MyDSHS News April 2018

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Loaded Dreams and Empty Wallets...

Seniors open up about how they plan on paying for college as tuition rates continue to rise...

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2 MYDSHSNEWS

April, 2018

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March

for Our

Tessa Stigler Staff Writer

Lives

On Saturday March 24, Austin’s streets were flooded with students shouting, “We call BS” protesting gun violence and to push Congress towards making advances on gun control.

“It’s so encouraging to see that it’s young people that were the ones that lead this,” Meg Mattingly said. “This has been a conversation forever and ever, and that it took high schoolers to say they’re not putting up with it any more.”

Over 20,000 people marched from city hall to the Austin Capitol, where speeches by various politicians, students, and shooting survivors were made.

“I am encouraged by the number of people here at this rally that see this as an issue to remind our politicians that they need to take action, and that we’re not kidding around because [students] are our future,” Mattingly said.

The march is being sponsored by the March For Our Lives foundation which will be taking donations as well as urging citizens of all ages to sign their petition urging politicians to make progress with gun control laws.

“I want my grandchildren to be able to live in a world where they don’t have to run active shooter drills,” marcher Beth Morgan said.

One of the three issues the March For Our Lives foundation is fighting for is a law to be passed banning the sale of the assault weapons that were used in the Vegas, Orlando, Sutherland Springs, Aurora, Sandy Hook, and Stoneman Douglas shootings.

“I teach high school, so I think it’s important to have gun control,” marcher Kenyatta Landers said. “Obviously kids’ lives have been taken, so it’s really important that we get things under control right now before more lives are lost.”

The foundation is also pushing for the prohibition of the sale of high-capacity magazines; this prohibition would force possible shooters to stop and reload their gun after firing each bullet, which the foundation argues would give gun violence victims more time to escape in a possible shooting.

“I marched today because I’ve been touched so greatly by the stories of all the massacres of students and I wanted to support the brave, wonderful, and intelligent students who are marching in Washington today,” Jill Harbor said. “I thought it was important that a lot of people support what they are doing so that we can get some changes.”

Additionally, the foundation wishes to eradicate the loophole that allows citizens to purchase a gun without a background check through an online seller or private sellers.

“I am marching today because I think we need to see a change in this country,” Reverend John Gage said. “We need to understand that security doesn’t come from guns and that security is taking care of people and seeing to their needs.

Particularly today to see the needs of our young people, to make sure they can get the education they all need in safety.”

10 Student V.A.S.E. State Qualifiers

Two of the State qualifying pieces. Above is done by senior Payton Berry and to the right is piece by sophomore Emily Dart.

Each year art students are given the opportunity to submit their original art pieces to the annual Visual Arts Scholastic Jade Berry Event (or V.A.S.E.) competition News and Entertainment Editor where they compete against hundreds of other students in the region and hopefully move Although many students did qualify for state and will be on to state. continuing on, the medaling students continue to strive to one This year, a group of art students traveled day qualify for state.

“I plan to enter V.A.S.E. all throughout high school, which to San Marcos High School for V.A.S.E. on March 3. Thirty-two of those students for me will be two more years,” sophomore medalist Sydney received a medal for their works, and 10 Hetherington said. “I don’t have a clue as to what I’ll do next year, students qualified for the state and will but I think I’ll try a medium other than colored pencil.”

For some of the art students, competing in a serious regional continue on in the competition.

“I’m finally going to state, something competition like V.A.S.E. is nerve-wracking but being exposed to that I’ve been working towards since my a competitive but friendly competition helps build them up for freshman year, so it’s really exciting,” senior future opportunities.

“My favorite part about V.A.S.E. is just getting to go and enjoy state qualifier Payton Berry said. “And I have to give a huge thanks to my absolute the atmosphere,” Berry said. “It’s getting to go and socialize with favorite teacher and art mentor Mr. Bates.” other art people in an art focused setting.”

April, 2018

MYDSHSNEWS

Students Plan to Attend Future Walkout

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Tessa Stigler Staff Writer

Thousands of students all over the United States have participated in the recent gun violence protests, and thousands more are expected to in the upcoming walkout planned for April 20.

The walkout is scheduled on the anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting to protest gun violence and to urge politicians to take action.

“I think it’s important to show the Parkland students that there is somebody standing up for them and they’re not alone,” walkout ambassador Ravelle Dundon said.

The walkout is run by the twitter account @school walkoutus, which serves as an information source that encourages high schoolers as well as elementary and college students, to walkout at 10 a.m. in every time zone to show solidarity.

“In this last [shooting],especially [Parkland], students decided they weren’t going to have it anymore, and I felt like it was really awesome to see all of them standing up and talking about [gun violence],” Dundon said.

