August 26. 2016

ORACLE Friday, August 26, 2016 // Vol 43 // Issue I

Spartan Pride Never Dies PHOTO BY: ZAINA ATEYEA

@SpartanOracle @StratfordOracle

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Opinions The Oracle / Aug 26, 2016

New Year, New Goals

Our Best Year Yet Oracle staff goals and aspirations for this school year

Three sisters take on the school year together INTERVIEWED BY NAZLEE KHADJEHEIAN PHOTOS PROVIDED BY DIAS SISTERS

OPINION OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD GRAPHICS BY OLIVIA SICILIANO Welcome back, Spartans! Even though we’re sad summer has come to an end, we’re excited to ring in this new school year. In effort to make the Oracle issues we create this year the best yet, here are some of our goals for this publication:

With the start of another school year, we all have a list of goals in mind to make our days go as smoothly as possible. We’ve spent the summer in preparation, relaxing and recharging to get ready for what the year has in stow. Maybe you want to be better organized with your assignments, or participate in more school events.

Whatever you goals may be, the Oracle staff hopes you accomplish them the best you can! Three spartan sisters share their goals for the upcoming year, what they hope to improve on in the classroom, and what they’re looking forward to. ‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘

Freshman Jenny Dias

“This is my first year of high school so I’m kind of nervous, but I’m really looking forward to the pep rallies and football games. I’m going to be on the diving team and hope to make lots of new friends. This year, I hope I can balance studying with being a member of the team. My goal is to keep up with all of my school work and have a good first season as a diver. “ ‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘

Junior Christine Dias

“I’m looking forward to being an upperclassmen this year, but I’m nervous too, because I’ve heard junior year is the hardest out of the four years. I think my hardest class will be APUSH. This year I hope to study more often so that I can do the best I can in my AP classes. My goal for junior year is to stay focused even when the classes get difficult and do as well as I can.”

1. We want to publish a paper that celebrates all aspects of Stratford America, being inclusive of all sports, clubs, and organizations alike.

2. We will strive to live in the moment and capture just what being a Spartan really means. Our time here will be short so let’s make the most of it.

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Senior Michelle Dias “I’m looking forward to finally being a senior. At the same time I’m stressed about having to apply to college and figuring out where I want to go. It will be hard to keep up with assignments while trying to finish all my essays, find scholarships, and complete applications. My goal is to keep up my grades even if I get senioritis. I just want to have an awesome senior year, and enjoy my last year as a high schooler.”

3. Our hope is to be proud of each issue we create. We aim to preserve the quality of work we produce each issue, while also improving where we know we can.

4. We would like to make a paper that appeals to students and excites our community. We hope you look forward to reading every issue!

The Oracle newspaper is the official, school-sponsored student media of Stratford High School, 14555 Fern, Houston, Texas 77079, 713-251-3454.

The Oracle is published monthly by the Journalism Department, and is also available online at shsoracle.com.

The newspaper is a member of Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association, and Interscholastic League Press Conference.

The Oracle serves as a public forum of student expression, and is open to contributions submitted by the readers. Readers may submit material via e-mail to info@shsoracle.com.

All letters to the editor must be typed and contain the author’s full name, grade and signature. Submitted

material is subject to editing based on space and/or content. The opinions expressed are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors, the staff, the administration or the school district.

The staff is responsible for the content of the publication, and strives maintain professional standards of accuracy, objectivity and fairness. The editors reserve the right to determine whether submissions will be published.

The Oracle staff strives to produce a newspaper that covers the entire Stratford community, and welcomes freelance submissions.

ORACLE Editors-in-Chief

*Cameron Henkel *Olivia Siciliano *

Associate Editor Nazlee Khadjeheian Emma Holland

*

Taylor Morris Elizabeth Cole Culture Editors Charlotte Benes Rachel Dietert

Photo Editors Riley Timmreck Presley Graves Perry Shepard

Sports Editors Jacqui Comparin Haley Grace Francis Assistant Sports Editor Louis Nucette

Managing Editors Maddie McKenzie Ellie Hermann

Reporters Andrew Park Alex Perizotr

Opinions Editors Lauren Byram Sebastian Droz

Photographers Arturo Benitez Jordyn Richards Kate McCord Grayson Hart

* * *

News Editors

Cassie Wilson Mariana Rincon Tea Sharp Donovan Rixie Carol Gebhart Sam Wagner Claire Sanchez Ziana Ateyea Madison Harbison Allison Delgado Kaitlyn White Savanna Underwood Ads Editors Katie Boatwright Lindell Lewis Alice Morse Ads Staff Maddie Rustam

