wildcat alest plano senior high school volume 67 issue 10 april 19, 2013 plano, tx 75075 www.wildcattales.com

By Alexis SendejasMission trips take students overseas

2.6 billion people in under-developed countries lack basic sanitation.

At least 80 percent of humanity lives on less than $10 a day.

A mere 12 percent of the world’s population uses 85 percent of its water.

One in seven people are starving.

*Statistics from worldhunger.org and globalissues.org

A pilot’s f lightBy Brooke Combs

He can see city lights that go on for miles and miles. He thinks the view of Dallas at night is breathtaking from his view up in the sky. There is nothing like flying. But before senior Blake Evans ever got into the plane, he did a pre-flight examination to check the oil and tire pressure. After that, he climbed into the aircraft for his first flight. “I was in the air over Dallas,” Evans said. “It was such a cool experience. It was pretty windy that day, which made me a little hesitant to go flying, but after we got up there, I did some simple maneuvers and it was awesome. I knew I wanted to keep doing it.” Evans has had a passion to fly ever since he was a child. His grandfather, who was in the Air Force and served during the Korean War, helped spark his interest in becoming a pilot. “Ever since I was in elementary school, I wanted to fly planes,” Evans said. “It is fascinating when you learn about the science behind flying and how things work. I’ve been lucky to have travelled on planes as a child, and that was a big inspiration for me to learn to fly. I also looked up to my grandfather and I’ve just always wanted to do it.”

Aspiring pilot works to obtain license

Continued on page 3

Continued on page 6

Continued on page 6

She has been on two mission trips already, where she hammered, sawed and built homes and buildings. She said that she feels she has made a difference in the past and is ready to take on her next mission trip. Senior Zoë Collenburg said she is ready to make a big difference again this summer, when she will go to Kenya to work at a school. This is her first out-of-the-country mission trip. Her past mission trips took her to Rapid City, S.D. in July 2011 and New Orleans in July 2012. “In ninth grade, with my first trip, my main motivation was a week in a new place with my best friends,” Collenburg said. “But by the time we got to our site and started our work, my heart was changed and I fell in love. Our church, as a whole, had a big focus on our ‘10-mile radius’ and making a big impact there, but we also encourage missions – and we try to make the short-term change a long-term change. I have loved being able to go somewhere, just a short time, and leave knowing that I have made a huge impact. I love being able to share that same grace, love and hope I have with others.” Junior Ellie Scottow has also been on a mission trip before. Scottow believes that God is pushing her to go on a mission trip to Haiti this summer and to make a difference

in people’s lives there. “I went on a mission trip last year to Camp Barnabus, which is a camp where kids with special needs and disabilities come from all over the United States,” Scottow said. “I got to go with my church for a whole week and pour my heart out to the girls and boys there. It has been one of the highlights of my life, because it was all about other people and not about me at all. For that week in Purdy, Mo., God used me in many ways to achieve things I didn’t think I was able to achieve. I took away so much from the trip and learned so much about

God and myself and how I was made to serve others – that it fueled my heart to serve even more. That is where this trip to Haiti comes in. A couple of my friends from church, and even a few of the boys here at Plano, had gone last year and they loved it so much they couldn’t stop talking about it. After praying for a while about it and just thinking about it, I really felt like the Lord was telling me that He wanted me to go.” According to Collenburg, home and Africa are two separate worlds, but Africa is a world she hopes to understand.

“It is beyond me,” Collenburg said. “We’ve talked with a few people who have already gone and worked with the same people we’ll be going and seeing and we’ve also tried to really learn about their culture. I have discovered that we are so very different, and it is going to take a lot to understand everything they do. One of the things we discussed was the way we see time – Americans are very ‘go, go, go’ and we have solutions to things most cultures do not even consider problems. As a result, most short-term missions to other countries leave a bitter feeling because we tend to focus on doing and getting things crossed off a list, while many other cultures would rather build relationships than have us work on project after project. In Africa, time is not the same as it is here. As much as we center our lives on time and schedules, they focus on relationships and people.”

Leaps and boundsBy Tehreem Shahab

It was something he had never done. He showed up to his usual track meet, where his coach told him he would be running hurdles. Before his turn came, he quickly took some tips from another coach on how to jump a hurdle. A few hours later he found out he had beat his middle school’s record. Now, three years later, sophomore Colin O’Day from Vines is on the varsity track and field team. On April 9 and 11, he participated in the district championships for track and field. Field events involve activities such as shot put, discus and pole vaulting while track events include relay racing and mid-distance running. The top four make it to the area meet, where they compete against athletes from other districts. O’Day qualified for the area meet in

pole vaulting. “Before I started pole vaulting I went into it thinking ‘Oh gosh, am I going to be scared?’” O’Day said. “But once I got into it I was too busy having fun to notice anything, because it was just so fast-paced.” According to O’Day, a lot of technique is needed to pole vault, including proper speed and control. “You need to be fast and you need to be able to control your body in the air,” O’Day said. “You also need a good left arm in order to flex in right. Once you follow those steps and pole vault correctly, you’re up in the air for just a second and then you come down. That second is probably the best feeling I’ve ever had.”

Senior Zoë Collenburg and fellow youth group members paint a house for a man who can no longer use his legs in South Dakota in 2011.

Photo submitted by Zoë Collenburg

Freshman Haley Plenger from Vines prepares to pole vault at the March 7 Ron McNeil Invitational track meet.

Photo by Amy Ekiriwang

Senior Blake Evans was inspired to be a pilot by his grandfather, pictured here in an AT-6 aircraft at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas in 1956.

