All posts by Katie Scott

Opinion

Editorial: Equal representation for all

By Taylor Alton Staff Writer

President-Elect Joe Biden is not the only winner this election season. Various communities nation-wide have found remarkable representation among the senate, house of representatives, state legislatures and even in the place of Vice President. Women, Native Americans, African Americans, Asians, members of the LGBTQ+ community, Latinx people, and Muslims have been elected making a mark across the country.

The most well-known “first” this election would be Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, who happens to be the first woman, the first person of South Asian descent, and the first black person to hold this important position in the office. In Orange County, California, Michelle Steel and Young Kim will be taking two seats in the House of Representatives as two of the first three Korean American women elected. Another historical candidate is Yvette Herrell of New Mexico. She is the first Native American Republican to serve in Congress and is part of New Mexico’s historical congressional representatives, all of which are women of color.

Speaking of these women and their leadership positions, 2021 will have at least 141 women serving in Congress, 14 more than in 2019. Specifically, the Republican Party played a significant role in this new record. Although there are far more Democratic women than Republican women in the House of Representatives, the Republicans went from 13 women in the house to at least 26, doubling their numbers. Going back to explicit diversity, approximately 51 congresswomen are women of color, more than ever before. Despite women only making up about one-fourth of Congress, this new representation still packs quite the punch, allowing for American citizens to see themselves represented in government, regardless of gender.

Other monumental moments belong to the LGBTQ+ community. Mauree Turner ran as the democratic candidate for the state legislature in Oklahoma. Their win makes them the first openly non-binary state legislature in the whole country, and also the first practicing Mulsim in the position for the state of Oklahoma. In New York, newly elected congressmen Ritchie Torres and Mondaire Jones will be the first openly gay black men holding this position in Congress. Similarly, all the way in Flordia, Michele Rayner-Goolsby will be the state’s first openly queer black woman in the House of Representives. And Shevrin Jones will be Flordia’s first openly gay Senator. As for the transgender community, Delaware’s Sarah McBride will be the country’s first transgender Senator. As mentioned before, this remarkable diversity allows people nation-wide to gain a sense of belonging by seeing people they can relate to, in those political positions.

2020 has been a crazy year, full of ups and downs. But this election season has brought hope for a better future. These record-breaking candidates are more than just some numbers and names. They are a step in the right direction towards unity and inclusivity in America. Politics aside, everyone can agree that diversity brings us together, instead of tearing us apart. And with that being said, congratulations to everyone who ran for office whether they won or lost, they are setting the precedent for younger generations that you can do anything regardless of race, religion, gender, and sexual orientation.

News, Uncategorized

Rank-Choice voting proposed in Texas

 By Cristian Velazquez Staff Writer

In Texas HB 117 and HB 740 concerning rank-choice voting will be addressed in the upcoming 2021 legislative session. Ranked-choice voting, also known as instant runoff voting or preferential voting, has been an alternative way to hold elections. If the bills pass, we will no longer have to hold costly runoff elections. In November rank-choice reform passed in Alaska, two cities in California, two cities in Minnesota, and a city in Colorado. Along with those states, 17 others use ranked-choice voting in some capacity.

  “Voters rank candidates in order of preference –first choice, second choice, and so on. If a candidate gets more than half of the first-choice votes, they win just as in any other election. If no candidate gets a majority of the first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest is eliminated and voters who picked that candidate as their first choice will have their votes count towards their second choice. This process is repeated until a candidate accumulates more than half of the votes, thus serving as an instant runoff while eliminating the additional costs and time associated with runoff elections,” according to Ranked Choice Voting for Texas.

  Proponents have stated there are many benefits to implementing ranked-choice voting. One of the main ones is that ranked-choice voting dramatically reduces the spoiler effect, a situation since candidates who try to split votes will have their votes go to a different candidate when they lose. Another popular benefit of ranked-choice voting is that elections become less expensive and less tedious as governments don’t need to establish runoff elections. Another benefit is that since competing candidates will also be vying for 2nd, 3rd, etc. place votes, campaigns will shift their focus from maligning other candidates to expanding their voter base, making the political climate less toxic. Proponents of ranked-choice voting also cite the policy’s implementation in other developed countries such as Australia and Ireland.

