With Christmas only a few weeks away some people may not know what presents to give or ask for. Normally Adults are hard to shop for because if there is something they want they can just buy it. I have compiled a list of gift ideas to get your friends and family.
For adults
Handmade ornament
Food
Gift card
Books
Experiences like Painting class, Clay class, Tickets to Shows, Ziplining
As the holiday season blankets our world in a glittering tapestry of lights and laughter, diverse traditions take center stage, each unique in its cultural significance and personal charm. This festive season, we embark on a journey across continents to explore the rich variety of Christmas traditions that define this magical time of year.
Puerto Rico: Three Kings Day
Lorenzo Montes Martinez shares a glimpse into the enchanting Puerto Rican celebration of Three Kings Day. “We’d set out a bowl of water and the best grass we could find for the three kings’ camels, and you’d get a few gifts, maybe under the tree or by the fireplace,” Lorenzo fondly reminisces. Three Kings Day, also known as Dia de los Reyes, falls on January sixth and marks the culmination of the Christmas season in Puerto Rico. Families honor the journey of the Wise Men with festive parades, vibrant music, and the joyous exchange of gifts.
The City of Helotes lit up for the holidays. Photo by Shannon Tennant
Cajun Christmas Traditions: Lighting the Way for Santa Claus
Evan Powers sheds light on the unique Cajun Christmas traditions that illuminate the bayous of Louisiana. “It’s a Cajun tradition to set bonfires on the river levees to ‘light the way’ for Santa Claus,” Evan shares. This enchanting tradition not only lights up the night sky but also symbolizes the community’s warm welcome for St. Nick. Cajun families come together to build towering bonfires along the riverbanks, creating a mesmerizing spectacle that guides Santa on his magical journey.
Mexico: Embracing Traditions of Posadas and Nochebuena
With a significant Mexican student body enriching our high school community, we delve into the vibrant tapestry of Mexican Christmas traditions that colorfully illuminate this festive season. Posadas, a beloved tradition, involves reenacting Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter, with processions, music, and the breaking of piñatas. As students eagerly participate in these lively celebrations, they create lasting memories and strengthen cultural connections.
Nochebuena, the Christmas Eve feast, takes center stage in Mexican households, with families coming together to share a bountiful spread of traditional dishes such as tamales, bacalao (salted cod), and ponche (fruit punch). Our Mexican peers share their joy in gathering with loved ones, expressing gratitude, and enjoying the culinary delights that mark this special night. As they create their own variations of traditional recipes and introduce their friends to the rich flavors of Mexican Christmas cuisine, the school becomes a microcosm of cultural exchange and celebration. The unity and camaraderie fostered during Nochebuena echo the universal themes of family, love, and togetherness that define the holiday season worldwide.
A Mosaic of Global Celebrations
In our diverse high school community, Christmas becomes a tapestry woven from threads of various traditions, each strand contributing to the overall beauty of the holiday season. The experiences shared by students from Puerto Rico, the United States, Mexico, and the Cajun communities provide a glimpse into the rich mosaic of global celebrations that unfold during this time of year. As we celebrate the beauty of our differences, we find common ground in the universal values of joy, generosity, and the warmth that accompanies the holiday spirit. In sharing and learning about these traditions, our high school community becomes a microcosm of the interconnected world, where diversity is not only embraced but celebrated during the most magical time of the year.
Bowling, often overshadowed by more mainstream sports, has found a unique spot at O’Connor High School. Despite the lack of widespread recognition, the bowling team thrives on the passion and skills of its members. “Something about the curve and the ball hitting the pocket in the pins is just so satisfying,” varsity player Christian Barrera said.
Team captain Roger Barnett shared that his interest “stems from the early success I experienced as I began to learn the sport.”
For those interested in taking up bowling, a key element to focus on is discipline. “The most important skills for bowling are focus, mentality, and constancy,” Barnett said.
Constancy, defined as the ability to remain enduring and unchanging, is an indispensable skill in bowling, given that many aspects of the game remain consistent from round to round. However, one must also consider variables such as “…how oiled the lanes are…” and “how dry your ball is,” as noted by Christian Barrera.
When questioned about how he maintains these crucial skills, Barnett revealed, “I focus on refining my form and hook during practice, making the effort to train 3-4 times a week outside of our team matches.” This commitment to consistent practice exemplifies the dedication of players on the bowling team, including Barnett and Barrera, as they strive to continually enhance and ultimately perfect their playstyles.
The Bowling Team’s most recent match on November 28th could only be described as thrilling. According to Roger Barnett, it was a close match because both teams were balanced in terms of experience and skill. “We all performed good picking up spares and striking often…” Barnett said.
