When you walk down the halls everyday you may not realize how privileged you are to be able to listen to a friend’s conversation or yell down the hall to get your buddy’s attention. Some children are either born or become deaf, having to use American Sign Language to communicate

 When you are deaf there are things that become harder such as communication with someone who is not deaf. How can deaf students cope?

ASL teacher Cynthia Harp sponsored a project where her students were deaf for a day.

 “When you are placed into the situation of being deaf it is a very humbling experience,”” You learn that things are nowhere near as easy as you might think.” junior Tiffany Marshall said.

In Cynthia Harp’s classes students pretended to be deaf for a day to experience just how hard it is for a deaf kid to be in a normal environment where the vast majority of people don’t understand what they are saying and they are unable to communicate.

“This was designed to put the students into the life of a deaf child during a school day,” Harp said.

The project took place throughout the entire day where students wore ear plugs and only sign in class to communicate.

“I gained so much respect for deaf people. They have to push through a large barrier merely to live a normal life. All I could hear was my heart beating and my blood pumping, it’s an awkward feeling that I gained respect for,” junior Suhail Anbarci said.

Senior Diana Powell has wanted to go to the University of Harvard since she was four, and she dedicated her high school career to achieving that goal. Even though it seemed so far, Powell worked hard to see her dream come to life. She is ranked number two in her class, with a stellar GPA and thus a wonderful transcript. Powell scored a 2200 on her SAT and received scholarships from participation in science fair. Also, Powell is a member of many organizations, namely NHS, Student Council and RADD. With these attributes, she decided to apply to four colleges, three of them from the Ivy League and one from the Public Ivy League.

“I applied to Harvard, Yale, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and UT,” Powell said. “I received acceptance from all of them.”

With these achievements, Powell becomes one of the 2,700 freshmen accepted to Ivy League schools. Powell said there were no set requirements to achieve acceptance at Yale and Harvard, and thus made the event a more surprising one. Also, Harvard and MIT admissions are intensely capricious and their acceptance process can be more rigorous and take longer periods of time.

“Yale was the first I got into and it was a huge surprise,” Powell said “MIT and Harvard were also huge surprises because they’re so ridiculously hard to get into because of their unpredictable admissions.”

How do they determine who becomes an Ivy League student? The answers are infinite. It depends on the admissions committee and the circumstances of the student. It can also be measured in the aspects beyond academics such as volunteer hours and extra-curricular activities. Yet sometimes, students who have the perfect score on the SATs don’t get into these colleges, thus supporting the fickleness of the process.

“Ivy League colleges want a human rather than a machine,” senior Ashley Covington said. “You need to have extra-curricular activities that show your goals, for instance, the math and science classes and participation in science fair helped me a lot. Also, you need to have high SAT scores and a lot of AP classes.”

Harvard can throw out an application of a valedictorian who is a member of NHS, the French club, the Robotics club, Student Council and so on and so forth. It doesn’t matter if he was part of the varsity football team either. If he did not illustrate a common theme, or most Ivy League advisers call it a spike, in his extra-curricular activities, it shows that he does not have the ability to show passion for focus  on one aspect and grow in that area. Being a jack-of-all trades can be a weakness in one’s record, thus the Ivy League wants a student who can separate themselves from others, a spike that would divides them from the other brilliant students of the world.

“Diana’s passion is in physics and research,” Covington said. “She’s focusing a lot on the sciences and participates in clubs that demonstrate her passion.”

Powell is currently in RADD, the French club and NHS. She was also previously in the Diversity club, Robotics club and Science Fair with some activities outside of school. This spike shows her interest in science, thus clearly supporting her dream of becoming an astrophysics researcher. She also wants to take courses in French or political science in college. After those goals, she wants to win the Nobel Prize and then have a family before she turns 35.

“I plan on studying physics or astrophysics and possibly French or Political Science,” Powell said. “I want to go to grad school and do astrophysics research.”

An astrophysicist is an astronomer that deals with the study of celestial bodies and physics of stellar phenomena. There are many centers for astrophysics research, namely the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for astrophysics or the Institute for Astrophysics Research at Boston University.

“Ten to twenty years from now, all I want to see is for her to be doing something that makes her happy,” freshman brother Adam Powell said. “I think she will be very successful though because she has off the chart intelligence, determination, and a somewhat decent way of dealing with anger.”

A successful alumnus-to-be, the first to go to Yale and Harvard, Diana is divided from the rest by her determination to succeed. She has lost many hours of sleep and dealt with the rigor and stress that school gives unconditionally to be at the point where she is standing. Whatever path she may choose, Powell has her family always at her back supporting her at all times.

