October 30, 2015

TSTRATFORD HE

RACLE O

Friday, October 30, 2015

Volume 43, Issue 3

shsoracle.com

Celebrating

Breast Cancer

Awareness Month 2016 Election Rundown pg. 6

Fall Events, Recipes, Haunted Houses pg. 10

Cross Country on the Road to State pg. 14

@stratfordoracle

@spartanoracle

[10/30/15]

opinions

2

Autumn Blues

STRATFORD ORACLE STAFF 2015-2016

Feeling down in the dumps, stuck in a slump OPINION OF EDITORIAL BOARD We’re at that point again: the newness of school has long since worn off, and the pressure and busyness of tests, quizzes, and seemingly endless homework has become all too familiar. As we all fall into routines of productivity or procrastination, this midsemester life can quickly lose its luster.

For many, it’s the repetitive drain of schoolwork or extracurriculars that makes this time of year feel like such a slump.

For others, it may just be the boredom of doing the same thing over and over again, day after day, week after week, until we somehow reach Christmas. It’s plain to see how easy it is to catch these SecondSix-WeekBlues, but it doesn’t mean

Editors-in-Chief *Scott Kennedy Cameron Henkel *

GRAPHIC BY RACHEL TORRES they’re unavoidable. Here are our tips to make the most of life in this often bleak time of year: Don’t look ahead (too much).

When you start going through the motions of the school year, you naturally fall into a routine of sorts: wake up, go to school, go to practice, do homework, sleep, repeat (or something similar).

Routines like this are necessary to keep yourself on track with everything that you have to do, but they can also be incredibly draining, as it feels like you’re doing the same thing over and over again.

To combat this, we often try to break up the routine by doing something different every once in a while— something that we enjoy doing and that sort of refuels us. While this is a good way to keep life from growing too dull, the danger is that it’s easy for us to look forward to these occasional wanderings from the routine a little too much.

If you have something cool coming up, something exciting, something that you just can’t wait for, that’s great, and you should look

forward to it. But the problem is, if we spend most of our time looking forward to something awesome, then everything until then will feel like a drag, like something you “just have to get through.” And those awesome things only take up a small portion of our time—most of our time is spent on the normal and often-boring.

It’s a lot like waiting in line at Disney World. You spend the whole time fantasizing about how awesome the ride is going to be, so when you actually get to the front and board Space Mountain your mind has already jumped to the cinnamon pretzels you’re going to spend $12 on in the Animal Kingdom. Instead, you should be spending time in line appreciating all the wonders that Mickey’s line has to offer; namely tourists from Wisconsin who just flew in and still smell like cheap airline peanuts.

So instead of living in constant expectation of the good to come, look for the good right now. Going to sixth period or heading out to football practice may not be something you’re particularly excited about, but viewing it as something you just have to get through will make it seem exponentially worse. So just be where you are. It’s not always possible to escape the routine, so the key is to make the most of it. And you can’t do that if you’re only looking ahead.

Associate Editor *Olivia Siciliano Photo Editors Taylor Brittain * *Riley Timmreck *Jordyn Richards Opinions Editors Tina Kang Emma Holland News Editors Taylor Morris Ellie Herrmann Culture Editors Nazlee Khadjeheian Maddie McKenzie Sports Editors Jacqui Comparin Haley Grace Francis Sebastian Draz Reporters Alex Parizot

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Students having to manage having multiple tests in one day at a time.

Most students probably don’t have all of their core classes on the same day. However, students still somehow manage to have two or three tests in one day.

As a result, stress among students builds up.

Most students are already stressed due to the pressures of school, along with their extra-curricular activities. With tests that highly affect student’s averages, there is an added pressure for students to study for many tests all at once, which can be highly stressful.

Multiple tests in one day make even the most organized, intelligent people feel completely swamped and overwhelmed, especially in the first semester when students are still learning the ropes.

Daniela Trujillo Gillian Meredith Lindell Lewis John McGowan Elizabeth Cole Ellie Pena

sponsored student media of Stratford High

Lots of Tests Equals Lots of Stress

OPINION OF EMMA HOLLAND In my schedule, I have all of my core classes, minus English, in one day. At first, this schedule didn’t sound too bad.

I would have one chill day and one hard day. However, it turned into one chill day and one impossible day that I cannot handle.

I go maybe a week with the occasional few quizzes or essays a day, which is typical. But whenever I have a test in one day, most of the time, I have a test in every other class that day.

So sometimes, that’s four tests in one day.

It’s mentally challenging to stay focused for four tests. Tests are long and require days of late-night studying and preparation. In order to do well on tests, students can only study for one or two tests

[The Oracle]

I, among other students, have had to give up doing things fun things on days when I have all of my tests.

Performing well on tests can be significantly beneficial in boosting a student’s grade point average, so it is important that tests are more spread out. It will allow students to be more successful in their schoolwork, social lives, and extracurricular activities.

Due to the block schedule, the teachers can’t have a scheduled day to give out tests and quizzes. However, there has got to another sort of system, maybe even communicating with other core class teachers. This change will help relieve the stress on students.

What’s On Your Mind?

I’d like the tests to be more spread out because it would remove the stress of having them all at once.

-Audrey Hudson (10)

I would rather have the tests scheduled on different days so that students can be more organized.

-John McGowan (12)

[The Oracle]

opinions

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Crossfire: Holiday or Holi[nay]?

[10/30/15]

Is Halloween a true holiday or just a celebration?

Halloween is the Bomb OPINION OF LAUREN BYRAM

Halloween is Overrated OPINION OF EMMA HOLLAND

GRAPHIC BY ELLIE PENA

Holiday is a relative term. A holiday is a day that you celebrate.

Halloween is believed to have originated from the Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celtic people believed that on this day, spirits arose from the dead and destroyed crops. To commemorate, they would build sacrificial bonfires and people would wear costumes, typically animal heads and skins.

When the Romans conquered Celtic territory, they combined two of their holidays with Samhain. The first, Feralia, was a day to commemorate the dead. The second was a day to honor the Roman goddess Pomona.

All three of these ancient days were made to be days of celebration. Since Halloween is just a more modern, less cryptic version of these ancient days, they are holidays by association.

On Halloween, smiles and laughter can be found everywhere you look, as it is a day that brings joy to both young and old. The feelings of joy and festivity are no different than those experienced on bigger holidays such as Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Some people like to dress up for Halloween. Although the attire is slightly different than it was in ancient times, it can be argued that people also dress up for Easter. It is certainly a different kind of dressing up, but both holidays include the parents taking pictures and insisting that you look adorable.

Halloween, like all of the other widely accepted holidays, is a day that people look forward to. It’s exciting for kids to be able to stock up on candy that will be either thrown away or eaten in a matter of weeks, and it’s a day of freedom for high school students because everyone, including parents, just want to have fun.

