Booker T. Washington
The Typewriter Literary Magazine Volume 1
The Booker T. Washington Creative Writing Club recently printed the first issue of their literary magazine The Typewriter. If you would like to submit a piece for the next volume, leave your submission with Mrs. Waugh in 316 or stop by during the next activity period.
Read the very first edition below.
BTW Homecomiong 2014: Black Out
By: Alicia Diaz
The week of October 24 was an exciting one for all Booker T. students, past and present. It was Homecoming at the Hive. The week of the 24th students (and some teachers) participated in spirit week, where they dressed up as things from Senior citizens to babies. Each class got to do the famous hall decorations, and every second hour competed for the best door decorations. Then came the big day, the Homecoming game at the Hive. The parking lot was packed with people trying to find a close parking spot, and the wait to get in was just as long. Football players dressed out in all black and the spirited student section did the same to support the team. When asked how he felt about homecoming, Booker T. Drum Major senior Seth Gillenwater said that, ” A Booker T. Homecoming is always a time of celebration and excitement. This was one of the greatest years of my life, and Homecoming 2014 will always have a special place in my heart. Shout-out to that High Steppin’ Connection!” This year the BTW Hornets faced off against the Bixby Spartans for a homecoming victory. however, the game didn’t go how anyone expected, the Hornets had their first loss of the whole season: 10-27. Though our boys lost this won, they played a tough game and put up a good fight, and the Booker T. Spirit still lives on.. The Hornets will be prepared for their next game against the Sand Springs Sandites on October 31st, so all you Hornet fans come out and cheer the boys on to a victory.
Hornets Go Pink: BTW Pink Out Night 2014
By: Alicia Diaz
Booker T. has always been a school with tremendous spirit, especially at sporting events. however instead of a sea of orange and black in the S.E. Williams stadium Thursday night, the student section was full of pink. Why did the Hornets decide to go pink? October is breast cancer awareness month, and to show support and raise awareness, Booker T. students held their annual Pink Out Night. Weeks before the event, BTW National Honor Society sold Pink Out shirts to raise money(they raised about a thousand dollars) to donate to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. When game night came, everyone from the band, to pom, to the crowd, to the players were thinking pink. 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, in the U.S. alone over 200,000 will be affected by it, and 40,000 will ultimately loose their battle to it. But Booker T. was not focusing on the negative, it was focusing on the hope that every breast cancer victim looks for, that’s why the Hornets went pink, for hope. The Hornets went on to win their Pink Out game 55-0 against the Claremore Zebras showing that pink is truly a color of battle.![IMG_6242[1]](https://taliaferrotimes.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/img_62421.jpg)
Vending Machine Dilemma by Joseph Pham
For the longest time here at Booker T, the vending machines have been stocked with decent snacks. However, this 2014-2015 school year, the machine has become stocked with snacks that decreased in size and assortment but increased in price.
Alicia Diaz, a senior, said, “I do not like the machines because they have terrible portions for such a high price.”
Karina Guido agreed believing they are “stupid and should be replaced.”
Many are also worried about the health dangers, such as Lucy Cooper who thinks that healthy food is unnecessary if it does not taste good and is more unhealthy because it has more artificial fillers that are bad for students’ health.
The vending machines are greedy, metal boxes that take money in exchange for bags of air and too small portions.
One Direction keeps Tulsa Up All Night By Karina Jaimes
On September 23rd One Direction graced the stage of the BOK, only days after Arianna Grande. Before them 5 Seconds of Summer performed an hour long set. Rather than utilizing the full space the band stayed to the main stage, occasionally switching places. They played through their new self-titled CD and encouraged the audience to sing along.
BTW Critter Crew: Speaking For Those Who Can’t Speak For Themselves
By Lindsey Ayres
Booker T. has welcomed a new club to its miraculous number of pre-existing clubs. Critter Crew was just an idea last year to then juniors, Erin Boyd and Audrey Still. This year, however, the new seniors wanted to make the club happen before they graduate from the hive. Critter Crew is a club for the ultimate animal lovers. It is a bonding of students that want to make a difference in animals’ eyes. In order to do this, Critter Crew is determined to get involved in the community. How? The club’s board consisting of seniors Erin Boyd, Audrey Still, Natalie Craig, Lindsey Ayres, and Devin Shinn have come up with the idea of dog walks at Turkey Mountain to get active and include fellow animals and pets. The club will also volunteer at local animal shelters, as well as donate in order to keep all animals healthy and taken good care of.
