Eagles notch homecoming victory

INSIDE
Sports — Kaleb Vasquez
runs at state, page 2.
———
News — ISSN program
thrives at Brack, page 3.
———
Features — Eagles enjoy
homecoming, page 4.
———
Entertainment — Dia de los
Muertos, page 5.
Volume 6
November 2012
Issue 2 — HOMECOMING!
Eagles notch homecoming victory
Brackenridge beats
Highlands 42-17.
By Davida Osuna
Staff Writer
The battle of the birds
took place this past Friday when
the Brackenridge Eagles took on
the Highlands Owls in a homecoming game for both teams.
The Eagles defeated the Owls
42-17, making them 6-4 overall
and third in District 28-4A with
a 4-2 record in league play. This
was the Eagles fourth straight
win, and with this homecoming
win they are headed to the state
playoffs.
Brackenridge
plays
Alamo Heights at 2 p.m. Saturday at Alamo Stadium for the
bi-district title.
The Eagles’ strengths
this year has been team speed
and strong leadership for their
seniors, but their weaknesses
have been lack of discipline and
inconsistency.
Senior defensive end
Yahir Hilario, a.k.a. Yady said,
“They had it coming,” referring
to the Owls.
Senior right guard
Raymond Rose added, “it was
a big game for us and we had a
lot to prove. They kept running
there mouths and it was time for
us to shut them.”
For the seniors it was
their last homecoming game
and therefore meant a lot more.
Hilario said, “I can’t
believe it was here already. I’m
going to miss football with the
long tiring practices along with
most of the seniors.”
As a captain Hilario
said he took it as a privilege
and an honor because he was
picked. Like the other seniors
on the team, he wanted to be a
role model for the underclassmen and always do what was
right just as most captains do.
Other captains of the
team included Carlos Landeros,
Rose and Stanley Sorrell.
This wasn’t just a great
day for the seniors, though.
Head coach Willie Hall made
a coaching milestone with his
100th career win.
Hall said, “It was an
honor to have these boys on my
team and to make this memory
with them.”
As a reward the offensive line dumped the ceremonial jug of water on him, making it, perhaps, an even better
E.J. Fernandez/staff
NOT IN OUR HOUSE: (Above) The
football players rally in the center of
the mall area as they get ready to play
Highlands for their homecoming game
later that night.
(Left) Junior quarterback Ramon Richards runs the ball out of bounds after
picking up the first down during the
Eagles’ homecoming game against
Highlands Nov. 9 at Alamo Stadium.
The Eagles won 42-17 and clinched a
spot in the state playoffs.
EAGLES/Page 8
Obama elected for four more years
San Antonio, Brackenridge
favored democratic nominee.
By Aaron Covarrubias
News Editor
On Nov. 6 voters went to the polls to decide
whether or not to give president Barack Obama a second term or to replace him with the republican challenger, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.
Despite heavy media coverage of the race,
some Brackenridge students know little of the contest.
Sophomore Judy Olivares said she didn’t
know much. “All I know is Obama won.”
The president won the election to a second
term with some 50 percent of the popular vote to Romney’s 48.
In the electoral college, the president won
with 322 votes to Romney’s 206.
During the campaign, the issue that seemed to
take center stage was the economy and many Brackenridge students seemed to echo that belief.
Sophomore Bianca Marie Galvan said, “I
thought Governor Romney had better solutions to what
ELECTION/Page 8
E.J. Fernandez/staff
COUNT IT: Local San Antonians stand in line waiting to vote at this year’s election, which took place
Tuesday, Nov. 6.
2
Sports
Vasquez races to state
Brackenridge wins
district CC race.
By Jacob Ovalle
Staff Writer
Jacob Ovalle/staff
ON THE PATH TO STATE: (Above) Senior Kaleb Vasquez
finished first at the district cross country meet and ran well
enough at regionals to qualify for the state meet, where he
finished 16th.
On the day of the big
district race for the Brackenridge
cross country team the boys were
calm and nerves were pretty
steady. They all knew they had
prepared for this moment and
trained hard for a long time.
Co-captain Jordan Salazar, a senior, took a pause before the district meet and said,
“The accumulation of four years
of hard work and sweat will be
shown in my last district cross
country meet.”
The other co-captain,
senior Kaleb Vasquez, only remarked that he was “anxious and
ready.”
The Eagles won district
as Vasquez led the way.
The Eagles trained rigorously with a brutal schedule that
had them at school at 6 o’clock in
the morning and running a minimum of six miles every day.
Girls head coach John
Hierholzer told the both teams
Standings
2012 Region IV-4A
Cross Country results
Team
Points 1. Boerne Champion 68
2. Cedar Park
94
3. Mercedes
142
———
13. Brackenridge
296
before the race, “spend all your
energy so you can come out as
district champions. It’s going to
hurt, it’s going to be a struggle.
“It’s that struggle that
makes the race worth it,” he
added. “the pride you deserve.
You have the character and will
power, so focus on the race and
then the fun will follow.”