Photo submitted by Blake Evans

Athletes compete in field events

Photo submitted by Zoë CollenburgSenior Zoë Collenburg and her church youth group take a picture together on a mission trip to New Orleans last summer.

news april 19, 20132

The PTSA-sponsored After Dark Party at Dave and Buster’s, with a full-service restaurant and video arcade, is a safe way for seniors to have fun from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. after prom ends on April 20. The party took place at Main Event in previous years, but has been moved to Dave and Buster’s at Stonebriar Mall due to financial circumstances. In the past, the district has contributed $5,000 specifically for the after prom events for senior highs. However, due to budget cuts, there are less resources and the PTSA is asking for donations from parents who are willing to get involved. The After Prom tradition was created in the 1980s by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Today, the PTSA coordinates the entire event, including door prizes available for students like scholarships. Sub-school principal Tracy Ryerson believes that After Dark Party is important for students’ safety. “What the school district and the three high schools decided to do is offer something after prom,” Ryerson said. “Rather than kids going out drinking and potentially getting in a car accident, they put it in a safe location, where kids would be supervised by adults, so they

would be sure to get home safe. It has been going on a long time.” Ryerson praises the PTSA for their dedication to the program. “We have such an awesome PTSA here,” Ryerson said. “They do wonderful raffles; I have seen kids walk out with big flat-screen TVs, scholarships, computers, iPods, and iHomes. Kids respond very favorably to that. It is not just one or two – it’s tons and tons of raffles.” Though prizes are given out, they are not the only reason students attend the event. “The kids have enjoyed the bowling, the games. Everything is open to them. Just the socialization of being with their friends,” Ryerson said. “Generally out of the three high schools, we have the highest number of students attend the After Prom event.” Without the PTSA, Ryerson said the success the school has seen with the After Dark Party would not be possible considering all the detail that has to go into the event. “They plan the whole thing from start to finish,” Ryerson said. “They plan the food, the snacks, the drinks. They worked before with Main Event and now they are doing the same with Dave and Buster’s. They work

with the companies to shut the place down and have their staff there to staff it. They organize all the raffles and security. They also rotate parent volunteers throughout the night to run it, then they stay behind to clean up. I mean, they do everything – we just kind of show up as administrators to supervise kids. When we get there it is ready to go.” Senior Amanda Sherman has heard good things about the event and plans on attending with her group this year. “All of my friends are really excited about going to prom and the After Prom,” Sherman said. “I hear they give out a lot of door prizes and scholarships, and actually one of the guys in my group won a door prize last year. I know I am excited to go to Dave and Buster’s because it has unlimited games. Hopefully it will be a new tradition for Plano.”

After Dark Party moves to Dave and Buster’sBy Alexandria Oguntula

Junior Class President re-elected as senior class presidentBy Laura Jones After all the campaigning, speeches and poster-making, only one of the four candidates for the position of senior class president remained. Junior Andrew Bramlett was elected at the beginning of the year as junior class president, and he will now hold the position of senior class president for next year. As junior class president, Bramlett was in charge of Teacher of the Month and the “Keep It Classy Plano” float during homecoming. “I do think I deserved to win and am so fortunate to be elected by the best class at the best school in the world,” Bramlett said. “The election was highly contested this year. I’m so thankful I was chosen. Each of the four candidates was extremely deserving, and all did a great job. It was a fun ride, but also very stressful and tiring – I’m glad the campaign trail is behind me.” The current senior class president, senior Binna Kim, said she was excited when she got the news that Bramlett will replace her next year. “I know he will have a blast as senior class president,” Kim said. “He will feel so liberated with this newfound responsibility, like I have had this past year. It truly is such a different position than junior class president and I am sure he will feel that. I know he really does love Plano

and he will do a great job.” Kim said she knows what it is like to have the responsibility of leading the class. “The advice I would give is to really just work hard,” Kim said. “Work hard every day to do the things you want to accomplish. Always remember that your peers voted you to be put in this position, equipped with the resources to make something out of it. Have a servant’s heart and do everything you can to impact as many as possible. Make the most of it, enjoy it and make memories.”

Junior Andrew Bramlett gives his campaign speech for the senior class president election.

Continued on www.wildcattales.com

Photo by Brenda Wong

sports april 19, 2013 3

Baseball strives to succeed in district play after lossesBy Maddie Patton

The new season is officially underway, and with six wins and two losses under their belt, the baseball team is preparing for their last three district games. The next game on Saturday, April 20 is against West at home. Varsity coach Rick Robertson has been coaching baseball for 30 years, and this is his sixth year at Plano. He’s seen different teams come and go, each with different strong suits. Robertson feels that as it gets later into the season, this team’s strongest skill will be pitching. Because there are 14 underclassmen on the team, there will be a greater opportunity to train pitchers for next season. This year the team has five seniors, 11 juniors and three sophomores. The range in ages has led the coaching staff to rearrange the players’ positions in order to give them experience in different areas. Robertson said there are still gaps to be filled in the lineup and weaknesses to work on this season. “Every year is different,” Robertson said. “Going into the season we didn’t know what our pitching would be like. We have a lot of inexperience. We feel like as time goes on we will get stronger, and we hope pitching will become our strong suit. So far our pitching is strong, our defense is pretty good, but we will keep working to improve our hitting.” The team experienced their first losses during a two-game series against Plano West on Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6. Robertson said the players understand what it takes to win and the attitude necessary to keep after a defeat. “After a loss, we just have to shake it off,” Robertson said. “We don’t have time to get down and beat ourselves up about it. We just have to get ready to go on to the next game after and do what we know how to do.” So far this season the boys have played Plano East twice, and Robertson said both games have been extremely close wins. On Tuesday, March 26, the game went on for 13 innings, lasting long after midnight and way past the normal length of seven innings. “It was frustrating because we were playing good defense, but we were not getting anything going at the plate,” Robertson said. “We’d be under pressure to perform defensively to keep them from scoring to end the game. The score remained tied for about three to four innings. Finally, in the 13th, we had a chance and we scored a couple runs to get ahead. It was a very long game, but exciting for the kids because they played a really great game.” Student athletes must uphold a standard set by the state in order to play in each game.

