The Oracle: October 2022

the

Oracle

Stratford High School • Oct. 2022 • Vol. 50 • Issue 1

KLUSSMANN RUNS FOR CONGRESS PG. 3 TURN IT GOLD PG. 8-9 ADVICE FOR FRESHMEN PG. 12

table of contents

the

Oracle

staff

Editors-in-Chief Ashley Cooper Nic Rhew Associate Editors Anna Rigo Nathan Seelig Caroline Smith Mircea Tatulescu Design Editor Kate Sullivan Photo Editors Dana Akkad Macy Delgadillo Ava Johnson Caroline Larrabee Christian Vandenburg News Editor Isabella Villalobos Sports Editor Jacob Hare Student Life Editor Ella McWilliams Perspectives Editor Abby Stallworth Reporters Amanda Ashebu Abdulaziz Aziz Eszter Badescu Alexandra Bell Riana Bhattacharjee Caleb Boerm

Cristina Amado Cobo Leslie Garcia Trey Gardner William Jones Emma Manalo Anna Petruzzi Ellie Presa Russell Robinson Sophie Sagastume Caroline Walker Mariam Zaghloul JP Zambrano Photographers Xavier Alexander Semra Berilgen Andrew Cannon Emily Capps Audrey Connolly Cesar Garza Pamanes Giselle Gillett Montanah Hobbs Ireh Kang Benjamin Pearl Mariana Rodriguez J’Mari Shorter Kamari Stanfill Bruno Tobias Caroline Walker Copy Editors Shelby Blackwood Catherine McClees Adviser: Sara Boyle

letter from the editors Hello Spartans!

We’re so proud to present to you the firstever issue of the Stratford Oracle Magazine!

We’ve been producing the newspaper for almost 50 years now. In honor of the Oracle’s 50th anniversary in March, we decided to rebrand and move our publication into more modern times.

Students no longer read newspapers.

Our goal with a magazine is to re-engage our audience with recurring columns and interactive sections, so you can be a part of the publication as well. We are really proud of what we were able to create, and we hope you will enjoy it, too!

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news Classroom to Congress

Longtime former superintendent runs for Congress

What Happened To The Teachers Nationwide teacher shortage takes a toll

Introduction to Clue

Playhouse prepares for their fall show ‘Clue’

sports

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Water Polo

Athletes make waves during the sport’s first UIL season

Friday Night Lights

Games wouldn’t be the same without the band, Spartanaires, and student section to support the Spartans

life

8 - 10

Turn It Gold

The community came together to raise awareness for childhood cancer

I Overheard

Student share the craziest things they’ve heard in the hallways

perspectives

12 - 15

Ask a Spartan

Seniors give advice to freshmen

School Safety

ID and locked-door policies take effect

Hot Takes

Students share some of their controversial opinions

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COVER PHOTO BY MIRCEA TATULESCU

From Classroom to Congress Former SBISD superintendent Duncan Klussmann seeks to win long-shot race for Congress WRITTEN BY NATHAN SEELIG, PHOTO COURTESY OF NATHAN SEELIG

A lot has changed for former Spring Klussmann also outlined his proBranch ISD Superintendent Duncan choice views and affirmed support Klussmann since he retired in late for abortion rights.

2015. He may no longer preside “I will defend a woman’s right to over SBISD and its more than 30,000 choose and ensure that all women, students, but his schedule remains as regardless of their income level, have packed as ever. access to reproductive care,” he said.

This past year, Klussmann has spent Overall, the atmosphere often most of his days on the campaign resembled more of an informal trail where he hopes to convince conversation than a campaign event voters to send him to the House of for a national race. The conversation e and SpringRepresentatives Branch ISD do not endorse political candidates. in November. at times veered to lighter topics, such Klussmann, who secured the as the high prices of Houston Astros Democratic nomination in May, is tickets. Several times, he asked me running against Republican Wesley Hunt to represent the 38th US Congressional District. Hunt, a US Army combat veteran, narrowly lost a Congressional race in 2020.

The 38th district was created last year after Texas gained two new congressional districts in the 2020 Census. This new district covers parts of Harris County, including the Houston suburbs of Jersey Village, Cypress, Tomball, Katy and Klein.

Following an interview request, Klussmann invited me to a meetand-greet campaign event to discuss his candidacy. The event was held at a neighborhood clubhouse in West Houston, and in attendance were about my own interests and goals for his wife, Marissa, and two campaign the future. volunteers.