Through valid effort
from both boys and girls varsity,
the results were decided. Although the girls were not recognized as district champions this
year, they without a doubt gave it
their all.
However, for the 10th
time in a row the boys remained
district champions, even beating
the hands-down favored team
Brennan High School, denying
the Bears at least one district title
Volleyball takes second in district
Annual Dig for the Cure
match raises money.
By Chyla Connell
Staff Writer
Home to the purple and white
Lady Eagles, the volleyball team kicked
off the 2012-13 school year with a respectable volleyball season.
The Brackenridge volleyball
team placed second in district with a
record of 13-3, and an overall record of
16-19. Brackenridge volleyball consisted of three teams (freshman, JV, and the
representing team Varsity).
Brennan (30-10, 16-0) won the
district undefeated, while Lanier and
Edison tied for third.
Head coach Tara Gaffaney said,
“Our volleyball season was pretty good.
We had to fight hard to stay in second
place, but it was good that we were able
to fight back and become second.”
E.J. Fernandez/staff
DIGGING FOR THE CURE: (Above) The Brackenridge volleyball team plays in the
annual Dig for the Cure match at Alamo Convocation Center.
The volleyball team had three team captains this year. One captain was hand
pick by the coach and it was senior Yesenia Martinez. The other co-captains
were chosen by the players.
It was a tough battle for the
Lady Eagles, but they fought hard to
stay in second.
this year.
Vasquez blew away
his competitors to take first. The
team qualified for regionals and
although did not qualify for state
as a team, Vasquez qualified yet
again, showing his enormous
potential. He improved his place
since last year coming in fifth at
regionals and 16th place at the
state competition compared to his
10th place at regional and 20th
place at state last year.
Although the top two
seniors graduate, the Eagles still
have a young, determined team
focused on winning an 11th
straight title next year. With the
help from experienced head
coach Otho “Eddie” Jordan, the
team will the one to beat again
next year.
While the boys have
much to do before next season, so
too do the girls, to meet the par
their counterpart keeps setting for
them.
Coach Hierholzer works
with them just as much as coach
Jordan works with the boys, and
with his motivation and the girls
dedication, next year they will be
able to exceed their limit and be
great next year.
Standings
2012-13 District 28-4A
HS Volleyball Standings
(Final)
Team All Dist
Brennan
30-10 16-0
Brackenridge 19-20 13-3
Lanier
17-15 11-5
Edison
16-25 11-5
Jefferson
12-16 8-8
Highlands
9-27 7-9
Fox Tech
10-30 3-10
Burbank
4-26 3-13
YWLA
3-30 0-16
The Lady Eagles went to the
playoffs and lost in the first round to
Alamo Heights, but coach Gaffaney said
she hopes she will take the ladies threw
more rounds in the playoffs next year.
The volleyball team was outscored 3-0 in by the Lady Mules.
LADY EAGLES/Page 8
News
3
ISSN program grows at Brack
Foreign language classes
open doors to the world.
By Destiny Garcia
Asst. Entertainment Editor
The ISSN (International Studies School Network) Program is new to
the Brackenridge campus. It is a program
designed to enhance the learning of those
who are in the language program.
The program gives students
that are in the language magnet school a
chance to experience things from different countries. The program also tries to
attract new students that want to learn a
new language and be able to give them
the best experience the school can give
them.
Each student has been put in a
class with a teacher that has been qualified and trained in using culture and language in their teachings. This program
has been around for a few months and
many language students are taking advantage of the opportunity.
At first it was a little shaky,
getting the language students settled in
with the right teachers, but as the year
went on they now have everyone in their
rightful place.
Cynthia Gonzalez, a 10th grader, said, “I think the foreign language department here at Brack is great and helpful. Kids will have better opportunities
in the future.”
Gonzalez has been taking Chi-
nese for three years now. She is still going strong and is determined to learn the
language fluently.
Students not in the language
program believe it is easy to learn a new
language but once they get involved they
now understand the challenges. Ms. Jia
Hui Downs is the Chinese teacher, but
she also teaches Algebra II. Ms. Downs
started her Chinese program this year
and already has 42 students.
“I believe students come to
Brackenridge because of the language
magnet program. Students realize now
that it is beginning to be global instead
of just being about individual countries,”
she said.
Being able to speak more than
one language gives people more oppor-
tunities to find jobs around the world.
“Over the years I’ve learned
three languages, those languages are
Spanish, English, and Chinese,” Oscar
Cardenas, a 10th grader, said. “Being
able to learn a new language can be a
huge challenge if you don’t put effort
into it, but if you enjoy the language you
are learning it can be life changing.”
Some students would love
to travel the world, but many of those
students might have no idea what the
language is or how to speak it. Brackenridge gives those students a chance
to learn many languages including Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, French, German, Latin and Russian.
To apply for the magnet programs, the deadline is today.
Technology evolves Emmy Award Winners
quickly every year
Media magnet
teaches hi-tech.
