The Valley Times – February 28, 2018

Medical Academy Students On A Mission Against Diabetes

VOL. I, NO. 31

South Texas College Theatre Holds Auditions For ‘The Elephant Man’

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UTRGV, STC on List of Safest Schools in Texas

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2018

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A surprising Insomnia Solution

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RGV Teens Collect 2,300+ Cigarette Butts From McAllen’s Westside Park

Inside

Health

ASTHMA ATTACKS DECLINING AMONG U.S. CHILDREN

P.5 Fitness

TIPS FOR SAFE STRENGTH TRAINING

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That’s how many cigarette butts Valley teens took out of McAllen’s Westside Park, one of the many parks where young children spend afternoons and weekends playing.

The Texas School Safety Center and

Texas State University program, SayWhat! (Students, Adults and Youth Working Hard against Tobacco) chose McAllen for the fourth straight year to be the site of their annual Youth Action Summit.

On Saturday morning, February 17th,

streams of student and youth groups from across the Rio Grande Valley streamed into the Cambria Hotel in McAllen for a day of leadership and advocacy training to give them the resources and training that they need to actively promote tobac-

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EDINBURG CISD Wednesday, February 28, 2018

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Goal 1 Goal 2 Goal 3

Excel in Academics & Ensure Equal Access Communicate & Connect with All Stakeholders Innovate Through Technology

Goal 5

Develop & Retain Highly Qualified Staff

Goal 4 Secure a Safe Learning Environment

Armed officers at every Elementary, Middle School, and High School.

Secure entrances at every Elementary, Middle School, and High School.

Visitor identification scanning and background checks at every Elementary, Middle School, and High School.

Active video surveillance of school facilities at every Elementary, Middle School, and High School; and District police dog K-9 units serve and protect.

Perimeter fencing at every Elementary, Middle School, and High School.

ECISD Special Weapons and Tactical SWAT Team trained and ready.

Thank you to the Edinburg CISD Board of Trustees for investing in the safety of our students and staff.

Administration

Board of Trustees

Xavier Salinas, President Carmen González, Vice-President, Robert Peña, Jr., Secretary Miguel “Mike” Farias, Member, Sonny Palacios, Member Oscar Salinas, Member, Ellie Torres, Member

Dr. René Gutiérrez, Superintendent of Schools Assistant Superintendents

Eduardo J. Moreno, Dr. Rebecca Morrison, Dr. Mario Salinas, and Eva Tristan Torres (Edinburg CISD Media Publication) 2/18

It is the policy of Edinburg ECISD not to discriminate on the basis of sex, age, handicap, religion, race, color, or national origin in its educational programs. Es poliza del Distrito Escolar de Edinburg el no discriminar por razones con base en sexo, edad, religion, raza, color, origen nacional, ni descapacidad dentro de sus programas educacionales.

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2 ECISD Educators Nominated for LifeChanger of the Year Award

An Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District principal and math teacher have been nominated for the 2017-2018 national LifeChanger of the Year award. They are Edinburg High School principal Yesenia Molina and math teacher Priscilla Portillo.

According to the National Life Group Foundation, which sponsors the annual program, the LifeChanger of the Year recognizes and rewards the very best K-12 educators and school district employees across the United States who are making a difference in the lives of students by exemplifying excellence, positive influence and leadership.

Molina was nominated by a colleague who wishes to remain anonymous and Portillo was nominated by Lorena Lopez, a parent.

Molina is an outstanding instructional leader, who believes in high academic standards for students and continued education for teachers. She is constantly learning the newest and best teach-

ing strategies and encouraging her teachers to adopt them.

“Our school is a great place for kids to learn and for staff to teach. It is fueled by Mrs. Molina’s energy,” her nominator said.

Portillo was nominated for helping Ms. Lopez’ son advance in calculus and for inspiring countless students throughout her time at Edinburg High School. She has had an outstanding influence on the school’s highest achieving students. She makes her students believe that they can face any academic challenge. “I truly believe she will continue to touch the lives of students and help inspire them to make their greatest dreams come true,” Lopez said.

Each school year, LifeChanger of the Year receives hundreds of nominations from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Seventeen individual LifeChanger of the Year awards will be given during the 2017-2018 school year.

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Medical Academy Students On A Mission Against Diabetes

Three students from South Texas Academy for Medical Professions (Medical Academy) in Olmito have made it a mission to counter the Diabetes epidemic in the Rio Grande Valley.

The South Texas Academy is part of the South Texas Independent School District, headquartered in Mercedes.