Players must keep their grades above 70 and be present for practices to participate. “They play under tremendous pressure every day,” Robertson said. “During practice we put pressure on them to perform, so that when game time comes they’re able to stand it from the crowd and the other team. They all end up playing better when they push through.” Junior John David Kaufman was brought up to varsity from junior varsity this season after two games to play outfield. Balancing schoolwork and baseball requires Kaufman to rearrange his schedule to be able to get to practices every day after school. “I always have to make sure my grades are good enough to be able to play,” Kaufman said. “I try to make time to hang out with friends, but it’s hard during the season. I always have to plan around practice and games.” At the end of the district season, the top 16 teams in the district with the most wins will advance on to playoffs. Robertson said as long as the team continues to work hard there is a good chance the team will go far. “I look forward to getting to know my teammates and having fun being a Wildcat,” Kaufman said. “My goal is for the team to make playoffs. I try my hardest during practice to just get better. I always have something to work on, no matter what.” As the season comes to an end next month, Robertson and the coaching staff hope that each of the players take all of their experiences to wherever they go next. “We hope they move forward remembering the fun we’ve had, the camaraderie as a team, and all the hard work they’ve put in,” Robertson said. “Hopefully if we continue to work hard, success will come from it. There’s three parts of what we stress: fundamentals, discipline and aggressiveness. That definitely carries over, whether you’re an athlete, a student, at work, whatever you do.”

Athletes compete in field eventsBy Tehreem Shahab

Senior Joseph Noteboom also believes a lot of technique is required in field events. He started taking interest in field events in seventh grade at Rice. Noteboom currently throws shot put, where he throws a heavy iron ball as far as possible, and discus, which requires him to throw a heavy disc as far as possible, for boys’ varsity. With his recent score of 51 feet and 4 inches, he qualified for the area meet in shot put. According to Noteboom, shot put requires strength and the ability to use an explosion of energy through hips and legs, while discus requires precision. He said the pressure to use these techniques correctly can sometimes be overwhelming. “There are times right before I’m about to throw that I get nervous,” Noteboom said. “I begin to think that I might mess up because everyone is watching me and if I get distracted a little my whole throw could go wrong. When I feel like this I just try to act like no one is watching and throw my best, and even if I do mess up I don’t feel that embarrassed because everyone does mess up at some point.” Track and field coach Tim Eshelman said that when his athletes do get under pressure, he encourages them. “I’m sure they do feel pressured but I just tell them to try to do better,” Eshelman said. “There are so many meets and if you mess up once you get another chance to do better. But sometimes there are meets where you can’t afford to mess up because if you do, you don’t go to the next round. So it’s kind of like elimination.” Initially, Noteboom tried out for fun but in tenth grade he realized he wanted to keep doing it until senior year. “I turned out to be good at it,” Noteboom said. “I could

throw far at a young age and I also got to meet other people from other schools around the area. I soon began to love it and take it seriously because it was another way for me to compete and show of my strength and skills.” Eshelman believes those who run track have traditionally been more successful and are more well-known than those who participate in field events. “We’ve always been stronger in running because there are more running events like hurdles, relays and mid-distance running,” Eshelman said. “However, our athletes for field have done much better this year because we weren’t competitive in the team standings, but now I think we have a better chance of having some field event guys make it to regionals.” According to O’Day, field events are exciting, but the majority of students don’t know much about it. “Field events require a lot more complexity than people think,” O’Day said. “I think they just think that there is

just a lot of running and jumping but there is actually a lot of hard work that goes into it. For someone to do 22 foot long jump isn’t just pure athletic ability, it’s technique and practice.”

Continued from front page

Freshman Alex Kingsley from Vines pole vaults through the air at the March 7 Ron McNeil Invitational track meet.

Photo by Amy Ekiriwang

Junior John David Kaufman throws a ball to home plate in a game against West on April 6.Photo by Maddie Patton

Sophomore Mitchell Hansen from Clark waits in outfield for the next hit during a game against West on April 6.

Photo by Maddie Patton

april 19, 20134

Junior Caleb Worley has access to the Internet, but he never checks Facebook or Twitter. He also has a phone, but he never posts pictures onto Instagram. In fact, Worley does not send text messages anymore. When he was a sophomore, Worley’s parents grounded him and banned him from using Facebook or texting. When they offered Facebook and texting back to him around a month later, he declined. “I didn’t really want it,” Worley said. “I’ve thought about using Facebook again a couple of times, but it doesn’t really interest me. I don’t really think about it much.” In his opinion, people who spend too much time on Facebook can damage their social skills or forget how to talk to others in person. “They are very, very talkative on Facebook and they’re really social on Facebook,” Worley said. “But then in person they don’t talk to anyone and they are all alone.” According to junior Joseph Jackson, who has Facebook and Twitter accounts but rarely uses them, social media also causes disagreements that would not have happened face to face. “If you’re hiding behind a computer you’re a lot more likely to say something that you know you wouldn’t say in person,” Jackson said. “If you see someone who is really big in person, you’re not going to say something to them, whereas on the computer you’re like, ‘What’s he going to do? Come through the computer?’ You have more time to think online so you can think of all these kinds of things to say, whereas in person you only

