Category Archives: Feature

Feature

High ranking students give quality school advice

Faith Collins

Online Editor 😉

Recently, students received report cards that included their rank amongst their classmates. Rank, along with Grade Point Average (GPA), will determine how colleges consider applying students. Due to this raised pressure, students are panicking to improve their grades before the end of the second semester.To help with this stress, top ranking students of each class give insight on how they get through the semester.

“I like to write summaries down for every class on my phone so that way I can make sure to get everything done. I cross it out so I can feel better and actually feel like I’m doing something,” sophomore Adriana De La Garza said.

This time of year, lots of pressure is applied to students to raise their grades in order to compete against their classmates.The buildup of pressure leads to unwanted stress, but De La Garza provides a solution.

“I have a club called ‘Meditative Study’, and you have periods of meditation with periods of study in between, so that way you’re calm while you’re studying which will help you remember,” De La Garza said.

The Meditative Study club meets Thursdays after school at 4:10 in room H209.

Trying to strengthen your GPA? De La Garza advises struggling students to talk to their teachers about questions you got wrong on tests or assignments to help them understand the material for later.

“I’m a big ‘book’ person, so I read the book, and I always take a nap when I get home from school so I can be alert while I’m studying. I do most of my studying late at night, otherwise I’m not really focused during the day,” De La Garza said.

Anyone who’s attended high school is aware of how stress can affect young minds.

“I think that [the grading system] adds a lot of stress and really degrades education because you’re focused on the grading instead of learning the actual [material], so you’re never actually gaining anything,” De La Garza said.

Freshman Shelby Crowley says she tries her best to get her school work done as soon as she gets home from school.

“Make time to get everything done and prioritize for each one of your classes. Know which classes you have to do stuff in and which classes you can wait on,” Crowley said.

Crowley is ranked 1st in the Freshman class and has developed a few study strategies she suggests for struggling students.

“Flash cards work well for any class,” Crowley said.

Although grades and rank may seem like a vital part of life at the moment, it’s important to take a step back and relax.

“Take time to destress and not worry so much,” Crowley said.

Feature

HOSA

Austin Hurt
Staff Writer
  This past school year HOSA competed at a number of competitions including one at the
international level. They had a member get first at regionals and first at state as well as a number of
students competing internationally. HOSA has a number of competitions on a number of health related
topics, the organization is one which focuses on the medical field. Senior Ana Aviles Vargas is one of
multiple officers within HOSA who has benefited from the experience. She has been in HOSA for all four
years of her high school career.
“The mission of HOSA, the medical field is what it mainly focuses on, is to educate the people
that are in high school, also on the collegiate level, before kids get to medical school. So kids get an idea
of what the medical field will look like to see where they may be interested in going in to. We have a lot
of competitions, like veterinary science, medical terminology, as well as forensic ones. So it’s good for
science and medical fields in general,” Vargas said. HOSA has a mission to prepare high school age
students for a future in medicine.
While every competitions is a new learning experience, competing on an international level is
very different. It is a stage for new learning environments which you can’t get anywhere else.
“For me at least now I can tell our members, look I went and I did this and I had a lot of fun. It’s a
great way to network. Within the international level they always have exhibits, and they have different
doctors, highly recognized doctors, and you can talk to them and get advice, get their numbers. It is a
great way to network for high school students, and college students, who are trying to go to the medical
field. It opens opportunities for a lot people, so I’m able to tell our members from personal experience,
look this is what it did for me, I’ve been able to communicate with theses doctors, and these people, ”
Aviles Vargas said.
  Beyond the competitions there are many ways you can improve things within yourself. Like
getting out of your comfort zone and doing things you normally wouldn’t do.
“HOSA definitely taught me a lot. I know our sponsor Ms. A has a lot to do with it. It pushed me
to do things I’m normally not used to. Before I was never able to publicly speak in front of people. In
fall we spoke in front of six hundred people, so definitely moving from zero to six hundred is a huge
jump. It has guided me to where I want to go specifically, so after college what I want to study, also
things that interest me, what I want to do in the medical field. It also helps with people who think the
medical field is not for them, showing that you do need to study. Such events at competitions like medical
terminology, if you don’t study, you don’t move to the next round. So it just teaches you those really good
study habits as well, so it helped kinda guide me along the way through high school to kinda know what I
actually wanted to do,” Aviles Vargas said.
Joining HOSA isn’t a difficult task by any means. It is a simple process and if it is not for you
then there are no downsides to joining.
“HOSA is our extra curricular activity so it’s just for anybody who is interested in the medical
field. We always say come anyways if you don’t even know just so you can get to know, you can always
ask any one of the officers and they can tell you about their experience and more about HOSA. It’s just a
twenty-five dollar membership fee, you give it to our sponsors. Then we register you and then you are
officially a member. You can become a member without registering the only thing we say is if you don’t
want to compete you don’t have to register,” Aviles Vargas said.
Whether you are planning, interested, or don’t know if you want to be going into the medical field
going to a HOSA meeting can never hurt. Maybe you have no interest in the field, you can still gain so
much from joining. Anyone can join it with absolutely no cost and if you want to be a part of these
competitions it is only twenty-five dollars to register. All you need to do is bring the money to one of the
sponsors for HOSA, just head to J109 to learn more details. As do many organizations, you can get many
things from joining which can help you in high school and beyond especially for juniors and seniors who
may not exactly know what they want to do in college.
Feature

