January 2013

STEELE SHIELDhttp://steelenews.scuc.txed.net

STEELE HIGH SCHOOLJanuary

FREE2013Vol. 8 Issue 5

Always a KnightHead coach Michael Jinks

accepted a job offer as a running back coach at Texas Tech under Coach Kliff Kingsbury. As the head coach at Steele he led the team to a state championship in 2010 as well as several playoff appearances. While looking for a replacement for Jinks, Scott Lehnoff will serve as interim Head Football Coach.

While at Steele, Jinks appeared in the 2012 U.S. Army-All-American Bowl as

the head coach and was also nominated for the Coach of the Year Award with a coaching record of 79-25.

“It’s been eight of the best years of my life and I have unbelievable memories that I’m going to take with me, I have great friends that will be part of my life forever and I’m always going to be a Steele Knight; and when they win I win,” Jinks said.

The running back position at

Texas Tech has been struggling since the 90’s where two running backs accepted the Doak Walker award. Jinks will have some work to do when he starts working at the university.

“He made an impact on everybody’s life; he was just a great leader and somebody you would just look up to always. I mean, when you’re in trouble he’s on your butt and you want somebody like that to stay

on you.” senior defensive back Jordan Sterns said.

Jinks has not only made an impact to the team and to the school, but also to the school district. His passion for the game has inspired people in the community.

“All of us here at SCUC wish coach Jinks all the best as he begins this new chapter in his coaching career.” Superintendent of SCUCISD Greg Gibson said.

-Blake Saunders

Departing head coach Mike Jinks to become running back coach at Texas Tech University

Security Procedures Being Questioned In EffectivenessAfter recent school shootings new precautions are taken in schools locally and nationally in retaliation to events

Since the Connecticut shooting, the administration staff has been urging teachers to go over safety and lockdown procedures with students, although it is important for everyone’s safety, the measures being taken are wondered to be enough. The school needs to do more, in the event of a real emergency.

Because everyone is locked inside of a dark classroom, huddled in a corner during lockdown

drills, it is hard to say what goes on outside of the classroom and what safety precautions are being taken. But according to vice principal Robert Cisco, no drastic measures are taken, an announcement to go into lockdown mode is taken and then everyone hides until it is clear. As seen through many other students’ eyes, almost anyone can walk into the school building without being stopped, questioned or even investigated if

carrying in outside items. It is scary to think of the ways that an intruder could enter the public learning environment, should they time it correctly or have help from someone already inside. Shootings are becoming quite frequent throughout the entire country and without proper, more efficient methods, disaster could strike.

Not to say that the school needs to go as far as getting full body scanners and

round the clock classroom checks, but too many people have casually waltzed into the building without question. For example, last year, there was an art class of students sitting at the front doors drawing, when all the sudden, two male teens walked in looking highly suspect. No one was at the doors to stop them for questioning, they simply walked in. When the vice principals were alerted of their presence on campus,

they had to run around the school to find the two young men and eventually caught up with them walking back to their vehicles. They turned out not to be a threat, but it could have easily been the other way around.

Students and teachers need reassurance that their lives are safe during these times and a thorough security plan that leaves no lives hanging in the balance.

-Cierra Edmondson

InsideNews Editorial FeatureSports Entertainment

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Coach Jinks says his final good byes to the school at the send off on Jan. 11. During the speech he got emotional as did the school. Photo by Ashley Villarreal

Signs are all over campus letting visitors know to check in once they get to the school. Photo by Blake Saunders

