All posts by Diego Hernandez

Feature

Adopt a dog, they helped me

Staff Writer: Samantha Martinez

Dogs are a man’s best friend, they are companions that will be there for you until the end.They are animals you can run around with or lazy ones that will accompany you during a binge watch of shows. During the pandemic, people needed something to keep them company through this isolation and loneliness, their answer was man’s best friendAs a result,the lockdown really showed how much we rely on companionship to keep ourselves sane.

According to the ASPCA, nearly one in five households nationwide adopted an animal during the pandemic and 90 percent of households are still continuing to house the dogs they acquired during the lockdown. 

But what is it about dogs specifically that drew people in to adopt during this pandemic?  What exactly persuaded people to go out during these hard times and make a life-changing commitment to adopt a dog? 

The American Kennel Club says studies have shown that owning a dog can help with anxiety and stress. Worrying about failing that math test? Get a dog and worry together. Studies show that 40% of dog owners have an easier time making friends. This is due to your beloved canine being a good conversation starter and making you seem more approachable. 

Another thing to note would be the physical benefits these pooches bring. With the rambunctious animals that dogs are, it’s evident to say that keeping them locked indoors doesn’t always cater to their needs. According to AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association), results from a survey showed that out of 1,000 people 53% increased playtime with their pets, and 39% took more dog walks, along with 43% exercising more with their pets than they did pre-pandemic. 

Although adopting any animal is realistically not an easy decision to make on a whim, the benefits are gravitating. Not only with their aid in both mental health and physical health, but also the gift of having a cute animal in your home. 

Feature

Multicultural club highlights Ramadan

Staff Writer: Eryca Gomez

 Senior Hajar and junior Yousef Aldhafeeri lead March’s Multicultural Club meeting with a presentation dedicated to the religious observance of Ramadan. The siblings are muslim students, meaning they are followers of the religon of Islam. In their presentation they covered the meaning of Ramadan and its origin. 

  Ramadan is the 9th month in the Islamic calendar and is a month of prayer, fasting, and community. The naming of Ramadan stems from the Arabic root “ar-ramad,” which means scorching heat. Muslims believe that in A.D. 610, the angel Gabriel appeared to Prophet Muhammad and revealed to him the Quran, the Islamic holy book. 

  “Ramadan is determined by the sight of the new moon. The start of the month is different every year,” Yousef explained to the club.

  This year’s Ramadan is from April 1st to May 1st, followed by Eid al-Fitr, a religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide because it marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting experienced during Ramadan. 

     In addition to the presentation, the students set up moon colorings and handed out Arabic candy and pastry bags. The club director Laura Dejong also informed the club about a multicultural fest involving other NISD high school multicultural clubs. The fest will be May 25th from 6-8 pm at Stevens HS.

Opinion

Smith’s Slap Reflects Toxicity of Revenge

Copy Editor: Cristian Velazquez

  The internet exploded near the end of March when, during the 94th Academy Awards on live television, after Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s extremely short haircut while presenting an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, her husband Will Smith avenged her by getting up from his seat and striking Rock across the face with an open hand, then walking back to his seat without saying a word. Smith then continued to escalate by yelling profanities at Rock; making the auditorium gasp, fall silent, and leaving a disconcerted Rock to continue the award ceremony. Smith would win an Oscar for Best Actor about 45 minutes later; giving a tearful acceptance speech for over five minutes, where he apologized to the Academy and the award nominees, but not to Rock.

  “I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people,” Smith said in contrast to his actions not even an hour prior.

  “Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, just like they said. I look like the crazy father just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things,” Smith said, referencing his character in the movie King Richard (2021) he won an Oscar for portraying. Rock made a similar connection before he was slapped. “Uh Oh! Richar…” Rock said laughing as Smith walked on stage.

  I became aware of the incident the night it happened after looking at my phone before I went to bed, as is my bad habit. Going to school the next day, the meme had entranced the majority of the student body. I joked with my friends and laughed about it. People in the hallways were talking about it. People in my classes were talking about it. Two of my teachers discussed the incident with their class.

