His bed is just like any other teenage boy’s bed – golden pillows, a blue bedspread. It’s impossible to see that he fought to wake up there each morning. Each breath that senior Kyle Witt took was struggled for. Kyle suffered from Hunter’s Syndrome, which affected his heart, breathing and facial features. Sometimes it became impossible for him to do things he had done just a week before. The progressive disease was ultimately responsible for Kyle’s death on Oct. 27. In his last days, Kyle’s lungs became so exhausted from coughing and previous infections that they were unable to let in air, expand and compress. His heart became so weak that it was not able to produce enough pressure to keep blood flowing throughout his body. The

disease was genetic and Kyle wasn’t the first to fight it in his family; his brother Kevin also died from Hunter’s Syndrome at the age of 21. According to Kyle’s special education teacher Shawnna Rogers, Kyle got the chance to get to know his brother before his death. “They were able to grow up together,” Rogers said. “They were able to form a strong bond with each other. There were a couple of times when Kyle would come in and he would be talking about a dream he had the night before and in the dream he and Kevin were talking just like normal. Just like with Kevin, it was expected at some point in time the illness would take Kyle’s life.”

Despite the trials and tribulations he faced in his 21 years on Earth, Kyle’s unfailing positivity kept him going. “Kyle was very determined. Always,” his mother Lynn Witt said. “He had a great sense of perseverance. He had tremendous spirit, tremendous drive and tremendous fight. A lot of obstacles were put in his path because of his health. He didn’t let that slow him down. He would just say, ‘I’m gonna do this and that’ and he forged ahead. I think there were times he did get angry and as you would expect, he did get mad and he did get frustrated, but then he would look at the whole situation and that’s where I say perseverance is the best word I can think of. He seemed to be able to take what he was given and move beyond it.” According to Lynn, Kyle’s interests were widespread, a fact

easily proven by taking one quick glance around his room. His love for water and the ocean is present throughout the space. The blue bedspread with the dolphin blanket, the large fish hanging on the wall. The enlarged photograph of him and his special dolphin encounter in the Bahamas. The shelves hanging above his bed, full of dolphin figurines collected over the years from all the places he’s visited. The fish-themed wallpaper lining the ceiling. They all show that love. “His favorite place to be was the lake,” Lynn said. “Every time we had a spring vacation or fall break or anything like that it was always ‘Okay, are we going to the lake?’” Though his love of water was his most distinct interest, his room boasts other passions. Memories and personal belongings fill the room – each with their own story – serving as testimony to what Kyle found meaningful. His homecoming garters, photographs and novels all stand in their place. The baseball photographs that line the right wall display his passion for the sport. His original stories, written independently in his free time, were one of his favorite ways of expressing himself. Kyle often wrote about Muffin, his beloved first dog, who was the center of his attention and affection as a kid. “He would play baseball out in the yard and Muffin would go and shag the balls for him, bring them in, drop them and he would hit them again,” Lynn said. “They took walks together and went fishing together. He really loved Muffin. She really was his dog. They grew up together.”

wildcat alest plano senior high school volume 67 issue 4 november 28, 2012 plano, tx 75075 www.wildcattales.com

Student loses battle with lifelong syndrome

Former student takes non-traditional route to West Point

Continued on page 4

It’s like he is 17 again. Back then, colleges told him he would get to be on TV. He could snag free Nike gear and work out in the best facilities in the nation. He’d travel around the country playing collegiate basketball. But West Point offered him even more – he’d get to shoot guns, throw hand grenades. Jump out of helicopters. Sign me up, he said in a heartbeat when they offered him a scholarship. Today, two years after graduation, he is being recruited all over again. West Point will pay for him to get his Master’s degree in computer science and network security and has invited him to do computer science research. He can even teach some if he wants. Some of his teachers are pushing him towards the cyber warfare, cyber hacking or cyber defense branches of the Army – once-in-a-lifetime positions he had dreamed of. Three months ago, 1st Lt. Eric Zastoupil was lying in an orchard in the Panjwai district of Kandahar, Afghanistan. He could just make out the his severed left leg not too far off, so he reached out and grabbed it in the sand. His right leg was hanging off of his bone and the ligaments in his left knee were torn up. He had just stepped on an IED. His family had always laughed that his initials matched his personality – EZ, for easy-going. He grew up the youngest of three. “He had to be adaptable, because he didn’t have the opportunity to be on a schedule. He always had to go where we were going for the older kids,” said Harriet Kelley, his mother. “He had been a fairly quiet child, he didn’t really talk much until he was 2. He didn’t go through the whole stages of baby talk. When he talked, he just started talking in complete sentences. He’s kind of that way to this day; when he talks, people tend to listen.” His sophomore year at Vines was his first year as a forward for the Plano varsity basketball team. By the time he graduated from high school in 2006, he was captain of the team, had been named Athlete of the Week by the Plano Star Courier and was known as “Nasty Zasty”. He was 6 feet 5 inches and weighed about 175 pounds, though the official basketball roster reported him to be 6 feet 8 inches and 190 pounds. “I first met him when our basketball teams played each other,” said Bryce Vucekovich, a friend who met Zastoupil in eighth grade. “I was pretty tall for my grade but he had 5 inches on me and I couldn’t believe how unbelievably skinny he was. He looked as if he would blow away with a heavy wind.” At each of Zastoupil’s basketball games, a group of middle school girls made T-shirts and signs and cheered him on from the sidelines. They called themselves the “Nasty Zasty Crew” or the “EZ Girls”, a fan club started by the younger sister of one of Zastoupil’s teammates. The varsity team went on to win the state championship Zastoupil’s senior year. “Looking back, it was kind of crazy and stupid, but at the time it was a lot of fun,” Zastoupil said. “We won a couple of games, got on a lucky streak and just started winning through the playoffs. Winning the championship against the Houston team, Kingwood, will always be with me. The ball kind of rimmed out at the last second. It went into overtime and this final shot won it for us. It was the most ideal situation anybody could have; it was incredible.” When not on the court, Zastoupil was an assistant coach to seventh and eighth graders on a rec league basketball team at the PSA center. Practices were on Wednesday nights and games were on Saturday afternoons. He took AP classes and played the bass guitar, but he still found time to mow his grandmother’s yard. “Eric truly lives his life with integrity and genuinely treats people well,” Vucekovich said. “You could ask 100 people what they think of him and 100 people will tell you something positive. I don’t think you can say that about most people. He really is one-of-a-kind.” Aside from being on varsity, he was part of a traveling basketball team called ProSkills, composed of players from all over the Dallas area. They traveled across the country – to Atlanta, Houston and Las Vegas. College basketball coaches would attend as part of the college athletic recruiting process. “The world of high school and collegiate sports is extremely competitive,” Zastoupil said. “That’s how you get your name out there. It’s kind of funny because we all got recruited by these different colleges, and I ended up playing against a lot of the guys in college that I played with in high school.” He began getting attention from various colleges, all willing to offer scholarships to him to play at their school. He was in communication with UT Arlington. He was getting calls from Cornell, Columbia, Yale and Harvard. In October 2005, West Point offered Zastoupil and his mother a free trip up to their New York campus.

