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NEWS Teacher Mr. Garcia was names the 20252026 Teacher of the Year. pg. 2
PHOTO BY Eva Sweeney
FEATURE Senior Roman Jacobs is recognized by his peers and teachers for his kindness. pg. 4 PHOTO BY Jude Davis
THE DISPATCH FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2026
SPORTS Flag football builds their team, creating a low pressure environment. pg. 10 PHOTO BY Will Olenick
ENTERTAINMENT An a cappella group of musical theatre students won Bowie's Got Talent 2026. pg. 12 PHOTO BY Ben Wong
Vol. 38, Issue 5 www.thedispatchonline.net James Bowie High School 4103 W. Slaughter Lane, Austin, TX, 78749
Pride in Publishing
Election sets tone for November
Problems with campus parkTexas primaries lead to a Republican Senate runoff and key match-ups ing persist Peyton Dorsey News Editor
Limited on-site parking opportunities pushes students to nearby streets with limited legal parking, resulting in tickets With the opportunity to obtain campus parking passes long gone, many students who were unable to secure one in time are having to find alternative places to park near the Bowie campus. Two of the most common areas students use to park without a permit include the sides of Wolftrap near Bethany Church and a neighborhood off West Slaughter Lane, with Norman Trail serving as the main street where students park. However, parking in these off-campus areas has also led to an increase in parking tickets for some students. “I have heard from friends that parking tickers are mainly due to parking improperly,” junior Luciana Blacutt said, “so things like parking to far from the curbs, or places that are marked for no parking.” Blacutt who recently had to park on Norman Trail due to her car being in the shop, and not having a parking pass in her substitute vehicle. Blacutt explained that the space for parking on Norman Trail was very limited, and many students don't leave enough space for others to park. “I think that all the parking options of campus have pros and cons,” Blacutt said. “But, having to walk 10 minutes to the building wasn't the best, but also parking in the lots on campus take longer to get home.” Blacutt explained after school let out, when she got to her car, she realized she had received a parking ticket that explained her vehicle was parked too far from the curb. “I received a parking ticket because I was parked too far from the curb,” Blacutt said. “But, considering how some of the other cars parked on the street, it made me pretty frustrated with the situation because of the unfair regulations that I feel is around parking, not only in the neighborhoods, but all over campus.” Many students and teachers have grown frustrated with parking and traffic around campus. Charles Stampley, a history teacher at Bowie who has taught students from freshmen to seniors for many years, often reminds his classes to drive safely before the weekend. He emphasizes that students need to be more aware and take responsibility when driving. “At the end of the day, it's a student's responsibility to take care of their parking and how they drive around campus,” Stampley said. “I just hope that students can learn to drive safely and learn some responsibility not only on campus but everywhere." Some students struggle to find available parking when spaces are limited and most neighborhood streets fill up quickly, especially since parking passes are only offered twice a year. Tatiana Bosada explained that, when she got her license, she sometimes had to park in less conventional areas simply to get to school on time. “I would park in different parking lots depending on where there was space, I started by parking on either neighborhood roads, then sometimes I would find space in the back of the Bethany lot,” Bosada said. “Honestly, there was always plenty of space in the lots that are close to campus, so it made me frustrated that parking passes were not available at more times during the year because many students have different circumstances and needs throughout the year.” STORY BY Reese Walker
INSIDE:
The Texas Primary Election was held on March 3, collecting votes for the U.S. Senate, House, and Texas Governor candidates. Two candidates in the Senate Republican primary tied to advance into a runoff. Incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The runoff will occur on May 26, to see who will face off against Democrat Senate nominee and Texas Representative James Talarico in November. “My main focus is always the senate, because I think it has the most widespread implications,” world geography and world history teacher Ross Anderson said. “It will be interesting to see who wins the Republican runoff in May.” Democrat Talarico is focusing his campaign against corporate influence
and ‘flipping’ Texas. As an ex-public school teacher he is emphasizing a focus on public education, accessible healthcare, and promoting a Christian faith-based campaign. “I hadn’t heard much about Talarico until his interview with Stephen Colbert, which I think Talarico did a masterful job in using that interview to gain notoriety," Anderson said. “Using his faith as that bridge to appeal to the average Texan is a good strategy.” Incumbent Cornyn is campaigning on his advocacy for a closed border, his symbiotic political relationship with President Donald Trump, and his motto of ‘Texas comes first, always’. His Republican counterpart Paxton is promoting his battle against the Biden administration, restrictions on immigration, and advocating for stricter election laws. “Most Republican primaries, especially in red states, will come down to how much the candidate aligns with Trump,” Anderson said. “Paying attention to how many of Trump's policies the candidate agrees with or votes for will be a major deciding factor for voters in the runoff.” In the race for Texas Governor, incumbent Greg Abbott won the Republican vote and will face off against