Contrary to the dictionary definition, which states that a “holiday is a day of festivity when no work is done,” many Americans must go to work on holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Hanukkah and New Year’s. First responders and people that work in hospitals go to work no matter the occasion. Essentially, if we’re choosing to use this definition of a holiday as our argument, then there aren’t really any holidays in existence.

Halloween is a day of fun, and it should be considered a holiday if one wants it to be. There are very few holidays that we celebrate, and there’s no reason to eliminate one.

Even though Halloween does not celebrate many of the things that we agree with today, it does celebrate the fall season, which is something that many people look forward to each year.

As a child, Halloween probably stood out as a favorite holiday. I mean, when else can you go and ask random people for candy and know that you’ll receive some?

I think that Halloween should be known as what it is: a holiday. If one chooses not to celebrate it, that’s their opinion, like it always is. I for one know that I will be celebrating Halloween this year with fun, spooky festivities!

Hol-i-day: (noun) a day of festivity when no work is done.

Halloween excites children, teens, and even adults every year. Children begin picking out their costumes in July, teenagers plan exactly which far away neighborhood has the best candy, and adults spend hours at Hobby Lobby purchasing decorations.

While these festivities are fun and celebrate the fall season, Halloween should not be considered a holiday.

As the definition states, a holiday is a day of festivities when no work is done. How many times have you been in school on Halloween? A lot. If Halloween was a true holiday, we would have the day off.

Think about Christmas for example. We get a little over two-weeks off of school for this holiday. Even on a smaller scale, Labor Day and Columbus Day are holidays because we get those Mondays off, year after year.

Halloween is more of a social event than it is a true holiday. It’s an excuse to throw parties and, on many occasions, stay up late with friends on a school night. It’s a reason to go doorto-door begging for candy from people’s homes, and it’s a way for candy companies to make a huge profit, as one-fourth of all candy in the United States is sold for Halloween.

But think about it. Halloween doesn’t hold any true significance behind it.

Halloween is not a religious holiday, nor does it honor people who influenced America. It was actually originated by the Celtic people; they had a festival at the beginning of the winter season, which was associated with death because without harvest, many people years ago couldn’t sur-

vive. They believed that the ghosts of the dead returned on the night of Oct. 31, calling it All Hallows’ Eve. That’s all the significance it holds. It honestly doesn’t affect us in any way, shape, or form. And yet, it is one of the most popular and well-known “holidays” today.

Holidays are supposed to be a time of happiness, joy, and celebration among people of a community. Halloween was not a time of happiness when it began. Even so, people transformed this day into a celebration that Americans look forward to every year.

To some, Halloween is the best day to ever exist. To others, the day could not mean less.

Don’t get me wrong, Oct. 31 is a day that I anticipate every year. I love the costumes, candy, and decorations. I’m not trying to convince you that Halloween shouldn’t exist, or that people shouldn’t celebrate the day. I only believe that it shouldn’t be referred to as a holiday.

To this day, so many people make the mistake of calling this day a “holiday.” We have taken a day with little significance and turned it into a strange day of celebration that we all love.

Halloween should be a day of celebration. It should be a day of enjoying the beginning of fall, the cool air, jackets, and Pumpkin Spice Lattes. It should be a time spent with friends and family, making new memories over events and Trick-or-Treating. However, it should be correctly referred to by what it is, which is nothing more than a celebration.

Horror Movies Over the Years

Comparison of modern and classic horror movies OPINION OF RACHEL HOOD GRAPHIC BY TINA KANG “They’re heeeeere!” — Carol Ann (played by Heather O’Rourke in Poltergeist ) That’s right folks, it’s that time of year again. The spookiest season of them all: Halloween. Along with scary masks,hauntedhouses,andcheapcandy,horror movies are a must.

There is a serious variety of creepy movies out there, from Aliens to Poltergeist, and from serial killers to demons, there is something out there for everyone. However, over the years, horror movies have undergone some major changes. Some say they’ve gotten boring, predictable, and just plain gross, yet others feel that with all the special effects these days, the movies have gotten even scarier and

more life-like.

So the question arises: which are better? Old horror movies? Or modern?

Classic horror films such as Poltergeist and The Exorcist certainly scare your socks off, but something about the special effects of the 70’s and 80’s also make you laugh your socks off. What the classics lack in special effects (compared to modern day standards,) they make up for in story line and suspense.

The popular idea of a young girl walking home alone at night was not always so cliché.

The majority of classic horror films were produced when the genre was still new. There were a refreshing multitude of novel ideas in

the films that had never been seen before.

In the modern day horror films, these same ideas have been recycled over and over again, making the films tacky and predictable. Once in a blue moon, however, a horror movie will come out that really catches the public’s eye such as films like Evil Dead and The Ring. Modern horror movies definitely have the added blood and gore factor - so much so that some say it completely ruins the movie. On the contrary, some argue that the gore and guts only add more horror to the genre.

Modern horror has become more superficial over the years and more focused on the gore

rather than the plot. They don’t really bleed that scare factor and captivating suspense that the classics provide.There are pros and cons in each, depending on what you’re looking for in a movie, but there is certainly no lack of horror movies out there.

So when Halloween rolls around, are you going to scream in terror and have a good laugh at some corny special effects? Or perhaps cover your eyes from the blood, hoping that the mean popular girl is next on the axe-murderer’s list.

Whateveryouchoose,justremember,it’sonly a movie, so don’t let it scare you too much, and have a killer Halloween.

[10/30/15]

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Is Turnitin.com An Accurate Measure of Originality?

How the percentage rate intimidates students OPINION OF TINA KANG GRAPHIC BY RACHEL TORRES Sigh. It is midnight when you type the last words of your English essay. You crawl your way up to your bed, so comfortable that your eyes automatically drop down.

Ding-Ding! You abruptly open your eyes and remember what your English teacher said: “Make sure you submit it to turnitin. com!”

This turnitin.com scenario is common; you submit it, following the picky MLA format.

You are one hundred percent sure that it is your paper that you crafted, every word directly from your brain, and your brain only. A number indicating your plagiarism percentage flashes across the screen, and it’s too late to fix it.

On the due date, the originality percent has sky-rocketed and appeared as 15 percent.

Uh-oh. The highlighted words or sentences that you plagiarized jump off the page and scream in your face. You are in big trouble.

So you send five-thousand e-mails to your teacher, but you know that it is too late to fix your mistakes or resubmit the essay.

Submitting to turnitin.com is a burden on us as students. We know that the purpose of it

is to hold students to a high level of academic honesty, but it seems like much more than that. It takes a day to resubmit, however, if we submit it a few days before the due date, the originality rate might increase because 28 other students in our class will rush to submit their assignments at midnight.

