Board approves new field, track

Volume 5
January 2012
Issue 3
Board approves new field, track
SAISD does
not need pro
soccer field
Renovations
at SAISD’s
stadium are
long overdue
By Aaron Covarrubias
Features Editor
On Jan. 9, SAISD students, faculty and
alumni
received
shocking
news. The
board of
trustees
voted four
to two for
Option
3, which
Aaron
will keep
Covarrubias
the track
at Alamo
Stadium,
but also add a professional sized
soccer field, even though there
has been no pro soccer team
secured by San Antonio to play
on the field. This plan, the most
By Lupita Barrientos
News Editor
Photos from mysanantonio.com
Above: A bird’s eye view of Alamo Stadium where
SAISD schools host football games, track & field
meets and other extracurricular events.
Right: A close-up view of the benches at Alamo
Stadium, also known as the “Rock Pile.” It still has
the same wooden bleachers it had when it was built
as a project of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s
Works Progress Administration. Built more than 70
years ago, covers were placed over the wood in the
early 1980s, but those are wearing thin now, too.
expensive of the three options,
will cost $3 to $5 million, and
strip several rows of seats from
the lower level of the stadium.
It will change the distribution of
funds from the 2010 bond elec-
tion scheduled to go to the upkeep of the Alamo Convocation
RENOVATIONS/Page 4
Problems in Mexico too close to home
American tourists scared
of horror stories in Mexico.
By Lupita Barrientos
News Editor
For decades Mexico has been
home to numerous drug runners and cartels
operating under the radar, but never before
has the problem become as explosive as it
is now.
With a suspected corrupt government under the reign of Felipe Calderon,
Mexico has become a nation where citizens
fear stepping out of their homes. These infamous drug cartels, consumed with greed
and power, will stop at nothing, not even
murdering innocent people in horrific
ways, to get what they want, which is more
money, more power and more fear.
In 2006, Mexico’s president Felipe Calderon launched his fight against the
Mexican drug cartels. More than 50,000
troops of the Mexican Army were deployed
into various parts of the nation. Since then,
the problem has only escalated. In the past
few years, crime rates have spiked and the
death toll has risen close to 40,000.
Many Brack students have a
strong opinion about what is going on in
the neighboring country to the South.
“We have no business doing anything about it on a political level. On a humanitarian level, it should be dealt with,”
junior Alexandria Medellin said.
Cartel violence used to be isolated to border towns and the Northern part
of Mexico. The problem has slowly crept
its way into the rest of the country. Border
towns, such as Juarez, are constantly under
attack. Mexico’s third largest city, and once
a popular destination for students on Spring
Break, Monterrey, also is no stranger to car-
MEXICO/Page 8
The vote concerning
Alamo
Stadium,
which was
postponed
twice and
eventually
took place
Jan. 9, has
sparked
m u c h
debate
throughLupita
out
the
Barrientos
city, not
just
the
district. The decision was on
whether or not to remove the
track in Alamo Stadium to
make room for a professionalsized soccer field. In the end,
the decision was made to expand the soccer field and add a
new track around it, as well as
remove some seating.
Renovations on the stadium
are long overdue. The stadium
has seen little change in its
seven decades of existence and
some of it is falling apart. The
option chosen in the vote entails
creating better facilities for soccer, football and track teams. It
is a good move by the district.
As far as where the money is coming from, voters on
ALAMO/Page 4
2
Sports
Lady Eagles soar to top of 29-4A
Brackenridge wins first
10 district games.
District 29-4A
By Stanley Sorrell
Sports Editor
More than halfway through the
season, the Brackenridge girls basketball
team has dominated nearly the whole
time.
The Lady Eagles won 20 of
their first 28 games and were undefeated
in district through the first 10. Last year,
they finished the season 18-16 overall
and 11-5 in district. They didn’t finish
the way they had hoped to last season
with an early first round loss in the playoffs.
Head coach Patrick Harvey
said, “Our future is good.” He also said
that because he knew there would be a
lot of returning players that is why they
have been playing more consistently this
year.
When they win, the Lady Eagles usually win big, by huge margins
over district competition. In the preseason, they played a difficult schedule to help them prepare for the district
games. Almost every year, the girls play
in Mira’s Texas Riviera Tournament in
Corpus Christi. This year, in that tournament, they finished fifth. Some of the
girls said the Corpus Christi tournament
was their favorite memory so far this
year and that it helped them get closer as
Alexandria Medellin/staff
WE ARE FAMILY: The players on the Brackenridge girls varsity basketball team
said the key to their success has been their chemistry on the floor and their closeness off the floor. The Lady Eagles are 10-0 in district.
a team.
