The Oracle: April Issue

Volume 39, Issue 9 14555 Fern Drive, Houston TX 77079

Photo by Caitlin Hilton

2013 Prom Changep. 4

Equestrian Esquep. 12 Photo by Jackie Mask

The National Honor Society tapped the following students during Spartan time on April 12: Carolyn ArthurJoshua AschClaire AvenAmy BaekKaela BeasleyJordan BernsteinHannah BeversSarah BostickElizabeth BozemanGrant BrannElizabeth ButlerHannah ByattChandler CallahanJimmieria ChillisAnna ChongSteven CisnerosSophie CollinsJohn Craig

Paula CraigJacob CribbsMaria DavilaIsabel DeakinsKathryn DickinsonCathleen EvansTimothee FlichyMatthew FosterAmy FoxEmily FrazelleHayley FriedmanCatherine FrostShayan GharagozlouHannah GoodearleKatherine GossLianna GregorianOmid HadjElizabeth Hallmark

Travis HanesJordan HaynesHolly HeckmannKathleen HigginsJames HodgesTaylor HubbardShogo IwasakiTrevor JacksonPatrick JanacekHyo-Won JeonBradley JohnsonSarah JohnstonGraham JonesNicholas JonesKurt KaiserAshley KeelChristiana KimSamuel Kim

Melanie KlassenMatthew LastrapesHanna LeeHo Min LeeJasmine LeeJin LeeJoshua LeeYi LeeThomas LeydenLeigh LloverasElaine LuiParker LundJohn LynchWilliam MahamCalli MartinKyle McAndrewsAndrew McClearyCaitrin McGibbon

Abby McMurtryPatrick MillerStephanie MontemayorChan Moon Abigail MooreEvan MooreDawson MorbyJennifer MorrisLandon NeumannLindsey NeumannKatherine NoelJulia O’LoughlinAndrew PalughiHayden ParsleyAmy PenickMachaela PierceAmy PopeMadison Raley

Rachel RapierKyle RathgebHannah RedfieldCai RohlederEmily RuckerJohn ScottMatthew SibleyBonnie SlatteryMacey SmithWilliam SoltisYassmin SoudjaniWilliam StrongCaroline SuchmanAlison SunderhaftMizuho SuzukiLydia SweetOthniel Tay Kimberly Taylor

Kathleen TemplePaige TormeyGrace TouchstoneFernando TrujanoOscar TruongHarrison VaporciyanAnna VickersHannah VinyardKristina ViterovaAlexander WeberRachel WhatleyHope WigginsRuoxi WuDaniel YangJung-Min YangTian YaoBronte YeAshley YoshinoSarah Zschappel

EMBARKING ONTO THE JOURNEY • Band mem-bers left school to compete at Brenham High School on Thursday, April 12. With the band trip to Winter Park, Colorado the following day, some packed their bags and took them along to the competition. Students took a break from their hard work and stayed in Colorado from April 13 to 16. Photo by Caitlin Hilton.

2012 Student Council Executive Board Members

Elizabeth BozemanHannah Goodearle

Katie GregoryKelly GriffinJaime Hewitt

Christiana KimAbby McMurtry

Samantha VanstonThese members were voted on

by the student body during Spartan time.

Both the Symphonic and Honors Bands attended UIL competitions on Thursday, April 12. This year, the com-petitions were held at Bren-ham High School. The bands were rated on their stage performance and on their sight reading by a panel of three judges . The Symphonic Band, di-rected by Suzanne Thomp-

son, received Straight Ones at the UIL Contest. The Honors Band, directed by David McArthur, also re-ceived First Division ratings at the UIL Concert and Sight Reading Contest in Brenham. Since the band also received First Division ratings at UIL Marching Contest in the fall, the program was awarded the UIL Sweepstakes trophy.

“Sweeping” in AwardsBand dominates at UIL competitionsAmmarah Tariq

GROUND BREAKING HEIGHTS • Placing first in the 17-4A districts held at Stratford on April 11, senior Everette Fa-vor completes a jump of 16’2”. Not only is this a personal record for Favor, but is now the school record for boy’s pole vault. Favor is attending the University of Oklahoma on a partial scholarship for pole vault. For more results on the distract track meet, see p. 10. Photo by Caitlin Hilton.

ORACLEFriday, April 20, 2012

The OracleNEWS2 Friday, April 20, 2012

Girls Take The Field

POWDER PUFF GIRLS • After being cancelled because of bad weather, the Powder Puff Game was rescheduled to April 9. Junior and senior girls competed against each other in a football game. Juniors Bonnie Slattery and Lindsey Neumann with senior Kelsey Harmon run down the field. The game was played to raise money for the graduating Class of 2012’s senior prom. Students bought a $3 ticket, which was used to get out of 7th period at 2:30 p.m., to attend the game. This event raised approximately $5,000. To continue the tradi-tion, the senior girls defeated the junior girls. Photo by Amy Jordan.

3Friday, April 20, 2012The Oracle NEWSModernizing TraditionsNew Spartan head logo to debut next year, ‘S’ stays the same

Starting this year, the school logo is going through the process of being re-branded. Renovations to the build-ing are being completed this summer and the new logo will be implemented where applicable. Before this rebranding took place different groups in the school community p r o v i d e d their input. Initial re-actions to the new logo were mixed be-cause of this change in identity. “I just love having something that is to-tally specific to Stratford. I think it’s cool to look at that logo and know it’s ours,” se-nior principal Kathy Steen said. “I think it’s specific to Stratford and we’re going to have our own identity.” There will also be flags on the campus that will have the new logo on them. “I think the flags will be helpful,” Steen said. Since there will now be one consistent Spar-

tan head logo, the faculty and s t u d e n t s will be able

to use it on e v e r y t h i n g

school spirit related.

In the past, multiple Spar-tan heads have been used and were of varying sizes and designs. Some members of the school community worry about a lack of diversity in symbols impacting

spirit item sales. “I liked being able

to have a variety,” foreign lan-

guage teacher Elaine Sorsby said. Shirts that come out u s u a l l y have a dif-ferent logo from one

event to the next. “I think it’s fun not knowing what the next t-shirt will look like,” Sorsby said. The teachers knew that there was going to be a change in the logo, but the first focus group to see the new logo was student council. “They gave me some good feedback,” build-ing principal Christo-

pher Juntti said. Student Council had differ-ent opinions specifically on the change in the ‘S’. “After feedback from the stu-dents, the ‘S’ will not change,” Juntti said. These focus groups men-tioned being able to see the ‘S’ sticker from far away and being able to identify them as fellow Spartans. Juntti also received feedback on the new logo from mem-bers of the Campus Improve-ment Team, administrative committee, and coaches. The cost to re-brand would have been at least $5,000. However, the contribution of an incoming freshman’s parent cut costs significantly. Due to the donation of his time, the rebranding cost was zero. Along with the flags that will be added next year, “We’ll also use it [logo] as we do some of our redesign in the cafeteria,” Juntti said. Existing Spartan logos will remain on campus and not be taken down. The band recently updated their uniforms, a change taking place every ten years. The baseball depart-ment has also added the new logo to their current uni-forms. Athletic uniforms for next year will also feature the new logo. “I just want to move for-ward,” Juntti said. The reason for the change in

the logo is to create an inde-pendent identity. “The logo we were using was not ours. Part of my job as principal is to do things that are not breaking any laws,” Juntti said. The logo currently in use is the Michigan State University logo. In order for Stratford’s to be recognized as different, the logo has to change at least 10%. The end goal was to create a logo that is unique to Strat-ford. “I didn’t feel like we changed it 100%,” Juntti said. “Rather than to tweak Michigan State’s we wanted to make it ours.” In trying to avoid a copy-right infringement case we needed to be able to show we changed the logo by at least 10%. The change cannot just be about color.

