wildcat alest plano senior high school volume 67 issue 7 february 15, 2013 plano, tx 75075 www.wildcattales.com

By Rachel Chen

By Kaitlin Fischer

Tech Theater students build memories

Student’s photography shoots to success A couple of friends pile into a car and turn up the music. They drive for hours at a time, picking roads to drive down until they find a field they want to stop at. Junior Indiga Christy and her friends are ready for an impromptu photoshoot. Christy was first inspired to start taking photos in seventh grade after junior Thuy-Mi Le made a Flickr and encouraged her friends to join the photo-sharing website. Christy then joined yearbook in middle school. “I thought that I really wanted to get into journalism, like the writing portion of it,” Christy said. “But when I joined, I realized that I actually liked taking pictures more.” The summer before freshman year, Christy had a medical incident caused by extremely low blood pressure that damaged her short-term memory. As a result, Christy began taking photos more frequently to capture memories. “Sometimes I can’t remember what I did yesterday or what day of the week it is,” Christy said. “So I started taking pictures to remember stuff. I moved from edited pictures, like concept pictures, to actually going and taking my camera places with me.”

Her dedication and love for photography grew. By working in her father’s bagel shop from 4:30 in the morning to 3:30 in the afternoon on most Sundays, she eventually saved enough money for her first real digital camera, a Canon Rebel XSi. “I like photography because it captures memories and there is no way you can really lie about it,” Christy said. “It’s just like an honest part. I used to like concept pictures a lot because you can alter the truth, but now I really like capturing emotions – like my friends laughing or people crying at a football game.” In December 2011, Christy applied to the National Geographic Student Expedition’s Italy Expedition for photography. The National Geographic Student Expeditions program allows selected students to learn from professionals out in the field in different locations. To enter, applicants had to write a single essay on why they wanted to travel. Christy had almost forgotten about applying when in May 2012 she received an email from National Geographic and learned that she had been accepted to go on

the trip to Italy. “I was home alone and I just started screaming,” Christy said. “I called my boyfriend at the time and I called my dad and said, ‘I got in!’ They were like, ‘Got into what?’ because they didn’t remember.” Even when Christy is not participating in contests, she still enjoys having casual photoshoots with her friends. “I met her going into freshman year and she was kind of developing her photography skills,” junior Darby McMakin said. “We became really, really good friends and so sometimes she would be like, ‘Do you want to go somewhere and take pictures?’ And we would just go. Sometimes it’s planned,

but most of the time it’s not.” Her reputation as a photographer emerged freshman year, when Christy took homecoming photos for a friend and posted them onto Facebook. Afterwards, some people who liked her photos began asking her to take their pictures as well. Christy has also taken pictures for A Models Workshop, a program where aspiring models, make-up artists and photographers collaborate on photoshoots together. After going to several sessions, the people in charge of the workshop decided to help Christy find more jobs taking photos.

Photo by Indiga ChristyJunior Indiga Christy’s photography allows her to document memorable moments, such as attending The Color Run, a 3-mile paint race.

By Maddie Patton Every week, the team takes to the court to defend their name against teams from across the district. The girls have seen success after nine wins and one loss. At the final district game of the year, Plano defeated Allen High School with 54 points on the scoreboard, leaving the opponent 15 points behind. With their last win, they end the season tied for first place with West. Varsity head coach Lynn Meger has been coaching in Plano for 29 years and has been head coach 22 seasons. “This season is right up there in the top seasons we’ve had here,” Meger said. “We went to state in 2000 and got state runner-up. In the next two years we were in the regional finals. This team has the ability and potential to go that far. Our theme this year is ‘stronger than yesterday’.” The roster this year has seven freshmen, seven sophomores,

two juniors and seven seniors, and Meger says their attitudes toward each other and how they work together has made their success. “They’ve been together since their freshman year and a lot of them since Schimelpfenig,” Meger said. “Our success is really based on what they started in March through the summer. That’s a long time to keep working. Staying focused and believing in the coaches, believing in the system, believing in all the things that happen along the way has put us where we are now.” Once players are selected for the team, they train all spring and summer for the winter season. Meger said because they train so hard during the off-season, they get their reward during the season – when players are together for so many seasons, they know how their teammates play.

Stronger than yesterdayPhoto by Maddie Patton From left: Junior Courtney Loveland, senior Binna Kim and JV coach Kelly Stallings celebrate a basket at the varsity game against Plano West on Feb. 1.