  As teenagers, we can probably all relate to situations where an insecurity is agitated by someone, we act out emotionally in retaliation, and then suffer the consequences for our actions; penally and emotionally. Countless physical fights at schools follow this formula. A quote dubiously attributed to Benjamin Franklin rings ever-so true in cases like these: “Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame.”

  Smith has since posted an apology to Rock, the cast and crew of King Richard, and the Williams family on social media. He resigned from the Motion Picture Academy while awaiting his punishment from the organization, which was revealed last Friday to be a ten-year ban on attending Academy events. However, none of these acts can make up for the deep, dark shadow that Smith cast on his accomplishment and the accomplishments of others at the Academy Awards with his belligerence that night. His attempt to get even with Rock ended up having multiple negative repercussions that rippled across the Academy, the public, and his own career.

  Many have come in support of Rock for enduring particularly humiliating unjustified violence; myself included. However, some believe that, regardless of Smith’s conduct, Rock’s joke was in extremely poor taste as Pinkett Smith has publicly stated she wears a shaved head, not purely as a style choice, but to conceal her hair loss condition.

  “Jada, I love you. G. I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it, all right?” Rock said smiling; comparing Pinkett Smith’s haircut to the Demi Moore character’s haircut in G. I. Jane (1997), where Moore plays the fictional first woman Navy SEAL, Jordan O’Neill, who also sports a shaved head. Some of the audience, including Smith, laughed at the joke, but many audience members expressed shock and thought it went too far, and Pinkett Smith’s face immediately displayed disapproval. “It’s—that was a—that was a nice one!” Rock said after the joke before continuing his monologue.

  While people may criticize Rock for making a dubiously dubbed “ableist” joke, It is actually Rock who suffers from a disability. In 2020, Rock revealed he was diagnosed with nonverbal learning disorder (NVLD), a neurodevelopmental disorder that hinders comprehension of nonverbal communication. Given this information and Rock’s body language at the time, one can reasonably infer then that he was not even aware that his person was in danger before the slap because Smith failed to give a verbal cue until after he attacked him.

  I do not want to say that Jada Pinkett Smith should not have rolled her eyes and endured the joke. Despite what she has said about her haircut, she is not completely comfortable with her status as shaved-headed, and her feelings were hurt. If the Smiths did not want to take this sitting down, there were multiple options to address Rock’s transgression. They could have expressed their disapproval of the joke by giving a statement after the ceremony, incorporating a statement during Smith’s acceptance speech, leaving the ceremony, or all of the above; perhaps guilt-tripping Rock to make an apology later on and raising awareness for hair loss among women.

  Talking about what could have happened that night won’t change what has already been done. But hopefully for Smith, and for us in our worst moments, we can recognize our mistakes, forgive, and look forward towards a brighter future.

Feature

The rise of Wordle

News Section Editor: Emma Szabo

Stove. Lowly. Snout. Trope. Fewer. Shawl. Natal. Though seemingly random, this list of words has one thing in common – they are all recent answers to the daily Wordle. Since February, the game has exploded in popularity. Even if you don’t play it, you’re sure to recognize the setup of little gray, yellow, and green squares people post every day. So, what caused the puzzle’s popularity in the first place, and what keeps people playing – even with some new complaints?  

  The premise of the game is simple – you get six tries to guess a five-letter word every day. It was created by Welsh software engineer Josh Wardle as a gift to his wife who loved word games, and after his family enjoyed the game he made it available for public play. The game, which was shared publicly in October 2021, has been free to play online since launch and picked up in popularity in December 2021. With thousands of daily players, Wordle’s explosion in popularity caught the attention of The New York Times, and was bought for an undisclosed amount at the end of January. For many people, playing Wordle has become a part of their daily routine, and has given them something to talk about.

“I have a streak going, and it also makes me feel smart because I’ve always been able to get the word by the end of the day,” Senior Shelby Crowley said. 