Principal: Mike Wohlfarth, Adviser: Pam Banks, Editor in Chief: Renee SchulerEditorial Policy: The Steele Shield is a student newspaper produced by the newspaper staff of Byron P. Steele II High School, 1300 FM 1103, Cibolo, TX 78108; (210) 619-5005. The newspaper attempts to inform and entertain its audience, as well as the school faculty and staff, the administration and the members of the community, in a broad, fair and accurate manner on all subjects that affect readers. It also seeks to provide a forum for the opinion of students, the staff of the paper and faculty, to encourage an exchange of ideas and opin-ions on issues of prominence to the readers. Unsigned editorials reflect the staff as a whole, as decided by the majority of the editors. Letters to the editor and signed opinions reflect the views of the writer only. Students not on The Steele Shield staff are welcome to submit editorials and guest columns. Submission does not guarantee use of material. The Steele Shield reserves the right to edit guest submissions and letters to the editor for grammar, spelling and space considerations, as long as the meaning remains unchanged. Opinions expressed in the Steele Shield do not necessarily reflect the views of the official policy of Byron P. Steele II High School; the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District or its administrators or adviser. We reserve the right to reject or accept any advertisements and letters to the editor based on content and space considerations. See adviser for further details on submissions and advertising or call (210) 619-5005. You may also visit and click on http://steelenews.scuc.txed.net Newspaper then Steele Shield student newspaper.

02 News STEELE SHIELD January 2013

Setting Fire to AttendanceNew incentives on

attendance enforcement were initiated in December that would lead to students getting varying awards for reaching 97 percent attendance or perfect attendance for a period.

“There are many reasons; one of them obviously is money,” Principal Mike Wohlfarth said. “We get paid based off of attendance rates; The more the state cuts funding the more we can do to raise money the better, a one percent increase in attendance equates several hundred thousand dollars. Academically you have to be here to learn; you

can make up worksheets, but you miss discussions. There are also the legal requirements.”

As a way of increasing attendance the administration is giving away 10 parking passes to seniors, a Kindle Fire and giving underclassman a full lunch period for the following week.

“Sure you hope there is enough internal motivation, and parental support,” Wohlfarth said. “You shouldn’t have to do things, but if we can do something out of grant money or internal money we are happy to do so.”

Due to legal obligations to attend school, students could face severe consequences for not attending class such as: fines up to $500 per day missed, community service and special classes for the student and parent.

“I understand the incentive program,” English department chair Lisa Magnusson said. “What are the alternatives? Is it making judges have parents come with them to class fining them, or putting them in juvenile detention? To me there is no good alternative.” -Zachary Carter

School to give away Kindle e-reader to students that come to class

03EditorialSTEELE HIGH SCHOOLJanuary 2013

Attendance Strain In DistrictAdministration takes surprising steps to improve turnout

Attendance is an issue for the administration staff, to the point of bribing students to come to school with materialistic things. It is ridiculous that students have to be bribed to do something they should already be doing.

Taking a look at the Student Attendance Rates provided on the school website, although it has rested well in the 90’s and higher range, it is quite clear that attendance rates have not been up to par in the district, hence, the drawing. Although it has improved, it has yet to reach the administration’s goal of 97 percent. This is the first time in Steele’s history that students have had to be lured to school. The administration has created a drawing

of prizes for students with perfect attendance consisting of an 8GB Kindle Fire and graduation parking passes to be given to 10 different seniors.

Since the announcement of the perfect attendance drawing, attendance has improved, but it students should be coming to school regardless of a prize. When the drawing is over, attendance could very well drop again, showing that this is just a temporary “fix” to a problem by supplying it with a temporary solution. Although yes, the gesture is kind, it could backfire and send the wrong message to students that if they come to school and take care of their responsibilities, they will be rewarded with gifts.

Students should not have to be bribed to come to school, get their education, or work toward their futures. The school should not be supplying students with electronics they aren’t even allowed to have on campus, just for showing up at school.

-Cierra Edmondson

Spoiled, Young, Rich ChildrenOffspring of celebrities unprepared for when reality hits

Young children who grow up in the lime light are exposed to a life of ease and are often unprepared and overwhelmed with reality. If their parents were to explain how fortunate they are along with not just throwing money around them they’d be better rounded.

The children of movie stars like Tom Cruise, Jennifer Lopez and singers such as Beyonce or Alicia Keys have been known to spoil their children. For instance, according to Daily Mail, as a Christmas present, 6 year old Suri Cruise was supposed to be receiving a $24,000 play house with running water and electricity, courtesy of her mother Katie Holmes.

