The junior garage sale will be held at Stratford on Fri-day, Feb. 22 from 4-7 p.m. for employees, and on Saturday, Feb. 23 from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. for the whole community. The garage sale is a fundrais-er for the class of 2014 prom, and is held every year. Books, furniture, and sport-ing equipment are just a few of the types of items for sale, and they will be offered at extremely low prices. All of the items for sale were gen-erously donated by people in the area. “On the Saturday morn-

ings every year, there’s a line stretching longer than a foot-ball field to get into the ga-rage sale,” said junior grade level principal Danny Gex. There are many opportuni-ties for students and parents to volunteer and get hours for different organizations such as Student Council and National Honor Society. Each year this fundraiser raises between $15,000 and $20,000 for the junior class prom. Prom alone can cost around $20,000, plus there is the added cost of another $20,000 for Project Prom.

Athlete Signing pg. 11

OTHE RACLEVolume 40, Issue 7 Friday, February 15, 2013

Stratford High School 14555 Fern Drive, Houston TX 77079 Photo by Rebecca Williamson

Staying Safepg. 3

Photo by Gil Sanchez

Mobile Munchiespg. 7

Photo by Katherine Kennedy

Girls Basketball Wraps up Regular Season Seniors to All-State Choir and Band

Coming Soon: Junior Garage Sale

Seniors Nick Jones and Eric Lee have made the cut for All-State Mixed Choir and All-State Band. After making it through the cuts after many competitive rounds, Jones and Lee both will be performing in con-certs directed by university directors on Sunday, Feb. 17. Jones will be singing as a Bass I and Lee will be playing the clarinet. Both concerts will be a part

of the Texas Music Educa-tors Association convention which takes place at the San Antonio Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center from Feb. 13 through Feb. 16. This will be Jones’ first time making All-State and Lee’s second time to make it into the prestigious group. Jones is choir director Peter Steinmetz’s first student to make it into All-State Mixed Choir.

LAY UP • (Top Left) Senior Rachel Rapier goes in for a lay-up to increase the Spartans’ lead against the Fort Bend Willowridge Eagles. The Spartans finished second in their district which means they will be going to the playoffs against Reagan High School at the Don Coleman Coliseum on Feb. 12.JUMP SHOT • (Top Right) Senior Emily Rucker takes a short shot from inside the paint against the Eagles.TAKIN’ A THREE • (Bottom Left) Senior Jaime Hewitt takes a shot from outside the three point line over a defending Eagle.TAKE AWAY • (Bottom Right) Senior Hope Wiggins receives a pass from Hewitt and gets ready to make an attempt at a bas-ket to push the Spartans ahead. Photos by Gil Sanchez.

Elaine Parizot

The OracleNEWS2 Friday, February 15, 2013

Spotlight on Mrs. HatfieldSara Boyle

Mrs. Hatfield has been teaching at Stratford since the second semester of the first year it opened and has experienced

Wake Up CallDrowsy driving still a growing issueMichelle Evans People fear planes crash-ing, natural disasters occur-ring, and ships sinking; but even with over 5 million car accidents per year, people have yet to show hesitation as they get behind the wheel. The world is much more aware of the dangers of im-pairment while driving a car. White crosses and “don’t text and drive” billboards envelop highways all over the country. Advertise-ments campaigning “Drink. Drive. Go to Jail” are dis-played continuously among different forms of media. Movements for awareness against distracted driving have grown significantly in the past few years, which begs the question: why aren’t peo-ple more aware of the dangers of sleeping while driving? When one is drunk, their vision and judgement be-come impaired. Sleepi-ness is no different. There is no “Breathalyzer” for sleep-deprived driving.

Researchers in Australia re-cently discovered that when one has not received adequate enough sleep over the course of 24 hours, they are shown to have an impairment level equivalent to a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08. Students are considered especially prone to drowsy driving due to the lack of sleep they get each night. According to a recent study, adults between the ages of 17-29 are considered the most likely to drive while tired. “I just don’t think about it, I get up in the morning and drive to school,” said senior Matthew Foster. “It doesn’t matter how tired I am.” Sleep has become an after-thought among the popu-lation. The priority is not sleep, but rather to stay up late and wake up early. The National Sleep Foun-dation raises awareness for drowsy driving through their campaign “Drive Alert, Arrive Alive.” The founda-tion promotes that there is

nothing wrong with pull-ing over for a short nap when driving gets tiresome. It is also advised to travel in pairs. Long road trips should include at least two people so that one person may rest while the other drives. In order to prevent exposure to the dangers of sleepy driv-ing, it is essential to get at least 7 hours of sleep per night. In addition, while it is ad-vertised that caffeine may decrease the feeling of drowsiness, the effects of caf-feine also include delusion and energy crashes. Caf-feine fixes the problem for a short while, but when the effects wear off the drowsi-ness will be exemplified. While the risks will always be prevalent among society, the organizations promoting awareness hope to greatly de-crease the accidents that oc-cur due to distracted driving. If you would like to learn more information about safe driving, please visit KeeptheDrive.com.

Q What do you think makes Stratford unique?

A Even though we’re di-verse, everyone respects each other. We’re a school of win-ners in every field and we have such a supportive com-munity. One way the com-munity comes together is when they attend the various productions we put on. Peo-ple who leave here still talk about Stratford. Everyone gets recognized, and I think that was shown especially through the Lip Dub last year.

Q What is one thing most people don’t know about Stratford?

A Probably all of the structural changes it has undergone. It used to look completely different. The classrooms were open--you would think it would be noisy but it really wasn’t. In the ‘80s, Westchester com-bined with Stratford and it

was a tough year for every-body but we managed it well. There has been more em-phasis placed on AP courses. There used to be a cutoff for who could take them, but I like open access because they give everyone a chance.

Q What are some of the funniest things that have happened over the years?

A Competition used to be intense with Memorial. Some overzealous athletic support-ers released chickens into the school. Sometimes teachers have found books in the ceil-ing, desks turned over, etc.

Q What are some of the saddest things that have happened?

A On 9/11, my class was in the auditorium, and when they came back to class we just turned on the TV and watched, nobody could do anything else. Also, the Challenger space shut-tle launch was on a school day and we saw it crash.

Q Have you spon-sored any clubs or other organizations during your time at Stratford?

A I have sponsored Se-nior Girls back when we used to do a barn dance. I’ve also sponsored UIL competitions.

English teacher Mrs. Hatfield has been at Stratford since its first year

Spring 2013 Testing Calendar

PRACTICING FOR EXCELLENCE • Students in all classes prepare for the upcoming exams. The second semester is when most of the standardized testing takes place. Seniors do not have to take state tests, but they still have AP tests. Photo by Jordan Comparin.

The State of Texas now as-sesses every student’s mastery of a core subject by mandat-ing End of Course exams for each class. Starting with the graduating class of 2015, all Texas students will take part in these tests. Currently, the Texas Legis-lature is in session and is re-viewing this mandate, but no changes have been made yet.

March 4Algebra I Practice EOC Geometry Practice EOC Algebra ll Practice EOC

March 5Practice Math TAKS

Practice Biology TAKS Practice Physics TAKS Practice Chem. TAKS

April 1Eng. 1 EOC Writing

April 2Eng. 1 EOC Reading

April 3 Eng. ll EOC Writing

April 4Eng. ll EOC Reading

April 2311th Math TAKS

April 2411th Science TAKS

April 2511th Social Studies TAKS

May 6Biology EOC

AP ChemistryAP Env. ScienceAP Psychology

May 7World Geo. EOCAP Spanish Lang.

