Senior Brendan Wenzel puts up a shot. Photo by Salma Valadez
The boy’s basketball team is off to their best start since the 2013-14 season. Currently sitting at 11-6 (2-1 in district), which is second best amongst district teams entering district play, has the team feeling good according to head coach Stefan Jewasko.
“We have really grown as a group since the start of the season,” Coach Jewasko said. “I feel our guys have done a good job of responding to both the highs and the lows that a season brings.”
The team is led by senior captain Brendan Wenzel. Wenzel, who is committed to play basketball at UTEP, has led the team in scoring the past two years with 20 points per game last season and currently leads the team this season with 22 points per game.
“I feel like this season started out great for us and we still got a lot of things to work on, but I feel like this year could be really good,”Wenzel said.
It has been four seasons since the team has made the playoffs, a streak this team is hoping to end.
“The first step is an undeniable belief within our group that we will be where we want to be at the end of the season, and then, a willingness to do whatever it takes to get there,” Coach Jewasko said.
One reason the team has been able to get off to such a quick start, according to Coach Jewasko, is that plenty of guys can play when called upon.
“One of the strengths of our team is the depth,” Jewasko said. “We have had a variety of guys play important roles in our wins this year.” Wenzel had similar views with his coach. “This team’s strength this year is definitely shooting. Almost everyone on this team can shoot the ball extremely well and we all get along, which I feel hasn’t been the case these last couple years,” Wenzel said.
Two guys who have caught some attention early on this season are sophomores Thomas Worrich and Issac Orozco. Although they are young and relatively inexperienced, they have brought a lot of energy to the team early on,
“[Worrich and Orozco] have really shown that they can bring a lot to the table,” Wenzel said. “They both have been playing really well and as long as they keep playing as they have been, they will do really good.”
Despite the quick start, the team still has room for improvement to get to where they want to be.
“Our biggest weakness at this point is simply being consistent in doing what we want to do and how we want to do it,” Coach Jewasko said.
Wenzel agreed that the team can improve with more attention to detail,
“Some weaknesses on the team is that we don’t talk and communicate on the court much and [in] practices,” Wenzel said. “If we start eliminating those weaknesses, we’ll be even better.”
A name that was brought up multiple times as being a leader was three-year letterman senior Brandon Jones.
“[Jones’] strength first is leadership by example,” Coach Jewasko said.Wenzel also had praise for his fellow team captain,
“I would say Brandon Jones is one of the bigger leaders along with me just be- cause we lead by example in practice and always try to make other people better,” Wenzel said.
With the Panthers hot start and district play now underway, there is a strong belief that the playoff drought may be coming to an end.
“To make playoffs I feel like we each gotta do what we’re individually good at and play as a team,” Wenzel said. “If we each play our role, we’ll make playoffs this year.”
The Texas Thespian Festival, at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine,Texas, is a week-long theatre festival that brings Texas high school theatre programs and clubs together. It features different kinds of workshops that allow students to learn and show their abilities whether in acting, singing, dancing, designing, creating or directing.
At the Thespian Fest, thespians compete in all aspects of theatre that are called IE.This year, a competition group at Thespian Fest consisting of Inaya Briscoe, Bayley Rios, Emaliegh Gonzalez, Emily Bayardo, and Matt Wederstrandt competed in the musical IE and qualified to nationals.
Many opportunities are provided at the thespian festival where everyone gets to participate.
“I think people enjoy the Thespian Festival for the same reason I do.You’re surrounded by others who also live and breathe theatre. Seeing shows and meeting new people at workshops is always amazing,” junior Emaliegh Gonzalez said.
Throughout the festival, many of the students bond together and create great memories that will last a lifetime.
“My most memorable experience is seeing our group musical qualify for nationals and being together in that moment,” senior Bayley Rios said.
At Thes Fest, a group of students wowed the judges with their amazing performance.
“We qualified for nationals, which means we competed against thespians from all over Texas, and now we get to advance to nationals where our group will compete against theatre students from all over the United States,” Gonzalez said.
For weeks, they have practiced non stop to perfect their performances.
“We learned the harmonies and melodies together.We figured out each other’s strengths and weaknesses to help mold our own way of performing ‘Harden My Heart/ Shadows of the Night’We had
to construct a way to convey levels and depth while performing because we were on a flat surface, so I used the choreography to accomplish that. We also spent a lot of time together so we developed a wonderful chemistry on and off the stage it wasn’t inorganic,” senior Gabrielle Gibson said.
