Feature Writing, Study notes of Dance

Download Feature Writing and more Study notes Dance in PDF only on Docsity! Invitational A Meet • 2016 Feature Writing Leaguetown High School, located in Texas, has an enrollment of 1,800 stu- dents in grades 9-12. Over the summer, junior Lisa Muñoz was selected to attend a week-long dance camp hosted by the New York City Rockettes in New York City. More than 2,500 girls auditioned for the 75 spots in the summer camp. At the camp, Lisa studied tap, jazz, musical theater and the legendary Rockettes kickline. Lisa, the captain of the school’s dance team, started taking dance classes when she was 3 years old. She’s been a fan of the Rockettes since she first saw them at Radio City Music Hall when she was in first grade. She always dreamed of meeting them. During the dance camp, the Rockettes announced that all girls who attended the camp were eligible to win a spot in the Rockettes’ New York City Spring Spec- tacular Show. For the contest, dancers had to choreograph and video an original dance to Frank Sinatra’s song “New York, New York.” Entries were due Oct. 1. Lisa participated in the contest and was named a finalist in November. This week, she received the call that told her she won the contest and would be par- ticipating with the Rockettes in their spring show on March 15 and 17 at Radio City Music Hall. Lisa will go to New York City for two weekends, one in February and one in March to practice with the team. You are writing for the issue of the Press to be distributed Monday, Feb. 8. ■ LISA MUÑOZ, junior “When I entered the contest, I didn’t think I had much of a chance at win- ning. The girls I met at camp were amazing. I felt so far behind at the camp all week. I have taken dance classes for more than 10 years, but none of them have been from anyone famous. Some of the girls there trained under pretty famous people. One girl had even worked with Jennifer Lopez’s dance instructor. “My mom pushed me to do the contest. She always said I was super creative in creating dances, and maybe I am. It took me about three weeks to design the dance and then another three to perfect the moves and get an almost-perfect video. “When I found out I won, my screams woke up our neighbors. The call came at 6 a.m. on Saturday, and I couldn’t contain myself. I was in the backyard screaming and jumping and dancing. My neighbor thought our house was on fire. Luckily, he wasn’t mad when I explained what had happened. “I’ve loved the Rockettes for so long. Just going to the camp — well, I thought that was the best thing that would ever happen to me. And now, this — I am going to dance with the New York City Rockettes. I don’t even believe it when I say it. It’s crazy. Wonderful, amazing, crazy. “Luckily, the whole trip is paid for by the contest. The camp was expensive, and I spent all of my savings on it. ” You are a reporter for the Leaguetown Press, the stu- dent newspaper of Leaguetown High School. From the given information, write a feature story as you would for the high school newspaper. You may use state- ments attributed to individuals as direct or indirect quotes. You may not change the meaning of a statement. You have one hour. Do not write your name or the name of your school on this sheet or your entry. Put your number on your paper. 2016 INVITATIONAL A FEATURE • PAGE 2 ■ CINDI PAUL, school dance teacher “We are thrilled that she won the contest. But I wasn’t surprised. Lisa is an incredibly talented dancer. I wasn’t even mad when she called me at 6:30 a.m. on that Saturday to tell me. And I hate being woken up early on Saturdays. Lisa has been the creative force for our dance team for the past three years. When other dance teachers see us perform, they are astounded by the level of talent and choreography. I can’t take most of the credit for it. It’s Lisa. We do work together to create routines, but she is the one who brings all the creativity. If she wants it, Lisa will have a long and illustrious career in the dance field.” ■ LORENA MUÑOZ, Lisa’s mother “This is Lisa’s dream — to dance with the Rockettes. When she started dance lessons so many years ago, I never thought we would get to this point. Lisa is always dancing. She dances to the kitchen in the morning. She dances out the door to go to school. She dances down the street to get the mail. She dances everywhere. It’s her life, and I am so happy she was rewarded for all of her hard work.” ■ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The flier for the Spring Spectacular describes the show as “a dazzling musical celebration about the energy, places, people, passion and promise that make this city spectacular.” The Rockettes are a precision dance company founded in 1925 in St. Louis, Missouri, and since 1932 have performed out of Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, New York City. During the Christmas season, the Rockettes present five shows a day, seven days a week. Perhaps their best-known routine is an eye-high leg kick in perfect unison in a chorus line, which they include at the end of every performance. SAMPLE STORY Junior Lisa Muñoz has been dancing almost her entire life. “She dances to the kitchen in the morning,” her mother Lorena Muñoz said. “She dances out the door to go to school. She dances down the street to get the mail. She dances everywhere.” And now, Lisa, who started taking dance lessons when she was 3 years old, has won the oppor- tunity to dance on the same stage as her idols, the New York City Rockettes. Last week Lisa learned she had won the sole spot to dance with the famous Rockettes in their Spring Spectacular Show in New York City on March 15 and 17. “When I found out I won, my screams woke up our neighbors,” Lisa said. “The call came at 6 a.m. on Saturday, and I couldn’t contain myself. I was in the backyard screaming and jumping and dancing.” The Rockettes are world-renowned, precision dancers known especially for their high-kick routine. Lisa attended a Rockette dance camp this summer where she earned the opportunity to participate in the contest. “When I entered the contest, I didn’t think I had much of a chance at winning,” Lisa said. “I felt so far behind at the camp all week. Some of the girls there trained under pretty famous people. I have taken dance classes for more than 10 years, but none of them have been from anyone famous.” Lisa, the captain of the school’s dance team, has loved the Rockettes since she first saw them in first grade. “Just going to the camp — well, I thought that was the best thing that would ever happen to me,” Lisa said. “And now, this — I am going to dance on stage with the New York City Rockettes. I don’t even believe it when I say it. It’s crazy.” For the contest, Lisa had to choreograph and video an original dance to Frank Sinatra’s song “New York, New York.” “It took me about three weeks to design the dance and then another three to perfect the moves and get an almost-perfect video,” she said. While Lisa was shocked she won the contest, dance teacher Cindi Paul said wasn’t surprised by the news. “Lisa has been the creative force for our dance team for the past three years,” Paul said. “When other dance teachers see us perform, they are astounded by the level of talent and choreography. I can’t take most of the credit for it. It’s Lisa.” Lisa will travel, all expenses paid, to New York City for two weekends in February and March to practice with the Rockettes. “This is Lisa’s dream — to dance with the Rockettes,” her mother said. “When she started dance lessons so many years ago, I never thought we would get to this point. It’s her life, and I am so happy she was rewarded for all of her hard work.” 2016 INVITATIONAL A FEATURE • KEY PAGE 3 Invitational B Meet • 2016 Feature Writing Leaguetown High School, located in Texas, has an enrollment of 800 students in grades 9-12. Last year, photojournalism student James Tang, who is a junior, started his own photography business, Zoomed In. He primarily takes senior portraits, but he also does some family photography. For one of his clients, fresh- man Monica Mason, he photographed headshots of her for a modeling agency. After seeing his photos, the modeling agency connected James with a marketing agency in Dallas. In July the company, A&D, hired James to shoot photos of some of the company’s top clients. So far James has taken photos