Despite Klussmann’s optimistic When I entered the room, tone, he remains the clear underdog Klussmann greeted me with a smile in this race, and it would take and told me to make myself at home. a major upset for him to win.

He encouraged me to help myself FiveThirtyEight, a major political to the coffee and donuts set out on forecaster, characterizes the race as tables.

“Safe Republican” and estimates that “You need lots of food and coffee to Klussmann has less than a 1% chance run a campaign,” he joked. of winning.

From his seat on a couch with some Klussmann acknowledges these grim of the other attendees, Klussmann prospects but remains hopeful. spoke about his positions on many “I acknowledge that this is a pressing political issues.

David-and-Goliath race,” he said. “I “Gun control and school safety knew that going in, but I think it is will be one of my top priorities in important to give the voters a choice.”

Congress,” he said. “We have to raise Klussmann attributes his low the [minimum purchasing] age for all odds of winning to the Republican firearms to 21, and we also need to gerrymandering of congressional reinstate the assault weapons ban at districts. a federal level. This is personal to me “I believe gerrymandering is killing because I worked in public education our democracy,” he said. “In Austin, for years and [witnessed] many of we have career politicians who these tragedies firsthand.” draw these districts to hand to one The Oracle and Spring Branch ISD do not endorse political candidates.

party or another. I just think there is something inherently wrong with that.”

Klussmann and Hunt have not debated and there are no events scheduled where they share a stage.

“My opponent is refusing to even debate me because he thinks he will win,” Klussmann said. “He’s too busy giving speeches in Iowa to talk to people in Houston.”

Hunt’s campaign did not respond to requests to comment for this article.

To pull off such an upset, Klussmann would need to appeal across the aisle to many conservative voters.

He believes that his experience as superintendent will be a major asset.

“I have a strong record of being fiscally responsible at Spring Branch, and I worked well with many conservative people on the school board,” he said.

Current SBISD Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Blaine spoke warmly about her experience working with Klussmann at a student press conference in September.

“Duncan was such a joy to work with,” she said. “I’m sure he will be wonderful in whatever he decides to do next,” she continued, though she did not officially endorse his candidacy.

Former SBISD board member Mike Falick is a strong supporter of Klussmann’s campaign.

“In 2004, when Duncan came on [as superintendent], he always made sure to work with everyone in the district even if he didn’t agree with them,” Falick said. “He was an absolute joy to work with, and I strongly endorse him in his race for Congress.”

Klussmann also believes he can win in part by attracting younger voters to his campaign.

“Many young voters, especially teens, don’t turn out because they don’t feel represented,” he said. “If elected, I will represent their interests effectively because of my experience in public education.”

Election day is on Nov. 8.

feature

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Schools Struggle to Fill a Nationwide Teacher Shortage

WRITTEN BY AUDREY CONNOLLY

Over the last two years, Texas’ public education system has been through a lot. Having to shift toward online classes and staying home because of COVID-19 has taken a huge toll on students, but teachers are not immune to these difficulties.

Teaching material from home and school has certainly not been easy.

There are many factors that have led to this issue: being overworked, underpaid, and poor benefits.

Texas ranks as one of the worst states for teacher retirement. Teachers in Texas who have retired haven’t received a cost of living raise since 2004 and as inflation rises, it’s not getting any better.

The national teacher shortage has risen to the White House’s attention. Since the pandemic, there has been a rise in teachers quitting their jobs mid-year or mid-career. Many teachers cite high stress and low pay as their primary motivator.

Researchers estimate that there are more than 36,500 teacher vacancies in the nation. They also estimated that there are more than 163,500

positions filled by teachers who aren’t fully certified in the subject that they are teaching.

Teachers are deserting classrooms at high rates: Houston alone had reported nearly 1,000 vacancies at the beginning of the school year.

Some school districts in more rural areas of Texas are switching to a four-day week this fall semester due to the lack of staff members. It is hard to know exactly how many classrooms in the country are short of teachers for this school year since no database tracks this issue.

C’mon, Join the Club!

WRITTEN BY ABDULAZIZ AZIZ

The diversity of interests at Stratford has made it The AAPI Club will focus on gathering people of possible for many clubs to be formed. The variety all backgrounds in the pursuit of learning more of clubs ensures that every student is able to find about the numerous AAPI cultures, connecting a club that suits their with people, and hosting interests. social events such as If you’re interested Ghibli Night, Boba mixers, in tabletop games and and much more. mythical creatures, Looking for philanthropy you should take a look service clubs? Stratford at the new Dungeons has many. Unity Club and Dragons club.