  Streaks and game statistics have been one of the biggest reasons Wordle has spread. With the built in option to share how many tries it took to solve the daily puzzle, Wordle trends almost daily on Twitter and other social media sites. The quick and easy way to share your results (which include a link to the game) makes it simple to increase interest in Wordle and also provides players with a spoiler free way to converse. 

“I love being able to share my results with my family. Every day, we send each other our results in a group chat and it gives us something to talk about that night,” Sophomore Cathleen Vasquez said. 

  Despite the game’s beloved status, fans of Wordle have recently been discontent with the word choices; many believing that it’s the fault of The Times. Words with two of the same letter and unusual letters such as ‘u’ or ‘y’ were uncommon before the purchase, and some of the hardest words had previously been things like ‘tapir’ and ‘knoll’. In contrast, the first two words after The New York Times both started with U, something that players had not seen before. Since then, the words will have double letters more often than not, which has left fans disappointed with the apparent change. Despite the feeling that the game has gotten harder, the New York Times claims that they have not changed the difficulty of the game. In an interview with People Magazine, a representative from the Times said that they are continuing to use the predetermined word list created by Wardle before they acquired the game. 

“I feel like it did get harder, but I’m not sure. Maybe it just feels harder because the company changed and not because the words actually changed,” Crowley said. 

 So, why do people still play Wordle? Despite what seems to be dissatisfaction from fans, difficulty doesn’t deter the die-hard players from their newfound day-to-day routine. Instead, player count has shown no significant change and if anything, the idea that Wordle has gotten harder only adds to the conversation surrounding it. The social and sharing aspects are arguably the most important parts in Wordle’s rise to fame, and it ensures that the game isn’t going anywhere for a while. The simplicity and the one-a-day format the puzzle subscribes to is also another reason players come back each day, which is exactly as Wardle intended the game to be played. So while there are many different reasons people choose to start Wordle, most reasons to stay are the same. Wordle’s charm has managed to capture not only the heart of Wardle’s wife, but of the whole world as well.

Feature

Undeniable pull of senioritis

Editor-In-Chief: Diego Hernandez

Four months, wait it’s three now. As the school year comes to an end and spring break has concluded, students are pushing their inner engines to finish the year. Amongst our campus near 3,000 students, 748 of them are pushing, or not trying to the best of their abilities. These 748 students are seniors and are now experiencing senioritis. Senior Jurni Gregorcyk shares her views on what this disease is.

  “I think senioritis is a time where people are just giving up on school as they feel there is no point to it anymore. These individuals are ready to begin the next part of their lives and it’s reflected in their drive,” Gregorcyk said. 

  As many seniors are within the same realm of being excited for college and their highschool chapter ending, there is no shortage to the many victims of senioritis. Senior Zoe O’Donnell shares the appeals and capabilities as to why this feeling is so prominent amongst this class.

  “Knowing that your GPA is now locked allows you to not feel as dedicated to your work. Personally, my wavering grades do not take a toll on me as next year is set for me without added pressures,” O’Donnell stated.

  With looming worries relieved, students are different in how long till they fall under senioritis’ spell. Senior Nico Ojeda explains how he in truth has not yet been able to become affiliated, even though most traditional numbers have been accomplished.

  “I will most likely feel senioritis after spring break or really the last nine week grading period of the school year. Right now I have a responsibility as an in-season athlete for baseball to maintain good grades,” Ojeda said.

  Seniors are not the only ones who seem to be able to become one with senioritis. This incorporation can be experienced among staff and administration alike. 

  “I think teachers can feel it too. They are completely ready for their own personal break away because even when we have three-day weekends or some student holidays they’re still here working,” Gregorcyk stated.

  Senioritis also has the potential to branch out away from what areas in which its temptations begin to take hold. As we go through the end of the year there are various tasks depending on the individual we must go through.

  “For theater at least, Mr. A has to keep us on our A game especially for officers. Throughout the years we’ve witnessed them slipping on their responsibilities and it can become pretty chaotic,” O’Donnell said.

  As our time comes to an end and as we recognize our new paths, school may seem a potential scare. Although it may not be wanted by some, senioritis may be able to set you free.