of several famous Texans, including millionaire Ross Perot, Cowboy owner Jerry Jones and singer Kelly Clarkson. Tang, only 16 years old, is now the youngest contractor working for A&D, one of the largest marketing companies in Texas. He does most of his photo shoots on the weekend so he does not miss any school time. Over spring break, Tang will photograph his most famous Texan yet — George W. Bush. The former president is the spokesperson for a Dallas charity, and A&D wants photos of Bush in his new Dallas home for the marketing campaign. You are writing for the issue of the Press to be distributed Monday, Feb. 29. ■ JAMES TANG, junior “When I was in junior high, my parents bought me my first decent camera. I was going to Italy with my grandparents, and they wanted me to take good pictures. One week with that camera and the sites in Italy, and I was hooked. I fell in love with photography. I started reading everything I could about lighting and portrait photography. It’s amazing what you can find on the Internet. By my freshman year, I was pretty good. I talked my way onto the yearbook staff and started shooting candid photos, too. “I started my photo business to earn money for college. My parents both work, but neither makes much money. College was going to be a strain. I was shocked at how quickly my business grew. Social media was a huge help. Several of the seniors who I photographed posted their photos, and my business took off. “When A&D first contacted me, I thought it was a scam until I googled the company. The first couple of photo shoots that I did for the company were regular clients — just hospital directors and small company presidents. I think they wanted to make sure I really had talent. Then, in December they asked me to photograph Jerry Jones in his office at the stadium. I am a huge Dallas Cowboys fan — always have been, always will be. I’ve never even been to a game, and now this company sent me to the owner’s office. At first, I was so star-struck that I couldn’t even speak. I kind of just stood there looking stupid. Finally, Jerry slapped me on the back, and said ‘Well, let’s get this thing going. I ain’t gettin’ any prettier.’ That You are a reporter for the Leaguetown Press, the stu- dent newspaper of Leaguetown High School. From the given information, write a feature story as you would for the high school newspaper. You may use state- ments attributed to individuals as direct or indirect quotes. You may not change the meaning of a statement. You have one hour. Do not write your name or the name of your school on this sheet or your entry. Put your number on your paper. 2016 INVITATIONAL B FEATURE • PAGE 2 broke the ice. I laughed and started working. “This latest assignment also has me on edge — the former president of the United States of America. It’s crazy. I’m this 16-year-old kid, and I am going to tell George W. Bush where to stand and how to turn his head. I just hope I can speak when I get there. “The money from A&D is definitely going to make college more manageable. The company wants me to continue working for them, so I am considering applying for Texas Christian University in Fort Worth or the University of Dallas. Both are fantastic schools and close to A&D.” ■ CALISTA LOCKHART, A&D marketing director “James has an extraordinary talent. A decent portrait is not hard to get. Almost anyone can do that, but a portrait that we take notice of — that’s a bit harder. And almost every portrait in James’s portfolio is striking and unique. He is one of the most creative photographers I’ve ever worked with, and he’s only 16. I would call him a prodigy. I’ve shown his work to photographers who have been in this business for 20 years, and they love his work. They are shocked when I tell them he’s only 16. I sincerely hope we have a long relationship.” ■ KARI SIMMONS, yearbook adviser and photography teacher “James never took photography with me because he didn’t need it. When he showed me his portfolio before entering ninth grade, I knew I had little to teach him. He’s brilliant with a camera. Every one of his photos is striking. For my Christmas present this year, James took photos of my 6-month-old daughter. He set the shoot up with my husband. When I opened the framed photo on Christmas morning, I cried. It was the most beautiful photo I’d ever seen. James is going to be famous someday. And I predict that day is coming soon.” SAMPLE STORY It was a day of firsts for junior James Tang. First time in the Dallas Cowboys stadium. First time in the owner’s office. And, first time meeting and photographing Jerry Jones. It’s no surprise that James was at a loss for words. So when he stood there speechless, Jones slapped him on the back and said, “Well, let’s get this thing going, I ain’t gettin’ any prettier.” James shared a laugh with Jones and then got to work. At 16 years old, James is the youngest photographer working for A&D, a Dallas marketing company. “When A&D first contacted me, I thought it was a scam until I googled the company,” James said. “The first couple of photo shoots I did for the company were regular clients -- just hospital directors and small company presidents. I think they wanted to make sure I really had talent. Then, in December they asked me to photograph Jerry Jones in his office at the stadium.” In his six months of working for A&D, one of the largest marketing companies in Texas, James has shot portraits of Jones, Ross Perot and Kelly Clarkson. Over spring break James will shoot his most famous client so far — former President George W. Bush. “It’s crazy. I’m this 16-year-old kid, and I am going to tell George W. Bush where to stand and how to turn his head,” James said. “I just hope I can speak when I get there.” Last year, James started his own photography business, Zoomed In, shooting senior portraits and family photography. “I started my photo business to earn money for college,” James said. “My parents both work, but neither makes much money. College was going to be a strain.” James fell in love with photography on a junior high trip to Italy with his grandparents. “One week with that camera and the sites in Italy, and I was hooked,” he said. “I fell in love with photography. I started reading everything I could about lighting and portrait photography.” Before his freshman year hoping to get on the yearbook staff, James met with yearbook adviser Kari Sim- mons and shared his portfolio with her. “He’s brilliant with a camera,” Simmons said. “Every one of his photos is striking.” A&D marketing director Calista Lockhart says James is “one of the most creative photographers” she’s ever worked with. “James has an extraordinary talent,” she said. “A decent portrait is not hard to get. Almost anyone can do that, but a portrait that we take notice of — that’s a bit harder. And almost every portrait in James’s portfolio is striking and unique. I would call him a prodigy.” A&D hopes to continue working with James after high school. It may be possible. James plans to apply to Texas Christian University or the University of Dallas which are both close to the company. “I sincerely hope we have a long relationship,” Lockhart said. “I’ve shown his work to photographers who have successfully been in this business for 20 years, and they love his work. They are shocked when I tell them he’s only 16.” 