The students spend hours working on the set. They hammer props together, paint scenes and sew costumes. After the play on show night, the audience claps and cheers for the actors while they sit behind the scenes enjoying their handiwork. These students are the technicians of theater. Senior Meghann Adkins has been in Tech Theater since her junior year. After trying out for acting roles, she decided to take a tech class to see the other side of productions. Loving it, she tried out for the honors tech class in her junior year and has never quit since. “You have something physical at the end of the day,” Adkins said. “You can say ‘I made this.’ It’s not like with acting where it’s like, you kind of did a good job, but there were issues here and there. No, with tech, you either did well or you didn’t deliver at all.” Adkins has worked for productions in and outside of school including “Battle of the Angels”, “Paganini” and, most recently, “Curtains”. Working with a production company called Art Center Theater, she was the stage manager for “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”. This summer she plans to work for McKinney Summer Musicals along with students who have already graduated. “Theater is a giant family,” Adkins said. “We’ve been around each other for so long. With the hours and hours of rehearsal time that goes in, you really bond with your fellow technicians. Especially when we’re there longer than the actors are. The actors get to go home at 5 or 6:30. Technicians go home when things are done, which means we sit around and joke. We have inside jokes.” According to Adkins, preparing for the plays takes a lot of effort from tech theater. One Saturday before “Curtains”, they had to work from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. On days they do not have a play to work on, they either prepare for UIL or clean up. “There’s always something to do,” Adkins said. “There’s always a costume closet to organize. Actors will get a day off. Occasionally they’ll be like, ‘Oh, we’re just gonna play improv games.’ Technicians never have days off. We’re always doing laundry or organizing the prop room.”

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Girls’ basketball ties for first in district

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He is not new to Plano, but he has taken on a new position this year. His players knew him first as JV coach, then assistant varsity coach. Now Doug Adams is varsity head coach for boys’ soccer and has since had to adjust to the new responsibilities that come with the position. Adams has learned he must focus less on developing the individual players and more on making the team as successful as possible. “So far it’s been a good and interesting year,” Adams said. “It hasn’t been much different from what I’d already learned as an assistant coach, which was that you must be able to work well with the kids, you have to be forgiving sometimes in terms of what they can and can’t do and you have to be patient with them.” On Feb. 12 the team kicked off district play, which will

consist of a total of ten games. The team has 28 players, and as only 11 will be allowed on the field at one time, Adams said many will have to sit on the bench once the team reaches district and playoffs. However, Adams believes the team has the potential to have a very good season. He begins every year by looking at the players and what talents and traits each bring to the game. According to Adams, he makes the team better by using each player’s strengths. “Our team is smaller than most other teams but we are real quick up front so we will try to make more of a quick attack with a lot of ball movement up front,” Adams said. “We will also try and play a brand of ball that is appropriate for our size and our abilities. Some of the boys are really creative on the ball so right now our biggest asset is creativity.” To Adams, coaching is not just about teaching the players about soccer skills alone. “As a coach I have to teach them how to be good people, how to play the sport and how to be well-rounded,” Adams said. “I have to teach them how to play the game as the game and not just go out there and do an action. It’s easy to coach them when you’re winning and everybody on the team is healthy and everything goes your way, but when you have injuries, bad grades or bad attitudes, the coaching really kicks in. At that point, as a coach you have to figure out how to make situations that aren’t positive turn in your favor.” According to junior Taronish Madeka, one way that Adams achieves positive outcomes or victories is by holding high standards for his players. “He demands a huge work ethic from us and he holds everyone accountable for their actions,” Madeka said. “He’s always looking for perfection from all the players and when we as individuals aren’t performing he lets us know that there are others in line gunning for our spot on the field. He has built an extremely competitive mentality in all of us

throughout pre-season.” Not many surprises came with the job as head coach. According to Adams, the job is what he anticipated it would be and his expectations for his players were the same as they’d always been as he approached the season. “If we’re going to make it to state we need to come together as a team,” Adams said. “We’re trying to move the ball and make things happen but we’re not all on the same page yet. As long as we compete and hit our maximum performance by the end of the season, that’s all that matters.” The booster club for the team has created a goal to help others see the boys do their best out on the field. The goal is to have 2,013 fans in the stands in the year 2013. Normally the team has a couple hundred fans in the stands, who Madeka said still provide abundant support. “The support is fantastic,” Madeka said. “Our crowd is always bigger and louder than the opponents’. I do wish there were more people because I feel like there is not much appreciation for soccer. Here in Texas nothing compares to football but I just hope that more and more students will notice the quality of the sport in the future. In my opinion, nothing compares to the atmosphere of a soccer game in Europe and South America. Just imagine a Dallas Cowboys game and double it.” To try to achieve more support the team will try to reach out to different organizations around the school, such as band and drill team and invite them to the game. They hope these students will in turn bring other friends and family with them. “Bringing 2,013 fans to a game in our 2013 season would be cool because that would mean people would be coming out to support the program and the school in a way they haven’t yet done,” Adams said. “Our team has the potential to have a very good season. We’ve got enough talent to do well and I definitely believe we can make it to playoffs.”