SHS strives to inform Dungeons and students on issues that Dragons (DND) is a many disadvantged people tabletop game that face every day, and how focuses on dungeons, people can help them. slaying monsters, and President Abdulaziz impacting the worlds Aziz and Vice President that the game master Valerie Igbikiowubo creates. Co-Presidents have expressed in their JC Cheeseman and meetings that there are Isaiah King are excited The Dungeons and Dragons Club meets in many resources to help to bring a game that others, but most students the auditorium to go on exciting quests. many people love to don’t have access to them.

Stratford, and they are This is where the club looking forward to hosting events this year. comes to help. They are planning on connecting Another club on the roster this year is the Asian students with more resources this year to help American and Pacific Islander Club (AAPI Club). around the Houston area.

4 news

Get a Clue!

WRITTEN BY NICHOLAS RHEW

The award-winning Playhouse opens up their “From Screen to Stage” Season this month The Stratford Playhouse is putting on Clue: On Stage for their upcoming fall play. The storyline is based off of the 1985 movie of the same name, which was based on the iconic mystery board game.

The play takes place when six house guests receive a mysterious invitation to a dinner party from an anonymous host. The house guests quickly uncover that they have all been invited by the host under eerily similar circumstances. As people begin dropping like flies, the house guests have to uncover the murders in this classic whodunit comedy.

Senior Anna Rigo has had an amazing time getting to work on this show. As the show’s student director, she explained that this production has been truly a full circle moment for her.

“Clue is such an iconic movie that I grew up watching as a kid, so getting to be a part of bringing it to life on-stage has been an incredible opportunity,” she said.

The cast has been in rehearsals since the end of August and has spent many

Senior Asher Rigo and junior Abbigayle Scott play the mischievous roles of Wadsworth, the butler, and Yvette, the maid

hours making the show look its best.

Junior Kira Sledge has loved having the opportunity to play Miss Scarlett.

“Being able to perform such an iconic role that everyone remembers from the movie has been such an incredible experience,” Sledge said. “I have loved exploring this new and exciting character, and I’m so grateful that I get to work with such a talented group of people!”

“Whether you’ve played the board game, seen the movie, or have never even heard of Clue before, you’ll definitely enjoy this hilarious show,” Rigo said.

Clue: On Stage runs from October 2329 in the auditorium. Make sure to get your tickets on shsplayhouse.org!

Scan this QR code to buy your tickets!

The ensemble of Clue holds the infamous murder weapons shown throughout the show.

New York Fashion Week

WRITTEN BY ISABELLA VILLALOBOS

New York Fashion Week (NYFW) is a biannual event full of runway modeling in order to show fashion novices the latest looks by designers such as Fendi, Coach, Love Shack Fancy, and Tory Burch for the season.

According to British Vogue, the origins of NYFW trace back to World War II, with a woman named Eleanor Lambert.

It first started as a “press week” in 1943 at the Plaza Hotel because buyers could not go to Paris due to the ongoing war and French occupation.

Lambert founded the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in 1962; it is currently chaired by Tom Ford. In the 1960s, other fashion weeks emerged in Miami, Milan, and Paris, housing celerities like Andy Warhol and Liza Minnelli.

Recently, the event occurred from February 11 to 16, some celebrities who were found on the runway sidelines included Blake Lively, Julia Fox, Tayshia Adams, and Megan Thee Stallion. For September New York Fashion Week, some of the designers at the runways included Christian Siriano, Brandon Maxwell, and Carolina Herrera.

Typically, around 130,00 fashion aficionados watch this event, making around $530 million annually.

According to Harper’s Bazaar, this past September’s NYFW lineup included looks from Fendi, Longchamp, Balenciaga, and Gucci. Gigi Hadid, Natalia Dyer, Maude Apatow, and Doja Cat were several of the A-listers in attendance at September’s fashion celebration. As Tommy Hilfiger once famously said, “New York Fashion Week only comes twice a year; make it count.”

ILLUSTRATION BY JULIEN STUCKWISCH

A Biannual Fashion Festival Full of Fendi, Coach, Love Shack Fancy, and A-Listers Galore!

news

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Spartans Kick Off!

Photo by Mircea Tatulescu.