By Alyssa Cruz
Asst. Features Editor
Society has become
more and more involved with
technology and every year
technology evolves faster. It’s
almost funny how mankind
went from being helpless animals that didn’t have any fur for
the winter or any claws to hunt,
to the top of the food chain and
creating technology that allows
the world to run itself.
Some people think
technology is a great thing, that
it is a mark of the achievements
of humans as a society. It is no
question that people depend on
technology, but what parents
and many others are concerned
about is the amount of independence we might be losing.
“I think we rely on
technology a lot, but not too
much, just enough to where
it’s become necessary,” Oscar
Cardenas, a 10th grader, said.
However,
despite
Cardenas’ reassurance, most of
the world thinks that technology might be the cause for mankind’s undoing. It isn’t a new
concept. The idea of computers
taking over the world has been
created in many movies such as
I-Robot, A.I., The Net, The Matrix, Terminator and Transformers.
Not only is it a secret
fear that one day our shiny objects might take over. It seems
that technology has already
consumed our lives. People are
completely obsessed with the
next new gadget that’s coming
out. They just have to have the
new iphone5 or blue ray DVD,
and once they have it there is
already something better about
to come out.
“It’s crazy,” Cynthia
Gonzales, a sophomore, said.
“One day you have a computer, the next day they have an
iPad, you just never know what
they’ll come up with next.”
Although it seems obvious that we shouldn’t let ourselves be sucked in by glitz and
glam. Many teenagers seemed
to be hypnotized by computers
and phones spending each waking moment glued to a screen,
constantly checking their text
messages, Facebook pages and
Tumblr accounts.
“I think we’ve substituted e-mail, texts, and tweets
for real relationships,” said
Courtesy photo
AWARD WINNERS: (Above) Congratulations and a special Eagle Accolade go out to Mr. Robert Blackard and the Brack media program students. Six Brackenridge media magnet students
participated in a series of Spanish language newscasts called “Proyecto U.” Brack students
teamed up with Broadcast students from area universities to produce four newscasts aired on
Univision station KWEX-41 in March and April of 2012. That program won an Emmy Award.
The winners were Desirae Lopez, Eric Lopez, Cesar Guardado, Alejandra Mancha, Sophia Ferrara and Esmeralda Montero. Brack Media students acted as camera studio and field camera
operators, video editors, live graphics, video playback and floor manager.
Mr. Robert Blackard, who is
one of the media teachers here
at Brackenridge and part of
the media magnet program. “I
love working with technology,
but for some people they miss
their whole life because they’re
too busy staring at their phones.
People have stopped experiencing life and have started making
everything about technology. I
want my life to be up front and
have technology there to support it.”
Technology has also
advanced amazingly in the medical field. Technology has made
it possible to recover a burnt
victim from scars and wounds
or to provide a prosthetic limb
to someone who might have
had an unfortunate accident.
Technology has also made great
strides in early detection of diseases thanks to MRI machines,
DNA testing, unevasive surgeries and other types of scanners.
Technology
might
seem to be moving too fast and
some schools or people can’t
keep up, but it also seems that
the benefits of technology outweigh the negatives.
4
Features
Seniors enjoy last homecoming
Campos, Berry voted
2012 Queen, King.
By Janeth Bahena
Staff Writer
Homecoming is tradition at
many universities, colleges and high
schools throughout the country. For
Brackenridge it usually comes in early
November. For many Eagles it is a special time of year.
It starts with spirit week, then
the big pep rally the morning of the game
(or the day before), then the homecoming game and finally the homecoming
dance.
It kicks off with spirit week
which means every day of that week everyone can dress up. Monday was Flashback Day as the students dressed up like
their parents or grandparents when they
were in school. Tuesday was Neon Day
as the students wore pink, yellow and
green neon shirts and shoes. Wednesday
was Cowboy Day so the students wore
boots, jeans and shirts with snaps. Some
wore cowboy hats (not inside of course).
Thursday was Jinx Day with everyone
wearing maroon, the color of homecoming rival Highlands. Finally, Friday was
Spirit Day with students wearing purple
and gold.
It’s a fun experience for just
about everyone, but especially for the se-
E.J. Fernandez/staff
HOMECOMING 2012: (Above) Brackenridge students
dance the night away in the mall area of the high school
during the 2012 Homecoming Dance “Under the Sea” on
Saturday, Nov. 10.
(Left) The 2012 Brackenridge High School Homecoming
Queen Erica Campos and King Anthony Berry enjoy the
homecoming game as the Eagles battle Highlands Nov. 9
at Alamo Stadium.
niors with it being their last spirit week,
homecoming dance and game.
Senior Jeremy Ortegon said, “I
can’t believe this is our last pep rally and
game and dance. It was awesome. I had
an awesome time with all my friends”
The pep rally on Friday is the
biggest pep rally of the year. Many students stay late on Thursday night to create many different banners. The pep rally
began early, about 7:45 a.m. and on that
day many students showed their spirit by
wearing mums and painted their faces.