“Underclassmen interaction depends on how the upperclassmen treat them,” Meger said. “It is one of the legacies that this senior group will leave. All of the seniors have made them feel important and that they have a part. The younger girls have risen to the challenge of pushing us every day. If you don’t have good people pushing the top, you stay the same. With them being good enough to push, the upperclassmen respect them. Our kids are really willing to do what it takes to be better and that challenges them. All of us have gotten better.” The game that stands out most for Meger is the team’s first encounter with Plano West, the team ranked third in the state, on Jan. 15. In the last seconds of the game, the score rose to 72-62 with Plano in the lead. It was their first win against West since 2008. “The win over West was a highlight for us,” Meger said. “Our student body, our crowd, our parents and the bench played a part – it was one of those games where it took everybody. The crowd played a part; it had them rattled. The bench, the subs, with their minute and 30-second role, played a part. Going into Allen right after that and winning in someone else’s gym after a big game gave us a lot of confidence. Those are hard to stay focused enough to do. Those stand out as the meat of our season.” Senior Grace Mitchell is a veteran of the team, having been on varsity since 2009. During the games, players rotate in and out, but Mitchell is one who stays in and plays for the majority of the time. In previous games, she has brought in the most points. “I bring a lot of energy to the team because I have a very competitive spirit and have the drive to win every time we play a

game,” Mitchell said. Meger said it’s the hard times of a season that test the integrity of a team; having a tough loss or getting past a slump in a game makes the team stronger. Meger and the coaching staff see the players through the good and bad times. On Friday, Feb. 1, West defeated the team in their second encounter of the season on the opponent’s court. “Be positive in the midst of negative situations, and when you get through those situations positively good things happen,” Meger said. “They get through a lot of adversity and playing through it is one of the toughest things to teach. I’m not sure you can teach it; it has to do with the character of the kids. They really want to please and they’ve learned to positively handle the setbacks. Yesterday doesn’t define today.”

february 15, 2013sports 2

By Maddie Pattonties for first in district

By Leslie ParkerSoccer players strive to meet new coach’s expectations

Continued from front page

Photo by Maddie PattonSophomore Kara Mitchell dribbles past an Allen opponent at the Feb. 5 game.

Photo submitted by Doug Adams Coach Adams poses for his school picture.

Photo by Terry QuinnSenior Haley Wray runs to the basket in the game against Allen on Feb. 5.

Photo by Terry QuinnThe girls’ basketball team joins pinky fingers on the sideline after the Allen game.

Photo by Terry Quinn Photo by Terry QuinnSenior Binna Kim and senior Grace Mitchell defend their goal from an approaching opponent at the game against West on Feb. 1.

Sophomore Kara Mitchell and senior Wilma Afunugo sprint across the court to make a basket against Allen.

news february 15, 2013 3Certamen team revives passion for LatinBy Alexandria Oguntala

The thrill of competition mixed with a love of classical language inspired senior Daniel Zhang to create a Certamen team on campus with some other Latin club members. Latin for “competition”, “contest” or “struggle”, Certamen is similar to quiz bowl or “Jeopardy!” and was invented by Tony Ruffa in the 1960s. “I really enjoy the tension in the air when I play,” Zhang said. “Furthermore, the ability to work as a team and try to memorize binders filled with information is always a plus.” In teams of four, members compete against two other teams at the same time. They are asked 20 questions per round and are given bonus questions on a variety of subjects. The questions focus on Roman history, mythology and Latin grammar. Zhang hopes to inspire interest in the competition and the language as a whole to younger generations. “Hopefully some juniors will take initiative and continue both Certamen and Latin Club for the years to come,” Zhang said. Each member of the team is assigned certain subjects to study before joining Certamen. Senior Nathaniel Smith was involved in academic Roman history contests and was invited to join the group his sophomore year after ranking fifth at state in his second year of competition. Already in Latin and having competed academically at conventions for two years, Smith took the opportunity. “Daniel encouraged me to try it out,” Smith said. “So I did, and from the first round I liked it. It really does live up to its name, ‘struggle’. I really got interested because Certamen was a much more rigorous test of my Roman history knowledge. It’s pretty commonly known that

Julius Caesar was killed on the Ides of March 44 B.C., but I have to then recall that faster than everyone else. When they start requesting more complex answers the ‘struggle’ part of the name comes out. This new aspect really challenged me to work with what I knew in a way I never had.” The game is designed to allow every member to offer their own skill set to the team. “The teams are specialized, because the subject matter is so diverse,” Smith said. “There are generally one or two people who are good with the Latin language questions. There is a mythology person, a culture person and a history person, although people can have multiple specialties if they work at it.” Certamen is composed of three levels: area, state and national. For the regular competition, however, if a team does not advance, individual members can still participate at open Certamen. “Open Certamen is a less competitive, fun version, where teams are assigned randomly,” Smith said. “It also helps people who got knocked out of the running have some fun and show off their skills.”