Although O’Connor managed to get a lead in *bakers. Here it was that their strong team spirit and focus allowed them to secure several wins over the opposing team Stevens HS.
Bowling a close match vs. Stevens HS. Photo by Lauren Minarik
*Bakers refers to a style of bowling where the entire team shares the bowling line.
Our 25th Anniversary was the highlight of this semester. Principal Robert Martinez opened the ceremony with a speech about our campus history, and several other administration and Superintendent Dr. John Craft spoke to audience guests and alumni in attendance. They gave inspiring speeches about how our school came to be the way it is today. They also discussed how Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor attended the school’s dedication to talking to the students and faculty. The evening program also featured our theater, choir, and cheer with the addition of the JROTC Color Guard. The audience included current parents and students, alumni and also community members that support our campus and wanted to join the celebration.
Mr. Martinez gave a speech about campus history. Photo by Angel Mercado. The theatre student as the evenings’ MC Liam Miester. Photo by Angel Mercado. The image they had to represent the 25th Anniversary for the photo slideshow. Photo by Angel Mercado.
Community service, stellar grades and even better attitudes is what is expected of the members of National Honor Society that serve the Panther community. Newest juniors and seniors got inducted into the program on November 14th, and as members, they must complete a minimum of 20 hours per semester.
Ava Berios, NHS shares why community service is so important to her. “My favorite idea is the mentoring. The fact that that’s a part of NHS is very important to me. It’s not just community service, it’s more like, you’re building relationships with your community.” Berios said.
Vice President Ava Berios speaking at the NHS induction ceremony. Photo courtesy of Mr. Braddam
Berios described NHS and the significance of the program,
“My youngest brother has special needs and so we got really involved in our community from a young age with special needs programs and…figured we could make a bigger impact through that, so I joined NHS as soon as I could and then I wanted to help be a leading voice in it so I applied
to be an officer.” Berios said.
“My biggest thing is accessibility, that’s why I wanted to go into engineering in college…there should not be a reason where anybody gets turned away from a building or program or and that’s why that’s my biggest community impact is making things accessible.”
As high schoolers, some may feel discouraged to demand change and take action, Berios offered advice based on this struggle.
“Don’t take no for an answer, if someone says you can’t do this, go to the next person, there’s always a higher person in command, then go from there,” Berios said.
Tatum McClung, Panther Pals Coordinator is also very grateful for this program and its many opportunities.
“My favorite aspect of NHS is being able to participate in a variety of community service activities that let me help others…I loved participating in Panther Pals and being able to teach and guide young children,” McClung said.
Underclassmen have an opportunity to broaden their horizons and make new connections and meet new people.
“Try to outdo yourself, try to impress yourself, when you think you’ve done well, try to push yourself to do even better. Always try hard and use your free time wisely,” McClung said.
Jeran Manzanares, senior second-year member of NHS shared why he joined NHS and his favorite aspects of the organization.
“I love meeting new people that are just as determined academically as me,” Manzanares said.
In addition to the experience of getting involved within the com-
munity brings along the opportunity to form new connections and helps college applicants stand out.
“I took the time to apply [to NHS] because I knew it was going to benefit me in the long run…and knowing that it will all be worth it in the end, getting hours while volunteering makes you feel like you’re doing something, like you’re helping your school.” Manzanares highly recommends working hard during underclassmen years to be able to apply for the program.
Senior NHS member Jeran Manzanares. Photo by: Brooke Amosson
“It opens up a lot of future opportunities, not just for volunteering, but also for college and future academics” Manzanares said.
In the long run, Manzanares hopes to have a positive impact on his community “I want to be able to inspire someone else…I want to inspire people to be more involved in school and academics or volunteer work and do their part for the community.” Manzanares said,
Overall, the program has much to offer and gives many benefits for high school and beyond. Not only does helping the community assist those in need, but it can help NHS members go outside of their usual circle and get experience that is able to be used for college applications in order to make a stand-out appearance.
Friday night lights are a crucial part of a true high school experience, but they wouldn’t be possible without the help of our athletic trainers. The athletic trainers(A.T.) are the unsung heroes of our athletic program, working behind the scenes, often going unnoticed, as they ensure our athletes are at their best. The A.T.s play a crucial role in ensuring the well-being of student athletes.
Commitment plays a huge role in being an athletic trainer, they get to the games before the athletes and leave after everyone as well. Senior Brianna Willis is the head student athletic trainer. Planning to use the experience she gained to go into the medical field to become a nurse. She emphasized the dedication that goes into being an A.T..