A school that had to deal with this was the Woodlands High School. They used the “W” from Wisconsin University as their own logo. When Wis-consin found out that they were using their copyrighted material, the Woodlands High School was sued. The new logo was created so as to not cause copy-right conflicts with Michigan State.The current logo was adapted about 8 or 9 years ago. Ac-cording to Juntti, no one was consulted before this change. This time, however, several groups were consulted, and tweaks were made along the way. The end result will be featured on new Stratford items. In the end, the new logo will be adopted and belong only to Stratford. Adjustments will be made to make this logo present at school next year.

Advancing to Regionals at Sam Houston State University on April 21, 2012:

• The SHS Science Team of Gordon Walker, Matt Lastrapes, Mat-thew Greene, Respina Vaezian, Holly Hendrickson and Andy Oe won District.• Accounting: Rosie Wu• Computer Applications: Rosie Wu• Editorial Writing: Kali Venable • Lincoln Douglas Debate: Fariha Jawed • Literary Criticism: Nathaniel Barbour • Mathematics: Amy Penick• News Writing: Sara Boyle• Spelling Vocabulary: Zeriba Jahangir, Harrison Vaporciyan

Academic UIL District

Layla ShahhosseiniSamantha Vanston

Student Council Reps2012-2013

Class of 2015 Sophomore Representatives:Eric Boas, Travis Bostick, Morgan Brast, Jack Goss, Christi Gregory, Abigail Jackson, Harper Jones, Charlotte Kaiser, Hanna Lauritzen, Carmen Loa, Meredith Maclvor, Lauren Newman, Alan Pham, Alez Pierce, Anna Powell, Allison Rice, Katie Rominger, Adrian Sanchez, Courtney Stark, Chris Vanston, Matt Wagner, Grace Whitmire, Meg Zschappel

Class of 2014 Junior Representatives:David Bartell, Anna Bergersen, Louis Birdsong, Hernan Cepeda, Sarah Davis, Na-thalia Dela Espriella, Alexis Frederick, Karla Gonzalez, Mary Kate Goss, Margaret Gray, Caroling Kelly, Katherine Kennedy, Clay Lamberton, Christopher Parker, Ragan Robinson, Kylie Schaper, Layla Shahhosseini, Casey Sparks, Kali Venable

Class of 2013 Senior Representatives: Carolyn Arthur, Jordan Bernstein, Hannah Bevers, Sarah Bostick, Kelly Ann Craig, Katie Dickinson, Jimmy Hodges, Kurt Kaiser, Josh Lee, Parker Lund, Machaela Pierce, Hannah Redfield, Anna Vickers

SOLO LOGO• The logo will be present on the band uniforms, athletic uniforms, and in the cafeteria. The S will stay the same due to the feedback from students voicing their opinions. The Spartan head was changed due to the motivation to keep moving forward. Graphic provided by Chris Juntti.

Graphic by Sarah Davis

SENIOR SOFTBALL NIGHT • Seniors Alyssa Sturgis, Victoria Miller, and Heather Hummel are pictured at the game on April 16 with family members. Roses are presented to the seniors on the field as a reward for their accomplishments from their years of playing softball. Next year, Hummel is playing softball for McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Photo by Maggie Vickers.

The Oracle4 Friday, April 20, 2012NEWSRetiring Teachers

In With The Blues

In years past, the senior class has held their prom at a hotel. Next year, the senior class will be doing something dif-ferent. The Class of 2013 will be holding their prom at the House of Blues in downtown Houston. The 2013 Prom Committee went on a tour of potential venues for the prom during school on March 26. The committee selected the House of Blues’ Hall of Fame to host the 2013 prom. The Hall of Fame is the con-cert hall where major perfor-mances are held . “We chose the House of Blues because it is different

than anything we have ever done before, regarding prom” said prom committee mem-ber and junior Jaime Hewitt. The most appealing factor to many about the House of Blues was the services they offered. Lights, decorations, sodas, or snacks won’t have to be provided by the school be-cause they are all included in the overall price of the venue for the night. The size of the venue was also a factor. It needed to accommodate about 450 se-niors who will be eligible to attend, as well as police offi-cers and chaperones that will be at the dance. The picture frames and flat screens along the walls of the

Hall of Fame will be filled with pictures of the senior class. Something the committee will need to hire separately is a DJ. He or she will be placed on the stage where countless rock legends and icons have performed. All of the tickets to concerts at the House of Blues are pur-chased at LiveNation.com, so naturally the prom tickets will also be bought on the website. Seniors will check in with their Live Nation tickets at the official House of Blues box office. Students will also be able to walk on a red car-pet into the dance. Currently, the committee

has raised $45,000 and hopes to raise $30,000 more to fund their prom entitled, “Out With The Old and In With The Blues”. After prom bills are paid, excess money raised will go toward Project Prom. Cur-rently, the Class of 2013 is working on raising money for both prom and Project Prom. It has been a challenge for the Class of 2013 to raise money for their prom due to the lack of bake sales this year. The bake sale provided thousands of dollars to previ-ous senior classes. The bake sales were cut because they were in viola-tion of federal guidelines for health and nutrition.

Still, the junior class has raised money through their garage sale held in March and the sale of Spartan tumblers and windbreakers. Students also now not only can help raise money for their prom but they also earn the right to make decisions for prom such as venue, theme, and decorations. The profits from the recent Powder Puff game have been given to the Project Prom committee. Project Prom will be held at Dave and Buster’s. The innovative Class of 2013 has paved a new path for fu-ture proms. They are the first class to take over the fund raising and decision making for their prom.

Teachers from subjects such as geometry to athletics will be walking out the doors of the school for the last time with over 200 years of teach-ing experience on May 31. “They aren’t leaving because they are unhappy, but because it’s their time,” said Building Principal Chris Juntti. “Al-most every single person who has come in has shed tears. Being a teacher is a part of who they are, and Stratford is a part of them.”

welcome to maddieland

Aldo MartinezKatherine Kennedy

Next issue, I’ll have more than enough room to say my good-byes. So now I’ll dedi-cate my final column to the five current loves of my life: the boys of One Direction. I was not there when Harry, Niall, Louis, Zayn, and Liam went through the ‘X-Factor’ auditions or were put togeth-er as One Direction during Boot camp. I did not see them place third in the ‘X-Factor’ competition. But I did know of them in November, 2010, thanks to tumblr, and by March of 2011, I was hooked. I fell in love with their voices and with their covers of ‘My Life Would Suck Without You’ and ‘Chasing Cars’. But I fell in love with the boys themselves when I watched their ‘X-Factor’ video diaries (multiple times, I’ll admit). Louis was my favorite at first, but Niall quickly edged him out and took the top spot in my heart. From there, my obsession grew. I got their first book, One Direction: Forever Young for my birthday. In August, I stayed up till 4 a.m. to hear their first single, ‘What Makes You Beautiful’, premiere on BBC Radio 1. From there, they blew up. It’s been hard for me to ‘share’ One Direction with the new American fans af-ter loving them for so long while they were in relative anonymity. But it’s okay that 95% of the American pub-lic doesn’t know why Liam is afraid of spoons or why Louis receives a lot of carrots, because I’m just so proud of them. It sounds ridiculous, because the five of them don’t know me from any other fol-lower on Twitter, but thanks to tumblr, Twitter, and You-Tube, I feel like I know One Direction. I know them and I love them and I’m proud of them and Up All Night is per-fect. This time last year, One Di-rection was finishing up their ‘X-Factor’ tour and their stu-dio time kept getting delayed. Now, they’re number one in multiple countries. Stay golden, boys.