Club aims to improveBy Myiah Jones The idea behind Global Humanity Association was born after GHA president junior Monisha Veerapaneni had the opportunity to travel to India to help a remote village. She distributed pencils, backpacks and notebooks to orphaned children. The influence of her trip to India along with the inspiration of witnessing her college friends start organizations has motivated her to help out children in need by starting GHA. “I started this club with hope that people can come together,” Veerapaneni said. “Helping doesn’t just mean getting to add more to your resume, it means doing it because you truly want to.” GHA is a student-run organization with the goal of helping others across the globe. GHA is divided into four committees. The communications committee is responsible for bringing awareness to businesses about the organization and its goals, the advertising committee is responsible for updating the student body on events, the public relations committee handles the representation of the club at school events and the moral committee upholds the values of the club. GHA plans to raise funds through donations from individuals in the community as well as from local businesses. This year GHA is focused on aiding children in Kenya. GHA plans to collaborate with major non-profit organizations such as Project Africa to help improve areas in Africa by supplying money for food, improving health conditions and providing basic necessities. “I wanted to select an area that was in the most distress,” Veerapaneni said. “I couldn’t focus on Africa as a whole so strictly through research I felt the children in Kenya needed the most help.” Similarly, junior Maria Muhammad’s passion to change the world sparked after she visited a mosque in downtown Dallas to help pack food and distribute it to the homeless. After her experience, she became involved in GHA as vice president. “I’ve seen people at their worst and I just want to be able to know that I made a difference,” Muhammad said. Currently, the club has about 30 members with hopes to continue to grow. GHA plans to combine the hands of students with those of the community to try to change the lives of children who are less fortunate. The club hopes to gain the support of the community and local businesses and to eventually branch out internationally. “I have always strongly believed that people should help one another and that in times of need, help is required from all of us no matter what our age is,” Veerapaneni said. “GHA is not just about students coming together and helping others, it is also about exhibiting the moral values that tie us as human beings in society. We would like to bring about this message to schools all over the nation, and have set that as our long-term goal. We have been getting positive feedback about our club from everywhere.”

African villages

Story continued on www.wildcattales.com Illustration by Tiffany Weng

february 15, 20134

Bullying goes electronic

By Fabiola Cedeno

She came home and watched it all unravel. She saw each message appear on the screen, one by one. Each was worse than the last, and all she could do was take it. Junior Jane Smith* has been a victim of bullying ever since she can remember. In 2008, a video she posted on YouTube sparked the bullying. The video showcased her wearing a mermaid tail and swimming with it in her pool. At the end of the video, she explained where a tail similar to hers could be purchased. “I posted it for the manufacturer to get some business,” Smith said. “Someone found it and that video spread throughout the school. People who I never knew started teasing me and it just kept getting worse every year. Some of the people were from a different grade. People on YouTube also started commenting on the video and telling me that I shouldn’t do this, to delete the video. But I never did.” Before she knew it, it seemed like everyone at school had seen the video. And people didn’t hold back from telling her their opinions. “They said, ‘Why don’t you go back to where you came from – the ocean, mermaid girl,’” Smith said. Smith had been bullied before the video even surfaced on the web, either about her weight, her horseback riding or whatever someone found wrong with her. Smith said it has made her feel insecure and vulnerable, and she is continuing to find a way to cope with all of it. “I’ve been bullied so long that I don’t care much anymore,” Smith said. “I don’t listen to what people say about me. On the inside I care, but on the outside I pretend like I don’t care.” Smith has never seen a real reason to take down her video – to her, there was nothing wrong with it. She did not expect any of her classmates to find the video. Smith said she had a sense of pride that stopped her from taking it down. From advertising for the website from which she bought the tail, she gained a bit of cash. As a victim of both cyber and face-to-face bullying, Smith said she has learned a lot. Although it has affected her, she said she is growing stronger every day. “On a scale from one to 10, it’s probably a four,” Smith said. “When it first started I would cry myself to sleep, but now I don’t really feel anymore. I just ignore it.” Because of all the teasing and name-calling, Smith has found it harder to develop friendships with people whom she finds interesting. Every year, she finds herself struggling more to find friends because of the video she posted five years ago. Now at Plano, Smith

worries about whether others may or may not like her. She attends school with the same kids who made fun of her back in 2008 and won’t be able to escape them for another year. Junior Jack Doe* has experienced cyber bullying firsthand and feels it is just as harmful as physical bullying. A simple opinion he posted on Facebook about how a certain artist dressed led to what Doe called a full-blown cyber bullying disaster. One Facebook friend did not approve of what he had posted. “He proceeded to post a status calling me a bad name and tagged me. I had never even really talked to the guy,” Doe said. “We were Facebook friends, not friends in real life. Then other people started to join in. It really all was just a giant mess of people talking bad about me.” Doe did whatever he could to defend himself. But the mockery spread from focusing on his comment to focusing on his race, appearance and family. Other kids joined in to make fun of seemingly whatever they thought would provoke a laugh. “I read every single comment and they were all just so incredibly hurtful, but I cared to know what they were going to say next,” Doe said. “This happened to me in seventh grade, and as cheesy as it sounds, it actually made me a stronger person. Now I don’t even let random strangers put me down.” Like Smith, Doe has been teased since he was a kid. “I looked different and matured faster than everybody else, which caused people to make fun of me,” Doe said. “I was the tallest guy in my fifth grade class. My classmates made sure I knew that. It made me feel vulnerable and insecure at the time.” Today, Doe sees his appearance as nothing to be ashamed of. Nobody teases him or asks him how the weather up there is. He said he is a lot more confident and comfortable in his skin. “I grew up. I like how I look now,” Doe said. “Plus, everybody else is tall, so now I’m considered short.” Although the bullying is not as severe as before, Smith still experiences it. All that she hopes for is a chance to make herself known for something other than the online video. With college just one year away, she said she can almost taste the excitement of a new beginning. She hopes to instill lessons that helped her on how to move past bullying in kids who are now experiencing it as much as she did. “Don’t think that just because you’re getting bullied, your life should be over,” Smith said. “Make the bullying a positive experience and learn from your mistakes.”