Teachers run marathons

Nicolas Weissenberg

Staff Writer

When teachers are not educating, they are usually grading papers or enjoying their free time. One way that some teachers enjoy their free time is by working on cardio and running half marathons. A single marathon is around 26 miles while half marathons are of course 13 miles.

“I run twice a year usually, I do the rock and roll marathons or half marathons, we do them in different places across the country,” English 3 AP teacher Justin Stephens said.

Stephens began running in marathons three years ago and last school year he took a leave of absence to participate in a half marathon that was set in Las Vegas. Although running sounds painful to some people, Stephens enjoys certain aspects of marathons.

“Knowing I can do it ‘cause I feel like I’m getting old and that it’s becoming less possible so I feel like the best part is taking some pride and accomplishing it,” Stephens said.

Stephens’s finds being proud and completing the half marathons as his favorite part. Though before you can complete anything, running in marathons takes some kind of preparation.

“I run about 15-20 miles a week leading up to the event. I eat pasta the night before. Other than that I just hope that I survive,” Stephens said.

High carb foods such as rice, potatoes and obviously pasta are very good sources of energy. A lot of energy is needed to complete half-marathons. Not only does running in marathons burn through your energy, but it also takes a toll on your feet.

“Shoes suffer damage and have to be replaced about every six months or so. My feet usually develop blisters and my knees hurt for about a week. So far, that has been the extent of personal damage,” Stephens said.

Even through the pain he remains proud. Dealing with the effects of running 13 miles is true commitment. Besides Stephens there is also another teacher on campus who participates in half marathons.

“I run at least three to four times a week. Last year was my first one. It’s a healthy way to relieve stress,” Biology and Anatomy teacher Kristin Pahl said.

Running 3-5 miles several times a week may sound insane to some people, but to Pahl it’s her weekly routine. Pahl has ran a total of four half marathons. Though participating in marathons is primarily to work out cardio, running them is apparently also a good stress reliever. Now onto the ground level of running. Most people usually run with shoes or at least some kind of footwear, but to most efficiently run marathons you can not buy just any shoes.

“You can’t buy cheap shoes. You have to have the right shoes. The most important thing is shoes,” Pahl said.

While running for long periods of time your shoes will endure some type of damage. Having the right shoes is the one way to ensure that you run at your full potential.