have that split second and if that person is right in front of you might have nothing to say.” Junior Miriam Molina, on the other hand, still has a Facebook but no longer has a phone. After dropping it in the washer last summer, she decided against buying a new one because she did not want to pay for it. “I just feel like it’s not an important expense that I want to have right now,” Molina said. “It’s not a necessity. I use my laptop whenever I need research, but I don’t really care for social media. If I need to call someone, I’ll call them using a home phone.” However, both Molina and Worley agreed that not using Facebook or a cell phone can make it more difficult to communicate about group projects for school. “Sometimes they want to make Facebook groups so they can just message everyone at once,” Worley said. “But I don’t have Facebook, so they have to call me, which is inconvenient for them.” Molina is considering getting a phone for work and school. “If you’re working on a project and you want to meet but something comes up, having a phone does have its purpose,” Molina said. “But most of the time you don’t really need it.” Over the summer, Molina spent time on the blogging website Tumblr, but she said after a while it got old. Today, she also rarely uses her Facebook. “It’s boring because it defeats the whole purpose of talking in person,” Molina said. “You get more personality in person than

when using social media and texting.” Although Worley and Molina personally find social media unnecessary and distracting, neither of them are opposed to any of their peers who might be attached to technology. “I don’t really care what they do,” Molina said. “It doesn’t bother me at all.” Giving up texting was more difficult for Worley than giving up social media, but eventually he got used to it. Now, he has conversations with people by calling them. “That was a little harder to let go because texting is a lot more convenient than calling,” Worley said. “You can text people when you are around other people and some people are just really hard to talk to on the phone.” Jackson still prefers texting to instant messaging on social media sites but acknowledged the benefits of both. “Texting is a neat thing,” Jackson said. “So I don’t really see a point in instant messaging. But social media is cool if you want to meet people, see what everyone is saying and kind of see what’s up with everyone. It’s a good way to see an overview of everything, whereas texting is more like, ‘I want to talk to this one person, and I know this person.’” While Worley does not think giving up social media was a big deal and no longer thinks about it much, he admitted that his social life has changed somewhat. “I’m not extremely talkative,” Worley said. “But I do have more real friends now than back when I had Facebook.”

By Rachel Chen

Students choose to live without common social media sites

Twitter. Instagram. Facebook. Vine. Pinterest. Tumblr. According to the National School Safety and Security Services, schools across the nation have been trying to ban cell phones for over a decade. But students still use their phones to access these social media sites throughout the day, during school and after. Junior Haley Leavitt received her first cell phone in fifth grade. Since then, she said she has used her cell phone more than her computer. She uses her phone to communicate with her friends and parents and to access Twitter, Instagram, Vine and Facebook. “I think it can be distracting,” Leavitt said. “My parents have to take my phone as soon as I get home. I have to put my phone in their room and then do all my homework right away. After I show them my homework, they give my phone back to me.” Junior Sara Rasor said she does her best to not use her phone for social purposes during class. However, she does have a Twitter account that she uses frequently. “I do utilize my phone a lot in class,” Rasor said. “If there’s a word that I don’t know and my teacher is talking, as long as she doesn’t care I will look it up. I can make sure I understand the meaning of the word and what is going on. During class, I try to use my phone in connection with the lesson. But if there is dead time in class, I’ll check Twitter.” Rasor said she is disciplined when it comes to putting her phone away during class, and if there is other schoolwork she will do that first. Like Leavitt, Rasor doesn’t keep her phone around while doing her homework. “It will distract me if I am texting people at night,” Rasor said. “I either put it away, turn it off or just use the ‘Do not disturb’ feature.” Senior Varqa Azimi said it takes him at least twice as long to do his homework when he is texting his friends and tweeting simultaneously. It takes him between three to four hours to do his homework with interruptions from his phone, but only an hour or two when focusing. “I get bored without my phone,” Azimi said. “I’m usually texting or on Twitter. Everyone was talking about Twitter last year in one of my classes, but I thought it was stupid. I finally got one, and after I

started using it I feel like I have to keep up with it.” The district blocks certain websites on its wireless Internet, preventing students from viewing some images, inappropriate websites and homework-help websites such as Planonotes. “I think I use my phone more than computers at school,” Rasor said. “It’s better because I can get onto school-blocked websites and use it faster than a computer.” Creative Writing and English IV teacher Kevin Dunagan currently teaches both juniors and seniors and has previously taught college courses at Tyler Junior College. In his classroom, he has noticed that students are usually on their phones for non-school related purposes. “I am strict about enforcing our school rules about no cell phones during classroom, so they are giving their full attention to the subject we are studying,” Dunagan said. “I do allow students to use their phones for class-related work. Sometimes I’ll say, ‘Get your phones out, record this assignment or look this up.’” Plano does have a policy against using cell phones in class, but it is under the discretion of the teacher to enforce it or not. Dunagan said he believes colleges are stricter about keeping personal cell phone use out of the classroom than high schools are. “I’ve known students that have heard professors say to students on their phones, ‘You can leave, and come back when you’re ready to do classwork,’” Dunagan said. “At Baylor University, the professors have a basket at the front of the classroom. You cannot get into class until you have dropped your cell phone off in the basket.” Dunagan has been known to send cell phones to sub-school. He said he knows students will want to be on their cell phones, and he does not hold it against his students if they are caught with them. However, he does not let it slide by him without consequences. “I don’t like taking up phones, but I feel that I should,” Dunagan said. “I don’t feel that I am doing the student a favor if I simply overlook that. Especially not when they are missing out on stuff going on in class. They can have so many diversions that they can’t listen through a lecture; they can’t participate and plug into a lesson.”

By Alexis Harris

Mobile devices serve as potential distractions from education

5april 19, 2013

when using social media and texting.” Although Worley and Molina personally find social media unnecessary and distracting, neither of them are opposed to any of their peers who might be attached to technology. “I don’t really care what they do,” Molina said. “It doesn’t bother me at all.” Giving up texting was more difficult for Worley than giving up social media, but eventually he got used to it. Now, he has conversations with people by calling them. “That was a little harder to let go because texting is a lot more convenient than calling,” Worley said. “You can text people when you are around other people and some people are just really hard to talk to on the phone.” Jackson still prefers texting to instant messaging on social media sites but acknowledged the benefits of both. “Texting is a neat thing,” Jackson said. “So I don’t really see a point in instant messaging. But social media is cool if you want to meet people, see what everyone is saying and kind of see what’s up with everyone. It’s a good way to see an overview of everything, whereas texting is more like, ‘I want to talk to this one person, and I know this person.’” While Worley does not think giving up social media was a big deal and no longer thinks about it much, he admitted that his social life has changed somewhat. “I’m not extremely talkative,” Worley said. “But I do have more real friends now than back when I had Facebook.”