Four-year-old Emme Anthony, daughter of Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, attended Paris Fashion Week alongside

her mother wearing over $2,400 in Channel accessories. Blue Ivy Carter, who recently turned 1, was spotted wearing $66 Little Marc Jacobs Baby Mouse slippers in the spring of 2012. Jay-Z, father of Carter said to Oprah on her show that his daughter would probably grow into “the worst, spoiled little kid ever.” While Jay-Z may be aware of the toll their current lavish lifestyle will affect his daughter, it seems as if the other parents do not quite understand that concept.

While one may have the opportunity to provide their child with all the things he or she may ever want it isn’t necessary. There is no reason a 4 year old should be wearing over $2,000 in just flat out accessories or clothes. For a working student that could

go toward room and board for an entire semester in college. If, by some tragic manner, those kids’ parents lose their cushy life styles, those kids will not be able to live as an average person easily. Because they are not used to shopping at say, Walmart, for clothes as opposed to their designer brands. While it may not be impossible, essentially, their kids are being set up for failure. By not explaining the worth of the things they get or wear, they don’t learn how grateful they are to have said things.

All the parents have to do is not go bat crazy on luxury items for their children. Allowing them to earn their own wealth and achieve their own success is the best thing a parent can do for their offspring.

-Jazmin Fonville

04 Sports STEELE SHIELD January 2013

End of the Road to RedemptionVarsity football finishes season with first loss of the year deep in the playoffs

Before the recent play-off game against Katy, the team had an overall regu-lar season record of 14-0. The team lost 45-33.

Head coach Michael Jinks reported that he planned on not changing the offensive and defen-sive playbooks because they are what brought them into the playoffs.

“I was very proud of our team because we got down early and stay com-petitive while handling adversity,” Jinks said. “It was not so much what we did bad, but what Katy did well and shows that we got

to get a little bit better.” The game started with

Katy having a lead in the first quarter. By the end of the first half, the boys made progress by scoring three touchdowns and one interception. At the beginning of the third quarter things started to go bad. The offense was not completing passes and not converting on third downs.

“When halftime came, it killed all the momentum we had and then they drove right down the field and scored on the opening drive of the third quarter,” senior wide-receiver

Thaddeous Thompson said. “We could have done something different if we play man on defense and let our playmakers make plays on both sides of the ball more frequently.”

As the game went on, the team scored two touch-downs in the second half, while Katy scored three and a field goal. Although it was their first loss of the season, they had been the first team to come within two touchdowns of Katy so far in the playoffs.

“Of course it hurt a little afterwards, but after awhile you got to learn to pick

your head up and know that you played the game with a hundred percent ef-fort, and left everything out on the field,” sopho-more quarterback/running back Gregory Williams said.“All around I think we played a great game, it was a hard fought game played by both teams on both sides of the ball, this time we just did not come out on top.”

Now that the season is over, it doesn’t mean the athletic program is over. Spring football will start in April where there will be new players on the team.

-Blake Saunders

Senior defensive back/running Jordan Sterns running to the end zone scoring the team’s fourth touchdown of the game. Sterns had 93 yards rushing and 35 defensive tackles in the season. Photo by Zach Carter

The varsity soccer team season has now started with the boy’s team, coached by Gilbert Villarreal, having a record of 1-0, and the girl’s, coached by Amanda Gonzales having a record of 1-0.

The coaches reported that they are passionate about the sport and as well as the students have been playing the sport their whole lives.

“For me it’s a way to teach some lessons to these guys through a game and provides me an opportunity to not just coach the sport, but be mentors to these guys as well.” Villarreal said.

The boys practice on the football practice field while the girls practice on the field behind the bleachers before and after

school. They practice team-working drills to prepare them for the preseason and the regular season and to help them accomplish their goal of repeating their victory in the district games.

“We want to go to district again, Steele has never won district, so that’s probably our main goal,” junior girls’ center-back Kristina Morrelli said. “Right now we are working on team bonding, because there are new girls on the team, so you have to get them involved so we can all click together.”

