruptive in one class doesn't mean their entire education should be compromised.”
A Texas Education Agency (TEA) survey conducted in 2022 found that discipline and safety at work was the second most mentioned concern teachers cited as causing statewide teacher shortages. According to the TEA, 12.91% of Texas teachers left the profession during the 2023–24 school year. In contrast, only 11.81% of teachers were newly hired in 2024–25, creating a deficit of nearly 5,000 teachers.
“When it comes to student discipline, that is what exhausts me most as a teacher,” Hertel said. “On days when I don’t have discipline issues, I love my job, but on days when I have constant behavior issues in all my classes, it's hard to want to come to work the next day.”
state curriculum requirements. This means that core classes and extracurriculars at a private school could be completely different than what is offered at a public school. As stated in the Texas Association of School Boards, School districts across Texas offer courses in more than 150 disciplines, including maritime sciences, sports medicine, and engineering design, giving students the opportunity to learn real-world skills while going through high school.
“Private schools can’t compete with public schools,” Hejny said. “They don’t want to have a broad range of educational programs and services and curriculum, so there's just no competition, and no kid wants a narrow curriculum. I would challenge legislators to come and spend a week in my classroom or just come to a Bowie event and actually see what's happening inside public schools.”
According to Texas AFT, a statewide union that supports providing students with a quality education, vouchers represent politicians’ agenda to privatize schools. Many politicians are bribed by wealthy “activists” to advance privatization and education reform in Texas.
“Public schools are free and they allow lower-income people to get a quality education that can help prepare them to get better jobs in the future and be more a part of society,” Wood said. “In the future, schools will definitely become more privatized and more of a money-making scheme rather than prioritizing education and student needs.”
ART BY Layne Foxcroft
Zapiain sparks creativity with nail art
Sophomore
Charlotte Schwarte Feature Editor
The sharp smell of nail polish fills the air, as sophomore Elena Zapiain’s eyes glance over her materials. She steadies her hand before she glides a brush over one nail, the task almost meditative in its precision. Her eyes flick between her work and the customer sitting in front of her, and only after one last glossy touch, do they both lean back to admire her creation.
Zapiain’s interest was first struck by nail art when she was in fifth grade. What started by playing around with nail polishes over the years built into more complicated designs and materials.
“To be honest, I taught myself about nails, and then also got a little from TikTok, YouTube, and going into actual nail salons to see what they do,” Zapiain said.
While not running an official business, Zapiain dedicates a large portion of her time to manicures, normally doing nails two to three times a week, with a few consistent customers. During the previous prom season she had appointments almost every day.
“My nail style is very abstract,” Zapiain said. “I do one girl’s nails who has all this 3D stuff, a different design on every nail, and they’re as long as they can be. So, those ones are very, very abstract, and they’re a bunch of different colors.”
There are different types of manicures, ranging based on their materials. Zapiain specializes in Gel X, a popular alternative to acrylic nails. The process of completing a set includes prepping the nail, applying nail extensions and gel, creating nail art, and then sealing it off with a glossy top coat.
tion from, some of the designs I come up with on my own, or I take a collage on Pinterest and turn that into nails,” Zapiain said. “When I do other people’s nails, a lot of them come in with an inspo-picture.”
While today’s nail art is trademarked for its vibrant colors and extravagant designs, Zapiain’s love for it has grown out of the relaxing relationship she’s formed with the process.
“I have my whole routine,” Zapiain said. “It’s very comforting, and it’s almost grounding. You can put what’s in your mind onto something physical.
It feels like ‘I know how to do this, and I know I’m good at it’.”
Zapiain charges around $20 for her nails, and typically sessions last around an hour. For some customers requesting more elaborate designs, like fellow band member freshman Lucy Cottam, manicures could last up to four hours.
“I like to get very bold nails with lots of bright designs,” Cottam said.
“I think it brings outfits together and makes you more interesting. It makes me feel unique.”
With the long period of time spent in the chair, conversationalist skills are vital to nail technicians. Zapiain has taught herself some tricks to prevent interactions from becoming stagnant, such as using compliments to spark a conversation, or connecting through extracurriculars.
“Elena always puts her best into making sure each nail set looks good. She is easy to talk to and it’s not awkward like if I were to go to a normal salon,” junior Fiona Sobocinski said.
According to PR Newswire, 92 percent of girls between the age of nine and 17 years old use nail products, due to its abundance of options and versatile styles. Zapiain has no shortage of customers from that demographic.
“I am so impressed with her creativity and ability to take inspiration and bring it to life,” Elena’s mother Maegan Zapiain said. “She hasn’t done much to ‘promote’ her business; her happy clients have spread the word.”
Outside of nail art, Elena is a member of the Bowie Band and Guard, playing the French horn and mello -
phone. Next year, she’s set to be a section leader of the mellophones. Bowie Band is a close knit community, and consequently many of her customers are gained through it.
“I love getting my nails done because I love hanging out and talking with her but also she’s amazing at nails,” Sobocinski said. “So, not only do I get to spend time with a friend but I always get gorgeous nails out of it.”
As creative nails have gained popularity, they have been hailed as an outlet and expression of people’s creativity, with many celebrities such as Olympian Sha’Carri Richardson and socialite Hailey Bieber taking ‘statement nails’ to the public eye.
“I feel like it’s a very individual thing, everyone has their own way to do nails,” Elena said. “They’re very detailed and if you have a vision, you can change it to your specific style.”
Elena’s creative endeavors are not only limited to nails, she also experiments with jewelry and floral design, even going as far to have handmade every piece of jewelry she wore for
our nails done by Elena so it connects us,” Sobocinski said. “We always get to talk about which nails we want and we all show each other our nails once we get them all done. It’s super fun and it’s a unique way that all of us connect.”
All of Elena’s nail appointments are done in her room, where all of supplies necessary for the job can also be found. This includes UV lights, nail brushes, nail gel, and the nail polish itself.
“She’s my best friend, so it’s fun because I get to hang out with her while she does my nails, and she’s so talented,” Cottam said. “She gives us drinks and she plays music or we watch TV, and her room is a very fun space to be in. It’s a fun environment to be in.”
While still a sophomore, Elena already has aspirations to major in psychology in college, with a possible cosmetology degree on the side to pursue nail artistry.
“I’m not sure where she’ll end up professionally, but continuing to do nails in college could always be a fun side hustle,” Maegan said. “I hope that she always has a chance to have an outlet for passion and creativity in her life.”
Junior’s lifelong love of music leads to launch of lyrics
Eliza Williams Dispatch Reporter
Stepping into the recording studio, a beat is playing, the sound of drums echoing through the room. Junior Nick Forrest sits before a laptop, reading the lyrics he’s written. Carefully looking them over, he goes to the microphone, ready to record.
Debuting in the rap genre, Forrest started making music nine months ago, with his first song “Found.” Since he was a child, music has been a love of his, and something that’s influenced him.
“Artists like Tyler the Creator and Kendrick Lamar always got me into the lyrical aspect of music,” Forrest said. “I’ve always loved writing and expressing myself, no matter what.” In motive of expressing himself, Forrest draws deeper meaning from his most influential artists and how that drives him to be the artist he wants to be.
“I look up to Tyler the Creator because he expresses himself and does what he loves to do, because that’s always what I want to be and that’s my dream,” Forrest said. “I also take into account Kendrick Lamar whenever I think about lyric styles and how to write. And then for my production, I really like Thundercat, his production style is amazing.”
Many of Forrest’s songs include a slow,
methodical rhythm, a matching chorus, and two or three quick-paced verses. In one of his songs: “Real,” the chorus includes lyrics about finding oneself, which is a theme Forrest wants others to take from his music.
“A specific message I always want to express is always be yourself and express yourself,” Forrest said. “I never want someone to hold back what they actually feel inside.”
Prior to the making of his music Forrest took guitar all throughout middle school. However, he didn’t continue on with it because it wasn’t something he considered enjoyable.
“I don’t really like doing music in school because of all the guidelines and you can’t do anything creative you’d want to do,” Forrest said. “I feel like in schools it’s just going off a note sheet, but I love doing my own thing and just creating my own music.”
The process Forrest puts into making his music has piqued the interests of many, hoping to learn how he does what he does, including chemistry teacher Kevin Laughlin.
“Knowing Nick and his personality and how full of life he is and how full of energy, it would be really neat to see him map out his creative process,” Laughlin said.
The platform Forrest releases his music is YouTube, where he works with others to get beats. The writing and background, he does himself.
“It takes a week, or two weeks, to make a song, if I do it pretty quickly,” Forrest said. “The writing takes about a week, and I analyze it, and the recording I do pretty quickly.”
Throughout his music-making process, Forrest constantly looks to grow as an artist and improve his craft, getting help from the people around him.
“My parents are more than supportive,” Forrest said. “All my friends support me in it, too. They’ll give me some tips, and I love the structure of criticism and how they can help me, because I can only get better from that.”
Laughlin has known Forrest since he taught him back in 6th grade at Gorzyki middle school, and only sings praise for the kind of person he is, not just as a music artist, but as a baseball player and as a person.
“He’s just a genuine person, and he always puts others before himself. Even back in middle school, and it’s no different on the baseball field,” Laughlin said. “His selflessness is one of the things I love about Nick, that
he’s just a generally good person that is always willing to help people, and always has a smile on his face. You just can’t help having a smile on your face when you’re around him.”
Forrest’s positivity towards others as noted by Laughlin, is also in combination with the fact that he makes music in general stands out to his friend, junior Daniel Sinton, as well.
“He’s one of the only people I know that actually makes music,” Sinton said. “I think it’s hard to do with the people that don’t like it or say things behind your back, but he doesn’t care about what other people say.”
Despite the challenges that may come with making music, whenever Forrest is on the topic of his music Laughlin notes the importance of it to him.
“Whenever you talk to somebody that is passionate about something, you can see their
facial expression change,” Laughlin said. “You can just see the passion in his face when he talks about it, he lights up.”
Junior Devin Smith, a buddy of Forrest’s since middle school, sees his friend’s music-making in a positive light.
“I think it’s really cool,” Smith said. “The fact that he’s going for it. Most people kind of just think about doing it, and they never do. I think the fact that he’s actually trying to go for it kind of shows he’s really into it, that he’s all about it.” Forrest has four songs out as of now. He is, however, currently working on an album that he hopes to have out this coming summer or at the start of the next school year. It’s
PAINTING FOR PERFECTION: Elena Zapiain paints her nails, fixing the small details for the finished product. Zapiain has been interested in nail art and design since she was in 5th grade. PHOTO BY Cooper Ford
IN STUDIO: Junior Nick Forrest sings in his office using his microphone. Forrest’s music is currently only streaming on SoundCloud but he does plan on moving to Spotify eventually. PHOTO BY Ryan Zuniga
Zuniga
Junior drummer snares the spotlight
Savannah Riggins Feature Editor
Under the glow of stage lights and the roar of a crowd, three teenagers who met through a shared love of music and were molded in the rehearsal rooms of School of Rock, the band Requient isn’t just playing songs, they are creating their own sound, one performance at a time.