Using knowledge gained about the disease through their health science courses at Medical Academy and outside research, students Maria Jimenez of San Benito, and Bristol Flores and Johana Velazquez, both of Brownsville, have sought out opportunities to educate those within their campus community and the larger RGV on the disease and care that must be taken.

Through Project Diabetes Obesity Control (DOC), an initiative of the University of Texas System’s Institute for Health Transformation that offers free glucose screenings and education at convenient locations throughout the RGV, they participated in screenings at local Walmarts and educated members of the community.

The students have also presented – in English and Spanish – to staff members at the Medical Academy campus and members of their church regarding the importance of checking their blood sugar and knowing their numbers. To prepare for the presentations, the group created brochures in both languages to allow for attendees to take home pertinent information in the language with which they are most comfortable. Through a screening associated with one of their presentations, the students ended up counseling an individual who

was not aware of his high glucose count on the importance of seeing a doctor to begin treating the issue.

In honor of National Diabetes Awareness Month, they coordinated making Nov. 30 a “Blue Day” at school, decorating the campus in blue, the color given to the cause, and designating it as a day for wearing the color. Many of the students on campus dressed in support of their efforts. The students went into some of the classrooms to give a small survey on Diabetes in Hispanic homes, discussing the fact that Diabetes is most prevalent in Hispanics and to take that knowledge to their homes and share with their families.

Jimenez, Flores and Velazquez have also participated in many community events for this cause, including screenings at Valley Baptist Medical Center and the Diabetes Walk. They educated at Salud y Vida’s Diabetes class. They also created a “Diabetes Bingo” game, where each card called gave a fact about Diabetes.

To extend their reach, the students formed a partnership with a church that works with people from the border region in Mexico. They created different items to sell to raise money to purchase glucometers to give to people in need. Having raised $150 so far, they were able to purchase 15 glucometers from Walmart, and to build on the students’ efforts, the company donated 15 boxes of glucose testing strips to go with the machines.

For more information about STISD, visit https://insidestisd.com or www.stisd.net, or call (956) 565-2454.

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UTRGV, STC On List Of Safest Schools In Texas

Both South Texas College (STC) and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) made the grade in the list of the Top 25 Safest Colleges and Universities in Texas. In the wake of numerous instances of school shootings across the country, safety has been an increasing concern for students and parents.

STC was ranked number 3 and UTRGV was ranked number 23. One thing that stands out in the list is that lack of the large campuses.

The ranking website, Niche.com released data on the Safest Schools in America for 2018, ranking more than 1,300 of the nation’s colleges and universities.

Of the 1,346 schools on the list, 75 of them were in Texas, ranging from small to large campuses. The list of the Top 25 Safest Schools in Texas includes: 1 Southwestern Adventist University, Keene 2 Texas A&M University – Texarkana, Texarkana 3 South Texas College, McAllen 4 Texas College, Tyler 5 McMurry University, Abilene 6 Concordia University – Texas, Austin 7 Southwestern Assemblies of God University, Waxahachie, TX 8 Dallas Baptist University, Dallas 9 Wayland Baptist University, Plainview, TX 10 University of Dallas, Irving 11 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Belton 12 Midland College, Midland 13 Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock 14 Southwestern University, Georgetown 15 Howard Payne University, Brownwood

16 LeTourneau University, Longview 17 Jarvis Christian College, Hawkins 18 University of Houston - Clear Lake, Houston 19 University of Texas - Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston 20 Huston-Tillotson University, Austin 21 University of St. Thomas – Texas, Houston 22 Houston Baptist University, Houston 23 University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg 24 Texas Woman’s University, Denton 25 Tyler Junior College, Tyler The 2018 Safest College Campuses ranking is based on key statistics and student reviews using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Top-ranked colleges offer a safe and healthy environment with little or no campus crime, drugs, or alcohol usage.

The same methodology is used to produce the Niche Safety Grade for each ranked school as well as additional 4-year colleges, community colleges, trade schools, and other 2-year programs. Statistics obtained from the U.S. Department of Education represent the most recent data available, usually from 2015–2017, as self-reported by the colleges. Niche also collects data directly from schools via our school data update form. If you work for a school and would like to update your data, please claim your school.

The poll takes into account seven critic factor: Campus Crime Rate, Local Crime, Student Surveys on Safety, Residence Hall Date Violence Rate, Residence Hall Rape Rate, Alcohol-Related Arrests, and Drug-Related Arrests. Some of the data come from the schools, the local police, the U. S. Department of Education and student surveys.