   Opponents argue that ranked-choice voting is overly complicated and can confuse voters, citing the repeal of ranked-choice voting in South Carolina, Burlington, Vermont, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Pierce County, Washington, and Aspen, Colorado. Another point opponents make is that when the candidate(s) a person has chosen loses, those votes become meaningless and disenfranchises voters.

   On the national stage in the United States, ranked-choice voting has been gaining traction. 2020 Presidential candidates who support ranked-choice voting include Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Howie Hawkins, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Bill Weld, and Andrew Yang. 

   Texas also has a recent history with ranked-choice voting. Since 1997, 12 bills in the Texas Legislature have tried to implement the reform in Texas (75(R) HB 2355, 76(R) HB 569, 76(R) HB 1765, 78(R) HB 135, 78(R) HB 1362, 79(R) HB 197, 79(R) HB 1790, 80(R) HB 2209, 86(R) HB 3514, 86(R) HB 2010, 87(R) HB 117, 87(R) HB 740). All of them have died in committee except for HB 117 and HB 740, which has been filed for the upcoming 2021 legislative session. In a policy workshop for ranked choice voting by Humanity Forward Texas, Rep. Terry Meza talked about how her bill, HB 2010, died in committee.

   “We filed a bill for preferential voting… once all the bills are filled then the speaker assigns them to whatever committee he thinks… is the most appropriate committee for that subject matter. So, of course, this bill is assigned to the Elections Committee. And from there starts the effort to get your bill heard. You wouldn’t think it would be such an effort but it really is because there are so many bills filed that the committee chair has the power to decide whether or not a bill’s going to be heard. So in this particular case Stephanie Klick, Republican out of Tarrant County, was the Elections Committee Chair and with all 10 of my Election Committee bills, any time I’d to talk to her about any ways to make voting easier, her standard answer was ‘voter fraud’”.

   During 2000 and 2001, An effort to get ranked-choice voting in Austin gained substantial momentum. The Austin Charter Revision Committee recommended the reform that year in January 2001 and a petition by Clean Campaigns for Austin gathered signatures to get ranked-choice voting on the ballot. However, a lot of progress was dismantled after Secretary of State Henry Cuellar penned an opinion in July 2001 saying the policy was illegal. Citing Texas Election Code Sec. 275.002 (To be elected to a city office, a candidate must receive a majority of the total number of votes received by all candidates for the office), Sec. Cuellar opined that “the meaning of the word ‘majority’, as the Texas Legislature has used it in the Code and as it has been interpreted by the courts, is the majority in the ‘classic’ or ‘traditional’ sense, i.e., [consisting] of more than half of the original votes, as cast and not re-assigned by the voter’s secondary or tertiary intent, and if no candidate receives more than half the votes, a runoff election is required”. Although the opinion isn’t legally binding, it has substantial persuasive authority. The Clean Campaigns for Austin petition was halted, The 3 city council members who had supported ranked-choice voting dropped their endorsements, and the policy was dropped from the recommendation of the Austin Charter Revision Committee in December. Later, in March 2003, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott dealt another blow to ranked-choice voting in Texas by concurring with Sec. Cuellar’s assessment of the issue in an opinion, saying “state law conflicts irreconcilably with, and thereby preempts, instant runoff voting”.

   Ranked-choice voting has been implemented in Texas in certain areas. Texas A&M University, the University of Texas at Austin, University of Houston, and Rice University use the method for their elections. The Texas Democratic Party also allows county or senate districts to use it to choose party officers and delegates.

   In the summer of 2019, a nonprofit organization called Ranked Choice Voting for Texas was created

   As the Overton Window shifts toward innovative solutions to problems with our government ranked-choice voting’s momentum shows no sign of stopping in the coming years. As the issue becomes more and more popular in the discussion, it is important that we think about whether this will be a good policy for the United States, for Texas, for Bexar County, and Helotes/Grey Forest/San Antonio area.

Feature

College preparation, scholarship searches

By Emma Szabo Co-Editor-in-Chief  

With the first semester ending, it’s time for upperclassmen to start thinking about college if they haven’t started already. Juniors took their PSATs in October, and seniors should start applying to colleges. It’s time to prepare to make their transition out of high school easier by applying for scholarhips.  According to Mrs. Irma Vaughn, the school’s College Career Military Adviser, a scholarship is a financial aid award designed to assist students to pay for college expenses. Scholarships do not have to be paid back and can be a one-time award or a renewable award. Meaning that if a student meets the designated requirement, they can continue to receive funding every year up until graduation.