In the spring of 2024, junior Alex Frost and his friends Jesse Mendez, and Kobe Johnson decided to start the band Requient after working together at the music program, School of Rock. School of Rock is a music learning facility that connects young musicians in addition to providing lessons for them.
“Joining School of Rock grew my love for music a lot,” Johnson said. “Before joining, I only listened to rap and hip hop. Then I joined the program, and it completely changed how I thought and felt about music. It has definitely shaped me as a human and who I am today.”
Frost’s passion for the drums has grown over the years. He began playing at an early age and hasn’t stopped since. Through the years, Frost’s parents have supported him by driving him to lessons, watching performances, and being there for him.
“When he was five years old, Alex’s grandfather bought him one of those 3-piece Monsters Inc. kiddie drum sets for Christmas,” Alex’s mother Rebekah Frost said. “It sounded terrible because ultimately it was a toy, but he absolutely wore it out. So, when he was seven, I figured he was old enough to have a full-size set and start taking drum lessons; he hasn’t stopped playing since. He actually still plays on that set here at home. It’s turned out to have been a great investment for sure.”
According to Alex, playing the drums has become a safe space for him. When playing, he can let go of stress and anger by losing himself in the music. This feeling has allowed him to connect deeper with the instrument, and it has also fostered his passion for creating original songs.
“We have performed both cover and original songs,” Alex said. “While playing these songs, it becomes so easy to get lost in the music. If I am feeling anything, I can just take it out on the drums. You can’t really do that with any other instruments.”
According to Alex, the process of writing original songs is different for each one. However, it typically begins with Alex writing something
Sofia Yordanova Dispatch Reporter
Arranging his tools and putting on a pair of rubber gloves, senior Tuffy Hall begins to work on a new tattoo. Only using his mind as a reference, he free-hands intricate details and linework onto the skin of his client. With careful strokes of the tattoo gun, the piece slowly comes to life.
After being given a tattoo gun for Christmas only one year ago, Hall began practicing the art form on his friends and family. What started as a fun experiment became a passionate hobby that Hall continues to participate in.
“Tattoos aren’t always about having the best piece of art in existence,” Hall said. “Most of the time, it’s about a story and the personal connection to the art.”
for the guitar, and then his guitarist will refine it. After that, the other instruments come into play and work together to create a new number.
“Making music can be a difficult process, and it often takes a long time,” Alex said. “New songs require a lot of compromise from everyone, which is not always easy especially since the guitarist and bassist butt heads on a lot of the composition choices.”
When writing their own songs, the band takes inspiration from a lot of different rock artists, but the one that has the most effect on their writing style is Pantera. Pantera is a rock band that was formed in Texas and was popular in the 1990s.
“I would describe our music style as energetic,” Alex said. “We want people who listen to get excited, jump around, and just enjoy themselves.”
Requient doesn’t just write songs, they perform them too. From covers to originals, they have put themselves out there in front of an audience on several occasions.
“Performing is an amazing experience,” Johnson said. “There is this adrenaline rush when you are on stage doing what you love in front of a crowd. It is a really unique feeling of pride and nervousness.”
Requient has performed at South by Southwest (SXSW), which is a yearly festival in Austin that is dedicated to showcasing music, film, and media. The band has had the opportunity to perform there twice.
“I first played at SXSW through School of Rock,” Alex said. “But, then I got to play a smaller venue again this year with my band.”
The band has also competed in the Austin Battle of the Bands at Regal Rooms. They won the competition. However, they faced ridicule from the audience and participants after they were named the winners.
“The competition placed as the opening number out of eight heavy rock bands,” Alex said. “There were judges who voted on each performance, and we won by around 30 votes, but people in the audience and even the announcer were really mad and had some rude things to say. It was crazy, we got paid $500 though.”
SXSW and Battle of the Bands aren’t the only places that they have performed. Requient has also collaborated with other bands. They have opened for No Tuition, another student band at Rio Market. No Tuition contacts bands by attending local shows and getting to know other local bands. They found out about Requient after both of their bands competed in the Battle of the Bands.
“After speaking to their former vocalist at Regal Rooms, I asked them to open for us at a little convenience store venue called Rio Market,”
No Tuition guitarist and singer Otto Wu said. “Requient was doing covers and had one original song when we performed with them. They
According to Hall, he does not use any stencils, which provide lines for the tattoo artist to follow, or even plan before he begins tattooing. This is somewhat unusual for beginner tattoo artists, who tend to use stencils out of caution and fear of error. It also means that the final product may not necessarily be what Hall originally envisioned.
“Whatever happens, happens,” Hall said. “I’ll admit they’re not everyone’s style, but I think that’s what makes
played well and were punctual when it came to show-time.”
Alex has not only performed at venues, but he is also a sponsored musician. After seeing an advertisement for the drum company Collision Drumsticks, he decided to give it a chance.
“I’m incredibly proud of so many things he’s accomplished, but to date, I think the most proud moment was when he told me he was selected to be a sponsored musician by Collision Drumsticks,” Rebekah said. “He’s the youngest sponsored musician they have. I actually didn’t even know about them reaching out until they sent the contract over because he was nervous about not getting picked.”
After being chosen by the company as a sponsored musician, Alex has been required to use only the company’s drumsticks and openly support them when playing live.
“It has always been a goal to be endorsed,” Alex said. “I am proud to say I am a sponsored drummer working with Collision.”
them so fun.”
Tattoos aren’t the only thing Hall uses as a form of self-expression. He also participates in a local metal band, Pnumada, for which he sings and writes music. While music is an entirely different creative outlet, he uses it in the same way: to tell his story and make personal connections.
“Tuffy is always putting himself towards artistic ends to make himself and his experience known,” senior Kyle Kramer said. “He integrates
Despite all of this action, Alex does not wish to get famous by being a musician. According to him, the idea of fame is daunting, and it would disrupt his personal privacy.
“I don’t want to be in a very well-known band,” Alex said. “Being famous sounds horrible, and it has never been a personal goal. I want to be known enough to work and make a living off of performing the music that I love.”
With his passion and persistence, Alex continues to grow with his band both as a musician and a performer. Whether they’re rehearsing original songs or performing on stage. After the hard work he has put into Requient, Alex shows no signs of slowing down.
“Alex has put in the hard work, I’ve never once had to tell him to practice,” Rebekah said. “In fact, it’s always been the opposite. Since I work from home, I have to tell him to stop playing so I can take calls. My support is limited to financial and time investment, while he’s accomplished so much all by himself.”
wholeheartedly with communities and fosters connection via personal expression.”
As an artist, Hall takes inspiration from a host of other creators and designers. When it comes to tattooing, Hall says he was most inspired by the late Larry Da Leopard, an old family friend of Hall and his father’s tattoo artist. Da Leopard was a well-known artist who was locally famous for his entirely tattooed body.
“He was a real character,” Hall said.
“He would come over to tattoo my father in the kitchen and then we would all go swimming together after.”
Despite being surrounded by professional tattooers and practitioners of the craft, Hall is uninterested in pursuing a career in tattooing. Instead, he will continue to enjoy it as a creative pursuit.
“I definitely plan on tattooing as a side project and hobby in my future,” Hall said. “It’s a cool skill to have and I’d love to keep taking inspiration from the people around me.”
As Hall balances his artistic endeavors with school work, his creative side often bleeds into his work in the classroom. According to AP Government teacher and debate coach John Mast, he noticed early on in the year that Hall was a creative force.
“I love seeing my students being creative outside of school,” Mast said. “It’s hard not to notice how much Hall loves the arts.”
While tattooing may have started as a personal interest, it has grown into a way to connect with others and tell his story. Whether he’s designing a custom piece for a friend or singing at a local show, Hall uses his experiences to make connections and experiment with his abilities.
“Whether it’s tattoos, his band, or small drawings for friends, he’s always inspiring the people around him,” Kramer said. “He’s a creative soul who uplifts all those around him.”
The Silver Stars step into the spotlight
Dancers gather for their spring performances
Isadora Parra
Photo Essay Editor
Dancers whirl across the stage in bright costumes, their faces beaming with excitement as music rushes through the auditorium for a night filled with energy, rhythm, and joy.
Since late October, the Bowie Silver Stars have been prepping for their final show of the 20242025 school year with the theme “Game On.” Spring Shows is two acts with a total of 30 different dances from Silver Stars, JV dancers, dance class periods, parents, boys athletics, and performances from three area middle schools. The 35th Annual Silver Stars Spring Show directors were Leanne Bilnoski and Alyssa Paramski.
of the Silver Stars then especially their Spring Shows, so after I graduated college, I worked at some other high schools until the position opened at Bowie, then I just knew I was meant to be at Bowie,” Bilnoski said. “Bowie has always had such a great dance program and I am super lucky and honored to be one of the directors.”
how we can make that come to life with dance.”
Even with years of experience of performing, stepping onto the stage can still come with nerves, however once the music starts, the passion for dance can take over.
“I was nervous before and during shows, because I wanted to make sure everything was perfect for everyone in the audience watching,” Deeb said. “As soon as I start dancing on the stage my nerves tend to fade away because I am doing what I’ve always loved to do.”
"I hope that the audience takes away our hard work, and can see our passion for the
“We write a script for all of the dances we want for Spring Shows, and then have the dancers learn the choreography, and a lot of the choreography is done by the student officers and class dance aids,” Paramski said. “Some of our dances we’ve been doing since late October and we use those dances for our competitions and pep rallies.”
team." Anna Deeb
Leadership plays a big part in the success of both the Silver Stars and their performances. Senior Amorie Erichsen is a first lieutenant for the Silver Stars and plays a key role in bringing the team together with her leadership skills. Erichsen shows this during Spring Shows by choreographing pre-drill, the finale, the opener, and many of the other dances.
Sophomore
“My goal as lieutenant is for the dancers to have fun, but still have structure,” Erichsen said. “Also I hope the audience has fun with the dances I either choreographed or helped with .”
The Silver Stars started when Bowie opened in 1988, and Spring Shows have been annual showings since the spring of 1989. Silver Stars have become a well-known dance company in AISD from their annual performances and plan to continue this legacy and to grow for years to come.
“I grew up in AISD and knew
Dance directors pick the theme for performances typically a year before, so they can create dances and an environment with music and decorations that follows with the theme that was chosen.
“We choose a different theme every year,” Bilnoski said. “We have a storyline that kind of leads everything and we chose “Game On” because it would be really fun, just to show all the different games that there are to play and
With high school coming to an end for seniors, Spring Shows is Erichsen’s last dance performance in high school and she has decided to attend the University of Texas at Austin as a dance major to pursue her love for dance. Erichsen choreographed her own solo for her UT audition and used the same dance for her solo in Spring Shows.