Their unique performance is what allowed them to stand out against other groups.
“I think what’s separates us from other group musicals or even just a group of teens is that we have the mentality of winning but that’s not our main goal, our main goal is to represent our troupe and learning to work together and I can say we all had an equal amount of passion and as you can see we worked hard and now we’re here,” Rios said.
Nationals is set for Lincoln, Nebraska from June 24-29 and the students are hoping that they can go and make it far.
“I believe it’d be a blessing to travel to Nebraska and take O’Connor Theatre to the next level,” senior Inaya Briscoe said. “For our next performance, I would like to add more complex dance moves to challenge ourselves but also to perfect it further as far as vocals.”
This is a great opportunity for theater and best of luck to them in nationals.
“People enjoy Thes Fest because we meet and compete with so many people with the same fiery passion that we have for the performing arts.There are so many opportunities to take the next step in this industry as well, like the many college auditions and interviews that are held there.We meet and have the opportunity to take classes and learn from the leading people in the entertainment industry. Opportunities like those don’t happen for everyone so it’s an event that we cherish very much,” Gibson said.
Theatre group qualifies for nationals after their outstanding performance. Photo courtesy of Bayley Rios
As the year comes to a close and Winter Break is almost here, semester exams are right around the corner.When it comes to exam week, students struggle to manage the stress and agitation that comes with studying and preparation for these exams. Some methods of studying work better for other students while a completely different one works better for the masses. Upperclassmen offered some tips on how to survive through this year’s semester exams.
When it comes to studying, students find it difficult to study subjects that require more focus and motivation. Doing study guides provided by teachers can help with this issue.
“I like to get my study guide, do it once, study that, and do [the study guide] again without notes. If I don’t have it down
I make another copy and do it [over] again,” junior Kylie White said.
Distractions have also led to massive issues with studying for major exams. A change in scenery might provide some help with that. Going to coffee shops, bookstores, and the library might help with focusing on difficult subjects. However there are ways to focus while at home.
“Go to your room. Sit at a desk. Certain subjects that you find are easier you might be able to do sitting on the couch, but [subjects] that you’re not sure about, don’t risk it. Go to a quiet place and concentrate only on that,” White said. Another issue with studying for exams has been students struggling with timing for studying.
“ Depends on the person, I guess, it depends on how much you can take and like, how behind you are, and in class if you think you won’t pass the test without studying a lot,” senior Jordan Tamayo said.
When it comes to the time of day that someone studies, it all comes down to how that person works on their own. If they prefer to study at night that might be better for them to focus, if they need to study in the daytime with a cup of coffee then that works for them. Spacing out study time and what subject that should be focused on can also help with study timing.
“Set goals for studying so like, maybe two days get through [one] unit, the next two get through another unit, kinda pace yourself and whatever you’re iffy on go back and cram [it],” junior Jordan Stone said.
If certain subjects are more difficult than others, reaching out to others for help is another way to get through the stress of exam week, “You should go to your parents first and then if you really need extra help go to a teacher,” White said.
Having a study group with friends or people in the class could help with studying especially since everyone will be going over the same subjects. Even though these methods may help, going to teachers and attending the tutoring center in the Library before school, during lunches, and after school can also be a huge help with upcoming exams. Even going on the internet and looking up college lectures from sites such as Khan Academy and TED Talks can help with understanding subjects better.
Even though the stress of exams weighs down on students, having high goals and hopes for yourself will help with getting through this stressful time.
“Exams are a huge percent of your grade, so it’s important [for you] to do your best. Find methods that work for you,” senior Mackenzie Acree said.
Finding study methods that work best for yourself will help with getting prepared for exams and to help with ensuring success. Let’s get through this year’s midterm exams with high expectations and great preparation.
Last year, I wrote an article about the Hallmark Channel’s failure to produce accurate romantic shows. Or just having good shows at all. This is the follow up to that beautiful call-out I wrote. Now, here we are, one year later, and Hallmark has still failed to produce quality television shows. The main issue? Diversity.
It seems as if though Hallmark prides themselves on producing movies exclusively with white heterosexual couples. On almost every single Christmas show poster this year, they are all white males and females wearing red and green. On any shows they have since produced, there are barely any people of color in them. If they are, then they are just side characters. However, this year, they did produce a movie called “Christmas Everlasting” featuring Tatyana Ali as the main character with Patti La Belle and Dennis Haysbert as her supporting characters. Although this is good, that’s only one movie so far where they have an African-American lead. One. Movie.