“The most difficult part of being an athletic trainer is how non-stop it is, its constant go go go, breaks are very little so you take advantage of them, it’s a whole lot of early mornings and late nights,” Willis said.
Being the first line of defense can put a lot of pressure on the trainers. Assessment of an athlete’s injury is the first step in their recovery journey.
“When an athlete has gone down during a game, as a head athletic trainer I would run out on the field along with A.T. Murrah and Sifuentes, I try to beat them there so I can calm the athlete down before they are evaluated, they might be in pain so I try to ask if they’re okay and if they can sit up, I give them water but everything happens so quickly,” Willis said.
Being the first source of medical attention can be a lot of pressure, but the focus will always remain on the athlete. Senior Brianna Linstad who is in her fourth year of athletic training doesn’t focus on the pressure of being a trainer.
“We don’t overthink it, like we’re always there, we’re here for them so it really just feels good knowing that we’re here to help if anything goes wrong,” Lindsstad said
Game preparation is key to making sure that everything goes smoothly during the game. For things to go smoothly the trainers follow a specific procedure, list of things needed, make sure all equipment is accounted for, and prepare for any possible injuries, it’s not easy. The preparation for every sport is different. The head athletic trainer Domingo Sifuentes talks about the preparation for a football game.
The athletic trainers line up together before the homecoming game. Photo by: Brooke Amosson
“Prep day starts the day after a game, the first day we do treatments for injuries from the game, day two we start talking to coaches about who’s gonna be out, who’s probable, who’s doubtful and who’s out for sure. We keep the coaches updated throughout the week and the practices, the day before the game we come to a final decision on who’s ready or not,” Sifuentes said.
Athletic training isn’t easy, it’s a whole lot of work divided between two people, Murrah and Sifuentes take time out of their days of teaching to put focus on the athletes.
“Keeping up with all the injuries, having to see over a thousand athletes between two people, myself and A.T Murrah, seeing about 70 to 80 people today some with common injuries some more serious, a doctor’s office doesn’t even see that many people a day,” Sifuentes said.
The athletic trainers are the silent champions of our athletic program. Making sure all athletes are at their best every day. In addition to football, the A.T.s work to provide aid to all of the sports at our school. They represent commitment and dedication to all they do. Make sure to thank all your athletic trainers in March for National Athletic Trainer Month.
The campus December event calendar has many upcoming performances. The long rehearsed Winter Dance Recital, Orchestra, Choir, and Band Holiday Concerts are coming up soon. Our panthers have worked long and hard to put on a superior show for us. Students from each organization will share information about the preparations for each event, going to give a sneak peek for the shows. Let’s start with dance.
Senior Sophia Luna is on the dance team rehearsing for the Winter Dance Recital. Sophia has been dancing since she was 9 and she has proven herself by making the dance team. The dance team has been working on the winter recital since September. She expresses that they have worked very hard since and that the people in that class make the dance even better. She says, “We work really hard and try to get all the little details perfected”. Sophia is most excited about showing the dance to everybody and to see the final result after all the hard work they’ve put in. The Winter Dance Recital is Tues, December 5 at 6:00 in the auditorium.
Senior Abby Jones is the officer for orchestra. Abby plays the violin and has been playing for about 7 and a half years. She enjoys her time being an officer and is very committed to what she does as an officer and how things are going to work. Abby conveys that even though being an officer can be difficult sometimes, she has a lot of fun. The orchestra group has been working on this performance for a couple of weeks now and is getting ready to perform. Go watch and support our panthers on Wed, December 6, 7:00pm in the auditorium.
Freshmens Emily Pap, Edwin Lewis, Madeline Harmony Acosta are in choir preparing for their performance. They all have been doing choir for at least 4-6 years and they are still engaged in continuing it. They have been working for about 2 – 3 weeks on this performance. All of them said they are having fun with the songs and are most excited to see how it turns out. When I asked Harmony, did she like the songs they were doing, she added “I think they all sound really well put together cause everyone’s been working really hard.” The Choir Holiday Concert will be on Thu. December 7, 7 pm in the auditorium.
Freshman Juliet Aguilar is in the band getting ready for their performance. Juliet plays the clarinet and has been playing for 3 – 4 years. She is most excited to see how it’s going to turn out because she expresses that with every practice, they get better with their songs. So far, they’ve been practicing for about 2 weeks and Juliet thinks they’re almost ready. The Band Holiday Concert will be on Wed. December 13, 6:30pm in the AMP.
Come out and support our Panthers on their amazing performances.