Senior Kimberly Santa Cruz
said, “The pep rally was so much fun,
especially for the seniors being our last
pep rally. I thought it was pretty cool.”
That same day they announced
the homecoming queen and king. Students voted for one of two nominees.
The 2012 Homecoming Queen was Erica Campos and King Anthony Berry.
After that is the homecoming
game. Brack beat Highlands 42-17 and
the homecoming court was recognized
at halftime.
Finally, there was the homecoming dance, which was the next day
after the homecoming game. The dance
theme was Under the Sea and it was a
night where students could dress casual,
dance and have fun.
Junior Kaylee Jenells said,
“Homecoming was pretty cool. Many
things happened and everyone was having a great time.”
Thanksgiving means coming together, eating lots of food
Turkey, tamales
seem to be favs.
By Brianna Morales
Staff Writer
Thanksgiving is the
holiday for giving thanks and
sharing companionship. Every
year for Thanksgiving Americans gather around a big table
of yummy food and say to each
other what we are thankful for
in their lives. Then they eat lots
of food like turkey and stuffing,
mashed potatoes, corn and other
delicious food. Pie for dessert,
if there’s room.
But what is the true
meaning of Thanksgiving?
When the pilgrims left
Plymouth, England on Sep. 6,
Favorite thing to eat
on Thanksgiving?
Turkey or Ham
Tamales
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Pie
Other
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
Number of students (more than 800 polled)
1620 they sailed out to discover
a whole new world free of religious persecution. All the passengers on the ship had to live
through the harsh storms of the
big sea, but soon the pilgrims
hit land in Massachusetts in late
November. On Dec. 11, they
signed the “Mayflower Compact” — America’s first document of civil government. Then
the pilgrims decided to have a
big feast with their new Indian
friends, natives of the land.
“I am most thankful
for my family and my friends
and I’m glad they are part of my
life,” junior Brittney Morales
said.
Of course everyone is
thankful for their family, but
what else is there other than
them?
“I’m thankful for having a home to live in and being
able to have food and spend as
much time as possible with my
family,” junior Sarah Fletcher
said.
“I’m thankful for my
coach and my friends, those
who stood by me,” said senior
Kaleb Vasquez, who ran in the
state cross country meet this
past week.
Most people experience Thanksgiving with different family traditions like playing games, going out instead
of making a big dinner, or just
hanging out at home with family watching football.
“I like how the family gets together and talks and
laughs about old memories,”
junior Brianna Harvey said.
For some, the best part
about Thanksgiving is the food.
“My favorite part
of Thanksgiving is by far the
food,” Vasquez said.
In some cultures it
is tradition to have tamales on
Thanksgiving.
“My favorite foods on
Thanksgiving is mashed potatoes and turkey,” junior Ian Segura said.
Entertainment
5
Hispanics celebrate deceased
Dia de los Muertos
is a time to remember.
By Lenzy Mora
Features Editor
Day of the dead is a celebration
that originated from Mexico and has
been celebrated all around the world. In
Mexico it’s called Dia de los Muertos.
The tradition of day of the dead consists
of many things.
“I know the Day of the Dead
came from Mexico, and I like it because it’s my roots. It’s nice to celebrate
something that my ancestors more than
likely celebrated. It’s a beautiful time to
remember loved ones who are gone but
never forgotten,” sophomore Hayley Segura said.
Altars are made to honor and
to place pictures and sentimental items
that belonged to the deceased. Food is
brought to the cemetery to feed the deceased their favorite meal. Water is not
only placed on altars but it is also taken
to the grave itself. Water is brought to
refresh the dead from the long walk they
have had.
The marigold flower is seen on
altars and graves. This flower represents
the flower of the dead. Their scent is believed to attract the souls and draw them
back.
A special bread that takes a part
in this celebration is called pan de dia de
muertos.
Skulls are the common symbol
that is shown throughout the holiday. In
the art work made for the holiday shows
the skull symbol is used in many different ways. Masks are made, faces are
painted to look like the face of a skull
and sugar skulls are decorated.
Every year Nov. 1 is All Saints
Day. This day honors all the known and
unknown saints that have passed on.
Nov. 2 is reserved to honor all souls.
“You get to remember and visit
your loved ones that passed away. My
family likes to make an altar and decorate it really nicely,” junior Kenia Munoz said.
Day of the dead is meant to let
the passed on souls know that they are
not forgotten. The celebration is meant
to bring not only the soul back, but to
bring families together to remember
memories and just gather and celebrate
their loved ones life.
“I think Day of the Dead is a really good time for people who have lost
loved ones to remember them and cher-
Courtesy photo
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS ART:
(left) Some Brackenridge High
School artists participated in
the hand crafted art show Nov.
2 and 3 at La Villita celebrating
Dia de los Muertos (Day of the
Dead), a holiday recognized
by Mexico and Mexican-Americans.
ish the time that they were here. Some
of my family go to the graves and tell
stories,” junior Alexah Lopez said.
