The student news site of James Bowie High School

The Dispatch

The student news site of James Bowie High School

The Dispatch

The student news site of James Bowie High School

The Dispatch

Photo Essay

Varsity football kicks off

Kaitlyn Zellner, Online Editor-In-Chief October 10, 2019

A BOY: Junior Riley McCue plays the boy in A Boy and His Cow.

Into the Woods

Shruti Patel, Online Managing editor October 10, 2019

GIVING THE MONTHLY CHECK UP: He checks on the bees every monthly to make sure that everything is going smoothly. “When I check on the bees I make sure that they are doing what they need to be doing,” Wu said.

Student beekeeper

Rae Gray, Photo Essay Editor October 10, 2019

HAND OFF: Quarterback Trinidad Sanders, senior, hands the ball off to senior running back Justin Poole.

Varsity football kicks off

Kaitlyn Zellner, Online Editor-In-Chief August 31, 2019

After enduring an injury early last season, Trinidad Sanders made his big comeback. Sanders is now the quarterback for the varsity football team as a senior and is proving what he is capable of on the...

IN THE AIR: Mid-jump, sophomore Sean McCulloch soars through the air. Sean has been learning and competing in taekwondo for 14 years. “Everyone thinks if you do taekwondo you’re a ninja and everyone thinks you just go to tournaments and knock each other out,” Sean said. “But that’s not normally the case.”

Kickin’ it with the black belt brothers

Abbey Repka, Photo Essay Editor June 11, 2019

Siblings practice martial arts at family-owned academy Tension fills the room while sophomore Sean McCulloch and senior Timmy McCulloch await to see if they pass their fifth-degree black belt tests....

Dancing, candy and palm trees, oh my!

Abbey Repka, Photo Essay Editor May 17, 2019

Student Leadership has put together the No Place For Hate Parade for four years now. The parade assists in uniting students to fight against bullying. Starting in the fall of 2004, the Anti-Defamation...

FFA students put a lot of time in to taking care of their animals, day in and day out Future Farmers feed, bathe and care for their livestock. Starting as early as July FFA students can purchase and begin raising their animal for the year. They get their animals as soon as they can, choosing from pigs, goats, lambs, sheep, chickens, turkeys, and rabbits. 
For students to begin raising their animals they have to first be in the class, pay their dues for FFA, then they have to choose one of two pathways for FFA; agriculture or animal raising. While taking these courses students are raising their animal or plants and learning hands on skills. 
“I chose the animal pathway because, while I do enjoy horticulture, I prefer working with animals,” junior Mark Fattouh said. “I feel like working with animals allows you to form bonds with the patience which allows you to provide them with better care.”
Most students who are raising animals choose to show them in competitions, these competitions are a vital part in FFA and give the students a chance to display their hard work throughout the year. 
“Showing competitions are the opportunity to show off your animal,” FFA teacher, Shelby Stephens said. “You prepare all year for the show, getting your animal in the best shape possible, attend show, go into the ring with other students and walk your animal around the ring, utilizing showmanship skills specific to each species.  A judge will then determine the placing of the class, picking the best animals out of a class.” 
Before students can start putting their animals in competitions they have to bond with them. They do this by playing with their animals and spending time with them to build a relationship of trust. The relationship that they build with their animal will allow them to perform in competitions. 
Sophomore Hannah Shepard has been working with her goat, Skipper all year and often takes him out to play and run in the FFA field and grass track. 
“Skipper’s favorite thing to do is run around the grass track here,” Shepard said. “He’s named Skipper because of the way he runs, he can’t do it properly so he skips around.”
At competitions students’ animals can go to auction, and when that happens students can make a profit off of the animal that they are raising. 
“On the market it is less than a dollar per pound for pigs,” senior Will Gamblin said. “But if you make auction you can make a couple thousand dollars off of your pig.”
At the end of the year students choose to do a few different things with their animals, freshmen Adrian Lopez recently gave his goat, Lord Farquaad, to a ranch in Marble Falls.
“I gave him to this really nice couple who own a lot of goats,” Lopez said. “When I dropped him off he looked so happy to be with the other goats.” 
The students in the Future Farmers Association not only grow and raise animals and plants, they also cultivate valuable life skills.
“In the FFA program, students cultivate responsibility, leadership, determination, and a passion for agriculture,” Stephens said. “It is also the goal that they leave with a practical knowledge skill set, such as knowing how to care for plants, care for animals, and other aspects related to agriculture.”

FFA students get a taste of ranch life

Rey Gray, Photo Essay Editor May 4, 2019

FFA students put a lot of time in to taking care of their animals, day in and day out Future Farmers feed, bathe and care for their livestock. Starting as early as July FFA students can purchase and begin...

Dancing, candy and palm trees, oh my!

Abbey Repka, Photo Essay Editor April 27, 2019

Student Leadership has put together the No Place For Hate Parade for four years now. The parade assists in uniting students to fight against bullying. Starting in the fall of 2004, the Anti-Defamation...

Just after Stephen Achilles was announced Mr. Bulldog, Harrison Louis holds him close. “When they announced me as Mr. Bulldog I was filled with shock as my fellow contestants hoisted me up into the air in celebration. Being Mr. Bulldog is a huge honor and it means the world to me,” Achilles said. “All of the contestants put on a wonderful show and I’m trying honored to be the one to win it all. I am so thankful for everyone who helped me in my show. I share the victory with them and with everyone who came out to cheer me on.”

Mr. Bulldog 2019

Mo Orr, Online Editor-In-Chief March 25, 2019

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