Maddie Stone

Class of 2013 prom to take place at unique venueChandler Callahan

Position: Band DirectorYears in SBISD: 22Years Taught at SHS: 19Plans: Not at the time

Department: ArtClasses: Art I, Drawing II Years Taught at SHS: 3Total Years Taught: 33

Classes: Biology, AP Biology Years Taught at SHS: 3Total Years Taught: 33Plans: Lots of golf

Subject: Family & Consumer SciencesTotal Years Taught: 35Plans: Volunteer in community, spend time with family

Classes: AP Psychology and AP GovernmentTotal Years Taught: 36Plans: Relaxing

Department: Math (chair)Years Taught at SHS: 25Plans: Volunteer, travel to Eu-rope, spend time with family

Sue HeineDeb Morgan

Tom Clancy

Kris Watson

Karen Summers Susie MachaCathy Martin

David McArthur

Department: Health FitnessTotal Years Taught: 34Years Taught at SHS: 27Plans: Family, golf, move

Sherry Henderson

Department: Social StudiesClasses: World GeographyYears in SBISD: 31Years Taught at SHS: 8

Contributing photographers: Kath-erine Kennedy, Aldo Martinez, Caitlin Hilton, Dontrell Britton, and Tywaugn Rice

Department: Career & TechYears Taught at SHS: 27 Plans: Go on a trip once a month for the next six months

5Friday, April 20, 2012The Oracle ADS

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Portofino Shopping Center19075 I-45 Suite 121BShenandoah, TX 77385

This is a small sample of specialty products:DEBONED STUFFED CHICKEN

With many dressings from which tochoose, including:

Cornbread, Shrimp & Rice Dressing,Crawfish & Rice

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Chicken & Dressing

STUFFED BRISKETBABY BACK RIBS

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ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE

ETOUFFEESHRIMP PIES

Crazy Phrasey

The Oraclepuzzle page6 Friday, April 20, 2012

ANSWERS: bear pear, snake rake, bark lark, ant rant, stars cars, hike bike, river shiver, forest florist, camp lamp, leaf chief

1. Baylor mascot/two of a kind (2)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

2. slithering reptile/ leaf gather-ing tool (2)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

3. skin of trees/singing bird (2)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

4. small biting insect/long, angry lecture (2) _ _ _ _ _ _ _

5. appears in the night sky (not moon)/automobiles (2)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

6. long walk/two wheeled trans-portation (2)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

7. winding, running water/to get the chills (4)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

8. outdoor place with a lot of trees/job with flowers (4)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

9. to sleep outdoors/electical indoor device giving light (2)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

10. grows on trees/boss, “editor in ___” (2)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Every answer is a rhyming pair of words. Each underscore represents a letter.

The number after the definition clue tells you how many syllables are in each

word.

Sudoku

Growing up in New York, New York, Steven Markowitz used to entertain friends and family by performing original rap songs. Markowitz then took on the nickname “Hoodie”, which would later transform into his current stage name of “Hood-ie Allen”. Blooming in early 2009, Hoodie Allen took his child-hood obsession of writing raps to the next level with his independent release of Bagels & Beats and Making Waves. His later albums, Leap Year,

Pep Rally, and Hoodie Allen are all free to download on Allen’s Soundcloud page. Pep Rally is a mix tape fea-t u r i n g r e m i x e s of songs from bands v a r y i n g from Ma-rina & the Diamonds to The xx. The mix tape had over 250,000 plays within the first week. Allen has become a popular artist among many college students, and won an MTVU

Best Music on Campus award. He isn’t the poster child for ordinary rap music, but is for individuality. Dominated by

an indus-try that thrives off of creativ-ity, Allen succeeds in mak-ing his t u n e s stand out

among the others. All American is Allen’s lat-est independent release and his first album available on iTunes.

Debuting at #1, the unsigned artist gives fans eight original tracks, all of them showcas-ing his quirky lyrics and hy-potonic rhythms. “No Faith in Brooklyn” starts off as what would seem to be a ballad, but within the first 20 seconds Allen turns back into a rapper. Although the tune and beat changes into a faster song, the lyrics display a softer side of Allen. The bridge even features Allen’s brilliant falsetto, an extremely rare occurrence. Allen has undoubtedly cre-ated a masterpiece.

The Oracle Friday, April 20, 2012 7muse

MUSECountdown

to...

4 Days... “In preparation for the concert, I’ve dyed all my keys black.”-Catherine Frost, 11

27 Days...until

Avicii

“I just love Avicii and I’ve been wait-ing for this concert since I was born.”-Elijah Hunter, 11

7 Days...until

Escape the Fate

untilThe Black Keys

Hoodie Allen is All AmericanCaitlin Hilton

“They’re awesome. Even though they got rid of their old lead singer, they’re still awesome.”-Faith Reyes, 9

Veronica Roth Blue Willow Bookshop

April 20-7 p.m.

Lauren ConradBlue Willow Bookshop

April 21-3 p.m.

Upcoming Book Signings

Photo by Hannah Price

“Allen’s later albums...are all free to download on his Sound-

cloud page

Photo by Amy Jordan

The Oraclemuse8 Friday, April 20, 2012

Alternative Tanning Options

Free Press SummerfestHouston’s annual festival is back for another year

Houston has finally pro-duced an outdoor music fes-tival that is satisfying for fans of all genres. Free Press Summerfest is held annually at Eleanor Tin-sley Park downtown. This year it will be held June 2-3 to begin the sizzling summer with a thrilling weekend. This year’s line-up is bigger than ever with headliners such as The Avett Brothers, Snoop Dog, and Willie Nel-son. Because there are 80 artists on eight stages, one could get overwhelmed with all of the choices to make during the festival. Instead of wast-ing the first day out of igno-rance, learn from someone who’s adventured through it already. First of all, water is your new best friend. Bring a large wa-ter bottle with you, or even bring multiple. The early June heat, combined with the lack

of trees promises a scorching day. Water will ensure that you can make it through the day. If you run your water bottle dry, there are free refill stations. There are many different food vendors, but they all skyrocket their prices since the audience has hardly any other options. Instead of emptying your wallet on me-diocre food, bring snacks for the whole day. You can save time waiting in line as well as money spent on cheap food. A common amateur mistake is to gravitate towards the main stage throughout the whole festival, believing that the best shows will come to those who just sit there. Avoid this at all costs. Yes, the main stage has the most famous artists, but between each show is a wait of about 45 minutes. Time should not be wasted at all, so take ad-vantage of every minute. Take a print-out of the schedule and take a chance

on a random band you may have never heard of. They may turn out to be sub-par, or they could be your new fa-vorite band. Even if you are one of those people that is strictly loyal to only one genre, try to branch out a little. FPSF has artists ranging from rap to folk, and everything in between. Each stage has a unique atmo-sphere, and it is beneficial to test out each section. When it comes time to see the headliner and everyone rushes to the main stage, don’t worry too much about getting a good spot. Unless you’re within the first 30 feet of the stage, it won’t matter where else you are. A large, grassy hill is in front of the stage so that every person has a clear view of the artist. Consider bringing a towel to sit or lay out on. The ground can get dirty or even muddy. Do not underestimate the power of the Houston heat. Avoid wearing dark clothing

at all cost; you will be mis-erable. Slip on lightweight clothes with a soft color. Nat-ural fabrics do not attract the heat as much as man-made materials, so stick to cotton. Sunscreen is also beneficial here. The lack of foliage could lead to a nasty sunburn if you’re not careful. The general pre-sale price is a relatively small fee of $65, which includes admission for both days. However, there is a way to get in for free. Volun-teering at the festival requires signing up for a two hour shift, but once finished, you are allowed unlimited access for the entire weekend. It’s worth it to put in just a small amount of work to be able to enjoy the rest of the festival for absolutely free. Buy tickets while they’re still at the pre-sale price and start planning for the first week-end of summer at FPSF. Just as it has never disappointed before, this line-up is sure to impress.