Photo by Caroline Larrabee

Water Polo Becomes a UIL Sport WRITTEN BY TREY GARDNER, PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIE COOPER Founded in 1913, the University Inalso a lot of changes within our pro“For both teams, we have very terscholastic League, UIL, was created gram that impacts the team and season well-rounded rosters, going from startto give guidance and structure to most as well.” er to second string there’s not a large musical, athletic, and academic proSo far, the current season is going gap when it comes to talent within the grams in Texas public schools. well. athletes. When I do substitute a player, This year, water polo finally I feel very confident that they became a UIL sport. The water will be able to hold their own in polo team will have several the water.” advantages to being classified as Because of the new changes, a UIL sport starting this year. there have been new challenges “This year, we can compete and experiences in and out of like other varsity sports that are the water. also in the UIL program,” Coach Coach Albers says that her faAlbers said. “The state will provorite moment from this season vide funding for transportation was, “watching the team grow and equipment for the athletes. and learn how to play together It also provides more recognibetter each and every game. It tion for the sport as a whole.” was a busy first couple weeks Being a UIL sport means this season, with the tournamore than just funding; it also ments back to back, but there impacts the players and coaches was a lot of growth within each as well. game and seeing the players The varsity girls water polo team poses with Coach Albers, Coach piece together what we’ve worked “The biggest impact of water polo becoming a UIL sport is the Duncan, and Coach Brisbin. on during practice and watching confidence and the feeling of impor“We’ve already participated in two them use it in game has also been very tance that it brings to the team and tournaments, I’ve coached about rewarding.” the individual athletes,” Coach Albers twenty games, and we start our district With the incredibly hard work that said. “I moved from California, so this games this week,” Albers said. the team has put in this year, Coach Alis my first year that I’ve coached water Coach Albers also mentioned she was bers has no doubt that the team’s goals polo in Texas, and it’s the first year that very excited to see how the teams will will be fulfilled. water polo is a UIL sport, so there are perform further into the season.

6 sports

Coach Butler Takes the Lead Former assistant tennis coach and Spartan alumnus Coach Butler was promoted to head tennis coach this year.

In addition to coaching tennis, Butler is also the Aquatic Science teacher.

Coach Butler is running the tennis program somewhat differently this year than in years past, and so far, the players seem to enjoy it.

“I love it,” junior Nico Boza said. “He’s changed the way we practice [which] allows for a more competitive environment. Realistically, not much has changed.

Butler has a different way of coaching us that I enjoy, but other than that, it is pretty much the same.”

Juggling Aquatic Science classes and all of the tennis teams is no simple task.

“I’m really excited about being the head coach and taking over this year; it’s always nice to take charge,” Butler said.

“It’s a lot more responsibility because we are shorthanded on staff for the teams.

It’s not too bad. It’s really nice to see my coworkers come up and help.”

So far this year hasn’t been too hard on Butler; he recently had Dr. Spellman come down to help him with the freshmen team. Butler’s daily schedule includes much more than his predecessor, Crystal Fain: He has four academic classes and two tennis periods. Last year, Fain only

WRITTEN BY ESZTER BADESCU PHOTO BY JACOB HARE

had two academic classes and the rest were tennis periods. Butler just has more to attend to, but he is trying his best to keep the program as similar as possible from last year.

“For the tennis program, we’re trying to keep it similar to years past and not undergo any major changes. Hopefully, I’m keeping things fairly similar,” said Butler.

Being the only tennis coach this year and teaching four Aquatic Science classes, it is expected that Coach Butler would have a considerably high workload.

“In years past, the tennis coach had only two academic classes to teach and I’m currently teaching four academic classes, two tennis teams, and my freshman tennis team. I will normally go down during my conference period to coach the freshman tennis class.”

So far, this season has been great for the tennis teams. The one disadvantage, of course, is that they only have one coach.

As of right now, Varsity Tennis is starting off really well, winning 7-4. The JV team is also doing well with a record of 6-2.

“I think it should be a really good year, looking to continue the same trajectory we’ve been on and hopefully make a big run in the playoffs,” said Butler.

Recently, the US has been experiencing a teacher shortage since many under-

classmen at universities have not been pursuing educational degrees. This is often attributted to low pay, pandemic-caused stress, and early retirement.

This is a problem that is occurring all over the United States, and Stratford is no exception.

Stratford has recently had a great deal of teachers and coaches lost from last year.

38 teachers have left Stratford to pursue

other things. Some have moved to other schools, others have retired and some have just quit teaching in general.

This has affected students in the school classrooms, but it has also affected them on the courts, fields, pools and tracks.

The quintet of saxophones plays their half time show: “Game Of Life.”