  “Students can be awarded scholarships for academic excellence, athletes, majors, military affiliation, age/grade level, gender, hobbies/interests, and traits,” Mrs. Vaughn said.

  College is a very expensive investment for most people, and scholarships provide them a way to pay off the expenses. One common misconception about scholarships is that they only apply to college tuitions, but that isn’t always the case.

  “Scholarships help to cover the cost of tuition, housing, books, and other college expenses. Students might receive the scholarship money directly in their name, but in most cases, the funds are sent to the college or university the student plans to attend,” Mrs. Vaughn said.

  Another misconception is that scholarships are solely grade or sports-based. There are many different types of scholarships that are available for students to apply for. While many scholarships are for good grades and athletic ability, there are kinds for almost every hobby or trait. From scholarships for musical abilities to ones for being left-handed, the number of scholarships out there makes it easy for everyone to find something for themselves. But there’s more to scholarships than just being good at something. Scholarships require students to submit an application to their host, which is usually the trickiest part.

  “Most scholarships will require the student to submit an application, official transcript, at least 2 letters of recommendation, SAT/ACT score (if available this year), essay, and financial aid forms,” Mrs. Vaughn said.

  But since scholarships are so important, when should you start applying for them? Mrs. Vaughn says that most students start applying for scholarships once they’re juniors or seniors in high school, but there are scholarships for students as young as elementary and middle school age, meaning that it’s never too early or too late to apply.

  So where can you find and apply for scholarships? You can usually find scholarships online through college pages or websites that are made specifically for scholarships, but you can also find scholarships through our school’s career center.

  “The Career Center can help you with scholarship searches, transcript and test score orders, templates for essays and resumes, and providing you with the form that is needed for your counselor to write you a letter of recommendation,” Mrs. Vaughn said.

  So as the semester progresses, it’s important to think about college and how you can make the next phase of your school life less stressful. College doesn’t always have to come at such a heavy price; if you utilize tools like scholarships, you can go to college and finish with less worry and less debt.

News

Staying home for Holidays due to Covid

By Micaella Rodriguez Staff Writer

  The holidays will look a little different due to COVID-19. During Halloween, some students felt torn between going to parties with friends, going trick-or-treating, or just staying home under the direction of their parents. The number of cases in Bexar county increased since Oct. 28, 2020 with 281 daily cases until the December 2, 2020 peak of 1,499 daily cases. Cases on campus have also been rising, with 4 reported cases the week after Halloween, 4 cases the following week, 7 cases the week before Thanksgiving, 8 cases after we returned from Thanksgiving, and 14 cases reported December 7-11, 2020.

  Some students are choosing to stay home and reduce exposure. Freshman Enrique Chapa chose to stay at home with his family for Halloween. Chapa mentioned that he doesn’t have any high-risk family members.

  “We just don’t want to get sick and like, prevent it,” Chapa said.

  Compared to previous Halloween memories, he wished he could do his usual holiday tradition.

“Probably just going around my neighborhood and getting candy from my neighbors,” Chapa said.

  Many people this year aren’t going to be able to celebrate their normal traditions such as trick-or-treating and going out with friends. Some people on the other hand such as freshmen Ellie Price and Lauren Loudermilk have decided to have a lesser gathering such as hanging out with close family or friends. 

  Price’s plans to go to a small dinner with her family and their close friends. She said she also wanted to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Her Halloween plans would be going to dinner with her family and her family’s close friends. Price said that her family decided to celebrate this way to limit the number of people they came into contact with. Price shared if the pandemic didn’t happen this year, she’d go to the annual corn maze and spend time with friends. 

  Loudermilk shared that her family was also going to spend the evening with her parents’ close friends as well. She said that the other family has young children and they were planning to do some simple games such as cornhole to entertain themselves at home. They chose to have a small gathering because she said since her mom works at a middle school, she knows how serious and high the numbers are at schools.