Paige Tormey

Avery’s Anecdotes

“Having a dissenting opinion on movies, music, or clothes, or owning clever or obscure pos-sessions, is the way middle-class people fight one another for sta-tus...Hipsters, then, are the di-rect result of this cycle of indie, authentic, obscure, ironic, clever consumerism...It is ironic in the sense the very act of trying to run counter to the culture is what creates the next wave of culture people will in turn attempt to

counter.” -David McRaney

My parents basically raised me to be a “hipster.” In 5th grade when Ciara’s “1, 2 Step” was crazy popular, my parents played 80’s rock mu-sic in the car. On the play-ground one day, I remem-ber saying, “I don’t like pop music” and my elementary school friends almost had a heart attack, and acted as if my musical tastes were blas-phemous. How dare I not lis-

ten to FM 104.1!? As I have grown and formed my own opinions, I am very grateful that my parents raised me on the XM radio channels “First Wave,” the 80’s rock station, and “Alt Nation,” the alternative sta-tion, rather than “Hits 1,” the Top 20’s song station. I formed an appreciation for “alternative” music rather than pop and rap, though now I do like some of both genres. By my musical tastes, one could probably define me as a “hipster,” though I would disagree. The traditional definition of hipster is some-one who is up to date on the latest trends, whether in anything from fashion to music. The definition of hip-ster has morphed, though, to mean somebody who doesn’t do anything “mainstream,” overuses the word “ironic,” and is sort of pretentious about their interests. The thing that I have learned about hipsters, though, is that they generally hate the idea of hipsters. Almost no-body will identify himself or herself as a hipster, because the word has acquired such a negative connotation. If you were born with the curse of the hipster, there is nothing you can do. Em-brace it, listen to non-main-stream bands, but please, do us all a favor and leave the pretentiousness at home. To-gether we can mend the con-notation of the word hipster back to its original and posi-tive state.

Hannah Price

ALTERNATIVE RAYS • There are many sunless tanning options to get the tan look that everyone loves without harming skin. Tinted moistur-izers, airbrush sprays, bronzers, and tanning towelettes are just a few of the alternative ways that students are using to get darker. However, for a quicker and more dramatic transformation, students visit local tan-ning salons to receive a spray tan. Photo by Han-nah Price.

NATURAL BRONZE • With prom and swim suit season around the corner, many students are hitting the pool and the tanning beds in or-der to get more bronze. However, the harsh UV rays can cause perma-nent skin damage. There are many safer options that are not only cheaper than tanning beds, but are much easier on skin. The most popular be-ing Jergens brand tinted moisturizers. Photo by Hannah Price.

The Avett BrothersSnoop Dogg

Willie NelsonAfrojack

The Flaming LipsPrimus

DescendentsMajor Lazer

Young the GiantPortugal. The Man

Two Door Cinema ClubZ-Ro

Morris Day and the TimeBest Coast

Girl in a ComaFamous

Electric TouchMaps and Atlases

Clap Your Hands Say YeahQuintron & Ms. Pussycat

Second LoversThe Sour NotesJourney Agents

DJ EbonixFat Tony

Last Place You LookZorch

2012 Free Press Partial Lineup

An Evening With David Ives The 2011-12 Playhouse season comes to a close with a series of collected comedic straight plays by playwright David Ives. This collection is titled ‘An Evening With David Ives’. The short plays hit the Playhouse on the main stage the first weekend of May. Pick your favorites and support the Playhouse on one of the dates below.

The Universal Language: May 3, 4, 5 at 7:30 and May 12 at 2:30 & 7:30

Dr. Fritz, or the Forces of Light: May 3, 4, 5 at 7:30 and May 12 at 2:30 & 7:30

Babel in Arms: May 3, 5, 11 at 7:30 and May 12 at 2:30 & 7:30

Words, Words, Words: May 3, 5, 11 at 7:30 and May 12 at 2:30 & 7:30

Sure Thing: May 3, 4, 11 at 7:30 and May 12 at 2:30 & 7:30

Enigma Variations: May 4, 5, 11 at 7:30 and May 12 at 2:30 & 7:30

Mere Mortals: May 4, 5, 11 at 7:30 and May 12 at 2:30 & 7:30

Soap Opera: May 3, 4, 5, 11 at 7:30 and May 12 at 7:30

Captive Audience: May 3, 4, 11 at 7:30 and May 12 at 2:30 & 7:30

muse 9Friday, April 20, 2012The Oracle

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We also do Graduation

Cakes!

Avery Falick, Hannah Price

The New York Times rated this chocolate chip cookie recipe to be the best. After testing the recipe out, it is very good, though a little bit complicated. It is very important to read the entire recipe before getting started to make sure that enough time is allotted to properly create these cookies. The author of the recipe stresses the importance of using both bread and pastry flour rather than all-purpose flour, but after testing out the recipe with all-purpose flour, the cookies still turned out to be delicious.

Ingredients1 pound unsalted butter

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar

4 large eggs3 cups and 2 tablespoons pastry flour

3 cups bread flour1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder2 teaspoons baking soda

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract2 pounds bittersweet chocolate

Steps for Recipe1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars to-gether until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of golf balls) onto bak-ing sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more.

Varsity Girl’s Results:1st-Shamaujae Crockett (200m); Kathryn Wood (800m); Wood, Caitlin Hilton, Lara Samarneh, Crockett (4 x 400m relay)2nd-Crockett (long jump); Wood (400m); Samarneh (1600m and 3200m); Xuelia Suero (300m H); Crockett, Hilton, Rihanna Devany, Toyrealle White (4 x 100 relay)3rd-Hilton (400m); White, Jessiah Broussard, Devany, Natasha Reid (4 x 200m relay)4th-Ashley Sherrard (shot put); Rihanna Devany (100m); Suero (100m H)5th-Crockett (high jump); Kimberly Taylor (discus); Savannah Delgado (100m H)6th-Kimberly Taylor (high jump); Elise Franke (3200m); Broussard (100m H)

The Oracle10 Friday, April 20, 2012SPORTSTrack Races to Regionals Boys Lacrosse Improves

STOPPING THE CLEAR • Defending against McNeil for Spartans is senior long stick defender Don Szumski. The men’s varsity lacrosse team started the season off rough by losing to rival Clear Lake with a score of 5-10. Then they lost a close game to Bellaire 9-7. The next week, the team faced Katy Taylor and won with a score of 9-8. Losing a close game the next week, the Spartans were defeated 9-6, by Friendswood. Playing Pearland next, the team won 10-3. The following week the team played Langham Creek at home; with an exciting finish, the Spartans came out on top and won 7-8. This year’s varsity team consists of: seniors Will Young, Parker Tennet, Don Szumski, Austin Stephens, Richey Puntarelli, Michael Moore, Christopher McDougald, Thomas Maranuk, Tyler Loving, Michael Lipnik, Tomas Hirsch, and William Hermann juniors Demitrius Abercrombie, Spencer Bennett, Jacob Cribbs, Tanner Emery, Kelly griffin, Patrick Janacek, and Stephen Sattler, sophomore Ryan Balke and freshman Kendall Marbach. Photo provided by Staff.