Participants of these past walkouts have experienced much backlash and controversy, some of which included school sentenced suspensions and in some cases verbal

Winter Guard Places 2nd at Area, Qualifying for State

After placing 5th at the Dallas Super Regional WGI competition over Spring Break, the Winter Guard returned home to compete at Area, ultimately placing 2nd in their division and qualifying to move on to state.

“I’m really proud of how hard everyone has worked this season,” junior and varsity member Rylee Kirkey said. “I’m so excited to

tackle state with some of the greatest people I have ever met.”

The state competition will be held at Texas A&M on April 7.

“I think we’ve grown a lot since our first few competitions,” junior and varsity member Alexis Burch said, photo by Kaleigh Cousins “especially with our 15 point growth, and not just the competition part but also the family bonding part of guard.”

threats by fellow students. “[My husband and I] have four grandchildren and we want them to feel safe. It’s just not right that people think the second amendment applies to machine guns,” March For Our Lives protester Lucy Kissinger said.

Various students from different high schools have protested their Saturday detentions for participating in the walkout by holding a sit in and wearing gun violence victims’ names around their necks.

“I also think it’s important to show the adults, especially in Texas, that the students feel very strongly about gun violence and are being heavily impacted by it,” Dundon said.

As of recently, two large-scale walkouts have been held in protest to gun violence, one held on February 21, in response to the Stoneman Douglas shooting and one on March 14, sponsored by the Women’s March.

“There’s a lot of ugliness happening today. There are a lot of kids dying for no reason, and people are getting pumped up about it,” March For Our Lives protester Amber Rambo said.

“Schools should be a safe place, not somewhere you’re scared to go.”

Opinion

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April, 2018

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In Every Aspect, I’m a Feminist. Here’s Why: Jami Holms Opinion Contributor

In every way, I would call myself a feminist. I attend women’s marches, I fully believe in equal rights between both genders, and I will always stick up for myself and other women. However, sometimes being a feminist is very misinterpreted, especially in today’s society and in the media, and it can lead to a bad connotation.

Don’t get me wrong, I love feminism, but sometimes I lose a little bit of hope when it feels as if we are being torn down. I get tired of having to fight for something over and over again that should have been accomplished years ago.

It just seems that no matter how hard we fight, we will never be on the same level as men.

What really is difficult is that sometimes our words and actions get twisted around. People will speak about how they think “feminism is promoting the statement of being superior to men” and in no way is that our message. We want to have equal rights for everyone, and how people misinterpret that is hard to understand. On all the marches and posters, we promote equal rights, and it just seems that maybe our actions are being twisted so people will not follow the movement.

Sometimes, though, I think that there are feminist extremists that make the movement seem like more than it is. Some extremists go too far and start yelling in people’s faces and making a peaceful movement into a hateful movement. Some even believe the statement that women are superior to men. The idea of feminism is that

we are all equal, not that one gender is better than the other.

These people become the face of feminism sometimes, and because of that, people think feminism should be banished, and they fail to look at feminism in the light that it really should be in.

Growing up, we are told that we can do anything we want, and for a while, we believe it. We start dreaming of all the careers we could have, and the things we can be. So it is a reality shock when some women get older and learn that we have many opportunities to be knocked down.

Shouldn’t we get a fair chance to have our dreams come true? Why is it that we are expected to be hard workers, bear children, and fight to prove that we are the same worth as a man?

Based on a statistic used in The Lala, an online publication, a 2015 Vex poll conducted at PerryUndem, a research and communications firm, 85 percent of Americans believe in “equality for women”. Yet only 18% of respondents respond as a “feminist.” This further proves that being called a “feminist” has brought a somewhat negative connotation.

I can only hope that the real meaning and definition of feminism will resonate with other people in society as equal rights, instead of being utilized as superiority between females and males.

We are brought down at times, yes, but nevertheless we persist. I know I will.

Image courtesy of Hanna Barczyk.

April, 2018

MYDSHSNEWS

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Help!

I Don’t Know How To Adult Grayson Ruiz Opinion and Lifestyle Editor

If you would’ve asked me eight months ago if I expected senior year to go by as fast as it has, I would have denied it vehemently. We have three months of school left, and adulting, in every form and every aspect, is creeping up on me and other seniors alike rapidly.

By now, most of us have figured out what school we are going to, finalized our enrollment, and even signed up for orientation. Some of us have even graduated early to work in order to save money for college or even just to figure out how the rest of our lives after high school will be. We are planning our departure from our childhood, our past four years consumed in high school sports, activities, and social interactions.

Every student I’ve talked to is both excited and anxious about the months ahead. Most of us will be making the adjustment to dorm life, eating in a cafeteria, and taking a shower in a community bathroom.