Jackson Fass Natalie Gaiser Lauren Perry Gigi Meredith Design Editor William Thiele Staff Artist Caroline Bucek Copy Editors Benjamin Burnham Maddie Suerth Building Principal Danny Gex Advisor Janice Cummons *Editorial Board Members

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News

The Oracle / Aug. 26, 2016

Staff Join Stratford America Welcoming the new faculty

WRITTEN BY ELIZABETH COLE The freshmen aren’t the only ones that are new in the halls. This year, the school has gained 23 additional staff members.

Chemistry teacher Mr. James Autry is brand new to teaching and is looking forward to the career change.

“I came from the oil and gas industry, and I’m looking forward to a new career as a chemistry teacher,” Mr. Autry said.

Some of these teachers have been on this campus before. Assistant swim coach and teacher Ms. Kassy Parker graduated in the Class of 2011 and is coming back to coach swimming and diving and teach history. She was on the swim and water polo team here and was coached by the current swimming coach, Coach Mike Hoskovec.

Coming as a former teacher at Cy Fair High School, Yearbook adviser and journalism teacher Lill Harris is also a returning Spartan. During her time at Stratford, she was on the newspaper staff under Ms. Janice Cummons.

There are also some teachers who have left but are returning to Stratford, including basketball and football coach, Coach Darryl Hill.

“I was here at Stratford two years ago, and I went to Ridgepoint High School as a girls basketball coach,” Coach Hill said. “I came back to Stratford because it is a good place.”

Also returning is former speech teacher Mrs. Slay.

“I am glad to be back here at Stratford America!” Mrs. Slay said. “I’m going to be working part time at the school while I work on my masters degree.”

If you have one of these teachers or see them in the halls, be sure to welcome them.

New Teachers

ILPC Summer Publications

Front row: Karina Scott, Megan Slottey, Kelli Bolen, Alison Evans, Kathleen Buys Back Row: Carrie Campbell-Bishop, Avery Hammond, Wes Foshee, Darlene Parizot, Bryan Keepuck, Paul Prince, Shaun Ratcliff, Jeff Mixon, Cody Stiff, Jimmy Adcock, James Autry, Lill Harris, Judy Holton Not Pictured: Courtney Whyte, Shelby Slay, Darryl Hill, Erin Fuller, & D’Ann Franklin

Winners from the summer publications contest at the University of Texas • Excellence in Writing: Mary Mouton • Stratford H.S. Yearbook - Oustanding Staff: Yearbook Section Editors • Outstanding Workshop Photographer : Claire Sanchez and Riley Timmreck

Growing Up Quickly

Seniors reflect on childhood and high school

Senior parents comment on their babies being all grown up:

WRITTEN BY MADDIE MCKENZIE

It seems like yesterday that we were in elementary school playing tag and reading bedtime stories. Fast forward nearly a decade and you’ll find the Senior Class of 2017.

Remembering childhood memories for the former Wilchester students shows just how much the times have changed. “One time in fifth grade, Leah Bach, Maggie Willis, and I were playing in my backyard and we built a fort out of bricks,” senior Brittany Bryant said. “Then we started throwing bricks at eachother and Maggie ended up getting hit in the face which resulted in her getting stitches”.

Even though memories like that are funny, it’s the people who make them special. “I’ll miss my friends the most because they made me the person I am today,” Bryant said.

This school has given its students a place to grow and find passions in life. “Being here helped me feel comfortable and make friends in different grades,” senior Hope Wissel said. After four years, students are ready to head off to college. “I’m really looking forward to being in a new environment and finding out more about myself,” Wissel said.

Time goes by so much faster than anyone would expect. “When I was a freshman I thought senior year was so far away,” senior Blake Chapin said.

“I’ve made many friends, learned a lot, studied a lot, and accomplished a lot over these past years,” Chapin said.

“It’s crazy to think that in a few short months I’ll be moving away from my family, I’ll miss them, but I’m so ready to leave. I think college will be a better growing experience,” Chapin said.

High school takes a lot of hard work and studying, and people expect a lot more from you. “I remember in elementary school we hardly had any homework and working stopped after the last bell,” senior Cameron Baccus said. “In high school, it’s your responsibility to take learning to the next level and excel in and out of school.”