“I plan on dancing at UT as a dance major, so I’ll be continuing to have performances and dancing, hopefully for a much longer time,” Erichsen said. “I choreographed my solo all by myself for Spring Shows and I used that solo to audition for the UT dance major.”
According to Loo, the Silver Stars accomplish many things and make countless memories by the end of every school year.
“We always do a memory circle before shows, where the whole team gets together in a little circle and we all share one of our favorite memories that we had in the year,” Loo said. “It’s always just so much fun, we all have a good laugh before the show, and it helps get our nerves out of the way.”
Parra
PHOTO BY Arlo Stockstill
ROUND AND ROUND: Senior Nya Loo spins in a pirouette with elegance in front of the audience.
Loo is a senior lieutenant for the Silver Stars and helps lead the team by helping out with choreography. “I am a lieutenant, so I helped choreograph some of the dances for Spring Shows,” Loo said. “I also participated in about 14 dances.” PHOTO BY Isadora Parra
GAME ON: With a smile, sophomore Ella Horgan strikes a pose during the sports dance of Spring Shows. Horgan is a spirit leader for the JV star dancers and loves being a part of the team. “My favorite part of Spring Shows was being able to perform with all my friends,” Horgan said. “Spring Shows was so fun for us performing, and I hope
Special education
State funding changes proposed for a program that benefits student learning, growth, and development
Liberty Pittman Junior Editor-in-Chief
Smiling high schoolers line up by the track, ready to cheer on their classmates. Whether running, walking, or rolling down the track, special education students at Bowie were able to participate in the Bowie Buddies Olympics. Bowie Buddies president, junior Sofia Flores, helped to facilitate the event, supporting her fellow students. Many members of the Bowie Buddies club participated in the events with their buddies and routed on their team members throughout the day.
“It's easy when you see kids with special needs to think ‘they think differently than me, or they can't fully process what's going on’,” Flores said. “It can be easy to think that because maybe they're non-verbal, or don't speak as much. They may have developmental delay, but in the end, out of every single kid I've met, especially through doing Bowie Buddies, none of them want to be treated like a baby. They're still high school students and they have full consciousness, so they're very aware of what's going on around them and of how they're being spoken to. It's just that people don't think they are.”
EXPLAINING SPECIAL EDUCATION
Across America, there are programs in place to help ensure that students get the support they need to learn. Special Education programs are unique to each individual to ensure that children get the specific care that they need. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the right to free special education is protected under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which was originally passed in 1975.
“The special education program is a way to bridge the gap in education,” Flores said. “Students with disabilities don't always learn the same way we do, so special education allows these students to get what they need to be self-sufficient in life and still learn. Learning is important no matter what level you're learning at, there's a reason we go to school. Special education is just a way of making sure that learning is accessible to all.”
Some services that a student may receive to help fulfill their educational needs are a 504 plan or an Individualized Education Program (IEP). According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), to receive an IEP students must have one of the 13 disabilities listed under IDEA, and require special education services to make progress in school. Some of the disability categories listed under IDEA include visual, hearing, speech, or language impairment, emotional disturbance, Autism, and specific learning disabilities (SLD). According to NCLD, section 504 has a broader definition of disability, which is why more people may qualify.
“If, for example, someone has ADHD, but accommodations alone are able to help them do the work that they need done in a general education classroom, then they're serviced under 504 which is the big umbrella that's for accommodations only,” Special Education teacher Jacqueline Hooks said. “If someone needs more than accommodations, more support than just accommodations, they come to the land of special education and they're served by an individualized education plan.” In order to officially receive accommodations or special education services, a student must be evaluated. While parents have the right to request special education evaluation at any time, there is a specific process to determine eligibility. According to the Texas Education Agency (TEA), the special education process has five steps: referral, consent to evaluate, evaluation, determine eligibility (ARD), and development of the IEP.
“The evaluation process is lengthy and it has a lot of components to it like parent feedback, teacher feedback, student feedback,” Hooks said. “There's multiple areas of testing that are done, especially in the early childhood setting when kids are first becoming identified. It is lengthy, but it needs to be lengthy if someone is going to be receiving services, and if those services are accurate.”
PROGRAMS AND RELATIONS
Hooks was drawn to teach at Bowie because she saw the special education department was well-staffed, and helped students to receive their services. Bowie has many accommodations and programs available to students when needed, such as quiet spaces for students to work or take a break, study skills classes, a speech and language pathologist, and vocational classes.
“The fact that here at Bowie we are able to have smaller life skills classes because we are adequately staffed, that's fantastic,” Hooks said. “There are typically multiple teachers and teaching assistants in those classrooms so that kids can get the one-on-one help that they need. These are things that are nuanced to Bowie. We also have a social behavior skills
classroom where kids can go take a break, and counseling as a related service, so that kids that need extra counseling can get it. This is phenomenal.”
Bowie Buddies is a specific program at Bowie that aims to create more interaction and connection with the special education population. The group meets Fridays during FIT to bond while playing games like Uno, Candy Land, and Just Dance. The club also goes bowling every other Friday, and holds holiday parties, as well as other fun events.
“To me, in Bowie Buddies we are family,” junior Noah Dougherty said. “There's so many nice, kind people in Bowie Buddies, and as an organization we intend to help out in whatever way we can with the special education program. Recently we had our Bowie Buddies Olympics which was really fun. Everyone was smiling and everyone was happy. It’s something that kind of helps these students come to school, because sometimes they are discriminated against, and this is something that they can look forward to in school.”
FUNDING AND POLITICS
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been making cuts to many federal agencies across the United states. One department that has faced significant cuts is the Department of Education (DoE), which the DOGE website lists as number three on the agency efficiency leader-board for most savings. According to Cal Matters, amidst funding cuts to the DoE, President Donald Trump has promised to keep special education intact, and his plan for doing so is moving it to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
“Automatically, whether we see the effects of it or not, it causes a shift in how we see special education,” Hooks said. “Pulling special education away and putting it under health and human services shifts people to a mindset that special education isn’t education. The things that are happening at the federal level will have a tremendous effect on special education. I think it causes prejudice toward people with disabilities, and I think that we will see the fallout in lack of funding and lack of teaching positions due to funding specifically in the area of special education, especially if it's being taken away from the Department of Education.”
According to the Texas Tribune, there is a special education funding gap of about $1.7 billion between what schools are actually spending on special education services, and what the state is funding. Texas also falls below many other states in general educational funding, according to Texas AFT, Texas is the 41st ranked state for per-student public education funding, and falls below the national average for teacher salary by over $7,700.
“If students aren’t given the support they need, they can't reach their full potential,” Texas Representative Gina Hinojosa said. “We all have a gift and potential to give, and our paths are different. It is the challenge of the public school system to provide what all our kids need. We could do it if we were fully funded, but when we're not, kids fall through the cracks, and they have a much harder time.”
According to AP News, on Saturday May 3, Governor Greg Abbott signed off on a $1 billion school voucher program. This program allows for students seeking private school options to receive government funded vouchers to help pay for their schooling. Private schools do not have to accept special education students, and can reject students for a variety of reasons as long as they are not deemed to be discriminatory based on protected characteristics like race.
“My understanding is that money will go towards those private schools when people use vouchers, which means less money, not just for special education, but for the public schools as a whole,” special education teacher Kristin Mijares-Levy said. “Also, private schools may not have special education programs, so special education students won't get into those schools, but there's gonna be less money at the public schools, and that's where the special education students will be.”
According to KXAN, under the school voucher program students can be provided $10,000 for tuition, and students with disabilities would receive a minimum of $11,500 and could qualify for up to $30,000 yearly for tuition. KXAN also reports that out of the 42 accredited private schools in Texas which specialize in serving students with disabilities and have their tuition prices posted, only three of those schools would be fully covered by a $11,500 allotment, while 26 of the schools would be fully covered by the $30,000 allotment.
“I know several kids who have done early childhood at a school for dyslexia, and I'm 100 percent behind that,” Hooks said. “However, the idea that under vouchers kids can go to schools that specialize in special education is like a separation of students with special needs from students that are typically abled, and I think that's just never good. When we're all
together and in the same classrooms it helps general education students and special education students. It's such a beautiful thing when we can all get past our differences and be in the same room together.”
Starting in March of 2021, AISD was in a three year long legal battle due to delays in initial evaluations for an alleged 800 students, and late triennial evaluations for about twice as many students, according to Disability Rights Texas (DRTx). As a result AISD was required to create a $4 million fund for students it failed to evaluate. Currently in Texas, House Bill 2 (HB2) is awaiting further senate consideration, following its passage from the house. According to the Texas Legislature Online the bill would establish the Special Education Full Individual and Initial Evaluation allotment which would give the district $1,000 or more for every full individual and initial evaluation done.
“My son waited over a year to be evaluated for special education,” Hinojosa said. “His teacher was the first who came to me and said, ‘I think he needs to be evaluated’. She talked to the principal, and the principal agreed. We were all on the same page, but we couldn't get the district to evaluate him. When I called the district office they said it was a statewide problem, there were not enough professionals working for our school districts to do these evaluations. So, I ended up having to spend about $2,000 for outside, private evaluation to get my son evaluated.”
According to the Texas Legislature online, HB2 would also amend the Special Education allotment, creating weighted tiers of funding based on the intensity of service a student needs. The weight and definition for each tier would be decided by the Texas education commissioner Mike Morath.
“I think tier based funding is something that would be hard to organize and it's important that the funding is used for each kid, and we’re not getting that extra funding for a kid with special needs, but then not putting it towards special education,” Flores said. “Those are just some concerns, but if it genuinely works out, it’s a really great idea because of equity. Tier based funding is not equal in a sense, because each kid is not getting an equal amount of funding for being here, but it's equitable, because each kid is getting the amount that they need to be all on the same level. That's something super great.”
Under HB2 there are also plans to generally increase funding for schools and special education. According to the Texas Tribune, the bill would increase the basic allotment of funding per student from $6,160 to $6,555, and additional sections of the bill would result in a statewide increase in the special education allotment funding from the 2024-25 school year by approximately $615 million.
“I've only ever been a special educator, and the burnout in special education and education is typically pretty high, but I would never switch to general education,” Hooks said. “I love special education so much. I love all the children and the families that I've met, and when we are adequately staffed and adequately funded in special education lives can be changed. Families can be transformed, and kids can experience success that they wouldn't have otherwise.”