AP Art History

May 8World History EOC

US History EOCCalculus AB/BC

May 9Chemistry EOC

Physics EOCAP English Literature

May 10Algebra ll EOC

AP English LanguageAP Statistics

AP Studio Art

May 13Geometry EOC

AP BiologyAP Music TheoryAP Physics B/C

May 14Algebra l EOC

AP US GovernmentAP French Language

May 15EOC Make-Ups

AP European History

May 16EOC Make-UpsAP Economics

AP World History

May 17EOC Make-Ups

AP Spanish Literature

May 29Final Review Day

May 30Final Review Day

May 31Finals

June 3-5Finals

Photo by Jordan Comparin

3Friday, February 15, 2013The Oracle NEWSara’spaceS

Squished in the back seat of a white Cadillac sedan with my family, I gazed straight ahead, figuring out how to kill time on the 45 minute drive to the airport. Out of the corner of my eye, however, I noticed something unsettling. The man from the car service we hired was tex-ting while driving. He was going through the familiar motions of a person texting while driv-ing -- quick look up, quick look down. Not completely careless, but enough to cause an accident? Abso-lutely. I elbowed my mom and pointed it out to her. We exchanged pained looks. Were we supposed to not say anything? Tell him to stop? Even though it wasn’t the worst thing he could have been doing, I was still shocked. My parents hired him once a year to drive us to the airport for an annual vacation and, in all the years he had been driving us, he hadn’t done this before. I guess his new Blackberry was just too tempting. Most people have sent or received a text from behind the wheel before. How-ever, now that more and more adults are taking up texting, the roads are more dangerous than ever. Rick Perry vetoed a law making texting while driv-ing illegal in Texas. What-ever his reasoning is for the veto, sending the message to Texans that texting while driving is deadly is crucial. Hopefully, he will come to his senses soon, consider the lives of Texans, and pass the law.

Three Lives, One PintLayla Shahhosseini

Staying SafeHannah Bevers

Students have opportunity to donate blood this month A few reminders and (maybe) some new information Student Council is putting on a blood drive on Feb. 19. This will be the last one this year. “Every time someone do-nates blood, they save three lives,” student council spon-sor Mary Jackson said. There are a few require-ments for actually being able to donate blood. Students must be 17 years or older, and weigh at least 110 pounds to participate in the blood drive. Other factors also determine whether or not someone can donate, and have prevented people from giving blood in the past. “People have had low iron levels, and there are a certain amount of days you have to wait after you get your ears pierced before donating,” se-nior Abby McMurtry said. There are benefits for the people who decide to give blood. If you donate, you re-ceive a free t-shirt, pizza, and

the chance to get out of class as long as the class is an elec-tive. Student Council is hoping to break their record of the amount of people who do-nate. “If your parents would like to come, they can donate also,” Jackson said. Sign up will be at Coun-selor’s Corner during both lunches from Feb. 11-18. The actual date of the blood drive is Feb. 19, which is a B-day. “With this being the season of love, it would be a good way to show it,” Jackson said. Donating blood will be helpful in aiding those that need it the most. Mrs. Jack-son has used more than a few pints of blood for prior needs, so blood donation has proved essential for her. Any amount of people do-nating is considered a suc-cess because those people are helping those that need it the most.

Recently, a student was walking home after school and was offered a ride by an older man she didn’t know. The student refused, and the man drove away. She immediately told a nearby police officer about the incident and described the man to the officer. Recent events, such as school shootings and night club explosions have remind-ed America that safety is im-perative. Some think that ‘staying safe’ implies staying at home whenever possible to avoid the outside world. Alternatively, others be-lieve that the risk of staying at home is greater than the out-side world. In order to avoid staying indoors at all times, experts

have given the public some simple ideas to be safe while enjoying public spaces. The easiest and most impor-tant action one can take is to stay aware. Human instincts have been known to be ex-tremely keen; if you feel un-comfortable, there may be an unsafe activity going on. It doesn’t matter where -- the library, the grocery store, or just walking home from school -- almost any envi-ronment can be potentially unsafe. Staying safe is not limited to watching out for yourself in public, though. Due to our generation’s on-line reputation, we have been given guidelines for staying safe online. Tweets, Instagram posts, and Facebook statuses are legally considered public do-main unless an account is

made private by the user. Anything that isn’t deemed ‘private’ by the owner of an account can be accessed by anyone with a computer. Additionally, it can be risky to publicly publish anything online that can lead someone to a location. Publishing a phone num-ber online can also be a risk. A website called Spokeo pro-vides ability to search a phone number, and find out where that phone is, along with its owner. It is widely known that put-ting your address online can be a serious risk. People you do not know should not be aware of where you live. They can and will find you. Humans are active and out-going, which is important for a functioning world. The Or-acle wants students and oth-ers to stay as safe as possible.

The OracleNEWS4 Friday, February 15, 2013

Zumbathon IN THE LEADPass, shoot, score! The boys soccer team is going to district with an undefeated record of 7-0. At the Brenham tourna-ment, the boys played four games in just two days. Franco Timonieri was the lead scorer in the tournament with total of five goals followed by Antonio Fernandez with three goals. Tyler Frost, Chris Vanston, and Alan Aleman also contributed with goals in the tournament. Come support Spartan soccer on Tuesday and Friday. The JV game starts at 5 p.m. and Var-sity begins at 7 p.m. Photo by Samantha Vanston

The annual senior vs. junior girls football fundraiser is coming up. Senior girls will be battling junior girls in a friendly football game on Stratford fields. The game will take place on Tuesday, March 7 at 2:15. In order to play in the game, one must be a junior or senior girl, pay $20, and go to two out of four practices. Football play-ers will be hosting the prac-tice and coaching during the game. At half time the senior boys will be performing a choreographed routine. The money made will go towards 2013 prom. Photo by Ariyan Almassi

POWDER PUFF

INFO AND SHORTS

News in Brief Club UpdateWhat is happening in SHS organizations

25 students attended the Area finals for Business Pro-fessionals of America, and out of those members, 23 of them got an award. State finals will take place in Houston from Feb. 28 to March 2. Junior Katherine Kennedy, freshman Scott Kennedy, senior Anna Chong, senior Michelle Evans, senior Abby McMurtry, senior Cesar Mu-niz, freshman Ben Riedel, senior Sara Boyle, freshman Zeriba Jahangir, freshman Filipe Rubinstein, junior Ky-lie Schaper, and senior Rosie Wu all advanced to State. All advancing from State will go to National finals in Or-lando, Florida this year. Mrs. Jackson and Mrs. Schaper are hoping many members ad-vance to the National level.

The Debate team has two more tournaments before their state tournament. So far, two Public Forum Debate teams have qualified for state. The two teams, made up of all juniors, are Fariha Jawed & Nathaniel Barbour, and Aby Brugo & Jenny Payton. Fariha is one point away

from qualifying in both Do-mestic Extemp and Original Oratory. Junior Public Fo-rum team Zain Ali and Jus-tin Raine has six points, and are halfway to qualifying. Junior Leo Young is halfway to qualifying in International Extemp. Other members with points include sophomore Emily Wissel in Dramatic In-terpretation, and juniors Billy Graves; Aby Brugo; Zain Ali; and Justin Raine in Domestic Extemp. They are hoping that in the next two tournaments these students will get the rest of the points they need in or-der to represent Stratford in March. After State, the point system starts all over again for the UIL and NFL competition. Mrs. Goemmer is very proud of all of her student’s accomplishments this year. She can not wait to see their accomplishments in the up-coming competitions.