Boys celebrate after a goal, heading on to another round.
Boys and girls varsity soccer has kicked their way to the top, putting them both in the playoffs. They both had outstanding seasons ranking in the top three in district.
The Varsity Lady Panthers finished their season with a 12-3-1 record, putting them in third place overall. The girls had their first playoff game where they played Del Rio in the Valley, they took home a five to nothing win, setting them up for their second round game which was played in corpus the following tuesday. The girls dominated that game coming home with a nine to one win. The Lady Panthers moved forward to round three of the playoffs and played Harlingen, winning five to four. The Lady Panthers season came to an end in round four of playoffs where they fought hard but unfortunately lost one to zero against round rock.
The Varsity boys finished their season with a 12-1-3 record, putting them second in district. The boys had their first playoff game right at home, where they played Laredo United and moved forward with a five to one win. They ended their playoff run in Corpus Christi, one to zero. The boys had a great season and we look forward to seeing how the season will shape up next year.
Senior girls huddle up in celebration of a goal, they faced the Stevens Falcons and prepared for Playoffs.
The Goldusters, Dazzlers, and Stardusters swept almost every competition they attended this competition season. The Golduster Dance Team won numerous awards like first place in contemporary, jazz, lyrical, and pom style routines. The Dazzler Drill team won first place in lyrical, first runner up in team jazz, second runner up in team pom and team grand champion. The Starduster Pep Squad continued the victorious tradition by winning first place in novelty and pom, getting third place over all.
The Golduster competition season went wonderfully, the spirit of competing has affected all of the team.
“I think it’s important to compete not so that you can prove you’re better than everyone but i think its to prove to yourself your abilities and where you stand and it gives you something to be proud of with a shared group of people,” junior Ellie Price said.
Price is one of the four officers for the Goldusters, she got third place overall in the 11th through 12th division at the first competition and first place at their second competition for 11th grade soloists. Price has always used dance as her escape from reality.
“It’s a way to keep me physically in shape but also mentally, I always feel better after dancing,” Price said.
The experience of growth as a team and individually is what Sophomore Drill Team lieutenant Madeline Popp has gotten out of competition so far.
“I feel like we’ve improved as a team at our comp performances so far, and I personally have improved with my solo and as a dancer,” said Popp.
Popp got first place for 10th grade soloists at the Dazzlers’ second competition. When talking about influences
“My director [Ms. Pawelek] is someone I really look up to, she pushes us really hard and she’s always been one of my biggest supporters,” Popp said.
Our Starduster Pep Squad has seen an immense amount of talent this season, senior Kennedy Wilmarth, captain of the Starduster Pep Squad, has a bittersweet feeling about competition.
“Watching all the solos is one of my favorite parts of competition, especially the freshman and seeing how talented they are, it’s just really fun to watch,” Wilmarth said.
Competition season truly brings all of our OC spirit groups together, waiting to perform and watching each other perform is a shared experience for all of them.
Ariela Muñiz, sophomore officer for the Stardusters said, “The experience that we have and the time that we spend together is the best part of competing.”
The Goldusters and Dazzlers are National Champions. They swept the stage in Florida and came home with the title of national champs. Overall every group in the Goldenstar spirit organization has worked hard to succeed during their competition season and the returning spirit girls look forward to next season.
Junior Ilenia Berto leaves class during passing period.
Ten foreign exchange students are studying on campus this school year from several countries including: Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Columbia and Japan.
Seventeen year old junior Italian exchange student Ilenia Berto shared about her experiences.
“Since I can remember, I have desired to complete an exchange year, though I was unsure of the appropriate time. At first, I had planned to do it when I would have been in college, but then, I figured out I could do it during my junior year of high school so I took the opportunity,” Berto said.
She wanted to become an exchange student to learn the language, make memories and most importantly to challenge herself and become more independent.
Berto was very excited about her stay here in the United States because she wanted to get to know how life and school is here.
“The main difference between Italy and America is that the school here is more active and involved in the students’ life,” Berto said.
Being an introvert, she found it difficult to establish friendships because it required her to talk in another language. Although Berto has an older brother who has his own house in Italy, she grew up as an only child; nevertheless, she now lives with a nine year old and a thirteen year old, which is a significant shift for her. She expressed gratitude for having made a genuine connection and that she feels truly included in her host family because they regularly involve her in significant decisions.
Berto advises other exchange students to have realistic expectations and to live every moment without overthinking because you won’t get a second chance at this experience.
Even if her expectations weren’t met, she is still having a great time. Before coming here, she would have loved to know that the “special year” she was going to live in was a typical routine for everyone else.