Senior linebacker Cooper King celebrates after the Spartans score a touchdown.

The student section cheers on the Stratford 300. boys.

Ava Cofran and Spartacus cheer on our varsity football team.

The varsity fooball team gets ready to conquer the second half of the game.

PHOTOS BY CAROLINE LARRABEE, DANA AKKAD, CAROLINE WALKER

sports

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TURN IT GOLD New club raises awareness and funds to fight childhood cancer

Turn It Gold is a new club at Stratford that is dedicated to raising awareness of childhood cancer. Turn it Gold as an organization has been around for many years; however, this year, club president Lauren Payne decided it was time to take real action. She says that her motivation for bringing the club to Stratford stemmed from seeing how cancer affected the Dina Family.

In May of 2012, the Dina’s youngest son, Charlie, had a persistent stomach ache that resulted in him being taken from urgent care to the Texas Children’s main campus in an ambulance. Stratford class of 2021 alumnae Caroline Dina shared her story and how childhood cancer affected her family.

“Charlie was diagnosed with stage four, high-risk neuroblastoma when he was four years old,” Dina said. “The cancer was the size of a Coke can, wrapped around one of his kidneys, and his prognosis was grim.”

For over two years, the Dina family went through numerous rounds of chemotherapy treatments and rounds of radiation, several stem cell treatments, and two major surgeries.

“His diagnosis shifted everything for our family,” Dina said. “Our schedules revolved around whatever Charlie needed, and our minds were constantly occupied with worry and fear for what was to come.”

Dina said that whenever Charlie was home, their family’s living room was quickly turned into their own hospital, supporting Charlie in any way they could.

Dina “played the typical sister role, entertaining him and comforting him, while [her] parents turned into makeshift doctors pretty quickly.”

The Dina family founded the organization Turn It Gold in 2013, with the goal of “bringing awareness and increasing funding to childhood cancer research.”

Dina explained that most of the drugs used in childhood cancer treatment are simply diluted forms of the same drugs they give adults.

“These make funding childhood research incredibly important to find new treatments that break through old standards,” she said.

8 life

WRITTEN BY NIC RHEW AND ASHLEY COOPER

One of Turn It Gold’s main goals is to create funding for this specific area of research in order to eliminate this disease in children.

Payne has been family friends with the Dina family for years and has kept in close contact with Charlie through his journey.

Payne wants to bring awareness of this disease to Stratford students and bring resources for students to help. She believes that “the stories of these precious children and their fight against this horrible disease deserve to be shared in order to make a difference.”

On Sept. 23, Turn It Gold hosted a “Gold Out” football game at Tully Stadium. The stands were flooded with students and families across the community showing their support for the end of this disease. At the game, three cancer survivors, Posey Raish, Veronica Hightower, and Stratford’s own Miles Hartz (11) were honored for their bravery in their fight against childhood cancer. At the end of the first quarter, these young SBISD students were recognized.

Each were granted a Medal Of Bravery and were met with a standing ovation from the Stratford and Cy-Fair stands.

Spartans showed their support on and off the field. In the student section, people decked out with gold clothing and face paint. On the field, the football players wore their gold pants and the Spartanaires used their gold poms.

Payne hopes to continue this involvement throughout the school year. The club aims to have a Turn It Gold baseball game in the spring and will host several campaigns over the next couple of months. Payne wants the whole community to join them in their gold movement.

The club will be having many fundraising opportunities that will go toward childhood cancer research.

“We want to plant a seed this year, for this to become a lasting tradition at Stratford,” Payne said. “Hopefully, with our help, we can completely tackle childhood cancer until there are no longer any children suffering.”

To stay updated on Turn It Gold events, follow the club on Instagram @stratford.turnitgold.

life

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O ve rhea rd Coming Home in By: Abby Stallworth Style WRITTEN BY CAROLINE SMITH “I overheard Coach Hall is a hardcore Swiftie.”

Spartans show their school spirt by dressing up for theme days in preparation for Homecoming

“I heard Ms. Kopatic got married to Justin Timberlake.”

Spartans dress up for “Country vs. Country Club”

“D is for don’t, B is for bad, C is for correct NOT, A is the answer.”

“You might want to look over your review cause it might look just like the test.”

Overheard is a recurring section that will feature different things that students have heard around school. This column is completely anonymous, so don’t hesitate to let us know what you hear! A link to submit your responses will be available under the New Online highlight on the @shsoracle Instagram page.

Here is QR code to the survey down below.