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South Texas College Theatre Holds Auditions For ‘The Elephant Man’

South Texas College (STC) Theatre will hold auditions for its final spring show “The Elephant Man” by Bernard Pomerance.

Auditions will be held Feb. 27 and 28, 7 p.m.-10 p.m. at the STC Cooper Center for

Communication Arts - Black Box Studio, at 3201 W. Pecan Blvd. in McAllen. All STC and Rio Grande Valley community members, ages 18 and over, are welcomed to audition.

“The Elephant Man” is based on the life of John Merrick, who lived in London during the latter part of the nineteenth century. A horribly deformed young man, Merrick is a victim of a rare skin and bone disease, and has become the star freak attraction in traveling sideshows.

Found abandoned and helpless, he is admitted to London’s prestigious Whitechapel hospital. Under the care of celebrated young physician Frederick Treves, Merrick is introduced to London society and slowly evolves from an object of pity to an urbane and witty favorite of the aristocracy and literati only to be denied his ultimate dream, to become a man like any other.

The director seeks six men and two women. “The Elephant Man” is scheduled for performance at the STC Cooper Center for Communication Arts – Black Box Studio April 26-29, 2018.

For more information, call (956) 8722639 or email jrodriguez@southtexascollege.edu or rdehoyos_8271@southtexascollege.edu.

RGV Teens Collect 2,300+ Cigarette Butts From McAllen’s Westside Park From -- PG. 1 co prevention in their school and community.

SayWhat! is a state-wide youth tobacco prevention initiative and the summit was one of six regional events that the organization planned all across the state of Texas. The event hosted a morning training for more than 170 local students to experience interactive activities and discussions that include leadership development, team building, and commitment to a larger cause.

After the morning training, a Community Action Event was held across the street at Westside Park that culminated in more than 2,300 discarded cigarette butts being collected—and alarming number now that McAllen’s smoke-free ordinance includes all city parks.

The TPCC’s goals are to prevent tobacco

use among young people, promote compliance and support adequate enforcement of federal, state and local tobacco laws, increase cessation among young people and adults, eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke, reduce tobacco use among populations with the highest burden of tobacco-related health disparities, develop and maintain statewide capacity for comprehensive tobacco prevention and control.

If you would like to learn more about the Coalition and its activities, please contact Yolanda Guzman at 956-7870004, ext. 19 or email yguzman@bhsst. org. Follow/Like the TPCC on Facebook (facebook.com/unidadtpcc) and Twitter/ Instagram (@unidad_tpcc) for the most current news on Coalition events and activities, as well as local, state, national, and worldwide trends on tobacco enforcement and surveillance.

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Commitment To Public Service As a man of deep faith, I believe the ultimate form of leadership is to serve others. I have remained committed to serving the public for over 26 years and vow to continue dedicating my life to service.

“As a fiscal conservative champion, I reduced your county tax rate last year, and I will continue to reduce taxes for the next 5 years. Let's continue building a prosperous future together!”

CURRENT SERVICE Hidalgo County Commissioner Precinct 4 Board Member Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 Vice-Chairman Hidalgo County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

THE RIGHT CHOICE TO CONTINUE

SERVING PRECINCT 4 Veteran, Family Man, Fiscal Conservative and Man Of Faith

County Tax Rates Year

Rate

2017

$0.59 (past)

2018

$0.58 (current)

2019

$0.57 (projected)

2020

$0.56 (projected)

2021

$0.55 (projected)

President of the South Texas Judges and Commissioner Association Board Member of Border Trade Alliance Chairman of Hidalgo-Willacy Housing Finance Corporation Board Member of Urban Counties Association Commissioners’ Court Liaison of Hidalgo County Veteran Affairs Commissioners’ Court Liaison of Hidalgo County Head Start

Family man with deep devotion to his faith and community

Paid for by Joseph Palacios Campaign P.O. Box 330 Edinburg, TX 78540 Joe Phillips, Treasurer

VOL. I, NO. 8

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Asthma Attacks Declining Among U.S. Children More work needed to continue progress Children with asthma in the U.S. are having fewer asthma attacks, missed school days, and visits to the hospital, according to a new Vital Signs report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The report shows that the percentage of children with asthma who experienced one or more asthma attacks in the preceding 12 months declined from 2001 (61.7%) to 2016 (53.7%).

Even so, approximately half of children with asthma had one or more asthma attacks in 2016.