No more of the quiet, quaint spaces, or our own personal bathroom, or our parent’s homecooked meals. It’s a scary transition, and it’s one that will take time to fully become a routine in our daily lives.

However, there’s a question I’m sure lingers into every single one of our heads. Are we prepared

enough to go into college and the real world? Has our four years in this establishment been enough to catch us up to speed on the inner workings of an educational life and a personal life? Or will it all

become too much and too big of an adjustment for us to handle?

I will say from a personal perspective, I have learned a lot from my time here. I’ve learned how

to manage my time between my studies and my extracurriculars, I’ve learned how to procrastinate less (well...a little less), and I’ve learned most importantly that everything happens for a reason.

A bad grade on a test, a rejection from a position at school, or even when life’s priorities get in the way of schoolwork.

The grades, the disappointments, and the time management has all played a part in how I’ve grown as a person and how I’ll continue to grow in a university.

I feel wiser and more informed making this transition to the college lifestyle.

I know that there will be challenges that arise in college that I will be surprised by and that will bring stress into my life as a whole, but I still believe that I’m as prepared as I’ll ever be to start my journey. Adulting is not something I’m afraid of, it’s something I want to embrace.

Part of this transition is realizing that it is the better option to embrace change rather than reject it. That has been another hard lesson I’ve had to learn, but I will continue to keep it in mind as I venture out of Dripping Springs into a new culture.

Life has a way of paving a pathway specifically suited to your interests. I’m still anxious about “adulting” and the responsibilities that can follow that term, but I know that my time both at the high school and in the real world has transformed me into the best student and person I can be this upcoming fall, and I trust that my fellow seniors can say the same.

Image courtesy of LA Johnson/NPR.

6 MYDSHSNEWS

April, 2018

ALL THE LATEST CONTRIBUTIONS >> Visit myDSHS.com/category/creative.

Creative

Texas’ Weird Weather Dallas Johnson Creative Editor

Texas is without a doubt one of the most unpredictable states in terms of whether. Its winters come and go, last for a long time, come late, and even sometimes return unexpectedly, but after this the worst is still yet to come.

The temperature highs that Texas can reach far surpass that of anywhere else.

This is not true because of popular opinion or speculation, but science itself has confirmed this very statement. In the text titled Environmental Physiology a book written for doctors, they stated that Texas’ weather is even worse than that of tropical regions such as Devil’s Island in Guiana.

Considering that Devil’s Island has a reputation specifically from its inhabitable weather, this is a shocking conclusion. Our summer’s are more sweltering than the incredible and devastating heat of Devil’s Island! Another comparison example is the Rio Grande, which has a daily night and day average of 102 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s only during the summer.

That’s the hottest part of Texas in the hottest part of the year and it does not get cooler anywhere else. Any place that is southeast of the line from Dallas to Del Rio, the average temperature in the summer is over 100 degrees. This region, which contains four of our largest cities, is hotter than Death Valley and California’s deserts, which only reach a little less than 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

This comparison defies the mercury reading of Death Valley, but mercury cannot tell the entire story. It’s all about longevity. People can stand Death Valley’s temperature for fifteen minutes, but Texas’ cooler (if just barely) temperatures for only about ten minutes despite the 50 degree temperature difference.

These small details barely begin to paint the picture. Almost nobody lives in Death Valley, but more than four million Texans live in basically a danger zone. The weather in Texas’ summers affects our entire lives for a whole season. Everything that we do is influenced by how hot it is.

Oil can be considered one thing that this intense heat has brought to us, but that’s about it. Heat stroke, heat exhaustion, sunburn, skin cancer, cataracts, premature aging, and increased risk of heart attack, cancer, and death in general are more commonly known things that heat bestows upon us.

Our minds can also be afflicted by heat. Heat asthenia shows increases in violence and irritability which can lead to depression. Studies have linked heat to higher crime rates, falls in creativity, and the impairment of learning ability. It makes us wonder if year after year, summer after summer, the heat is sapping our bodies, minds, souls, and obviously, our money.

Comic by Jade Howe

April, 2018

MYDSHSNEWS

April Fools Origins Dallas Johnson Creative Editor

How Did April Fools Start?

The origin of April Fool’s Day is somewhat clouded. We know when the day is and what goes on, but why it got started and how it came to be is still puzzling. Many holidays have questionable roots, but April Fools is one of the most muddled considering how many different theories there are vying to be the truth.

A possible historical explanation is the festival of Hilaria, which was celebrated in Greek and Roman times towards the end of March. The celebration centered around an ancient Greek deity, Cybele. Part of the festival was associated with joy and joking.