Why does Hallmark insist on letting this happen? There needs to be more if they’re going to say that they’re including more diversity in their movies.
Love is not restricted to only one race or to the opposite gender. Hallmark should be showing inclusion, not following the bandwagon of other discriminating TV/movie channels.They need to show people of color as main characters, not off to the side.
Doing that shows inclusion and representation, both of which are needed in movies and TV show segments.
I mean, Hallmark is trash (to put it bluntly), but what makes them even trashier is how they just don’t include people of color.The acting is terrible too, it’s like they have made zero improvements, and on top of that, the plots continue to be fluff that don’t involve any character development. Unless you include finding fake love, like somehow meeting a “handsome hunk” of a guy on the corner of the street because her “clumsy” arse just couldn’t walk straight kind of thing.
At this point, there is no reason why anyone should be watching the channel. It’s too unrealistic, racist, and fake, with a capital ‘f.’ And for those who say I don’t know what love is, well, how can you know if you watch Hallmark? They don’t depict what real love is anyway. So maybe you’re the one who doesn’t understand love.
This year, and for upcoming years, we need to boycott Hallmark. They are not contributing to society at all. #boycotthallmark2018.
Starting January 21,Vice Principal Ryan Purtell will take on a new role, becoming principal at Stevens High School.
The announcement was made early December at an NISD board meeting. Purtell began his administrative career
as an assistant principal at Warren high school and quickly landed the vice principal position at our campus.
“Mrs. Horras as well as others around the district felt like I was the right guy for the job and that’s how I ended up here,” Purtell said.
Purtell shared the process of working with and training with Principal Horras prepared him to take on the leadership of his own campus, “(I) worked alongside her and with her and with the faculty and staff here. Built myself, I guess, to a point where I’m ready to be the Principal of a campus myself. And so that’s really, in a nutshell, it. I think that’s how anybody that gets a position of leadership.”
Purtell shared he is very excited to become a principal.
“I’m really excited. And that’s not to negate that I’m aware the job is a challenging job. I’ve watched campus principal, all the jobs here that administrators do are difficult but when you’re the last name at the end of the line, the buck stops with you,” Purtell said. “For everything that happens here, I’m aware that there is a big challenge but I’m super excited to go and dig into the work. It’s been my goal when I became an administrator and decided that my dream, my hope was that I one day would be a campus principal. I’m super excited about having that opportunity.”
This year is his seventh year being an administrator and 18 years in education. Purtell also shared some advice for the next vice principal.
“The advice I would give is that you’ve got an administrative team full of people that really know what they’re doing and you’ve got department coordinators and you’ve got lead teachers and you’ve got counselors,” Purtell said. “You’ve got people that really know what they’re doing and the best advice I could say is come
in, ask questions, look at what they do and why they do it ‘cause the overwhelming majority of what’s going on here at O’Connor is stuff being done the right way and not because of what I’ve done but because of what those people that will still be here when I’m gone will do. So that’s my biggest piece of advice.”
Even though he is excited about his new position, he expressed bittersweet sentiments.
“You always leave a part of your heart when you leave a campus. If you do the job right, and again, I’m not trying to brag on myself, but to do well you have to really commit to the people there,” Purtell said. “It’s not just a series of actions that you take, it’s literal, individual, human beings that you have to invest in. And so while I’m super excited about the opportunity I know that there are going to be people here that I’ve connected with; students and employees that I’m really gonna miss being around everyday.”
The dance class students performed at the annual Winter Showcase on December 12 at Brennan.The showcase highlights the hard work and talents of dance classes throughout the district.
Dance classes 3 and 4 performing to “We Dance” by Bethel MusicDance classes 3 and 4 performing to “We Dance” by Bethel Music
Silence captivated the hallways. Until the sound of gunshots at Santa Fe High School rang out, shooting through windows, classrooms, kids.The thought of school being a safe place was now shattered like the broken glass littering the floor. School shootings are becoming an epidemic, with nearly 346 mass shootings happening in 2017, about one per day. School districts across the United States have begun to implement changes and Northside has now done so as well. Starting second semester, lockdown drills will have a new name: active shooter drills. Before the drills will begin, Northside will release a safety training video to all high school students in addition to middle school.
“We’re getting to roll out a training video. That training video is being developed, and is in its final vetting process. Then it’s gonna be rolled out to all students. So the District wanted to wait till that video was complete before we begin to do the drills because the video is a training video. But those specific active shooter drills won’t be until the spring semester,” Vice Principal Ryan Purtell said.