Feature

Theatre students qualify for nationals at Thes Fest

Sally Abdul Khalek

Feature Editor

Nationals will be taking place in the summer in Lincoln, Nebraska. Photo courtesy: https://www.schooltheatre.org/itf2019/home

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
Feature

Senior scores winning touchdown, wins game MVP

Bijou Davant

Staff Writer

The stadium lights shone down on the field, each crowd cheering on their teams with hopes of breaking the tie and winning the game. Senior Grant Rustan, player number 20 on the varsity team scored the winning touchdown in the final quarter of the game against Warren, breaking the tie and winning the game. The team is ranked second in the city while Warren is ranked fifth. The final score was 14-7 giving the Panthers 3 wins this season and 0 losses.

Everyone has rituals that get them ready and hyped before a game or performance, like doing a team chant, listening to music, or anything that gets them ready.

“I usually listen to my favorite artists, Chief Keef and Kodak Black before the games,” Rustan said.

Rustan is a talented and skilled player and he is beginning to plan for his future.

“I’ll be continuing playing football in college if I receive any D1 offers,” Rustan said.

Rustan’s touchdown was due to great team communication.

“My teammate ran me a quick glance, then I saw the ball being thrown, I stuck my foot, came down and caught the ball,” Rustan said.

Because of his play, Rustan received MVP of the game, and received a lot of praise from his team and school.

“It felt really cool. Everyone was really hyped and happy, but I think I was the happiest out of everyone. It was such a great feeling,” Rustan said.

The team continues to build up momentum and remains undefeated, after wins against Jay, 31-21, and Taft, 42-0.

Rustan in the moment of making the winning touchdown at the game against Warren on September 13, 2018
Photo by Zach Collisson
Feature

New school year, new faculty joins campus

Taylor Breig

Staff Writer

A wave of new teachers are Panthers for the 2018-2019 school year. With a team of new band directors, new science teachers, as well as new coaches and a new theatre teacher, this year is bound to have new experiences as well as new methods in learning.

Over the summer, after former head band director Roland Sandoval retired from directing, the three other band directors decided to pursue other opportunities. Some might have thought that all hope was lost for this year’s show IFly, but new band directors came into the lives of the Panther Band and from what has been seen, our band is in good hands for this upcoming competition season. One of the new directors is Michael Bradford, coming from Cornerstone High School, Bradford expresses excitement to be a band director and to continue the excellence of our legendary band. So what inspired this director to become one in the first place?

“My parents, who were both teachers, and the great band directors and music teachers that I had growing up,” Bradford stated.

Another incredible addition to the family is Gabe Valdez. Valdez is from here in San Antonio, graduating from Brackenridge High School and from the University of Houston. Valdez states that he wants to help students accomplish feats they never perceived as possible. Valdez said his inspiration to direct had come from his experiences in band throughout his own marching career. His goals for this year’s band still reigns what the former band directors hoped for,“To continue the long tradition of excellence that the band has experienced over the past decades,” Valdez said on his goals for this coming year and marching season.

  Of new elective teachers, there has been a new addition to the theatre family, Ashley Luebke. Coming from here in San Antonio, Luebke graduated from South San Antonio High School and the University of the Incarnate word with a BA in Theatre Arts. She enjoys to teach because, “I love seeing them grow and blossom as individuals and create something that they can show off to their families and friends.” Her enthusiasm for the theatre program brings in high hopes for this year’s theatre program.

One of two recent additions to the science department, Valerie Trevino. Graduating from Wagner High School and the University of the Incarnate Word, Trevino works here as a Physics teacher out in the portables. Her inspiration to teach had been how she grew up and how she read to her sister every night, and her goal for this coming year is,

“To have an amazing first year at O’Connor,”

  Joining the team of coaches, is new hire Coach Heiligman. Graduating from St. Mary’s University, Heiligman hopes to make an impact on young people’s lives. Heiligman endeavors to make a positive impact in his classroom and on the athletic field as a coach. His inspiration had been,

“All the teachers and coaches that I had were both good and bad. Good ones made me want to be like them, and the bad ones made me want to do it better than them,” brings excitement to Heiligman’s efforts for this coming year.