Critter Crew’s motto is “speaking for those who can’t speak for themselves” highlighting its determination to stand by animal rights. Critter Crew plans to meet during all activity periods in order to inform fellow students about upcoming events including walks, drives, and volunteer opportunities. Critter Crew has also been able to team up with both NHS and Key Club in order to get points for all organizations for participation in the club. The easy-going factor about this new club is that one does not need to be a member to join in on the fun; it is a come as you please type of club.
As of right now, Critter Crew has their first dog walk at Turkey Mountain on October 5 from one to two in the afternoon. The board members are also selling shirts that will help promote the club (picture above). Also, on the back of the shirt will be the club’s motto. Plus, the best thing about the shirt is that it is only eight dollars! If interested in buying a shirt or any questions in general feel free to contact one of the board members or by contacting them via Instagram/Twitter at @BTWCritterCrew.
Tulsa New Bridge
By: Debbie Casian
9/15/14
Oklahoma Governer Mary Fallin Speaks at the new bridge opening in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The new eastbound I-244 Arkansas River Bridge opened to traffic at 1 p.m. on Monday.
Around 78 million dollars have been used to build this bridge. After running out the bridge 50 years ago, the new bridge is a very important feature for Oklahoma.
Sources
Tulsa World
ww.tulsaworld.com/homepage2/new-eastbound-i–arkansas-river-bridge-opens-to-traffic/article_0cfde8c0-0a91-54e9-9217-bb84aeda5a57.html
Our School’s Incredible History Deservedly Captured on Film
By Bryant Loney
The room is dark, and all eyes are fixed on the screen. The trailer begins with a single, poignant sentence: “E.W. Woods walked from Memphis to Tulsa—over 440 miles—and established Booker T. Washington, Oklahoma’s first black high school.”
Booker T. is known for its excellence in academics and athletics, but neither would have been accomplished were it not for the school’s important history of integration and the challenges it went through to ensure equality while paving a way of success. However, said triumph has recently been threatened by the lack of proper state budgeting for schools across Oklahoma. A concerned group seeks to change this. The story of the Hive, which thirteen-hundred hornets call home, and its racial struggles have for the first time been made into a professional documentary. Appropriately titled Freedom’s School, the film made its public debut at the Tulsa Circle Cinema last Tuesday, April 29th, and originated as a part of introduction to the Documentary Film class co-taught by director Andrea Jobe of Pivot Films and educator Andrew McCoy. The class is currently in its third year, and their hard work has finally paid off. Kathy Henry, associate producer and parent, kindly shared her involvement with the film.
When asked about the process of getting the documentary made, Henry revealed it grew immensely once the team of students, teachers, and parents realized the amount of narrative the school contained after its one-hundred years of educating young individuals. “It was originally supposed to be a ten minute promotional film,” Henry stated, “and the students were to be able to participate in the production of it. Along the way, there was so much information and history that the film grew to 44 minutes.” The documentary features significant events such as the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 and the desegregation of Tulsa Public Schools, as well as highlighting the Hive’s modern achievements and progression towards equal opportunity for learning.
Henry believes a movie of this caliber has national potential for Booker T. and hopes it helps the school continue to be the exemplary institution it has been for its entire first century. “We hope BTW can continue to add new classes and grow academically,” Henry said, especially during a time when state legislature is continually cutting back on education funding. Oklahoma is currently 49th in expenditures for students, and on March 31st of this year, an estimated 25,000 people rallied the state capitol, protesting the government’s inadequate amount of both attention and monetary backing of schools and faculty members across the state. “We hope the film will encourage people to financially support Booker T., its teachers, students, and all its programs.”
“Booker T. is a jewel,” Henry continued. “Few high schools in the country have the kind of rich history that this school does. BTW played an important role in Tulsa’s history, and in addition to that, Booker T. is an outstanding U.S. public high school with a wonderfully diverse student body. We can all be proud of what a high quality school we have here in Tulsa.”
Indeed we can. Much appreciation goes to all involved in the production of Freedom’s School, as they have recognized that E.W. Woods did not walk over 440 miles for education to not be taken seriously by state legislators. With this honorable call to action, perhaps our government will finally understand the meaning behind the many obstacles Booker T. Washington High School has gone through to secure equal opportunity for all prospective students, no matter the circumstance.
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Bryant Loney is a junior at Booker T. Washington High School
The Daily Sting 