Down syndrome
- 95% of people with down syndrome have Trisomy 21 which means all the cells in the body have an extra copy of chromosome 21
Common characteristics
flattened facial features
small ears, hands, and feet
a shorter neck
AutismSpectrum Disorder(ASD)
- A developmental disability caused by differences in the brain, People on the Autism spectrum often have different ways of learning and paying attention
Common characteristics
problems with social communication and interaction
repetitive behaviors or interest
Cerebral palsy(CP)
- A motor Disability caused by anomalies in brain development, which effects a persons muscle control
Types of CP and their characteristics
Ataxic - poor balance and coordination
Mixed - combination of
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BOWIE BUDDIES STORY BY Eve Johansson
ART BY Sophia Sepulveda
FOSTERING HOPE FOR AUSTIN’S HOMELESS
Exploring the presence of homelessness in Austin, city protocols, and the
Elizabeth Yowell
Editor-in-Chief
and
“My neighbor, Dexter, I think has
an
Community First Missionary Lori Nava said.”A lot of neighbors become homeless because they’ve been orphaned or they were in the foster system or something like that. Dexter grew up in Mississippi, and I think when he was eight, a tornado went through their neighborhood and it killed his mom. He had seven siblings. So, they all went and moved in with his uncle, but his uncle was like, can’t take care of all of you kids. So, he became homeless really young after being in the foster system at a really young age.”
The Homeless Management Information System 2023 datum, also shows that 11% of all homeless individuals in Austin are veterans, while 10% are unaccompanied children between the ages of 12-24. Additionally, 86.9% of homeless individuals are out on their own without family.
“Some people think that they did it to themselves, so they shouldn’t really need help if they put themselves there in the first place,” senior NCL member Harriet Lewis said. “Sometimes people can’t really control it. Maybe if you help them, they might be able to have a new start.”
Having access to basic amenities can sometimes be difficult for those who are homeless. Several businesses in Austin only allow paying costumers to use their restrooms, and often require a key to do so.
“When I have gone on with Mobile Loaves and Fishes, they do a street retreat,” Nava said. “When you go on the street retreats you don’t take a cell phone, you don’t take a wallet, you don’t take anything except you can take a backpack with some water. You basically try to figure out how a person who’s experiencing homelessness might do it. And one of the craziest things to me and the most kind of anxious thing that I was experiencing was that nobody would let you go to the restroom anywhere. And I wasn’t homeless. I probably looked kind of sweaty that day because we’ve been walking all day, but if you didn’t pay for your drink or your snack, they weren’t going to let you and use your restroom.”
CITY POLICY
Working towards preventing and ending homelessness was listed as a top priority in Austin’s Strategic Direction 2023, according to AustinTexas.gov. Under current Austin Policy, camping in almost all public Austin areas is a class C misdemeanor.
“I feel like the city should work more to make more homeless shelters and to make sure that more people are being treated fairly and brought in, instead of just treated like they are not important, that they just need to move out of the way and get out,” Dinwiddie said. An individual caught camping on public property can be fined for disobeying the current law. Most often though, those getting ticketed don’t have enough money to pay for the ticket, as not having a permanent address prevents most people from getting a job.
“You’re creating this cycle that just never ends,” Nava said.
“If they don’t pay the ticket, then they get a warrant and they go to jail. And you could just never end this cycle because they’ll get out of jail. They still don’t have a place to live, they still don’t have a place to work, they don’t have any money. Then where do they go?”
The Unbreakable Cycle
Though the Austin Strategic Direction has the intention to prevent and end homelessness, there has been no sufficient data proving an decrease in homelessness as a result of the no camping law since its enactment in 2021.
“Mobile Loaves or Community First work really closely with a lot of the community partners that are also trying to do the same work in the city and in the state to try to get to the bottom of why this is happening,” Nava said. “How does this keep happening? How can we get to the root cause? How can we prevent it or how can we help them to not be home less and continue the cycle of homelessness and how can we
Because it’s hard to gather data about causes of home lessness, making progress towards lowering the homeless population can often prove difficult at the city level. However, there are a number of resources at an independent level that can help make the lives of those who are struggling with
“My dad’s friend who was homeless brought us to this real homeless camp, and we went to the one in the woods off of 290,” Dinwiddie said. “There was this woman, and she was genuinely one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. Something about homeless people, they are just so genuine, because they are so grateful for a lot of the things you give them. They’ve just been used to not having the life they wanted and having to work very hard for the things that they
SOLUTIONS AND RESOURCES
There are several resources available for those homeless in Austin. Some examples near the south Austin and Travis County area include the Central Texas Food Bank, Sunrise Navigation Center, and Mobile Loaves and Fishes. “Working with the Central Texas Food Bank is a really easy way to just be there for someone when they don’t even know who you are,” Dinwiddie said. “You can do either the kitchen or the warehouse. I always do the warehouse.” Mobile Loaves and Fishes is similar to the Central Texas food bank in that they work to provide meals and other necessities to those living on the streets. However, Mobile Loaves and Fishes is the parent organization to a housing project located in North Austin called Community First Village.
purchase a car.
“Painting was my medium, but when I moved here found out that I can do things with clay,” Ute said. “The studio is open everyday, so go there everyday. If I don’t have an appointment, or have to go shopping. I go in the morning, then take a lunch break, and then go again in the afternoon.”
We had people from Dubai, from Brazil, people from Germany. I think it’s the best idea anyone ever had.”
Although Community First has a unique model that has been successful in helping many get off their feet. Sometimes progress comes from small actions of inclusivity, making a difference isn’t always at the largest scale possible.
“Just make eye contact with the people you see on the street,” Nava said. “Imagine being outside for eight hours a day and no one will look at you. That is terrible. Look at them in the eye and smile or wave. That is probably more valuable than the quarters that people are giving them and not making eye contact. You can start there. It doesn’t have to be this big grandeur thing.”
On the official Mobile Loaves and Fishes website, creating a supportive community for those coming out of chronic homelessness is a core mission of Community First. Nava says that she makes a point to remind those visiting
“They are an affordable housing community that is aimed at assisting people with disabilities who are experiencing chronic homelessness,” Nava said. “They have various means of support in the community and beyond, whether it be addiction recovery or on-site health services, navigation, ride transportation to and from the grocery store, to and from the hospital, to and from the doctor’s office, the eye doctor or
Community First currently houses over 370 formerly homeless residents, and is currently under construction for phase three of the Village’s expansion project. This Project will add 1400 new homes to the property, bumping their housing capacity to 1900.
“People come from all over the US and even overseas to come and look at this concept and how it is done,” Ute said.
The Village utilizes a city-scaping method that they call a “Neighbourhood of Knowingness.” This method involves a variety of different small home models that surround a cluster of community buildings. The Neighbourhood of Knowingness has the purpose of fostering a strong sense of community in a shared space.
Bowie track star attended the Texas
state meet
Senior Owen Langdon finished third place in the 300-meter hurdles
With fierce competition surrounding him, senior track star Owen Langdon stood out in the loaded Texas 6A state track meet.
Langdon competed in both the 300m and 110m hurdles. Each event contained 11 other of the fastest competitors from regions across the state.
“I did okay in the 110 and really well in the 300,” Langdon said. “I finished in third place in the 300 running a 36.85, which was pretty good for me and I got 6th in the 110 running a 14.1.”
Along with being a standout on the track, Langdon is a dual sport athlete competing as a top wide receiver during the football season.
“Fortunately football and track don’t really overlap at all,” Langdon said. “I think both sports help the other one out, making it a good option for me.” Langdon began running hurdles in 8th grade, where he has stuck with that event ever since.
“For hurdles, the top four advance to the area, then the top four in the area make it to regionals, where the top two from each region make it to state,” Langdon said. “Making it to state was a really cool accomplishment by itself because of how hard it is. Placing third in the state was definitely my favorite memory from the whole season and I was really happy with how I performed.”
Langdon has had an interesting path to collegiate track. Unlike a lot of other top athletes in the state, Langdon had a much later recruitment window, where he experienced a lot of college interest just during his senior tenure.
“I have not committed anywhere yet, but I do hope to run in college,” Langdon said. “I have been talking to a lot of different schools right now, the main ones being Colorado State, Texas Tech, UTSA and TCU.”
Coach Brandon Pittman has been the track coach for Langdon for the last four years. He has coached at Bowie for nearly 25 years as both the track coach and the football coach for the ‘Dawgs.
“Owen’s ability has always been there,” Pittman said. “He is one of the best track athletes we have had at Bowie, he always shows dedication to the sport and I do my best to stay out of his way and let him thrive by just being the athlete that he is.”
Pittman credits Langdon’s success due to his consistency and his ability to take care of his body all year round. After struggling with time off in year’s past, Langdon showed up to nearly every practice this year while taking more time in recovery to reach new levels.
“He works all year both during school and during the summer,” Pittman said. “He takes his recovery very seriously which allows him to train and always get faster. He did a really good job this year showing up and pushing himself hard while also staying healthy and taking his stretching and post run recovery seriously. He has really leveled up this year.”
Although Pittman has not directly been in contact with the college coaches, he believes Langdon has a skill set that college coaches will love.
“I believe that Owen will translate very well to collegiate track,” Pittman said. “He is a taller hurdler, and the hurdles to get taller in college, which makes some other athletes struggle. I know that won’t be a problem for Langdon. I know with his ability, the sky’s the limit for him.”
STORY BY Micheal Vienneau
FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2025
SOFTBALL
Stellar softball senior throws K’s
College commit Kate Bookidis has had an influential final year at Bowie
Caroline Baxter Sports Editor
Whipping her arm around and throwing right down the middle, senior Kate Bookidis throws a perfect pitch, striking out her opponent Bookidis is one of the top starting pitchers for the Bowie Lady ‘Dawgs softball team.
Bookidis is an experienced softball player and pitcher, as she’s been playing since she was a young girl in elementary school. She wanted to compete in more activities and softball was a path that opened up for her.
“I was in fourth grade when I first wanted to play softball, and honestly, I probably saw it on the TV or something,” Bookidis said. “I was just like, dad, let’s try this sport, and at that age, I was just trying sports, and I ended up loving softball.”
Most athletes can say that playing for such a long time comes with dedication and motivation for the sport according to RossTraining.
Bookidis describes how her motivation for her sport has propelled her throughout her softball career.
“My love for the sport and finding enjoyment in it, while not getting burnt out, has been a key factor in my life,” Bookidis said. “I’ve been so fortunate to have good coaches and good people to play with, who inspire me on a daily basis to keep playing the sport.”
Someone that Bookidis has been playing with for close to four years is senior Alyssa Lusk. Lusk credits Bookidis to much of the softball program’s success over the past couple of years, not just through skill but also through her personality.
“Kate impacts the team with her bubbly personality in so many amazing ways,” Lusk said. “She never fails to put
smiles on our faces even during hard games. She is always so welcoming to everyone just because of how friendly she is to all.”
Not only do her teammates think she is a great player and person, so does her coach.
Head coach Elizabeth Wissel describes the benefits that Bookidis brings to the team.
“She is an amazing player who greatly benefits the team year round,” Wissel said. “She is always hard working and never gives up, which is a trait that is very important for a softball pitcher.”
An athlete’s journey isn’t always linear and can involve some ups and downs. To try and combat this, Bookidis practices heavily to keep her abilities up to her best.