Some students plan on playing beyond their high school years. Students who plan to play in college plan that with the help from their coaches to give them some playing

advice and rely on their teachers to help them get excelling grades and their teammates to assist them in games they will accomplish that plan.

“I plan on playing after graduation, I’m looking to play for college somewhere in Missouri, and hopefully I will play soccer,” senior boys’ center-back Cameron McClintock said. “Coach has this thing call the five T’s; Tempo, Terminar, Tactical, Technique and Talking so that’s the basic of every single practice we have here.”

The boys’ next game will be a NISD Tournament at Clark on Friday and Saturday Jan. 18 and 19 at 3 p.m., the girl’s team will play against Churchill on

Tuesday Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. -Blake Saunders

Fútbol Kicks OffVarsity teams begin season with 1-0 records

05SportsSTEELE HIGH SCHOOLJanuary 2013

The season for boys and girls basketball is coming to an end. The boys so far have a record of 14-8 and the girls so far have a record of 18-5. Both teams have started districts and plan to win their games to stay on top.

Boys started their season off on Nov. 13 with a win against Edison. The team practices during fourth period, after school and almost every Saturday to help improve their plays and communication with each other.

“As a team we should improve on just playing as a whole. But more than anything it should be our communication on the court,” junior Tayvon Lundy said. “If we improve our communication, we will be a much better basketball team.”

The boys’ motto this year is, “No

Days Off.” The team uses this as encouragement to give it their all in games and practice. Seniors Clinton Siples, Dylan Shick and Cody Wallace are the team captains.

“As team captain I tell the team we should not be satisfied with what have done we should strive to be the best we can be and we have to keep working everyday to become that so we can accomplish the goals that we have set for ourselves,” Siples said.

The girls’ team started off their season with a win against Clark on Nov. 6. The girls go by the motto of “whatever it takes.” This motivates them to do “whatever it takes” to win.

“As a team I feel we have come a long way. We’ve hit a couple of bumps in the road, but I felt those were major turning points for us, and I feel if we

continue playing the way we have been, we will make it far this year,” junior Jade Brady said.

The girls practice during fifth period, after school and sometimes on Saturday. Out of school, the girls get together for team bonding by doing to the movies or playing man hunt. The team captains are junior Erika Chapman, sophomore Kyra Lambert and junior McKenzie Calvert.

“I just try to be encouraging, if someone is down I try and pick them up and be positive. I do my best to keep everyone energized and focused on our goal which is to win state,” Lambert said.

Both the boys’ and girls’ will play against East Central on Friday Jan. 18th at 7:30 p.m.

-Jesenda Villarreal

Boys’, Girls’ Slam Dunk into District SeasonBasketball games become victories and predictions for playoffs begin

Junior guard McKenzie Calvert jumping up to make a shot in the victory game against Brennan. Calvert had a total of eight points in that game. Photo by Hayden Cardy

06 Feature STEELE SHIELD January 2013

Ignorance, Not a DiseaseI l l informed individuals spread rumors around the school

Ignorance among students causes an increased number of rumors, dealing with multiple situations, as well as fear that affected school attendance.

“Ignorance causes people to be scared. An example of this was the last Friday before break, We weren’t informed early enough about the threats against our school which lead to rumors that affected people so much that they didn’t come to school,” sophomore Vanessa Hopkins said.

After the incident that occurred in Newtown, Conn. along with the end of the Mayan calendar before winter break,

rumors spread concerning the school’s safety before release. While the school didn’t send out emails concerning said rumors until the day before the break, causing some students not to show up.

“Whenever the words ‘well my parents said’ come out of someone’s mouth is when [ignorance] is the highest. Parents have every right to influence their child’s decision, but if that child/teenager is going to argue their own opinion they can very well go look up the facts on their own,” senior Elizabeth Simpson said.

Ignorance also comes in other forms. When

graded debates occur like Socratic seminars or informal ones such as lunch talk, information can be taken out of context or based off of hearsay. The information can be altered and then no longer true. This causes the misinforming of others or rumors.

“To deal with ignorance I feel that it’s an individual’s [choice] as to whether or not they want to make the conscious effort to take the time to consider others, and see things from their point of view before reacting or making a statement,” junior Travis D’Amico said.