Former student Eric Zastoupil, his mother Harriet Kelley and varsity basketball coach Phil Parlin with the signed banner from students after stepping on an IED in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Photo submitted by Eric Zastoupil

By Leslie Parker

Continued on page 3

Senior Kyle Witt enjoys watching this year’s homecoming parade.

Photo submitted by Lynn Witt

By Kimberly MeiPart I of Eric Zastoupil’s journey

Blood, sweat and heart. They leave it all on the mat. The wrestling season is starting up again and the guys are back to early morning practices with a new coach and high hopes for the season. Senior Michael Kubik is no stranger to the sport. A native of New Jersey, wrestling has always been a big part of his life. “I’ve done wrestling since I was 5 years old,” Kubik said. “So in high school it just seemed natural for me to pick it.” According to Kubik, the team is a very close-knit group. “My team is like my family away from home,” Kubik said. “If anyone else messed with them I would immediately come to their defense. We’re a lot closer in the wrestling room.” Senior Colton Redmon tore all of the muscles in his knee while doing a throw his junior year and remembers only wanting to support his team while sitting out. “I was out of my team,” Redmon said. “I didn’t feel like part of the team anymore because I wasn’t wrestling, and I wished I could do something.” Kubik said he believes the team bonds through competition on the mat. “If you lose and gain that much with someone it is going to change you,” Kubik said. “You’re going to grow closer together.” Redmon needed to participate in a sport after he quit football and found wrestling to be the perfect fit for him. Both Kubik and Redmon know exactly what they want out of this season and are willing to break more than a sweat to get it. Often, the wrestlers train individually before and after school in the gym, as well as in Allen and other schools, to keep up with the high demand of the sport and the goals they have for themselves. For senior Avery Coker, wrestling is a family affair. His father was a wrestler in his younger years, and he placed in state while living in Oklahoma. Like his father, Coker has

been able to place in state. Last year he was ranked seventh in his weight class in Texas. Coker said he has come a long way, from starting out deciding to wrestle because he was not able to play football to excelling in wrestling. “Honestly I do not know why I never got into it before,” Coker said. “Going into my freshman year in football I weighed 120 pounds and was just too tiny for football. So I literally looked at the list of sports and I saw wrestling and decided I would try it. I ended up loving it. I cannot believe how far I have come since my freshman year.” With a new coach, Jay Pryor, the team has noticed some slight changes from their old coach, Clay Goodlow, as they enter the new season. “He’s got a very different style,” Kubik said. “Our old coach was very scrambling-orientated, quick reaction skills as opposed to solid technique. This coach shows us a move and we have to do the move. It’s refreshing and a new take on wrestling.” Redmon has also noticed the differences in the coaching styles from his junior year. “He’s older, so he tries to explain more,” Redmon said. “I think he sometimes forgets the little details. We’re supposed to know.” The team includes a returning state qualifier and two regional qualifiers. “We have pretty high expectations for the year – finishing top two at district, finishing top five at region, and top ten in state,” Pryor said. “I’m sure I will bring some different techniques. I have a lot of on-the-mat experience versus starting from the takedown. Hopefully they will learn a lot about life. It’s one of those sports where no one can come off the bench for you. Hopefully they will learn a lot about themselves, that they believe they can do it. By the end of the season I would like to see some guys who have accomplished a lot.” Although both the team and coach have pride in themselves, Kubik said it can be

frustrating to see the lack of support wrestling receives from the student body. “Wrestling is not a big sport here,” Kubik said. “I came from New Jersey, where wrestling is very big. That is why I learned at such a young age. I did not expect it to lack in support the way it does. It’s a very aggressive sport but it gets a bad rep a lot of the time.” However, Redmon and Coker could understand why wrestling does not see a huge turnout. “It is a very awkward sport if you think about it. Wrestlers are in a singlet and we’re throwing each other,” Redmon said. “It is not a very common sport and a lot of people do not know unless you tell them or they know you.” Coker has seen spirit lacking with all sports outside of football, not just wrestling. “I do not think any sport gets as much recognition,” Coker said. “That is just the state we live in. At the same time, it keeps it more special to the people who love the sport and know they are the ones who go to the tournaments. So it’s really like a family thing rather than just the entire school.” Coker remembers his favorite moment from his wrestling career and looks forward to preparing for another season. “Last year at region I expected to lose both matches,” Coker said. “I ended up placing and the guy who I had to beat had beaten me by one point last year. I got on top by one point and I just did not score anymore on purpose because I wanted him to know what it felt like. It was a great feeling.”