Academy of Science and Engineering is a two-year program that is open to in-coming juniors. If interested in becoming a part of this or-ganization, sophomores have

an opportunity this semester. To become a member, one must enroll in Physics junior year and take an AP science course during junior or se-nior year. The junior ASE class has been working on various ac-tivities, such as a crime lab. The lab started in Jan. and will wrap up within the next two weeks. After this lab, the junior class is going to pick a worldwide problem us-ing www.innocentive.com. Corporations use this web-site to place questions and open them up to the public for solving. Most of these “problems” require a design or theoretical solution. Some companies offer awards if a proposed solution is used. During their senior year, students work on a year long group project. This project is due around March, and the finished product is represent-ed in a National competition at the end of March. If interested in joining ASE, applications are available from and due to Mr. Barrett prior to Spring Break.

Minami Minegishi, a member of the all-girls Japanese pop (J-pop) band AKB48, recently shaved her head in a tearful YouTube apology for spending the night in a dancer’s apartment. Unlike most Ameri-can pop bands, AKB48 holds its members to a strict “no dating” rule.

Washington state is looking to hire an ad-viser on all things mari-juana, citing the need for consultants to help them effectively oversee their newest legal industry. The potentially $100,000 job would require at least five years of “work-ing experience”, and a criminal record “would not be an immediate dis-qualifier,” since smoking marijuana is technically still a federal crime in all 50 states.

Dell announced a $24.4 billion plan to make the company privately owned. If approved by stockholders, the plan would take it off the stock exchange com-pletely.

U.K. lawmakers held a vote on same-sex mar-riage, sparking wide-spread rebellion within Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative party. As of the time of this writing, the bill has passed through the pre-liminary round of vot-ing with strong backing from Parliament, but still has a ways to go be-fore becoming a law.

For when you don’t feel like reading an entire article

Red Bull released the scientific data from last October’s Stratos Jump, in which Felix Baumgartner jumped from over 24 miles up. The data confirm that he did break the sound barrier, as well as setting three separate records.

North Korea is plan-ning yet another nuclear test. The UN has warned that if North Korea goes ahead with the weapons test, there will be serious repercussions.

A skeleton found under a parking lot in England has been confirmed as King Richard III. Sci-entists used DNA to confirm “beyond a rea-sonable doubt” that the remains were, in fact, those of the monarch.

Andre Cassagnes, the inventor of the Etch A Sketch, died on Jan. 16th at age 86. Details of his death are sketchy.

On Feb. 15th, 2012 DA14, an asteroid about half the size of a football field, will come within 17,200 miles of us - clos-er than most satellites, and only one-thirteenth the distance between Earth and the Moon.

Harrison Vaporciyan, Lydia Sweet Samantha Vanston

The class of 2013 has two spring fundraisers to help pay for prom. A creative idea that is now set in motion is the hosting of a zumba fitness class. The class will take place on Thurs-day, Feb. 21, and will be held in the cafeteria. There will be two sessions: session one starts at 3:30 p.m., and the session two at 6 p.m. The classes cost $5 for faculty members, and $10 for students and parents. All students participating will receive service hours and, as an added incentive, boys will receive twice the amount of service hours. Photo by Saman-tha Vanston

5Friday, February 15, 2013The Oracle ADS

The OraclePUZZLE PAGE6 Friday, February 15, 2013

Graphic by Bronte Ye

The Oracle MUSE 7Friday, February 15, 2013

USEPhoto by Jackie Mask

2013 RODEO LINEUP

Houston’s gourmet food truck industry is growing. Most camp out in downtown, midtown, and in the Heights to catch business men and women during lunch hour, 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Over the past several years, convenience has become a priority, particularly in the food industry. Purchasing meals from food trucks is not only convenient, but also incredibly quick. Many al-low customers to simply grab their meals and go. Another perk of the food truck trend is the variety. Pa-trons can take a traditional route and grab a burger at Bernie’s Burger Bus or a hot dog at Good Dog Hot Dog, or take a stab in the dark with Bare Bowls, an Asian salad bowl truck. Dessert is even available with trucks such as Melange Creperie or The Waffle Bus. “I really enjoy them,” said senior Avery Croley. “There are so many different foods to choose from, and it’s like eat-ing at a real restaurant, not a greasy fast food drive thru.” Both traditional and more contemporary plates have

been made available to the public. Really there is no lim-it to the amount of choices Houstonians have. Hous-ton, as a city, has copious amounts of stationary res-taurants as it is, and adding mobile establishments to the mix creates an overwhelming sense of stress. When headed out to a gourmet food truck, try to narrow down your choices by location, and then type of food. This seems to make the process ever-so-slightly less stressful. Those wanting to visit a food truck can follow them on Twitter to find out their location. Though these trucks tend to be a little out of the way, especially those loyal to West Houston establishments, it is worth the drive and the wait. “Yeah, I went to Bernie’s Burger Bus, it was delicious! I was really surprised at the quality of the burger,” said se-nior Emma Koydemir. Food critics and foodies alike are praising the inno-vative creativity shown since food trucks made headlines. Try it for yourself, they won’t disappoint.

Grub on the GoChandler Callahan

10 days ‘til... the

Rodeo opens

364 days ‘til....

Valentine’s Day

Feb. 25Toby Keith

Feb. 26Gary Allan

Feb. 27Alan

Jackson

Feb. 28Zac Brown

Band

March 1Mary J. Blige

March 2Brantley Gilbert

March 3Demi Lovato

Austin Mahone

March 4Styx

March 5Lady

Antebellum

March 6Dierks Bentley

March 7Bruno Mars

March 8 Tim

McGraw

March 9The Band

Perry

March 10Julion AlvarezLos Invaso-

res de Nuevo

March 11Jason Aldean

March 12Kenny Chesney

March 13Jake Owen

March 14 Pitbull

March 15Blake Shelton

March 16Luke Bryan

March 17Martina McBrideGeorge StraitRandy Rogers

BandPhoto by Jackie MaskGraphic by Caroline Suchman

23 days ‘til..

Spring Break

Food trucks growing in popularity

AUSTIN CAPITOL

BUILDING

GALVESTON PLEASURE

PIER

BRENHAMBLUE BELL FACTORY

DAY TRIPIDEAS

Graphics by Victoria Shin

Graphic by Victoria Shin

Sarah Zschappel @SaruhZeeI’m so excited to watch the Super Bowl...commercials

The Oracle8 Friday, February 15, 2013

Caitlin Hilton

Tweets of the Week

Graphic by Isabel Deakins and Harrison Vaporciyan Tweets compiled by Jackie Velarde and Sarah Sturgis

Parker Lund @ParkourLundI am locked in the third floor bathroom #help

Meredith Burch @HOLLERatMERRRIf you weren’t up on your feet during that half time show you aren’t human. God bless you @beyonce.

McGregor Dalton @MCGfromthe713Every girl today: Omg this weather means I can post plenty of outdoor pics either in my bikini, with oasis, in my eno, or in my chacos.

Christopher Juntti @ChristopherJuntCongrats to the SHS yearbook staff and their sponsor Mrs. Lynch. The SHS yearbook has been selected as a National Demonstration Publication!

Safe driving can be tough for teens. While most learn from first hand experience, there are some circumstances you should never have to endure for yourself.