The change was approved at an NISD Safety Committee meeting last spring suggested by a student member voicing concern about the vague lockdown labels.
“I think [the name change] represents situations more clearly than they used to. I think when you use the term ‘active shooter’ people immediately move into a protective mode that a lockdown may not generate,” AP World and AP European history teacher Jennifer Stevens said.
Students shared concerns regarding the need to change it.
“I feel very concerned because school shootings have become such an epidemic that we need to have whole practices dedicated to knowing how to address that situation if it were to occur instead of learning,” senior Katie Aspinwall said.
Some shared shared that the change is no different from a regular lockdown drill. “It makes no difference to me it’s for the same purpose,” senior Abigail Dixon said. However, a thought among students is these drills will cause more fear.
“Changing the name will most likely instill more fear in people,” Dixon said. Others shared that using the new term will bring awareness to the situation.
“I hope it will raise awareness to that fact that school shootings are happening so often that we need to prepare for them, and people will be moved to take action to prevent them from happening in the future,” Aspinwall said.
Along with bringing awareness, the name change should give a better representation of mass shootings.
“I hope students don’t panic when they hear this,” Stevens said. “That’s one reason I think the drills are a really good idea, but I think the students and faculty both will take it a little more seriously when they use the term ‘active shooter.’ It just represents things that have happened in the United States over the course of the last few years and so, it’s a more accurate description.” With the name change itself, Stevens shared that she believes it isn’t critical, yet it is more accurate to the purpose of preparing students in case there was an active shooter.
However, Dixon said the drill will not have an effect on the student body.
“The drills will not have an effect as long as the current mindset continues, because no one believes anything until it stares them in the face,” Dixon said.
The main goal of the name change is to prepare students in case an event like this does happen. Yet a routine may come with its fair share of problems.
“My concern is that it will normalize school shootings because we have a routine drill to know how to handle them, and now people might see school shootings as an everyday occurrence that doesn’t have to be taken care of,” Aspinwall said.
There is no released schedule of when Northside schools will perform active shooter drills. However, these drills will hopefully have an impact on schools in the United States.
“The impact I hope to see is one of change. I hope everyone will realize that we need to do everything in our power to prevent such horrible tragedies from ever happening anymore,” Aspinwall said.
In recent news there has been an alarming amount of attempted pipe bombings throughout the country towards members of the democratic party. These include Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and some of the CNN Offices. These “pipe bombs” are homemade bombs filled with extra dangerous add ons such as shrapnel, glass, and nails in order to be more deadly.
Some of the bombs were said to possibly contain the lethal substance ricin as well as pyrotechnic powder. A suspect of these attempted bombings is Cesar Sayoc Jr., a 56 year old man who was arrested and charged with five counts in North Miami. And while he is the prime suspect, that hasn’t prevented more of these pipe bombs from being sent around the country. These bombs were sent through the mail, with two being hand delivered, and concealed in manila envelopes. But ended up being intercepted by the authorities before any harm was done.With the attempt on the democratic party leaders lives just two weeks before the midterm elections, it has sparked controversy and conversation on whether or not politics has become too violent and dangerous in recent times. After being notified of what was happening President Trump spoke his opinion on the matter, “The media also has a responsibility to set a civil tone and stop the endless hostility and constant negative and oftentimes false attacks,” Trump said. All the while attempting to bring the country together in light of the atrocities committed, “In these times we have to unify, we have to come together and send one very clear, strong, unmistakable message that acts or threats of political violence of any kind have no place in the United States of America,” he said. In an attempt to not further separate the political sides in these highly sensitive times. One wrong move and it could just push the sides to become more actively violent toward each other.
These numerous bombs were all said to be identical and to come with a countdown clock attached to the side, which authorities claim was another reason to believe they were fake and for show only.This is because that kind of aesthetic is only put in the movies but lacks any real merit in making actual bombs.
So while they have yet to officially release the information on whether they were duds or fakes, it’s not
so far off the mark to assume the bombings were a hoax.
Hoax. Expensive tax. Bulls–t. All words President Donald Trump has used to address climate change in our country. On October 11th, in an interview with 60 Minutes reporter Lesley Stahl, Trump admitted to “something happening” although he’s not convinced it’s caused by human activity. When challenged with scientific fact researched by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA, Trump claimed scientists “have a very big political agenda.” Trump and many Americans view climate change as a hoax.