There are many different types
of foods prepared for Day of the Dead.
Most of the food that is made comes
from Mexican tradition. Tamales, sauces,
soups and stews, enchiladas, chalupa’s,
sweets, and beverages like horchata,
agua de tamarindo, and agua de Jamaica
which is a hibiscus flower water.
This celebration has many different ways of honoring and celebrating
the life of all souls, from altars that are
decorated with many marigolds, candles,
pictures and sentimental items of the
souls that have passed on. Taking water
and favorite meals to the grave.
Popularity of television sitcoms fade over years
Family Guy seems
to be most popular.
By Felicia Rodriguez
Entertainment Editor
It is not a surprise that
most Brackenridge students
have a favorite television show.
TV sitcoms are categorized as
comedies, romantic-comedies
or musicals. Some even contain
a mixture of these genres.
Some students may or
may not have heard of a sitcom
from the 80s called “The Cosby
Show.” It aired for eight seasons
on NBC from Sep. 20, 1984
until April 30, 1992. The show
focused on the Huxtable family,
an affluent African-American
family living in Brooklyn, New
York. Bill Cosby played the dad
as the show was based loosely
on his life.
“A lot of the shows
Favorite comedy show
to watch on TV?
Family Guy
Two and a Half Men
Modern Family
How I Met Your Mother
The Big Bang Theory
Other
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
Number of students (more than 800 polled)
from the 80s are actually so
funny and cheesy, I really like
them,” junior Alexah Lopez
said.
Other past popular
sitcoms that might still be in reruns today, and might be recognized by Brackenridge students
include Full House, Family
Guy, Saved by the Bell, The
Simpsons, The Fresh Prince of
Bel-Air, Seinfeld and Friends.
Family Guy is an
American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for
the Fox Broadcasting Company
and is still very popular today,
especially with Brack students.
“Family Guy was
awesome back when I was in
middle school, but now I think
it’s very childish and boring,”
Yaqueline De León said.
MacFarlane pitched
a seven-minute pilot to Fox
on May 15, 1998. He initially
conceived Family Guy in 1995
while studying animation at the
Rhode Island School of Design
(RISD).
Saved By the Bell is an
American television sitcom that
aired between 1989 and 1993.
The series follows the exploits
of a group of close friends and
their principal at the fictional
Bayside High School in Palisades, California. The sitcom
name came from being “saved”
by a school bell ringing when a
student is unprepared to answer
a question. Saved By the Bell
helped launch their careers as
celebrities such as Mario Lopez
and Elizabeth Berkley.
Full House is an
American sitcom television se-
ries set in San Francisco. The
show originally ran in prime
time from Sep. 22, 1987 to May
23, 1995 on ABC. The series
ran as part of ABC’s TGIF Friday comedy lineup for its first
four seasons before moving to
Tuesday nights, where it aired
for the remainder of its run. The
series originally ran for eight
seasons, and 192 episodes.
Other popular shows today
are Modern Family, The Big
Bang Theory, How I Met Your
Mother, New Girl and 2 Broke
Girls.
Sitcoms are not as
popular as they once were. Today the highest ratings are for
“reality” shows and musical
competitions.
“Without television
shows people would probably
say they are bored more than
usual,” Jorge Gutierrez said.
“Too many people watch too
much TV.”
6
Editorial
Off-campus lunch not an option
Extra tables somewhat
relieve crowded lunches.
By Jessica Pacheco
Asst. News Editor
Ever since the new schedule
change from A-B modified schedule day
to all eight classes for 45 minutes per
day, we went to two lunches instead of
three, making the lunches very crowded
this year.
Not only did the schedule
change cause more crowded lunches,
but also the fact that we have a lot more
freshmen this year than usual resulted in
more overall students who need to eat
lunch.
Obviously, most seniors see
off campus lunch as a solution to this. “I
think they should at least let us seniors
get to leave to go get something to eat
during lunch, that way the other classes
get more room to eat in the cafeteria,”
senior Brianna Violette said.
There
are
not many senior
who would be opposed to off-campus lunch.
“I
don’t
see why we don’t
have off campus
lunch, it’s a winJessica
win situation for
everyone,” senior
Pacheco
Stephanie Lopez
said. “At least reward the students with good attendance
or something.”
As simple as off campus lunch
seems, it’s not. Having off campus lunch
is a big safety issue for the school, the
students and the parents. Students from
other schools would be able to come
in and out of the school as they please,
which could lead up to drama. There
would also be no supervision outside of
campus, which can be unsafe.
“We can not control what goes
on outside of this school. That’s the
biggest issue,” said Assistant Principal
Rickey Harrell said.
Not only is safety a problem
for having off-campus lunch but also
time. There is only 45 minutes per lunch
period and not that many places to eat
nearby that have reasonable prices. The
small amounts of restaurants that are
nearby would most likely be very packed
during off-campus lunch making it hard
to get back to school on time.
There are other restaurants
nearby, but they are expensive, and not
exactly fast with service.