“I do lessons multiple times a week with two pitching coaches and a hitting coach,” Bookidis said. “Besides working with my coaches, I pitch in my garage and go to batting cages. On my own I work on my conditioning to stay in shape for in season and out of season.”
Working outside the practice field is something that athletes know is a must to succeed. Lusk indicates that Bookidis is so successful because of her efforts to always improve and never slack off.
“Kate is always pushing to be her best version of herself and continuing to improve her skills in any way she can,” Lusk said. “She is successful because of the work she puts in and is continuing to grow everyday.”
Bookidis is now a record holder here at Bowie, just reaching 350+ strikeouts throughout her high school pitching career. Achieving this feat is something that Bookidis is truly grateful for accomplishing.
“It felt really good, especially with my team behind me and
my coaches,” Bookidis said. “It had been in the back of my mind for a while but it wasn’t something I was focusing on. I want to stay present and pitch my best without focusing on the record.”
Continuing her pitching abilities after high school, Bookidis committed to Trinity University, a Division 3 college in San Antonio, TX. She is excited for what there is to come
LACROSSE
on her new path in her softball journey.
“I am most excited to play on a new team because of the unknowns,” Bookidis said. “I don’t know the coaches or what the opponents will be like. Also, just being able to keep playing the sport I love with people I love will be great.”
Bookidis ,having pitched for years and knowing the ins and outs of softball, has some advice for younger girls playing softball. She wants all girls to just enjoy the sport and the presence of their teammates.
“Just stick with it and put in the work but also don’t force yourself,” Bookidis said. “Enjoy playing the game and you’ll succeed in it. It’s not all talent so keep working to improve your abilities and you can get far.”
Bowie boys lacrosse impactful playoff journey
Eve Johansson Dispatch
Reporter
Supporters of Bowie Boys Lacrosse clapped and cheered loudly as the final whistle blew at House Park stadium, marking a 10-7 victory over Hyde Park and officially earning them the title of undefeated Class C Central District Champions.
This made history for the varsity team, as they hadn’t gone to playoffs in 16 years. The last time the team won district was in 2009, when Will Laurel, the current head coach, played on the Bowie lacrosse team as a student.
“I graduated from Bowie in 2010 after playing for the program, so being able to give back to this community means a lot to me,” Laurel said. “It’s incredibly rewarding to create a meaningful experience for the young men in our program. Watching this team grow and push themselves makes me want to work even harder for them.”
On Sunday May 4, the team went into their second round playoff game against Plano East High School. The game didn’t go in their favor with a 15-5 loss.
“We knew Plano East had some talented shooters going into the game,”
senior Ian Hoard said. “The heat really got to a lot of our guys and by the third and the fourth quarter a lot of us were worn out.”
This team has shown it’s on the rise, ending a sixteen-year drought of not winning district, and becoming formidable competitors to teams all over the state. Their recent success reflects a period of significant improvement and suggests a positive trajectory for the team’s development.
“Winning district is pretty incredible, and gives us hope that we’re going to go really far in the playoffs, especially since last year we got knocked out in the
first round,” sophomore attacker Jacob Geldart said.
As graduation nears, anticipation builds for the seniors on the team, who are aiming to make their final season a memorable one by contending for the state championship. Among the seven seniors on the team is midfielder Ian Hoard.
“I’m looking forward to soaking up my last moments with the team, and having the opportunity to do something that hasn’t happened in a long time for Bowie lacrosse, which goes to show how far we’ve come under Coach Laurel,” Hoard said.
As the season wraps up for the team, the goals for next year are not just to go far in the playoffs but also to improve other aspects of the program according to Laurel. Currently, the team is classified as a lower division than the coaches want and practices at Small Middle School, which, according to Laurel, is far from convenient. In future years, the goal is to move practice to the Bowie campus to help players better manage their schedules.
“This program is on the rise,” Laurel said. “Texas lacrosse is divided into four brackets: A, B, C, and D. We currently compete in the C division, but my goal has always been to elevate the program back to the A division. Based on our success this year, I’m advocating for us to move to the B division next season. We’re building something special here.” A structured approach to practice is what Laurel is implementing this season to ensure the team is prepared to face the hardest teams in the area. Players express their appreciation for Laurel and the way he has improved the program in such a short time.
“Coach Laurel brought a lot of class and respect to this program, and everyone is more together and organized,” sophomore Hayden Elley said. “He’s really turning this program around and makes this team an exciting and enjoyable experience.”
GOAL ATTACK: Junior attacker Brody Marquart runs toward goal ready to shoot and score for the Bowie boys lacrosse team. The lacrosse team had a good playoff run that ended in the second round. PHOTO BY Cooper Ford
PITCH OF GLORY: Senior pitcher Kate Bookidis pitches a strike and strikes out the batter. Bookidis plans to continue her pitching abilities at Trinity University. PHOTO BY Mara Brandt
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PHOTOS BY Mara Brandt
Ava Grosso named Co-Offensive player of the year
Recognition after
Sydney Murphy Sports Editor
The clock ticks down to the last seconds as senior Ava Grosso breaks through the defense and fires a rocket into the back of the net. The crowd erupts in applause as her teammates pour onto the field to celebrate.
After every district soccer season, the soccer coaches from District 6A-26 come together and choose the top players in the district to win special awards. Ava Grosso was one of the recipients of the Co-Offensive Player of the Year for second time in a row. “My initial reaction when I found out I was Co-offensive MVP was shocked,” Grosso said. “I knew I got it last year but I felt like the competition this year was a bit higher.”
Grosso has led the team in goals and assists, for two years, making her debut as captain this year. She started playing soccer recreationally at four years old and has continued to move up levels ever since then.
“My biggest influence and mentor during my soccer career was definitely my coaches at FC Westlake,” Grosso said. “They really helped me find my love for soccer and really instilled hard work and effort into me.”
Although Grosso’s coaches
a season
have helped her immensely, she consistently worked to improve her skills and performance.
Although hard work can’t be beaten, Grosso’s coaches have implemented training programs to help her improve. “Ava has such a drive and determination to be good,” Girls Varsity Soccer Head Coach Carrie Hoffman-Howell said. “That strong work ethic and drive has really carried her through the four years of each year. She has just been getting better, faster, quicker with the ball, and scoring more goals.”
Macy Jennings
of goals, assists, and leading the team in offence
senior season and is focused on college. Although she is moving on from high school, she still is grateful for the opportunities that have arisen from playing high school soccer.
“My teammates were definitely the biggest part of my success this season,” Grosso said. “They alway work hard in order to help me score and have supported me on and off the field.”
"I can’t wait to see what she does at the next level. Everyone needs someone like Ava on their team"
Grosso’s work ethic has carried her through high school and into her college career. Recently, Ava committed to play D1 soccer at the University of Texas at El Paso.
Senior
“I am feeling nervous about the transition from high school to college soccer,” Grosso said. “Now that it feels more real, I am excited for something new and I am ready to put forth the effort into being successful in El Paso.”
Grosso just wrapped up her
Grosso says her teammates have always been on her side and have been with her throughout her recruiting process. One of Grosso’s closest friends and teammate, Macy Jennings has been one of her biggest supporters.
“Ava is the social butterfly of the team,” Jennings said. “She’s never afraid to speak her mind, but always wants everyone to have a good time.”
According to Hoffman-Howell, Grosso’s personality is visible on the field. Grosso has an important role in games.
“She can preform under pressure,” Hoffman-Howell said. “That is something that she really brings to the team.”
Hoffman-Howell also mentioned how Grosso has shown great leadership and is someone that her teammates look up to. However, responsibility to keep her team in the game comes with a lot of pressure.
“I do feel like I have a lot of pressure on me and sometimes I get nervous before games,” Grosso said. “However, at the end of the day I just chill out and have fun and that usually makes me play better.”
Even though Grosso has pressure on her, she is still able to perform well enough to draw attention. According to Hoffman-Howell, during her junior year, Grosso had a breakout season which put her on the map.
“Last year everyone just discovered her but this year they knew her,” Hoffman said. “Ava has grown so much and she carries that into life, it has been amazing to watch her develop into such a great person.”
According to Hoffman-Howell has continued to develop and mature throughout her years at Bowie and plans to bring that into college. Grosso has shown that she has been a very crucial member on the field and off the field for her teammates by encouraging them when they are down.
“I love her positive attitude, her upbeat vibe, her foot skills, and how she can find the back
of the net,” Hoffman-Howell said. “Her shots are very powerful, she can pull the trigger very quickly and she is fast. Overall, she is just a very talented player and I can’t wait to see what she does in college.”
The development she has demonstrated has assisted her in going to the highest collegiate level. According to her teammates and coaches she has grown significantly over the past four years, and was able to become the strong, motivated player they love today.
“Ava’s growth as a player and person has significantly changed once she started to
understand the game, she got better and really pushed herself to do things that others can’t,” Jennings said. “Ava’s my best friend, it’s so easy to support someone that has your back as much as she does.”
According to her teammates, Grosso has a never give up mentality that she carries onto the field. Even when the team is losing, she gives it her all and doesn’t give up until the final whistle. However, her time at high school is short lived.
“I am definitely going to miss playing with my best friends,” Grosso said. “They are always there for me and we
have made the best memories throughout my four years of Bowie soccer.” Although Grosso is leaving her life in Austin behind she said she is grateful for the experiences that high school soccer has given her. She dedicates where she is today to her teammates and is proud of what she has accomplished.
“Ava’s worked her butt off to get where she is today, so the co-offensive MVP is nothing but deserving for her,” Jennings said. “I can’t wait to see what she does at the next level. Everyone needs someone like Ava on their team.”
ADVANCING THE FIELD: Her feet racing, Ava Grosso remains concentrated on the ball as she dribbles throughout the field. Commanding each contact with purpose, she creates with the ultimate goal of pushing the ball forward. PHOTO BY Sydney Cotsonas
TAKING THE SHOT: Ava Grosso focuses on the goal as she steps forward to kick the ball. Converting her energy and focus into action, she attempts to fire it past the keeper. PHOTO BY Sydney Cotsonas
THEATRE ARTS
Thoroughly Theater
End
of year awards leave positive impact on theatre
students
After a long year of hard work and dedication from theater students, the Starlight Theater Company hosts their annual banquet called STARS to celebrate the successes throughout the year. Every year there is a decoration theme to elevate the event. This year the STC presidents have chosen “Garden Under the Stars” as the banquet’s theme. Although the theme changes every year to maintain the element of surprise, they also have many recurring traditions such as gag gifts, theater thespians initiation, and end-of-the-year awards. The awards at STARS consist of best leads and supporting characters in each show block, best technicians, and best overall student of each grade. As a member of the production class, I believe that the end of the year awards are exciting and beneficial to students. It gives students a chance to learn about rejection and success which I believe both to be important because when you want to do anything: start a business, be in a show, or get a job, you aren’t always going to be successful. Some people may get accepted into one job but not another. I believe that knowing you are worthy, smart, and talented without getting rewarded for everything is a good lesson because even if the students don’t get an award, it doesn’t deny their talent, it simply just highlights other students’ work.