Democrat nominee and Texas Representative Gina Hinojosa. Abbott has served as Texas Governor since 2015. “I wasn’t surprised about Abbott winning his nomination,” Anderson said. “There usually aren’t a lot of surprises in the primary season.” Abbott’s reelection campaign has a focus on eliminating school district property taxes, an advocacy for private school government vouchers, and enforcing aggressive border security through Operation Lone Star. His Democratic opponent, Hinojosa, is advocating for support of public education, lowering cost of living for working families, and expanding healthcare access. She is focused on ‘fighting back’ against Abbott’s policies. “When it comes to reelection, I imagine Abbott has the edge, but it seems like every reelection campaign gets a little more contested,” Anderson said. “I also imagine a lot of money is flowing to Hinojosa, so it should be interesting to see how that shakes up for her as they get closer to the November election.” Before this primary season, senior Taylor Godwin, who had recently turned 18, was able to register to vote. Voters must be registered 30 days in advance of election day to be deemed eligible to vote in that election. If registered after the 30 day mark, the voter will be able to vote after the upcoming
election is concluded. “My parents have always been very vocal about me voting as soon as I turn 18,” Godwin said. “I was very excited to finally get to vote in this election.” Voters are encouraged to conduct research on all of the candidates before going to the polls and making sure they have an informed decision made. This allows voters to have confidence at the polls. “I went to a lot of the candidates' personal websites to see what they were promoting and followed a couple of candidates online so I could see their stuff more and was geared towards their viewpoints,” Godwin said. “I feel like I definitely had enough reliable information to make an informed choice.” Senior Tori Combs also voted in the primary election, sharing that her involvement in politics began before she was an eligible voter. “Over COVID, I started informing myself on the voting turnout for younger people and since I am the youngest, I watched all of my siblings vote before me,” Combs said. “That made me more aware of when it would be my turn and what to do when that time came.”
ART BY Jenny Kimbrough
Remembering John Morrow: how students are adjusting Reese Walker Dispatch Reporter
The Bowie community is mourning the loss of John Morrow, a teacher who joined Bowie for the 2025–2026 school year. Morrow taught several math courses, including Algebra II and Pre-Calculus, and quickly made a meaningful impact on students and staff alike. Morrow passed away peacefully at home in Kyle, Texas, on Sunday evening, January 18, surrounded by friends and family, following a tragic car accident the previous day. Before coming to Bowie, he had a successful career as an energy commodities broker in Houston, Texas, before choosing to pursue his passion for teaching. While many students are still struggling with the loss of their teacher, who was a friend to many students, the math department believes it to be crucial that students are back on track with their learning sooner than later. But this task has been a struggle without a designated teacher for students. Morrow's 3rd period class had the opportunity to be moved to Caren Garcia's class during her off period. Garza teaches many different math classes at Bowie, spanning on level to AP classes. Garza explains how she has enjoyed teaching a new class and meeting new students. “I love my new students. I'm so grateful I get to know them,” Garza said, “I just wish
NEWS 1, 2, 3 FEATURE 4 , 5 IN-DEPTH 7, 8-9
the circumstances were different.” Avery Camp is a junior, and was one of the students who was moved to Garza's class to finish off the last semester of her Pre-Calculus class. She shared that the transition into a new classroom environment came with adjustments, but it also gave her a new perspective on the class experience. “The loss was sudden but I feel very thankful to be able to have a smooth transition into a class with a regular teacher who I have been able to connect with personally, but also learn a lot from.” Camp said. “I struggled to learn without someone to get help from whenever I needed it, so I'm glad that we had the opportunity to make that transition as a class.” LOSS FELT: Students gather around to continue their studies following their teachers recent passing. The Beyond building school is making sure his students are staying on track with their academics. PHOTO BY Gus Abbott relationships with her new students, Garza also described the behind-theter, a junior who had Morrow team meetings to stay aligned new students onto my roster. scenes adjustments teachers for first period Algebra II, reon what's being taught and His 6th period class presenthad to make in order to keep flected on the relationship he assessed. It took time to find ed a greater challenge — we Morrow’s classes running built with him and the lasting our footing, but I truly believe were unable to find a certified smoothly after his passing. effect of his loss. the students are thriving with teacher mid-year, which is no “To cover his classes, we “My favorite things about their new teachers.” small task,” Garza said. “We divided the load as best we Mr. Morrow was how much he Although the math departwere fortunate to secure a could. Mr. Howe took on Mr. truly cared about all of his ment has worked to rebuild wonderful permanent subMorrow's 4th period Algebra students. He always wanted structure in Morrow’s classes, stitute in Mr. Pham. I build 2 class during his conference the best for us and constantly students say the personal BLEND pages with guided period, and I took on his showed up for us,” Fechter impact he left on them connotes and instructional vid3rd period Pre-calculus class said. “He came to my football tinues far beyond academics. eos, and Mr. Pham supports during mine. His 5th period and soccer games and would For many, his encouragement, students with questions after Pre-calculus students were talk to all of his students after presence, and support outside they've worked through the redistributed into my 1st and the games. He loved his job the classroom are what they 5th period classes, bringing 54 material. He also attends our and all of his students.” remember most. Lucas FechAlgebra 2 and Pre-calculus
SPORTS 10, 11 ENTERTAINMENT 12 REVIEW 13
COMMENTARY 14, 15 PHOTO ESSAY 6,16
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