MAKING THE SHOT • After competing in districts the Men’s Varsity A team is sending two members on to Regionals. They are seniors Thomas Scaff (middle) and sophomore Trevor Hennington (far right). Photo provided by Staff.

One Putt At A Time

Varsity Boy’s Results:1st-Everette Favor (pole vault); James Broussard (3200m); Brian Quinlam (1600m)2nd-Bryan Hallenbeck (discus); Kodi Abgasi (triple jump); Kelvin Rainey (long jump)3rd-Brian Skulski (100m); Pearce Casd (3200m and 1600m); Andrew Brillon, Trey Miller, Broussard, Sullivan Barnes (4 x 400 relay); Roderick Taylor, Travis Hanes, Terrence Peters, Mark Spangenberg (4 x 200 relay)4th-Brillon (400m); Broussard (800m); Francisco Lara (1600m)5th-Taylor (100m)6th-Isaiah Glover (high jump); Peters (200m); Miller (400m); Barnes (800m)

Water Polo Gets RoughEvery year, as the swimming season comes to a close in March, a group of swimmers and a few non-swimmers strap on their helmets and stay in the pool to prepare for the water polo season. This year the team has played Memorial, Westside, Lamar, Jersey Village and Cy-Springs, some of the few Houston schools that offer the sport. The boys’ team has quali-fied for the regional tournament with the help of leading scorer senior Kyle Rathgeb and senior Rob Gahn on defense. After con-secutive runs for the championship in 2009 and 2010, the girls’ team is currently rebuilding with a team comprised of many freshmen. The girls are led by senior Hanna Healy on offense and senior Amy Fox in the goal. Water polo is a fast-paced game in which seven players attempt to get the ball into

their opponent’s net. Posi-tions consist of wings, flats, points, centers, and a goalie. The sport has been called a combination of swimming, basketball, and boxing be-cause of its notorious vio-lence. During the five minute quarters, players must con-tinuously tread water and not

touch the bottom of the pool. Players use an “egg-beater” style of kicking to propel themselves out of the water when making shots or pass-ing to their teammates. Water polo requires a lot of stamina so players can keep up with the quickness of the game

and keep their heads above water. Fouls are another kind of ob-stacle that water polo players face in a game. There are no pads or other kind of protec-tion other than the cloth caps worn by all players. Instances of broken ribs and punches being thrown are not un-heard of. It can be very easy for a player to kick or pull on

another player without the referee noticing since the water makes it diffi-cult to see. “One time a girl pulled down on my swimsuit and yanked me under water which was kind of scary” said sophomore Val Dietz. Although water polo is a very unknown sport,

it is extremely entertaining and strenuous. While the 20 minute long games are much shorter than the typical football game, they are argu-ably one of the most action packed events and physically intensive high school or pro-fessional sports available.

“There are basically no rules, other than you can’t actually try to hurt

someone on the other team.

- Val Dietz, 10

Elaine Parizot

The Oracle11 Friday, April 20, 2012SPORTS

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

9 10 11 12

13 14 15 1716

2322

2120

3029

2827262524

76

54321

April-May

18 19

8

Newton’s Law

Spartanaire Spring Show SHS @ 7

Boys/Girls Var-sity Track Regional

ChampionshipSHSU-Hunstville

@ 4

Varsity Tennis State Champion-

ships @ 8

Spartanaire Spring Show SHS

@ 1, 7

Boys/Girls Varsity Track State Cham-pionship UT @ 4

Boys Varsity Track Regional Qualifiers Meet

@ 4

Boys/Girls Varsity Track Regional Championship

SHSU @ 9

Boys/Girls Varsity Track State Cham-pionship UT @ 9

Varsity Tennis State Champion-

ships @ 8

Boys Var-sity Baseball vs.

Waller @ 7

Varsity Baseball vs Brenham SHS

@ 7

Alex Newton A year has passed and not much has changed for the Rockets. They are on the brink of playoff eligibility. The future remains uncertain even now as the season nears its end. Only a little more than a week ago the Rockets were the 6th seed in the west and, following a successful 4-0 road trip with wins in Chi-cago and Los Angeles, they were seemingly a lock for the playoffs. The Rockets had to make things more interesting and decided to counter this win-ning streak with a losing streak where they lost sev-eral key games against Phoe-nix, Utah, and twice against Denver. The magic of Goran Dragic and Courtney Lee has seemingly run out. Lowry has yet to regains his full strength and Kevin Mar-tin remains Coach Martin. The youth that were sup-posed to plague the Rockets all season has become their biggest asset in this short-ened season. The play of rookie Chandler Parsons is what has many people turn-

ing heads. While he may not have the talent the rest of the rook-ies possess his experience is far greater. This is because Parsons stayed all four years in college, a rarity in today’s game, and briefly played overseas during the lockout. The biggest surprise has to be the coaching of Kevin McHale. It appeared that the team made a big mistake with the release of veteran coach Rick Adelman and the hiring of unproven McHale. Adelman had done well dur-ing his time in Houston and his release had been a sur-prise to many but McHale has done a great job and has even stirred up some coach of the year talk. With only a few games left in the season the Rockets need to win them all or they may end up in the same posi-tion as we were last year, the dreaded 9th seed. The Rockets are in great po-sition to qualify for the play-offs for the first time in the past three season yet these next few games will have a heavy toll on this teams fu-ture.

The Oracle12 Friday, April 20, 2012SPORTS

Tennis Serves Up

Life Of An Equestrian

Every year since 1986, ten-nis has continually qualified at districts, and has gone to the State Championships 23 times. This year, three teams qualified for Regionals: Thomas Leyden and Cam-eron Long placed second in men’s doubles, Blake Sch-reiber and Jessie Hall placed second in mixed doubles, and Hannah Byatt and Kay-lin Kruseman placed first in women’s doubles, taking the district title. This will be Byatt’s third time and Kruse-man’s second time going to districts. Byatt and Kruseman went to state last year for doubles, and lost in the semi finals in three matches to the team that went on to win State overall. “I really think that Byatt and Kruseman are in it to win it,” said Varsity Coach Rory Frazee. “After being so close to the title last year, they won’t want to go home without a State Championship title,” he said. Matches are usually set for

90 minutes each, and a best two out of three match lasts around two to three hours. With the usual conditions of sun-off-pavement heat, players tire easily. The gru-eling sport requires much dedication. No true breaks are given during a game, only a quick run to get water. The sport uses a lot of upper body and lower body strength needed for quick sprints to the ball and swinging of the arm to hit the ball.