When he was 15, senior Alex Sade was punched in the face in front of his friend. Instead of standing up for him, his friend hollered like an elementary student, egging on the fight. Sade had to take care of the situation himself. Sade stood up, laughing, “Is that it? I thought you were actually going to hit me for a second.” The bully was so angry that he walked away. The next day, Sade told some of his other friends how he got his black eye, laughing and saying how much of a brute the bully was. Wanting to stick up for Sade, some friends went to the principal and reported the incident. It was at that moment that Sade realized who his real friends were. According to the Bullying Prevention Program, 64 percent of high school students are bullied because of their religion, sexual orientation or physical appearance by people they don’t even know. However, these statistics fail to mention that bullying can occur between friends. Junior Sohaib Anees said it is possible for someone to legitimately bully a friend. “We all have that tendency to just joke around too much, especially guys. It’s definitely with a ‘no hard feelings’ mentality,” Anees said. “It’s only until way after you’ve said it that you’re like, ‘Oh, maybe I did say something a bit too rude or mean.’” Sub-school principal Bryan Spiritus said that people are bullies because of personal or self-esteem issues, and they need someone to dominate to make themselves feel better. “Most bullies were once the victims of bullying,” Spiritus said. “So it’s like, ‘It happened to me, so it’s going to happen to you too.’” Anees believes there’s another reason for bullying between friends. “I’ve noticed it’s become more of a competition than anything to see who can come up with the most insulting line or comeback,” Anees

By Fatima Moon

Tears come streaming down his cheeks as the bully’s words strike his ego like a dagger. The constant teasing is a daily ritual. In elementary school, one child may tease another for being a different race. In middle school, the bullying might move on to children who suffer from mental disorders or those who are naturally antisocial. Even as we enter high school, bullying does not end, although the snickering, gossiping, sarcastic remarks and spiteful comments may be more subtle. It is only natural to sympathize with the victim and feel a sense of remorse when we attempt to put ourselves in that person’s shoes. However, what some do not realize is that the bully is also a victim here. According to Ph.D. student Mary Lamia in her blog on psychologytoday.com, most bullies are “shame-prone”, or afraid that their shortcomings will be exposed. This tendency is what provokes many bullies to harass others, in hopes of transferring their shame to another individual. It is important to acknowledge this other side of the bullying scene. For most bullies, there is a reason behind their vengeful habits. The Center for Disease Control has found that bullies are more likely than other children to experience violence at home. If a child must continuously put up with a violent environment, it is only natural for the child to become violent himself and channel it into his interaction with those around him. There are no exceptions when it comes to bullying. All forms of bullying, whether they are over the internet,

Staff Editorial

Journalism I submission

*Names changed to protect identity

5february 15, 2013

When he was 15, senior Alex Sade was punched in the face in front of his friend. Instead of standing up for him, his friend hollered like an elementary student, egging on the fight. Sade had to take care of the situation himself. Sade stood up, laughing, “Is that it? I thought you were actually going to hit me for a second.” The bully was so angry that he walked away. The next day, Sade told some of his other friends how he got his black eye, laughing and saying how much of a brute the bully was. Wanting to stick up for Sade, some friends went to the principal and reported the incident. It was at that moment that Sade realized who his real friends were. According to the Bullying Prevention Program, 64 percent of high school students are bullied because of their religion, sexual orientation or physical appearance by people they don’t even know. However, these statistics fail to mention that bullying can occur between friends. Junior Sohaib Anees said it is possible for someone to legitimately bully a friend. “We all have that tendency to just joke around too much, especially guys. It’s definitely with a ‘no hard feelings’ mentality,” Anees said. “It’s only until way after you’ve said it that you’re like, ‘Oh, maybe I did say something a bit too rude or mean.’” Sub-school principal Bryan Spiritus said that people are bullies because of personal or self-esteem issues, and they need someone to dominate to make themselves feel better. “Most bullies were once the victims of bullying,” Spiritus said. “So it’s like, ‘It happened to me, so it’s going to happen to you too.’” Anees believes there’s another reason for bullying between friends. “I’ve noticed it’s become more of a competition than anything to see who can come up with the most insulting line or comeback,” Anees

said. “I think it’s just to make your other friends laugh. Sometimes you just feel like you have to acknowledge someone for doing something dumb.” Studies done by the University of South Carolina show that 76 percent of girls explain their insulting and harsh words as a way of joking around as well. Junior Rupali Gautam feels the studies are accurate. “I think most people are rude to their friends in a loving way,” Gautam said. “We don’t think it’ll come across as anything but a joke.” Despite the joking tone behind the comments, Gautam said that it is often inevitable to be affected by cruel words, especially when they are

from a friend. According to Gautam, emotions are like a fragile egg that her friends can either drop and break or securely hold in their hands. She said friends don’t even realize the power they have until it’s too late. “It’s a lot worse to take an insult from someone who actually knows you, because they know about you and your flaws,” junior Ryan Kabir said. “A stranger would just say things for the heck of saying things.” Gautam also thinks that being hurt by a friend is much worse than being hurt by just another student or peer. “Once my friend made fun of me for an insecurity I have, even though she knew it was something she shouldn’t talk about,” Gautam said. “It obviously hurt, and I didn’t really talk to her for a couple of days.”