#1Do: let others merge into your lane if they are desper-ate to get overDon’t: speed up to make sure they miss their exit... unless it’s your friend... then it’s okay

#2Do: give a pedestrian the right-of-way in a parking lotDon’t: hit a person with your car and keep driving

#3Do: listen to your friend who is in the passengers seat if they are telling you you’re about to hit some-thingDon’t: run into the order-ing device at Sonic because you’re too busy waving ex-citedly at a friend in the space next to you

#4Do: know where you’re go-ing before you leave the houseDon’t: hit a median trying to avoid getting on I-10

#5Do: keep your eyes on the road while driving on Dairy AshfordDon’t: jam out to “Raise Your Glass” and cause a multi-car buildup

#6Do: make sure your car is in reverse before you try to reverseDon’t: drive into the main support beam of Soho...in-side the store

*All circumstances come from come from actual experiences

Thousands of girls are al-ready looking forward to the Boys II Men, New Kids on the Block, and 98 Degrees tour that will be traveling this spring and summer. These breakout 90s bands are coming together for one last shot at the limelight. From “Summertime” to “End of the Road,” these singles will be brought to life as North America goes back in time. Boys II Men is a 90s R&B band featuring Nathan Mor-ris, Wayna Morris, and Shawn Stockman. They are the most successful R&B band of all time selling over 60 million albums worldwide. The group’s first single “End of the Road” came out in 1992, reaching the top of the charts worldwide. The song stayed on the Top 100 for 13 weeks, breaking Elvis Pres-ley’s world record. After their almost instantaneous fame they worked alongside Mari-

ah Carey, Baby Face, Prodigy, Oh No, Bow Wow, and New Kids on the Block. Along with the R&B genre made fa-mous by this group, Boys II Men is known for their soul-ful, emotional ballads. Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight, Joey Mcintyre, Don-nie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood formed New Kids on the Block in 1984 with pro-ducer Maurice Starr. Ever since then, they have enjoyed success, selling 80 million records worldwide, and winning two American Music awards. Although they dissolved in 1994, the band reunited in 2004 to record a CD and release a new album. The album, entitled The Block, was released on Sept. 2, 2008 and is marked as one of their best works made. At the end of their peak of success, the group went on tour with the Backstreet Boys in 2011-2012. 98 Degrees is a 90s boy band formed in 1995 when

they sang together at a college party and decided to form a band, starting their career in Los Angelos. After sign-ing with Motown Records, the group was featured in the movie “Mulan” in a duet with Stevie Wonder. With their name out in the music world, members Drew Lachey, Nick Lachey, Justin Jeffre, and Jeff Timmons re-leased their first album “98 Degrees and Rising,” and went 4X platinum in 1998. After their first album the boy band left Motown Re-cords and signed with its mother company, Universal Records. 98 Degrees con-tinued to excel, selling 10 million records, and having eight Top 40 singles and three chart-topping albums. Their tour begins May 31, and continues through the end of the summer. Boys II Men, New Kids On The Block , and 98 Degrees are coming to Houston on June 27. Tickets are available on ticketmaster.com

MUSE

Sarah Sturgis Jackie Velarde

The Boys are Back for TourThe Package North American tour brings nostalgia

Trends of a Southern Belle

Riding & Cowboy BootsA Southern Belle’s wardrobe wouldn’t be complete without riding boots. It doesn’t

really matter if your last equestrian experi-ence was at the petting zoo at your cousin’s

birthday party nine years ago. Cowboy boots are another staple of southern life, and are

almost a necessity at football games, dancing halls and the Rodeo.

Sororities“Chi-O ‘til I die-O!” Rest assured, this is not the war cry of a slighted Indian

tribe, it is actually the sound of millions of sorority girls professing their love for a women’s society that has probably been a

part of their family for generations.

Monograms“If it doesn’t move, monogram it.” seems to be the die-hard mantra of many Southern

Belles. Though you might think this phrase seems a little excessive, when girls parade around in monogrammed polos, vests and scarves, it’s obvious that nothing comes be-

tween a girl and her love for the swirly script of her own name.

Photos by Rebecca Williamson and Keeley FlynnStory by Samantha Stazo and Janelle Blackwood

The Oracle MUSEFriday, February 15, 2013 9Valentine’s Nightmares

(Right) Last year, I was with my boyfriend for a year and our year anniversary was a week after Val-

entine’s Day. I told him that I didn’t want any flowers or chocolates. I told him to take me to a movie or do something cute, but he did the exact opposite. He picked me up

and brought take out food from Jus’ Mac. He took me to the park where we first met. It was 50 degrees and

I told him I wanted to go home. On our way back we got into a car

accident.

(Right) When I was in 8th grade last year, my mom thought it would be really funny to pretend to be my

“Valentine.” And while I was in class I take out my binder and there are literally tons of cards stuffed into

the pockets and my folders all had the heart stickers on them. All my friends started laughing because

they thought I had a secret admirer, but I really couldn’t tell them that it

was my mom who actually put those in my bag.

(Left) The worst thing about Valen-tine’s Day in school was that no one

asked me to be theirs. The opposite of love is apathy and that was worse than my husband getting me a lawn mower

for Valentine’s Day one year.

(Left) In 7th grade, I really liked this girl that I had never talked to before. She was really nice and I wanted to finally tell her that I liked her, so I

went out and bought her a bunch of candy. I was ready to give it to her that next day in English and when I walked into class, I saw that one of her close guy friends had given her a basket that made mine look really

bad. I ended up just giving my candy to my friends because I was too em-barrassed to give it to her after that. Fiona Fahey, 11

Evan Agha, 9Tracey Jensen, Teacher of the Year

Hunter Clay, 11Graphic by Natalie Yoo

The Oracle10 Friday, February 15, 2013SPORTSSwimming

Soccer

TENNIS2/15-16 Ft. Bend Invitational @ FB Clements HS 7:00 a.m. 2/22-23 Clear Lake Invitational @ Clear Lake HS 7:00 a.m. 3/1-2 Spring Branch ISD Invitational @ SHS 8:00 a.m. 3/22-23 Kemah Boardwalk Invitational @ Clear Creek HS 7:30 a.m.

Lacrosse

GIRLS SOCCER2/15 vs. Humble @ SHS 7:00 p.m.2/19 vs. Northbrook Grobe 7:00 p.m.2/22 vs. Spring Woods @ SHS 7:00 p.m.2/26 vs. Summer Creek @ SHS 7:00 p.m.3/1 @ Kingwood Park 7:00 p.m.3/8 vs. Humble @ SHS 7:00 p.m.3/19 vs. Northbrook @ SHS 4:00 p.m.3/22 @ Spring Woods 7:00 p.m.

BOYS SOCCER2/15 vs. Humble @ SHS 7 p.m.2/19 vs. Northbrook @ SHS 7 p.m.2/22 @ Spring Woods 7 p.m.2/26 @ Summer Creek 7 p.m.3/1 vs. Kingwood Park @ SHS 7 p.m.3/8 vs. Humble @ Charles St. 7:30 p.m.3/19 vs. Northbrook @ Tully 7 p.m.3/22 vs. Spring Woods @ SHS 7:30 p.m.

BASEBALL2/22 @ Cinco Ranch 3 p.m. & 6 p.m.2/26 @ Memorial 6 p.m.3/5 @ Spring Woods 7 p.m.3/7-8 @ DeKaney 7 p.m.3/9 @ Westfield 10 a.m.3/12 vs. Tomball Memorial @ SHS 7 p.m.3/13 vs. Tomball @ SHS 7 p.m.3/15 @ Marshall 7 p.m.3/19 vs. Northbrook 7 p.m.3/22 @ Willowridge 7 p.m.3/23 vs. Tomball 2 p.m.