2016 INVITATIONAL B FEATURE • KEY PAGE 3 District 1 Meet • 2016 Feature Writing You are a reporter for the Leaguetown Press, the stu- dent newspaper of Leaguetown High School. From the given information, write a feature story as you would for the high school newspaper. You may use state- ments attributed to individuals as direct or indirect quotes. You may not change the meaning of a statement. You have one hour. Do not write your name or the name of your school on this sheet or your entry. Put your number on your paper. Leaguetown High School, located in Central Texas, has an enrollment of 2,200 students in grades 9-12. This spring the school district partnered with the police department to create a cadet program for seniors who are interested in pursuing careers in law enforcement. The cadet program allows seniors to become acquainted with police and law enforcement work through a two-week shadowing program. The seniors shadow officers for two hours, four evenings a week. The program includes two ride-alongs with officers. Over Spring Break, senior Kellee Gates, who started her shadowing in early March, did a ride-along with Officer Jolie Towns, a 22-year veteran of the force. The evening started out relatively slow until Officer Towns responded to a pos- sible robbery at Al’s Liquor Store. Towns was the first police officer to arrive on the scene. She instructed Kellee to remain in the car while she checked out the situation. As Officer Towns exited the police car, a gunman shot her in the right thigh and ran from the liquor store. Immediately, Kellee grabbed the police radio and told dispatch about the situation. Then, she jumped out of the car to help Officer Towns. Kellee pulled off her belt to create a tourniquet around the officer’s leg. She took off her police-issued navy sweatshirt and used it to put pressure on the wound to slow the bleeding. Because of the description and directions Kellee gave to the police dispatcher, police apprehended the gunman within minutes of the shooting. The emergency medical staff also said Kellee probably saved Officer Towns’ life with her swift medical attention. Next Saturday, April 2, Kellee will receive a Medal of Valor from the police department for her bravery and action. You are writing for the issue of the Press to be distributed on Wednesday, March 30. ■ KELLEE GATES, senior “Before the ride-along, I wasn’t 100 percent sure I wanted to go into law enforcement. Honestly, a lot of police work is pretty boring — paperwork and more paperwork. Then, Officer Towns took me on my first ride-along. Before the shooting at the liquor store, she pulled over three people for speeding and even that gave me an adrenaline high. I was pumped. Then, we got the call about the possible robbery. Officer Towns was under the impression that the suspect had left the premises, but he had not. As soon as she shut the door to the police car, I heard a loud pop and watched her fall to the ground. I can’t believe I didn’t panic. But I didn’t. I went on total autopilot. When I saw the gunman running to the street, I grabbed the radio and called the situation into dispatch. I said, ‘Officer down. Officer down.’ I gave our address and then described the suspect to dispatch. The gunman was wearing a lime green hoodie, not the best outfit for 2016 DISTRICT 1 FEATURE • PAGE 2 a night robbery, and was about six feet tall and 200 pounds. Then I jumped out of the car to help Officer Towns. She was in a lot of pain, but she was yelling at me to stay in the car. She didn’t want to put me in danger. I ignored her and tightened my belt around her upper thigh. I saw some actor do this on a cop show, and I was worried the bullet hit her femoral artery. Then, I used my sweatshirt to try to stop the bleeding. The ambulance was there within minutes. “After this experience, I have no doubt that I will go into law enforcement. I want to get my criminal justice degree and then join the police force. I am so grateful the district started this partnership for seniors. The whole Medal of Valor thing is a little weird. I don’t think I was particularly brave. I just did what Officer Towns had been teaching me. It felt natural. I know my dad is super-proud, though. He’s retired military, and my grandfather was a police officer. My dad said, ‘This work is in your blood.’ Maybe it is.” ■ JOLIE TOWNS, police officer “I am glad Kellee didn’t listen to me when I told her to stay in the car. The bullet hit the artery in my thigh, and the doctor said I could have easily bled to death without her intervention. She saved my life. She never panicked. Heck, she didn’t even ask me what she should do. She just did it. If I am still around when Kellee joins the force permanently, I would be proud to have her as my partner.” ■ ORVILLE CARLTON, police chief “We don’t give this medal to many civilians — and I don’t think we’ve ever given it to a teenager, but Kel- lee deserves it. She acted like a trained officer, and we are all grateful for her response. She’s going to make a fine officer one day.” ■ BEN GATES, Kellee’s dad “My wife wasn’t thrilled about Kellee doing a ride-along, but I knew she would be OK. Kellee never panics in tough situations. When Kellee was 5 years old, my wife had a seizure and passed out. Kellee called 911 and then performed CPR. I didn’t even know she knew what CPR was. When the ambulance arrived, the medi- cal technician said Kellee was giving them instructions on what to do. They couldn’t believe she was only 5.” ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Kellee plans to attend Texas State University and hopes to intern with the university police department. Officer Towns nominated Kellee for the Medal of Valor award. ■ KELLEE GATES (continued) SAMPLE STORY As the car door slammed shut, senior Kellee Gates heard a loud pop and watched as Officer Jolie Towns fell to the ground. With no time to think, Kellee went “on autopilot.” Grabbing the police radio, she shouted, “Officer down. Officer down.” Then she jumped out of the car to assist the wounded officer. “I don’t think I was particularly brave,” Kellee said. “I just did what Officer Towns had been teach- ing me.” But Officer Towns, who is Kellee’s mentor officer in the school’s new two-week police cadet pro- gram, disagrees. She credits Kellee with saving her life and nominated the senior for the Medal of Valor award, which Kellee will receive Saturday. “We don’t give this medal to many civilians — and I don’t think we’ve ever given it to a teenager, but Kellee deserves it,” police chief Orville Carlton said. “She acted like a trained officer, and we are all grateful for her response.” Kellee was shadowing Towns in a ride-along for the cadet program when the officer was called to a robbery at Al’s Liquor Store. Towns believed the suspect had left the store by the time she had arrived. He had not, and Towns was shot as she stepped out of her vehicle. “The bullet hit the artery in my thigh, and the doctor said I could have easily bled to death without her intervention,” Towns, a 22-year veteran of the force, said. When Kellee called in to dispatch, she also gave a description of the robber and said what direction he was running. Police apprehended the gunman within minutes of the shooting. “The gunman was wearing a lime green hoodie, not the best outfit for a night robbery, and was about six feet tall and 200 pounds,” Kellee said. “I gave our address and then described the suspect to dispatch. Then I jumped out of the car to help Officer Towns.” Kellee’s dad said he wasn’t surprised by his daughter’s actions. “Kellee never panics in a tough situation,” Ben Gates said. “When Kellee was 5 years old, my wife had a seizure and passed out. Kellee called 911, and then started performing CPR. When the am- bulance came, the medical technician said Kellee was giving them instructions on what to do and a detailed description of what happened. They couldn’t believe she was only 5.” Before the ride-along, Kellee wasn’t 100 percent sure she wanted to go into law enforcement, “After this experience, I have no doubt that I will go into law enforcement,” she said. “I want to get my criminal justice degree and then join the police force. I am so grateful the district started this partnership for seniors.” Towns said Kellee will make a “fine officer.” “If I am still around when Kellee joins the force permanently, I definitely would be proud to have her as my partner,” she said. Receiving the Medal of Valor seems “a little weird,” Kellee said, but she knows her dad is proud. “He’s retired military, and my grandfather was a police officer,” she said. “My dad said, ‘This work is in your blood.’ Maybe it is.” 2016 DISTRICT 1 FEATURE • PAGE 3 District 2 Meet • 2016 Feature Writing You are a reporter for the Leaguetown Press, the stu- dent newspaper of Leaguetown High School. From the given information, write a feature story as you would for the high school newspaper. You may use state- ments attributed to individuals as direct or indirect quotes. You may not change the meaning of a statement. You have one hour. Do not write your name or the name of your school on this sheet or your entry. Put your number on your paper. Leaguetown High School, located in Southeast Texas, has an enrollment of 500 students in grades 9-12. Last week sophomore Lamont Bishop’s neighbor’s house caught on fire in the late afternoon. Lamont saw smoke and flames and called 911 before running over to the house. When he arrived at the house, the college freshman, who baby-sits the 7-year-old twin boys — Gus and Gage, was screaming hysterically. She couldn’t find one of the twins. By then, the fire was ravishing the house. Lamont started shouting the missing child’s name, and after a few seconds he heard the boy call back from the second story of the house. Lamont ran to the garage, grabbed a ladder and climbed to the second floor window where he heard the child. As soon as he got to the window, he saw the boy lying in the middle of the bedroom floor. Lamont climbed through the window, grabbed the child and carried him down the ladder. As Lamont was descending the ladder, the fire department arrived. Firefighters took the child and attached an oxygen mask to his face. Then they led Lamont away from the house and started containing the fire. The boy, Gus, was fine after a few minutes of oxygen, but the fire destroyed the house. After the firefighters checked out Lamont, he went home. The fire chief nominated Lamont for the city’s annual Young Hero Award. Lamont will receive the award Friday, April 8, at the City Council meeting. You are writing for the issue of the Press to be distributed on Wednesday, April 6. ■ LAMONT BISHOP, sophomore “It feels weird to be called a ‘hero.’ I am not sure I would call myself that. I did what anyone would have done. Nothing special. I love those little boys, and I would do anything for them. Apparently the sitter and Gage were in the kitchen when the fire started. The sitter hustled Gage outside where she thought Gus was playing. But Gus had gone back inside to get a toy from his room. By the time she realized Gus was inside, the lower floor was consumed by fire. Luckily Gus was upstairs, and the fire started downstairs. I was starting to freak out a little when I first shouted Gus’s name, and he didn’t answer. Then I heard him — barely. I am so glad the upstairs window was open. Otherwise, I might not have heard him. As soon as I heard him, I went into action. I don’t remember running to the garage to grab the ladder and, honestly, I don’t know how I carried it to the window so fast. It is a really heavy ladder, but I guess adrenaline kicked in. I am glad it did. When I got to the window, I didn’t think. I jumped in, grabbed Gus and climbed out. It felt like I was in slow motion when I went into his room, but it took no longer than a minute or two. It’s so strange to think about it now. “The firefighters said it was brave of me to climb that ladder, but the fire wasn’t on the second floor, so I didn’t panic. The bedroom was filled with smoke, and Gus was passed out when I got to him, but I could tell he was breathing. I was 2016 DISTRICT 2 FEATURE • PAGE 2 scared, but I was sure if I could get him out, he would be fine. “The Bakers showed up at my house that evening to thank me. They were so grateful. They kept thanking me over and over again. Mrs. Baker cried almost the entire time, and Gus and Gage wouldn’t let go of my legs. They are super sweet kids. I play with them sometimes — you know, like football, tag and stuff. I don’t have any little brothers or sisters, so it’s nice to get to be a ‘big brother’ to them.” ■ JOE RICHARDS, fire chief “I was on the scene for this fire. It was a big one, and we are very lucky that no lives were lost. The fire spread quickly, and if Lamont hadn’t acted so quickly, we might be attending a funeral. Without a doubt, he’s a hero. He lugged a 90-pound ladder and entered a burning house to save a child. If that doesn’t make him a hero, I don’t know what does. He did exactly what any firefighter would do in that situation. The only difference is, we are trained. He acted purely on instinct, and he was 100 percent correct. “I told Lamont if he’s ever interested in becoming a firefighter, he should call me. We need smart indi- viduals like him on our force.” ■ BETTY BAKER, the twins’ mom “You bet we will be at the city council meeting. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Lamont is our hero and always will be. I don’t want to think about what would have happened had Lamont not acted so quickly. He saved our little boy’s life. I know it. How do you repay someone for that? “The boys have always adored Lamont. He’s always been great with them. He’s the one who got Gus interested in baseball and soccer. In fact, when Gus went back inside before the fire started, he was going to get his soccer ball so he could practice. He wanted to perfect his shot so Lamont would be proud the next time they played together. “Lamont is such a great role model. If my boys grow up and are anything like him, I will be thrilled.” ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Lamont is quarterback on the junior varsity football team and first baseman on the varsity baseball team. He is on the honor roll and is vice president of the Spanish Club. ■ LAMONT BISHOP (continued) SAMPLE STORY Sophomore Lamont Bishop shouted the 7-year-old boy’s name over the roar of the flames engulf- ing the house. “Gus! Gus!” Hearing a faint cry from the second floor window, Lamont ran to the garage, grabbed the ladder and climbed into a smoke-filled room. “Gus was passed out when I got to him, but I could tell he was breathing,” Lamont said. “I was scared, but I was sure if I could get him out, he would be fine.” And he was — thanks to Lamont’s swift actions. Last week when Lamont saw smoke and flames bellowing from his neighbor’s house, he called 911 and ran over. Once there, Lamont rescued 7-year-old Gus. For his bravery and quick action, Lamont will receive the Young Hero Award at the City Council meeting Friday. “Without a doubt, he’s a hero,” said fire chief Joe Richards, who nominated Lamont. “He lugged a 90-pound ladder and went into a burning house to save a child. If that doesn’t make him a hero, I don’t know what does.” On the day of the fire, a babysitter was watching the twin boys, Gus and Gage, and couldn’t locate Gus after evacuating the house. “The sitter got Gage outside where she thought Gus was playing,” Lamont said. “But Gus had gone back inside to get a toy from his room. By the time she realized Gus was inside, the lower floor was consumed by fire. ” That’s when Lamont showed up. He heard Gus’ faint cry from the upstairs window and went into action. “When I got to the window, I didn’t think,” he said. “I jumped in, grabbed Gus and climbed out.” As he descended the ladder with the 7-year-old, firefighters arrived and immediately attached an oxygen mask to Gus’ face. “I did what anyone would have done,” Lamont said. “Nothing special. I love those little boys, and I would do anything for them.” But Betty Baker, the twins’ mother, said she doesn’t want to think about what would have happened had Lamont not acted so quickly. “He saved our little boy’s life. I know it,” she said. “How do you repay someone for that?” Lamont, who has no younger siblings of his own, says his loves playing with the twins and being a “big brother” to them. “They are super sweet kids,” he said. “The Bakers showed up at my house that evening to thank me. Mrs. Baker cried almost the entire time, and Gus and Gage wouldn’t let go of my legs.” The fire chief said Lamont would make a great firefighter one day. “He did exactly what any firefighter would do in that situation,” Richards said. “The only difference is, we are trained. He acted purely on instinct, and he was 100 percent correct. I told Lamont if he’s ever interested in becoming a firefighter, he should call me. We need smart individuals like him on our force.” 