“My schedule is always packed with tennis, whether it be school or club,” said sophomore Kaylin Kruse-man. “Sometimes it’s hard to manage that and schoolwork, but after a while you learn to prioritize.” On April 16 and 17, the three teams competed at Regionals. Byatt and Kruseman won all four games and placed first in girls doubles. They will now go on to compete at State at UT Austin on April 30 and

Elyse’ Stieber

POSE FOR THE PROS • The Varsity tennis team takes a break from the heat at Districts for a team photo. Three of the teams placed to move on to Regionals on April 17 and 18. Photo by Mag-gie Vickers. MAKING THE JUMP • Horseback riding is easy. The horse

does all the work, right? What this curious onlooker does not see, are the early mornings and late nights of tedious braiding, tack cleaning, stall shoveling, the long drives traveling from show to show, and empty wallet syndrome. Not to mention the incredible mental and physical exhaustion that comes with the territory in the saddle. The truth is, you are on the back of a 1200 pound animal, that may or may not want to go over that 3 foot 6 oxer that you’re pointing it towards, in the right amount of strides that you need to impress the judge watching you. The horse could simply stop in the middle of your approach, and send you flying into the jump that you are meant to go over. There are silent leg aids and mental calculations that it takes to go for a clean round, that all go into making it look effortless and beautiful. Photos by Jackie Mask.

Jackie MaskThe RundownA play-by-play of Stratford athletesA play-by-play of Stratford athletes

Corey KrusemanFavorite Song: “People are Crazy” by Billy CurringtonLucky Number: 14 Favorite Tennis Racket: Wilson Years of Tennis: 12Favorite Game: Federer vs. Nadal 2011Hours of Training per day: 2 Best Accomplishment: Winning a tourna-ment

Photo by Ariyan Almassi

Favorite Animal: OwlFavorite Pre-game food: StarburstPosition: 2nd BaseFavorite Song: “Power” by Kanye WestFavorite Bat: XenoFavorite thing about softball: FriendsMost looking forward to in college: Independence

Photo by Maggie Vickers

Alyssa Sturgis

The Rundown

In the grand scheme of things, a good percentage of us here are here in order to gain a diploma and go on to college. In order to get into the best college possible, we must make the best grades and test scores possible. Now imagine sitting at your lunch table, just chatting casually about your senior friends’ GPAs, when you find that one who is in the top 11 percent of their class has al-most the same GPA as you and you are struggling to stay in the top quarter. Even counselor Greg Fore, has made comments on how overly competitive the junior class is. What about those of us who are not geniuses? We who represent the population of people who would typically make up the bulk of the low-

er half of the first 25 percent are at a disadvantage because of our severely driven class-mates. Our future should not be dependent on any-thing but our own success. This could affect our futures

by changing what schools and colleges we can get into, on top of affecting our self-esteem. If someone does not believe they can do well in school and does not see the point in trying their best, they obvi-ously won’t do their best. By not doing our best during

our times in high school, we hurt not only our chances of getting into a good college, we hurt our chances of doing well once we get to whatever school we end up at. Furthermore, what about

those who have a separate tutor for each class? It’s un-fair that some have the time and money to spend on personalized help for each classes. Those of us who are involved in outside-of-class activities or have jobs cannot necessarily get that

kind of assistance, and most of us do not really need that much help in order to get sat-isfactory grades. If you need extra help with a class in order to maintain a “B” in an advanced class, perhaps you should consider dropping down.

13Friday, April 20, 2012The Oracle OPINIONS

Thanks to Drake’s main-stream song The Motto ft. Lil Wayne, belting out ‘YOLO’ has become oddly common. YOLO, short for “You only live once”, is said to be a mo-tivator to make you do things that you normally wouldn’t agree to do. I, among many other stu-dents, have grown tired of hearing such a pointless slo-gan so many times of the day. “I can’t stand the YOLO jokes or random comments. If you need a dumb motto to make you do stupid things

then maybe you should re-think your decisions,” said sophomore Brendon Bess-iere. The twitter account @YoloJokes has reached over 300,000 followers. This ac-count features idiotic actions that don’t make any sense fol-lowed by a YOLO hash tag. This user tweets far too many times a day and gets hun-dreds of retweets. Of course, we should live ev-ery day to the fullest. People should not need such a slogan to do so, especially since it is not being used to take risks that are beneficial, but instead

to justify bad decisions. Shouting YOLO and taking a shot of alcohol or perhaps something simpler such as not doing your homework does not make either of those actions okay. Simple actions such as those and the phrase YOLO do not define how ex-citing your life is. I’m not trying to express an opinion about teen drinking or failing to do your home-work, but instead make a point that you should make your choices based on your morals not the “Motto” of a mainstream rapper. We as people are able to

make the best choices with-out influences from other people. No one knows you better than yourself, so why listen to anyone else when it comes to deciding if some-thing is wrong or right? When you’re faced with a decision and you know the difference between what is wrong and right, don’t let ‘YOLO’ blur your vision and get the two mixed up. Yes, you only live once, but that means you also only die once too, so why waste your life on dumb decisions? You’ll find that by using your morals to lead your

l i f e you won’t regret as many choices as you would if you lived according to others be-liefs. Among t h e p e o -p l e

who use YOLO as justifica-tion for poor choices there is also a crowd shouting it as a joke. Maybe it is funny at first, but I’d say after a few times it becomes incredibly

obnoxious, not to men-tion slightly embar-

rassing. Thankfully, the YOLO trend seems to be dy-ing down. We do only live

once but that doesn’t mean we have to waste our precious time exclaiming such an ob-vious fact.Graphic by Kelsey Hunter.

Popular saying does not excuse irresponsible behavior

Junior class highly competitive with academicsCaroline Suchman

Kali Venable

Oracle StaffAdvisor Janice CummonsEditors-in-Chief Annie Rice, Maddie Stone, Avery Falick Associate Editor Rachael BrennanNews Editors Samantha Vargas, Layla Shahhosseini, Sara Boyle News Reporters Chandler Callahan, Esther Jeon, Samantha Stazo, Ara LuzMuse Editors Caitlin Hilton, Hannah Price, Paige Tormey Muse Reporters Kaela Beasley, Janelle BlackwoodSports Editors Samantha Hicks, Valeria Chelala, Leslie Bustamante Sports Reporters Alex Newton, Elaine Parizot, Elyse StieberOpinions Editors Michelle Evans, Lydia Sweet Opinions Reporters Andres Acosta, Caroline Suchman, Jackie VelardePhoto Editors Katie Gregory, Amy Jordan, Mary Elizabeth Schnake Photographers Ariyan Almassi, Maddie Byers, Caroline Demeris, Faith Figueroa, Jackie Mask, Jacob Pennington, Logan Tinkler, Samantha Vanston, Amy BrajenovichCopy Editors Ammarah Tariq, Marina Khalid Staff Artist Kelsey HunterDesign Editors Isabel Deakins, Harrison Vaporciyan Design Staff Gil Sanchez, Kali VenableAds Editors Leslie Baker, Caroline Schrieber, Katy Wilson Ads Staff Stephanie Slaughter, Mary Margaret Weaver, Blake Schreiber

When I first came to high school, I had no idea what a GPA was. I knew from what my middle school teachers had told me that high school was essential, but I hadn’t a single clue that it would be my high school records and grades affecting what college I would be able to go to. I had no online access to grades and I very rarely checked them. Why should I? I knew they mattered, but I had no idea how much they mattered. My freshman year went by mundanely in a strange blur, but it could’ve been a very different year for me had I known more about what would take place in the next four years of my life. Our school does have freshman orientation to wel-come the incoming fresh-men in, but that program is geared specifically towards

making the freshmen more comfortable in their high school transition, not to in-form them of how critical the next four years of their lives will be. Parents have the opportu-nity to be informed of the importance of their children’s GPA at Parent U, a program that takes place second se-mester to help parents un-derstand what their students must do to succeed in high school. However, even that program fails in the aspect that it is directed towards the parents and not the students. Yes, most of the freshmen coming into high school have a generally greater arsenal of knowledge than most, but there are still those without that knowledge. I’ve always regretted that I didn’t do more during my freshman year. It was, to me, the easi-est year in my high school career, and I easily could’ve worked a little harder to

make grades that would ex-emplify my fullest potential. There’s really not much to do; the solution is quite simple. There could be some speech made at freshman orientation regarding the importance of high school, or even a simple assembly to properly introduce the fresh-men to what they should be working on for the next four years. It’s an easy step the school can take to make their freshmen more knowledge-able. This assembly should also teach them that they are re-sponsible for themselves. They should not worry about the grades their peers are making, they should only be worried about their own success. The academic com-petition the junior class and in the whole school could be greatly decreased if students were more aware of the sig-nificance of hard work and good study habits.