Anees said the effect of harsh words can sometimes go to the extent where two people don’t even seem like friends anymore. “If someone from the outside who didn’t know the two of us heard the things my friend and I sometimes say to each other, they would assume that we seriously hated each other,” Anees said. “It’s usually stuff like name-calling, but it can get a lot more serious and worse, like literally raising our fists against each other.” For Kabir, standing up to a bully who isn’t a friend is hard enough. When that bully ends up being a good friend, Kabir said confrontation is the key to ending the bullying, despite the fear of losing someone close.

“Let them know that you don’t feel comfortable with the things they’re saying or doing,” Kabir said. “Don’t just take it in and bottle it up. That’s never good.” Spiritus also advised that the best way to handle that type of situation is by simply talking to the bully – if they really are a

friend, they should understand. Gautam thinks that girls in particular should handle the situation in this manner. “You shouldn’t be shy about talking to a friend when it comes to something they said that hurt your feelings,” Gautam said. “A good friend would immediately apologize and hopefully never repeat the mistake. If they don’t get it, it’s important to realize that they just aren’t worth your time.” If after a talk with the friend, the bullying continues, Kabir said there is only one thing to do. “Just walk away,” Kabir said.

Tears come streaming down his cheeks as the bully’s words strike his ego like a dagger. The constant teasing is a daily ritual. In elementary school, one child may tease another for being a different race. In middle school, the bullying might move on to children who suffer from mental disorders or those who are naturally antisocial. Even as we enter high school, bullying does not end, although the snickering, gossiping, sarcastic remarks and spiteful comments may be more subtle. It is only natural to sympathize with the victim and feel a sense of remorse when we attempt to put ourselves in that person’s shoes. However, what some do not realize is that the bully is also a victim here. According to Ph.D. student Mary Lamia in her blog on psychologytoday.com, most bullies are “shame-prone”, or afraid that their shortcomings will be exposed. This tendency is what provokes many bullies to harass others, in hopes of transferring their shame to another individual. It is important to acknowledge this other side of the bullying scene. For most bullies, there is a reason behind their vengeful habits. The Center for Disease Control has found that bullies are more likely than other children to experience violence at home. If a child must continuously put up with a violent environment, it is only natural for the child to become violent himself and channel it into his interaction with those around him. There are no exceptions when it comes to bullying. All forms of bullying, whether they are over the internet,

verbally abusive or physically hurtful, are wrong. However, we must come to realize there are reasons that cause hurtful actions. Many bullies have suffered from a violent home, the loss of a loved one, recent failures or tragic incidents. Instead of standing on the sidelines and sympathizing with the victims, we need to look closer at the situation. Through proper care and support or psychological counseling, we can stop this cycle of bullying. This support should stem from the school counselors and the community that the child grows up in. School counselors play an important role in the development of a child. Therefore, the duty of the counselor should go beyond arranging a child’s schedule at school and should involve a personal interview in which the counselor can get to know the child better and offer a support system to make sure the child is confident in his or her personal life. Due to our large class size, it is difficult for the counselors to conduct one-on-one counseling sessions in addition to academic scheduling for each and every student. However, we must keep in mind that the counselors are always open to communication. As juniors and seniors in high school who are close to entering the adult world, it is imperative to realize that bullying will not end here. It will follow us to college, to our jobs, to our homes and to our children in the generation to come. The next time you come across a bullying situation, take a step back. The bully may be a victim too.

If they don’t get it, it’s important to realize that they just aren’t worth your time.

“”

Journalism I submission

february 15, 2013feature 6

By Kaitlin FischerTech theater students build memories

Student’s photography shoots to successBy Rachel Chen

Tech theater and English teacher Katherine Thornton has been working in tech theater since her second semester of college at Ohio State University. She liked building and wanted to work with that physical aspect so her dad mentioned engineering as a potential major. For her, that was too much math and not enough creativity, so she decided to go into industrial design. After taking a theater tech class, though, she found her fit. Though she does not have the time to work in outside productions now, in between her last undergraduate year and graduate year of college Thornton was part of multiple production companies including Stages in St. Louis, The Norris in Los Angeles and The Olney Theater in Maryland. There have always been late nights in her theater career, but for her it’s worth it. “It’s really just a love for the art, and not wanting to be in front of the camera,” Thornton said. “At the end of the day, I know that my stuff is going out on stage and is being used by people who are getting all the acclaim and that’s totally okay. Because I can still sit in the

audience and go, ‘I built that.’ You have a sense of accomplishment.” Thornton’s high school did not have a theater program, and she thinks Plano’s prepares students very well to go into theater tech in college. Currently her tech class is working on their UIL project where they design the costumes, set, makeup, hair and form of publicity to turn in for judging. This year they are working to create a play for “The Hobbit”. “UIL gives them a really good idea of what goes into planning a show,” Thornton said. “That’s where sometimes we get lost. As technicians we’re in the shop. We don’t read the show and see what happens, so we go, ‘Oh, those actors.’ But at the end of the day it’s really a giant collaboration, so we have to understand all aspects of it. It’s really good for the students to understand what goes into a production.” Junior Simran Sharma has been involved in tech theater since ninth grade, when she took the course to fulfill a fine arts credit. She said that she has gained a lot of experience from being in tech theater that she couldn’t gain anywhere else. Her favorite job is managing the