Although some students may argue that awards are a way to compare students socially or are based on popularity, I believe that awards are a way to not only reward students’ accomplishments, but to benefit them. Students that win awards have the opportunity to list them on any college resume or mention it in a job interview. It gives students the chance to highlight their successes. It benefits all students because not winning an award means you can learn from the experience and work towards it in the future, and winning an award encourages students to keep up the good work.
The production students nominate others for these awards at the end of each show block. Then, the officers compile those nominations and students cast a final vote with all the nominees. It is important to know that the votes come from the student body, which in my opinion teaches students how to vote fairly because it can be a “popularity contest” if they don’t vote with integrity. Voting should be the students personal take on how well each actor or technician performed and executed their skills for that show block. In modern America, voting is a very important aspect of democracy. The voting system for something simple such as theater awards can provide insight to students about what voting looks like. Overall, I believe that if students stay true to their opinion, awards are very beneficial and widely important
The STARS awards are a great way to promote friendly competition, hard work from performers, and healthy participation in honest voting practices.
Olivia Hunter Dispatch Reporter
The lights dimmed, the crowd hushed, and the Bowie High School Choir took center stage. This event, featuring a big finale, showcased a mixture of pop-style songs. The performance wasn’t just about individual talent but also about the collaboration and bond between students who love the stage. Cabaret isn’t your traditional stationary choir concert. It’s a lively, choreographed event where students perform a variety of solos and duets. The musical numbers are a twist on classical Broadway hits, which students, specifically sophomore Faye Daughtry, enjoy because they are allowed to sing in different settings.
“My favorite part of getting ready for cabaret is getting to learn non-choral songs and having the freedom to work with any choir students on them,” Daughtry said. “Getting to work within a small group is super fun because you can blend different vocals.” This year’s theme highlights award-winning songs ranging from solos to large group numbers. Choir directors Aaron Bourgeois and Randy Cantu created upbeat choreography full of transitions and movement for the large group numbers.
“We always have a specific theme
Senior shows dazzle audience
Student directed one act plays close out the theatre season
Alice Goss Entertainment Editor
There’s been a rumor that a mix of comedy, romance, and drama have made their way to the Starlight stage. Senior One Acts (SOA) marks the end of the Starlight Theatre Company’s (STC) season, with ten one act plays premiering after less than five weeks of rehearsal.
This show block is directed by the company’s senior students, who were required to assistant direct their junior year, apply to become a teaching assistant for the Theatre 2 course, and pick their own scripts making sure they are meeting all of the requirements set by teachers Marco Bazan and Matthew Humphrey.
“When making these decisions, the amount of preparation that has gone into the process is evaluated closely,” Humphrey said. “As an educational theatre company, we pride ourselves on the focus on process over product. While we want our shows to be fantastic, impressive, and impactful, the amount of learning that happens in rehearsal and through performance is the reason we do what we do.”
Many seniors have been hoping to be a senior director since their freshman year, choosing scripts as early as sophomore year and preparing how they want to design the entirety of their shows.
“I was recommended, my show ‘Rumors,’ by Mr. Humphrey this semester, during which I was originally looking for a more dramatic one act,” senior director Adelaide Mosel said. “I realized that I would rather challenge myself by directing a comedy I loved the liveliness and fun the script had to offer.”
A senior director is in charge of every aspect of their show. Organizing the movement on stage, the set, costumes, and props, and coordinating with their technicians for the lighting designs and sounds.
“I had so much fun exploring
the performance from the perspective of a director,” senior director Genevieve Thiel said. “My wonderful assistant director, Willow Lampert, helped with all the technical aspects which allowed me to act out my artistic vision, but the most difficult part was managing the technical side. Technology itself can be unpredictable, and props and set can be difficult to move and keep track of.”
Before the rehearsal process can really begin, every student who wants to be involved must go through the audition process. After choosing a monologue each student is required to perform in front of the senior directors so they can decide who they want to callback and cast.
that ties together the production and keeps for a more cohesive performance. This year’s theme is ‘And The Winner Is…’ which focuses on award-winning songs, artists, musicals, and even TV shows and movies,” Bourgeois said. “The theme this year is nice because it provides a set framework but with a lot of options of songs.”
When it came to choosing the songs for this year’s Cabaret, the process was just as collaborative as the performance itself. Bourgeois explained that he worked closely with the senior Cabaret directors to select class songs based on student interests and what was available in choir sheet music form.
“We allow students auditioning for solos or small groups to bring any song that fits the theme to the table,” Bourgeois said. “If we like the audition, we’ll usually stick with that song because it’s something the student is clearly passionate about, and that always shows on stage.”
One of the best memories Faye recalls from preparation happened late one evening, when a few students stayed after rehearsal to practice vocals. What started as a quick practice turned into a spontaneous session of dancing and singing.
“Most choir students don’t really dance, so singing loudly and dancing at the same time is different and hard-
er,” Daughtry said. “It’s fun that for this type of choir performance, we can hang out and go out of our comfort zone and try things like dancing.”
As always, unexpected problems like a mic malfunction or a wrong sound cue will occur. However, each time, the directors and leaders worked quickly during rehearsals to problem-solve and make sure no duet or solo felt discouraged.
“This year we had almost a month less than we normally do to put things together, but the process sort of looks like how most music based shows look we had auditions and then we worked with the groups that we put in the show how we want this to look on stage lighting sound, etc,” Choir President Bubba Infante said. “We just tried to keep it fun and positive for everyone, even when things get stressful.”
Behind the scenes, students worked tirelessly to juggle rehearsals, nerves, and auditions while balancing schoolwork. In preparation for the performance, students tend to focus on stage directions, music transitions, and vocals.
“Depending on how much time we have after UIL, it can get a little stressful. We have to choose the songs, audition for groups/solos, and also practice the music and dance for the class songs,” Daughtry said. “The last week of rehearsals is in the theater itself, and there are a lot of transitions and dancing.”
Bourgeois hopes to inspire his students to have a healthy mindset and fun energy when performing. His advice is always to enjoy the spotlight
“It’s strange to be the one watching auditions,” Thiel said. “Watching people’s auditions and being in charge of casting myself definitely made me appreciate how difficult it is to have to pass by so many talented people. But it was really fun to get to watch both kids I’ve been working with for a long time, and people that were completely new.”
Once casting is complete, the rehearsals began.. Every cast has a slightly different process and schedule, but a staple in SOA’s includes a cast snack and a daily question at the beginning of each rehearsal.
lessons in leadership before leaving high school.
SENIOR
“In our rehearsal process we first block the whole show and then we start doing scene work,” sophomore Preston Withrow said. “My director worked very hard to create the best show, while still having lots of fun.”
Senior directed show blocks are very laid back and involve lots of laughter and fun leading up to tech rehearsals and show week
“The rehearsal process was very relaxed, but still productive and fun,” freshman Lincoln Womack said. “I found SOA directors went into more depth with your character and Genevieve really helped us understand our characters.”
The STC has honored the tradition of SOA’s for a very long time and the tradition has continued to teach many seniors important
“The seniors who earn the opportunity to direct their own shows have a unique chance to leave their own mark on our program,” Humphrey said. “I think the lessons learned from directing are unique to each director. Some may find more difficulties than others, while others may find their artistic voice through directing. Each show is a new path.”
This year’s shows will be premiering the first weekend of May and after rehearsing onstage for the last four years, the seniors get the unique experience of watching their own work come to life onstage.
“Watching my cast perform on stage for the first time was such a dream come true,” Mosel said. “My cast did a wonderful job, and it was such a cool thing to get to see my ideas come alive on stage.”
and be enthusiastic until the end of the show.
“The biggest thing with Cabaret is having fun and showing enthusiasm,” Bourgeois said. “My advice is to always commit to the bit. The audience will think that a performance is awesome if you’re performing it with the enthusiasm that you see it as awesome as well.” The night ended with a standing ovation, marking the end of another
successful year for the Bowie Choir. For the seniors, it wasn’t just a performance but a final goodbye to everything they’ve built and created.
“It was the perfect way to wrap up the year,” Infante said. “Watching everyone shine on that stage one last time, knowing how much work, heart, and late nights went into it, made the moment even more meaningful for all of us.”
Gracie Ruland - Entertainment Editor
FARCE COMEDY: Sophomore Preston Withrow, junior Brooklyn Willenberg, and freshman McCrae Flickinger react to appalling news in the one act, Rumors, directed by senior Adelaide Mosel. “I think that the show is a really fun show to be in because of it’s farce and it’s comedy,” Withrow said. “Adelaide is a great director,
BY Elizabeth Yowell
CLASSIC STORIES: Actress Mila Maxon flips through a story book gifted to her character, Beth, in Little Women. Senior Madigan Pound directed the one act stage version of the classic story. “My favorite
piano.” PHOTO BY Elizabeth Yowell
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VIDEO BY Elizabeth Yowell
MUSICAL HITS: Junior Abby Laine sings to the crowd at the choir Cabaret performance. Laine sang When He Sees Me from the hit musical Waitress and left the audience cheering loudly. PHOTO BY Sawyer Daniel
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PHOTO GALLERY BY Sawyer Daniel and Cooper Ford
MAY 16, 2025
MUSIC
Japanese Breakfast new album enchants listeners
The reasons why this alternative band’s songs should be blaring through your phone
Eleanor Blue Review Editor
Think about your favorite artist.
A person or a group of people who are meaningful, a sound that never gets old and never fades out of view.
For me, that band is Japanese Breakfast, an indie pop band that kicked off their tour in Austin this past month after releasing their latest album, For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women). I’ve been a fan of their music for years and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see them live.
I want to discuss their newest work, as well as their older material, and the practically seamless blend of the two into live music.
The band has been a staple in the music scene for years, gaining massive popularity in 2021 with the release of Jubilee, a 36-minute journey through heartbreak and jubilation.
This album is incredible, even four years later. It’s an album that’s in constant rotation in my life and my playlists.
Although their newest album is quite beautiful, Jubilee remains my favorite of their work. It’s deep and riveting, and every time I listen to it I am brought back to the first time I saw the iconic yellow cover. There’s an indefinable quality that makes a record a permanent fixture in your life. Jubilee has managed that feat. It never gets old, and never runs out of steam. It’s simultaneously a journey through heartbreak and a celebration of life. Some songs may sound deceptively upbeat, but they all betray deeper emotion and vulnerability.
If you view all emotions as interconnected, as I do, it’s easier to see that the album is not more joyous than their newest addition. Jubilee is complex and leaves nothing to be desired. It places importance on all spheres of emotion, all colors of blue, and the love within pain.
As for Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) as an album, I think it’s a fantastic exhibit of what makes Japanese Breakfast so special. It remains complex and romantic, a tale of love and loss. I was excited to see how they would combine their diverse combination of music live.