Opinion

Politicians, Influencers, Celebrities encourage Voting

By Taylor Alton Staff Writer

  This election season, Politicians, influencers, and social media applications nationwide are putting in their best efforts to inspire those young voters to make their mark. Social media apps look a little different. Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and Tiktok have all added features to their layouts that have to do with voting. For example, Instagram has introduced a new Voting Information Center. This can be accessed many ways from the app, one of which being by tapping on a tab attached to a celebrity’s post encouraging their audience to vote. The Voting Information Center is a very convenient way to find information about how to vote. It selects your state for you, and offers information about how exactly you can vote. On my Instagram account, the Voting Information Center has selected Texas for me, and gives me the dates regarding early voting, deadlines regarding mail-in ballots, places I can vote in person, and ways to check if I am registered to vote. All of these are relative to my location and very helpful for anyone who happens to be a first-time voter. In addition to these features, Instagram is making huge efforts to prevent misinformation about voting and the election. Instagram also offers cute and fun eye-catching stickers to post on stories and remind people to vote. Especially since social media platforms mainly consist of the younger generations, these informative new features are a great way to encourage young people to vote.

  In more efforts to encourage young people to vote, United States congresswomen, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Ilhan Omar, took part in a Twitch Stream a couple of weeks ago where they played the very popular multiplayer game, Among Us. AOC had tweeted out, asking if anyone wanted to play the game with her to “get the vote out”. Numerous well-known Twitch streamers such as Pokimane, Myth, Disguised Toast, and Dr. Lupos, all reached out and agreed to play with her and representative Omar. A day later, these congresswomen set up their games and were ready to play. AOC’s Twitch stream “had a peak live viewership of well over 400,000 people” according to the Washington Post, which is said to be the third-highest in Twitch history. This extraordinary turnout not only due to Ocasio-Cortez’s already massive appeal to the younger generation but the fact that she and popular gamers were playing a very trendy game together. All throughout the three-hour stream, both congresswomen and even the gamers they played with, made sure to remind their audiences of how important it is to vote. They also take some time to briefly discuss political topics such as health-care, in a simple matter their primarily younger audiences could understand. Although not all of AOC’s 400,000 viewers are of the age to vote, providing this type of information is still vital when educating the younger communities about what is going on in America. All and all, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s and Ilhan Omar’s efforts as congresswomen to appeal to their audiences of young people, whether they can vote or not, was an amazing success.

  The turnout and usage of these two different methods of encouraging young people to vote may be successful, but we won’t know the final impact until Election Day comes. Until then make your voice heard, vote.

News

Local Election: District 122 State Representative Race

Zoom interview with candidate Claire Barnett, pictured from top L-R Staff writer Cristian Velazquez, Adviser Mrs. Scott, Co-editor in Chief Diego Hernandez, bottom: Co-editor in Chief Emma Szabo, candidate Barnett. Photo courtesy of Mrs. Scott

By Cristian Velazquez Staff Writer

With the Election rapidly approaching, students are sharing their opinions and shaping their own political judgments. The last day for early voting is October 30 in Texas, some plan to cast their ballot on Election day, November 3, 2020. Most are focused on National elections, but all should consider the impact your local representatives have on your day to day lives as Texans. The local government impacts you now, such as the Health mandate during Covid. 

“The closer you get to the people the more you have an operational impact on their lives,” State House Representative Lyle Larson said, “From education, healthcare delivery, the infrastructure, the public safety issues, all of those; you are interfacing state government.”

 Rep. Lyle Larson served as a San Antonio City Councilman for District 10 from 1991-1995 and a Bexar County Commissioner for Precinct 3 from 1997-2008.

  Democratic challenger Claire Barnett felt compelled to get involved.

  “Like a lot of people after the 2016 election, I felt like I needed to do more as a citizen to be active in our democracy,” Barnett said. 

  Barnett received 38% of the vote in the previous general election. Initially, she had no intention of running in 2020. 

  “Even before the pandemic, it just was more than I thought I wanted to take on this year, but, again, when it came down to it and no one else was going to run, I just couldn’t let it go. Especially this year,” Barnett said. 

  With news cycles and social media mechanisms usually focusing on the happenings of the national government, people tend to be less aware of their state government. 

  “I think it’s not just high-school kids who wonder ‘what does a state government do?’ I think a lot of adults really don’t know […] but our state government is super super important,” Barnett said.

  Both candidates shared thoughts on education.

 “The Northside Independent School District […] had a budget of […] about $1.5B. The state pays in roughly $325M-$330M to help support the school district,” Larson said.

  Barnett also explained how Texas politics plays a role in our education.   

  “The state government has a lot to do with school funding and rules about schools and curriculum and how much teachers get paid,” Barnett said. 