Better IntroductionsHelp the freshmen to succeed from the startEsther Jeon

Fighting for Success

Contemporary Carpe Diem

“Our future should not be dependent on anything

but our own success.

As the school year comes to an end and the summer ap-proaches, many seniors are preparing for their move to college while many juniors are starting to think about which universities to apply to. Any senior will tell you that there are many factors that go in to deciding on a college to attend. College rank should contribute to your decision, but it shouldn’t be the only aspect to analyze. Many stu-dents mistakenly choose a higher ranked school where they do not necessarily be-long or fit in just because it “looks” better on a resume. No matter where you choose to go to school, your educa-tion is what you make of it. If you party all of the time and neglect your school work, you will not learn as much, no matter where you are. Since you will be on your own, you will get just as much out of your education as you put into it. If you work hard,

it will show and you will have a high GPA. If you don’t, this will also be very apparent. College is also seen as a place to network. It is very common for people to find jobs after graduating college from a former college friend. Although some universities are seen as better networking schools than others, all col-leges have the potential to be great networking opportuni-ties, again, depending on how much effort you put into it. In addition, sororities and fra-ternities in all universities are seen as easy, yet strong, ways to network. Decide what kind of school you see yourself at. There are so many universities and all of them are different, so decid-ing what kind of environment fits you best will help narrow down the choices. You need to decide whether you want to be at a big or small school, how far away from home you would like to be, specific loca-tion, the type of people there, and much more. Once you

decide the type of environ-ment you would like to spend the next four years enveloped in, you will have a clearer pic-ture of which college would suit you best. It is incredibly important that, before choosing a uni-versity, that you tour the cam-pus. When visiting you are able to see the various people that attend the university, what the school emphasizes, and the area where the cam-pus is located. If you can, it is also recommended to sit in on a class while you are there to experience the new type of learning environment and get a taste of a course that you may be taking in the future. It is important to not only tour the campus, but to also stay there for the weekend with someone that you know. This way, you are able to see the closest possible example of college life on that campus. That way, you will be able to tell better whether you will do well socially and scholasti-cally at that particular school.

While applying for various colleges, be sure to put the major that you want to pur-sue as a future career path. It is completely unethical to ap-ply for colleges within a spe-cific university that are seen as easier to get in to just so that you can get in. Because of that, you are taking away spots in that college for other people who actually want to be a social worker or involved in special education, for ex-ample. If you are not admitted into the university based on your actual career path, then you were simply not meant to go to the school or you won’t be able to keep up with the course load there. Besides, it would be better to know that you were admitted to your university because of your own merit and that you actu-ally deserve to be there rather than just cheating the system. If you look at the right things, you are bound to find the right college fit for you.

The Oracle14 Friday, April 20, 2012OPINIONS

College ConundrumImportant information to consider for applying Hannah Price

Juniors and seniors filled out a survey during Spar-tan Time on April 12 stat-ing which AP tests they were the most stressed about.

J U N I O R S

EnglishLanguage

25%

Other12%

U.SHistory37%

CalculusAB/BC21%

EnglishLiterature

19%

Notstressedor N/A26%

Notstressedor N/A26%

Other7% Physics

B/C16%

Biology11%

May 7- 7:30 AM: Chemistry, Environmental Science. 11:30 AM: Psychol-ogy.May 8- 7:30 AM: Computer Science A, Spanish Language. 11:30 AM: Art HistoryMay 9- 7:30 AM: Calculus AB, Calculus BC. 11:30 AM: Chinese Language and CultureMay 10- 7:30 AM: English Literature and Composition. 11:30 AM: Japanese Language and Culture, Latin: VirgilMay 11- 7:30 AM: German Language and Culture, United States History. 11:30 AM: European HistoryMay 14- 7:30 AM: Biology, Music Theory. 11:30 AM: Physics B, Physics C: Mechanics, Physics C: E&MMay 15- 7:30 AM: United States Goverment and Politics. 11:30 AM: French Language and Culture.May 16 -7:30 AM: English Language and Composition. 11:30 AM: StatisticsMay 17- 7:30 AM: Macroeconomics, World History. 11:30 AM: Italian Language and CultureMay 18- 7:30 AM: Human Geography, Spanish Literature

S E N I O R S

AP Test Schedule

The English language is a double-edged sword. In the right hands, it can be used to dispel ambiguity, present concise arguments, or tell an epic story. Alternately, in the hands of someone inexperi-enced, it can be confusing, contradictory, and accom-plish little besides making its user look like an idiot. Sadly, the second scenario has become much more com-mon than the first in recent years, and with the influx of services like Twitter and Tumblr continually shorten-ing the buffer between think-ing something and publish-ing it, this worrying trend will only get worse. But don’t think you’re im-mune from this idiocy simply because you proofread your writing before throwing it out into the wild. Even the most thorough of editors routinely miss some extremely com-

mon usage errors, and chanc-es are if they don’t catch it, neither will you. The easiest way to avoid looking like an illiterate buf-foon in conversations is to actually take the time to look up words before you use them. This isn’t an issue with most words, but some have been twisted into gross perversions of their original definitions by decades, if not centuries, of misuse. I’m talking, of course, about “literally”. When the word was first used in the early 1500s, it meant “in the literal or strict sense; exactly as dictated”. Fast-forward a few centuries, and you see it used to mean the exact opposite of its origi-nal definition, as in “the sena-tor was literally buried under

red tape”. “Literally” is not alone in having a seemingly para-doxical definition, of course. “Cleave” means “to cut in half ” and “to glue together”, and “scan” means “to peruse” and “to read in depth”. The list goes on, but I’m sure you get

the point. “Literally”, however, has the unfortu-nate distinc-tion of being able to get crammed into a sentence

almost anywhere without af-fecting its integrity, which means that it’s been beaten like a proverbial dead horse over the years. Don’t get me wrong - it’s still technically correct to use “lit-erally” as part of a hyperbole, as Chantelle Houghton did when she remarked that “he walks into the room and he’s literally like a hurricane”. As

with everything in life, how-ever, just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. If this doesn’t make sense to you, imagine everyday lan-guage as food and hyperboles as spices: in small amounts, they can be nice, but they be-come annoying and eventu-ally unbearable beyond a cer-tain point. In this metaphor, Ms. Houghton’s remark is the equivalent of lightly sprin-kling some cayenne peppers over a meal, while the way most people use it is equiva-lent to chugging Tabasco sauce directly from the bottle. Overusing any word will eventually ruin it, and “liter-ally” is no exception. So the next time you go on about how you were “literally stuck to your seat” during a movie, unless you were at a remark-ably awful theater, remember that you’re contributing to the gradual degradation of the English language.