A band’s music is an obviously essential part of the puzzle, but I think that stage presence is also important in the music a band makes. What they represent, how they embody the music, it’s all a defining factor in how special a band is.
It’s always a bit nerve-wracking for me to see an artist live. There is something so private about music, especially music that means something to you. Seeing influential artists live can sometimes make or break your opinion of them. But what is the trade-off between the quality of a band’s music and the quality of their character?
Is it worth the risk?
I got the opportunity to review this other side of music with their most recent concert in Austin on April 23.
It was held at the Moody Center, a beautiful Austin venue where I saw Lyle Lovett perform
Blige, and the occasional Hot Wheels Monster Truck rally.
The stage was beautiful and mimicked a classic work of art, The Birth of Venus by Botticelli, an intended reference to the melancholy and lonesome trend in the album. Like the first act, this attention to detail made the night more impactful.
When they came on, we were met with a beautiful open shell as lead singer, Michelle Zauner took the stage with the opening song, Paprika.
Her voice was angelic and deep. It sounded better than the studio version and reverberated through the floor. You could feel every beat and every note in your feet and the lights were spectacular.
The set itself was everything that it needed to be. They didn’t just stay with their newest album, but traveled down their discography into the early days with “Body is a Blade” and “The
There wasn’t a lot of interaction with the crowd, but they were so invested in the music that it was hard to fault them, and it didn’t feel like anything was missing from the experience.
Japanese Breakfast is a group of people who have made music that defines my inner playlist.
Seeing them live was a very full-circle moment.
From feeling the heartbreak in their songs in my own room to feeling the heartbreak in their songs live with hundreds of people.
Music like that is good for the soul. It’s healing to be in a place where you’re surrounded by people brought together by a love for music. It speaks to the human experience, to the shared commonalities that connect us.
Everyone there was linked to the music in different ways and at different times.
Music is very important to me. Japanese Breakfast has followed me through high school and lingered in my playlists and in my heart through some of my most influential years.
Seeing a band with so much presence off and on
MOVIES
stage with someone so meaningful to me was an incredibly beautiful experience.
It’s almost impossible to avoid a para-social relationship with the band. They are so passionate about music and its meaning. These are people who care about what they make, people who feel the music in their souls.
It’s beautiful when a band can find massive amounts of fame and still seem so in tune with their music, with the shared experience that made their music so endearing to the people who listened to them.
Japanese Breakfast feels like a band that has maintained its authenticity despite growing popularity, a concept that is clear when seeing them live. Zauner is an undeniably incredible artist and my expectations were upheld and exceeded seeing them live. A really poignant and lingering band carries a certain expectation with them. Being a musician comes with more than just the music. It’s about what you embody, what you mean to the people that listen to you.
Alamo Drafthouse movie theater exceeds expectations
Ava Weaver Review Editor
To be transferred into a world that leaves school at the cinema doors is the perfect way to end the day. To have the crisp iced pop, clear your throat. To have buttery popcorn, grease your hands. All while resting your back in the recliner chairs and watching a movie on the big screen. These sensations are perfect for relaxing after a school day, but is the Texas-founded Alamo Drafthouse Movie Theater the perfect place to experience them? When judging the cinematic appeal of a movie theater, it all comes down to the five s’s: setting, service, snacks, specialties, and $$$. Unlike other movie theaters in the Austin area, instead of checking your ticket and purchasing your food all before you
take your seats, at the Alamo Drafthouse, you walk straight to your respective theater and wait for your order to be taken. The seating offers a comfortable recliner chair with a side table to hold all of your snacks. Once you get situated, a staff member checks your ID and tickets before taking your order. Each staff member I have encountered has talked with me, my family, and friends with the respect expected from those in the service industry. Staff are attentive to customers while giving off a cool, all-knowing vibe in the world of cinema. Now, what if you take so long looking at the menu, the theater lights start to dim? The Alamo Drafthouse has planned for this. Once you have decided what you would like to eat, you can write it on a piece of paper that is provided, hit the button
located on top of your side table, and the staff will do the rest. Throughout the movie, staff will check up on customers regularly to ensure that everyone’s needs are fulfilled, showcasing the attentiveness of the staff that you can’t find in other movie theaters.
For the movie experience to be perfect, the snacks need to be as mouth watering as the movie is jaw-dropping. The Alamo Drafthouse delivers this expectation with its award-winning cuisine. Their five-page menu consists of made-to-order adult drinks, appetizers, popcorn, sweets, shakes, salads, wraps, sandwiches, wings, chicken tenders, pizza, and a kids’ menu.
With every movie I see at the Alamo Drafthouse, I always order their fried pickles with a side of ranch, a Texan classic. The pickled spears continuous-
ly come out, respectively hot, never burning my tongue, but indicating their freshness. The pickles are crispy as you bite and juicy as you start to chew, and overall, a necessity for the custom pre-show the Alamo Drafthouse presents in place of ads.
The showstopper of their cuisine is the unexpected movie theater meal, the Royal with Cheese burger, with the complementary fries and ketchup on the side. This burger contains Tillamook cheddar, a beef patty, bacon, caramelized onion, lettuce, tomato, and lemon-garlic sauce, all smashed between two toasted buns. With your first bite, you will be able to taste the smokiness of the bacon that adds to the flavor of the beef patty. By your second bite, you will taste the juiciness the tomato adds to the burger, and by your third bite, you will need a napkin.
Only at the Alamo are you able to view special events and curated collections of movies to pair with holidays, movie genres, and throwbacks. For example, the Great Bites movie collection, showcased at the Alamo currently, has staff-chosen movies of animals fighting back that are copycat films of the shark attack movie, Jaws.
For Mother’s Day this year, the Alamo is hosting a Mother’s Day Feast screening of MAMA MIA! This event provides a luxury movie theater experience with a three-course menu that differs from the usual menu. After the viewing, attendees will have ABBA songs stuck in their heads and a complimentary Alamo Drafthouse mug that is detailed with a floral design. Events like these show all movie enthusiasts what’s special about the Alamo Drafthouse. When you’re expecting just a movie with popcorn, you are given a fine-dining experience. However, with all positives come negatives. With fine-din-
ing service, you are expected to pay fine-dining prices.
Special items that are not available in other movie theaters, such as the Royal burger, can reach up to almost $20, not including tax. Other standard items, such as their bottomless popcorn, do not differ much from the prices of other movie theaters in Austin, such as Cinemark. Although a little pricey, when the food is steaming with freshness, splurg ing on snacks at the Alamo Drafthouse comes easily. Although the service is great, the food is phenomenal, and the seats are comfortable, there is one drawback besides the price of snacks. This theater requires all attendees under 18 to have a legal adult accompany them since it is also a bar. This rule extends to all movies, even ones rated PG. Making sure all viewers are accompanied by an adult prevents child-like behavior and protects the cinematic experience that the Alamo Drafthouse staff work so hard to provide. I understand the reasoning behind this rule, but my dream of relaxing after school to watch a movie in a place as cinematic as the Alamo Drafthouse cannot be complete unless I have an adult with me. The Alamo Drafthouse has a location on Slaughter Lane, right down the road from Bowie, but because of the age restrictions, kids cannot experience
sibilities such as driving and working jobs outside of school, the Alamo’s age policy is strict, and those without an adult will be kicked out. The Alamo Drafthouse has the potential to be the perfect after-school hangout spot for film-lovers or otherwise, but this rule prevents that from happening. As a high schooler, I can see problems that people my age could create, such as making unnecessary messes by throwing popcorn, as seen in movie showings of the Minecraft movie. I understand the Alamo Drafthouse age policy, though it is at the expense of those who respect the movie theater setting. I am one of those people who respect the movie theater setting, so I will convince my mom to accompany me any
I
six years ago. The Moody is a fixture in the live music scene and has shared a stage with names like Justin Timberlake, Mary J.
Woman That Loves You”.
time
want to see a movie, so we can get the five-star experience the Alamo Drafthouse provides.
POPCORN AND MOVIES : Zoriyah Wells and another fellow movie enthuesntist enjoy commplemantary
popcorn while watching Alamos Drafthouse specialty ad’s before the movie showing. Once the light fully dimed they experience the new Marval Studios films, Thunderbolts*. PHOTO BY Ava Weaver.
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ART BY Olive Trevino
VIDEO BY Koko Badgley -Finan and Skylar Haywood
COMMENTARY
SAVE Act isn't saving anyone
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act will hurt many citizens
Being turned away at the polls is a nightmare no American should have to face.
On April 10, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. If this bill were written into law, it would require all voters to provide very specific documents to prove U.S. citizenship when registering to vote or updating their voter registration. Government issued state driver's licenses wouldn’t be enough proof anymore, so most people would have to turn to their passport or birth certificate.
The goal of the SAVE Act is to prevent voter fraud. While that may be important, this act will be detrimental to millions of American citizens because it will prevent them from voting. Many Americans don’t have access to the required documents
needed to vote under this new system, which would silence them. The Dispatch Editorial Board believes that the SAVE Act would do much more harm than good and should die in the U.S. Senate.
If passed, the SAVE Act would put a large restriction on America’s lower class. Passports are expensive, and they are out of reach or unnecessary for many Americans. According to The Center for American Progress, 146 million Americans don’t have a valid passport, and only one in five Americans that earn an annual income below $50,000 own a passport. They would have to rely solely on their birth certificates to prove citizenship, which is a problem. Many don’t know where theirs is, or they don’t have immediate access to it. Honestly,
when was the last time you saw your birth certificate?
Even if you have your birth certificate ready to go, you could still be turned away because of your name. If the name on your drivers license doesn’t match the name on your birth certificate, then you can’t use it to prove citizenship. This majorly impacts two groups of people: married women and the transgender community. Pew Research Center reported that in heterosexual marriages, about eight in ten women take their husband's last name. Add that up and you get nearly 69 million American women that don’t have a birth certificate with their legal name. Alongside them stand the many transgender people who have legally changed their names to something more comfortable for them. Their birth certificate is also no longer eligible to prove their citizenship for voter registration. Something as simple and common as a name change shouldn’t prevent millions of Americans from voting. The way Americans can register to vote would also be slashed if the SAVE Act were passed. The Center for American Progress reported that
POP CULTURE
online voter registration would undergo serious change or be eliminated completely. Mail-in voter registration would also be gutted out under the act. Millions of residents would have to go in person to handle their voter registration, likely creating mass chaos at election offices. This change would affect everyone, but some groups would take an extra hard hit. Rural residents may not have the time to commute to their closest election office, and the disabled community relies on mail-in registration and ballots because going in person may literally not be an option for them. So, how many groups of Americans will be negatively impacted by this act again? There are so many, it’s hard to keep track.