Junior captain Dorene Ramirez
said, “We have a lot of speed but the biggest difference this season is the way the
team has come together.”
The Lady Eagles want to beat
everybody, but they were most looking
forward to beating Kennedy and Lanier
this season. They also hope that they do
not finish as the second place team, the
same way last season ended.
Senior captain April Brady said,
“We have better control of the game and
a faster pace. We got better.”
Brackenridge started the season with three straight victories until
losing its first game to Gregory-Portland
in Corpus Christi. Brack knocked off
some 5A teams before district started,
including Holmes, Brenham, MacArthur, South San and Marshall.
Senior Imani Peterson said
one of the strengths of the team was that
they, “feel like a family because we do a
lot of activities together. We always have
each others backs, and trust each other’s
decisions on the court.”
Brady leads the team in scoring
with 9.88 points per game, which ranks
her fifth in the district. Gabriela Pedraza averages 8.43 points while Dorene
Ramirez chips in 8.17 a game.
Junior Elizabeth Ortiz said,
“We have 14 players that can do things
Super Bowl XLVI should be
another exciting NFL finale
Texans earn first ever playoff berth.
By Scott Turner
Staff Writer
Next month comes one of the most anticipated sports events every year. It’s got football,
million-dollar commercials and it even has Madonna and Nicki Minaj during the intermission.
Of course I’m talking about the Super Bowl.
This year there are old timers, but yet
there are newcomers in the postseason. The Houston Texans entered the playoffs for the first time
in franchise history. They won the AFC South
Division, usually dominated by the Indianapolis
Colts, to clinch a spot in the wildcard round.
Sophomore Beraniz Ocura sounded astonished, “It’s surprising that the Texans are in
the playoffs.”
Other fresh faces that
made the playoffs were the
Cincinnati Bengals (9-7)
and Detroit Lions (10-6).
The commoners are the New
Orleans Saints (13-3), Baltimore Ravens (12-4), Green
Bay Packers (15-1), Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4), New
England Patriots (13-3) and
Scott
the New York Giants (9-7).
The Dallas Cowboys
Turner
(8-8) would have been in
the playoffs if they had not
lost to the Giants 31-14 in the regular season finale, or if they had won any of their eight losses.
SUPER/Page 8
2010-11 District 29-4A
HS Girls Basketball Standings
(As of Jan. 18)
Team All Dist
Brackenridge 20-8 10-0
Lanier
14-10 8-2
Edison
13-13 8-3
Kennedy
12-15 6-5
Memorial
11-16 6-5
Southside
7-17 4-6
Burbank
4-20 3-7
Jefferson
2-22 2-9
Fox Tech
1-21 0-10
on the court when some teams have
about one or two.”
Since the district play started,
the Lady Eagles have definitely shown
that they want to win. With less than
eight remaining, they still have their eyes
on perfection. This team has good faith
and belief and trust for each other and
those are always the keys to a successful team in any sport. These girls want
to finish the season as the undefeated
district champs and win many playoff
games.
The Lady Eagles play at Memorial Friday, Jan. 20 and then close
out the season with Jefferson, Southside,
Edison, Kennedy, Lanier and Burbank.
Boys basketball team fights
to earn a post-season berth
From Staff Reports
The
Brackenridge
boys basketball team stumbled
out of the starting gate this
season losing 16 of its first 22
games, including 10 out of 12
pre-district contests.
Through the first nine
games of District 29-4A play
the Eagles were 4-5 and tied
for fourth place behind district
leader Lanier (20-5, 9-0) and
Burbank. They are tied with
Kennedy and Southside. The
top four teams in the district at
the end of the regular season
make the playoffs.
The Eagles notched
their first victory of the sea-
son on Dec. 3 at the Lone Star
Tournament. They edged fellow SAISD foe Highlands, 5655, to improve their record to
1-8. The Eagles later defeated
Southwest 47-42 at the SAISD
Tournament before district play
began.
Emmanuel Johnson,
who missed the first 14 games
because of a suspension, leads
the team with 14.6 points per
game, which ranks fifth in the
district. Senior Jonathan Gutierrez is averaging 14.25 points
a game.
Brackenridge continues its fight to get into the playoffs against Memorial at 7:30
p.m. Friday, Jan. 20.
Entertainment
Artists shine on First Friday
Brack Art students
picked for ArtPace.
By Lenzy Mora
Staff Writer
Imagine a nice warm
sunny day with a slight breeze
blowing in the air, walking
through one of San Antonio’s
historic neighborhoods, the
King William Historic District.