“Off campus lunch is not my
vision. A safe secure environment is,”
Principal Moises Ortiz said.
Although students don’t agree
with not having off campus lunch,
parents do. They don’t like the idea of
knowing that their kids can go in and
out of the school without supervision.
“There are many dangers outside of school and I would not like it
if my daughter will be allowed to be
around those dangers. That’s why I’m
glad the school doesn’t have off campus
lunch,” said Anna Torres, a mother of a
student at Brackenridge.
Students may not be able to
have off campus lunch, but parents can
bring their children food or take their
children out to lunch as well.
“I like how when I don’t want
the school food my mom can bring me
something to eat,” Yaneli Sanchez said.
Brackenridge made some adjustments like adding more tables in the
cafeteria and allowing students to go
outside in some areas.
“The changes this year don’t
compare to having off campus lunch,
but they sure make it better,” senior
Ashley Hernandez said.
(Jessica Pacheco is a student writer/
columnist. Her opinions and comments do not reflect the views of the district or school.)
Social cliques emphasize Brackenridge’s diversity
Many teens choose to hang out
with a wide range of friends.
By Jacob Ovalle
Staff Writer
Everyone wants to belong and have friends,
and it’s no different at Brackenridge High school.
The thing many people tend to ignore is social
differences that define who we are. Many students belong with a specific group of friends that either makes
it easier or harder to have friends in the school. These
groups, or social clicks, define a person to have a trend
that is easily recognized by others.
These “social cliques” might be something
as simple as dark mascara that some may consider
“Goth.” Or these people might fit in with a group for
something more complicated like their personality.
Although it might be possible to belong to
many different types of social clicks. One can be athletic and hold respect for his or her skill which helps
them get along with other “jocks,” and yet still be
smart and considered a “nerd.” Just how many social
clicks does Brackenridge hold in its wall? And, do they
all just get along or disregard one another?
Junior Isidro Sandoval said, “They fight sometimes. It usually over the sports or some girl. Some of
the sports just don’t prefer each other and mock one
another.”
Senior Gregorio Perez said, “I rarely see conflict between groups.”
The older students easily recognize that the
school does have clicks, something that incoming
Jacob
Ovalle
freshman should
understand if they
want to avoid certain groups with
negative
reputaE.J. Fernandez/staff
tions.
SENIOR CLIQUE: (Above) Many seniors, who were part of many different cliques or no
The ques- cliques at all, sat together at the 2012 homecoming game at Alamo Stadium.
tion presented is if
nerds, skaters, gamers, choir, hipsters, gothic, band,
it’s possible to be
included in more than one. It’s possible to belong with drama, ESL and perhaps a few more, which shows
many groups, but tolerance for other friends will be how diverse the school is. Certain social groups can
lower, because their personality differs since they are also be determined by age or grade level. Some seniors
only like to hang out with seniors.
more of that social group.
Incoming freshman should know that they
The thing that stands out though is that Brack- enridge does not have many fights since everyone should find someone they can relate. Whichever group
stays to themselves. Everyone can acknowledge their a student “hangs” with they should enjoy their time
differences, act maturely or just avoid one another. The here. This diversity can be thought of as good seeing
tables in the lunch room have been split where people how one can never be alone here at Brackenridge High
can see more of one social click presented at a time. school.
(Jacob Ovalle is a student writer/columnist. His opinions
The social clicks at Brackenridge range from jocks, and comments do not reflect the views of the district or school.)
Eagle Briefs
Tryouts for soccer
set for Nov. 26-27.
Tryouts for the Brackenridge varsity and junior varsity boys soccer teams will take
place at 7 a.m. Monday, Nov.
26 and at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Nov.
27. Any Brackenridge student
wishing to play soccer this year
must attend both days of tryout.
All players need to bring their
cleats and a positive attitude.
For more information
contact coach Jair Ortiz.
ensemble is on a Texas tour
and only will stop at one other
school in the state.
The San Antonio
Chamber Music Society, which
has been in existence for 70
years, made the arrangements
for Misha Rachlevsky’s ensemble to make two stops in the
city.
Just Keep Swimming
Magnet Fair takes
place at ACC.
Mariachi Aguila
named Best in SA.
On Oct. 20 Mariachi
Aguila (The Brackenridge High
School mariachi organization)
participated in the First Corazon de San Antonio Mariachi
Contest.
Mariachi Aguila won
first place, a check for $1,500
and the title “Best High School
Mariachi in San Antonio.”
Other high school mariachi bands that participated
were Jefferson varsity, Fox
Tech varsity, Fox Tech JV, Lanier varsity, Holmes varsity and
Southwest varsity.
Three members of
Mariachi Aguila were selected
for the All-Star Mariachi Corazon de San Antonio. They were
Oscar Garza, Armando Herrera
and John Nieto, jr.
For more information
about Mariachi Aguila contact
Mr. John Nieto, sr..