2013 Spartan Baseball

Vars

ity

Shogo IwasakiFreddy PriceJake ElstonWill Ranger

Landon NeumannMatthew Innes

Will BredthauerRagan Robinson

Ross CollinsBradley Bates

Scotty WimberleyKyle CasanoverClyde Harvey

Jay Harper Juni

orVa

rsity Quinn Stroube

Kyle DavisDavis BeasleyBlake Grooms

Jared WillisKaito Soeda

Erik BoasTracy Warren

Michael MilsteadWill Lavercombe

Brandt BelkLarry Coston So

phom

ore

Chris CollinsJohn SanchezWill Woodard

Jacob RiellyKory Casanover

Keagan LawrenceRyobu OguraAustin WoodConnor SandsScotty Thomas

Jake WhelenAnthony SmithAndrew KellyTyler Savoie

Cameron TrahanCarter Trahan

Q: What sports do you coach, and which one is your favorite?A: I coach girls JV basket-ball and track. My favorite sport to coach is probably basketball because I’ve been playing it since fifth grade and through college and have been coaching for seven years.Q: How many hours do you practice a day?A: Around two hours.Q: What is your opinion of this year’s JV team, and how can the team improve? A: This years’ JV team always fights to the end. They never put up an easy battle, and strive to be the best. How-ever, the team can improve by strengthening their com-munication.Q: What is the JV’s team record?A: The team is 16-6 overall and 13-0 in district. Q: What is your favorite moment from this year?A: My favorite moment would have to be the Tomball Memorial game when we came back and won from be-ing down 12-15 points.

Coach TamaraHumphrey

SWIMMING AND DIVING2/22 State Prelims @ UT Austin 4:30 p.m.2/23 State Finals @ UT Austin 3:30 p.m.

LACROSSE2/15 vs. Katy @ Grobe 6:00 p.m.2/20 vs. Village @ VHS 4:30 p.m.2/22 vs. Kinkaid @ KHS 7:30 p.m.

TRACK & FIELD2/16 Bubba Fife Invitational2/23 Will Taylor Invitational @ MHS3/2 Bayshore Olympics @ La Porte HS3/7-10 Cy- Creek Invitational @ CCHS3/19 True Team Meet

11Friday, February 15, 2013 SPORTSThe Oracle

THE RUNDOWN

Position: Shooting Guard (left side)Favorite Pro Team: Boston CelticsPreferred Shoe Brand: Nike HyperizeFavorite Movie: Remember the TitansBest Game: Against Willowridge when I only had two foulsFavorite Moment: Senior Night and my last home game as a SpartanFavorite Quote: “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” -Mother Theresa

Rank: 3rdFavorite Golf Course: TPC SawgrassBest Score: 71Favorite Restaurant: Del Fresco’s in NYCFavorite Club Brand: Titleist Best Part of Golf: The focus that is needed Favorite Quote: “Golf is a game that is played on a 6 inch course-the distance between your ears .”-Bobby Jones

Photo by Gil Sanchez Photo courtesy by Ben Riedel

J A I

M E

H E W I T T

BEN

RIEDEL

Signing Off to a New FutureSix talented athletes commit to their college sports’ team

On Wednesday, Feb. 6, six senior athletes officially signed on to their future col-leges for the upcoming year. Ricardo Coria signed to Southern Arkansas Univer-sity for cross country. Coria is among the top three on the team to have the fastest times. This season, he finished 2nd among the team at regionals. At first, he wasn’t sure if this would be the right choice for him, but he visited the cam-pus and really enjoyed it. Lacie Stevens will be known as a Texas Tech Red Raider next year where she will fulfill her softball dreams. She will most likely be playing out-field, third base, or short stop. Next, 6’5” football player Christian Daimler signed with his final choice of the University of Oklahoma to

play as an offensive tackle. He was previously committed to Arizona S t a t e Univer-sity, but after re-c e i v i n g the of-fer from OU, he dropped his offer and de-cided to b e come a Boom-er Soon-er and a part of the Big 12 foot-ball con-ference. H e also re-

ceived an offer from Texas A&M and ended up choosing

to become a part of Sooner nation.

Swimmer Michael Miller signed with the prestigious

Duke Uni-v e r s i t y in North Carolina. After re-ceiving of-fers from s c h o o l s including Columbia University in New York City, he visited Duke and will fur-ther be known as a Blue Devil. Softball star Macey Smith will

be proving her pitch-

ing skills at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette as a Ragin’ Cajun. Currently, La-fayette is ranked #11 in the NCAA softball standings. She was originally in talks with University of Illinois, but she decided that the Uni-versity of Louisiana was the better choice for her. Last but not least, Kelly Ann Craig will be playing at Ste-phen F. Austin University as a forward on their soccer team. Craig serves as one of three captains on the Stratford team this year. She has already met most of her upcoming team-mates, and Craig is excited to be known as a Lumberjack. The Stratford community wishes Coria, Stevens, Daim-ler, Miller, Smith, and Craig the best of luck as they con-tinue their journey into their NCAA sports’ careers.

Elyse Stieber

SIGN HERE PLEASE • Pictured from left to right are seniors Ricardo Coria, Lacie Stevens, Christian Daimler, Michael Miller, Macey Smith, and Kelly Ann Craig who are happily signing to the colleges that have claimed them for their individual sport. Photo by Gil Sanchez.

Stud

ent t

icke

ts a

re $

5 On sale during both lunches March 5-7

Students must have ticket to be released from class

March 7th at 2:15

The Oracle12 Friday, February 15, 2013SPORTSLady Spartan Lacrosse Takes Aggieland

1. STICK CHECK • Before every game the entire team must go through what is called a “stick check“ where the referees make sure each player’s stick

is legal to be played within the game.

2. TAKING THE DRAW • Getting ready to start the game and taking

the draw is sophomore Christi Gregory. Gregory plays attack for the Spartans.

3. DOWN THE FIELD • Moving the ball towards the goal during a game at the Aggieland Tournament is senior Emily Frazelle. Frazelle plays mid-field

and is one of the team’s top scorers.

4. TALK IT OUT • After a great defensive play, seniors Katie Gregory and Bonnie Slattery, along with junior Ashley Wood talk about what they did right

to keep the game on track.

5. DEFENSE**DEFENSE**DEFENSE • Attempting to get the ball back for the Spartans is sophomore Marie Davidson. Davidson plays mid-field and has been on the team for two years. The Lady Spartan lacrosse team was very successful at the Aggieland Tournament in College Station. They went 2-1.

1 & 2 by Katherine Kennedy; 3, 4, & 5 by Emily Copeland

Newton’s Law

1 3 4

5

Signing day is complete and with it we have confirmed what is already known. The SEC remains dominant. With six SEC teams in the top ten, and ten in the top twenty, according to Rivals, their power remains un-matched. Number one recruit Robert Nkemdiche caps off what is a very impressive class for Ole Miss. Along with the number one overall recruit the Reb-els were also able to snag the number one receiver in La-quon Treadwell, and the top offensive lineman in Laremy Tunsil. This marks the greatest re-cruiting class in school his-tory and according to head coach Hugh Freeze, “We’re doing it the right way.” Hope-fully the Rebels are indeed representing the SEC the right way. For the first time since 2005 Texas is trailing Texas A&M in their class ranking. It is also the first time since 2008 Texas has not been in the top five in recruiting. Mack Brown’s most popular trait is that of his excellent recruiting he has produced for nearly the entirety of his career at Texas. Yet with a class ranking at 23rd in the country, Mack needs to pro-duce on the field this year if he wants to retain his current position. Texas shouldn’t worry too much about this year’s re-cruiting as they are return-ing nearly their entire team. With only two starters on de-fense and four on offense, the teams will be replacing very little next year. Whether this means they will be any better has yet to be determined. As for the Aggies, their class brings in a stunning 31 re-cruits, an impressive class for Kevin Sumlin in his first year for the Aggies. These recruits, complemented with Johnny Manziel, should make for a dangerous team. Another dangerous team is Alabama. A monster class that leads the country, Ala-bama puts themselves in po-sition to win yet another title and continue the dynasty. Hopefully someone can’t put a stop to it in round three.