Only a few blocks from downtown, people usually find an array of art galleries, restaurants,
coffee shops, outdoor vendors
and boutiques, all providing a
colorful backdrop that highlights San Antonio’s culture
and lets people experience the
creativity and talents of local
artists.
Every first Friday of
the month, beginning around 6
p.m. until 10 p.m. people find
themselves captivated by the
sights and sounds along S. St.
Mary’s, winding down S. Alamo to approximately one mile
south to Probandt. Live music
and a variety of mural paintings
are only the beginning while
walking from one gallery to the
next, as they showcase all the
amazing talents in photography,
Photo courtesy of Kimberly Bishop
KEEP ROLLING EAGLES: The AP Art History class printed their
large-scale steamroller prints on Dec. 10 at ArtPace. The class
spent all semester working on the project. The print and opportunity was the prize for winning the annual competition. Brack was
the only school selected from San Antonio. All of the prints were
on display Jan. 14 at Alamo Stadium.
sculptures, paintings, jewelry,
poetry and much more.
This day allows artists
of all types the opportunity to
showcase their talents to anyone who enjoys art.
Neighbors sitting on
porches of their beautifully
landscaped and Victorian Architectural homes, enjoy the
view of the many faces passing
by. Tourists and residents alike
are treated to a delightful sensory upload.
People can catch a ride
on VIA’s Streetcar that comes
by every 15 minutes and takes
people back and forth along
First Friday’s Art Walk.
Besides current and
former Brackenridge art starts
displaying their work, there are
many galleries present. Blue
Star Contemporary Art Center
is an exhibition space that provides a platform for the local
artists to showcase their ideas
and work.
SAY Si is a non-profit
multidisciplinary arts program
focusing on San Antonio Youth.
There young students from
middle school through high
school are mentored and provided an opportunity to develop
their creative talents.
Also, Inter Artisan International Folk Art, a unique
shop featuring folk art pieces
from artisans from Mexico and
other international locations.
Here you can find pottery, wood
carvings, jewelry among other
cultural finds.
TV viewing habits change for teens
New generation likes a
different kind of cartoon.
By Alma Alvarado
Entertainment Editor
Most Brackenridge students grew
up watching cartoons and animated shows
like Digimon, CatDog, Hey Arnold, Johnny
Bravo, SpongeBob Squarepants, The Simpsons and Dexter Laboratory.
These “animated shows” have
changed the meaning of the word “cartoon”
and what made cartoons entertaining 20
years ago, is ancient history.
These cartoons are nothing like
the popular cartoons like Thundercats,
Smurfs, He-Man, G.I. Joe, Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles, or Muppet Babies watched
by older generations
Probably the most popular cartoon
with the younger generation is Pokémon.
“I used to love watching Pokémon
it was one of the best shows. Just the first
season, though, because it got boring after
that,” junior Cristobal Hernandez said.
Pokémon started with a training
card game, then there were two different
Pikachu balloons in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Then Pokémon Jets operated by All Nippon Airways, thousands of
merchandise items, and a theme park in Nagoya, Japan in 2005 and Taiwan in 2006.
Pokémon also appeared on the cover of the
U.S. magazine Time in 1999. Even now
there are still students who watch Pokémon
and play Pokémon games.
But that wasn’t the only cartoon
obsession for the younger generation.
Some students at Brackenridge still watch
animated shows like Family Guy, American Dad, South Park, Adventure Time and
Regular Show. Even though these shows
are popular, some parents don’t like their
children watching Family Guy, which is a
prime time cartoon about a crazy irresponsible dad, a talking baby that wants to kill
his mother and rule the world, and a talking, alcoholic, drug-using dog. As funny as
it might sound, some parents might not like
their children under 18 watching this show.
“I like Family Guy. I think it’s
very funny and they make fun of everybody,” junior Felicia Rodriguez said.
Adventure Time from Cartoon
Network officially premiered April 5, 2010
and has become very popular with teens.
The series focuses on the crazy adventures
of two best friends, Finn the human and
Jake the dog with magical powers. They
live in the land of Uuu. This show is strange
and funny with some other weird characters
like Princess Bubble-gum, Lumpy Space
Princess, Ice King and Marceline. Some
people find it funny and some find it annoying, but it is still one of the top cartoons
on Cartoon Network. One thing is for sure,
animation has definitely evolved.
3
Carrey
shines
in mind
thriller
Eternal Sunshine...
worth renting.
By Alexandria Medellin
Asst. News Editor
Eternal Sunshine of the
Spotless Mind stars Jim Carrey
and Kate Winslet, an interesting couple that open up the audience’s mind to a whole new
world.