“I’m going to be listening to all her issues and providing support,” Adam said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen [my parents] happier because of the acceptance, and I know they will support her.”

Toward her legacy of becoming the first alumnus to receive acceptance from Yale and Harvard, Diana remains humble and supportive of her fellow students. As with the recent successes of students such as senior Kenny Marino who received acceptance from MIT and senior Ashley Covington who received acceptance from Brown and Cornell, Diana believes that everyone who tries to do their best can achieve what she has done.

“It’s nice, but I know that more people from Vista could get in,” Powell said. “You just have to get involved in clubs that interest you. I made sure that I always got my work done. I kept a hardcore planner and to do lists so I can stay on top of everything and most importantly balance social life and school.”

Sell/Buy Old Junk

Plato’s Closet, Buffalo Exchange and Half-Price Books are just a few of the many stores where you can sell your old fill-in-the-blank and buy used for cheap. Although they don’t pay very much for each individual item, get enough of it together and you’ll make a tidy profit. If you have a more diverse collection of junk, you might want to try a garage sale or Craig’s List.  Some advice-don’t buy things that touch your body, or go in your mouth, unless the place you get them from is very good about washing them and only buying gently used clothes.

Bring the PB&J Back

The simple joys of childhood are nice for two reasons: they remind us of a simpler time and they’re relatively cheap. Remember when you could run around in the park, playing tag with your friends for hours? Go for a hike with some buddies or duct-tape some flashlights to hats and explore the tunnels close to you or your friend’s house. Find ways to jazz up free activities, like Cave Day, by enlisting some friends and planning to spend the whole day out. Instead of going to Whataburger for lunch, make some sandwiches and a homemade trail mix.

Go Online

Usually you can find what you want for much cheaper on Amazon or other sites, especially if it is used. If you want to save some cash and don’t need it right away, online is probably your best shot. Also, instead of spending money on entertainment, the Internet provides hours of pointless fun that will keep you occupied. Instead of buying a magazine, go to the website. Plenty of newspaper and magazine sites will let you peruse their old stories for free.

Save Your Change

Get an old jam jar and keep it by the door to your room. Whenever you come in, drop whatever change you have. After a couple weeks, you’ll have a few bucks saved up. Get change rolls from your bank and then either bring them to a store that needs the change or back to your bank. Not only will you have some extra cash, you won’t jingle as you walk down the street.

Rent, Don’t Buy

Not only will you save money by renting, but if that book/movie/what-have-you ends up sucking, you can send it back. Also, you probably don’t need a copy of whatever-it-is, since in all likelihood you will never use it to its fullest value.

Be Cheap

It’s a fine thing to loan out some money to your friends every now and again, but if you want to start saving up for that car (assuming Mommy and Daddy aren’t buying you one), don’t lend. Going to IHOP after the game? Ask for separate checks. It can be harsh but your money is your money. Or, in some cases, your parents’ money is your parents’ money.

Get the Daily Special

Look for the best deals, compare one store to another, hunt down bargains. Stores will often advertise weekend sales in newspapers or television. Tickets for concerts or plays are cheaper the earlier you buy them. If you search for it, you will find it.

Hooks began dancing at three and half. Dancing was all she knew. She started with ballet but wanted to keep learning different styles such as jazz and hip hop.  Hooks dances at M.A. dance project and Ballet Austin.

“I really enjoy going to M.A. dance project just because the contemporary classes that I take let me express all of the emotions that I’m feeling that day,” Hooks said.

Her freshmen year, Hooks took dance one with best friend senior Stefani Charpentier. After making the team as sophomores Hooks and Charpentier encouraged each other to try out for officer.

“We didn’t plan who was going for what, but we were there for each other,” Charpentier said. “Being officers has brought us closer. Issues that we resolve together we feel comfortable asking one another, and we have a lot more trust in each other.” 

Hooks and Charpentier made about six routines together. They have not yet peformed together, but this spring they are planning on competing in a duet.

“She is always willing to listen. She is someone I can always come and depend on,” Charpentier said.

At the end of Hooks’ junior year, a sealed envelope was handed out after spring show. That envelope would unveil who would be the officers for this school year. Hooks had been elected captain for the Star Steppers.

“She is doing a great job fulfilling all of the requirements of a captain,” director Araceli Lopez said. “Yet even though she has the title of the captain, it’s not as easy as it seems. There is a lot on their plate. It’s not very easy to tell your peers what to do.”