sports 2

Mat mattersBy Alexandria Oguntula

By Kaitlin Humphrey During seventh period every day they practice together, whether they are a sophomore, junior or senior. Despite their differences in age they all have a common goal: to win. Senior and team captain Teekay Biti began playing basketball in first grade. Biti was born in Zimbabwe and in first grade moved to Dallas and then Plano. During recess on his first day of school, Biti was invited to play basketball and since then it has become his sport of choice. “Basketball is basically my stress reliever,” Biti said. “Once the ball is in my hands I don’t have to worry about anything else other than playing the game, having fun and winning.” Biti believes that he is blessed because he has played on varsity since his sophomore year. “Since the players are different we have a different core,” Biti said. “Coming into my senior year, I feel from the first player to the last we want to be successful day in and day out.” Senior Broderick Perkins feels that there has been a change in varsity basketball since last year. “The whole program changed and so has the coach,” Perkins said. “There are a lot of new philosophies, like great effort coming from having a great attitude. That’s made practice a whole lot different. It’s more positive. We just kind of chill together now.” Senior Fred Williams made an adjustment from JV to varsity this year. “Varsity is way harder but the competition is

better,” Williams said. “I’m ready for it. I’m ready for varsity.” Williams made the switch from football to basketball in eighth grade when he decided he enjoyed basketball more. “You have to be quicker in basketball,” Williams said. “Basketball and football have different types of running. In football you use quick spurts of energy and in basketball you have to do more

long-distance running. So it’s a big adjustment between the two sports.” One of the youngest players on the team, 16-year-old Vines sophomore Jason Bardgett also made it to varsity this year from JV. “It’s a pretty big difference but I’m getting used to it more and more every day,” Bardgett said. “A couple of the main differences are the speed of the game and the size of all the players. To get ready for this year I’ve just been playing a lot of varsity players throughout the summer and this year to get used to it.” Like Bardgett, Perkins spent the summer before his sophomore year training to get ready for varsity. “I was in the gym every day. I just did drills all the time,” Perkins said. “I would wake up early in the morning and go to the rec and just work on my game and get better.” Bardgett believes that despite age differences, all of the players hold each other to the same expectations. “We know what each of us can do,” Bardgett said. “We all know everyone tries their hardest and gives it their all.” Some of the basketball players feel that basketball does not get as much attention as other sports like football. “Basketball is not a big game in Texas,” Williams said. “Football is the main sport here but there are a few people here who are loyal to basketball. I expect it so it doesn’t really bug me.” Biti is enthusiastic about this year and is especially hoping for the support of students at the games. “I feel if we show how bad we want to win this year, and we have enough wins by district, people will want to come out to games,” Biti said. “When we step out onto the court we really value the name on the front of our jersey and do whatever it takes to get a win.”

Basketball players share experience on team

november 28, 2012

Photo by Alexis SendejasSenior Teekay Biti takes a swooshing shot. Photo by Alexis Sendejas

Junior Alex James aims for the basket.

Photo by Alexis SendejasVines sophomore Jason Bardgett dribbles past the opponent.

Photo by Alexis SendejasSenior Broderick Perkins blocks the way of his opponent during a practice game.

Photo by Alexandria Oguntula

One of Kyle’s other great joys in life was therapeutic horseback riding. He particularly liked leading the horse back into the stable, taking the bridle off, un-tacking the horse and putting the tack away. Over the left side of Kyle’s bed hangs framed souvenirs of the day his Make-A-Wish dream was fulfilled. He had always been fascinated with airports, but was particularly mesmerized by their ground transportation activity. The Make-A-Wish Foundation allowed him to marshal the planes in and take care of luggage one day. Kyle’s interests changed as his physical capability diminished. In more recent years, he loved watching movies on the weekends and relaxing at home. He was very interested in Thomas the Train and the “special smoke” from the show, which he thought was magic. It helped him share his feelings and emotions in a healthier way. According to Rogers, Kyle would come into school with a story about ‘special coal that makes steam so Lady can get up the magic mountain’. From that day forward, it was all about magic. “His mom did a really great thing in that

she brought in actual coal for him and put it in a plastic bag and so he had his special coal and the special coal would make special steam,” Rogers said. “Then she zip-locked it so you could see the little droplets, which actually helped him to be able to express himself because he didn’t always have the words to say what he wanted.” One interest that has never waned is Kyle’s Plano pride. According to Lynn, he loved pep rallies and the last homecoming parade. “He loved to be there because of the people,” Lynn said. “I don’t think it would have mattered what name was on the door. It was the people that made it Plano and the people that made it his home. The teachers and the students and his friends, that’s what really made the difference.” His disability did not prevent him from making a difference. Senior Scott Bueche joined Partner’s PE a few weeks into the year and worked with Kyle daily. Kyle’s brief presence in Scott’s life left a memorable impact on Scott. “One of the things we would do in class to get him excited or happy was try to push him by saying, ‘Kyle, give me that big smile. Smile big,’ until he finally would,” Bueche said. “That was my favorite thing about Kyle, that smile. It was kind of like you had to work for it sometimes. But anytime he smiled at you, it was just crazy awesome. It was one of the best feelings. I feel really lucky that I was able to get to know Kyle and be around him every day.” According to Lynn, one of Kyle’s most beautiful traits was his constant love. “He truly embraced the things he loved,” Lynn said. “He lived and lived hard, and faced his whole life with a deep love. There were lots of things that he didn’t like and he’d say ‘no’ and ‘I don’t like it’. But when he loved, wow, when he did love it was so genuine and full and huge. He’d wrap you in his love.” Rogers worked with Kyle every day in his