The
m o v i e
has an interesting
genre coupling of
romance
and science fiction, and
mixes it Alexandria
beautifulMedellin
ly. It can
be compared to
Christopher Nolan’s Inception,
the idea of entering the human
mind. Although this movie has
an obvious budget, it’s cinematography and cast tell a completely different story.
Carrey plays Joel who is
emotional and rash. He curses
and emits emotions that often
are not happy, something Carrey seems to not do too often, or
maybe that’s because I can’t get
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective out
of my head.
Many scenes must transition smoothly from one setting
to a completely different one,
which is handled well.
The story line is definitely
a strength, although it will not
appeal to all. Pay attention, or
you might not like it.
Overall I give this movie 4
1/2 stars. I recommend this one
to anyone who enjoys thrillers.
4
News
Alamo Stadium soccer field
does not mean end of track
Renovations
will disrupt
fall sports
Continued from Page 1
Continued from Page 1
Center. Simply put, the move
made by trustees, who are supposed to be looking out for the
students’ best interests, made an
unpopular move.
I firmly believe that Alamo Stadium is for the students
of SAISD. It’s for me and you.
It was used by our friends,
neighbors, brothers and sisters
and even our parents for decades past. Alamo Stadium was
never meant to be used by professional team, nor do I want it
to be.
Brackenridge grandparent Maria Garcia said she believes that the tradition of Friday night high school football
must be kept. “If it ain’t broke
don’t fix it,” she said.
Photos from mysanantonio.com
TEARING UP THE ROCK PILE: Alamo Stadium will undergo
massive renovations after the SAISD school elected to widen the
field for professional soccer, keep the track and take out some
seating.
Michelle Alva, class of
1993 said, “Before they destroy
our home field, maybe they
should get a soccer team to play
there first.”
The San Antonio Scorpions are building their own stadium and will not play at Alamo
Stadium.
The transformation will
not begin until the summer and
will interfere with football sea-
son. While other districts in the
city seem to be using their bond
money for the good of students,
I feel SAISD is ignoring the
people who give them the money. The bond money should not
be used to help bring in a pro
soccer team.
(Aaron Covarrubias is a student
at Brackenridge and member of the
Brackenridge Times staff. His views do
not necessarily reflect the views of the
school or district).
the 2010 bond have not been
tricked. There is enough money
in the bond to accommodate the
costs of the renovations.
Some people who objected to the vote are under the impression that since soccer is not
as popular as football, expanding the field is pointless. However, I think in SAISD, soccer
players outnumber those in every other sport, if you include
boys and girls soccer teams.
The Brackenridge boys soccer
team just added a third coach
this year because the number of
players in the soccer program
has been growing every year.
The addition of a professional-sized soccer field will
bring in additional revenue,
according to those people who
were in favor of the renovations. This is money the district
desperately needs. Not to mention it will be a better facility
for our soccer teams to play.
Any progress is good
progress. The changes benefit
players and audiences across
the board. The temporary disruption in games next year will
be worth it in the long run when
the top-notch is field unveiled.
Once completed, the stadium can go back to hosting all
of the same high school events
that it has always hosted.
The renovations also
caught the attention of the
Spurs Sports and Entertainment
company, but new school board
president Ed Garza announced
Tuesday that idea would be put
on hold.
(Lupita Barrientos is a student
at Brackenridge and member of the
Brackenridge Times staff. Her views do
not necessarily reflect the views of the
school or district).
Features
5
Toast every day for breakfast gets old
Students want to
bring back crispitos.
By Jessica Pacheco
Staff Writer
What’s the deal with
toast? At Brackenridge High
School, the side dish served
constantly with breakfast has
mainly been toast.
Although toast is a
healthy portion of grains in a
balanced breakfast, it is not appealing to most of the students
who eat breakfast at school on a
daily basis.
The toast is dry, plain,
hard and sometimes even stale.
The reason the district serves
toast almost everyday is because it must follow the USDA
guidelines of nutritions. This
means they must serve a certain
amount of ounces of vegetables,
meats, breads and so on, every
week.
If it seems that the
lunch ladies have control of
what goes on the menu, they do
not. The menu’s are created a
year before in advance for the
next year by food services. This
means no matter how much students dislike what foods are being served, they have no say or
power choosing the foods that
our cafeteria serves.
These are the reasons
why Brackenridge High School
is no longer serving crispitos.
Since crispitos come from Tyson Foods Inc., they control
what to put in them and since
they changed the recipe for
crispitos, Brackenridge can no
longer serve crispitos because
they do not fit the requirements
of the guidelines.