The goal of the SAVE Act is to prevent voter fraud in elections, but voter fraud in America is not common. According to NPR, much research has been done investigating voter fraud and it has proven that it isn’t a spiraling issue. Government commissions and prosecutor offices have also participated in searching for voter fraud and often come up with little to no results. All U.S. states have effective systems in place to prevent ineligible voters from casting a ballot. The SAVE Act is supposedly trying to fix an extremely minor issue, but instead might prohibit millions of citizens from using their voices in elections.
This act cannot pass. Voting is a right protected by the U.S. Constitution and should not be jeopardized for anything. Millions of Americans would be silenced if the SAVE Act were passed. Fight for your rights, don’t stand for the SAVE Act.
Child influencing is not a glamorous job
Child influencers have become increasingly popular as seemingly all sections of the internet become overrun with children at younger and younger ages. But how are all of these children gaining access and a following that rapidly surpasses milestones? What motivates this trend? The short answer is profit.
Influencing as a concept is nothing new. Even before highlight reels and vlogging, people have been influencing each other in different ways. Although the ways we influence each other have changed overtime, the desire itself is still there. This idea has become a vessel of monetary benefits as sponsorships and brand deals have made both short and long term content a viable option for funds. But this is not a one-sided endeavor.
As digital media continues to rise in popularity and in views, we begin to see the long-term effects of such scrutiny from the media at. Big names from the early days of vlogging and influencing have been talking about its repercussions for years. If fully functioning adults can suffer from the effects of online popularity, what is it like for child stars, thrust into the influencer scene?
Piper Rockelle is one of these child influencers currently gaining attention for a new Netflix documentary titled “Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kid Influencing.” In it, Rochelle’s mother, Tiffany Smith is presented as less of a supportive mother figure and more of a controlling force in her daughter’s life. The documentary brought attention to an ongoing debate about the ethics of kids on social media, and the right to privacy in a new generation of digital awareness. For parents, the motivation comes from different places. It can sometimes be hard to decipher whether these child accounts come from a place of well-meaning or deception. Similarly, child actors have been a major talking point in the film industry for many years. These children are forced out of school to keep up with the project’s deadline, and although they receive tutoring,
they are deprived of a normal childhood.
That may seem alarming, but children on social media are even more vulnerable to disruptions in their normal lives.
In movies and casting, these children are playing a part. It is a character for them, the people around them are not themselves. Vlogging is different from regulated filming and production. It’s much more personal for a growing child, and there is minimum active legislation to protect them. At best, a kid’s personal life is put on blast. At worst, they are forced to play a character, but one that represents themselves and their family. It is a level of responsibility that even adults struggle with.
So, what can be done? In the case of child stars, there has been advocacy for fair protection and the implementation of a trust fund to support their future. Yet, there are still things to be done and much progress to be made. The practice of child performers has been a trend for decades, and while strides have been made in that industry, there is still much to be considered and unpacked for child influencers as social media becomes more prevalent in society. We may not see the effects of child stardom
in full effect for another several years, as children grow up and can begin to unpack their childhood.
This is an unprecedented time of both exponential profit and exponential loss. People have found new ways to make money, and can thus find new ways to exploit those they love, even without knowing or being able to grasp the severity of their choices. In the case of influencers, there is no exact methodology. Children are open to levels of exploitation in any industry, but it is up to the consumer to regulate the risks of what they choose to support. We are in a new era of digital technology, but this does not have to be a nihilistic talking point. We have the ability to create a precedent for safety in the media, to change the ways we talk about a child’s autonomy and voice.
Imma’ need to see a passport or birth certificate.
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SAVE ACT NEWS STORY BY Katie Grumet
ART BY Sophia Sepulveda
ART BY Sophia Sepulveda
AI misuse is causing harm to society
Creating an effective and powerful version of artificial intelligence may be one of humanity's biggest accomplishments. Unfortunately, it may also be the downfall of mankind. AI refers to a program that has the ability to perform tasks that typically only humans could do. As AI begins to become more popular all over the world, it is being used in harmful ways that is helping the world take a turn for the worse.
Artificial intelligence does more harm than good. While AI can contribute some good things to the world, such as aid in healthcare research and enhanced efficiency in multiple different areas of work, its misuse is overpowering and is harming the Earth.
As the range of AI ability continues to grow, more and more people are starting to make music with the help of AI. Some artists even use AI to create entire albums. This becomes harmful by taking away from real musicians who put time and energy into their work. Some even worry that as AI continues to progress, human musicians will eventually be displaced and lose their jobs.
The same issue goes for all sorts of artists. Access to these art generators are extremely accessible and easy to use, continuing to serve as a threat to real artists. As technology develops, people struggle to tell the difference between what is created by AI, and what is created by real people. Not only does this threaten the artists, it also undermines them. As AI art advances, it gains different information and styles from already created art pieces, making pieces with a blend of different styles. This takes away from artists who opt for a more simple art style rather than an eccentric style, and may lead to the loss of the traditional style.
In addition, AI is negatively impacting education, specifically for high school students. Students, including me, have moments where we lack motivation to do assignments, and we wish they would magically do themselves. This lack of motivation is exactly why students have resorted to using AI on school work. Students
cheating in school has been an issue for years. However, the introduction to AI applications, such as ChatGPT, has only amplified cheating, especially among high school students. According to Forbes, 90% of students have used AI for school assignments. AI allows academic misconduct and creates an unfair advantage over students who don't use AI. Reliance on AI to complete these tasks as a
ECONOMY
teenager will leave many people to struggle in the real world once they graduate high school.
Along with the threat of AI in schools, the creation of deepfakes are becoming an increasingly harmful form of AI. A deepfake is a form of AI that involves a video that has been digitally altered in order to look like something it is not. This technology is commonly abused to spread misinfor-
mation. In 2017, a deepfake of actress Gal Gadot engaging in inappropriate acts was spread across the internet. Despite AI not being as advanced in 2017 as it is now, the fact that many people believed that video was real is a very scary reality. If it was realistic enough for people to believe in 2017, what kind of harm could a deepfake do now?
In a similar but far more dangerous situation, a deepfake of former president Barack Obama hit the internet in 2023. This is an especially dangerous form of misinformation. If people continue to make deepfakes of politicians, dangerous and wrong information can be spread across the nation. As AI continues to advance and get smarter, the impending doom of who could be made into a deepfake is an issue that needs to be taken seriously. If the wrong people get their hands on deepfake technology, it could be detrimental to society.
Many people think that the use of AI is beneficial to humanity due to its ability to conduct enhanced research in healthcare and boost the economy by opening up technology related jobs. While it is true that AI has contributed favorable information to society, the effects from the misuse of AI is beginning to overwhelm these benefits and is causing harm to students, artists, and celebrities. Fortunately, on April 28 of this year, the House of Representatives passed the Take It Down Act which criminalizes the creation of non-consensual deepfakes. This bill is a great start to tackling the misuse of AI. Bills similar to this one should continue to be passed in order to make AI can only be used in beneficial instances. Considering these harmful misuses of AI, it is becoming increasingly clear that more legislation needs to be passed in order to regulate it. The harm that the misuse of AI can do is finally shining through, and harming our world in more ways than one.
The stock market is crashing under Trump's presidency
Donald Trump promised that when he was in office, we would see “the biggest economic boom in American history.” Fast forward a couple of months, the convicted felon is now our president, and has placed new tariffs on imported goods from other countries. These tariffs caused the stock market to drop rapidly, which is typical with tariffs. Trump then announced a 90-day pause of these tariffs, causing the market to rise again. He blamed the economic crash on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and former President Joe Biden.
The Republican Party’s main goal was to lower taxes and create a more powerful economy. However, by the looks of the stock market, Trump is doing the exact opposite. Trump’s new tariff policy is extremely alarming for the industry. He doesn’t realize the economic consequences that will result from these tariffs. Trump doesn’t think about how these tariff policies will affect the average American. He was born into the lap of luxury, allowing him to do whatever he wanted without having to worry about the cost of anything. The average American works about 40 hours a week, and earns their money to fulfill their basic needs. Even before Trump’s tariffs, many Americans struggled to buy everyday necessities because of the cost. As prices of products go up, so will the poverty rate. Companies may run into problems
when planning expenses, resulting in them going out of business and unemployment issues. Trump and his administration are making insane decisions with the new tariff policy. He is so self-centered and uneducated that he doesn’t seem to think about the effects these tariffs will have on the average American, and by the looks of it, he never will.
The tariffs Trump has proposed were not thought through. He has placed these tariffs on over 180 countries, including some of the most remote places on earth. According to The Guardian, Trump placed a 10% tariff on goods from Heard Island and McDonald Island, which are near Antarctica. The tariffs will have no effect on the stock market, because these islands have a human population of zero. The islands are covered in glaciers, and are only home to penguins. They have no infrastructure and no commercial activity. This is one of the many prime examples on how little thought was put into these tariffs. Nobody is safe under Trump's tariff policies, not even the penguins.
Trump states that “Tariffs don’t cause inflation, they cause success,” so he hit all Chinese goods with a 145% minimum tariff.
Trump thinks that increasing these tariffs means that more companies will build factories to make products and goods in the United States, resulting in the “Golden age of America.” On the other hand, the United States does not have these factories built, and it would take years to even build them. This will result in prices skyrocketing because we do not have the resources to make products. In other words, it will cause inflation.
Although these tariffs have numerous negative impacts on the economy, many may argue that the tariffs help American manufacturing become the global leader in innovation and have significant economic growth. Trump's tariffs will re-shore productions from other countries back to the U.S.
Trump believes that these tariffs will affect foreign countries, and that they would need to pay more to the U.S. while in reality, American
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consumers will be paying them. The new tariff policies Trump has put in place are beyond concerning for the American economy. It is extremely important that the American people stay informed about these tariffs and the effects they can have on the American industry. The stock market and economy is walking on a tightrope, and if something isn’t done now, that rope will snap.
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Capri Wyatt
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SENIOR goodbyes
The last three years on staff at The Dispatch have been life-changing for both of us in many different ways. It has taught us what it means to be a leader and how to meet real deadlines and manage stress. Most of all, the newsroom has given us a home. A home to express ourselves and be a voice to other students. To do something we love and actively make an impact on our community. The Dispatch changes lives and has changed ours just as much as the people we cover. This year we won six first place awards for the first time in our publications history. Without the hard work and knowledge of our senior peers this year, we wouldn’t be able to continue to say that we have one of the best scholastic newspapers in the country.
Coming into this year, we were unsure of how this would go. Neither of us had any leadership role as time-consuming as our roles now, and while left with guides on how to do basic steps, it was trial and error. The Online team has created a community that is welcoming, full of creativity and award winning by continuing the Gold Star winning streak, and the print team gets stronger with every cycle they create and are continuing to give a voice to the people on campus. Not only do we see how amazing our community is inside F206, but we are recognized through all the awards we have won, and will continue to. This newsroom and advisor Michael Reeves has created a home for us, and you have become our chosen family. We love and will miss you. Good luck and Goodbye.