Every day begins with the same routine. Senior Kate Smith* and her boyfriend meet outside of her first period classroom, they talk and joke around and then they part. On March 20, a student took a picture of the two outside of Smith’s class and posted it on Twitter with the seemingly sarcastic caption “Plano’s cutest couple.” The same phrase was used by other students who have posted similar pictures of unaware, affectionate couples. Smith’s English teacher was also in the picture, and she was told about the picture by the mother of a student at Lovejoy High School who saw it on Twitter. After learning of the post’s existence, Smith’s teacher told her about it. Smith was surprised that the tweet had received 92 retweets and 201 favorites but believes the picture appropriately depicts her and her boyfriend’s relationship. The picture showed Smith trying to poke and grab her boyfriend, while he was pushing her away. “I saw the picture and thought it was kind of cute but kind of weird,” Smith said. “I don’t necessarily mind it, but it would be better to get permission. My boyfriend says it just shows that we are a couple and we’re having fun, but in a different sense than what other people are taking it nowadays.” Since the tweet was posted, Smith hasn’t attempted to get it removed or contact the person who tweeted the picture. She said that if she felt the picture or caption was inappropriate she wouldn’t be as passive about the situation. “If a couple is doing what me and my boyfriend are doing then it would be fine, but if they are doing something a little more private it wouldn’t be a good situation,” Smith said. “It would just be wrong. I hate some of the instances where people post more provocative things of each other.” Assistant principal Bryan Spiritus has dealt with student disagreements through social media. He thinks that because students are so used to technology, it has become a dominant part of their lives. “The social media thing is great, but it’s gotten to a point where it’s an extension of a person,” Spiritus said. “For me, yes, I put things out there, but it’s not an extension of a conversation – it’s not an extension of who I am. For students, they’ve never known not having it, so they become oblivious of the ramifications of putting things out there. You put something out there and you delete it; it doesn’t matter. But somebody saw it. You need to think twice before you hit that post or send because once it’s out there, it’s out there.” Twitter’s hashtag function has been the gateway to some of the Twitter trends that Spiritus has dealt with. Hashtags like “yikes of the day” and “Plano’s cutest couple” promote the posting of pictures of students and couples around school. Spiritus believes students should think about the potential effects of their actions before posting compromising pictures of students. “We’ve had students in here who have maybe had consequences at home with their parents, to having to send students to special programs for cyberbullying, all the way up to causing unintentional harm,” Spiritus said. “You can look up the situation at Rutgers University – about a year ago there were two students living in a dorm together. One was gay and one wasn’t, so the straight student hid a camera in the room. So, when he was in the room with his boyfriend, the other student posted the video online for everyone to see. The gay student then jumped off the George Washington Bridge and committed suicide, so the student who hid the camera in the room was held legally liable. You have to think that when

you’re doing these things, you don’t know what mindset a student is in. If they want to hurt themselves over it, you can be held legally liable over it. It can get pretty serious.” Besides those Twitter trends, fake Twitter accounts have also been used to take aim at the personal lives of other students. Junior Megan Davis has been the focus of a Twitter account’s posts twice – last year, A Of Jasper tweeted about her, and this year, PlanoSecretss posted something about her. She didn’t know about PlanoSecretss’ post until a friend told her one morning in drill team practice. “I don’t remember if I followed them or if they followed me,” Davis said. “They tweeted something about me and somebody else, but I wasn’t tagged so I couldn’t see it. I was kind of shocked – I was taken a little off guard, wondering why someone would do that especially if they don’t know my situation. At first, I felt kind of violated because it was such a vulgar statement and totally inappropriate.” The anonymous account was used to tweet about the private lives of students around the city of Plano, but it has now been deleted from Twitter after being reported. The tweet about Davis talked about her relationship with her prom date. “There was a risk to posting that tweet, and whoever posted it knew that it could affect me and my prom date,” Davis said. “My prom date was more offended than I was. He was probably a little more hurt. I just tried to ignore it, but he was like, ‘You could’ve decided not to go with me.’ He tweeted them back, and he said, ‘Take this off Twitter,’ and then he tweeted that they went too far and it could’ve ruined my prom. We are still going to prom together and everything has blown over.” Spiritus wants to urge students to monitor their posts on social media. He also advises students who are harassed through social media to not turn it into a dialogue or an argument, where both students can then be found to be at fault. If students want advice about their particular situation, they just need to bring in a copy of the page or post and a write-up about what is happening to a sub-school principal. “Perception is reality,” Spiritus said. “If the person considers it harassment, if it’s somebody that’s fragile, maybe not a type A personality, who’s letting their life be affected by it, then we consider it bullying. We’ve also had students talking about drugs and drinking on text messages and Twitter that have been brought to our attention. These students have missed out on graduation. Students in past years have lost prom as well.” After the initial shock, Davis has come to terms with the post’s past existence. “I went to go look at the tweet but the Twitter had been deleted and that was good enough for me,” Davis said. “I think it shows that people are really shallow and that people are being rude. You just kind of have to ignore it and realize that that person doesn’t know you. They’re hiding behind a computer.” Like Davis, Smith has gotten over the post made about her. Her relationship with her boyfriend has remained the same, and she wants to tell students who are affected by cyberbullying to stay calm, just move on and talk to the person who posted about them. “If it’s already out there and you can’t do anything about it, you just have to try and put it behind you,” Smith said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Just do the best that you can and make the best out of the situation.”