special education class. Rogers sat with Kyle at lunch and helped feed him. According to her, this was their special “quiet time” to bond. “When I first met Kyle, he was this small-in-stature teenager who had a big attitude,” Rogers said. “The more I got to know him, the more I was drawn to his personality. He was funny, witty, and always there with a great big bear hug when I needed one the most. With his death, I felt a profound sense of loss, but in that loss there is a feeling of peace. As Kyle would say, ‘It’s magic.’ I feel his magic within me when I think of him and that gives me comfort.” In PE, Bueche would normally try to get Kyle up and walking out of his wheelchair. Although Scott was always physically helping Kyle, Kyle helped Scott in a different way. “Kyle just taught me to live every day to the fullest,” Bueche said. “He taught me not to take anything for granted because you don’t know how limited your time on Earth is. He taught me to make good relationships, make good choices with people and never to sweat the small stuff. From Kyle, I learned to have a good attitude always. He really taught me there was fun to be had, especially in Partner’s PE.” One of Lynn’s favorite memories of Kyle is a special exchange that they would repeat. “He’d say, ‘You’re my best mom.’ And I’d say, ‘You’re my best Kyle.’ Then he’d look at my kind of quizzically and he’d say, ‘Well, I’m your only Kyle.’ And I’d go, ‘Well I’m you’re only mom,” Lynn said. “Then he’d give me this great big smile and wrap me in one of his big hugs.” Though Bueche regrets not being able to say goodbye to Kyle, he has adopted the same positive attitude that Kyle had. “I wish that everyone could have gotten to know Kyle,” Bueche said. “It’s sad right now that he’s not with us anymore. It was shocking to me how he was here one day

and gone the next. But I know Kyle would want us to keep pushing on and keep in good spirits. The best thing to do now is to remember him and remember nothing but good about him.” Although Lynn is trying her hardest to cope, she knows now that Kyle can finally rest. “There will be a huge void where he left,” Lynn said. “Life at home will be very, very empty. I’ll have to create a new sense of home. I’ll be surrounded by the things that I have saved: the keepsakes, the pictures, the friends’ and relatives’ memories that they share with me. I’ll have to find a new sense of where my home is and what that means. It’s a big change. But the good thing is that he is comfortable now. He doesn’t have to fight anymore. Hopefully, that will be a comfort to the kids that knew him. Just the act of getting ready in the morning and the act of going to school in the morning and waking and breathing and all of those things were tiring on his body – now they’re not. It’s just peace.”

news 3FFA members discuss raising pigs

november 28, 2012

Members start raising them when they are only a few weeks old. They must be walked and fed daily. Then, when they become of age, members of Future Farmers of America must decide the ultimate fate of their pigs. “Raising a pig calls for a lot of hard work and dedication,” two-year FFA member junior Kelsey Hockenberry said. “You have to go to the barn twice a day – once early in the morning and once after school, to feed the pigs and walk them and give them attention. If you don’t take care of them then you risk getting your pig taken away, which is really humiliating.” Members get their pigs in September. The more money a member spends, the more elite their breed of pig is. On average, members spend $500 to $1,000 on their pig, but sometimes members spend more. Three-year FFA member junior Lara Honeck spent $400 on her pig last season, which she bonded with immediately. “When I first got him, I tried to not get attached, but eventually I named him Tom Brady and I really cared about him,” Honeck said. “Over time he was not gaining enough weight; he needed to be 150 pounds for the show which he was nowhere close to. Then this other girl got her pig taken away because she wasn’t taking care of him, and I was given her pig to take to show instead of Brady.” Raising pigs has its highs and lows when it comes to maintenance. Hockenberry said it is easy to feed and give water to the pigs, but it is more difficult to teach them how to walk. Members put their pigs in a harness and guide them around the outside of the barn with the help of a leash. “Walking a pig is no walk in the park,” Hockenberry said. “At first they have no idea on what they are doing or where they are going. In the beginning it is sort of easy, but as the pigs get older they are still running out of control. It is not

easy for a teenager girl to maneuver. Once the pigs get their walking down though, you feel accomplished. You realized you actually taught it something.” Members spend most of their free time at the Plano FFA barn for about five to six months getting their pigs prepared for the competition in San Antonio.

“When it’s time for show, you get really stressed,” Honeck said. “There is so much to do. You have to get your pig ready by washing them, which is an event itself. You then have to get them fed so they look very fat for the judges, because they like that for some reason. Lastly you spritz them with water so there is a glisten to them. Then on top of that you have to get yourself ready and try not to get dirty, which is almost impossible.” Once it is show time, the students walk their pig around

a pen for the judges. Members say this is the scariest part of raising pigs. “When you are there you just want to be like ‘pick me, please, I worked extra hard’,” Hockenberry said. “Then you are standing there after you walk, you know they are talking about you and you just want to know what is going

on through their mind.” Members that win at competition end up breaking even on money for their pig. But most students cannot afford the financial responsibility of keeping their pig if they do not win, so selling their pigs to slaughter allows them to make back all of the money they spent. “A lot of people think we are Satanist because they think we enjoy raising animals and then just killing them,” Honeck said. “But in reality, it is so hard. You get attached to your animal. You love them. So when you are faced with that decision, you question yourself. But in the end I think the club realizes it would not be fair to keep the pigs. How are we going to take care of pigs in the middle of this huge city? It is near impossible.” The pig-raising season started in September for FFA. Members have had time to reflect on their past years and are ready to raise new pigs for their upcoming stock show in early spring. And once again, members will have to make a life or death decision for their pigs.