Alex Newton

2

13Friday, February 15, 2013The Oracle OPINIONSOTHE RACLE

The Oracle is a newspaper published every three weeks by the Journalism Department of Stratford High School, 14555 Fern, Houston, Texas 77079, 713-251-3454. The newspaper is a member of Columbia Scholastic Journalism Association, Na-tional Scholastic Journalism Association, Texas Association of Journalism Educators, and Interscholastic League Press Con-ference. The Oracle is open to any and all contributions submitted by the readers. Any material can be submitted by e-mail to thes-tratfordoracle@gmail.com, brought in person to Room 120, or placed in Janice Cummons’ mailbox. The editorial board reserves the right to determine whether the submitted material will be published depending on the available space. The submitted material may also be edited to remove libelous or defamatory statements. Any material that is submitted must be typewritten and ac-companied with the writer’s full name and grade. The opinions expressed are those of the individual writer and do not neces-sarily reflect the views of the editors, the staff, the administra-tion, or the school district. The Oracle staff strives to produce a newspaper that covers the entire Stratford community. They welcome freelance submissions and are eager to hear from their readers regarding story and photo opportunities. The Oracle is also online at spartanoracle.blogspot.com.

Ads Editor Mary Margaret Weaver Ads Staff Emily Brown Jacob Cribbs Kendall Marbach Jacob Pennington Katherine Mavergeorge Allison Rice Design Staff Claire Galbraith Caroline Suchman Harrison Vaporciyan Ben Fairchild Staff Artists Molly Richter Claire Pena Natalie Yoo Victoria Shin

Online Staff Online Editors Janelle Blackwood Isabel Deakins Samantha Stazo Online Photography Editors Jackie Mask Ariyan Almassi Online Photographers Mark Coffman Michael Martin Claire Pena Rebecca Williamson Online Reporters Jackie Velarde Faith Figueroa Building Principal Christopher Juntti Advisor Janice Cummons

Newspaper Staff Editors-in-Chief Sara Boyle Caitlin Hilton Samantha Hicks News Editors Samantha Vargas Samantha Vanston Hannah Bevers Muse Editors Chandler Callahan Layla Shahosseini Kali Venable Sports Editors Alex Newton Elaine Parizot Elyse Stieber Opinions Editors Michelle Evans Lydia Sweet Esther Jeon Reporters Andres Acosta Dua Mazhar Aldo Martinez Photo Editors Katie Gregory Stephen Martinez Katherine Kennedy Photographers Gil Sanchez Emily Copeland Sarah Sturgis Will Klussmann Maggie Vickers Harper Jones Bonnie Slattery Jordan Comparin

War on LustIn today’s society, double standards dominateColton Slaughter Slut shaming is the act of deliberately making some-one, usually a woman, feel guilty or inferior for engag-ing in certain sexual be-haviors that violate tradi-tional gender expectations. Depending on culture, these behaviors include hav-ing several sexual partners, or dressing in a way that is deemed “excessively sexual.” Basically what that’s saying is that if you wear something re-vealing, or perform any sexual act that someone else sees as “unethical,” then you deserve to be ridiculed and shamed. Even worse, women are the ones who are most often vic-timized. Men are hardly ever the target of humiliation sim-ply because they are men. If a woman performs these acts, she is labeled as a lesser individual and is frowned

upon by society, while if a man performs them, he is revered by his peers and is considered superior. This places huge amounts of stress and pressure on wom-en, especially young girls, just trying to fit in. They have to worry about not revealing too much so they aren’t h u m i l i -ated, but at the same time, they also have to worry about not covering up too much so they’re not called “prude”. They’re forced to know ex-actly how sexual they need to be in order to please society. People will always dis-agree on what is appropri-

ate or not, and everyone has their own view of it. Disagreeing on something, like if an outfit is consid-ered inappropriate or not, is pointless. It is disrespect-

ing a person’s beliefs and shows immaturity.

Thinking that hav-ing sex is bad is fine.

Wanting to wait until you’re older

to experience it is also fine. However, forcing your beliefs on someone else and shaming them for be-

ing themselves, is not. One’s sexual life is their own busi-ness and not anyone else’s. We’re not encourag-ing any sexual activity, or saying whether it’s right or wrong, we’re just say-

ing that the decision be-tween “right and wrong” is one individual’s personal choice, not anyone else’s. Like any other type of bul-lying, slut-shaming has no benefit and is only used to bring down others. It only forces people to hide and be ashamed of who they are. The continuous use of this would be pointless, if not harmful. In order to live in a safe and friendly society, it needs to stop. We, as a society, tend to judge people on their looks, but not their values. Prefer-ence on clothes and sex is totally unrelated to intellec-tual ability and personality. Unfortunately, that is some-thing we seem to forget.

A missionary can be defined as a member of a religious organization who is charged with the task of spreading faith and doing humanitarian work which can either take place in the country of resi-dence, or as most probably know it, in a foreign country. Most people who participate in missionary work do so be-cause they are driven by an inner yearning to contribute to the world and make it a better place for everybody. Recently, film director Rog-er Ross Williams directed and produced a film enti-tled “God Loves Uganda” in which he takes a close look at evangelical missionary work in Uganda and how it is both socially and politically affect-ing Uganda, more specifically on the LGBT side of things. Through the Evangelical missionaries and their dona-tions, Christianity has risen as the dominating force of daily life in Uganda. Think of Islamic law in Saudi Ara-bia, but with Christianity and Uganda.

The profoundness of this influence is deeper and more extreme than one would ex-pect. The Uganda Anti-Homosex-uality Act, placed into effect in 2009, outlaws homosexu-ality. Penalty for violating this act carries long prison terms with “repeat offenders” be-ing punished by death. There have also been instances of citizens taking the law into their own hands by torturing people into confessions and then carrying out lynchings against known homosexuals. Surveys on the populations of neighboring countries, in-cluding Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya show similar ex-treme anti-homosexual cul-tures. This, however, is one specific point to a grander happen-ing. There is no doubt that all these organizations have the intention of bettering the country, but at what point do we stop helping them and start using them as our pawns to spread our ideologies?

Undying Influence Christian influence in African countriesAndres Acosta

PermanentWhy our generation gets inkedHannah Bevers In the 1920s, women cut off all of their hair and wore short skirts. In the 1970s, flower chil-dren strummed guitars in tie-dye and paisley. Our generation? Maybe we haven’t figured it all out yet. Or maybe our rebellious act involves millions of tiny pieces of colored metal under our skin. One could argue that tattoos are too rebellious because they are permanent. A com-mon question posed by those who disapprove: what will it look like when you’re 80? Tattoos are permanent, yes. But maybe they aren’t point-less. There’s a possibility that this ‘rebellion’ is a way for young people to find solace in some-thing that truly will never go away. We live in a world where over 50% of marriages don’t last and long-term relation-ships are hard to come by. Social networks have made ending friendships a piece of cake. A mean-spirited com-

ment or tweet can have two best friends facing off in a battle before you can press ‘retweet’. Even the promise of higher education isn’t solidified into our destinies. Getting into college is more and more dif-ficult every year, while less and less college graduates are getting jobs. Young people just want to find something that they can claim as theirs for the rest of their lives, something that won’t say goodbye. Society above the age of 40 doesn’t generally approve of tattoos. Nevertheless, our generation continues to get inked. Tattoos do not have to be visible, and most aren’t. Does it really matter what a tattoo will look like in four decades if no one can see it anyway? Americans spend an annual $1.45 billion on tattoos, and 36% of adults 18-24 already have a tattoo. The tattoo trend isn’t going away anytime soon. And tat-toos aren’t going away at all, ever.