Graduation may be 10 months away, but for the Class of 2017, the time will fly by. “Honestly I don’t want to graduate this year. I’m going to miss all of my friends, memories, and not having so much responsibility,” Baccus said.

Brittany

“One of the things I will miss the most is watching Brittany play with her little brother, who is on the autism spectrum”

Cameron

“At 17 I’m so proud of you for finally learning how to work the washing machine”

Hope

“Getting by on good looks and charm”

Blake

“I’m goning to miss Blake, but I know he is ready and that he is going to do great things”

4In Depth

2 16SURVIVA

The Oracle / Aug. 26, 2016

Getting

Ready for the N ew Year

Link Crew welcomes new freshman to SHS PHOTOS BY: PRESLAY GRAVES

SPREAD BY: OLIVIA SICILIAN

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FLOOR

Spartan Pride Never Dies

Juniors Bayle Goldman, Anahi Frutiz, and Sofia Colby put up their Spartan heads as freshman pile in to the competition gym for orientation.

Upperclassmen Unite The class of 2016 and 2017 served as this year’s link crew leaders. Each group decided to have different themes, from fiesta, to Olympics, and even “fishermen”.

to s te

er b em m re

Da

Back to school night - Sept. 7 Underclassmen pictures - Sept. 13 & 14 Senior pictures (makeups) - Sept. 1

The “fishermen” themed group gets together for a selfie in the choir room - led by leaders Presley Graves ( junior), Katherine Turrentine (senior), and Elizabeth Cole ( junior).

Homecoming game (vs Klein Forest) - Friday, Sept. 23 Club Day - Sept. 8

Senio

Junio

Sophomore

Je Ja

Freshmen

C C

Rules of

1. Don’t dilly dally! W way to the next class 2. Don’t stan blocks stud 3. Try not to be on yo are crowded, and it’s to your surroundings 4. Don’t go designated

Fish are Friends, Not Food

Homecoming week - Sept. 19- 23 Homecoming dance - Saturday, Sept. 24

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FLOOR

Where a

Engl

Chemis

ALGEB

-20 7 AL GUIDE

In Depth 5

s ’ s Q r e FA e answ

The Oracle / Aug. 26, 2016

th d an

NO AND CAMERON HENKEL

are grade level offices located?

or

Laura Villaflor - Principal Greg Fore - Counselor

or

Valerie Johnson - Principal Erin Fuller - Counselor

eff McCord - Principal ames Herrington - Counselor

Carl Blaze - Principal Carrie Campbell-Bishop - Counselor

f the Hallway

Walk and talk on your s. nd in the middle of the hallway - it dent traffic. our phone. The hallways ’s best to pay attention s. o down the middle staircase - it is d as up only!

• How do I buy football tickets?

You can buy football tickets during A/B lunches in the cafeteria by tables near the snack bar. Tickets are usually for sale the week leading up to a game, or the day of a game. If you don’t buy a ticket at school, you can always buy a ticket when you arrive at the field the game is being played at.

• Where are pep rallies?

Pep rallies are located in the competition gym - which is located at the end of the hallway to the right of the front office.

• If I’m absent - what do I do?

If you’re absent for a planned event, you’ll need to report to the attendance office to excuse your absence with a note. For example, if you were absent for a medical reason, present a doctor’s note excusing your absence. Any absences that you do not address with the attendance office will be noted as unexcused in Skyward - which can harm your eligibility for exemptions. The attendance office is located across from the front office. Also, don’t forget to speak with your teachers if you are absent - it’s important to quickly get started on any make up work to avoid falling behind in class. If you know you will be absent for a planned event, it is best to speak to your teachers in advance to get your make up work ahead of time.

• How do I know which lunch I have? “A” or “B”?

You can figure out which lunch you have based on your fifth and sixth period classes. Lunch guides posted in every classroom determine A/B lunches based on these classes. Usually guides are located next to bell schedules in a classroom.

• How much time do I have between classes?

Students have seven minutes to get from class to class. That may sound like a lot of time, but be sure and move quickly from place to place. Stratford has a “walk and talk” policy in the hallways that encourage students not to dilly-dally and stand around between classes.

• What if I’m tardy?

Try to be on time to every class - especially first period. If you’re absent to the first class of your day (either “A” or “B”) you will receive detention. Luckily, all students are given a free tardy pass in the back of the school agenda if something unexpected happens that makes you tardy. After that, all tardies you receive are counted toward your attendance and eligibility for exemptions.