Because of the responsibility FFA members have earned, Hockenberry feels like they gain a lot of knowledge with each new season. Not only do they learn about agriculture, they learn about life. “It is never easy saying goodbye to your pig,” Hockenberry said. “But in, the end you realize that you do what is best for you and the animal, and sometimes that means parting ways. I do not want people to see us as killers, because we aren’t. I think in a sense we are giving back to the community in a way most people would not think of doing, that’s all.”

By Alexis Sendejas

Junior Lara Honeck feeds her pig dinner in the FFA barn.Photo by Alexis Sendejas

Student loses battle with lifelong syndromeBy Leslie ParkerContinued from front page

Seniors Scott Bueche and Kyle Witt dress up for villain day during homecoming week.

Photo submitted by Scott Bueche

november 28, 20124

“I figured I might as well go take a look since it’s a pretty famous school – lots of important people come out of there,” Zastoupil said. “I never in a million years would have thought that I’d end up in the military. In high school, I had long, shaggy hair, and my personality was never super assertive or over-controlling. It’s like all this old stone – it looks like castles. You walk under the same stone walkway or stone-covered buildings that all these famous people had gone to, and you get this overwhelming sense of purpose and tradition. The team brought me in from the second I came in and treated me like one of the guys. I saw how hard they

worked and how hard they pushed each other, and the coaching staff was extremely nice and respectful. I was extremely impressed.” The basketball team answered all his questions. They scrimmaged together and slurped strawberry milkshakes afterwards at The Stadium, the country’s largest sports memorabilia restaurant filled with autographed basketballs and Heisman trophies. Zastoupil and his mother were scheduled to fly out of New York at 7 a.m. a couple of days later on the recruiting visit, and that morning all of the coaches showed up at their hotel at before they left – at 4 in the morning. “They said, ‘Eric, you know, we really, really want you to come here’,” Kelley said. “He pretty much was committed at that point. He was like a fish in water.” Zastoupil’s decision narrowed down to two schools: Yale or West Point. At West Point, he’d be financially independent. All the students are given rooms to sleep in, books for their classes, uniforms and food. They are paid like soldiers while they are there – as a “plebe”, or a freshman at West Point, around $200 a month. During “yuk year”, or sophomore year, about $300. By senior year in college, students receive about $500 a month. Zastoupil made his decision. “I knew there were a lot of people better than me. I knew I wasn’t going to be in the NBA or go to Europe and play basketball,” Zastoupil said. “So I thought, ‘what’s going to set me up the best after college?’ My parents were going through financial issues at the time,

and the economy was land-sliding. I didn’t want to have to ask them for money. That was a huge thing for me.” Once the students graduate, all are officers in the military – second lieutenants – and are guaranteed a job with the military, as long as they want it. “The academics are some of the best in the country,” Zastoupil said. “Right out of college, you’re making a difference. This great school is begging me to go to school there? It was a dream come true – it almost seemed like there wasn’t another option. It was the thing to do. There was nothing but positives, nothing but up-sides.”

At any point in time an upperclassman can ask a plebe what the next three meals in the mess hall are, and the plebe should be able to list them. They have to be able to speak about the day’s current events. They take the trash out for the upperclassmen, sort the laundry and clean the common areas. When not in a room or classroom, they can’t speak to anyone and must keep their hands cupped in fists. Break these rules, and a certain number of “hours” are assigned. Come the weekend, the student will put on his full dress uniform – buttons shined, rifle in hand – and simply walk back and forth in the courtyard in total silence for that number of hours. “Plebe year is the hardest year because you’re getting transformed,” Zastoupil said. “Yeah, you get yelled at a little bit. You’ve got to memorize all this stuff. In the morning, I need to know just in case an upperclassman asks me, ‘Hey, what are we eating for lunch today?’ and the plebe has to spit it out. You have to get up and either read the newspaper or scan the Internet. But it becomes habitual, and after you get the hang of it, it’s not that bad. At points you’ll have a bad day – you’ll forget stuff, or you’re loaded with homework so you don’t have time to read the news or shine your shoes. That is where they teach you time management – sometimes, you just have to quit doing homework so you can get enough sleep, or skip homework for that night and shine your shoes and clean your room. You learn to take and give, choose what’s the priority.” No matter what, all students must abide by the cadet

honor code: a cadet will not lie, cheat, steal or tolerate anyone who does. If broken, students can be kicked out if their cheating is deemed intentional by a board of cadets. “It happened a lot,” Zastoupil said. “References and notes and documentation are taken extremely seriously – one of those attention-to-detail kinds of things. If you ask somebody for help and they show you how to do this math problem, chemistry problem - you have to have a page at the end of your homework that says, ‘Hey, I asked cadet so-and-so about this problem. He showed me how to do this, this and this.’” A computer science major, Zastoupil attended class from 7:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., when he traded in his books for a basketball. As a