  A point of agreement between the two candidates seems to be their support of HB 3, a school finance bill (now law) passed in the last legislative session that increased teacher pay and school funding on a per-student basis while also cutting property taxes. Larson called the law “transformational”.

“(It) finally addressed some of the funding issues, (it) didn’t achieve all the goals that a lot of public school advocates have but certainly made some progress in that direction,” Barnett said.

  With a decade in the Texas Legislature, Rep. Larson has had the time to build a record that reflects his stances on policy. 

  “Primary focus up here has been the water issue. I’m the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee; we look at state-wide policy dealing with the development of water resources to try to insulate our state from the droughts that happen,” Larson said. 

  The demand for a reliable, clean water source is important to the district.

  “I’ve spent the last 10 years […] [visiting] with most of the groundwater districts, large public utilities, the river authorities, and trying to figure out for the next two generations how we can get enough water put together […] [to] withstand a 3-5 year drought by pushing forward bills dealing with desalination on the coast, dealing with desalination of the brackish columns in the aquifers […], and dealing with recycling of water and how we can better use that in industry,” Larson said.

  Another stance Larson elaborated on is being a “fiscal conservative”, a term he uses to identify himself on his campaign website.   

  “Constitutionally we have to have a balanced budget; unlike they’ve got in Washington,” Larson said.

  He also went into detail about his work on cutting taxes. 

  “There was an initiative that we passed, and the governor signed, capping property taxes at the local level,” Larson said.

  The initiative being SB 2, another bill that got passed in the last legislative session.

  Mrs. Barnett’s has a different set of political priorities she wants to address if she is elected. A major theme of her campaign has been her opposition to gerrymandering; the process of drawing electoral district boundaries in a way that unfairly gives an advantage to a certain political party or group. 

  “It’s actually our elected officials in the Texas Legislature who are in charge of drawing all those boundaries,” Barnett said. 

  Since the last legislative session last year, Lyle Larson has sat on the Redistricting Committee in the Texas House. 

  “Our districts are some of the most gerrymandered in the country; both our congressional districts and state house districts,” Barnett said.

  A solution she proposed is to put in place an independent redistricting commission; implemented in 10 U.S. states already, the commission would consist of citizens, instead of lawmakers, that are responsible for drawing the districts.

  Claire Barnett is also prioritizing expanding and improving our healthcare system, especially now with the pandemic. 

  “Texas has the highest rate of uninsurance in the country and that has only gotten worse with all the layoffs that have happened [..] during this crisis,” Barnett said.

  However, any legislative solutions have been stalled for months.

  “The Texas Legislature is only in session once every 2 years, so the State Legislature has not been in session this entire time since March, and so all the decision making about how the state has responded has been from the executive level […] and so the legislature really hasn’t had an opportunity to weigh in. The only that would happen before the new session starts in January is if the governor were to call a special session and he has not done that,” Barnett said.

  Barnett shared the legislature could make changes to be more effective.

  “There’s a lot that the Texas State Legislature could be doing and should be doing to have a more cohesive response that really provides the public health infrastructure that we need right now to make sure that we’re controlling the pandemic,” Barnett said.

  Both candidates are in overwhelming agreement on having students be a part of the political process. “You don’t have to be of voting age to participate in our democracy,” Mrs. Barnett said. 

  Rep. Larson also encouraged students to get involved.

  “If you have spare time in high school and in college, just get out and get involved in the process and you can make a difference,” Larson said.

  Both candidates cited volunteering for a political campaign as a way to affect change in your city, state, and/or country. 

  “First it’ll be answering the phone, just putting signs out, and then you’ll evolve into policy discussions,” Larson said. 

  Barnett also gave an example of what you could do for a campaign. 

  “Especially on the local campaigns, there’s a potential, if you have a really specialized skill set, to be able to help with something related to communications or graphic design; there could be all sorts of opportunities,” Barnett said.

 She also gave examples of ways students can get involved in the political process. 

  “The other area that I think students really have a great opportunity to get involved is in issue-specific things, so if there’s an issue you’re really passionate about, there are all sorts of organizations […] that are focused on very specific issues,” Barnett said.

 She also advised attending assemblies such as school board and city council meetings, which have become more accessible during the pandemic thanks to Zoom and live streaming platforms. 