This was thought to correlate with the Julian calendar’s vernal equinox, but in the 16th century Christians switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, named after a member of the Pope. This meant that the new year began on January first. Some historians believe this is how the day became known to “fool” those who were still using the Julian calendar, while others believe that the jokes and pranks were a side effect of celebrating the “new year” in April.

Another, less historical, theory is that the roots might come from a 1392 book called The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucher. This is because a March 32nd was mentioned in the book, and as well all know, there is no March 32nd, hence the joke.

Every culture around the world has some version of April Fool’s, such as the Jewish holiday Purim, but the concept of the holiday is much more familiar to North America and European territories.

Historians have found it surprising that April Fool’s and other like celebrations have gripped culture in such a way considering they have no definitive origin.

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FEATURES

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April, 2018

Spread by Giselle Galletti

We’re Out Here Debatin’ During the first weekend of March, the town of La Vernia’s population was virtually doubled overnight. A sea of students had rolled in wearing their finest only, ready to recite, discuss, and of course, debate. The debate team was among this mass of competitors, game faces on and ready to give the tournament their all.

La Vernia, population 1,409, was treated to a major shock when the influx participating schools of the 2018 TFA state debate tournament arrived in town. The competition, put on by the Texas Forensic Association, is one of the largest gatherings of debate students in Texas, and every team that participates must qualify in a higherlevel tournament prior to the state event.

“It’s very, very, very hard,” sophomore Jane Unger said. “It’s the best of the best that you’re competing against and you might do well in local tournaments, but once you go to TFA state you’re going to be very surprised at the results.”

TFA state debate doubled as a new experience for most of the DSHS students competing. The scale of the competition was at an entirely different level compared to the other tournaments they’ve participated in.

Photos courtesy of Davy Holmes

Katie Haberman Staff Writer

“There are hundreds of more people, and it’s people you’ve never seen before,” sophomore Campbell Melton said. “You don’t really know who you’re debating or what you’re up against.”

Due to the large number of students competing, La Vernia High School had a shortage of rooms for events to take place. In addition to the high school, La Vernia intermediate, middle, and both elementary schools were used to host events.

“Some people competed in kindergarten rooms,” Unger said. “Just imagine a senior and a junior debating against each other in suits and ties sitting in tiny chairs with computers.”

In addition to the enormity of the competition, the skill level of competing teams was much higher than the participants of past tournaments. As this was a state-level competition, every team in attendance was expected to perform to the best of their ability, though that made for much tougher competition in the eyes of the competing students of the DSHS debate team.

“I would go to local tournaments and kill everyone,” junior Mason Mohon said. “Then we go to TFA state and everybody kills us.”

The competition schedule also added to the tense Photo by Skylar O’Connell

air of the tournament. Waking up between four and five am to arrive on time, the team competed throughout the full day, finally leaving La Vernia at midnight.

“Everyone’s half-asleep, and then the first event starts, everybody goes, and then basically everyone’s gone for the rest of the day,” Melton said. “You pop in, grab food, run away, and go do the rest of your event. At the end we all reconvene to cheer each other on and wait for awards.”

Overall, TFA state debate was a whirlwind for everyone involved. The difficulty of the tournament proved to be a challenge for the students, along with most of the other participants.

“I was one point away from advancing,” Unger said. “I would describe TFA debate as different.”

However, TFA debate isn’t the last stop for the team this year. With district, region, and state UIL coming up, the debate students still have a multitude of opportunities to take the win for DSHS. “I’m going straight to UIL state for my event,” junior Qasim Aziz said. “Public Forum Debate.”

April, 2018

MYDSHSNEWS

Seeing Double, Triple?

When turning the corner of a DSHS hallway, there’s a small likelihood that you might see the same person that has been walking behind you five feet ahead. Though it may seem like it, this probably isn’t a mirage, and instead a set of twins or triplets.

April, a month of many odd holidays, doubles as the namesake of multiple birth month, a celebration dedicated to recognizing all twins, triplets, quadruplets, etc. Multiple births are surprisingly abundant in the modern era, and the number of twins and triplets, both identical and fraternal, at DSHS often shocks other students. However, those born in multiples themselves have grown accustomed to their lives as twins/triplets, and though their life experiences aren’t too different from those born alone, there are some major contrasts.

“We’re always together,” sophomore Jason Fitzpatrick said. “I think the longest time that we’ve ever been apart was probably less than a day.”

Some sets of twins have no problem whatsoever spending all of their time together. In fact, out of the twins interviewed, the majority participate in the same activities and share the same friend group.

“We get along on almost everything,” Bryce Fitzpatrick said. “We don’t fight with each other. Most siblings do, but we get along pretty well.”