  “I think I’ll be able to get through a good amount of time without needing it, but ultimately I know I’m going to need it or these last few months and or weeks will be rough,” Ojeda stated.

  Senioritis, an emotion and state of mind, may be students and even faculties answers. Do not fear it as it may set you free.

Uncategorized

Helotes Mayoral Election Reflects Importance of Local Government

Written By Staff Writer Cristian Velazquez

All across Texas, local elections will be held on May 1st for citizens to choose who will be on their city councils, school boards, and other regional governing bodies. The city of Helotes is no different. In this election cycle, Rich Whitehead will challenge 14-year incumbent Tom Schoolcraft for mayor. We talked with Whitehead about the importance of local government, his campaign, and how students can get involved in their community.

  Whitehead started working in local politics 14 years ago when he ran for city council with the current mayor and got elected in 2006. He was a councilman for 4 years before deciding not to run for reelection due to fixing most of the problems that he wanted to solve in the community.

  “Public service is one of those things you do because it’s the right thing to do. You don’t make any money at [city council]. Zero dollars, zero cents an hour, as it were, but you get to see the effects of policy decisions you make that make people’s lives a little bit easier,” Whitehead said.

  The Helotes government is responsible for many things in the community such as regulating businesses, buildings, and even plants in the city. The local government is also responsible for our public safety organizations.

   “If you ever need an ambulance, or, God forbid, there’s a fire, or if you need the police, [those are] points of contact with the local government,” Whitehead said.

  When running a local campaign, a candidate usually doesn’t have the national stage, catchy political policies, or party affiliations to have people pay attention to their campaign.

  “Most people have very little idea of what goes on in the local government. They keep an eye on the national government or maybe the state government, but rarely judicial or local, and local government is really where the rubber meets the road,” Whitehead said.

  Candidates instead keep platforms and issues close to home. Whitehead is keen on knocking on doors and attending events to speak with his potential constituents. He also has a Facebook page where he lays out his issues extensively and information on events. One component of Whitehead’s platform is to bring back events in Helotes to reinvigorate our sense of community in the city and to local tourism.

  “We used to have a lot more things such as Jazz Fest, [and] Chuck Wagon Chili Cook-Off. Those things, unfortunately, have been canceled. […] I am definitely going to bring those things back and hopefully some others. People have good ideas all the time. Someone floated the idea of having kind of like a little ‘Helotes’s Got Talent’. […] Its community and family likes watching family. And so by having these things on a regular basis it just draws people from the surrounding areas. […] I don’t campaign to people outside of the area, but I listen to people outside of the area. […] I care about what [they] think because [they’re] a part of our community,” Whitehead said.

  Another major theme of the campaign is fiscal conservation. 

  “I feel that the current mayor, in his policy directions, has led us to some bad financial decisions: a frivolous lawsuit that cost us 1.3 million dollars, [the] dispatch center [that’s] losings about a half-million dollars a year. As a result, we’re losing police and fire officers to low salaries,” Whitehead said.

  Mayor Schoolcraft has been hitting back against these claims on his campaign page with paragraphs, bullet points, vertical selfie videos, and pictures of Whitehead’s Facebook posts printed out with critical annotations in red ink. He has attacked and refuted multiple points of Whitehead’s campaign and platform in a series of edits to his website he calls “The rest of the story”, creating it so, in his words, “you will truly be able to understand the what, when, where, and why of each issue. It will then be up to you to reach your own conclusions”. In a video called “Whack-A-Mole”. Mayor Schoolcraft criticizes the coalition between Whitehead and city council candidates Matthew Merchant and Matthew McCrossen.

  “They say ‘we need change’. What is that change? […] Have you ever asked them any serious questions when they’re talking about frivolous lawsuits and salaries being unfair and being mean to business and all that? Have you asked them any questions? (‘Hey, show me some examples of what you’re talking about because it doesn’t make sense’), that’s what I would do. Once they get off their talking points they’ll be lost because they do not know, really, what any issues are, because we have no issues. […] Hopefully you’ll stick with me, Burt Buys, and Paul Friedrichs if you haven’t voted yet,” Whitehead said.