  “There are meetings where they take public comment and [you can] share your feelings on whatever issue is being discussed,” Barnett said. 

  Barnett shared if individuals are passionate about impacting political change, “if you’re that interested, run for office.”

Find out if you are in Texas House District 122, visit Who represents me? at wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home

Visit Lyle Larson’s campaign website at lylelarson.org

Visit Claire Barnett’s campaign website at claire4texas.com

Feature

Class officer candidate campaigns to be a voice

By Micaella Rodriguez Staff writer

  Running for class officer, freshman Scarlet Graf takes school and her involvement seriously, she prepares to put these aspirations into action as President Graf of the class of 2024. She campaigned to help other people in need, her main promise was to speak out for other people and give them voices. A fourteen-year-old, San Antonio native, Graf attended Nichols elementary and Brisco Middle School.

  Her involvement began in Nichols when she joined Student council. She then played several sports in middle school and held office as NJHS secretary, then got promoted to vice president.

  “I really enjoy leadership roles because I like guiding people and helping them,” Graf said.

She would like to make a “big name” for herself because “I’m not as well known as others…I get to put my name out there, I get to help people and then if I do anything great, people will remember me forever,” Graf said.

Graf made it clear that she wanted to be “the main leader” as well as become a part of the student body. Graf’s promises of her campaign include uniting the student body, to “bring us all together to solve bigger issues.”

She feels she is different from the other candidates.

“I feel like my enthusiasm sets me apart from the other candidates,” Graf said. 

The results of the class officer and Student Council elections:

Student Council officers:

President Mary Garcia, Vice president Claire Smith, and Secretary Saydee Miller

SENIOR CLASS:

  • PRESIDENT: JACOB SCHINDLER
  • VICE PRESIDENT: MELIN MONTEMAYOR
  • SECRETARY: SEBASTIAN FLORES
  • TREASURER: THERESA NGUYEN

JUNIOR CLASS:

  • PRESIDENT: ANGELINA HERRERA
  • VICE PRESIDENT: SHELBY CROWLEY
  • SECRETARY: MIMI KONATAR
  • TREASURER: DIEGO ELIAS

 

SOPHOMORE CLASS:

  • PRESIDENT: VICTORIA HULZ
  • VICE PRESIDENT: ELLA MERRILL
  • SECRETARY: BIANCA SCOTT-CHANEY
  • TREASURER: JOSHUA MEDINA

 

FRESHMAN CLASS:

  • PRESIDENT: LIAM MEISTER
  • VICE PRESIDENT: PAYTON COTTRILL
  • SECRETARY: NATALIE KIESOW
  • TREASURER: VACANT
Sports

Football season amid Covid regulations

Panthers vs. Harlan on Oct. 23, junior QB John Locke catching the ball. Photo by Ava Garvic

By Diego Hernandez Co-Editor in Chief

 Fresh off another win, O’Connor beat Harlan 30-27 in overtime on October 23, 2020 and will face Brennan Thurs. November 5, 2020 at 7 p.m. at Gus Stadium. The Panthers defeated Taft 17-12 on October 17. If NISD decides to add more games to the calendar, the continued schedule will be announced on Oct. 31.  The players fight multiple obstacles as the season coincides with new Covid-19 protocols. Senior Haidon Sills sheds light upon the new rules each team must follow to participate both on and off the field.

  “We are required to socially distance ourselves from each other and wear masks on the sidelines. Outside we shouldn’t be going to big functions or parties,” Sills said. 

  With the responsibility of following UIL and State regulations, athletes must maintain their health for the future of their sport. Right now the calendar only includes the upcoming game vs. Harlan, Junior Logan Wade states that he is hopeful of the extension for future games.

  “I think we can go over, we’ve heard some news on brackets for playoffs. At the least we’ll go one game over what we’ve been told,” Wade said.

     Practice now begins both in the morning at 6:45 a.m. as well as a waning fourth period or after school decision at 4:45 p.m. These new regulated times are preparing each player for the upcoming games including Marshall on the 9th, Taft on the 17th, and concluding with Harlan on the 24th, as stated in the calendar. More games to be determined.

  This year’s roster, on the varsity hand, is constructed of truly exceptional players who have either played for various years at this level or just beginning in their first season. Wade gives insight into some of these key players.