Graphic by Bronwyn Wismer

The room glistens with the reflection of sleek cabinets accented in stainless steel handles. An owner waits patiently for the drawers to open and tiny important and unimportant com-ments appear, all col-orfully decorated with pictorial representa-tions of one’s current state. Would you call me crazy if I told you this room was not a room at all, but in-stead the iMessage system that resides in the software of an Apple iPhone? That these cabinets were not cabi-nets at all, but instead individual conversations with other people who hold futuristic cabinets of their own? Such a comparison does not serve to confuse, but instead help one under-stand what the iMes-sage system looks like to an outsider, to a person who has yet to experi-ence such a wonderful piece of technology. In the past ten years, Apple’s iPhone has sto-len the cellphone market from beneath the feet of long-standing corpora-tions who have devel-oped hundreds of cellu-lar devices in a series of shapes and sizes. To understand why people have chosen Apple’s product over all others, one must first take a closer look at the features that set the iPhone apart, most im-portantly the iMessage network. iMessage is a platform that allows users to cre-ate and send messages to other iPhone users in both group and indi-vidual texts. Unlike any other phone, the iPhone gives users the opportunity to see if their correspondent is typing or has read a sent message. iMessage sends messages to other iPhones at high speed and is free of charge to iPhone users. Through group messaging, one can hear not only what others have to say regard-ing a conversation, but also have the opportunity to view comments and conversation

between friends. Group messaging allows people to connect on a level that feels more like a real-life conversation rather then an electronic social system. In the most mild use of the

term, group messaging

poses as a way to have deep, intellectual conversations with multiple persons. The more people involved in a conversation, the higher in-telligence level to which a conversation has the capabil-ity to ascend. While some other phones offer group texts, no phone creates a care-free experi-ence like the one provided by Apple.

Another feature of iMes-sage that has become popu-lar is the iPhone emojis. Emojis are little pictures that are sent as a symbol or punc-tuation mark in text mes-sages. While one can technically receive emojis on a non-

Apple product, they can’t see a n y t h i n g more than a black or white box filled with a question mark. Compared to mid-19th cen-

tury big businesses such as John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Co. which controlled the entire oral industry, Apple is well on its way to put-ting vendors out of business. The proposed prob-lem here is whether regulations need to be placed on the technol-ogy head or not. Apple already ran Research In Motion (RIM), the maker of the infamous Blackberry to near bankruptcy. While RIM is launch-ing a Blackberry 10 in the future, chances of recovering from major debt are slim to none. The only phone that still seems to hold weight against the iPhone is the Samsung Galaxy S3, Apple’s larg-est competitor. However, even then, does the Galaxy stand a chance? Perhaps the reviews are good today, but will the company be innova-tive enough to lead the race in technology to-morrow? While the Galaxy may have some cool features, it does not provide the same visual allusion as the toy-ish iPhone that

is a novelty to the hands of any beholder. In order for any maker to compete with the Apple iPhone, something new and revolutionary must be cre-ated. Rather than adapting to keep pace with the iPhone, companies need to be finding new ways to lead the indus-try.Graphic by Kali Venable

Featured Writers

Why the school’s facial hair policy is backwards

Davy BarrettGun control reform must take place

With the recent events in the news, the issue of gun control has come to the forefront. Let me begin by stating that I am a Texan and a gun owner for hunting purposes. I don’t believe hand guns should be owned by the general public, nor assault weapons. I have been shot at once, and had a gun to my head once. If I had been armed in either case, I would not be here. Quick thinking saved me in both cases. I have had several family members that were the victim of violent crime, all of which would have escalated to greater violence if they had

been armed. I don’t have a simple an-swer- there is no simple an-swer to gun control. What I do know is that if it is legal to own something, many will own it; if it is illegal, then few will own it. Although the constitu-tion provides for many ba-sic rights, there are limits within these rights. There is also a responsibility to man-age these rights in a way that benefits the masses. While it is true that guns do not kill people, people kill the peo-ple, the fact remains that as-sault weapons are intended to kill people at an efficient and high rate.

Why do we “need” assault weapons; why should they be legal? We are not going to be able to stop gun violence, but we can certainly curtail it. Although stricter gun limits may have not completely pre-vented the tragedy in Con-necticut, I believe without a doubt that it would have less-ened the death toll. I realize we live in a society that deals in large part with mental illness as a compo-nent of violent crime. But I would suggest that we mis-takenly go about our lives in fear of harm to ourselves or others in hopes of protection that is at its core, an illusion.

Cullen Moore Let me open by saying I am not arguing for the sake of my beard. I am arguing for the sake of beards everywhere. The fact is, the district’s cur-rent policy on facial hair is absurd. I’m not so much talk-ing about the ban on beards as I am the allowance of mus-taches. I understand that many male teenagers desperately want to showcase their masculin-ity through facial hair, many times without the ability to actually grow pleasant-look-ing facial hair -- so why on earth would you restrict them to growing only the least pleasant-looking variety? This is equivalent to a ban on all leggy clothing except biki-ni bottoms, or a small weap-ons ban on everything except

acid-spewing hand-grenades that stink. It ignores one of the most extreme examples of the problem. I’m not saying there aren’t people who can pull off a mustache; I’m just saying the good majority of those people have graduated from high school. And let’s be hon-est -- the people that are most excited by the sudden onset of thin, gristly hairs growing from their face aren’t going to be deterred by a restriction to the upper lip. Now, beards, on the other hand, are a completely dif-ferent matter. Many male students -- granted, not all of them -- can sport some vari-ety of a beard with success, be it a soul patch, chinstrap, or just a five-o’-clock shadow. Maybe not a full-on lumber jack beard, but very few Strat-

ford students are lumberjacks anyway. I understand that some stu-dents’ attempts at beards are not attractive -- but are mus-taches really the answer? Do you fix a student’s procrasti-nation issue by taking away all his video games except for Skyrim and Call of Duty? Do you fix that same student’s Call of Duty addiction by only letting him play Modern Warfare 3? The answer to all these questions, except the last one, is a resounding no. And yet, here we are, de-prived of beard, plagued with attempted mustache. Some-thing needs to be done. There are two options- either give us the beards, or take away the mustaches. But this mid-dle state -- it’s no good. No good at all.

Do you want an article in the news-paper without being on staff?

Contact any staff member or email thestratfordoracle@gmail.com

We look forward to hearing from you!