“People often refuse to believe that phenomena such as climate change isn’t happening since they are insulated from the effects of climate change. Many Americans are rooted in a fixed mindset due to their insulation from the impacts of global warming, pollution or similar malady. ‘If it’s not directly impacting me, then is it really as bad as they portray it in the media?’ When you only see images or documentary footage of the adverse climate effects, you can easily dismiss them as edited or manufactured, rather than a true reflection of reality,” AP Environmental Science teacher Melissa Michalak said.
Climate change is not yet severe enough to directly impact the daily lives of people making it easy to overlook.
“Second, many people now have poorly developed sense of science and critical thinking skills, leading to an undeveloped ability to evaluate competing theories and information. They then pick the version of reality that conforms to their chosen political affiliation or is easiest to rationalize as they go about their day. Given the sheer amount of information (and disinformation) available, it’s no wonder many people in developed nations remain skeptical of global warming,” Michalak said.
The effects of climate change negatively impact all life on Earth.
“The future generations are definitely the most vulnerable to climate change because it will take time to take effect,” senior Ariana Tamez said.
Climate change does not have an immediate, visible effect on the environment which generally causes people to overlook the consequences of their actions. “When people don’t believe they impact climate change, they rarely adjust their patterns in a way to minimize their global footprint. A person won’t recycle, drive a more fuel-efficient vehicle (or alter driving habits), reduce trash or general consumption of goods, simply because they do not believe the impact he or she makes alters anything. They assume if I’m not negatively affected, then what’s the harm,” Michalak said.
Freshman Iliana Hernandez mentioned her concern for the wildlife losing their homes due to the melting of glaciers. “The polar bears can’t live. They can’t find anywhere to live. And it’s because humans are like ‘pollution, pollution, fossil fuels, fossil fuels’,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez shared that humans have the largest impact on climate change and holds humans responsible for the harm done to the environment.
“People who can’t (or won’t) consider the larger implications of their actions, and they won’t expect their leaders, businesses or neighbors to take up the slack for them so they support political representatives that don’t take any meaningful action to stem global warming, or actively pursue policies that exacerbate the problem for short-term economic or political gains among supporters or like-minded individuals,” Michalak said.
The erratic temperatures are a cause for concern because of the effects it will have on ecosystems throughout the world.
“It matters because it affects the availability of the resources our society needs to function,” Tamez said.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have researched indicators such as temperatures during the night and day, sea levels, aquatic life, ecosystems, human health, and population measurements to determine the effects of global warming on our current environment. Recently, they released a report stating that if the Earth warms 1.5 degrees Celsius, consequences could be detrimental to all life systems.
Warm spell duration indicators, defined by NASA, is the annual count of at least six consecutive days with temperatures that exceed the 90th percentile of daily maximum temperature, show that there will be “extreme” hot and cold temperatures on land as well as in the sea. Hot temperatures will affect Central and Eastern America, leading to drier and warmer temperatures, not ideal for the breadbasket of America. Storms will also increase in strength. Warmer temperatures lead to warmer waters which fuels storms like hurricanes.
“Our current president is on record saying climate change/global warming is a Chinese-perpetrated hoax meant to “screw the US.”His actions since taking office, such as extricating the US from the Paris Climate Accords, hiring pro-business Cabinet members, and freezing or lowering EPA standards for gas mileage, pollution (and pollution enforcement) and other policies prove that this administration puts corporations and corporate profits above human and environmental health,” Michalak said.
Organizations and agreements such as the Paris Climate Accords and the Environmental Protection Agency are formed to conserve and improve the environment. The Paris Agreement’s goal is to gather countries in a combined effort to slow the rate of climate change and assist developing countries with the necessary supplies. Withdrawing from the agreement only increased the finances needed to work towards the countries’ goal which increases the difficulty of implementing change.
“Return to the Paris Climate Accord.Reinstate much of the regulations present in the Clean Air and Water Acts that have been gutted since the early 2000’s and support climate science on the national and international level.Raise gas mileage standards and provide subsidies for electric cars, solar panels, wind power (both for residences and communities) and move away from fossil fuels (coal and oil),” Michalak said.
With new innovations and technology arising, there are plenty of ways to reduce and avoid increasing the amount of pollutants entering Earth’s atmosphere and causing global warming.
“America should be a beacon and leader in their realms, but steadfastly refuses to move on much of these ideas. Giving the next generation the knowledge and ability to make change is the key to limiting and possibly reversing the deleterious impacts of climate change and global warming,” Michalak said.