However, this doesn’t necessarily prove true for triplets. Due to the higher amount of siblings, the chance that three people will differ more than two is highly likely. Though the triplet interviewed didn’t share quite as many interests with her siblings as other twins did, it was clear that the three still get along enough to hang out with one another.

“Me and my sister have a similar friend group, and then me and my brother don’t,” Alecia England, triplet, said. “Me and my sister, some of our music is very similar, because we both like Ed Sheeran. That’s basically it, because a lot of their lives center on soccer and sports, but I’m not in soccer and sports.”

Though many presume that twins of the same gender get along more easily than those of different genders, the opposite sometimes proves true.

As most twins are raised together, the difference in gender doesn’t particularly act as an emotional barrier in terms of the way they live their lives.

“I usually joke around with people, saying my life would be so much better The Fitzpatrick twins, photo by Katie Haberman

Katie Haberman Staff Writer

without my twin, and I wouldn’t need anyone,” Mikey Marquez said.

“But now that I think about it, I probably would be very lonely, because my twin helps me. She helps me with everything, she helps me with how I feel emotionally, and she helps me get through the day.”

The same sentiment goes for identical and fraternal twins. While identical twins may have more physical similarities, fraternal twins can have just as many similar interests and mentalities.

“I mean, we have like two classes together, and then at home we sit and do homework together, like twins,” sophomore Allie Haberman said. “We have the same friend group, so you know we chill, we hang, we tight, we bros. We do theatre. We like memes too.”

Identical twins sometimes have a leg up on fraternal twins, though.

When two people share the same face, the classic action of switching places can ensue, a trick that can fool almost everyone.

“When we were in elementary school, I used to have long hair, so everyone used to think I was her,” Marquez said. “It went to a point where we even switched classes. Yeah, we got in trouble for that.”

Aside from sneaky plans, identical twins can also use their similarities for more harmless purposes.

“People have a hard time telling us apart so that’s always fun,” Brooke Rummel said. “I like being identical because then you can be like ‘oh, how does that look’ when you’re shopping, and just say turn around, do a whole 360.”

In the case of the Rummel twins, one always pushes the other to do their best. Due to their participation in the same sports and extracurricular activities, they have the ability to try new things based on what their twin decides to do.

“Whenever she does something I’m like ‘oh, maybe that would be interesting for me,’” Ashley Rummel said. “I feel like Brooke didn’t really pick up writing until I really did it.”

Though each set of twins and triplets has their differences, all of the subjects interviewed did have at least one thing in common. Each person valued their sibling (or siblings), and hoped to have a close, positive relationship with their twin/triplet in the future.

“You know the saying that ‘you’ll always have a good relationship with your mom?’”

Marquez said. “For me, it’s ‘I’ll always have a good relationship with my twin.”

The Rummel twins, photo by Katie Haberman

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10 MYDSHSNEWS

COMMUNITY

April, 2018

Spread by Giselle Galletti

Students Give Their Advice on Where to Eat Giselle Galletti Features Editor

Student favorites in Drip

In the surrounding areas 1) Torchy’s 2) Chuy’s 3) P. Terry’s

1) Whataburger 2) Grand Slam 3) Thyme and Dough

For date night

1) Flores restaurant 2) Thyme and Dough 3) Homespun 4) Trattoria Lisina

After a Friday night

1) Whataburger 2) Sonic 3) Hat Creek Burger Co.

For the best barbecue

For the best breakfast 1) Flores Taco Stand 2) Thyme and Dough 3) Drippin Donuts

1) Salt Lick BBQ 2) Railroad Bar-B-Que 3) Pig Pen BBQ Honorable mention: Black’s Barbecue

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April, 2018

MYDSHSNEWS

WANT MORE FEATURES? >> Visit myDSHS.com/category/features for additional coverage.

Salt Lick BBQ

For the best tex-mex 1) Flores Restaurant 2) Chuy’s 3) El Rey Restauant

18300 FM 1826 Driftwood, TX 78619 512-858-4959

For the best coffee

For the best fast food

1) Mazama’s 2) Starbucks 3) Jolt

1) Whataburger 2) Sonic 3) Hat Creek Burger Co.

For the best sushi For the best pizza

1) HEB 2) Uchi 3) Eurasia

1) Domino’s 2) Pizza Cave 3) Pieous 4) Hill Country Ranch Pizzeria

Honorable mentions:

“My house” The kid who answered “Pizza Cave” to every category.

“Your face” “God is always the answer” “IDK”

By Benjamin Valle Salt lick is certainly a staple of Drip ping Springs culture, and for good reason.