  On how students get involved in the local government, Whitehead encouraged finding a candidate that one likes, and volunteering with their campaign. He also proposed creating an internship at Helotes City Hall for seniors interested in government or political science, should he get elected.

  “This is going to be your Helotes. […] you’re either going to take ownership […] at some point at an early age, or you’re going to sit by and it’s going to become something that you don’t like. And you just eventually […] get rolled over by the system or just move away to find someplace else, so get involved and make sure that the future is what you want it to be,” Whitehead said.

Information on the election can be found here on the Helotes website- City of Helotes | 2021 Election

News

New 2021 Exam Rules

Diego Hernandez Co-Editor In Chief

As Covid-19 has turned our high school experience and that of our daily lives into a new reality, numerous events and regulations have been established. One such regulation is a new rule regarding end of year exams. This new rule states that beginning on March 1, students who attain no more than 3 or more absences throughout the year until June 3rd, will be exempt from having to take semester exams. Junior Rodrigo Valenzuela shares his views on how this rule changed the end of year period.  

  “I think these new changes to this year’s exam are great, it has lifted a good amount of stress from my shoulders for what’s left in the year,” Valenzuela said.

  In years prior, exam lifting was only in effect for seniors who were nearing the end of their time in high school and did not need to meet more course requirements. However, this year it is applied to all grades from freshman to the graduating class. APUSH teacher Jennifer Cain tells of how she thinks these new protocols will affect students motives.

  “I believe all eligible students will benefit from not having the semester exams this year – this will be one less stressor in an environment that was incredibly stressful for students and teachers this year,” Cain said.

  Since its enactment, which has taken effect in all Northside schools, students have been able to breathe a bit more deeply than before. Schoology has provided both students and teachers with alternative electronic assignments, test taking strategies and skills have also largely changed for students, the exam lift aids to relieve this struggle.

“I think it relieves stress because test taking isn’t as easy as it was one year ago. Things have changed and so has our learning style,” Valenzuela said.

  As this year has progressed, many students have slipped up on attendance rates. Class zooms have diminished in number, and failures have also met rising rates. This new alternative agreement could just be the push students need to go back to class.

  “I think the attendance rate will be great and I am already seeing positive trends in attendance. I am also hoping that this will also cause students to finish strong in all of their courses,” Cain said.

  Once heard, no matter the location, students were in awe of this major change to the course curriculum and requirements for their grade levels. Since this year’s start, Northisde has taken major liberties and precautions for the welfare of the students and this was no different.

  “I first heard about the new stance on exams about a week and a half ago. My friends and family were actually able to hear it before me,” Valenzuela said

  However, the new regulations are to be held in the highest confidence. If students extend over their absences, they would need to fulfill the exam requirement and put a burden on teachers. But if all is complete then they can enjoy the summer to come.

  “For teachers, we sadly do not have any extra days off and will still have students that need to take the exams. But I am excited for my students that get to enjoy summer a little early,” Cain said.   

  On February 23rd, the school board of Northside ISD met to discuss this new plan. From this meeting introduced a new way to coax students to re-enter the virtual classroom and try their best to maintain better grades as these rules also require students to have passed both current and the most recent grading period. Although this year has been challenging, this new order can be the key needed to turn students lifes for the better.

Feature

What’s to come of 2021?

By Diego Hernandez Co-Editor-In-Chief

With the new year of 2021 commencing, students share their predictions on what they hope to experience. Covid-19 has not left the nation, a new president has been inaugurated, as well as school closures and openings are left in consideration to either a worse or better new year. Junior Albanie Laborde-Martin shares her views on what she hopes to result in the year to come.

“As everyone else, I am hoping Covid will finally be put to an end. Whether that be by the vaccine or tighter restrictions, I hope that the public, especially America, starts to change to stop the spread of the virus,” Martin said.

Predictions, or wants, of this new year in a sense are needed to push past the grief of the previous year. 2020 affected countless families and damaged nations worldwide. Junior Kace Schermerhorn states his need for belief.