*Name changed to protect identity

Twitter trends and accounts spread cyberbullyingBy JP Salazar

started using it I feel like I have to keep up with it.” The district blocks certain websites on its wireless Internet, preventing students from viewing some images, inappropriate websites and homework-help websites such as Planonotes. “I think I use my phone more than computers at school,” Rasor said. “It’s better because I can get onto school-blocked websites and use it faster than a computer.” Creative Writing and English IV teacher Kevin Dunagan currently teaches both juniors and seniors and has previously taught college courses at Tyler Junior College. In his classroom, he has noticed that students are usually on their phones for non-school related purposes. “I am strict about enforcing our school rules about no cell phones during classroom, so they are giving their full attention to the subject we are studying,” Dunagan said. “I do allow students to use their phones for class-related work. Sometimes I’ll say, ‘Get your phones out, record this assignment or look this up.’” Plano does have a policy against using cell phones in class, but it is under the discretion of the teacher to enforce it or not. Dunagan said he believes colleges are stricter about keeping personal cell phone use out of the classroom than high schools are. “I’ve known students that have heard professors say to students on their phones, ‘You can leave, and come back when you’re ready to do classwork,’” Dunagan said. “At Baylor University, the professors have a basket at the front of the classroom. You cannot get into class until you have dropped your cell phone off in the basket.” Dunagan has been known to send cell phones to sub-school. He said he knows students will want to be on their cell phones, and he does not hold it against his students if they are caught with them. However, he does not let it slide by him without consequences. “I don’t like taking up phones, but I feel that I should,” Dunagan said. “I don’t feel that I am doing the student a favor if I simply overlook that. Especially not when they are missing out on stuff going on in class. They can have so many diversions that they can’t listen through a lecture; they can’t participate and plug into a lesson.”

Scottow is also aware of the difference in culture there will be in Haiti compared to at home. She intends to do more research on Haiti, as she currently does not have much background knowledge on the country. “I actually have no clue what this trip is going to be like,” Scottow said. “I know it will probably be very hard because it is such a culture shock, almost like a different world. Here in America, we are so used to seeing Ford F-150s and Mustangs driving down the road. People in Haiti are just trying to make ends meet and they are lucky if they have a sustainable house. That is what will be hard. Just seeing how blessed I am, and how I overlook how much I have, and only see what I don’t have. I’m hoping this trip, and God, will show me that I don’t need everything in the world to fulfill me, because people who are less fortunate are as just as happy, if not more, with a few toys and some food in their belly.” About 40 orphaned children attend the school that

Collenburg and her church will go to work at. She said she knows she will be working with a couple, named Robert and Rose, that have been running the school for a while. In addition to helping out at the school, Collenburg will be helping take care of the orphaned children. “We’re going to be doing whatever they need – whether it is painting rooms, building or working on the building itself or other projects that I don’t know of,” Collenburg said. “I know that with the school having our undivided attention for a week, we could really make a huge difference for them

and the kids. I also know we’ll be able to build some amazing friendships. One of the things that I know will be amazing is the difference in the lives of the kids our presence will make. They don’t have very many people that have time to love them and show that they care about them – we’re going to be able to make a huge difference in the rest of their lives with the love and hope we’ll be able to share.” With nothing being free, the cost of mission trips is high. Scottow has heard of raising money through miscellaneous fundraisers, but she has come up with her own approach on how to raise money for her trip. “My method of payment is kind of crazy,” Scottow said. “I am fully relying on the Lord to bring people into my life to fund this trip. It is going to cost over $2,000 and I have just started the process of getting everything together. I am sending out a letter to friends and family and anyone I know who would love to support me, just by simply asking them to pray for me during this time, and also if they would love to give. I have no clue how this process works, because I have never done anything like this before. I’ve definitely never been to another country, nor to another ocean other than the Gulf of Mexico, so this is all about trusting and having faith.” It is $3,000 per person for Collenburg to go on her trip. Collenburg and her friends are determined to raise all the money they need using their creative skills. Collenburg placed order forms for Hakuna Matata shirts, which are $12, and bags of lollipops, which are a dollar, to sell in various classrooms around campus in hopes to try to reach a wide range of people. “We’ve done so many fundraisers,” Collenburg said. “Most of my classmates know me as the ‘Kenya girl’ at this point. From our lollipop sales, to car washes, to our Hakuna Matata shirts, or to the benefit concert we’re planning for June, we plan on raising a lot of money for a good cause. We’ve all got our own fundraisers and ideas – Arlene MacArthur is selling shoes she’s designed and decorated. My other friend, Alaina, is selling brownies and cookies for a dollar every Friday. I am doing a raffle for 31 different products, which includes handbags, duffle bags and purses. If I sell all the tickets I will be able to reach my goal.” Scottow said she aims to not only bring change upon the Haiti community she will be visiting, but she hopes to change herself for the better. She wants to become more loving and caring. “I hope to change myself, and also to make an impact on my team that I am going with and the people that I get to meet and witness too,” Scottow said. “Being able to play with the boys and girls will be so

awesome. I have learned that sometimes just being with someone can help someone feel loved, because everyone needs to be loved on.”

april 19, 2013feature 6

By Brooke Combs

Aspiring pilot works to obtain license

By Alexis Sendejas

Photo submitted by Blake EvansSenior Blake Evans stands in front of a plane at Addison Airport, where he is in the process of completing 1,500 hours of flight.