On behalf of the student body, we welcome the 19 new hires to the campus and wish them a successful year.

Feature

Senior advice for Class of 2022

Sytha Beth Ortiz

News Editor

This year we welcome the incoming Class of 2022 to join our Panther family. High school will expose you to a variety of new experiences and many new people, all of which are exciting things to look forward to, but tend to not be the main concerns of freshmen.The huge campus, new workload, freedom and responsibility that comes with each of your choices may be a lot to take in, but it is also a new start and it is important to make the most of it.While leaving middle school to start your years of high school can be intimidating, it is important to remember that everyone on campus was once a freshman too and experienced the same things. Here is some meaningful and lighthearted advice from the class of 2019 to guide you on your new journey.

“I recommend any croc of your design or color preference because they are good and fresh and also are good at let- ting you walk through puddles on rainy days,” senior Peyton Davis said.

Our campus is unique because it is outdoors, and while it has its perks, our campus changes with the weather. During the start of this school year we have received both a drizzle and storming rains, often soaking those walking around campus. Be sure to keep an eye on the weather and prepare yourself accordingly and comfortably, whether that means wearing crocs, jackets or even boots.

Along with our campus being outdoors, it is also vast with a total of twelve buildings and several portables.Although it may seem difficult to navigate, it is possible to arrive to all of your classes on time.

“It is easy to go from one side of the campus to the other. Don’t waste your time.We do have
seven minutes so it shouldn’t be that hard if you do what you need to,” Golduster senior Gaby Lopez said.

While the hallways and outside walkways can get crowded in certain areas, there are plenty of other ways to get around campus.

“If you need to get to somewhere fast, plan ahead and avoid the crowded areas.The back portable road is always more free and moveable,” Co-Head Student Athletic Trainer, senior Eric Queller said.

It is important to get to class on time, but you don’t need to worry so much that you run in the halls to class.This can be applied to things in school and out of school too.

“You don’t have to stress out about every little thing you do,” Lopez said.

Grades and all that come along with school is important, but you do need to take time for yourself and think through your decisions. On campus there are plenty of opportunities available that will allow you to meet new people outside of class such as clubs. Our campus has a wide range of clubs fit for students with several different interests ranging from Anime to Dungeons and Dragons, or even the newspaper club (selfless promo). If you have a specific interest there is more than likely a club for it.

“When you are a freshman you are just now finding out who you really are. Surround yourself with amazing friends and avoid people that don’t want to make you a better person,” Queller said.

With such a huge campus you are bound to meet many different types of people. It is important to stick to your ideals and surround yourself with positive people who won’t bring you down.

“I have learned that life isn’t that serious and its not worth it to be mixed in the muck of petty squabble,” Davis said.

We have all heard the phrase, “every- thing in high school feels like it’s the end of the world.” In the process of switching schools, you will lose friends or not be very close with your friends from middle school, and that is okay.You will all be meeting new people and making plenty of new friends as you go on throughout the school year in your classes, clubs, and even from other friends.

“Drama is a part of high school. Don’t let it affect you. None of the drama matters after you cross that stage and receive your diploma,” Quellar said.

Make sure to keep a positive mindset and remember that high school is a time when you will find out which people are truly your friends. High school is full of unexpected events so always keep an open mind and be willing to try new things and meet new people.

“The one thing I have learned from high school is to go with the flow. Life is not always going to be working in your favor,” Queller said.

Not everything will work according to a plan, and many times it will be for the better. Find a place you feel comfortable in and can call your second home, such as a class or a club (journalism is always welcoming new people). Also, don’t be afraid to be involved in school events; they’re a great way to connect with people on campus.

On a final note, good luck to the class of 2022. Before you know it, you’ll be crossing the stage in no time.

“When you are a freshman you are just now finding out who you really are. Surround yourself with amazing friends and avoid people that don’t want to make you a better person,” Queller said.

With such a huge campus you are bound to meet many different types of people.