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• How do I go to tutorials?

Every teacher should have a schedule for tutorials in their classroom, or they will tell you about when tutorials are available for the course by mouth, online, or in the syllabus. If you don’t find out via any of those means, don’t be afraid to ask the teacher yourself.

• How do I join organizations or clubs?

Every year Stratford has a “club day” for students to explore the many clubs that SHS has to offer.

This year club day is on Sept. 8. Students will be allowed to visit various booths around the cafeteria that display any information about what the club does, and how to join.

• How do I get a student directory?

You may purchase a student directory after the email is sent out to all parents from the Spartan Scoop. Parents who are PTA members get the student directory for free.

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Features The Oracle / Aug. 26, 2016

Serving Spartans

Stratford America spends their summer serving the Houston community and beyond WRITTEN BY: EMMA HOLLAND

Whether students like it or not, summer has finally come to an end.

After the long school year, students caught up on sleep, finished their favorite Netflix show, and took a much-needed vacation. Some students worked and earned money, while others felt extra motivated and got a head start on their college applications. Without a doubt, there are so many ways that students could have spent their summer vacation.

Some students gave up a fraction of their valuable summer time so that they could serve the Houston community, the country, or even the world. Many of these students gave up hanging out with their friends, gave up making money at their job, or even skipped a fun vacation so that they could help make a difference. A handful of these students have offered to share about their experience.

During the month of July, senior Arturo Benitez volunteered in Houston at Family Point Resources at the West Houston Outreach Center, helping refugee chilren learn English.

Benitez had to give up a good amount of free time in order to help these kids. “I wasn’t able to go spend time with my friends, exercise, or play sports,” he said.

“The service gave me a lot of insight into the perseverance of these children. They were dropped into a foreign country and had to learn a new language and adapt to their culture.

I also learned how to efficiently reach children and make an impact on their learning.”

Junior Jasmine Choi took a week out of July to serve in New Caney, TX. at Camp Blessing, a Christian overnight summer camp for children with special needs. At Camp Blessing, there is one counselor per camper, and the counselors must stay within arms reach of their camper at all times. It’s a huge commitment, and takes a lot of energy and sacrifice.

“I chose to go because it seemed like a really cool experience and a way to grow as a person, “ Choi said.

Sudoku

Choi was impacted by all of the kids and how loving they were.

“Camp Blessing is a place where you learn patience, kindness, and God’s love,” Choi said. “For the first time Serving Together ever, I felt what A group of children from junior Ellie it was like to love Gex’s mission trip in Bogota, Columbia unconditionally! work together on a project.

Junior Ellie Gex left in August for an Christian mission trip to Bogota, Colombia.

“We went to help the citizens medically,” Gex said. “We had dentists, doctors, and nurses come with us. We cleaned people’s teeth, gave out medicine, and played with orphans.”

Gex sent out letters to close friends and family asking for support. She spent a lot of time thinking and planning for the trip.

She had to make a lot of sacrifices in order to attend. “I had to give up a Bible study that I really wanted to go to, I had to postpone summer reading, and I missed hanging out with my friends,” Gex said. “I also had to give up the comfort of my own home and culture. It was kind of dangerous at times.

We had bodyguards following us.”

Her experience was eye-opening, and she encourages everyone to get involved in service. She loved being introduced to a new culture.

Serving others entails a commitment of both time and en-

COMPILED BY OLIVIA SICILIANO Instructions: Fill in the grid with digits in such a manner that every row, every column and every 3x3 box accommodates the digits 1-9, without repeating any.

ergy. By making an effort to not let the commitment get lost in the hustle and bustle of every day life, these students have learned humility and compassion. Service doesn’t have to be a huge, expensive trip to the other side of the world. It can be as simple as helping out around the school or neighborhood.

Sometimes the most simple acts of service make a big difference.

As Spartans, we could try to make a difference in our school with one little act at a time. Listed below are some ideas to get you going.