The atmosphere is both charming and unique, and the food, while on a somewhat limited menu, is superb. My visit was no exception of course. The service was exceptional as always, with the Waitress coming to the table just minutes after sitting down, and my order: the Turkey and Brisket combo plate, coming just minutes after the order was placed. The food was, as always, exceptional.

The Potato salad and coleslaw were both flavorful and served as a perfect culinary contrast to the flavor of the meat portion of the meal.

The meats themselves were perfectly cooked and once combined with Salt Lick’s signature barbeque sauce were a flavorful force worth a degree of awe. Overall, the food and atmosphere were both pleasant, and I left the restaurant with a smile on my face.

Rating: 5/5

Eurasia Sushi Bar & Seafood 7101 W Hwy 71, Ste C-13 Austin, TX 78735 (512) 382-0968

By Riordan Tiller Tucked away in a corner of a very old shopping center, you’d never know this little gem was there. Even though Eurasia Sushi Bar & Seafood hasn’t been open very long, it has quickly become a South Austin favorite for fresh sushi. The first thing you notice when you walk in is the purple-blue glow and the wall length water feature that immediately calms you. Mounted on a wall is the sushi cam which provides a live picture of your sushi being made. Mine was a series of my favorite rolls and salmon. Tonight they surprised me with a beautiful glowing presentation-literally glowing.

The first is a spider roll, which is made of tempura battered soft shell crab covered in an amazing eel sauce. The second is a California roll made with the perfect combination of imitation crab and avocado.

Lastly and the best reason to come to Eurasia is the simple salmon sushi which is cut perfectly and always melt in your mouth good.

Rating:: 5 out of 5 sushi rolls

COMMUNITY

12 MYDSHSNEWS

April, 2018

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Seniors are broke, and college is expensive

College is expensive. Like… Really expensive.

For many students across the country as well as many students within DSHS, the determining factor as to whether they will attend their dream school or not isn’t whether they actually got in, but whether or not they can afford it.

According to the Federal Reserve, the average amount of student debt per graduate in the Class of 2016 was $37,172. For seniors graduating high school and preparing to take their first baby steps into the world, that’s a large burden to shoulder.

Out of 134 surveyed DSHS students, over 99% plan on attending a four year university or community college in the coming years, so the question then becomes: How do us seniors (myself included) intend on paying for college?

According to my survey, the majority (47%) of Dripping Springs High School seniors who are planning on attending college this fall will have parental support be the primary factor in the costs of their education. At the next interval, 13% of seniors are paying their way primarily independently. Academic and Athletic scholarships clocked in at 8.7% and 6.9%, respectively, and another handful of students (11%) stated that Federal Loans would be their primary method of paying for school.

All that being said, the statistics above are just our primary methods of payment. Many of these students will be paying for school with a mixture of parental support, academic or athletic money, jobs on the side and grants and loans where they qualify.

Most students, including myself, have to get very creative and work very hard to try to find money in every nook and cranny to get themselves as close to debt free as humanly possible.

In the survey I took, I asked students what they anticipated taking out on student loans over the next four years.

From what I’ve calculated, DSHS seniors, collectively, are doing slightly better in paying for school than the rest of the country, with our average loans (from those surveyed) coming out to $31,008.

Hooray?

It’s a tough sell to get excited about... I know. Woohoo! Debt!

The optimist in me hoped that us Tigers here at Dripping Springs could somehow find a way to be the outliers, and

Jaxson Power-Thornton Editor-in-Chief

collectively ease our bank accounts through college without contemplating the sale of a kidney.

But unfortunately, that just isn’t realistic. Debt is a part of the world, that is for sure, but since when did it become such a massive part of our adult lives before our adult lives even begin?

The average cost of one year in college in 1980 was $3,400. In 2016, the average was over $23,000.

And that is just the average.

For someone like me who is planning on studying film and writing, it is far higher as well.

It isn’t unusual for liberal arts schools nowadays to have their costs run well over $50,000, with Columbia’s cost of tuition this year being slightly below $75,000!

So it begs the question: Why is this happening?

Many believe the problem lies with the government. When the government began increasing its student aid, schools saw that students had more money to spend.

Even though this money wasn’t technically the students and really belonged to the government, it makes no difference to the school, and with so much federal money allowing for the demand for college education to increase, colleges were/are able to raise their prices.

Still, though, these supply and demand factors don’t explain why College tuition rates have been and continue to rise at rates well over the inflation rate. You might expect to see that colleges are able to increase costs slightly due to more federal aid becoming available, but the gross increase in tuition costs still feels to many students unaccounted for.

In an example given by author Gordon Wadsworth: “…if the cost of college tuition was $10,000 in 1986, it would now cost the same student over $21,500 if education had increased as much as the average inflation rate but instead education is $59,800 or over 2 ½ times the inflation rate.”