freshman, he was a forward. He eventually became a swingman, and by senior year he was a center and also captain of the Army Black Knights basketball team. “In the afternoon, when the classes were over, was when a lot of the freshmen get messed with,” Zastoupil said. “Well, I was up at basketball practice with my teammates, and we didn’t care about all that. We were friends, we weren’t plebes. We still stayed disciplined, but it was more relaxed.” The year Zastoupil graduated from West Point, 2010, was the same year Forbes magazine picked it as their number one school. “Yeah, it’s a little different,” Zastoupil said. “You have to wear a uniform, you wake up early, you have to go to formations. But it teaches you discipline. I remember in high school I would wear basketball shorts and a collared button-down shirt. I didn’t even know how to dress myself. So I go to a school and they tell me what to wear? You can’t go wrong with that. It was not the traditional route. I’ve never been one to do what everyone was doing just because it was cool, and it wasn’t the average college experience. But I could tell that it was better. There was more of a reason for me to be there. From the second I was there I knew that it was going to be the best fit for me, and that’s absolutely how it was.”

Zastoupil’s story to be continued in the next two issues.

An invincible spirit By Kimberly Mei

Former student takes non-traditional route to West Point

Photo submitted by Eric ZastoupilEric Zastoupil remains a proud Wildcat, reunited with varsity basketball coach Phil Parlin at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Continued from front page

5november 28, 2012

God, family and the fieldFather and sons share football’s impact on livesBy Alexis Harris

For the McJunkin family, Friday night lights are a lifestyle. The hard-as-a-rock bleachers, freshly painted turf, cheering fans and those final shining numbers

on the scoreboard are a familiar scene. With four Plano alumni kids, their parents know the inside of Clark Stadium well. Their father, Kirk, played college and

professional football. Bert is the youngest of four children. He has two sisters between him and his brother Blake. Although his sisters cannot experience the passion their

brothers and father have for football on the field, they are frequently cheering them on in the stands or on the sidelines. “The girls have always been there for their brothers,” Kirk said. “Jena and Martha Kate have been cheerleaders for Plano and cheering for their brothers for years. Now that they have both graduated from Plano still try to come to as many Plano or SMU games as they can.” Blake, the oldest brother, went on to play for the SMU Mustangs. He should have been a senior in football last year, but after an injury he was unable to play for the season. Blake is

now a fifth-year senior. With a history of playing professional football in the family, he wants to continue playing past college.

Bert plans on attending Texas A&M University. He hasn’t

decided yet if he wishes to play college football. The end of this year’s Plano

football season will give Bert the opportunity to make a decision as to whether or not he will play. To Bert, football is rewarding when the

scoreboard shows a final winning score, but it can be a stressful part of life. Practices are after school every day, along with games and weekend training. “In college I may just want to focus on academics,” Bert said. “Unless I was to get a scholarship for football, which I probably won’t.”

Their father played for the University of Texas Longhorns during college. He then went on the play for the Pittsburg Steelers in 1984 and 1985. He passed

his love for football on to his children, teaching them to play at a young age. Bert started in second grade

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Photo by Alexis SendejasSenior Bert McJunkin takes a knee to listen to his coach during practice.

and then played on several Plano Football League teams until seventh grade when he played for Wilson Middle School. He has played tight end and defensive end at Vines High School and Plano. While all three McJunkin men play different positions and attend or have attended different schools, they all root for each other’s teams. “I am a huge UT fan, I love UT. I grew up a die-hard UT fan and I still am,” Bert said. “Now because my brother goes to SMU, I am a huge SMU fan. I love to watch him. We have season tickets, so we go to every single one of his games. I wouldn’t be a SMU fan otherwise, but now I am.” The McJunkin men are a support system for each other. They influence each other in sports and in life. The McJunkin kids have been raised to know leadership, hard work, and how to be a good influence. “My dad has taught us not only what the Bible says about drinking and doing drugs, but what wisdom

we need to not do those things,” Bert said. Bert and Blake grew up together, sharing a room until Blake graduated. Even with a five-year age difference, Bert said they were good influences to each other. “He is honestly the best role model I could think of,” Bert said. “Not only because he’s my brother, I love him, but because he’s an ideal person. He’s not perfect but he has never told me or influenced me to do the wrong thing. It’s really a blessing for me, because I had an older brother looking out for me and sharing life with me. Even though I was way younger than him he helped me out a lot.”

As he sat on his bed with a red lighter in one hand and an empty plastic water bottle in the other, he heard his mother slowly start to open his door. He frantically ran to his dresser, shoving the evidence in the top drawer and hoping she wouldn’t see. But his mother instantly walked to his dresser and pulled out the drawer, finding the bong senior Kevin Jacobs had been making to aid him in his drug addiction. “She screamed at me for at least three hours,” Jacobs said. “I told her I was sorry and I would try to get clean for her. She loves me so much, she kept giving me second chances.” After being introduced to weed, Jacobs began to smoke it constantly. “A friend of mine introduced me to it at a young age,” Jacobs said. “I had just started smoking cigarettes so I thought ‘Sure, why not, I can try anything once.’ It started in small amounts, maybe a gram a week. Before I knew it I was using a gram a day. After a while I wasn’t trying to get weed anymore. I was just chasing after any drug that could give me a high. I found it pretty easy to get drugs no matter where I went.” AMSTUD teacher Sheila Holsinger grew up with a brother who struggled with drug addiction, and at age 17 he admitted it to the family. Even though she and her parents attempted to get him help, Holsinger’s brother was unresponsive and did not attend rehab. He died at the age of 43 from a massive heart attack due to his abusive drug usage. “He just kept going through the motions,” Holsinger said. “He never really told me exactly what he did and I never actually saw him doing drugs but I knew speed was his main thing. He eventually ended up in prison for dealing drugs to an undercover police officer. When he got out he tried to clean himself up but his heart was already so abused from the drugs. He started to dabble around with it again and couldn’t stop.” Jacobs’ addiction led him to experiment with other substances. The first drug he tried after weed was molly, a pure form of ectasy. “After a year of smoking I couldn’t get a good high off of weed anymore,” Jacobs said. “After that I was on and off