To those who haven’t
heard of crispitos, they are flour
tortillas rolled around shredded
chicken that are mixed with
some type of chili, which most
Brackenridge students found to
be delicious.
Maria Morales, a junior at Brackenridge, said, “I
thought that the crispitos were
really delicious. Whenever they
serve toast in the morning, I
don’t eat breakfast.”
Ruby Menjares a student who gets breakfast every
other day has noticed that the
crispitos are no longer being
served. “I’m just saying, ‘Give
us better options.’ That’s all,”
she said.
For some students,
crispitos were something to
look forward to every morning.
“Crispitos were probably the best thing they served
here and now they’re gone,”
Brianna Violette said.
Stephanie Lopez said
“It feels like forever since I
had crispitos. I just simply wish
I could enjoy them again. I
think I’m going through withdrawls.”
Some people who
do not eat breakfast every day
at school did not notice the
change, but were still upset.
“There goes the good
stuff,” Diana Luna said. “I can’t
believe they took away the
crispitos. They were so good.
Hopefully, a miracle occurs and
they magically appear, but until
then we will suffer together.”
There’s nothing much
that can be done about the every
day toast at BHS. Meanwhile
students will have to find a way
to enjoy the toast.
The only way to bring
back crispitos is to wait for Tyson Foods Inc. to change the
recipe back to the original way
or enough to fit the district’s nutritional requirements.
Start planning now to make Valentine’s Day special
Not everybody enjoys
holiday for couples.
By Felicia Rodriguez
Staff Writer
Many people already know
that Saint Valentine’s Day, commonly known as Valentine’s Day,
is one of the most romantic commemoration of the year. It’s the day
people tell their secret admirers, or
loved ones their true feelings. This
special day takes place every year
on the 14th day of February.
Valentine’s Day is named
after one or more early Christian
martyrs named Saint Valentine and
was established by Pope Gelasins in
496 AD.
In modern times it is a tradition for people to give flowers,
chocolates or greeting cards, known
as valentines to people they care
about.
Some girls are puzzled
when it comes to figuring out what
kind of gift to give guys. Some
girls give their loved ones a watch,
a stuffed animal, or a t-shirt with a
kind sentiment on it.
“I think they would want
something that shows that you know
and care about them. Something that
shows their personality and that you
like them just the way they are,”
Theresa Martinez said.
S o m e
people
have
trouble finding
some things to
do or places to
go Valentine’s
Day. There are
a lot of things
to do like going
ice skating or
roller skating.
Felicia
Traditionally
Rodriguez most couples
have
dinner
at a fancy or
romantic restaurant. It also is not
uncommon for couples to spend the
evening together at home watching
a movie. Other ideas might be going to the aquarium or planetarium,
or even just going for a walk in the
park.
Psychologists might recommend that people should be romantic with their loved ones every
day, but Valentine’s Day is when
they are expected to try to make it
the most memorable day.
“On this day of the year I
feel like showing more love because
it’s the one day where you can show
the one you love how you truly feel
about them and express that love to
them,” Brianna Morales said.
Some people hate Valentine’s Day because they are expected to be romantic on this day.
Someone who is struggling to think
of something to do for Valentine’s
Day should focus on trying to remind their loved one why they fell
for them in the first place. If money
is an issue, start saving money now
to take them somewhere they have
dreamed of going.
“I think it’s a beautiful day
for couples, but for people who are
single it must be a sad day,” Yaqueline De Leon said.
For people that are going to be alone on Valentine’s Day,
don’t worry. Not everyone will have
a companion with whom to share
this day. Just go out with a friend to
a movie or go hang out with other
people who also don’t have plans.
There are lots of ways to have fun
without a companion on this day.
This day first became associated with romantic love in the
circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the
middle ages, when the tradition of
courtly love thrived.
Modern Valentine’s Day
symbols include the heart-shaped
outline, doves and the figure of the
winged cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have been
given away to massed-produced
greeting cards.
Everybody has that one
special person to whom they want
to tell their feelings. Tell that person
you secretly admired your true feelings on a valentine card and maybe
you will get one back.
“Valentine’s
Day is a great day to
celebrate if you have
someone to share it
with.”
— Ariel Martinez, 12
“Valentine’s Day
is the most horrible
day if you’re single.
But, if you have a boyfriend or girlfriend, it’s
probably a favorite.”
— Lety Maldonado, 12
“It’s nice to
have a day to show
the person you love
(like) how much you
love them, but you
should show that person every day.”
— Sami Garcia, 12
6
Editorial
Get on path to college, better life
There are solutions to
every student’s excuse.
By Diego Solis
Editor-in-Chief
According to the 2010 U.S.