Evans plans to attend Texas State Technical College in Waco, where he will get his associate degree in aircraft pilot training after a year and a half. A partnership between Texas State Technical College and Texas Tech allows students to receive their bachelor’s degree while practicing and getting their flight hours in. “I’ll keep flying at Texas State Technical College while I’m getting my bachelor’s, but I will be able to fly in a year and a half,” Evans said. “My goal is to get the APT license which basically says you are allowed to fly commercially and have passengers on your plane. My uncle has a plane and he has let me take over the controls and stuff two or three times, so I have like two or three hours in with him.” Evans’ parents are excited for the career choice their son has chosen. “My parents are very encouraging because they know that I’ve wanted to do this,” Evans said. “They’re behind me. My mom thinks it’s cool because I’m following her dad’s footsteps in a way.” Even though Evans said the lifestyle of a

pilot is hard, he believes he is prepared for what he will have to face in his career. “You’re on schedule for four days, then you’re off a certain amount of days,” Evans said. “I’m not sure how many days you get off because there is a certain law by the FFA that says there is a certain amount of hours you can fly a month. It will be hectic the first few years flying. But I think I’m ready.” Currently Evans is working towards earning a private pilot license, the first license he can get, at Addison Airport. He pays $200 for each session he takes, which includes an online class and an hour of flying at the airport. He has to fly 1,500 hours before he can start applying to commercial airlines as a pilot. Evans loves to fly at any given time of the day, but he especially loves flying at night. “It’s an amazing feeling flying in general, but Dallas at night is so cool to see from the air,” Evans said. “When we fly at night, we usually come in for a landing at Addison Airport at around 6:45, and the view is just amazing. You are flying around all these big jets coming to the surrounding airports. It’s exciting.”

Members in senior Zoë Collenburg’s youth group work together to paint wooden panels on the side of a house.

Photo submitted by Zoë Collenburg

A member from senior Zoë Collenburg’s youth group helps rebuild the deck of a disabled man’s house to make it wheelchair accessible.

Photo submitted by Zoë Collenburg

Senior Zoë Collenburg’s youth group works on the electrical system of a disabled man’s home in South Dakota.

Photo submitted by Zoë Collenburg

Continued from front page

Continued from front page

april 19, 2013 opinion7

His fur is gray with white stripes, though they are hardly visible now. He used to be soft to the touch, but due to years of love his fur has turned ragged and sticks up in many places. One of his piercing, green glass eyes has acquired a chip, most likely from being thrown to the ground in a fit of anger. The tag below his tail that once read “hand-wash only” is now torn to shreds and illegible. However, I love my scruffy stuffed cat more now than I did in the brand-new condition I received him in. On my 7th birthday, I opened up a gift from my good friend, Molly. Yet another stuffed animal to add to my collection. I looked at my mother and could tell that she was overjoyed at the idea from her harsh stare at Molly’s mother. In elementary school, though, one could not have too many furry friends. I quickly added him to the enormous pile that filled my bed every night amidst a brown horse named Spirit and an old dog given to me from my mother named Clifford. I named the new addition Snuggles. Nothing much became of the new member of my stuffed animal family until I attended a sleepover at my friend Rachel’s house a few months later. We were preparing to go to bed, per Mom’s orders, and Rachel pulled out an old, beat-up rag doll. I inquired about the toy and she explained to me how she had had Dolly since the day she was born. Dolly slept with Rachel every night and played with her every day. In that moment I knew that I wanted my own Dolly, too. “But I am already 7!” I thought. Rachel got Dolly when she was born. I was too late. I had grown up too fast and now had no childhood memento. I wasn’t completely discouraged, though. At once I went looking for the perfect stuffed animal. I rummaged through my piles of Raggedy Annes, Barneys and Beanie Babies, but none of them seemed right. Then I came across Molly’s gift from my birthday. I don’t know if it was his squeezable belly or the softness of his fur, but Snuggles and I stuck together like glue from then on. I had decided I would make that stuffed cat my Dolly. I brought him everywhere. Girl Scout camping trips in the woods. Church camps to Oklahoma and North Texas. I recall bringing him to school once or twice. Snuggles had grown to mean so much more to me than just a

stuffed animal. He was my friend. I attended church camp in Tulsa, Okla. the summer after fourth grade. Molly, her younger sister and their mom were also going to the camp. Even though we came from different churches and could only see each other during passing times, I was excited to see familiar faces. One hot day, my cabin group was scheduled to go swimming. Before we left, I made my bed and set Snuggles against my pillow, where I always did. Upon returning from the cool-off, though, I was shocked to see that my cat was missing. I searched around my bed frantically wondering where he could have possibly gone to. But seeing that my cabinmates were leaving me behind to attend our next activity, I pushed the concern out of my mind and caught up with my group. Hours later, I saw that as mysteriously as he had disappeared, my favorite stuffed cat had reappeared back onto my bed. Glad at his return, I erased the questions from my mind and enjoyed the rest of my week at camp. Three weeks later, Molly, her sister and their mother gave me another gift – this time a small brown photo album. Before I opened it, they explained to me that the pictures made up a story and they would have to tell it to me as I flipped through. I opened to the first photo and saw Snuggles sitting on the top of a waterslide. “He wanted to cool off from a hot day,” they narrated. There were seven pictures total. Him on the waterslide. Him posing with each of the girls. Him on a fire truck. Him with the boy’s cabin from their church. And finally, one with him on the bed of the infirmary.

“He had such a fun day that he was pooped out and had to take a nap at the nurse’s office,” Molly’s

mom said as I turned to the last photo. His fur is rough and his white stripes are now grayer, but beneath them is so much more. Now every time I pick up my stuffed animal it’s not just stuffing and fabric that I hold. I hold

memories from 10 years past. He holds them all for me. I

can think back to church camp or to sleeping

with the mountain of stuffed animals on my bed. 20 years from now I’ll be able to look back to him and know that even though I might not have had Snuggles since I was born, I made him into my own childhood

memento.

wildcatapril 19, 2013 volume 67 issue ten

Editors-in-ChiefAlyssa MatesicJp Salazar

Copy EditorKimberly Mei

Layout EditorShezal Padani

Photo/Graphic EditorCristina Seanez

Business ManagerKathleen Shaffer

AdviserTerry Quinn

Mission Statement:Wildcat Tales is a student produced publication that serves to educate, inform and entertain the student body in a professional manner which will provoke thought while upholding the principles of a free press. The publication is a forum for the students of Plano Senior High School. Any opinions expressed in Wildcat Tales is the opinion of the writer and of the writer only.