Another issue is that it makes us intimidated to do our own research for the assignments. When we need help for our essays, the only sources are internet search engines, such as Google or Yahoo. Information that is stuck in our head might even be directly from the textbook or whatever resource we find online. After reading and going through what is on the web, we are pressured to transform those words into an entirely new phrase that somehow still holds the original meaning.

There are limited ways to say something.

Although there are 100,000 words in the English language, we have thousands of cliches that we tend to use in our writing. The pressure to replace that boring word such as ‘funny’ into a glossy or fancy word such as ‘humorous’ makes our assignment even harder to be original. Besides, our attempt to use professional vocabulary that we do not truly comprehend often results in rather boastful

essays.

Let’s be logical here. Yes, in the world where there are thousands of essays and papers that are published online or in print, it is tempting to cheat off some of the ideas from someone else. There can be overlapping topics which are written by completely different authors.

However, with this 21st century technology, copying word-for-word is easily detectable by simply typing the exact sentence into Google. Everyone knows how to do that, so no one would ever find the resource, and just type exactly what it says, unless they want to

First Look At iPhone 6S

All the new updates, tips, and tricks you need to know OPINION OF ELIZABETH COLE PHOTO BY RACHEL HOOD It’s that time of year again. No, not the pumpkin spice-crazed season, but the annual tradition of Apple releasing of a new iPhone.

This one, called the iPhone 6S, is another one of the “S” upgrades, so the phone’s structure looks exactly the same as its predecessor, the iPhone 6, but there are a few new key features.

The biggest new feature is the 3D touch that goes along with the new Apple IOS upgrade. The touch screens of the iPhone 6S is pressure-sensitive, which allows different tasks to be performed on your phone depending on how hard you press down on the screen. This unique feature has never been seen on any other smartphone, and will allow for an infinite amount of ways to use the iPhone in a unique way.

The screen of the iPhone 6S also differs from the 6. The screen has a crisper, better picture than the previous iPhones. This allows for better viewing of the phone in bright lighting without wasting battery to increase the brightness all the way up.

With this crisper picture comes another upgrade of the camera’s resolution. The front facing camera has remained somewhat the same, but the selfie camera’s resolution is much better quality.

It’s basically the Snapchatter’s dream come true.

Two of the most important things that’s internal. First off, the iPhone 6S is much faster than any other iPhone. With the additional help of the 3D touch, people are able to navigate through apps faster than the speed of light.

Secondly, the battery life lasts much longer than ever before. The iPhone 6S gives more time to play between charges These things are important to think about when deciding whether to upgrade, because in the end it ultimately decides how good

opinions

the phone actually is.

Now the big question: Is it worth upgrading?

Though there are a few changes in the model from the previous one, it is nothing entirely re v o l u t i o n a r y as Apple makes it seem, with the tagline of ‘The only thing that changed everything’ to describe their newest phone.

In any case, an iPhone is not something that comes cheap by any means. The options are either paying upwards of $300, or a long-lasting upgrade plan, only to have the phone be considered outdated by the next year.

Quick Tip! If you really want to update your iPhone but the money is an obstacle, then wait till the iPhone 7 comes out and the popularity of it will sky rocket. While you are waiting, you can read through the reviews of iPhone 6S written by users and consider the pros and cons.

It’s a big decision to make, but if you are an avid Apple product user, or used to other types of phones, the iPhone 6S seems like a good purchase to invest in.

[The Oracle]

practice keyboarding.

So our conclusion concerning turnitin. com is to trust nothing but our teachers.

Google spits out random websites, ranging from scholarly to dummy. We do not want to do website-shopping for our paper because the more websites we find, the more work we have to put on the Works Cited page. Relying on the teacher as the resource is the best way to avoid accusation from turnitin.com.

Nowadays, we as students are scared of the percentage rate of turnitin.com, rather than the penalties of plagiarism.

A Click Away

Weighing the benefits of online shopping OPINION OF TINA KANG GRAPHIC BY RACHEL TORRES

Click! You just purchased a Mickey Mouse notebook from Amazon.

Online shopping is on the rise with eBay, Amazon, and many more websites that you can search for.

As an online-shopping lover, I am fully aware of the concerns and problems with purchasing things online.

However there are so many benefits of buying online that outweigh the possible problems or concerns.

So the common scenario of online shopping is that you look up what you want or need. Then you choose the best item after going through the explanations of several products and observing the images. You type in your card number and go through the process of checking out an item until you press the final OKAY button.

I find this type of purchase far more effective than going to actual stores such as Walmart, Target, or Michael’s. It gives you time. It gives you time to do whatever you want or need to do while you are waiting for it to get delivered to your house.

When you have five pages of an essay to work on, it is cumbersome to make a trip to Walmart and walk all the way over to the school supplies section, wasting precious time you could be spending on that essay.

Besides, it is convenient to just look up what you need or want. It is much

easier to find what you really like online rather than in an actual store because there are more options online. You can be specific or general about what you want. You can prioritize depending on the price, quality, and/or design.

Customer service is also available online. They keep records of what items you viewed and what items you might also like. They also have the ‘Help‘ button that you can always click on to look through Frequently Asked Questions to help yourself.

If you’ve never ordered something online, give it a try. It is not as bad as you think.

You can build trust with the website gradually. By just browsing through the items that you might have seen in Walmart.

Amazon and eBay are both experimenting with 1 day shipping for the fastest buying experience

news News in brief [The Oracle]

7 Tips for a Better Planet

[10/30/15]

Learn about the UN’s 17 goals for sustainable development

Senior Matthew Elliott and sophomore Amy Deaton qualified for the Region 27 Mixed Choir and will be progressing to the next round of auditions for the Texas All-State Choir.

Sophomore Kelly Plitt earned a spot in the Region 27 Treble Choir.

Singing Praise On Oct. 20, the band attended the UIL marching band contest. They earned the 1st Division rating with superior marks from all of the judges. They will compete at Area on October 28 in Waller where they will have the opportunity to advance to the State Marching Band contest.

One Band, One Sound Your last chance to see Stratford Playhouse’s production of Leading Ladies will be Oct. 28-30 at 7:30.

Come and support this talented cast!

Leading Ladies

The 2015 Football Danceoff is now on the Stratford Oracle Online website. Be sure to check it out for a good laugh and some new dancing moves. It features your favorite football players like seniors Micheal Milstead and Scott Kennedy.