anything you can think of. I moved on to cheaper things that were stronger like mollys or shrooms, but that high didn’t last after a while either. I don’t think I was addicted to any one substance, I was just addicted to feeling high; an escape from reality.” Holsinger remembers her brother as funny and friendly when he was clean, but angry and paranoid while on drugs. Witnessing her brother’s addiction made the severity of drugs very real to her. “Those ‘don’t do drugs, kids’ commercials didn’t really have any effect on me,” Holsinger said. “It was what I saw going on in my own house that impacted me; seeing my mom so sad and seeing all the potential my brother had totally wasted. He was really smart, but he couldn’t stay focused in school. He ended up dropping out in 11th grade. My mom always wondered what she had done wrong. She felt guilty, but she knew that he was just a slave to drug use, that’s all he wanted to do.” Teens that use marijuana on a weekly basis have double the risk of developing depression later on in life, and are three times more likely to have suicidal thoughts regularly. Marijuana today now contains up to double the amount of THC, a chemical that impairs the brain, than in previous decades. Drug counselor Dhane Niethemier said marijuana is the drug she sees teens abusing most. “Weed is a true gateway drug,” Niethemier said. “Ask anyone who is addicted to heroin, cocaine, or meth. It all starts with marijuana.” Niethemier believes that the first step to true recovery is talking to parents or an adult about the addiction. “You have to have an honest conversation with them about what is going on,” Niethemier said. “If you feel like you can’t go to mom or dad, find an adult that can help provide you with resources. With senior high kids it can be difficult; you think you are so independent and ready for the world, but most parents are very understanding. You need to be honest with yourself. Look at how everything fits into the big picture for your future. Being a successful adult and doing drugs doesn’t mix.” In previous years, Holsinger has heard of some of her

students going to rehab due to drug use. She continues to tell the story of her brother to her students as a cautionary tale. “You never think it’s going to be you,” Holsinger said. “You don’t know that you’re going to get sucked into that kind of life. It’s always ‘Oh, I’m just having fun’ then all of a sudden you’re either in jail or totally hooked on something that you can’t pull yourself out of.” Much like Holsinger’s brother, Jacobs admits he was a completely different person while on drugs. Jacobs was coming down from a high on cocaine when he punched his father in the face, knocking three of his teeth out. “I wanted more but I didn’t have any,” Jacobs said. “I was pissed and he was trying to calm me down but I didn’t care. When I realized what I had done I felt terrible. It was the worst I have ever felt in my life. When you get to the point where you’re willing to hurt a person that gave you life, you shouldn’t be proud.” Jacobs attempted to quit multiple times when asked by friends and family members but was not successful until two months ago. “You can’t quit for anyone but yourself,” Jacobs said. “I learned that the hard way. For the first two weeks of being sober I was irritable. I hated everything and everyone around me, but after those two weeks I began to realize how much better sober life is. It’s difficult to quit. You have to put every thought and effort into it. I’m a lot happier and easier to get along with when I’m not on drugs. I enjoy life a lot more now.” Through his withdrawals, Jacobs has found his mother as a shoulder to cry on. “She’s always there to calm me down,” Jacobs said. “She’s tried really hard to get me help. I’ve attended some meetings for people with drug addictions. It was really inspirational to hear people’s stories of how drugs were ruining their lives – yet they overcame the situation. I realized I don’t need drugs anymore. I see no reason to go back to them and I don’t plan on it.”

november 28, 2012feature 6Running from addictionBy Jessica Allman

Student struggles with drug habit

When I first walked into the room, I was surprised. People were happy and greeted each another with smiles. There was a group of teenage boys gathered in the center, talking loudly. To their right was a group of women, most likely the boys’ mothers, gossiping about the people who were attending the

ceremony. It seemed far too joyous for a funeral. I looked for the woman I had come to comfort – the

deceased’s wife – and found her conversing with someone in a corner. I noted to myself that she wasn’t even crying. This

confused me, but I moved forward to say hello anyways. I touched her arm softly to get her attention. “How are you doing?”

I expected a “getting better” or even a sad glance, but her answer was far from either.

“Oh, I’m doing lovely, dear. How about yourself ?” I replied positively and we continued the conversation for another five

minutes or so until someone cut in. I wandered away, confused. Her husband of 30 or more years had died and she was doing “lovely”? They had seemed

happily married to me. But they only lived across the street from me, so maybe their prosperous marriage was just an illusion. Maybe in reality the two had

many issues that I just didn’t have the insight to see. As I contemplated longer, I arrived at the conclusion that this couldn’t be true. She must just be putting on a face for her guests, I thought. Walking down a hall, I found a table with a place to sign in. I wrote my name and my relation to the deceased in the book and then picked up one of the take-away cards they had set out. On the front was a picture of the man who had passed away. He was younger in the picture than when I had known him, probably in his late 30s. He looked youthful, happy, and I began to wonder

what he had been like as a young adult. He had been in the army, I knew that much, but what else? What were his hobbies? His favorite book? I didn’t even

know what college he had attended. I knew nothing about the life he had lived before Bunker Hill Drive.