Policy:Students and faculty are encouraged to send in any questions, comments, concerns or criticisms to be published. Letters to the editors can be put in the envelope in room B208 or emailed to The Wildcat Tales at pshs.pub@pisd.edu. The staff reserves the right to edit a letter for grammatical errors and space issues. Any errors found in the publication will be rescinded in the following issue. Additional and daily updates can be found at our website www.wildcattales.com. Past issues can be viewed at www.issuu.com/wildcattalesonline. Businesses wishing to advertise in Wildcat Tales can email us at pshs.pub@pisd.edu. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisements deemed to be inappropiate.

Jessica AllmanRachel ChenBrooke CombsKaitlin FischerPriyanka HardikarAlexis Harris Kaitlin Humphrey

Myiah JonesAlexandria OguntulaLeslie ParkerMaddie PattonAlexis SendejasTehreem ShahabLaura Jones

Staff Writers

Wildcat Tales is the official student publication of Plano Senior High School 2200 Independence PKWY Plano, TX 75075 469.752.9300

tales

Most people there were under the influence, but you could get high from just the atmosphere. The air was electric, running a hyperactive current through the room. Heat and motion and sound and skin. People moving in a sort of rhythmical chaos. Strobe lights playing with sight. A Rihanna remix rattling eardrums. Boys were dancing too close and girls were dancing too much. Nobody had room to be a stranger. Had someone turned the lights on and the music down, the sight would’ve been comical. But in that moment, there were no inhibitions. No embarrassments. No worries. Our minds were free. I timidly asked my mom earlier that night if I could go to the underage club with some guys in our tour group. Yes, she immediately responded. What time do I need to be back at the hotel? I don’t care if you’re out until 2 a.m., she said. They will be drinking, Mom. That’s okay, she said, have a drink yourself if you want. Just have fun. Just have fun, I told myself. Have fun. Fun. We navigated the streets of Florence in the dusky evening. The sky was gray, smoky, getting ready to shut its eyes for the night. Street lights gave the ancient roads a new, golden coat that glistened in the dawning moonlight. There were only a few people out, and they didn’t mind us. Four American punks walking in a pre-drunken stupor. One American girl walking a couple of paces behind them, map in hand, shouting to the front of the line when they made a wrong turn. It was cool out, but comfortable. And that’s how I felt – comfortable. Even in a foreign nation with a group of near-strangers. I was underwhelmed when we reached our destination. The room resembled a cheap bar – red vinyl booths, ear-piercing shrieks of laughter, horrible pop karaoke. Girls in tight, gaudy cocktail dresses sipped drinks as they tried to balance on stillettos. I reevaluated my outfit – an oversized sweater dress, worn combat boots – and determined that I was out of place. I thought the only way I could tolerate the club was if I had a drink myself, which was out of the question, even if it was legal. We contemplated leaving; it seemed the boys were equally as unimpressed. Then a crowd started gathering behind what appeared to be a garage door in the far corner of the lounge. It rose slowly, and we joined the flood of people moving through it. Behind the door was the real club. There were two levels in the large room, the upper being a sort of balcony with platforms that jutted out over the main dance floor. Long couches lined the walls in little enclaves, and I was able to locate one just before smoke clouded my vision. My guard was still up at that point, and the couch seemed the safest way to avoid alcohol, noise and dancing. The shyest of the boys stayed with me, claiming that the place wasn’t his cup of tea, either, as the others flocked to the bartender. We had to cup our hands around our mouths and nearly shout into each other’s ears to talk, but it was still nice. After a while, the other boys pulled us unwillingly into the chaos. Why be here if you aren’t going to dance? they argued. We made a sort of circle in the middle of the floor, all facing each other. I awkwardly wobbled from side to side for the length of a song or two. Didn’t want to embarrass myself. I avoided looking into their eyes, and instead focused on the small details of the club. The hazy purple fog. The muted exit sign lights. The distant shape of a disco ball hanging from the ceiling. I’m not quite sure what got to me; maybe it was the overwhelming pulse of the beat. Rihanna’s “We Found Love”. I could feel it in the floor, a vibration that traveled along my spine and into my chest. My heart beat with a new, energized pulse. I ran my fingers through my hair and loosened up a bit. I was suddenly at ease – a feeling I so rarely experience. My mind lifted, like a cage door opening, and I felt light. Carefree. Song after song raced by – some foreign, most American pop. I didn’t tire. Something about the energy in the club invigorated me. The room was full of strangers, full of people from different countries and different backgrounds, but there was an unspoken, mutual understanding between us. Nothing mattered in that moment except the music and the feeling. There was peace. The club served as a kind of escape for me – an escape from my own cluttered mind. Something about that room, with the haze and the music and the distant disco ball, captivated me. Maybe even changed me. Sometimes, when I’m driving late at night with KISS FM turned up too high, a song will come on and remind me of that night. I’ll remember the dancing and the people, but mostly I’ll remember the feeling. How my mind was not plagued with stressful tests or college decisions or upcoming change. How I didn’t feel trapped, I felt free. During this intense time in my life, I’m thankful that my mom taught me a valuable lesson that night in Florence – an important lesson I need to embrace before I’m off on my own. Just. Have. Fun.

By Kaitlin Fischer By Alyssa Matesic

Illustration by Tiffany Weng