Football Danceoff

Get Involved

Support the UN by Joining an SHS Club

FDA--Future Doctors of America. sponsor: Mrs. Yonkin Red Cross Club, sponsor: Mrs. Garrison

5

Model United Nations, sponsor: Mr. Murphy World Affairs Club, sponsor: Mrs. Chelala

Stratford Oaks, sponsor: Mr. Barret Conservation Club, sponsor: Mr. Boane

WRITTEN BY SOFIA JARRARD The year is 2030, and all poverty, hunger, and climate change have been eradicated. All children receive the same education, all women have the same rights and opportunities as men, and all homes have the same access to clean water. It is a future as bright as one could imagine, and although ambitious, a future similar to this is certainly attainable in our lifetimes.

On September 25, 1993 world leaders met at the Sustainable Development Summit to make this future a reality. The summit, which took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, was centered around the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a list of 17 goals all aiming to fix the world’s most plaguing issues by 2030. The agenda is a continuation of the UN Millennium Declaration, an agreement that has, in the 15 years since its adaptation in 2000, cut down extreme poverty, undernourishment, and maternal mortality by nearly 50 percent. But, as Richard Curtis’ Global Goals short film urges, there is “no point going halfway”. The Millennium Declaration reached its deadline in 2015, paving the way for a new list of planetary goals.

The Global Goals for Sustainable Development, or SDGs for short, have made it a priority to end extreme poverty in its entirety by 2030, meaning that no person anywhere will live on less than $1.25 a day. Issues have expanded to include climate change, touching on topics such as clean energy, responsible consumption, and life below water, and greater demands have been placed on health, education, and gender equality. But perhaps the most remarkable advancement is the UN’s social media campaign, which sought to reach seven billion people in the seven days after its launch.

Although their goal of seven billion people was a flop, the internet was successfully bombarded by a wave of SDG publicity. “Tell Everybody”, crowdsourced by some of Africa’s most famous musical artists, has spread the news to music fans across Africa, while the UN-run station Radio Everyone aired in over 45 countries from September 26 to October 2. Other notable promotions included their September 25th takeover of the Google homepage and the premiere of the first ever global cinema ad, which appeared in movie theaters in more than 30 countries.

With a political audience of mostly older folk, the UN has done an impressive job of spreading their message to the younger generations, and rightfully so.

As Global Goals spokesperson Shaila Huq put it, “Young people will be amongst those most affected by the adoption of the Global Goals...We’re going to have to work hard and hold our leaders accountable for achieving [them].”

As young citizens of the planet, Stratford High School students owe it to the world to take action against poverty, injustice, climate change, and any other issues we believe to be important.

So, without any further ado, here are seven ways that you (yes, you!) can question, share, and help to achieve these 17 Global Goals.

1. Choose for yourself: As with any government-issued ordinance, the 2030 Agenda is surrounded by speculation and conspiracy theories. Check out the comments section of the Youtube video “We The People’ for The Global Goals”, for example, and you’ll find a myriad of claims to the illuminati and Antichrist nature of the video.

Here at the Stratford Oracle, we aren’t pushing you to believe anything; research the subject for yourself, and decide whether or not the UN Global Goals is something you want to support.

2. Spread the Word: If the Global Goals turn out to be something you agree with, there are plenty of ways you can show your love to the world.

Chances are, if you haven’t heard of them before, neither have your friends and family. Bring them up casually in a conversation and impress everyone with your political awareness. Or, better yet, post something to social media. Write the number of your favorite goal on your face or hand and post a selfie to Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook with the hashtag #GlobalGoals. Love sports? Take part in the dizzy goals challenge and post of video of yourself attempting to score a goal after spinning around a soccer ball 13 times with your hand on it.

3. Become a Global Citizen: Create a free account at globalcitizen.org and get access to the latest videos, articles, petitions, and fundraisers concerning the UN’s goals.

4. Get Educated: The first step to making a difference is becoming aware of the world around you. Watch the news, check Google every once in a while, and get a general feel for what’s going on globally. That way, you can better understand what the goals are all about and the people they’ll be most affecting.

5. Join a Club: Here at Stratford, there are clubs for nearly every humanitarian cause out there. Make friends with people who share your same passions, whether its for women’s rights, the environment, or helping the poor. A booklet of all Stratford clubs and sponsors is available in the grade level offices.

Or you can check out the visual on the left.

6. Volunteer: What better way to end world hunger than cooking for the hungry?

Sign up to volunteer for Houston’s 36th Annual Thanksgiving Big Super Feast at citywideclub. com/donate.php and help feed 30,000 hungry Houstonians.

7. Get Passionate: With 17 goals and 169 subgoals, understanding and contributing to each one is not humanly possible.

That’s why it’s important to focus your energy on the goals you care about the most.

Check out globalgoals.org for a definitive list of all goals and their specific targets, or take a quiz at employers.globalgoals.org/quiz to find out which goals best fit your personal interests.

[10/30/15]

news

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[The Oracle]

The 2016 Election

Meet the political candidates and their basic ideals WRITTEN BY MATTHEW MARTINEZ

Hilary Clinton

Budget and Economy:

• boost the economy • create fair growth • establish long-term economic support

Civil Rights: • abortion and same sex marriage should be legal

Education: • believes early education is important • against No Child Left Behind

Environment: • supports Obama’s clean energy program

Foreign Policies: • believes that the United States should work toward a two-state solution, and that the U.S. needs more constructive footing in this region • believes that the U.S. shouldn’t been on Syrian soil, but rather Syrian air (regarding ISIS)

Gun Control: • gun ownership should be decided by state and city laws • lawful gun ownership should be permitted

Immigration:

Donald Trump

Budget and Economy: • no stated plan

Civil Rights: • pro-life (doesn’t believe in abortions, except in the cases of rape, incest, or if it’s detrimental for the mother’s health) • doesn’t believe in same-sex marriage benefits, and that same-sex marriage laws should be declared by the state

Education:

• wants to cut down the Department of Education budget

Environment: • does not believe that climate change exists

Foreign Policies:

• wants to create a closer alliance with Israel and Palestine • wants to send a limited number of combats troops to hit ISIS hard and fast

Gun Control: • against gun control

Immigration

• does not believe legal status should be • undocumented residents should be given given to those who cross the border a path to legal status undocumented • deportation of certain immigrants should be waived, especially children

Dr. Ben Carson

Bernie Sanders

Budget and Economy:

Budget and Economy:

Civil Rights:

• believes large banks should be divided into smaller entities • believes the Federal Reserve gives too much support to large corporations

• believes that the free market works

• believes in gay rights • believes that abortion should only be allowed in the case of rapes, incest, or if it’s detrimental for the mother’s health

Education:

• believes education shouldn’t have federally determined standards • believes that private schooling beats Common Core public schooling

Environment:

• believes in protecting the environment • believes the climate change debate is relevant

Foreign Policies:

• believes that Congress should have an active role in the Iran deal, and is concerned that the Iranian government may be more dangerous than ISIS

Gun Control:

• doesn’t believe that guns should be given to the mentally ill or to those who have committed a crime

Immigration:

• believes in allowing undocumented residents access to a national guest worker program

Civil Rights:

• pro-choice (in regards to abortion) • believes in equal pay for work by women • strong advocate against racism, sexism, and homophobia

Education:

• promises to provide $18 billion to state governments in order to cut tuition and refinance student loans

Environment:

• proposed a bill to charge companies about carbon emissions, and to use the money raised to boost renewable energy

Foreign Policies:

• believes that the U.S. should withdraw troops from Iraq as soon as possible

Gun Control:

• believes that assault weapons should be banned

Immigration:

• believes undocumented immigrants should have a pathway to attain legal status, wants to increase border security

[The Oracle]

news

7

Candy Evaluations

An Algebraic Bond

The Mathematics of Friendship

Your favorite Halloween candies in review

WRITTEN BY ALEX PARIZOT

WRITTEN BY GIGI MEREDITH PICTURES BY RACHEL HOOD

MILK DUDS

Caramel candy coated with milk chocolate Flavor: 8/10 Texture: 6/10 Appearance: 5/10 Overall: 6/10

KIT KAT

Chocolate-coveredwaferbiscuit bar Flavor: 9/10 Texture: 8/10 Appearance: 7/10 Overall: 8/10

TRICK-ORTREAT WHICH WILL YOU EAT? WHOPPERS

Malted milk candy Flavor: 5/10 Texture: 4/10 Appearance: 2/10 Overall: 4/10

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REESE’S

Milk chocolate cup with chocolate coated peanut butter Flavor: 10/10 Texture: 9/10 Appearance: 8/10 Overall: 9/10

Math is rarely called fun by anyone, but there is a group of teachers who are trying to change that opinion, the “Math Squad”.

The Math Squad is made up of teachers, Karl Poetzl, Sam Nguyen,andChristian Marquez.

Together they teach classes from Algebra to Calculus to Statistics, so you’ve probably had one of them teach you math. Senior John McGowan had this to say about the three math teachers.

“You can tell they all really care about math and their students. They all really want us to learn.”

Students don’t just see the math friends in the hallway at

school. You can catch them at almost all of the football games, full of school spirit.

Asidefromparticipatinginschoolactivities together, these teachers even use their break times to go to lunch together.

Whatsetstheseteachers apart in the minds of most students is that they go above and beyond just teachinglessons.They all have a passion for math and want their students to as well.

Grayson Hart, a sophomore, spoke about Mr. Poetzl, “Mr. Poetzl is probably the best math teacher I’ve ever had.

I’ve never been able to just see a teacher in the hallway, ask him a question, and have

him explain it to me in a completely different way from the class and have me understand it in under a minute.”

These math teachers influence every student that walks into their classroom, with their love and passion for simply teaching kids math.

They do everything they can to try and make themselves better teachers, from going to conventions, to doing their own statistical study of their class to see what can be done to improve the average grade. They may not be able to make you love math, or even appreciate it, but they can certainly make you good at it.

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8

The Hardship, Life, and Unk

Understanding one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers today Personal stories of spartan s IN DEPTH BY: OLIVIA SICILIANO, CAMERON HENKEL, AND SCOTT KENNEDY October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Every year, Stratford shows its support through pink additions to Spartanaire outfits, football uniforms, and spirit shirts. However, what does wearing the color pink really mean? What is Breast Cancer Awareness, and how does this cancer impact women globally today?

Here’s what we found out: AccordingtotheSusanG.KomenBreastCancerFoundation,acaseof breast cancer is diagnosed somewhere around the world every 19 seconds. Not only that, but someone dies from breast cancer every 74 seconds. In the United States, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, and breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women aged 40 to 50 years. In 2012, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 224,147 women and 2,125 men in the U.S. alone were diagnosed with breast cancer, and a total of 41, 555 people (the majority being women) died from breast cancer.

Despite these numbers, mortality rates in the past 25 years have been stable or decreasing in westernized countries due to early detection through mammography and overall improved treatment.

The largest group of cancer survivors today, 2.9 million people, are

in fact breast cancer survivors. The five-year relative survival rate for all women with breast cancer found at a local stage (cancer that has not spread) in the U.S. is 99%, 84% for regional disease, and 23% for distant stage disease.

Breast cancer is also not exclusive to just women.While breast cancer israreamongmen,theNationalCancerInstituteestimates2,240newcases of breast cancer among males this year. About 1% of all breast cancer cases in the U.S. occur in men, and men age at diagnosis between 60 and 70 years. However, men at all ages can be affected with the illness.

Another crucial element to be aware of with breast cancer is that it knows no boundaries. Breast cancer is a random and deadly disease that can affect anyone, regardless of your genetic makeup. In fact, 85% of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history.

With all that aside, what can you do personally to avoid getting breast cancer, and what are some specific risk factors to be aware of? See what we found below.

Risk Factors:

Steps to Avoid Breast Cancer:

1. Make healthy lifestyle choices.

-Keeping physically active, eating healthy, and

• Being a female • Getting older • Personal or family history of breast or ovarian cancer • Lack of exercise • Current or recent use of birth control pills • Never having children or having a first child after age 35 • Exposure to large amounts of radiation at a young age • Being overweight or weight gain as an adult

avoiding obesity are all ways to reduce not only your risk of breast cancer, but also for other health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis.

2. Know your risks.

-Talk to both sides of your family to learn about your family health history. A family history of certain types of cancer can increase your risk of breast cancer. Increased risk may be due to genetic factors, shared lifestyle, and other family traits.

3. Get regular breast cancer screenings.

-A doctor or health care provider’s recommen-

Community Statistics

After conducting a poll among students, we compiled our data below.

dations can help you decide what type of screening you need and how often you need it.

Who do you know among your extended family, acquaintances and/or family friends, or in your immediate family who has been diagnosed with breast cancer?

In order to better understand what the fight against breast cancer might feel like, we interviewed two women within the Stratford community about their personal struggle against breast cancer.

Affecting Our Teachers

CeCe Prudhomme, a theatre teacher here at SHS (pictured far right), was diagnosed after an irregularity was found during her normal Ob/ Gyn appointment. After a mammogram, ultrasound, and a biopsy, she was informed that she had breast cancer. Upon hearing the news, Prudhomme was shocked: “I am young. I do not have any cancer in my family. My boys (13) and (9) were a bit like: ‘huh?’ Especially when they heard the

“

I think that having a positive attitude is so crucial, along with focusing on the fact that you’re alive, you survived it, and there is so much living to do, even if you do have scars and you don’t feel the same as you did.”

wo I’v tar bre

co bre ter frie “St mu sin car an he

Ne

me “M me wi be en ha an tha kn “I’v ho the are co vo giv Im it i tin the sai ho

ad vic t

-Tamara LeFevre

Breast cancer survivor and Stratford mom

26.1% EXTENDED FAMILY MEMBERS

69.6% ACQUAINTANCES OR FAMILY FRIENDS

16.8% IMMEDIATE FAMILY

9

knowns of Breast Cancer

survivors

PHOTOS BY: DSI IMAGEWORKS, AND GRAYSON HART

ord cancer! I’ve been shocked at all the things ve learned- that only 10% of cases are herediry, and that 1 and 3 women will get some form of east cancer in their lifetime”, said Prudhomme.