Where is the cost increase coming from? I don’t have the answers. Just know, seniors, these next four years are going to be a grind.

Graphic courtesy of CollegeBoard. Graphic shows average tuition increase AFTER inflation has been accounted for.

LIFESTYLE

April, 2018

MYDSHSNEWS

13

Monthly Horoscopes Brought to You by Horoscope 2018 Grayson Ruiz Opinion and Lifestyle Editor

ARIES (3/21 to 4/19) Happy Birthday April Ariens! Your natural will power is strong, and hard work boosts finances this month. It’s action based on principles that wins prizes for you. Be a champion and lead the way! Your appeal to friends and those you love is strong this month, take time to share your best ideas.

TAURUS (4/20 to 5/20) Early April shows self-development and unusual behind-the-scenes ideas to create opportunities late month. Dreams become reality if you proceed carefully. After Easter (15th) you express yourself with charm and clarity.

GEMINI (5/21 to 6/20) Your self-confidence helps you make major improvements in your personal as well as home and work life. You feel like you’re on the winning team in April! You may become a bit more cautious on the 20th. Serious problems are few, though some partnership problems may arise.

CANCER (6/21 to 7/22) You’re emotionally strong, feel a sense of power in your career activities and in your public life. In late April you enjoy meeting those you share important interests with, this could be at religious or scientific events.

LEO (7/23 to 8/22) Leos are enthusiastic now and pursue ideals that matter to many. You seek the newest books, and may sign up for a college course.

You are connected with the wider world in early April. You improve friendships as you explore.

VIRGO (8/23 to 9/22) Life at home is rather volatile for Virgos this month. You do your best to defuse conflicts between family members. Accept the fact that for much of the month there are stressful changes in shared legal matters. Be tolerant of life’s imperfections.

LIBRA (9/23 to 10/22) April offers Librans many unusual

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opportunities, if there is a hobby or art you have put on hold because of time pressures, use the month to pursue it. At the same time, ideals greatly extend your intellectual perspective.

SCORPIO (10/23 to 11/21) Late this month is a great time to improve your relationship with someone who’s important to you. Scorpio’s have extra energy to make serious new friends as well. Time is on your side. April tells you to make decisions to improve diet, exercise, and/or working conditions.

SAGITTARIUS (11/22 to 12/21) You seem to grow stronger as spring moves into full swing. You’re creative and romantic all month. Be sure to use your talents and enjoy new pleasures.

Sagittarians are emotionally intense this month.

CAPRICORN (12/22 to 1/19) Capricorns want home surroundings to be fresh and beautiful. Gifts to those you

Meet the Staff Editor-in-Chief Jaxson Thornton ‘18 Sports Editor Camryn Horst ‘19

Features Editor Giselle Galletti ‘19

Opinion & Lifestyle Editor Grayson Ruiz ‘18

Entertainment & News Editor Jade Berry ‘19

Online Editor Clara Comparan ‘18

Creative Editor Dallas Johnson ‘18

Staff Writers Tessa Stigler, Katie Haberman, Jade Howe, Rigley Willis

love are appreciated, especially if you make it plain that you give only to express admiration. Late in April, you’re cheered by creative pleasures.

AQUARIUS (1/20 to 2/18) This is an interesting month for Aquarians because Uranus (one of your strong planets) and Neptune are in your solar 1st house of personality the whole month. These energies give you chances to take on new projects. Avoid deceptions on the 28th. It’s a month where you need to be well-informed.

PISCES (2/19 to 3/20) Your ability to make the best use possible of all your resources, financial as well as spiritual, increases in April. A self-confident approach earns good fortune this month. Your professional life or public life contacts benefit from a hands-on active approach.

Opinion

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Editorials, Columns & Letters

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Letters and columns are the opinions of an individual and not myDSHS.

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To submit a letter, email DSHSstudentmedia@dsisdconnect.com. Letters should be a maxiumum of 400 words. The letter is not guaranteed to be published.

14 MYDSHSNEWS

April, 2018

SPORTS

Spread by: Camryn Horst

WANT MORE SPORTS? >> Visit myDSHS.com/category/sports for all the latest coverage.

Soccer Returns to Playoffs Camryn Horst Sports Editor

The varsity girls soccer team advanced to playoffs and the team is beyond excited. With a 11-2 district record, the team finished third in district behind Boerne Champion and Alamo Heights. Alongside their success, challenges arose such as losing multiple players to injury, but the team remained close and persevered.

Sophomore varsity player Emma Jones said that the team was determined to make it to playoffs.

“We’ve been working hard to make it to playoffs, and we held second place for most of the season,” Jones said. “It was almost a relief that we were finally there, but we all know we still have to focus on the games ahead.”