10 life

Spartans get creative for “Anything but a Backpack Day”

Spartans shine bright for “Neon” Day

Senior Anna Thielemann is crowned Homecoming Queen during halftime

REALITY CHECK

1 2 3 4

Highschoolers should sleep 8-10 hours a night. How much sleep have you gotten this week?

Did you eat breakfast today? Your brain needs food in order to function properly- especially during those sleepy morning classes!

Have you had any water today? You should be drinking 6 to 8 cups each day!

How long has it been since you’ve cleaned your phone? Your phone screen can collect more bacteria than a toilet seat. Yikes! Time to disinfect.

WRITTEN BY ASHLEY COOPER

ads

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Advice Column: Seniors to Freshmen!

We asked seniors from around campus for advice on how to make the most of high school.

Here are some of their answers: What advice would you give to your freshman year self?

It’s very cliché, but I would tell my freshman self to enjoy high school because it’s the best years of your life. It has gone by way faster than I expected and it’s hard to believe I’m graduating this year.

-Nico Gualy I would tell myself to find a group of friends that you can stick with because it makes high school so much better when you have people to do it with.

-Asher Rigo I would tell my freshman self to buckle down on grades during the first semester, because every grade you get will go into your GPA! -Haley Ash What’s something helpful to know about Stratford’s campus?

I think it is important to know that Stratford’s campus is divided by subject/course level on each floor. Once you get the structure down, getting to each class is super easy.

-Haley Ash The middle stairs are always crowded, so the stairwells in the corner will be better.

-Caroline Smith What’s something you wish you knew during your freshman year?

My freshman year, I wish I knew that no one cares as much as you think they do! It is easy to feel like everyone is judging you, but everyone is worried about themselves, so just focus on enjoying your own time.

-Haley Ash Getting involved in clubs that are for the betterment of the community should be done earlier rather than later.

-Jillian Harris If you befriend your teachers then they will be more willing to help you out when something comes up!

-Jenna French I wish I knew that there was no pool on the 4th floor.

-Giancarlo Chelala What’s been your favorite thing to be involved in throughout high school?

My favorite thing to be involved in at Stratford is Stratford Playhouse. It’s helped me get to know people I wouldn’t normally interact with and is an amazing program to be involved in.

-Nico Gualy Football games. Football season is the most fun part of the year, and I love watching the games and cheering with friends.

-Asher Rigo I have absolutely loved being involved in swimming and water polo because I have made some of my best friends and met so many people.

-Caroline Smith

WRITTEN BY ANNA RIGO

12 perspectives

College tips from our counselors

As seniors finish up college applications and underclassmen start planning their future, here’s some advice from your counselors:

On making straight As while in high school, “Straight As are nice, but you can get into your dream school with a B,” said Mr. Whitaker. “You should look for a college that’s a good fit for you, not just one that other people tell you is a good college.”

On valuable opportunities often missed by students, Ms. Hollister points to taking advantage of the college representatives for the Houston area. Hollister constantly tells students to attend local events hosted by colleges or contact colleges directly to find out who the local reps are. She explains that “local reps are a huge resource and can be an advocate for students getting into the college.” Ms. Hollister feels that if more juniors would seek to make a connection, they would have a person from the school on their side for the entire college application process. “It is great to have someone from the school that you can call and ask questions when filling out that college’s application,” she concludes.

Game-changing Free Summer Programs: McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin offers free, six-day summer business and leadership programs every summer. These programs offer rising high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to interact with current students and faculty at McCombs while staying on campus.

Past programs have included McCombs Future Executive Academy (MFEA), Discover Yourself In Accounting Majors and Careers (DYNAMC), and Subiendo: The Academy for Rising Leaders.

These programs seek to include outstanding African American, Latino, Native American, and first generation students, as well as students who have overcome social or economic hardships. However, all students are welcome to apply. Registration opens in November.

WRITTEN BY HANK DAVIS

School Safety Updates This school year, SBISD schools have implemented new safety protocols in response to the school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas last May. These requirements included mandating that students wear their school-issued IDs at all times on a lanyard around their neck.

Additionally, there is a locked-door policy stating that the doors into the building should be locked at all times and that no student should let anyone in side doors. Visitors must go to the front to be let into the school as always, and the rule will be even more strictly enforced this year.

This also means that teachers are required to keep their personal classroom doors locked, so students have to get up to let other students in from the bathroom or other places.

All of these new policies are met with many opinions and questions concerning their efficacy.