Census and the National Center for
Educational Statics, approximately 3.3
million high school diplomas were projected to be awarded to students of the
graduating class of 2010-11. Out of these
3.3 million students receiving their secondary education, only 40 percent were
expected to continue their education in
four year colleges or universities.
What this means is that here at
Brackenridge High School, for the senior
class of 2012, of the remaining 350-plus
seniors that began their journey as freshman in the fall of 2008, not every student
will get the opportunity to pursue their
life-long goals and dreams in mind.
Of course, the picture is never
really clear until we familiarize our-
selves with the
surrounding environment and factors that influence
student’s decisions.
Ms.
Roxanna Diaz, who is
new to our campus
this year through
the program Advise
Texas and runs our
Diego
Go Center, said,
“Some of them (seSolis
niors) don’t realize
their
opportunities. A lot of them don’t know beyond
San Antonio, and that they can get more
money for going out of state.”
Ms. Diaz also pointed out that
the level of commitment she has seen
from students at Brackenridge, particularly seniors she sees every day in the
Go Center, has been impressive.
“This senior class has spunk,”
she added. “They are very much united.
When they come in, they help each other
out and you can sense a form of community here.”
In the past few weeks, it was
reported that more than 1,000 applications have been sent to schools in Texas
by the Brackenridge High School senior
class alone.
During the Christmas holiday,
students anticipating to go out of state
met on a daily basis with Mr. Walter
Brown, who provided assistance with
essays, the application process and financial aid. In the course of doing so, these
students managed to send in a majority
of their applications before the Jan. 1,
2012 deadline for Comm App Schools.
However, although a majority of seniors have started celebrating
their accomplishments and acceptance
letters, there also exists a minority of
students on campus who are undocumented. Some of these students should
not let their legal status in the country
keep them from attending college. In the
past month, Ms. Diaz has been able to
provide these students with information
on attending college and the resources
available to them.
“It’s been inspiring seeing them
not letting themselves be stopped,” Ms.
Diaz said. “A lot of them have opportunities. As a college adviser, it’s been an
eye opener. I hadn’t really realized there
were so many.
“When I went to train at college
station (Texas A&M), there were some
personal testimonials given by several
undocumented students.”
If you ask for help, people will
help. The main thing is for students to
ask for help. Anyone can go to college
and people who go to college earn more
money and earn better jobs. There is a
path for everyone to college.
“A girl came and gave a testimonial. She has her paper work still going through and is not yet a resident, so
she is working as a maid even though
she has a nursing degree,” Diaz said.
“Not passing the dream act has stopped
people like her from reaching their goals
in life. To me, it’s very disheartening.”
History in the Making
2012
2013
2014
2015
“Don’t miss out. Buy a yearbook today.”
n $50 before prices go up
n Purchase yearbooks at the school store or from Mr. Lara ([email protected]) in room 106
or from Mr. Gallegos ([email protected]) in room 111.
n Payment plans available with a $20 down payment
Editorial
7
Eagles saddle up for 2012 Rodeo
Annual event popular
with Brack students.
By Carlos Alonzo
Staff Writer
It’s time to rodeo San Antonio.
It’s that time of year again to wear cowboy boots, belt buckles, and cowboy
hats, if you don’t already wear those
things on a year round basis.
The AT&T Center and the
Freeman Coliseum will be full of Texans looking for bull riding, stock shows,
barrel races, carnival rides, country mu-
BHS groups hold
successful toy drive
Before the winter
break, National Honor Society,
JROTC and the junior class
conducted a successful toy
drive, in which they collected
more than their set goal of 15
toys. The toys were donated
and they made the holiday
season for some kids a little
brighter.
sic concerts and
a good time. The
San Antonio rodeo
has all of that and
more.
The concerts
are usually a big hit
for Brackenridge
students. The entertainment lineup
consists of many
Carlos
student favorites
such as, Chris
Alonzo
Young, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban,
Ronnie Dunn, The Band Perry, Josh
Abbott Band, Lady Antebellum, Jake
Owen, Joe Nichols, Miranda Lambert,
Rodney Atkins, Alan Jackson, Trace
Adkins, Dierks Bentley.
“I’m going to see Lady Antebellum for sure and maybe Chris Young
and Luke Bryan,” senior Brittany Villegas said.
“I’m most definitely going to
see Luke Bryan,” senior Ariel Martinez
said.
“I’m going to see Josh Abbot
Band, Luke Bryan, and Miranda Lambert,” senior Clarissa Fernandez said.
Many Brackenridge students
also go to the carnival on the fairgrounds
because of the rides, food and games
and just to hang out with friends.