Since diagnosis, Prudhomme has been welomed into the breast cancer community. “Really east cancer is its own sorority. You become a sisr, everyone embraces you, and you have ‘breast ends’”, said Prudhomme. She also mentioned that tratford, Wilchester, and Memorial Middle comunities have been awesome. We have had meals nce July, my son’s friend’s parents drove football rpool, people brought flowers, sent texts, cards, nd all of my son’s teachers and counselors really elped them get through this tough time”, she said.

ew Life

Despite the hardships of her illness, Prudhome’s outlook on life has changed for the better.

My life is so much more real. I savor every moent with my family and I will not miss anything ith my boys,” she said. Prudhomme has also een able to meet all the parnts of students who have ad mastectomies nd lumpectomies at she had not nown before. ’ve learned ow strong ese women e who beome ‘surviors’ and how ving they are. must and feel is my desny to do e same”, id Prudomme.

H e r dce o

e

m

[The Oracle]

those with breast cancer is to “listen to the people who have been there and don’t listen to someone’s horror story of a family member. Surround yourself with positive.” Prudhomme is now much more optimistic about her illness and plans to return sometime in November. “This summer I felt like I was on the Titanic sinking, but now I can clearly sail the SS American with a newfound love and respect for life, family, students, and I can’t wait to start that journey.”

Prudhomme also shared with us about her “big sister in the sorority (of breast cancer)”, Tamara LeFevre. Before Prudhomme had surgery, LeFevre “took me under her wing and came several times to visit and help me get ready for surgery”, said Prudhomme. LeFevre, mother to student Grayson Hart here at Stratford, is a breast cancer survivor after having been diagnosed in July of 2014.

Complete Shock

LeFevre, like Prudhomme, was shocked about her diagnosis. “To be honest the number one thing that went through my mind was: wow, me? I think that this is what most women feel, because no one in my family has had any kind of cancer. But what I have since learned is that 85% of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history. That’s really shocking, because most of us walk around thinking that a lot of it is genetic, and it turns out it’s not.

So my first thoughts were, how could this happen to me? I’m really healthy, not overweight, I don’t smoke, and I barely drink. My family’s reaction was shocked for the same reasons too. The next thing that goes through your mind is: oh gosh what do I do? Then you have a lot of decisions you have to make kind of quickly”, said LeFevre.

Through her experience overcoming her illness, LeFevre’s advice for women facing breast cancer is “to get comfortable accepting help, and talking with other women who have gone through it. I think some women sometimes feel private about in the beginning, but I think for it’s very helpful to t a l k with

o

t

h

e

r

women who have gone through it so you through it so you know what to expect. For family members and friends who are trying to support someone with breast cancer, I think the best advice is to not worry about trying to be perfect in the way that you support that person. Just be present, listen, and just keep offering help in any way that you can, even if the person is saying, ‘No I’m fine, I’m fine.’ I think that a lot of people don’t reach out to help because they don’t know what to say, and they don’t know what to do. It’s better to be imperfect and to just be there”, said LeFevre.

Positivity is Key

LeFevre also talked about the hardest parts of having to go through with breast cancer. “The changes your body goes through are really hard.

Some of that is from surgery, and some of that is due to the medication that you have to take. So I think that’s the hardest part, that you feel like you’re losing a bit of yourself. I think that having a positive attitude is so crucial, along with focusing on the fact that you’re alive, you survived it, and there is so much living to do, even if you do have scars and you don’t feel the same as you did”, she said. LeFevre, along with Prudhomme, has also developed a greater appreciation for her life in general. “I think for myself and many of the women I’ve spoken with, the number one consequence of the cancer diagnosis is that you really do remember to stop and be present in the moment and appreciate the day. You learn to appreciate every day that God gives you, not always dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, but just fully living in the moment and appreciating what you have”, she said.

CeCe Prudhomme Pictured above, CeCe Prudhomme, teacher of Theatre III and IV, was diagnosed with breast cancer and now hopes to return in November, in time for Anything Goes with the Playhouse.

Impacting the Community

Since becoming a survivor of breast cancer, LeFevre has been able to support other women battling breast cancer and has attended events like the Sip and Savor event held by an organization called the Pink Ribbons Project (see right).

The Pink Ribbons project focus is to provide Houston communities with access to breast health services. For example, they offer free mammograms for women who can’t afford it, and they also try to promote awareness programs and conduct fundraising events involving the arts. In fact, this year, the playhouse is collaborating with the Pink Ribbons Project for their black bucket tradition at the end of every show, where cast or crew members stand at the exits to collect money for the selected charity. This year, if you happen to attend a playhouse production, be sure to take some time to donate to this admirable charity and to support women like LeFevre and Prudhomme.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” The same can certainly be said for the incredible courage and demonstrated by Prudhomme and LeFevre, whose stories are beautifully inspiring and worthy of recognition.

Sip and Savor Event Tamara LeFevre, pictured with Kristi Okwuonu smile at the Sip and Savor Event held for the Pink Ribbons Project, held on October 15th.

[The Oracle]

culture

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Fall Events

Looking for something to do? Enjoy these events during the fall season WRITTEN BY MADDIE MCKENZIE

GRAPHIC BY RACHEL TORRES

Haunted House at National Museum of Funeral History Nov. 2 Location: Museum of Funeral History

Halloween Oreo Cake Bars A fun thing about Halloween is that there’s baking spooky treats for the festive holiday. One of my favorites is this cake bar. Oh my yum is it good, gooey and chewy with an added crunch. A holiday perk is all the delicious goodies to go along with it!

Feast with the Beast Nov. 6 Location:HoustonZoofrom7p.m.to11 p.m.

HoustonCinema Arts Festival Nov. 12-19 Location:Museum of Fine Arts ComedySportz Houston 25th Anniversary Show Nov. 14 Location: ComedySportzQueensbury Theatre begining at 8 p.m.

Discovery Green Flea Market Nov. 21 Location: Discovery Green

Ingredients

Annual City of Houston Thanksgiving Day Parade Nov. 26 Location: Downtown Houston on Lamar and Smith beggining at 9 a.m.