On Sep. 8, SBISD student journalists asked questions at a press conference with Superintendent Jennifer Blaine and Community Superintendent Bryan Williams.

Blaine talked about how the SBISD chief of police, D. Bruce Dareing, recommended all these rules and procedures, saying that he believes these changes will improve the safety and security of everyone in the school.

She also said that the IDs students are required to wear need to be enforced strongly so that we can easily know if someone is not supposed to be in a school building.

“School safety is the shared responsibility of students, parents and SBISD employees,” Blaine said. “Safety protocols, like locking doors and wearing IDs, are only effective if everyone does their part,” she continued.

Students have noticed that teachers are much more strict about reprimanding students who aren’t wearing a badge and sending them to get a temporary one.

Mental health of students in schools nationwide was also discussed at the press conference.

WRITTEN BY ALEX BELL

Many students felt that the increased safety measures aren’t enough if mental health isn’t prioritized as a cause of school shootings.

Blaine, Williams, and Audrey Shakra, SBISD General Counsel, spoke out about this issue.

They agreed that students’ mental health should be a top priority at SBISD schools, and even asked the students for ideas on making them feel safer when talking to counselors about their personal lives. However, it doesn’t seem like much change has been made on this topic so far.

Two Stratford seniors, Meredith Daulton and Ava Johnson, were asked how they felt about the topic of student ID lanyards.

Q: How do you feel about having to wear an ID? Ava: “I don’t really mind it, but it is easy to forget.”

Q: Do you think the IDs do their job of keeping our schools safer?

Ava: “I understand the idea, but the execution isn’t fully there. It works for identifying people in the school, but I don’t think it’s very effective for preventing school shootings.”

Meredith: “I believe IDs are not efficient in protecting the school because they are easily replicated, and an actual threat is going to find other ways to break into the school regardless of IDs.” Q: What would you change about our recently added safety policies?

Meredith: “I would ensure that students are mentally well.

I believe students should have checkups with counselors to ensure proper mental health. Many safety problems could be solved by prior support and care.”

Overall, many students are happy that the district is prioritizing their safety this year and making changes. Students are hopeful that more changes are made in order to answer all the questions brought up.

Hot Takes Study Tips By: Ella McWilliams A hot take is a piece of commentary whose primary purpose is to attract attention. We asked some students to share their hot takes...

See if you can guess who said what!

“Pancakes are terrible.”

“Texas is back.”

“Pineapple on pizza is good.”

“Cats are better than dogs.”

Thomas Thielemann (10), Colette Taylor (9), Isabella Villalobos (12), Tynsley Hodge (9)

By: Catherine McClees * Practice in groups to learn from each other * Start studying as early as possible for quizzes and tests. * Utilize free resources like Khan Academy and Quizlet * Go over your previous mistakes and learn how to correct them * Go to your teachers for help * Review class material every night before bed. Sleep helps the brain remember info

* Utilize your Spartan Time to get homework done or study a little bit every day

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Jp’s picks 10 Perfect Songs

- “You’ve Got a Friend” (James Taylor) - “Peaceful Easy Feeling” (Eagles) - “Love Story” (Taylor Swift) - “Telescope” (Cage the Elephant) - “Grenade” (Bruno Mars) - “Novacane” (Frank Ocean) - “Only One” (Kanye West) - “Furthest Thing” (Drake) - “90210” (Travis Scott, Kacy Hill) - “I’m Not for Everyone” (Brothers Osborne)

WRITTEN BY JP ZAMBRANO Taylor Swift is dropping a new album on Oct. 21, so you should probably prepare for it. This may seem overwhelming, so we decided to make a playlist that encompasses Swift’s greatest hits and essential songs by other artists. Click Search in Spotify, click the camera, and scan the code below:

Album Reviews: - The Forever Story (JID): One of the freshest rap albums in recent months, JID provides bars that are very strong both lyrically and narratively, with great features and many different flows. (9.2/10) - Out of the Blue (Electric Light Orchestra): This album is a must-listen from beginning to end. It has an intense barrage of songs but also includes songs like “The Whale and Starlight” to give a refreshing change of pace. The retro, sci-fi vibes this album gives help set a wonderful tone and sense of wonder. (10/10)

WHAT WE’RE READING WRITTEN BY DANA AKKAD “I would definitely have to say Murder on the Orient Express because it’s a really good murder mystery and every chapter kept me hooked. It’s about a wealthy man, Samuel Ratchet, who was murdered on the Orient Express and the detective, Hercule Poirot, is trying to figure out which passenger on the train killed him.”