“Literally” Played OutIncorrect usage ruining word’s definitionHarrison Vaporciyan

“Overusing any word will eventually ruin it,

and “literally” is no exception.

With the 2012 Presidential Election quickly approach-ing, we’re making choices about who we will support to be the next president of this great nation. Living in Texas doesn’t exactly give us an unbiased playing field, but it does give us an environment with diverse ideas of what is right and wrong. This variety has given us, as young peo-ple, a taste of what the “real world” of politics is like be-fore we can even reach high enough to grab a ballot. The debates between nomi-nees for the upcoming race have been widely watched and discussed. However, the questions asked, along with the answers given, don’t al-ways cover what we, as Amer-ican citizens, need and want to know in order to make our decisions to vote (or support, in the case of minors). The Republican nominees

(along with their stances on issues, family past, financial standing, previous personal choices, and religious adher-ence) are well-known to the public, especially in Texas. But if you’re set on support-ing a Republican nominee, here is some food for thought before you decide who you’ll be supporting. Primary front-runner Mitt Romney’s plans for his presi-dency aim to reduce the fed-eral deficit. Some of the fund-ing he’s looking to reduce effects students, including education and research. Even if you’re leaving high school soon, this fund cut ap-plies to you. Romney’s plan will cut funding for student financial aid (the money that might help you get through college). These two examples make it clear that it’s important to dig deep into the real issues-especially those which will directly effect you-before

making a choice. If you heard this: “The American people’s view that everyone has a right to medi-cal care is intellectually wrong and will destroy what is good in the current system,” who would you think said it in a public speech? Would you assume it was the s t a n c e of Ron Paul? Be-cause, be-lieve it or not, it is. Say you’re a s e n i o r citizen and you live alone. You break your hip and des-perately need the medical attention to heal so that you can continue to take care of yourself. You have a right to medical care, right? Ron Paul’s Medicare plan doesn’t agree. How about the issue on a

North American Union simi-lar to the European Union? This union, “complete with a currency across national bureaucracy and virtually border less travel within the union,” will - in Paul’s own words - “represent another step toward the abolition of

n a t i o n a l sovereign-ty.” An in-t e r e s t i n g part of this i d e a l i z e d union is that it ties very closely to some-

thing else Paul said: “Every time you think of the [bor-der] fence keeping all those bad people out, think about those fences maybe being used against us, keeping us in.” Combined, these two quotes can amount to wanting to keep the “bad people” out of

our country but encouraging the ideal world of free travel between neighboring coun-tries and the United States. Makes sense, right? A rising issue in our nation, especially with the frail econ-omy, is the influx of homeless people. When asked about his position on this issue following the shooting of a homeless man in front of the White House, Newt Gingrich replied, “Give the park police more ammo.” Humanity, and our right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” dis-agree and make actions like this unfavorable. A common accusation made by students and adults is that young people only have po-litical stances and opinions because of what they’ve heard from their parents. While this may be slightly true, I wouldn’t give all the credit to parents. We’re a fair amount through our education, we’ve been taught right and wrong,

and we’ve all lived in this world long enough to know at least some common sense. Why is it, then, that under the light of politics we all seem to forget our intellect and go into knock-down, drag-out arguments to back up those we support? Most of us aren’t even able to vote. Why does the election have anything to do with us at all? Simple: it’s the future. President Obama doesn’t have exactly agreeable poli-cies or ideas all the time, ei-ther; no one is perfect. But at the same time, he has gener-ated some success in cutting the deficit as well as making our lives easier. You may not like what’s currently going on in the White House. But just one question should run through your mind before you vote on someone else simply to end the power of who is in office now: What are you voting for?

The Oracle Friday, April 20, 2012 15OPINIONSPolitical PonderingsHow potential presidential platforms affect real peopleHannah Bevers

Parking has been a night-mare on campus for years. It isn’t necessarily finding a spot that is horrendous, but the hundreds of eager cars trying to get home at 3 p.m. every-day. Earlier in the semester, the construction company took over a section of the south parking lot by the water tow-ers. The spaces that used to be for student parking were fenced off and used as park-ing for the construction workers and as a place to se-cure their storage sheds. Stu-dents who previously parked in the south lot would now park in the east lot if there were no other spots available. After school, students typi-cally talk with their friends. There are also many students who just want to get home and relax. For those that want the latter, they rush to their cars and quickly head out of the parking lot. Prior to spring break, this was an easy

5 minute routine. If one was out of the build-ing and in their car by 3:05, they were clear to exit cam-pus. Now, however, this is im-possible. Even at 3:05, there is already a line of cars ready to leave. Every morning, there is a group of seniors and juniors who arrive to school on time and head to park in their des-ignated parking lot. As they-realize there are no spots left, they head over to the east lot. By the time these students are parked and walking into the building, the bell goes off and they are late for class. Students should be able to park in the faculty lot. Build-ing Principal Chris Juntti has come on the intercom numerous times to say that there are plenty of spots avail-able in the east lot, but this is no longer the case. While the faculty lot remains only half full, the students are fighting to find a parking space. The teachers are supposed to be here every morning

by 7:15. With this time, they prepare for the day or hold tutorials for their students. As for the student body, most of them arrive after 7:30. Cur-rently the faculty can park any where they want in the faculty parking lot. They have been at school for a while by the time students finally start arriving. “The parking spaces in those rows for construction work-ers don’t even get completely filled,” said senior Don Szum-ski. Seniors who have off campus every morning now have to park in the east lot and travel around the perimeter of the school just to get inside. Al-though it is a safety measure to lock those doors leading to the east lot, it causes students to be unnecessarily late. The students had to give up three rows for construction purposes. It would be nice if the faculty lot could sacrifice even one row to make up for the loss.

Problematic ParkingBuilding construction disturbs south lotMichelle Evans

School staff slacks in supporting rules equallyInconsistent Enforcement

The use of cell phones, “in-appropriate” wear, being tar-dy: these rules are commonly broken among students. Staff does not seem to enforce these rules equally among the students. Teachers have a very unusual way of dealing with students who break these common rules. For example, one day a female student might wear leggings to a certain teachers’ class and be sent to the office to change. Another student may go into the same class-room, with the same teacher, w e a r -

ing leggings and not get rep-rimanded at all. Favoritism, mood changes, or just plain not seeing the student could all be causes of why the second student may not have gotten caught. This is not fair for the student who did get sent to the office. Rules are made for a reason. We all break the rules some-times, but students getting punished for there actions while others don’t is unfair. Everyone loves the feeling of “getting away” with a rule but that does not change the fact that it is a rule and it is there for a reason. Whether a teacher may fa-vor this student or not, all students must be treated

the same. It is not the student’s fault that they aren’t the teacher’s favorite. Teachers should be consistent in their ways of deal-ing with students who break the rules. Teachers seem to base their

strictness on how their mood is on that particular day, rath-er than what the rules really are. Teachers should enforce the rules equally. Rules are in place for a rea-son. Students think that it is acceptable to break rules just because they know their teacher won’t catch them. If students follow the simple rules the school has in place, none of this would be neces-sary. Teachers’ inconsistency needs to become uniform. It is unfair to students, and it looks bad on the teachers part to not follow their own set of

s c h o o l - d e -termined

rules.

Kaela Beasley

“Why does the election have anything to do with us at all?

Simple: it’s the future.

The OracleADS16 Friday, April 20, 2012

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