“Seeing her doing so well and getting around taking lots of pictures inspires me,” Le said. “It makes me want to take more pictures too and go out more and do more shoots. Even though I technically inspired her, I feel like I’m always looking up to her pictures because they’re really great. She’s good at both landscape and capturing people doing stuff, like journalism-type of photography, but also conceptual photography, where she does manipulations.” Despite her success taking portraits for people, Christy wants to do

more. However, she is not sure if she will be able to. “I get paid to take pictures of weddings or couples and senior portraits, but that’s not what I want to do,” Christy said. “I want to do photojournalism and eventually I want to be a war correspondent if my parents let me. My parents are like,

‘You can’t really make a living with photography. You should do engineering and do photography as a hobby so you can pay

for everything.’ I kind of agree with them at this point when I’m applying to colleges because I don’t know how it’s going to turn

out. I know what I want to do but I don’t know how to get there. So they’re kind of dragging me back to reality.”

This year Christy is in Photojournalism and hopes to be a yearbook editor next year. According to Christy, her friends are really supportive. “She has a lot of talent and I don’t think she realizes that sometimes but she’s really, really good,” McMakin said. “I think sometimes she underestimates herself. A lot of things inspire her. I think sometimes she gets writer’s block, but for photography. Instead of just being like, ‘Why

won’t an idea come to me?’, she should just go and call someone and be like, ‘Let’s go take pictures.’ I would say she’s my best friend, and I support her totally with whatever she ends up doing.” Christy herself gave advice to people like her who are also aspiring to pursue their dreams. “Anything that you do, don’t do it for other people,” Christy said. “If someone is like, ‘You need to change this’, or ‘You need to change the way you’re doing what you do’, just do it for yourself until you’re happy. I’m not saying don’t ever change anything, but grow at your own pace and don’t let people push you down or tell you to go off course.”

Continued from front page

Continued from front page

lights for the show. “With lights you can literally touch a button and the whole show has to stop, because you can’t really have a show without lights, especially in our department,” Sharma said. “I remember I was one of the people guiding the middle schoolers last year at Jasper, and one of them accidentally pressed go. Everything went dark, and they were like, ‘I don’t know what to do now.’ So I had to help them out. I felt like I had so much power.” Sharma has worked many jobs within tech theater, including assistant stage manager, backstage crew, costumes and lights. She has never worked on any outside productions but plans to be a part of theater tech in college. “Everyone just thinks ‘You’re behind the scenes, you don’t get to go out and be a performer’, but being a techie is really fun,” Sharma said. “We know everything backstage that half of Plano will never get to know. We get to go up in the ‘sky’, and it’s really fun. Half the people don’t even know what theater tech is. I just did it as my fine arts credit, and now I feel like it’s a life choice.”

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Photo by Kaitlin FischerSenior Meghann Adkins adjusts the lights on stage.

Senior Indiga Christy poses with her camera in front of a mirror.Photo by Indiga Christy

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february 15, 2013 opinion7

My best friend in elementary school was a girl named Rachel. She and I used to spend our time on the playground running around as if we were horses galloping in the wild. Our favorite place was a hill right beside the swing sets that seemed huge to our young eyes. Because it had the most grass on it, it was the best place to pretend that we were in a pasture. We would run around on our hands and knees for the entire recess, playing in our own fantasy world. After galloping around, we could stand on top of the hill and watch the kids on the playground below us, and we were content. One spring day, Rachel and I were enjoying our recess, running on our hill, when a boy in our class walked up to us and asked what we were playing. “Horsies,” we answered. “Would you like to play with us?” “No! You’re dumb and so is your game,” he responded. Rachel rose up from her hands and knees, walked straight up to him so their noses were almost touching and told him to leave us alone. As I stood watching her tell our bully off, all I could think was how I could never do what she was doing. And I loved her for doing that. I loved Rachel for being so bold and for standing up for us when I was too weak to do it myself. Rachel and I stayed good friends until sixth grade. It was then that I began to make new friends. “Cooler” friends, I thought at the time, but now I know differently. In reality, I’m not friends with any of the people I talked to in sixth grade. In one way or another, we fell out of touch or we turned our backs on each other. One or both of us got hurt, and we were both left one friend short. That never happened with Rachel and me. Throughout all of the times I began turning my back on her because I thought I needed to find “cooler” friends, she still stayed with me. She was my only true friend.