The Oracle14 Friday, February 15, 2013OPINIONS

iMessage

The Apple Monopoly

Kali Venable

The first thought that will cross your mind as you come across this article is, “Oh, this is going to be depressing, no thanks.” Yes, this article is going to be depressing, because it will talk about the reality of teen suicide and the source, de-pression. On a more positive note, it will also offer hope to those who are suffer-ing from these situa-tions. At its worst, de-pression can lead to thoughts of suicide. Thus, informing our community about the real-ity of depression is critical to understanding suicide. Adolescents, from the mo-ment that they hit their growth spurt, either girl or boy, become targets to stress and depression. They have to deal with competition in school, social problems with friends, parental pressure, peer pressure, and self iden-tity issues. Unfortunately, these stress-

ors pile up so much that teens can unknowingly become subject to depression. Teens are unable to handle so many stress-ors simul-t an e ou s l y, so instead of seeking help they turn to al-

cohol or drug abuse to cope. “The worst thing you can do is alcohol,” says crisis counselor D’Ann Franklin. Alcohol is a depressant, only making the symptoms of de-pression even worse. Two million teenagers in America alone suffer from depression, according to an

article published by the As-sociated Press. Teens refuse to admit and get help for their depression; eventu-ally, suicide may seem to be the only solution to end all the stress in their life. De-pressed teens may talk about suicide because they want or they need someone to no-tice and get them out of de-pression. If a depressed teen

shows aggression, you shouldn’t show anger as your reaction, in fact that is the last thing anyone should

be doing while dealing with a depressed and

suicidal teen. The best thing anyone can do

for someone who is suffer-ing from suicidal or depress-ing thoughts is to offer their support, show patience, take time to spend with them to show them you care. There are positive coping strategies that help to express the anxiety and aggression that depressed teens often

feel such as meditating, writ-ing, exercising, listening to music, and even talking to a trusted adult. The increase of suicidal thoughts and self harm in a teen should be treated immediately. Stratford is re-implementing the LifeSaver program that seeks to help students that might be suffering through bullying, depression, or anxi-ety . The process is quite simple. If you are worried about a friend, there are 2 LifeSaver mailboxes located in front of the clinic and in front of the library, along with a form you can fill out anonymously, stating the concern you have about your friend or even yourself. The boxes will be checked daily and help will be immediately offered. Teen suicide and depression is a reality. How hard can it be to give some assurance to your loved ones, to let them know and have a peace of mind that there is someone out there who cares for them? There is still hope.

The Oracle Friday, February 15, 2013 15OPINIONS

The competition in high school seems to be taking a turn for the worse. Students are constantly comparing themselves to their class-mates. Whether it’s a home-work grade or a test grade, they always want to know where they stand. If they are not among the best, they try to put others below them to make themselves feel superior. As competition rises, so do the insecurities, and unbear-able stress is created by the aggression shown between agitated teenagers. The feel-ing of lagging behind be-cause others are ahead can be very frustrating for a kid, and people who boast about their grades are not helping. Competing to be the best and brightest student should be a good thing as long as no one is being hurt in the process. When one receives a good grade on a piece of work, it is natural to want to tell friends and others. However, if one is doing it merely to show off how they are smarter than others, it is a very malicious thing to do. Just because someone did extremely well doesn’t impugn another’s work. Declaring yourself to be the best does not actually mean one is the best. A person who brags about their grades is usually insecure, so this per-son must show they are better than what they think others perceive them to be. And if they don’t stop the habit, it will spread into other parts of life. The competition between students is like a contagious virus that only gets worse over time. It tears friendships apart and classmates become inimical towards each other. Competition doesn’t stop after high school, it branch-es out. By building up the habit of trying to be bet-ter than everybody, a bog of hate and insecurity can grow between coworkers. When applying for a job one must be competitive to get the position, but the continuation of aggression and combativeness in the work place is inappropriate. By being competitive to-wards colleagues or friends, one can seem pretentious or arrogant, and it becomes easy to make enemies. Who would

want to be with a person who puts people down and believes they are above everyone? Nobody wants to look at the great qualities they have when there’s another person to challenge them. What does it mean if they aren’t outstand-ing students? Nowadays, it seems like grades dictate who people are. Yet, people aren’t their grades and they have to focus on finding a way to be secure about themselves. Eleanor Roosevelt once said “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent,” and this is true. Due to the gross amount of competition around them, students are allowing oth-ers to make them feel in-adequate in comparison. People often fail to see that there will always be a per-son who may be better and it shouldn’t make anyone feel less than who they are. Instead of focusing on who is the best, one should reflect on how well they believe they did. By building confidence and using self motivators to do better, people avoid us-ing others as stepping stones. Another way a student could strive to do better is by knowing what they want. If one wants an “A,” ask ques-tions, work harder, and go the extra mile, because that’s what is desired by them-selves, not what is expect-ed from other class mates. Also, one could keep track of their progress to see how much they have improved. This builds confidence and makes them believe they can do better in school. Taking the high ground is the best way to become success-ful in life. There is no need for aggression when trying to be a top student; one just needs to be willing to work hard and also be respectful to others. Yes, there will still be people who try to hoist themselves up by putting others down. The appropriate response to that would be to ignore them and continue working to the best of one’s ability. Being competitive is not a bad thing, it’s an effec-tive motivator for some.Nevertheless, there is ex-cessive amount of competi-tion in school and it’s the leading cause of unhappi-ness for many young teens.

Prevention is PossibleDespite increase in suicide rate, there is still hope

Esther Jeon

Understanding OthersGive others the opportunity to understand you

Dua Mazhar

The Grade GameHigh school turning into competitionClaire Galbraith

“North or South?” I don’t expect it every time, but I hear the question asked a good number of times when I tell people I’m from Korea. At first, I thought it was a little ridiculous. I had peers who thought it was ridicu-lous- how could I be from North Korea when the coun-try’s as tightly sealed as a lid on a pickle jar? I regretfully admit that I couldn’t under-stand how those people didn’t know- and that I couldn’t help but to see them from an-other perspective (a not-so-great perspective). Most of us will feel the same way; we look down on oth-ers when they don’t know the same things. My question is, why do we do it? Why is it that when people ask others questions about things they don’t know, there are those who’ll see those people differently? After all, we’re an incredibly unique and eclectic bunch of peo-ple. We’ve all had our own unique experiences (I think I can safely say that my break-

ing the bathroom sink with a jawbreaker is a one-of-a-kind experience) and we all love different things. There’s bound to be things we don’t know about and things we can’t ever expect to under-stand about each oth-er. I’m part of a fantastic group I fondly like to refer to as the Questies- we all met through this scholarship program called Questbridge, and although most of us live states away from each other, Facebook keeps us close in thought and soul. We come from a variety of backgrounds and love a va-riety of different things, but we do identify in one way: nearly all of us are considered low-income students by col-leges. So a few months back when the election was all that ever covered the news, the Quest-bridge group was electrified by the tense debates and cam-paign coverage. When the pictures of Paul Ryan wash-ing dishes were released, the group had a good laugh. Who

was this man and who did he think he was? Did he honestly think that pictures o f him wash-i n g d i s h e s

would help the lower class to feel they identified with him? I won’t lie; I honestly thought it was all a bit ri-diculous. Surely he could

come up with a better way of reaching out to those who had less than him. But even before I’d clicked on the title of the article to read it, I was already predisposed to think-

ing that people like Paul Ryan would never understand.

(Washing dishes was not going to cut it.) I think back on that memory and I wish I

could’ve realized what I’ve thought about now. Why

do we dismiss the attempts of others to help us because we think they couldn’t under-stand? Why is it that we beg for others to understand us, but when people make the effort to, we dismiss their ef-forts because they haven’t ex-perienced it themselves? Now, I think I’m a little ri-diculous. I ought to get off my high horse- I’m not so knowl-edgeable about the affairs of the world to be able to turn around and whisper with my friends about how ridiculous the North/South Korea ques-tion is.Graphic by Molly Richter

Graphic by Bronte Ye

The OracleADS16 Friday, February 15, 2013