Their first round matchup out of Austin was McCallum on Thursday, March 29 at Burger stadium in Sunset Valley. Due to injuries and the post season, Head Coach Bailee Perrine called up JV players to the varsity squad.

“When I found out we made it to playoffs, I was excited because I know how important it is to me and the team to get to state and nervous because I would be joining and playing with a new team who I hadn’t played with since the 2017 playoff season,” junior Hallie Woodard, JV and varsity player, said.

This season, JV beat Boerne Champion, who varsity lost to in their third playoff game last season. Woodard said that playing Boerne Champion was the most challenging game of the season.

“Coming back and beating them during our conference season was really important to us,” Woodard said.

Junior Samantha Foster adds that the team wanted to beat first place Boerne Champion really badly but had to settle for a 1-1 tie in their second meeting.

“We had to focus on overcoming the mental challenge of losing the playoff game against them,” Foster said.

Foster adds that the team feels very excited for the advancement to playoffs.

“Making the playoffs for the varsity for the second year in the row was a huge accomplishment,” Foster said.

Foster says she was overjoyed when the team made it to playoffs. She is also a varsity and JV player, and she said this was her third and most successful year in the program.

“The team really connected off of the field and that allowed us to work more as a team on the field. The varsity team I believe is better at connecting rather than relying on individual people,” Foster said.

Woodard agreed with Foster over the fact that the team is tight-knit and has a strong team dynamic.

“I think this year, we really came together and worked as a team,” Woodard said. “Our passing and connections on the field were evident on the field.”

While playing on JV, Woodard said that the team had to be flexible.

“We were able to connect passes, change formations when needed, and work within our zones very easily,” Woodard said. “If we were up 6- or 7-0, our coach would give us areas on the field that we were allowed to play. From there, we had to keep possession, and even with our limits, we were able to very easily.”

Jones said that she believed the team’s success was due to maintaining a hard work ethic while also having fun.

“We take soccer seriously because it’s the sport we love, but it’s important for us to enjoy the game,” Jones said. “I’ve found that we play better in those situations.”

Jones adds that something that sets this season apart from others is the connection between both JV and varsity.

“I attribute my success to my team,” Jones said. “We’ve grown so close that we really are a family. We’re here for each other. We play for each other. Also, I want to add how proud I am of the girls and how hard they have worked.”

15

April, 2018

MYDSHSNEWS

More Than Just Putt-Putt Rigley Willis Staff Writer

The golf teams have officially wrapped up their season as they both finished events in River Crossing and Brennan. The season has been an eventful one as athletes such as Kelsey Kane and Paige Whipple (amongst others) have broken numerous personal scores over the past year.

The team has developed a certain identity.

This identity is their successful nature as both the men’s team and women’s teams have forgotten what losing is like. Recently, we have seen top 10 finishes by Brianna Morrow and Kelsey Kane leading the Tiger golf team to yet another highly placed finish. Chris Cameron, who scored a 72 in a meet in Concan, has been leading the boys team towards a star-studded future. These accolades have all occurred in the past, however, as their focus turns to playoffs.

Many teams in the district, including Alamo Heights and Marble Falls, will be aiming to dethrone the Tiger golf team at district.

“We’re the leaders in our district, for sure.

Our next step is to put the other teams away and win a district title,” senior Chris Cameron said.

Many golfers, however, believe their levelheadedness will push them to victory and past the rest of the field.

“When we golf, we don’t think about it as a sport and pressure doesn’t really get to us,” senior Paige Whipple said. “We try to think of it as something else so that we relax and we end up having a bunch of fun as well.”

A terrific season of golf is, unfortunately, coming to an end but these players will always have memories of these past successful years.

“I am going to miss golf a lot,” senior Kelsey Kane said. “I made friends and had a great time for the four years that I was here.”

The Tiger golf team will look towards their District 26-5A Championship as the boys team will close out on April 2 while the girls recently wrapped up a second place finish on March 27. They move on to the regional tournament.

Powerlifter Matthew Hemphill Wins State Senior Matthew Hemphill won the state championship for powerlifting in the 181 lbs weight class. He also won lifter of the meet for the heavy platforms, and totaled 1580 pounds, beating the second place finisher by 90 pounds.

Camryn Horst Sports Editor

16 MYDSHSNEWS April 2018

Entertainment

DSHS Theatre Traveled to NYC

“I know it sounds cheesy, but the experiences I had on this trip will stick with me for a long time. From the amazing shows to the overpriced food, to literally just sitting in the hotel room talking, it was an experience to rival any other because I got to spend it with the people I love.� - junior Preston Willis