Camille Gagnon (12)

“I would recommend The Silent Patient because it’s a psychological thriller, and it’s very suspenseful. It follows a psychotherapist named Theo Faber who tries to uncover the mystery of this woman who killed her husband and took a vow of silence for six years. The book really highlights the question of whether evil is innate or due to the environment.”

Isabel Stowe (12) “I recommend the book Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover. This book was a fast but heartbreaking read, and there was never a boring part as I was reading. It follows the journey of a mother, Kenna Marie, who is trying to reach her daughter and get forgiveness for what seems to be the mistake of her life.”

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Dana Akkad (12)

Twin Peaks (1990-1991) Twin Peaks (1990-1991), is a TV show created and developed by David Lynch and Mark Frost. After the TV show concluded, Lynch directed a prequel film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, that was released in 1992 to less than positive critical and popular acclaim.

Recently, however, the film has experienced a reappraisal and some have even called it the greatest film of all time. People also say the TV show is the greatest of all time. Is this really true? I don’t know, but I do think it deserves all of the praise it is getting 30 years too late. For the rest of the article, I’ll refer to the TV show and prequel movie as just Twin Peaks, since it can easily be viewed as one continuous piece of media.

The show starts off with the death of the high school homecoming queen, Laura Palmer. This sends the small town into a confused frenzy, since nothing like this has ever happened there. At least not within the public eye.

In the beginning, the show revolves around this murder and the solution of the cold case. The early episodes and almost all of season one are extremely good TV. Everything that a good show has is present and more:

great acting, pacing, and commitment to the story. That is something that season two lacks. In the middle of season two the show gets confused due to Lynch and Frost leaving the show. However, the last two or three episodes bring them back, and the finale is really incredible.

The main thesis of the show is interesting as well, as it serves to parody soap operas and sitcoms of the time, but also to emphasize the darkness and cruelty that exists in all of us.

It shows that even in a small, quaint town such as Twin Peaks, there is still the same cruelty as everywhere else when the layers are pulled away. The TV show is definitely worth a watch, no matter what kinds of TV and film you’re into. Maybe it’s like the great equalizer; everyone can watch it and gain something from it.

The prequel film that was released just a year after the show ended is a big departure from the tone of the show. This is probably due to Lynch having a much larger creative role than he got on the TV show.

This tone shift can be good or bad depending on who you ask, but I believe it serves the film well. A darker

WRITTEN BY WILL JONES

tone is necessary for the film’s series of events: the last seven days Laura Palmer lived before her murder.

The film can seem confusing during the first 40 minutes or so due to many scenes being cut to fit into the two-hour runtime. It is a strange, dirty, disgusting, and terrifying film.

It portrays the effects and feelings of trauma better than any movie that I know of, showing the abuse endured by Laura from her father, and showing everything that causes her to descend into a darker place. It really is difficult to watch this movie, and after it’s over you feel so sick.

But really, that’s the point that the film is trying to make.

Much like the TV show, the movie revolves around the hidden cruelty in everyone and how once you start peeling back the layers, you can see the darkness as clear as day.

We all know the unknown limits of human cruelty, but we never really see it. Fire Walk With Me makes this clear as day.

It’s a never-ending showcase of enduring trauma and exploitation.

Your sense of self fades into the dark as you watch the plot unfold. I highly recommend this modern classic.

BB’s Tex-Orleans Café The home of Tex-Orleans cooking: a Cajun restaurant with a Texas twist WRITTEN BY SHELBY BLACKWOOD AND CRISTINA AMADO Since November 2007, The BB Tex-Orleans on Westheimer in Houston has been providing authentic and delicious Cajun cuisine to west Houston. The restaurant itself has a welcoming demeanor, accompanied by comfortable seating. BB’s wait staff is very kind, however the service is on the slow side.

Disappointingly, our drinks weren’t served until fifteen minutes after our seating, but they were constantly refilled. After our order was taken, we swiftly received our food and it was delicious: a gumbo complete with sausage and rice with incredible seasonings to tie it all together. The atmosphere of the restaurant provided a comfortable space by placing warm lighting and interesting art around the room. The layout was separated into multiple rooms, taking full advantage of the space and giving the restaurant a spacious and open feel. It had several bar areas to maximize drink efficiency and had multiple large screen TVs displaying various channels, so you can pick the program of your choice while you chow down on delicious Cajun food.

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