2016 DISTRICT 2 FEATURE • PAGE 3 Regional • 2016 Feature Writing You are a reporter for the Leaguetown Press, the stu- dent newspaper of Leaguetown High School. From the given information, write a feature story as you would for the high school newspaper. You may use state- ments attributed to individuals as direct or indirect quotes. You may not change the meaning of a statement. You have one hour. Do not write your name or the name of your school on this sheet or your entry. Put your number, NOT YOUR NAME, on your paper. Leaguetown High School has an enrollment of 1,700 students in grades 9-12. Sophomore Shehnaz Khan, who is Muslim, moved to Leaguetown this year after living in Oklahoma for most of her life. In the fall, Shehnaz performed a mono- logue in her Theater I class about how she was bullied at her former school. Both teachers and students bullied her for being Muslim and wearing a hijab. After watching her monologue, theater teacher Edmund Brown encouraged Shehnaz to write a play about her experience, and she did. Brown loved the play, “Eyes Up,” and suggested to Principal Neil Young that the theater class perform it at class assemblies. Young agreed, and Brown cast his Theater I students in the play. In March, Shehnaz’s play debuted and was well received by the students and faculty. “Eyes Up” mirrors Shehnaz’s experience at her former school and seeks to educate the audience on the Muslim religion and culture. After seeing the play, Mayor Rita Williams asked Shehnaz and Brown if they could perform the play at the Leaguetown City Theater May 4-7, and they agreed to do it. The city theater seats 1,000, and the first night is already sold out. Proceeds for the play will be donated to the high school theater department and to the Islamic Education Center, a national non-profit organization that offers schools and businesses free trainings and programs to educate people about the Muslim culture. You are writing for the issue of the Press to be distributed on Wednesday, April 27. ■ SHEHNAZ KHAN, sophomore “I am excited and nervous about the play being performed at the city theater. When Mr. Brown challenged me to write a play, I never dreamed anyone would ever perform it. The play is based on my own experiences, but it’s not only about bullying. I wanted to teach people about my religion and culture. Too many people have misconceptions because of how the media portrays Muslims and because of what a few radicals have done. The focus of the Muslim religion is about peace and love, not killing and hate. I want to help stop the fear and hatred. “For me, the bullying didn’t start until ninth grade. That’s when I started wearing my hijab. I guess that’s when people at my school figured out I was Mus- lim. At first, it was just snickers and whispers about terrorism. Then, students got meaner. Lunch was always the worst. Students, boys mostly, would come up and ask me what I was going to bomb that day or where my ISIS patch was or how many people my parents killed. I always tried to look away, look down. I didn’t want to make eye contact with the boys. I didn’t want them to see my tears. I even had a teacher tell me that Muslims didn’t belong in America. I hated going to school, but I didn’t want to tell my parents. I was embarrassed. Finally, my mom 2016 REGIONAL FEATURE • PAGE 2 found me crying one night in my room, and I told her everything. I was so ashamed. My mom met with the principal and all of my teachers, but little changed. Luckily my dad got transferred to Texas in May. That was the happiest day of my life. “Leaguetown is the complete opposite of my old school. From the very first day of school, everyone has been so accepting and respectful. I have had several students ask me questions but not in a disrespectful kind of way. They were wondering about my hijab. One girl even tried one on. After we performed the first show of ‘Eyes Up’ for the freshman class, several students thanked me for sharing my story. They said they learned a lot. That was my goal. ” ■ EDMUND BROWN, theater teacher “Shehnaz’s monologue blew me away. It blew the whole class away. Most of the kids cried, and not a single student said a word during the entire monologue. Her play is just as good, if not better. It tells the story of her being bullied, but it also tells the story of why she loves being a Muslim. In the play she shares her culture through interaction with non-Muslim characters. It’s quite beautiful. “The students loved the play when we performed it for the classes. I knew they would. This is an amazing community, and our students do a great job embracing differences. I was so proud of the reaction from the play. I know the community will love it, too.” ■ REHMAT KHAN, Shehnaz’s mother “It broke my heart when Shehnaz told me how students had treated her. My husband and I have gotten used to the whispers and looks, but I thought my children would be safe at school from such prejudice. I was living in denial. Leaguetown has been wonderful for our family. From the very first day of school, both of my children have been happy. “I have seen the play four times now. I went to each class showing, and I cried every time. My tears are both for joy and sadness. We are so proud of Shehnaz. Words cannot express it. She is making an impact on the world, and she is only 15.” ■ RITA WILLIAMS, mayor “My daughter is a freshman and after she saw the play, she insisted I attend the next performance. I did and was speechless. It is such an emotional and educational performance. I couldn’t believe a 15-year-old girl wrote the play. It’s better than some plays I’ve seen on Broadway. “The community is going to embrace Shehnaz and the play. I am sure of it. I’ve invited the mayors of three nearby towns. I want Shehnaz and our theater department to perform this play all across our state. Our country needs healing, and this play can help to do that.” ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Shehnaz plays herself in the play. Tickets for the performace at the city theater are $7 for adults and $3 for children, 12 and under. A hijab is a head scarf worn by Muslims to show modesty. ■ SHEHNAZ KHAN (continued) SAMPLE STORY The delicate garment framing her face couldn’t hide her tears. Shehnaz Khan kept her eyes down so the boys who were taunting her couldn’t see her face. “Students, boys mostly, would come up and ask me what I was going to bomb that day or where my ISIS patch was or how many people my parents killed,” the sophomore said. Shehnaz, who is Muslim and started wearing a hijab in high school, endured bullying from students and even some teachers when she attended school in Oklahoma last year. But things have changed. Since moving to Leaguetown, Shehnaz Khan no longer walks with her eyes cast down. “Leaguetown is the complete opposite of my old school,” Shehnaz said. “From the very first day of school, everyone has been so accepting and respectful.” In fact, after Shehnaz shared her bullying experience with her theater class, the teacher, Edmund Brown, encouraged her to write a play about her experience. She did. Brown was so impressed with the play titled, “Eyes Up,” that the theater class performed it for class assemblies, and in May the city will get a chance to see it. “When Mr. Brown challenged me to write a play, I never dreamed anyone would ever perform it,” Shehnaz said. “The play is based on my own experiences, but it’s not only about bullying. I wanted to teach people about my religion and culture.” At the encouragement of her daughter who saw the play at school, Mayor Rita Williams attended a performance at the school assemblies and then asked Shehnaz and Brown if they could perform the play at the Leaguetown City Theater May 4-7. “The community is going to embrace Shehnaz and the play,” Williams said. “It is such an emotional and educational performance. It’s better than some plays I’ve seen on Broadway.” Shehnaz began wearing her hijab, a head scarf, in ninth grade. That’s when the bullying started. “I even had a teacher tell me that Muslims didn’t belong in America,” she said. “I hated going to school, but I didn’t want to tell my parents. I was embarrassed.” When her mother found her crying in her bedroom one night, Shehnaz couldn’t hide the bullying from her parents any longer. “It broke my heart when Shehnaz told me how students had treated her,” Shehnaz’s mother, Rehmat Khan, said. “My husband and I have gotten used to the whispers and looks, but I thought my children would be safe at school from such prejudice.” In May of her freshman year, Shehnaz’s father was transfered to Texas, and that was the “happiest day of my life,” she said. Here, the school has embraced Shehnaz and her play. “In the play, she shares her culture through interaction with non-Muslim characters,” Brown said. “It’s quite beautiful. This is an amazing community, and our students do a great job embracing dif- ferences.” The first night of the play, in which Shehnaz plays herself, is already sold out. “I’ve invited the mayors of three nearby towns,” Williams said. “I want Shehnaz and our theater department to perform this play all