Wade Shows will be returning
in 2012 as carnival provider to the San
Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo for the
eighth consecutive year. Wade Shows,
one of the largest and leading carnival
operators in the nation, provides a variety of rides from extreme to mild to
satisfy rodeo patrons of all ages. The
Dollar Days dates will be Feb. 10, 17,
and 24.
Xtreme Bulls is back for its
sixth year, and better than ever. Xtreme
Bull riding fans can enjoy a night of the
Army robotics at Brack
Brackenridge Choir
looks up to their pre-UIL C &
SR practices Feb. 23-24.
On Feb. 25 the solo
and ensemble event will take
place at Canyon Lake High
School. Their next curriculum
concert will be March 22.
Brackenridge students
participated in the Scholastic
Art Competition in December.
Three students received gold
keys, and three received honorable mentions.
The King William Neighborhood recently
achieved “historical district”
status. As a result, all of their
blue street signs have been
replaced with official brown
ones. The neighborhood is still
reeling with excitement.
Project Stay to host
presentation Feb. 2
Project Stay wants
students at Brackenridge High
School to know that now is
the time to get information on
completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid
its maximum weight can be
120 pounds.
That competition will
then take place March 1-3 at
Henry B. Gonzales Convention
Center.
Choir practices for
Canyon Lake event
Brack Art receives
three gold medals
King William now
‘historical district’
RODEO/Page 8
Brack ROTC stays
busy in December
Diego Solis/staff
ABOVE: Representatives from the U.S.
Army Recruiters recently demonstrate
the latest technology in robotics to a
group of Brackenridge students in the
Multipurpose room.
RIGHT: A few Brackenridge students get
a hands-on opportunity to operate an
actual robot used by the U.S. Army.
(FAFSA) if they even think
they might be interested in attending college.
Students and their
parents should attend a presentation by Project Stay on at
6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2 at
the Brackenridge High School
Auditorium. At this presentation students will learn about
Project Stay services, new
requirements for completing a
FAFSA and requirements for
filing tax returns.
Robotics club set
for competitions
The robotics club has
two competitions on the hori-
zon. On Feb. 11 at Memorial
High School two teams will
compete with small robots in
the FTC competition.
On Jan. 7 the robotics club learned the problem
for the FRC competition, they
have six weeks to build a large
robot that has to be 38 inches
by 28 inches by 60 inches, and
The Brackenridge
Junior ROTC helped wrap
presents for underprivileged
children during the December
break as part of “Wrapping
with Jack.”
They also attended a
Learning Service Project at the
Food Bank.
The Drill Team
participated in the Sea Dragon
competition.
They are currently
preparing for Cadet Challenge
in the Spring.
Yearbooks on sale
Students can now
purchase a 2012 yearbook for
$50 from Mr. Lara or Mr. Gallegos in room 111. Prices will
go up and payment plans are
available with down payment.
8
Extra
Super Bowl XLVI set for Feb. 5
Continued from Page 2
The Philadelphia Eagles, who were
dubbed the “Dream Team” by backup
quarterback Vince Young, also didn’t
make it with their 8-8 record. Other disappointments this season were the New
York Jets (8-8), Tennessee Titans (9-7),
Chicago Bears (8-8), Arizona Cardinals
(8-8), San Diego Chargers (8-8) and
Oakland Raiders (8-8).
Senior Roman Villarreal said,
“I haven’t been watching football lately
since the Colts haven’t been doing so
well.” The Colts finished with the worst
record in the NFL and will have the first
pick in April’s NFL Draft. They will
likely choose Stanford’s Andrew Luck.
The Colts dragged through the season
with a 2-14 record this season, just like
the St. Louis Rams, who will pick second in the draft.
In a recent poll passed out to
Brackenridge students before the playoffs started, the Eagles seem to believe
the Packers would return back to the
Super Bowl, which is schedule to take
place Sunday, Feb. 5. The Packers were
the top team during the regular season
with a near undefeated 15-1 record.
Sophomore Clarissa Munoz
said, “I think they’re good. I mainly go
for them because my dad likes them.”
The Packers fell to the New
York Giants in the Divisional Playoff
game and will not repeat as champions. The two conference championship
games include the Ravens vs. Patriots in
the AFC and the Giants vs. 49ers in the
NFC.
In the playoffs there are some
of the best quarterbacks. The top three
in the AFC with the best ratings were
Who do you think will win
the 2012 Super Bowl?