“We are making progress – but healthcare providers, parents, caregivers, and schools can do more to help children avoid asthma attacks,” said CDC Acting Director Anne Schuchat, M.D. “Asthma attacks can be terrifying for children and their families. Over the past decade, we’ve identified asthma management actions that work – not alone but in combination. Now we need to scale up these efforts nationwide.”

Asthma is the most common chronic lung disease of childhood, affecting approximately 6 million children in the United States. Although asthma cannot be cured, asthma symptoms can usually be controlled by avoiding or reducing exposure to asthma triggers (allergens and irritants) and by following recommendations for appropriate medical care.

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Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Tips for safe strength training Strength training isn’t just for bodybuilders. Like aerobic exercise, it’s important for everybody, and it should be a part of any comprehensive exercise program. Of course, if you’ve never trained with weights before, it can seem a little daunting. But as long as you ease into it gradually and take the proper precautions, strength training is safe for most people.

Use the six tips below to help you get the most from your strength workouts.

Focus on form, not weight. Good form means aligning your body correctly and moving smoothly through an exercise. Poor form can prompt injuries and slow gains. “I often start people with very light weights because I want them to get their alignment and form right,” says master trainer Josie Gardiner. Concentrate on performing slow, smooth lifts and equally controlled descents whenever you learn a new exercise. You can always add weight to challenge your muscles once you know how to move with good form.

Tempo, tempo. Control is very important. Tempo helps you stay in control rather than undercut gains through momentum. Sometimes switching speed — for example, taking three counts to lower a weight and one count to lift it, instead of lifting for two and lowering for two — is a useful technique for enhancing power.

Breathe. Blood pressure rises if you

hold your breath while performing strength exercises. Exhale as you work against gravity by lifting, pushing, or pulling the weight; inhale as you release.

Keep challenging muscles. The “right” weight differs depending on the exercise. Choose a weight that tires the targeted muscles by the last two repetitions while still allowing you to maintain good form. If you can’t do the last two reps, choose a lighter weight. When it feels too easy to complete all the reps, challenge your muscles again by adding weight (roughly 1 to 2 pounds for arms, 2 to 5 pounds for legs); adding a set to your workout (up to three sets per exercise); or working out additional days per week (as long as you rest each muscle group for 48 hours before exercising it again).

Practice regularly.

Performing a complete upper- and lower-body strength workout two or three times a week is ideal.

Give muscles time off. Strenuous exercise, like strength training, causes tiny tears in muscle tissue. Muscles grow stronger as the tears knit up. Always allow at least 48 hours between sessions for muscles to recover. For example, if you’re doing split strength workouts, you might do upper body on Monday, lower body on Tuesday, upper body on Wednesday, lower body on Thursday, etc.

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A SURPRISING INSOMNIA SOLUTION Insomnia, or the inability to sleep, plagues sufferers at night by making it hard to fall asleep, stay asleep, or sleep peacefully. Insomnia also makes its presence known during the day through daytime drowsiness, the inability to nap, and feeling anxious, irritable, forgetful, or unable to concentrate.

Although it’s the most common sleep disturbance, insomnia isn’t really a disorder. Rather, it’s a symptom, like fever or pain. Finding a remedy requires uncovering the cause. Nearly half of insomnia cases stem from psychological or emotional problems. Stressful events, mild depression, or an anxiety disorder can keep people awake at night. When the underlying cause is treated successfully, insomnia usually goes away. If not, focusing on improving sleep may help.

Insomnia can trigger a vicious cycle. After experiencing a few sleepless nights, some people start to associate the bedroom with being awake. Napping, drinking coffee, having a nightcap, or forgoing exercise only fuels the problem. As insomnia worsens, anxiety regarding the insomnia may also worsen. Before long, a person’s fears about sleeplessness and its consequences become the primary cause of the insomnia.

It isn’t unusual for insomnia sufferers to spend more time in bed, hoping this will lead to sleep. Surprisingly, spending less time in bed — a technique known as sleep restriction — promotes more restful sleep and restores the role of the bedroom as a peaceful place to rest instead of a room of torment. As you learn to fall asleep quickly and sleep soundly, the time in bed is slowly extended until you obtain a full night’s sleep.

Some sleep experts suggest starting with six hours at first, or whatever amount of time you typically sleep at night. Setting a rigid early morning waking time often works best. If the alarm is set for 7 a.m., for example, a six-hour restriction means that no matter how sleepy you are, you must stay awake until 1 a.m. Once you are sleeping well during the allotted six hours, you can add another 15 or 30 minutes, then repeat the process until you’re getting a healthy amount of sleep.