across our state. Our country needs healing, and this play can help to do that.” 2016 REGIONAL FEATURE • PAGE 3 State • 2016 Feature Writing You are a reporter for the Leaguetown Press, the stu- dent newspaper of Leaguetown High School. From the given information, write a feature story as you would for the high school newspaper. You may use state- ments attributed to individuals as direct or indirect quotes. You may not change the meaning of a statement. You have one hour. Do not write your name or the name of your school on this sheet or your entry. Put your number, NOT YOUR NAME, on your paper. Leaguetown High School has an enrollment of 2,500 students in grades 9-12. Daniel Karast is a senior at Leaguetown High. He is the adopted son of Bill and Jana Karast, who adopted him when he was only a year old. Daniel’s birth parents died after an automobile accident when he was 13 months old. Neither birth parent had a living relative. As far as Daniel knew, he was an only child. At the UIL Regional Track Meet in April, Daniel learned he might have a sibling. While warming up to compete in the 100-meter dash, he was approached by a teammate who said to him, “There’s a guy here who looks exactly like you.” Daniel thought the teammate was pulling his leg and didn’t think much of it until he kneeled down to get set in the starting blocks. When Daniel looked to his left, he saw an almost mirror image of himself. Shaken by the sight, Daniel was slower than normal out of the starting blocks. Daniel placed second, only a fraction of a second behind the young man who looked almost exactly like him. After the race, Daniel approached the young man and introduced himself. Immediately, the competitor embraced Daniel and said, “I always knew I would find you one day.” Confused, Daniel asked what he meant. The young man intro- duced himself as Donald Stephens, a junior at Southside High School. Donald explained to Daniel that he thought they were brothers. Donald said his birth mother was nine months pregnant with him when she died after injuries she suffered from a car accident. After the track meet, doctors confirmed that Daniel and Donald are brothers. Both teens have spent a considerable amount of time together getting to know each other over the past month. They are similar in more than just looks. Both boys excel in track, math, art and baseball. Both hope to be engineers and attend Texas A&M University. While they are becoming close friends, the brothers will compete against each other one more time this school year at the regional playoff baseball games starting Friday, May 27. Both are starting pitchers for their varsity teams. You are writing for the issue of the Press to be distributed on Thursday, May 26. ■ DANIEL KARAST, senior “My parents had no idea that I had a brother. Apparently, there was a mix-up at the hospital, and the doctors failed to tell child services that I had a brother. I was already adopted by the time child services realized what had happened. “Meeting Donald was kind of surreal. When I was at that starting line, I had only one thing on my mind — win the race. Then, I looked to my left, and there I was. I mean, we look exactly alike. Same curly brown hair. Same wide brown eyes. Same build. We even have the same crooked front tooth. I kind of freaked out until I heard the starting pistol. Winning second was great, but finding Donald 2016 STATE FEATURE • PAGE 2 was incredible. It was the best day of my life. “Getting to know Donald has been awesome. I never liked being an only child. I always wanted a sibling, but my parents couldn’t have children of their own. Seriously, it’s almost like I have a twin. We are only 10 months apart. He’s 16 and I’m 17 and, so far, we like the same things. We even share the same favorite food — cheese enchiladas. Both of our parents get along really well, too. We’ve basically become one big family. During the past few weekends, we’ve spent a lot of time with them. “Competing against Donald at state was a little strange. I wanted to win, but I also wanted him to win. We agreed before the meet to run our fastest and support each other no matter what the outcome. I only beat him by two-tenths of a second. “We’ve practiced baseball together a few times, so we know each other’s pitches. He has a better curve ball, but my fast ball is faster and a bit more accurate. I am excited about the games. It’s going to be an even match up this weekend. The great thing is, both of us will go to the UIL State Baseball Tournament. One will be a player, and the other a fan.” ■ DONALD STEPHENS, junior at Southside HS “I always knew one day I would find my brother, but I had no idea he was only 30 miles away this whole time. When I saw him at the track meet, I knew instantly it was him. I just knew. I think that’s why I ran so fast at that meet. It was my best time ever. I was so happy. I wanted to finish so we could really meet. “At first, my baseball coach was a little worried about me playing against him. He wasn’t sure I would pitch my best, but then he saw the improvements I’ve made by practicing with Daniel. He knows now that we both push each other to be better. I’m not going to lie. I want to win the games this weekend, but I am not going to be devastated if we don’t win. Win or lose, I still win.” ■ JANA KARAST, Daniel’s mother “When Daniel called us from the track meet and started babbling over the phone that he had a brother, we didn’t know what to think. My husband and I had no idea that Daniel’s birth mother was pregnant at the time of the car accident. Apparently, the boys’ birth mother was still alive after the car accident, but she had sustained life-threatening injuries. The doctors performed a C-section to save the baby, and the mother died a few hours later. If we had known, we would have adopted both babies. “We are so happy for Daniel. He’s always been such a happy child, but now he’s on cloud nine. He’s so proud to have a brother, and the Stephens are lovely people. It’s been such a fascinating month — almost like a dream. We will all sit together at the playoff games. We are going to cheer for both teams, both boys. We will support whoever advances to state.” ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: At the 2016 UIL State Track Tournament, Daniel took third in the 100-meter and Donald took fourth. The Leaguetown varsity baseball team is undefeated for the season. Daniel has a .420 batting average, which is well above average. The Southside varsity baseball team goes into the playoff games with only two losses. Donald has a .333 batting average. Southside is 30 miles west of Leaguetown. For the regional playoff, Leaguetown and Southside will play the best two out of three, starting at 7 p.m. Friday at Texas State University in San Marcos. The second game will be played at 10 a.m. on Saturday, and the third will be at 4 p.m. on Saturday, if needed. ■ DANIEL KARAST (continued) SAMPLE STORY The track stretched out in front of him, 100 meters of well-worn rubber. Senior Daniel Karast was focused on a win. He looked to his left. A mirror image of himself stared back. Same curly brown hair. Same brown eyes. Same build. “There I was,” Daniel said. “I kind of freaked out until I heard the starting pistol.” The sound brought Daniel back to the race where he finished second to his look-alike just one lane over. But it wasn’t the second place medal that made Daniel’s day. It was finding his brother. “It was the best day of my life,” he said. Daniel was adopted when he was a year old after his birth parents died from injuries sustained in a car accident. He grew up knowing that he was adopted and believing he was an only child. At the regional track meet last month, all of that changed. Donald Stephens, a junior at Southside High, which is 30 miles west of Leaguetown, introduced himself. “Meeting Donald was kind of surreal,” Daniel said. “I always wanted siblings, but my parents couldn’t have children of their own.” After the track meet, doctors confirmed the two boys were brothers. Apparently, the boys’ birth mother was still alive after the car accident, but she had sustained life-threatening injuries. The doc- tors performed a C-section to save Donald, and the mother died a few hours later. Although Donald knew he had a brother somewhere, Daniel didn’t. “My parents had no idea that I had a brother,” Daniel