The man on the cover of the handout was not the man I had grown to know and care

for. The man I had known was the kind husband across the street. He was the grandpa who would sit on his wooden bench as the neighbors played tag on his front lawn. He was the man who trimmed the bushes in the front yard, mowed the lawn and made sure he got the paper and mail every day so his wife wouldn’t have to. This began to bother me. I had come to pay my respects to my neighbor, not to the man in the picture. He seemed like he was a great guy, but the man I knew was even better. And that was that. I had made up my mind. I turned to say goodbye to the wife and leave, but something stopped me. There was another room that I had not seen, and in it a slideshow was running with pictures of the man. I decided that I could leave after I watched the show. It began with the same picture I saw on the handout but continued to show more. I saw him with his wife, him fishing, him with some kids. Many of the pictures were of the man’s later years, when he was the man that I had known. The slideshow went through its loop a full time, and I saw him as a young man once more. At that moment, I realized that it was okay that I hadn’t known him when he was younger. Maybe he had been a great guy. Maybe we would’ve had the same favorite book. Maybe we would’ve even liked the same colleges. But I only knew him in his later stage of life, when he was a loving husband and a caring neighbor, and I was okay with that. Because the man in the picture contributed to the great man I had come to pay my respects to. And without realizing it, I was also paying my respects to the younger man who had allowed the older man to become who he was. I walked from the room with the slideshow and once again saw the man’s wife. There was a smile spread across her face as she talked animatedly with her hands. Then the joyous part of the ceremony hit me. Yes, it was sad that the man had passed on, but his life wasn’t sad at all. His life was one filled with love and community, and that was worth celebrating. His wife was okay, because she had known how wonderful his life had been. And because of him, the ceremony was able to be a happy one.

opinion7

It’s hard to imagine his face, always so lively, now expressionless. His eyes, always so brilliantly blue, now closed forever. His arms, always wrapped around someone in a tight embrace, now limp. His smile, his voice, his laugh – gone. Buried. He and I were never extremely close, but we talked regularly in middle school. He was the only one that called me “Allie” to my face – the name I wanted to go by because Alyssa was somehow less cool. My phone buzzed frequently with texts from him. When I was insecure, he’d reassure me. “Allie, you’re perfect. You’re pretty and smart. Don’t worry about anything.” One night stands out in my mind. After drinking a Red Bull in the evening, I found myself fully awake at 3 a.m. I sat in the crevice of my couch, holding my knees up to my chest while everyone else was asleep. Out of habit, I laid my maroon Razr next to me. I rocked back and forth with my eyes wide, upset for some unknown reason. Then my phone lit up, nearly blinding me in the darkness. It was him. We conversed until the sun came back up, and I remember almost wishing he came and saw me that night. Nothing romantic. I just needed that warmth, that comfort he provided in my time of vulnerability. And that’s really how he was – warm. He made a point to know everyone, to talk to everyone, and then to somehow be exactly what everyone needed at that point in his or her life. He pieced people back together; he was their glue. For some, he just acted as extra support – additional cushioning to an already stabilized structure. For others, he was the structure itself – without him, things fell apart.

Regardless, he gave a piece of himself to everyone he met, a piece containing unconditional reassurance and understanding. He gave so much away that others became who he was and what he lived for. Though he had troubles of his own, he coped by reaching out. But his strength wasn’t a mask to hide his inner turmoil – he just truly believed that his personal problems were insignificant. Anyone who crossed his path instantly became more important to him. They were his priority; he came last. And in that selflessness is a level of maturity that many don’t ever achieve. I believe that the best die young for a reason. The beauty of his short existence is that it was so much richer than other prolonged lives. He did in 18 years what many cannot do in 80: he gave more than he received. He sewed back together the people that were torn. He lifted up the people that collapsed on the ground, even if he was on the verge of collapsing himself. He loved, and he loved without stipulation. Because of that, his heart is not lost underneath layers of earth – it is beating within the chest of every person he met. He maximized his experiences in the world not with time, but with spirit. Too often people listen to the ticking of their watches – and the anxiety that comes with it – rather than the rhythm of their

hearts. He proved that extensive time is not necessary in developing a fulfilling, meaningful life. I stood among those living in his shadow on a chilly Saturday night. The football field around us was empty, and when the lights turned out, we were consumed by

blackness. A few candles burned at the bottom of the bleachers, providing the only light in our sight. The wind consumed our flames, but we still lifted up our cold candles and joined in “Amazing Grace” to honor him. As we sang and raised our arms in unison, we raised our minds as well – our thoughts all went to Heaven. To him. He once was just a single sentence in the story of my life; now, he is a full chapter. His death served as a reality check for those he left behind – a chance

for them to open their eyes and reassess their own lives. To ponder whether their current being is as alive as his spirit is or as lifeless as his body, then to make a change. That was his final act of giving. An early death allows for an immortal life lesson. And as long as that lesson carries on, the deceased will

live forever. I remember how he used to get upset when I wouldn’t

tell him that I loved him. Now I realize that my seventh-grade self didn’t really know what love was. But he knew. He

didn’t need a full lifetime to understand. The words may be too late now, but the feeling is eternal.

I love you, Philip.

A great manBy Kaitlin Fischer

november 28, 2012

wildcatnovember 28, 2012 volume 67 issue four

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 CombsJoe DillerKaitlin FischerPriyanka HardikarAlexis Harris Kaitlin Humphrey

Myiah JonesMaddi MarshallAlexandria 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 Alyssa Matesic

Illustration by Tiffany Weng

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