Green Bay Packers
Pittsburgh Steelers
New Orleans Saints
New England Patriots
Houston Texans
Other
0
40 80 120 160 200 240 280 320 360
Number of Brackenridge students (more than 600 polled)
Tom Brady (Patriots) with 105.6, Matt
Schaub (Texans) 96.8 and Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) with 90.1. In the NFC
there was Aaron Rodgers (Packers) with
122.5, Drew Brees (Saints) 110.6 and
Matthew Stafford (Lions) with a 97.2
rating.
Regardless of what two teams
end up in the big game, chances are it
will be an exciting one to remember.
Rodeo, stock show and carnival return in February
20 % Discount for Brack
most intense bull riding competition in professional rodeo on
the final Saturday of the show,
Feb. 25 at 1 p.m. The tradition
of pairing this electrifying night
of bull riding with musical performances by the hottest acts in
the nation continues, with appearances by top musical acts.
The rodeo consists of
seven PRCA events, as well as
a Grand Entry, Mutton Bustin’
& Calf Scramble.
The events occur in
the following order: Grand entry, bareback, steer wrestling,
mutton bustin’, tie-fown top-
“We offer early drop off before
school and training in pet grooming.”
Continued from Page 7
ing, calf scramble, team roping,
saddle bronc riding, barrel racing and bull riding.
Saddle bronc riding
consists of cowboy’s matching
against the toughest of unbroken horses.
Bareback riding consists of contestants who must
ride a bucking horse for eight
seconds without holding anything but a single-handheld rigging cinched around the horse’s
girth.
Tie-down roping begins with a mounted cowboy
giving a head start to a calf of
about 250 pounds, then giving
chase down the arena.
Steer wrestling consists of a contestants who must
drop from a horse, grab a steer
by the horns and wrestle it to
the ground, stopping the clock
as quickly as possible.
The annual San Antonio Rodeo official begins Jan.
21 with the Let’s Rodeo Ball.
There also is The San
Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo
Bar-B-Que Cook-off on Jan.
28. The cook off is a fund raiser
for the San Antonio Livestock
Exposition, Inc. (SALE) Scholarship Fund.
The Western Heritage
Mexico tourism fallen off in recent years
Continued from Page 1
tel violence. Murder, kidnappings and extortion
plague most of the country. Bodies have been
found hanging from bridges and highways and
mass graves have been discovered on almost a
monthly basis.
Junior Rosalinda Jasso said, “I’m pretty
sure (the U.S.) will have to face the problem soon
and I think it’s our responsibility to help.”
The corruption within the police force
is still a main part of the problem. Underpaid policemen seldom think twice about taking a bribe
to look the other way. Meanwhile, business owners are threatened and must pay a fee to cartels
in return for their safety. Citizens are kidnapped
for ransom and slaughtered if their family can not
pay. Their mangled bodies are often put on display in public, a warning to the rest of the nation
that no one is safe.
Many Brackenridge students have
family members or friends residing in Mexico.
Concerns for the safety of family members and
friends across the border is something most students carry.
“You never know if they’ll be at the
wrong place at the wrong time. A lot of these
murders are random, it could happen to anyone. I
always have my family on my mind,” said junior
Bridgitte Palacios.
The situation has gotten to the point
where Mexican citizens can’t even trust their
government.
A glimmer of hope resides in the upcoming presidential elections of 2012. Calderon can
not run for a second term. Undoubtedly, Mexico’s next president will carry a nation’s weight on
their shoulders with thousands of lives at stake.
Parade takes place Feb. 4. Beginning at Christus Santa Rosa
in downtown San Antonio and
parading through the downtown streets with marching
bands, wagons, longhorn cattle
and so much more to display
true Western Heritage and culture at its best.
The actual rodeo
events, competition and carnival fun will start Feb. 9 and end
Feb. 26.
Call 380-8824 or visit us at 1032 S. St. Mary’s
or online at www.barkcompanies.com.
Brackenridge Times
Editor-in-chief: Diego Solis. Section Editors: Lupita Barrientos
(News/Asst. Editor), Alexandria Medellin (Asst. News), Stanley Sorrell
(Sports), Joe Gomez (Asst. Sports), Aaron Covarrubias (Features), Emilio
Torres (Asst. Features), Alma Alvarado (Entertainment), Felicia Rodriguez
(Asst. Entertainment).
Staff writers and photographers: Maria Cardenas, Kimberley
Rojas-Rocha, Carlos Alonzo, Marianela Villagomez, Efrain Medrano, Amanda Ramos, Jessica Pacheco, Lenzy Mora, Alexah Lopez, Alfredo Hernandez,
Jesus Hernandez, Elena Estrada, Amanda Ramirez, Justeen Parks, Roman
Villarreal and Scott Turner.
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 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]