said. “There was a mix-up at the hospital, and the doctors failed to tell child services that I had a brother.” Donald grew up knowing he had a brother, and he said when he saw Daniel at the track meet he knew Daniel was his sibling “I just knew,” he said. “I think that’s why I ran so fast at that meet. I was so happy. I wanted to finish so we could really meet.” The brothers have more in common than just looks. Both excel in math, art, baseball and, of course, track. Since they both advanced at the regional meet, the brothers competed against each other at the UIL State Track Meet. “Competing against Donald at state was a little strange,” Daniel said. “I wanted to win, but I also wanted him to win. We agreed before the meet to run our fastest and support each other no matter what the outcome. I beat him by only two-tenths of a second.” Both families also have come together the past few weekends, and according to Daniel, are “one big family.” “We are so happy for Daniel,” Daniel’s mother, Jana Karast, said. “He’s so proud to have a brother, and the Stephens are lovely people. It’s been such a fascinating month -- almost like a dream.” The brothers will compete against each other one last time this weekend at the regional playoff baseball games where both sets of parents will sit together and cheer for both teams. “At first my baseball coach was a little worried about me playing against him,” Donald said. “He wasn’t sure I would pitch my best, but then he saw the improvements I’ve made practicing with Daniel. He knows now we both push each other to be better.” Daniel, who has a .420 batting average and is a starting pitcher for the team, said it will be an even match-up for his undefeated varsity team. The first game will be at 7 p.m. Friday at Texas State University. “The great thing is, both of us will go to the UIL State Baseball Tournament,” he said. “One will be a player, and the other a fan.” 2016 STATE FEATURE • PAGE 3 1A  FEATURE   His  heart  is  pounding  profusely.  The  gunman  has  already  said  for  the  runners   to  get  on  their  marks.  This  is  his  race.  He  casually  glances  to  the  left  and  is   completely  stunned  to  see  an  almost  exact  image  of  himself.  The  gun  fires.   Senior  Daniel  Karast  was  adopted  as  a  baby  and  always  thought  he  was  an   only  child,  until  recently.  Karast  met  his  brother  Donald  Stephens  while  at  a  track   meet  and  was  informed  that  before  his  mother  died,  she  gave  birth  to  Stephens.  The   brothers  will  compete  against  each  other  one  more  time  this  school  year  at  the   regional  playoff  baseball  games  starting  Friday,  May  27.     “My  parents  had  no  idea  that  I  had  a  brother,”  Karast  said.  “Apparently,  there   was  a  mix-­‐up  at  the  hospital,  and  the  doctors  failed  to  tell  child  services  that  I  had  a   brother.”   Karast  was  already  adopted  by  the  time  child  services  realized  what  had   happened,  so  Karast  has  grown  up  believing  that  he  was  an  only  child.   “When  I  was  at  the  starting  line,  I  had  only  one  thing  on  my  mind—win  the   race,”  Karast  said.  “Then,  I  looked  to  my  left,  and  there  I  was.  I  mean,  we  look  exactly   alike.”   Stephens  had  always  known  that  he  had  an  older  brother,  but  finding  him   seemed  to  be  the  complicated  part.   “I  always  knew  one  day  I  would  find  my  brother,  but  I  had  no  idea  he  was   only  30  miles  away  this  whole  time,”  Stephens  said.  “When  I  saw  him  at  the  track   meet,  I  knew  instantly  it  was  him.  I  just  knew.”   After  the  track  meet,  doctors  confirmed  that  Karast  and  Stephens  were   brothers,  and  every  since  then,  they  have  been  almost  inseparable.   “Getting  to  know  Donald  has  been  awesome,”  Karast  said.  “Seriously,  it’s   almost  like  I  have  a  twin.”   Both  of  the  brothers’  families  have  come  together  to  help  support  them  and   their  new  relationship.   “We’ve  basically  become  one  big  family,”  Karast  said.  “During  the  past  few   weekends,  we’ve  spent  a  lot  of  time  with  them.”   The  brothers  enjoy  playing  baseball  together,  as  they  both  play  the  pitching   position.   “At  first,  my  baseball  coach  was  a  little  worried  about  me  playing  against   him,”  Stephens  said.  “He  wasn’t  sure  I  would  pitch  my  best,  but  then  he  saw  the   improvements  I’ve  made  by  practicing  with  Daniel.”   Even  though  the  brothers  will  be  competing  against  each  other,  they  are  both   supportive  of  the  other’s  team.   “The  great  thing  is,  both  of  us  will  go  to  the  UIL  State  Baseball  Tournament,”   Karast  said.  “One  will  be  a  player,  and  the  other  a  fan.”   Karast’s  mother,  Jana  Karast,  knows  that  Karast  is  proud  to  have  a  brother,   and  is  beyond  willing  to  support  Karast,  along  with  Stephens.   “We  will  all  sit  together  at  the  playoff  games,”  Mrs.  Karast  said.  “We  are  going   to  cheer  for  both  teams,  both  boys.  We  will  support  whoever  advances  to  state.”   Even  if  Stephen’s  team  loses  during  the  tournament,  he  has  already  said  that   he  will  be  happy  to  have  the  opportunity  to  watch  his  brother.   2016 Feature State Champions Grace Goode, Cross Plains HS “I’m  not  going  to  lie,”  Stephens  said.  “I  want  to  win  the  games  this  weekend,   but  I  am  not  going  to  be  devastated  if  we  don’t  win.  Win  or  lose,  I  still  win.”   2A  FEATURE   Senior  Daniel  Karast  inhaled  a  breath  as  he  positioned  himself  on  the  starting   block.  He  looked  down  the  track  as  his  heart  beat  in  anticipation,  his  mind  focused   on  winning.  A  figure  squatted  on  the  block  left  of  Daniel,  catching  his  attention.   When  he  glanced  over  he  did  not  expect  to  see  himself  staring  back.   “I  kind  of  freaked  out  until  I  heard  the  starting  pistol,”  he  said.  “I  mean,  we   look  exactly  alike.  Same  curly  brown  hair.  Same  wide  brown  eyes.  Same  build.  We   even  have  the  same  crooked  front  tooth.”   Daniel,  who  ended  up  placing  second  in  the  100-­‐meter  dash  at  the  UIL   Regional  Track  Meet,  was  beaten  by  his  look  alike.  After  the  race,  he  introduced   himself  to  his  competitor,  who,  to  Daniel’s  surprise,  hugged  him  and  said,  “I  always   knew  I  would  find  you  one  day.”  The  young  man  introduced  himself  as  Donald   Stephens,  a  junior  at  Southside  High  School,  and  told  Daniel  that  he  thought  they   might  be  brothers,  which  doctors  confirmed  after  the  meet.     “When  I  saw  him  at  the  track  meet,  I  knew  instantly  it  was  him.  I  just  knew.  I   think  that’s  why  I  ran  so  fast  at  that  meet,”  Donald  said.  “It  was  my  best  time  ever.  I   was  so  happy.  I  wanted  to  finish  so  we  could  really  meet.”   When  Daniel  was  13  months  old,  his  father  and  pregnant  mother  were  killed   in  an  automobile  accident,  and  he  was  adopted  by  Bill  and  Jana  Karast.  All  his  life   Daniel  believed  he  was  an  only  child.   “My  parents  had  no  idea  that  I  had  a  brother,”  he  said.  “Apparently,  there  was   a  mix-­‐up  at  the  hospital,  and  the  doctors  failed  to  tell  child  services  that  I  had  a   brother.  I  was  already  adopted  by  the  time  child  services  realized  what  had   happened.”   After  meeting  Donald  at  the  track  meet,  Daniel  called  his  parents  to  tell  them   what  had  happened.  They  were  just  as  shocked  as  Daniel.   “My  husband  and  I  had  no  idea  that  Daniel’s  birth  mother  was  pregnant  at   the  time  of  the  car  accident.  Apparently,  the  boys’  birth  mother  was  still  alive  after   the  car  accident,  but  she  had  sustained  life-­‐threatening  injuries,”  Mrs.  Karast  said.   “The  doctors  performed  a  C-­‐section  to  save  the  baby,  and  the  mother  died  a  few   hours  later.  If  we  had  known,  we  would  have  adopted  both  babies.”   Daniel  said  that  he  had  always  wanted  a  sibling,  and  that  it  is  almost  like  he   and  Donald  are  twins.  