1 package of Halloween Oreos Halloween Funfetti Cake Mix 1 egg 1/4 cup of oil (vegetable or canola) 1/4 cup of milk

Cut up and enjoy your spooky trickor-treat!

Houston Symphony: Dvorak’s Serendade for Strings Nov. 12 - 15 Location: Houston Symphony at Jones Hall

Ice at Discovery Green Nov. 24 - Feb. 2 Location: Discovery Green

Houston Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks Nov. 14 Location: Toyota Center

Haunted House in the Hood

Instructions 1. Spray a 9x9 inch pan with cooking spray Cover the bottom of the pan with Oreos, I used 16 2. In a bowl, use an electric mixer to mix together the cake mix, egg, oil, and milk.

The batter should be thick 3. Spread or press the batter on top of the Oreos in the pan. Use a spatula or your hands 4. Crush up 8 more Oreos into chunks and press them on top of the batter 5. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes 6. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes

A Christmas Carol- A Ghost Story of Christmas Nov. 20 - Dec. 28 Location: Alley Theatre

Neighborhood dads take Halloween festivities into their own hands WRITTEN BY MADDIE GENITL

Haunted Hallways

A glimpse into last year’s production shows the “bloody “ halls.

High school students search all over the greater Houston try to find a terryfying haunted house,

but look no further, the Wilchester neighborhood has a good scare in store for you. Last year in the Wilchester West neighborhood, kids of all ages came to experience a scare like never before.

Before tearing their house down, an idea popped into a neighborhood homeowners head- ‘What if we created a haunted house before our house gets remodeled?’

Well that’s exactly what they did.

The homeowner came into an agreement with the contractor on when they would knock the house down and start creating what would soon become the talk of the neighborhood.

Since the haunted house was a last minute decision, the planning took place just before the week of Halloween. The neigh-

borhood dads who made it all happen spent three nights, 2 hours each, working to put this masterpiece together. Many boys in the Wilchester 3rd grade class got to participate in the making of the haunted house. Two of theses boys, Ethan Gentil and the homeowner’s son , Hank Hall, got to help knock down walls and create the spooky atmosphere, putting “bloody” handprints all over the house. “I really liked helping set up the house because it was fun to break things,” said Gentil.

It was a hilarious and rewarding sight for the dads to witness the startled reactions of the trickor-treaters. “The funniest thing I saw was when a mom ran out of the house screaming while carrying her daughter dressed

as Elsa. They were terrified,” said Ethan’s father Jeff Gentil.

“I expected all the things to happen that did happen.

I wasn’t really scared,” said freshman Jack Brady.

Unlike Jack, “It was scary. I have one word- chainsaw,” said Gentil. (He was referring to the very last part of the haunted house when a man dressed in a bloody apron chased the kids with a chainsaw.)

The screams and spider webs contributed to an eerie night in the Wilchester neighborhood.

With over 500 people attending, the haunted house of 2014 was a success. The same group of dads are looking forward to opening the door to “The 2nd Edition”, of the haunted house.

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culture

Television’s Scariest Series Spooky Shows capture viewer’s attention

WRITTEN BY JOHN MCGOWAN AND KATIE BOATWRIGHT

Scream Queens (Premiered on Sept. 22 and airs on Tuesdays at 9/8c) A fresh, new take on the comedy-horror genre, Scream Queens could easily be called a glorious combination of executive producer Ryan Murphy’s most renowned shows: American Horror Story and Glee.

The plot revolves around the exclusivelypretentious, all-female sorority, Kappa Kappa Tau at Wallace University, where a masked killer known as the “Red Devil” begins stalking and killing the students throughout the campus. While this story line may seem overused and monotonous, Scream Queens truly gets its energy from its remarkable and hilarious performances. From veteran actors like Jamie Lee Curtis, Lea Michele, and Emma Roberts to relatively new ones like Skyler Samuels and Keke Palmer, the actors all certainly hold a good understanding of the material and know that the basis of the show is supposed to be homage-horror and not met a-horror.

One of the standout actors to watch for is Emma Roberts as the deplorable diva, Chanel Oberlin, a girl so merciless and self-absorbed that she forces her closest sorority sisters to name themselves Chanel #2, Chanel #3, and Chanel #5. Although, something not to watch for in the show is the rather offensive perception the show takes towards certain demographics.

While these offenses may leave some watchers indignant, it doesn’t diminish the overall amount of hilarity and zaniness. It genuinely entertains the audience in a way that is rather routine but, in the same way, pays homage to all the fantastic horror pieces that came before. To put it bluntly, you will either love this show, with its wild execution and steadfast performances, or you may find that the primarily female cast and the gossip-talk leaves you indifferent.

American Horror Story: Hotel (Premiered on Oct. 7 and airs on Wednesdays at 10/9c) A decade-defining show, American Horror Story never ceases to bring the viewer the utmost detail in imagery that is both harrowing and grotesque, while also presenting highly complex characters and an emotional story line. Since the show is an anthology (meaning that it uses the same actors and actresses but in different stories), it places the viewer in a modern day haunted house, an aging mental institution, a witch coven in New Orleans, and (most recently) a circus freak show. This season, the show will take place in the

Devious Diva

Emma Roberts (above) stars as Chanel Oberlin mys-terious Hotel Cortez in Los Angeles, CA, as a homicide detective investigates the murderous happenings in the hotel.

One of the most notable features in this season is the departure of long-time AHS actress, Jessica Lange, from the series, as her position is replaced by singer-turnedactress Lady Gaga. Another obvious feature is the new stylized set piece, featuring a hotel lobby that mirrors elements from The Shining and The Great Gatsby. While the production value certainly is miraculous, the execution, in casual American Horror Story style, offers more terror in the first ten minutes than anything any viewer could expect. The show is often regarded as one that repels viewers due to its large amount of frightening material, so in accordance with this, it should be noted that if you don’t enjoy horror or drama (or just prefer something more light-hearted), maybe this show isn’t right for you. Now, for those of you whose interest is still very much peaked: Lady Gaga’s performance as The Countess of the Hotel Cortez, though rather mute and superficial at the beginning, is nonetheless a terrific addition to the repertoire of characters AHS is known to introduce.

Along with enough witty and biting dialogue to give a viewer a week’s worth of conversation fodder, this new season of AHS definitely delivers on the promises of dramatics, horror, and shock value.

Similarly, the imagery has become far more sexual and perverse than the last seasons - so much so, that you may want to consider making peace with your personal deity before watching, as the activities can be overwhelmingly controversial. Besides that, Ryan Murphy and his collection of actors certainly devote themselves to the program, with personal favorite Evan Peters delivering one of the most deliciously vile and complex characters I have ever seen him portray.