Rachel moved to Temple, Texas in the middle of sixth grade because of her father’s job. We talked on the phone and wrote letters to each other constantly for the first year or so. She would draw me pictures of horses, and I would send her doodles of my cats. However, eventually our contact dwindled until no more letters were sent. Years passed by until senior year of high school, when I contacted her through Facebook. I asked her about college and what she wants to major in. She replied that she is planning on going to Dallas Baptist University and wants to major in graphic design. Slowly but surely, we began to catch up. And even though we have gotten older and we won’t ever run on all fours through imaginary pastures, I am blessed to have a friend like her. I hope that she knows how much I appreciate her influence in my life. I didn’t know back then, but now I’ve realized how important she has always been to me. Now I know that friends like Rachel really only come around once or twice in a lifetime. Through Rachel, I learned to appreciate the people in my life when I have them. I didn’t realize the value of my relationship with Rachel until now, when we’re going off to college. Now we might never have the chance to rekindle it. She was not only my best friend but also

a true friend whom I could always count on. So thank you, Rachel, for not only teaching me the value of friendship but for also being the best friend I

could’ve ever had.

Apparently now he sells pot. Other than that, I don’t know anything about him. I don’t know which video games he plays until 4 a.m. on school nights. I don’t know if he still has a picture of Megan Fox as his desktop background. I don’t know if there are still bunk beds in his room or Nerf guns in his closet. I don’t know if he still gets severely sick or takes medication. I don’t know if he has realized he left his Aeropostale hoodie at my house over a year ago. And I probably won’t ever know. He wore that sweatshirt, or one just like it, the day I had my first breakup. Seconds after it happened, I instinctively called him. My hands were shaking, but all of my nerves were numb. I was direct and temporarily emotionless. Dial tone. Pick up. “Can you meet me at the park in five minutes?” He didn’t ask questions. “I’ll be there.” Click. The weather that winter afternoon was far too lovely to reflect my mood. It was barely chilly outside, with trees whispering around me as each slight gust of wind caressed them. The sidewalk appeared almost glittery from rays of light kissing the plain concrete. The sun was at its peak, but I was at my low. My vision blurred when I was halfway to my destination, but no strangers passed by to see me cry. I arrived at the park before he did and collapsed on a bench. Despite my hands covering my face and sobs deafening me, I could sense it when he approached. He dropped his bike violently and rushed over to me, my eyes still closed. With his arms wrapped around me, I burrowed into his shoulder. My breaths were short and sudden, but as they slowed I came back to reality. We didn’t speak or move. Being that close to him for so long was foreign but oddly comforting. As my mind, body and heart calmed, I focused more on him. He had a series of small cuts on his fingers. He hadn’t brushed his hair before getting out of bed that morning. His shoulder was bony, making a poor pillow for me. And he was crying. I didn’t see it immediately, but I felt it. Small diaphragm contractions – just fractions of the ones I experienced

earlier. I pulled away from him and saw tears – the first tears I had ever seen from a boy’s eyes. He wasn’t ashamed. “I just hate seeing you hurt.” My heart was still broken, but in that moment, I knew that someone else sincerely loved me. That day, he unknowingly taught me what real friendship looks like. How powerful platonic love is. He was a pillar of security in my life – a constant force reminding me that I mattered. That I had to move forward for him and for myself. And now, three years later, I’m moving forward without him. Without many faces from my past. I remember when a former best friend and I wrote our names in permanent marker on a brick in my neighborhood to symbolize our lifelong friendship. Apparently now all of her friends actually hate her. I remember walking to my neighbor’s house in the middle of the night when he was depressed to check on him. Apparently now all he does is party, smoke and drink in college. I remember inventing a secret word with my older friend during one of our sleepovers that labeled us as sisters for life. Apparently now she is emotionally unstable, hopping from guy to guy for affection. I know now that those “forevers” were supposed to be fleeting, and I’m okay with that. People change. Circumstances change. Promises are broken. Inside jokes are forgotten and memories are reduced to photographs. Often, when people grow apart, it’s ultimately for the better. The heart fills the void with someone new, and life goes on. Life is beautiful, even. So why am I still holding on to that Aeropostale hoodie in my laundry room closet? Letting go of those friends was relatively easy. But letting go of a person who played a truly instrumental role in my life is another matter entirely. It’s the difference between experiencing a paper cut and surgically removing a vital organ. The pain will ease in time, but there will forever be a scar. I pass him in the hall some days, and every time I wish I didn’t. We know each other deeply, yet all we can exchange is a half-smile and a head nod. There are so many words

rushing around in my mind, but when I open my mouth, I become mute. There’s unspoken tension between us that seems to be irresolvable. It’s like I never called him the day of my first breakup. It’s like I never saw him cry. Despite the irreversible distance between us, I’ll never forget our past closeness. Apparently now it’s time to clean out the laundry room closet.

By Alyssa Matesic

wildcatfebruary 15, 2013 volume 67 issue seven

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

By Kaitlin Fischer

Illustration by Tiffany Weng

Illustration by Tiffany Weng

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