Both  boys  excel  in  track,  math,  art,  and  baseball,  and  they  also   both  hope  to  study  engineering  at  Texas  A&M  University.   “We  are  only  10  months  apart.  He’s  16  and  I’m  17,  and  so  far,  we  like  the   same  things,”  Daniel  said.  “We  even  share  the  same  favorite  food—cheese   enchiladas.”   Both  boys  said  that  they  have  enjoyed  getting  to  know  each  other  and   spending  time  together.  They  are  each  the  starting  pitchers  for  their  schools’   baseball  teams  and  have  practiced  together  for  their  upcoming  regional  playoff   games  against  each  other.   “At  first,  my  baseball  coach  was  a  little  worried  about  me  playing  against   him,”  Donald,  whose  batting  average  is  a  .333  compared  to  Daniel’s  .420,  said.  “He   Alyssa Kramer, Thrall HS didn’t  know  what  to  do.  Shaken  by  the  sight,  Karast  couldn’t  help  but  stare  until  the   starting  pistol  sounded,  sprinting  behind  a  mirror  image  of  himself.   At  the  UIL  Regional  Track  Meet  in  April,  Karast  discovered  that  he  had  a   sibling  he  had  never  known  about.  Now,  Karast  and  his  brother,  junior  Donald   Stephens,  will  compete  against  one  another  at  the  regional  playoff  baseball  games   starting  on  Friday,  May  27,  in  a  best  two  out  of  three  competition.     “I  am  excited  about  the  games,”  Karast  said.  “It’s  going  to  be  an  even  match   up  this  weekend.  The  great  thing  is,  both  of  us  will  go  to  the  UIL  State  Baseball   Tournament.  One  will  be  a  player,  and  the  other  a  fan.”   When  Karast  was  13  months  old,  both  of  his  parents  died  in  an  automobile   accident.  Without  any  relatives,  he  was  soon  adopted  by  Bill  and  Jana  Karast,  and  to   his  knowledge  he  was  an  only  child.  However,  his  mother  was  nine  months  pregnant   with  Stephens  at  the  time  of  the  accident,  and  while  she  was  in  the  hospital  with  life-­‐ threatening  injuries  the  doctors  performed  an  emergency  C-­‐section  to  save  the   baby.     “We  are  so  happy  for  Daniel,”  Daniel’s  mother  Jana  Karast  said.  “He’s  always   been  such  a  happy  child,  but  now  he’s  on  cloud  nine.  He’s  so  proud  to  have  a   brother,  and  the  Stephens  are  lovely  people.”   Due  to  a  mix-­‐up  at  the  hospital,  the  doctors  failed  to  tell  child  services  that   Karast  had  a  brother.  However,  the  two  crossed  path  when  they  both  competed  in   the  100-­‐meter-­‐dash  at  the  UIL  Regional  Track  Meet.  Seeing  his  brother  startled   Karast,  and  he  was  slower  than  normal  out  of  the  starting  blocks,  placing  second  to   his  brother  by  only  a  fraction  of  a  second.   “Meeting  Donald  was  kind  of  surreal,”  Karast  said.  “Winning  second  was   great,  but  finding  Donald  was  incredible.  It  was  the  best  day  of  my  life.”   After  the  race,  Karast  approached  Stephens,  who  embraced  him  and  said,  “I   always  knew  I  would  find  you  one  day.”  The  two  then  proceeded  to  introduce   themselves,  only  to  find  out  that  they  may  be  brothers.  After  the  track  meet,  doctors   confirmed  that  Karast  and  Stephens  were  brothers.     “I  always  knew  I  would  find  my  brother,  but  I  had  no  idea  he  was  only  30   miles  away  this  whole  time,”  Stephens  said.  “When  I  saw  him  at  the  track  meet,  I   instantly  knew  it  was  him.  I  just  knew.  I  think  that’s  why  I  ran  so  fast  at  that  meet.  It   was  my  best  time  ever.  I  wanted  to  finish  so  we  could  really  meet.”   The  two  began  to  spend  a  lot  of  time  together  and  found  that  they  had  more   in  common  than  just  looks.  Both  boys  excel  in  track,  math,  art  and  baseball,  and  both   hope  to  attend  Texas  A&M  University  to  become  engineers.  Both  boys  also   competed  at  the  UIL  State  Track  Tournament,  where  Karast  took  third  in  the  100-­‐ meter-­‐dash  and  Stephens  took  fourth,  beating  his  brother  by  only  two-­‐tenths  of  a   second.   “Competing  against  Donald  at  state  was  a  little  strange,”  Karast  said.  “I   wanted  to  win,  but  I  also  wanted  him  to  win.  We  agreed  before  the  meet  to  run  our   fastest  and  support  each  other  no  matter  what  the  outcome.”   Both  boys  are  also  starting  pitchers  for  their  varsity  teams,  and  for  the   regional  playoffs  the  brothers  will  play  the  best  two  out  of  three,  starting  at  7  p.m.   tomorrow  at  Texas  State  University  in  San  Marcos.  The  second  game  will  be  played   at  10  a.m.  on  Saturday,  and  if  a  third  game  is  needed,  it  will  take  place  at  4  p.m.  on   Saturday.  The  Leaguetown  varsity  baseball  team  is  undefeated,  and  the  Southside   team  will  go  into  playoffs  with  only  two  losses.   “I’m  not  going  to  lie,”  Stephens  said.  “I  want  to  win  the  games  this  weekend,   but  I  am  not  going  to  be  devastated  if  we  don’t  win.  Win  or  lose,  I  still  win.”   6A  FEATURE   As  the  runners  took  their  stances  on  the  starting  blocks,  senior  Daniel  Karast   turned  to  face  another  competitor.     Instead,  he  saw  himself.   The  same  curls  in  his  hair.  The  same  big,  brown  eyes.  Even  the  same  twisted   front  tooth.     Trying  to  figure  out  why  there  was  a  near-­‐clone  of  him  on  the  racetrack,   Daniel  missed  the  sound  of  gunfire  and  the  first  steps  of  every  other  athlete   sprinting  towards  the  finish  line.  He  eventually  caught  up,  but  only  achieved  second.   The  other  him  placed  first.   It  was  right  after  the  race  when  the  two  athletes  discovered  they  were   brothers.     Daniel  and  his  younger  brother,  junior  Donald  Stephens,  were  put  up  for   adoption  after  their  parents  died  in  a  car  accident.  Along  with  making  up  for  lost   time,  the  brothers  are  preparing  to  go  toe-­‐to-­‐toe  for  the  last  time  at  the  regional   playoff  baseball  games  beginning  May  27.   “We’ve  practiced  baseball  together  a  few  times,  so  we  know  each  other’s   pitches,”  Daniel  said.  “It’s  going  to  be  an  even  match  up  this  weekend.  The  great   thing  is,  both  of  us  will  go  to  the  UIL  State  Baseball  Tournament.  One  will  be  a  player   and  the  other  a  fan.”   From  positions  in  baseball  and  track  to  ambitions  in  engineering  and   attending  Texas  A&M  University,  Daniel  and  Donald  have  found  striking  similarities   in  the  short  time  they’ve  been  together.   “Meeting  Donald  was  kind  of  surreal,”  Daniel  said.  “I  never  liked  being  an   only  child.  I  always  wanted  a  sibling,  but  my  parents  couldn’t  have  children  of  their   own.  Seriously,  it’s  almost  like  I  have  a  twin.   “We  are  only  ten  months  apart  .  .  .  so  far,  we  like  the  same  things,”  Daniel   said.  “We  even  share  the  same  food—cheese  enchiladas.  Both  of  our  parents  get   along  really  well,  too.  We’ve  basically  become  one  big  family.”   After  the  first  meeting,  Daniel  learned  that  his  biological  mother  was  still   pregnant  with  his  younger  brother  at  the  time  of  the  car  accident  and  her  death.  He   immediately  called  his  adopted  parents  to  tell  them  the  news.  They  were  more  than   a  little  surprised.     “My  parents  had  no  idea  that  I  had  a  brother,”  Daniel  said.  “Apparently,  there   was  a  mix-­‐up  at  the  hospital,  and  the  doctors  failed  to  tell  child  services  that  I  had  a   brother.  I  was  already  adopted  by  the  time  child  services  realized  what  had   happened.”   Though  the  brothers  have  practiced  for  tough  innings  at  the  upcoming   baseball  regional  playoffs,  both  Daniel  and  Donald  are  prioritizing  their  reunion   over  any  state  award.     Ann Morris, Hastings HS   “I  always  knew  one  day  I  would  find  my  brother,  but  I  had  no  idea  he  was   only  30  miles  away  this  whole  time,”  Donald  said.  “I’m  not  going  to  lie.  I  want  to  win   the  games  this  weekend,  but  I  am  not  going  to  be  devastated  if  we  don’t  win.  Win  or   lose,  I  win.”