Ways to Serve in the Stratford Community: -Join a Service Club: -Student Council -Key Club -Stratford Oaks Club -Project NICE -Link Crew -Volunteer at Family Point Resources -Help pick up trash and clean up around the school -Help teachers before or after school -Participate in the Big Day in the Spring -Attend school events: -sports games -Pep Rallies -Stratford Playhouse productions

Word Search

COMPILED BY EMMA HOLLAND

Word bank:

AUGUST FRESHMAN HISTORY MATH

SCHOOL SOPHOMORES CLUBS FRIENDS

JUNIORS NEWSPAPER SCIENCE SPARTANS

ENGLISH GREEN LEARNING PRIDE

SPARTACUS SENIORS SPORTS

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Sports

The Oracle / Aug. 26, 2016

Sprinting

into

6A

Larger UIL designation presents new obstacles

WRITTEN BY: ELIZABETH COLE It’s the start of another bigger districts. school year, which means This leaves Memorial, more challenges. We have Spring Woods, Northbrook, moved from the UIL 5A and Klein schools to be in (University Interscholas- the same district for competic League) to UIL 6A. This tition. means more difficult oppo- This forces coaches and nents and bigger schools. athletes alike to change their The move was made after training, game strategy and the school qualified for the effort to succeed.

6A bracket last year when Many teams are doing the student population grew things such as more rigorous enough to compete in the training, making more JV

Volleyball Serves It Up

Freshmen hard at work in preparation for their season PHOTOS BY: ALLISON DELGADO

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

The newcomers on the freshmen team have been practicing in the afternoons this summer in anticipation of the upcoming season. Kelli Bolen and Dylan Huntsman are this year’s coaches for the freshmen team.

Focused and Ready Freshman Elise Latiolais gets ready to serve the ball over the net during a summer volleyball practice.

teams and training smarter to prepare for the challenge.

Stratford is stepping with its best foot forward toward a successful year in the 6A alignment.

Bump, Set, Spike

Team members practice spiking the ball over the net in preparation for the season. They have had several pre-season matches throughout August.

Support the Spartans tonight at Tully as they take on the Alvin Yellow Jackets at 7 pm.

All Hands In

The team circles up after a successful practice. Their first district game is Sept.

9 against Klein Forest at Klein Forest High School.

A.

Olympics Up Close

C.

Junior Amy Deaton tells all about her trip to Rio INTERVIEW BY ELLIE HERRMANN

Q: Which Olympic events did you see? Q: What was the city life like in Rio? A: We saw gymnastics, basketball, A: The city life wasn’t that much differbeach volleyball, indoor volleyball, badminton, and track & field.

Q: Which event was your favorite?

A: Picking my favorite is hard. It was so cool to see all of them, but track and field might be my favorite because we got to see the men’s long jump finals and an American won. We also saw the women’s 100 meter final. Plus, that event was the only event we got to see medal ceremonies for which was really awesome to watch in person.

Q: What was the most memorable part of your trip?

A: Going up to the Christ the Redeemer statue and seeing the city below and all the mountains and beaches was definitely the most memorable.

ent than NYC. There were some sketchy areas but most places were chill, the people were pretty nice and there were restaurants on every corner. Bars were always packed late at night and so were subways. The beaches were always so packed and there were always street vendors everywhere which was cool.

Q: Did you meet any Olympic athletes?

A: Technically we did meet some athletes. We never met any American athletes, but randomly we would come across athletes in buses or at popular shops. We saw two Austrian athletes on a bus and met a few Slovakian athletes that played tennis.

B.

The Experience of a Lifetime

A. Deaton and her family

enjoyed the excitement of the men’s beach volleyball game under the moonlight.

B. Standing under the famous Christ the Redeemer statue, Deaton smiles with her arms outstretched.

C. Overlooking beautiful Rio, Deaton was able to capture this stunning shot of clouds passing over the city.

D. The white beaches at Rio were filled with people - all united in celebration of the games.

D.

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Backpage Would you like to advertise in the Oracle?

Issue Dates:

September 23 October 28 December 2 February 3 March 10 May 5

The Oracle / Aug 26, 2016

Contact us for more information on purchasing an AD in one (or more) of our issues.

By email:

thestratfordoracle@gmail.com By phone:

713-251-3454 Get 10% off until October 31st!

WHAT? HOMECOMING is on September 23rd?!

Do you want to go to Costa Rica next summer?

See Mrs. Cummons in room 120 for more information or go online to eftours.com/ and search tour number 1847104xz

Order your mums from Stratford Band early! Handmade Custom Mums for your friends and your dates starting on August 29th during A and B lunch or at Mum Central 406 Kickerillo Court 77079 stratfordbandmums@gmail.com