-Jazmin Fonville

Former Student Creates ClubSteele graduate steps out, starts up his own organization

Trevor Wheeler, a 2008 graduate, started the Night Riders Car Club in Wichita Falls in late 2011 and its second chapter in Cibolo in late 2012.

The club in Wichita Falls started going to car meets around Texas, called Cupcake Meets.

After a while, they wanted to start their own meets. They started to create the meets but he moved back down to Cibolo.

Wheeler started a new chapter and continued to finish creating the car meet.

“The car club became more of a family. Whether

we need help with cars or personal things, they are always there,” Wheeler said. “I can always ask them for anything and they will help me out regardless.”

The meet will be Feb. 16 at Discovery Church from 11- 3.

-Renee Schuler

07EntertainmentSTEELE HIGH SCHOOLJanuary 2013

Christmas with ScottySeason 10 American Idol winner makes holiday album

Season 10 American Idol winner, Scotty McCreery is at it again when he released his new Christmas album, Christmas with Scotty McCreery in December 2012.

It has always been a dream of McCreerys to make a Christmas album ever since he was little. When his career got serious he had already started thinking about what his second album would be. The Christmas album has a few old favorites such as “Jingle Bells” “Holly Jolly Christmas” and “First Noel.”

“Choosing songs for this

record wasn’t that difficult. Songs like ‘O Holy Night’ and ‘First Noel’ and ‘Mary Did You Know,’ I’ve sung those songs for years, so those songs have a history with me,” McCreery said. “I also heard a couple of new songs. ‘Christmas in Heaven’ and ‘Christmas Comin’ Round Again’ really touched me. As soon as I heard them, I knew they were going to be on the album. I knew I was supposed to record them, and people were supposed to hear them. In the end, it was very clear which ones were supposed to be on the record.”

There are also some Christmas songs he

covered from other artists like Elvis Presely. McCreery is a big fan of Elvis so there is no doubt that he would end up putting one of his songs on the album.

“My favorite Christmas album, it might be obvious, was the Elvis Christmas there’s nothing like it,” McCreery said. “He puts a spin on things, and it works, because he’s the King. So it was cool that we have an Elvis Christmas song on the record, ‘Santa Claus Is Back in Town.’ I tried to channel the King. I might have had a little lip curl when I was recording it. I’m proud of that one.”

A country twang mixed with some Christmas music is a great way to celebrate the holiday season and as well as the holiday spirit. This album deserves five out of five stars.

-Renee Schuler

08 Entertainment STEELE SHIELD January 2013

What flies around Uranus and fights Klingons? If you said Star Trek, you are wrong. The correct answer is toilet paper. In the case of this school, however, Star Trek is the better answer. Why is it that every public place has the worst toilet paper ever? It really rubs me the wrong way (in more ways than one). First of all, in order to make this so-called “toilet paper” work like a normal piece of Charmin, you have to fold it over 47 times! The toilet paper here is just so tearable, I mean terrible, I mean it’s terrible because it’s tearable! If someone tries to use the butt bandanna here, it rips to shreds and they end up having to take out all the paper shrapnel left and end up being late to class. How embarrassing would that be to walk in class and the teacher asking “why are you late?” and you having to say “umm...well….I..uh..I had to get the toilet paper out of my gluteus maximus.” I also know many people may have traded accuracy point for style points (if you know what I mean) and there might be some remnant on that seat. Smart people are able to take the toilet paper and make a shield from the nastiness that remains. With the supermodel having a liposuction thin paper, by the time you have enough paper to make it not soak all the way through you have a seat the size of a woolly mammoth, which probably has less hair and smells better than the bathroom. The only thing this stuff is good for is TP-ing someone’s house and would annoy the living shillelagh’s out of someone due to all the little pieces left over when they have to clean it up. Now that teachers have a roll of toilet paper in their room in case of a lockdown, I think I would rather soil my pants. That’s just how Simeon sees it, don’t judge me (out loud).

How Simeon Sees It