E.J. Fernandez/staff
BACK IN THE WATER: (Above) A Brackenridge swimmer gets ready to start a race in the
backstroke at a recent swim meet. The Eagles began their season earlier this month.
What did you think of the play
Neighborhood 3, performed by BTL?
Everything was awesome.
Actors were great, but story was not great.
Interesting story, but the acting was sub-par.
I didn’t like it at all.
Underclassmen
visit St. Mary’s.
Mr. Jacob Alonso took
a group of Brackenridge ninth
and 10th grade students to visit
St. Mary’s Law School.
There they met with
two deans, Victoria Mather
and Rey Valencia, who spoke
to them about becoming a lawyer and potential careers in law.
They then had a discussion
about law school and what kind
of activities lawyers do on a
daily basis. They finally took a
campus tour and learned more
about a day in the life of a law
school student.
The law school faculty
commented that they were excellent students and hoped they
would consider St. Mary’s Law
7
I didn’t get to see it.
0
Other
30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360
Number of Brackenridge students (more than 800 polled)
School after getting a 4-year
degree.
TAFE collecting
gifts for SACS.
The
Brackenridge
TAFE (Texas Association of
Future Educators) began a holiday project to collect toys or
gifts for less fortunate families
and single mothers on Monday, Nov. 12 and will continue
through Dec. 11.
They will be collect-
ing baby items (newborn to 36
months) to fill stockings for the
San Antonio Children’s Shelter. These stockings go to those
young single parents and parents who might not be able to
celebrate Christmas with gifts.
To donate gifts people
can put items in Ms. Teresa Eddleman’s mailbox, or e-mail her
at [email protected] and a
TAFE will pick it up. They also
will have a box during lunch to
drop them off.
Russian orchestra
performs at Brack.
Hundreds of high
school students who have never
heard a live classical chamber
orchestra got a chance to experience one of the most famed
ensembles to ever grace a stage
when the Chamber Orchestra
Kremlin played at Brackenridge High School Auditorium
on Oct. 15.
The 17-piece string
The public was invited to learn about the excellent
educational possibilities open
to next year’s 6th-graders and
freshmen at the SAISD Magnet Fair on Oct. 3 at the Alamo
Convocation Center.
Enrollment is open to
current 5th- and 8th-graders
from throughout Bexar County,
no matter which school they
otherwise would go to.
The deadline for
SAISD students to turn in their
application to their school
counselor is today. Applications from students who attend
schools outside the district are
due to SAISD’s Department of
Academic Support by Dec. 7.
For information call
544-2610 or visit www.saisd.
net.
SAISD specifies
superintendent.
The SAISD community now has a description of the
type of person desired to next
lead the District. Trustees approved the profile for SAISD’s
18th superintendent in October based upon characteristics
provided at public forums held
throughout the fall.
Nationwide recruiting, conducted by PROACT
Search, a group of more than
100 consultants, is now under
way.
Desired qualifications
include at least seven years of
successful administrative experience, preferably as superintendent of a diverse pre-kinderto-12 urban school district.
The successful candidate will be expected to work
cooperatively with trustees and
embrace the district’s new mission statement.
For more information
visit www.saisd.net.
8
Extra
Lady Eagles fall to Heights Eagles take on Mules next
Continued from Page 2
Continued from Page 1
Brackenridge beat Burbank
3-1 in a very good fight. They killed
Lanier in a great battle 3-1. They also
played against Jefferson and won 3-0.
The Lady Eagles did fund-raisers throughout the year to raise money
for the team, but they also supported
good causes. In their annual week of
Dig for the Cure, they supported breast
cancer research during breast cancer
awareness month. They wore pink at
the game and sold T-shirts during the
week to raise money leading up to the
regular season finale.
Sophomore Jolicia SheltonBrown led the team this season in kills
with 208 (2.17 per game). Darlene
Jackson was second on the team with
182 (1.94 kpg).
Critical to any offense in volleyball is passing and setting. Senior
Erica Campos, who was named homecoming queen this past weekend, led
the team in assists with 383 (3.45 per
game. Junior Rene Osife was second on
the team with 235 (3.01 apg).
Offense might win games, but
defense wins championships, which is
memory.
Even though the memories
have not all been created yet, Rose said
that his favorite memory this year, so far,
was beating Burbank 48-10. This past
year, former defensive line coach Mark
Perez left Brackenridge to take the head
coaching job at Burbank.
Along the way though Rose
said there were many bad memories too.
“The worst was when we lost to
Jefferson,” he said. “Making the playoffs
was a bitter sweet feeling and I wish we
could of played better.”
Coach Hall has faced Alamo
Heights in the first round of the playoffs
many times, including three years ago
when the seniors were freshmen. The
Eagles have not fared well against the
Mules.
“Even though the coaches were
a pain in the butt this year, we appreciate them for making us better players and
better people. I really hope we can win
the next one.”
Regardless of what happens
in the playoffs, most of the seniors said
they want the underclassmen and future
E.J. Fernandez/staff
SERVE IT UP: (Above) Senior Erica
Campos (3) serves during the Dig for
the Cure match at the Alamo Convocation Center.
when digs and blocks come into play.