“I think these things will come true simply because I hope that they do. No one can truly predict when the Coronavirus will be taken care of, it’s just a logical time,” Schemerhorn said. 

Time is a factor, in addition to several others or individuals who can affect the outcome of the new year. Junior Alessandra Garrido states her views on who can alter 2021.

“I am unsure as of now who could change the course of our history, however, I believe individually we are capable of changing the course of 2021. As a generation we are going forward into the future,” Garrido said.

2021’s outcome on each individual country will have various results. America as a nation was devastated with high death tolls and things lost, but this year could be an opportunity to turn things around.

“The US; right now, we’re the headline. Our surge in Coronavirus cases as of late as well as the inauguration of a new President puts us at the front of every news article,” Schermerhorn said.

A new year is also a time for new beginnings, for ourselves or the community around us. Some choose to mark these beginnings with goals set in mind.

“I definitely want to become more established in fitness and branch out in my music choices, I also want to save enough so I can improve my style,” Martin said.

Each citizen, whether they be old or young, has hopes in mind of what is to come of 2021. However, we must wait in anticipation to see if our predictions will come true.

“I will walk with a little bit of fear into a year that is hopefully as rewarding as what so far seems already so chaotic. Hopefully with the vaccine we will be able to have a slightly more normal summer, but I think everything will be the closest to normal by December,” Garrido said.

Schermerhorn shares the potential humanity has for this coming year, whether it be good or bad for all.

“I believe individually we are capable of changing the course of 2021. As a generation we are going forward into the future, discovering new skills that have the power to change the course of the human race and I believe that if not this year, then soon we will individually figure out how to make a change in our world,” Schermerhorn said.

Holiday

Thanksgiving in the changing world

 Diego Hernandez

Co-Editor

  As the changing weather shifts to cooler climates, the Texas seasons are entering late fall to early winter. This period brings about the end of year holidays, one for the fall being Thanksgiving. This holiday is one where families come together in hopes of a good meal and the warmth they bring each other through friendship and laughter. Senior Alexandria Fink gives us insight on how she is one who appreciates how this holiday brings people together.

  “I usually spend Thanksgiving with my entire family. That includes my tios, tias, cousins, grandmas, brothers and sisters. It’s always blood relations but sometimes our family members bring close friends to gatherings which makes things more interesting,” Fink said.

     With the gatherings in mind, being close and approaching fast to this festive day arouses the feelings towards it. Junior Daria McKinney shares how she thinks others should see Thanksgiving.

  “I think people should see this as a day to come together for fun and caring with one another. But food is always good too,” McKinney said.

 Coming together is an action that can be done in numerous locations in the city, even the United States. Some individuals wish to celebrate in their home wall others prefer to visit relatives out of town.

    “I usually celebrate in Austin, Texas. This is with my aunt since her house and property is bigger,” McKinney said.

  Along with the unification of others, families have different methods of celebrating. These methods are most commonly known as traditions, or in this case holiday traditions. Junior Madison Green shares the traditions she and others partake in.

 “I have a tradition with my best friend where I bake something for her family, and go to her house. My momma always makes hashbrown casserole for me too,” Green said.

 This holiday, like many others, is one that cannot be rushed for preparation. The food that is made or the games that are played can either be from memory or done from the book.

  “My family usually starts to prepare a few days before the holiday. We all come into town about three days prior and we start to cook one to two days prior to the actual day,” Green said.

  As the day draws near, many focus on what occurs during the time rather than how it happens. The meaning of the day is shown to them occurring as a fleeting notion or attitude.

  “Thanksgiving has everything to do with love. Of course there’s plenty of food, fun, and games but all those things are set up and made out of love. To me it’s always been a holiday where I get to spend quality time with my distant family. I’m able to see how much they’ve grown and they’re able to see my growth too,” Fink said.

  As the Covid-19 pandemic is still spreading in the United States, Thanksgiving and the years end to come might look different than previous years. Take time to cherish either a virtual communion of family and friends or if it’s in person, but take care and make precautions. Enjoy the turkey and the feast of love that is to come. Happy Thanksgiving!