Overall, it is a certainly unique season as Murphy attempts to distance himself from Freak Show in every way, giving the audience the perfect amount that will keep them waiting in anticipation for next week.

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[The Oracle]

[10/30/15]

12

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sports

ONE ON ONE with...

Coach Glover

PHOTO BY: ISABELLA HUTCHINS

13

HIGHLIGHTS: Varisty Football

SHS vs Tomball

Score:38-14

Score:37-0

State Rank: 101

State Rank:103

State Rank:108

National Rank:775

National Rank:789

National Rank:832

M.V.P.’s of the Month

Nominated by Coach Fain Who did you choose for the MVP?

Will Mundy

Nominated by Coach Brillon Who did you choose for the MVP?

Lisa Chiu, Senior, Varsity Tennis Captain

Will Mundy

Why do you feel she deserves this award?

Why do you feel she deserves this award?

She is leading her team well.

If you could describe this athlete in 3 words, what would they be?

Determined, motivated, and hard-working

What is your favorite thing about this athlete?

Cross Country

Lisa Chiu

Tennis

SHS vs SWHS

Score:44-14

PHOTOS BY: ANDREW PARK

Q. How did you become the junior varsity cheer coach?

A. Recommended by the previous coaches and cheerleaders from last year.

Q. Do you have experience with cheerleading?

A. I did cheer in elementary school and junior high.

Q. How do you balance teaching and being a coach?

A. I try to stay ahead with my classes and use my time wisely.

I also work at home because my husband coaches so were at home together. We consider it our date nights.

Q. How has coaching been so far?

A. Love it!! I love working with the girls and seeing them improve.

Q. What is your favorite thing about cheerleading in general?

A. Promoting school spirit.

Q. What is your favorite thing about coaching cheerleading?

A. Seeing the girls improve and nail their performance.

SHS vs Brenham

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Will is a very resilient individual, very committed runner.

Training through the summer and taking off only 2 weeks during the year.

If you could describe this athlete in 3 words, what would they be?

Resilient, committed, and disciplined

Her desire to get better and to work hard.

Is there anything you want to say or tell this athlete?

A moment you were proud of this athlete?

I’m very proud of him not giving up, working his way up to varsity.

When she pulled off a three set victory against a tough Montgomery mixed doubles team.

A moment you were proud of this athlete?

When he had a breakout race at the Spring Branch race.

Diving Into a New Season

PHOTOS BY: JAINA KILEY, CHRISTINE DIAS, ELIZABETH

All Smiles

Swimmers Take Your Mark

Sophomore Elizabeth Cole and junior Elena McInroe take a break from warming up to smile for the camera.

Sophomore Morgen Reyna waits in the ready position for her 100 IM, which consists of a lap of butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.

Just keep Swimming

The swim team warms down after the 100 yard backstroke event to prepare themselves for the next event, the 100 yard butterfly.

Flying to the Finish line

Sophomores Neesha Muttalingasami, Julia Gelber, Elizabeth Cole, freshman Madi Baker, and junior Elena McInroe prepare on the block for their 100 yard butterfly event.

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sports

14

Tennis Heads to Regionals Varsity looks strong on the eve of regional tournament.

WRITTEN BY: SEBASTIAN DROZ Many of our sports have been very successful this year and with all this success people tend to forget about some sports and tennis is one of them.

The tennis Regionals Quarter Finals and Finals are coming up on October 30 and October 31.

Many students and athletes believe they will bring back a trophy. “Our tennis team is looking very strong, and I am confident in our ability to win the Regional Tournament.” JV tennis player Caroline Bucek said.

The tennis team is looking very strong after the District Tournament.

Both JV and Varsity teams swept the Tournament.

Although the team may look strong they still have some hard training sessions to complete before the Regional Tournament.

Nonetheless many Varsity players are staying positive. “I do believe that we can win the Regionals Tournament but winning State will take a lot of discipline, commitment, and leadership.” Varisty tennis player Isabella Hutchins said.

Our tennis team is Striking Down Varisty tennis player, sophomore very stronger and is only getting stronger. Nicholas Guarin looks on at a shot just

struck at home during a crucial match.

46

Number of JV football players

Number of seniors on the varsity volleyball team.

40

Number of girls on the tennis team.

WRITTEN BY: SEBASTIAN DROZ PHOTOS BY: DEVIN FAHEY

Calm, cool and collected

Even after the second mile of the race, keeping a top spot is no tough task for junior Tomas Samitier.

juniors Devin Fahey and Sam Evetts destroyed the meet with a impressive 20 second gap to the next runner. After Devin and Sam we had guys getting 6th, 10th, 15th, 16th and 17th. In Cross Country the lower the score the better.

Having three guys finishing right after each other really favored our team. Several minutes after the Varisty race, the JV race went off

and JV runners Mike Lewis, Jose Alarcon, Gustavo Gomez, Raul Mejia and Tomas Samitier finished 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th.

That’s considered a perfect score in Cross Country. It’s needless to say that with these great performances Stratford finished 1st, and destroyed all other teams in our district.

Record-breaking track meet

Breaking the school record sounds hard, but for junior Devin Fahey, he proved people wrong by running a killer 2 miles in 9 minutes and 30 seconds.

9

Minimum number of miles the girl’s cross country team runs a week.

Cross Country Sweeps the District Meet Five divisions, four individual winners In addition to having an individual win first place in almost every single race the girls and the boys cross country teams swept the meet and advanced to regionals.

The Varsity boys race was delayed for 45 minutes, because an official fell from a golf cart and broke his leg, but nothing can distract our team from the real goal.

A few minutes after,

[The Oracle]

36

Race to the End

Junior Sebastian Saenz, sprints to the finish line at the Seven Lakes Showcase. Cross country was very successful despite minor delays.

The constant battle

The girls face yet another challenge during the race while varsity runners Grace Custer and Sydney Lawrence battle it out with the other runners and end up leading the pack. Freshman Georgia Harper finished second place, which is outstanding.

[The Oracle]

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sports THE

an Jaetavi Junior res a co Toles s n and ow touchd s BrenSv the SH e am ham G

The Cross ms Country tea ck leads the pa t at the distric meet

The varitsy football team high fives the young boys as they run through at the SHS vs Tomball game.

Junior Aly ssa Standford swings to score

SCHEDULE

Cross Country 11/7 - 11:30 Boys 12:10 Girls UIL State Cross C ountry Championship @ Old Settl ers Park, Round Rock Football JV 11/5 - SHS vs Wal ler @SHS

Swimming and Div ing 11/6 - 6:00pm @ L CISD Nat. 11/7 - 9:00am @ L CISD Nat.

PHOTOS BY: ARTURO BENITEZ,TAYLOR BRITTAN, GRAYSON WILSON

[10/30/15]

[10/30/15]

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