Senior LeeLannee Osife led the Lady
Eagles with 385 digs (3.47 per game).
Martinez had 176 (2 dpg). Junior Darlene Jackson put down a team-high 30
blocks (0.32 per game) this season and
Shelton-Brown was second with 16
(0.17 bpg).
LeeLannee Osife recorded a
team-high 38 serving aces, Renee Osife
had 36 aces and Martinez and Jackson
both had 35 aces.
Standings
2012-13 District 28-4A
HS Football Standings
(End of regular season)
Team All Dist
*Brennan
10-0 6-0
*Jefferson
5-5 5-1
*Brackenridge 6-4 4-2
Edison
5-5 2-4
*Highlands 4-6 2-4
Lanier
2-8 2-4
Burbank
0-10 0-6
* playoffs
varsity players to cherish every moment.
“Before you know it, it all comes to an
end,” Rose said.
Alamo Heights is 8-2 this season and finished tied for first in District
27-4A. Hilario said, “I’m pretty confident about playoffs and that we’ve have
been improving every game. Practice
makes perfect and I think we get rid of
all the bumps. We’re ready.”
Election for president goes down to the wire
Continued from Page 1
ailed the economy. Obama seems like he
cares more.”
It seems a lot of other Hispanics, more than 70 percent, supported
President Obama’s re-election, as well
as a high number of female voters, more
than 60 percent, according to NBC News
exit polls.
Women seemed to be very important to both camps this year, however
analysts argued that the GOP alienated
women from their ranks.
Some Republican candidates
running for office offended women during their campaigns, including Todd
Akin of Missouri who said that rape that
resulted in pregnancy was “legitimate
rape.”
These comments were similar
to those of Richard Mourdock who said
that pregnancies that resulted from rape
were “gifts from God.”
The lackluster performance
on election night was far from the solid campaigning delivered by Romney,
and the statistics leading up to decision
day were also in his favor. Five dollar
gas, eight percent unemployment and a
poor debate performance by the president in the first debate gave Romney’s
campaign hope. However Jay Pharaoh
summed up the race in a sentence during
his impression of the president on Saturday Night Live, “You still couldn’t take
me down.”
But the situation the country
was in was far from comedic, according
to some Republicans. Some Brackenridge students have echoed that belief,
and some have asked themselves what
will happen if nothing changes in four
more years?
Sophomore Judy Olivares, who
said she supported the president, said “I
don’t think anything will change in four
years and it would’ve been pointless to
have re-elected him.”
However, Democrats would
like to be optimistic about the next four
years. On Tuesday night Barack Obama
tweeted, “We win together, this is your
victory too, thank you.”
The numbers in the voting
booths are in favor of President Obama.
However he does not have a majority in
the house. In the senate the democrats
gained seats, for a total of 53 senators.
Many of these newly elected
senators, including Elizabeth Warren
of Massachusetts said they, “pledge to
work together to help the American people who’ve done nothing wrong.”
At the same time, some Republican congressmen have said they vow to
block the president’s agenda.
Obama’s second term might be
as Seth Myers of Saturday Night Live
said it would be, “Four more years of
gridlock!”
Four years from now, those
who voted for Romney will get another
chance.
(Aaron Covarrubias is a student writer/columnist. His opinions and comments do not
reflect the views of the district or school.)
Brackenridge Times
Editor-in-chief: Stanley Sorrell. Section Editors: Aaron Covarrubias (News), Joe Gomez (Sports),
Lenzy Mora (Features), Felicia Rodriguez (Entertainment), Jessica Pachecho (Asst. News), Jarrett
Reed (Asst. Sports), Alyssa Cruz (Asst. Features), Destiny Garcia (Asst. Entertainment).
Staff writers and photographers: Janeth Bahena, Edward Carrillo, Chyla Connell, Sirena Delgado, Claudia Diaz, E.J. Fernandez, Adrian Gutierrez, Rodrigo Gutierrez, Gabriella Martinez, Michael
Medellin, Joe Mora, Brianna Morales, Maria Morales, Ismael Nanez, Richard Ortiz, Davida Osuna,
Jacob Ovalle, Amanda Ramirez, Matthew San Martin, Marianela Villagomez.
Faculty Adviser: Bryan Adams
The Brackenridge Times, the official student newspaper of Brackenridge High School, is
produced by a student staff under the guidance of a faculty adviser. Statements made do not necessarily represent the school, administration, the adviser or San Antonio Independent School District.
Letters to the Editor can be submitted in room 903 or e-mailed to [email protected].
Submitted editorials and letters to the editor must be signed and names will be printed. The editors
and adviser reserve the right to refuse or edit all articles submitted for length and content. Not all
editorials or letters to the editor will be printed.
Brackenridge High School
400 Eagleland, San Antonio, TX, 78210
Phone number: 533-8144
E-mail: [email protected]