HMS School Zone - Hobbs Chamber of Commerce

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HOBBS NEWS-SUN
HMS School Zone
THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 2011
Sponsored content provided by Hobbs Municipal Schools
Jeremiah Zamora, sitting
next to one of his band
instructors, John Duskey,
plays the trumpet during a
Southwest Symphony performance at Tydings
Auditorium. In addition to
being selected for the
orchestra, Zamora recently
was tapped to perform in an
elite drum and bugle corps.
Chalking
It Up
TJ Parks
HMS Superintendent
Should we
be Eagles
one and all?
D
uring the 2007 high school
football season, Hobbs
High School hosted the
Frenship High School
team from Wolforth, Texas. Based on
many comments I later heard, the
Hobbs community was impressed
with the support shown for the
Frenship Tiger football team as well
as its marching band.
An article even appeared in the
newspaper questioning how Hobbs
could increase its support of local
schools. A short time later, a group of
HMS staff traveled to Wolforth to
observe construction of their district’s new middle school as well as
other projects. I was in that group.
During this visit, we noticed all
Wolforth schools (including the six
elementaries) featured the Tiger blue
and gold color scheme as well as the
Tiger mascot. Wolforth students are
Frenship Tigers –regardless of
which elementary or middle school
they attend – from the moment they
enter kindergarten until they graduate from high school. The Frenship
staff explained that by unifying the
colors and mascot at each school, the
entire community is focused on supporting the Frenship Tigers.
This planted an idea about whether
standardization would work in Hobbs.
To some degree, it’s already occurring. Our recent purchases are aimed
at having uniform paint colors, desks
and furnishings for all buildings. We
also are considering whether to adopt
one mascot and color scheme – the
Eagle and Black and Gold – for all secondary schools.
I emphasize that this change is
only under consideration, particularly given the traditions long associated with our junior high schools.
But the fact is, we’ve already made
the change at one school. When
Heizer Junior High became the
Freshmen School in 1999, we wanted
those students to understand they
were truly Eagles and a part of
Hobbs High School. HMS painted
and replaced most hardscapes of the
Heizer Blue Hornets.
Because the Freshmen School converts back to Heizer in August, does
it make sense to bring back the
Hornets and blue color scheme?
And should we continue with the
Red Demons at Houston – a mascot
in our community to which many
object – while maintaining the
Green Highland Bears?
Or is now the perfect time to have
all three middle schools adopt the
Eagle as a mascot and Black and
Gold as their colors?
Whichever decision is made will
involve some expense. However, all
three buildings are routinely painted
as part of annual upkeep. Uniforms
for each sport and activity are likewise replaced on a regular basis.
Money for the conversion would
come from existing mill money – not
from teacher salaries and is available
thanks to the local strong economy.
Parents, in fact, might actually save
money by buying Eagle shirts beginning in sixth-grade that can be used
as a school identifier all the way
through 12th grade.
The issue of whether to convert
all secondary schools to the Eagle
mascot is one on which I’d like
community input. The question
boils down to preserving traditions versus adopting a unified
logo that could result in the kind
of community pride seen in other
towns.
Please visit our web page at
www.hobbsschools.net and click on
the “Mascot Survey” at the top of the
page. Your opinion matters.
Three HHS band members play with Southwest Symphony
Moving up a chair
Three Hobbs High School students were among the 48-member
orchestra
when
Southwest
Symphony performed this week in
Hobbs, Lovington and Tatum.
Michael Bradley, Heather Etter
and Jeremiah Zamora are the first
high school students to perform
with the symphony since it was
established in 1983. They were
selected for the honor by HHS Band
director
Rusty
Crowe
after
Symphony Manager Cindy Walker
and the rest of the symphony brass
came up with the idea.
“We thought it would be a great
way to involve students and give
them a chance to hear different
instrumentations and pieces they
haven’t heard before,” Walker said.
“Plus, our long-range goal is to one
day hopefully add a string section
to the high school band.”
Crowe said he selected the three
musicians because they each are
first chair in their instrument –
Bradley plays trombone, Etter the
flute and Zamora the trumpet – as
well as being section leaders in the
marching band.
“They’re very reliable, awesome
kids,” Crowe said. “They just give
above and beyond what you ask.”
Playing selections geared specifically to children, including Tommy
the Tuba, indeed was a change in
musical genre as well as cohorts.
“It’s an opportunity to learn from
people who play music professionally,” Etter said. “They’ve been
doing this for a lot longer than we
have.”
After rehearsing with the orchestra for an entire day, the students
performed on Monday and Tuesday,
an initial step that two of them, at
least, hope will be the first in a
musical career.
Zamora, best known as the trumpet soloist at Hobbs Eagle football
games, wants some day to make his
living performing in front of large
crowds.
“It’s so much fun,” he said. “I really look forward to halftime. I’m not
nervous at all. I’m not someone
who chokes.”
Michael Bradley,
Jeremiah Zamora and
Heather Etter (above),
pose with Southwest
Symphony conductor
Mark Jelinek, a 1972
HHS graduate. At right,
Etter performs during
Tuesday’s concert for
HMS third and fourthgraders. Seated behind
her and playing the
clarinet is Mary Grace
Roberson, the sixthgrade band teacher
who gave Etter and the
other two high school
musicians their start.
Maybe that’s because the high
school junior practices for about 90
minutes each day after school in
the high school band room.
“That way when (Mr.) Crowe
hears something I’m doing
wrong, he can fix it. If I’m at
home, he can’t help me.”
In addition to performing with
the symphony, Zamora took another step toward his career goal last
month after he auditioned with 500
others in San Antonio and was
selected to be a member of the
Crossmen Drum Corps.
In contrast, Bradley is a multidi-
mensional senior who is also active
in choir and the drama department. He hopes to one day become a
choir or band director.
“I feel music is a good way to, not
control, but moderate your emotions almost,” Bradley said. “When
you’re singing an uplifting song in
choir or playing upbeat music, you
can change people’s mood. You can
make them happy.”
Etter, also a senior, picks up her
flute when she feels like relaxing.
“I get calm,” she said. “I really
don’t know how to explain it.”
And even though she hopes to one
day to have a career in forestry or
geology, Etter knows music will
always be a part of her life.
“I’m not going to stop playing,”
she said. “I’m attached. Maybe I’ll
play in college and in a symphony
orchestra after I graduate.”
Coincidentally, each of the three
students got their musical start in
Mary Grace Roberson’s sixth-grade
band classes at different schools.
The now-retired teacher’s instruction, as well as admiring older kids
and siblings who marched in
parades and at the football game,
was the initial attraction. And now,
as the students make the transition
to become lifelong music lovers, the
baton has been passed.
Prior to the concerts, each student
visited elementary schools with
other Southwest Symphony members to explain the intricacies and
joy of their instruments. Then they
performed for students during
abbreviated daytime concerts or
the community during a longer
concert on Monday night.
“Everybody said they did a great
job,” Walker said. “They fit in.”
One special audience member
during the HMS concert was Petra
Castillo, Zamora’s sister and a
fourth grader at Taylor elementary
school.
“I feel like a role model to her and
some of the other kids who want to
join band or do something really
cool,” Zamora said. “It’s a lot of
fun.”