Lopez said Hooks is unique, energetic, determined, passionate about dancing and very detailed oriented.

Along with being captain, Hooks has won five scholarships to Jump Jazz New York, Show Time, Image Dance Explosion and Edge Cali.

Hooks said she wants to attend The University of Arts in Philadelphia, which is a performing arts school.

Hooks would also love to become a special Ed teacher, work for a non- profit Dance Company and be an intern for Susan G. Komen.

“When I’m dancing I feel that this is what I’m supposed to be doing, and it gives me an opportunity to give other people the chance to dance,” Hooks said. “It just lets me express what I’m feeling.”

With long legs outstretched and lithe muscles protruding, sophomore Adam Waldum could not wait to run. His eyes sunk into a deep trance- a hypnotic state where running was the only thing that filled his mind, his soul, his heart.

The runners took their position and Waldum waited until each long second ticked off the clock. The alarm to start was abrupt, and it sent a ringing command in Adam’s body, a catalyst, to transform him into a running machine. He stayed pace at 50th place, inching closer to the other athletes vying for the top places.

“I came through the mile in about 50^th place and continued to move up, and I just focused on catching the next guy in front of me,” Waldum said.

Waldum finished breathtakingly in seventh place. This is just one of his many achievements, one of the achievements that ranked him in third place out of all the sophomores in the state. Waldum, though only a sophomore, is a well-decorated athlete with awards flying in his hands as fast as he can run. As a freshman, he took sixth place for both the cross country and track district meets.  His best time has been 15 minutes 45 seconds for a 5k race. Being young and holding time for a lot of improvement, Waldum is nearly invincible. His future is stellar and clear.

“Adam is a phenomenal runner, and I know our cross country program has opened so many opportunities for him,” junior Paul Owens said. “It has also given him chances to be one of the fastest runners ever.”

His speed is what makes him phenomenal. But behind this speed is Adam’s deep dedication to running. If one asks Adam how he excels at running, he would say, “I live running,” and he can prove it easily. His focus and discipline allowed him to be accepted on the varsity team in both cross country and track as a freshman. He immaculately maintains his physique, his mental concentration and his drive to be the best.

“Adam does everything,” junior Aurelio Silva said. “He’s talented. He’s very disciplined. He’s the perfect runner, he knows everything about running. From shoes to maintenance to food, he knows it. He’s a genius.”

The maintenance he goes through as an endurance athlete is both rigorous and precise. Each week, Waldum completes 60 miles of running.  He does this by taking long runs consisting of 12 – 14 miles for some of the days of the week and fragments the distance to six miles for the rest of the week, but on some days he runs twice to cover more mileage. The runners don’t usually lift weights, but they do a lot of core work. A twinge or slight pain in their legs rings warning bells, Waldum said and they have to be careful not to put too much pressure on them. They stretch often to keep their legs loose, and ice baths are a commodity after a hard workout. Waldum, as a self practice, changes his shoes every 300 to 400 miles of wear, approximately three to four weeks.

“The maintenance we go through is very important,” Waldum said. “Our sport comes down to seconds, and every bit of advantage helps.”

The tremors they feel in their bones as the cold wind blows past them at morning practice is just one of the many things they have to face as a runner. The maintenance is extreme. The expectations for endurance and stamina are set high. The discipline is precise and asks for a lot of focus. Most of the reasons behind their passion are unclear, but for Waldum it’s purely pristine.

“It has given me more discipline when I am working toward a goal. It has given me an outlet where I can release my frustration or stress,” Waldum said. “It all goes away after a run. I run because I love to do it. I sometimes don’t know why, but I do. It gives me the feeling of accomplishment.”

Apart from the technicalities that are important in the sport, Waldum and his team are successful because they differ from others. They are a family. They do everything together – hangout, eat lunch and have fun. They have become a great part of each other’s lives. They supported each other and urged each other to push through, to keep their eyes on the goal, to keep on believing, to keep on running.

“If I could describe the cross country team I would say that we’re fun, active, and [my teammates] are awesome to hangout with, and they’re all really hardworking and caring,” senior Shane Sloan said.

Speed. Endurance. Maintenance. Family. These are the things that make Waldum who he is. These are what create the award-winning team of runners. These are what help him gain the strength he needs to cross the finish line.

Waldum is committed. Waldum is disciplined. Waldum is focused. Waldum lives running. Waldum is running.

“Running is like breathing for Adam,” sophomore Jennifer Kim said. “He runs so fast, and the least we can do is run after him.”