  “For his seniority, John Locke is someone I don’t think the team can do without this year. With the offensive side in mind, I think Caleb Smith because he’s the 1st string quarterback he’s very important to the plays of the game,” Wade said.

  If all goes as planned, the three teams including freshman, junior varsity, and varsity are expected to continue their season’s solely in the Dub Farris stadium and upon our own new turf field. Senior Carson Jones shares his joy to be able to have the home experience for future games.

  “We’ll mainly be playing at Farris this year. I’m glad that we will be having the home advantage in that field. The game day routine will be great so we don’t travel and miss so many classes,” Jones said.

  In the atmosphere of the game, whether it be in the stadium or now as announced in your home through live streams, football has a strong sense in the school’s community. Jones states the common social connection this sport creates for the teams.

 “In school, the whole football team is a big family, we’re more than just a team. It helps us all, at least me, to piece my mind off the bad stuff going on in the world right now. Recently we’ve been with our teammates more than our real families,” Jones said.

  Not only are the players joined in this fight to keep fall sports alive, with a supportive audience. Panther fans come from each corner including the western San Antonian area and Helotes, Sills shares how the game benefits all individuals in its return.

  “It brings back a good sense of security since so many people would come out to show their support. It gives people something to look forward to, they can enjoy the sport again and it is great,” Sills said.

Photo by Mary Garcia

News

New Ag Magnet welcomes first Principal Bohlken

By Emma Szabo Co-Editor in Chief

Starting August of 2021, the AG program will officially become NISD’s 7th magnet school, the Agriculture Science & Technology Academy. Even though the magnet school’s opening is a year away, the school’s staff has already been welcomed to the campus. The new school will be headed by Mr. Chad Bohlken, the principal of the AG Magnet school this next year. The change from a program to a magnet school has left some of the current students with questions though. Current Ag students may wonder about upcoming changes.

“It shouldn’t affect any of them. There won’t be any real impact on the current students and they should know that. They were here before me and the new school, so it’s only fair that nothing changes for them.” Bohlken said.

The changes in application and qualification will only be affecting students coming into the program after 2021, so no current students will be affected. So if nothing is going to change for current students, then what is different? According to Mr. Bohlken, although nothing much will change for students, a lot will change for the approach of the school. Unlike previous years, the Agriculture Science & Technology Academy will try to advertise themselves to more of the Northside community in an attempt to pull in more students from outside the school. They will also highlight everything the school offers besides the livestock show.

“Although the main attraction of the program has always been the Livestock show, we want students to know that there are tons of other benefits of the program. The focus isn’t just the livestock show but all forms of AG. Things like science and technology and getting certified for vet programs,” Bohlken said.

Agriculture has been a big part of Mr. Bohlken’s life, so it’s important to him to share all of its aspects. Mr. Bohlken grew up on a farm in Iowa, raising animals and participating in 4H and FFA. His upbringing has had a clear inspiration in his work and hobbies. Mr. Bohlken loves fishing in his free time and spending time outdoors, making him feel right at home in the AG program, which is why he was drawn to the position in the first place.

“I’m a very outdoorsy person, so this is just a perfect fit for me. I’m very excited about working here,” Bohlken said.

The AG program has always been a vital part of our school, and the change into a magnet school will not change that. This change has brought new staff who are excited to be working with the students here and who are dedicated to making the school a better place.

Entertainment

Older games experience new popularity

By Brady Vigil Staff writer

  Due to the quarantine, people have got some extra time on their hands. A lot of people had different ways to fight off boredom. Some people decided to take a trip back in time and pick up some old video games. One game that has had a resurgence is Treyarch’s smash hit of 2012, Call of Duty Black Ops 2. Before the quarantine started, the game had about 800 players monthly in 2019. During the quarantine, the game peaked at 70,000 players in a single day. So why have almost 70,000 players come back to the most beloved game in the Call of Duty franchise eight years later?

   Sophomore Jessie Magana first played the game eight years ago and just now picked it up again.

  “It was my favorite game when I was little, I guess I wanted to experience it again if that makes sense,” Magana said.

  Another fan of the game who just picked it up again is Freshman Hudson Vigil.

  “I had multiple months with nothing to do, so I dug through my old games and found Black Ops 2 and it felt like I was a little kid again,”  Vigil says.

  With so many people stuck inside, old games have had their communities grow again. If you have a special spot in your heart for an old game, you should get back to playing it and enjoy it as you did years ago.