Pg 6 Ice Skating in El Paso
Pg 10 Fred Loya Lights
Pg 12 Christmas Lights Downtown
Pg 16 Out with the Old
Observer Irvin’s Unlikely Champ Pg 2
Hobby of RC Racing By Kira Difranco Brown Radio controlled cars are battery/gas-powered model cars or trucks that can be controlled from a distance using a specialized transmitter or remote. The term “R/C” has been used to mean both “remote controlled” and “radio controlled”, where “remote controlled” includes vehicles that are connected to their controller by a wire, but common use of “R/C” today usually refers to vehicles controlled by a radio-frequency link. Another type of cars made is the Toy-grade RC cars are typically manufactures with a focus design including reducing production costs. Where as a hobby-grade car has separate electronic components that are individually replaceable if they fail, toy grade cars are typically made with components harder to find as spare parts and a single electronic circuit board integrated into the design of the vehicle. Their maintenance is much easier than of the hobby-grade models since number of components is drastically smaller, and the parts can be harvested at almost no cost from any R/C toy car of the similar size. Preparing a car to race usually costs between hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The modifications could even sum up to approximately $16,500 for the econo-hatch. RC racing, on the other hand, is an exciting and fun alternative. A few hundred bucks and you’re ready to go. 73.4 miles per hour is considered to be illegal in a real car, so it can most definitely seem really fast in an RC cars. Rc cars comes in variety of body styles including Porsche 911 GT3, BMW 320i, Mini Cooper, Subaru WRX, Ford GT, and the MErcedes CLK-DTM. Irvin Freshman Wyatt Beiter has been RC racing for about 6 months and it all started with a truck that he received on christmas. He started racing his cars and fell in love with it instantly. “It’s crazy how competitive it can be by holding the controller and getting into it. Traveling the world, racing, getting paid to manufacture the car, and finally race the car is an experience you wouldn’t regret”, he says. Wyatt recently earned three new sponsors which were the Tire Sponsor, Team Associated, and the Car Sponsor. He motivated himself to surpass in a particular hobby that would dedicate him to do the thing he loved the most. Our Irvin librarian Gino Desantis helped Wyatt receive a new sponsor which was Team Associated. “It’s pretty impressive and imposing. Since the 70’s, they created the best remote control racer that you would not find in Walmart. 30 World Championships were won by Team Associated , he says. Wyatt receives 50% off of all of his products including his cars. Wyatt had the greatest feeling knowing others believed in him and what he was capable of. He found it very challenging but at the same time fun too, because not a lot of people do this kind of thing. Wyatt wants to continue manufacturing, racing, and getting paid in the future and hopefully win more races with his cars. But he also wants to be known for all his hard work and diligence he put forth.
The Fearsome Legend of Santa and his Horned Little Helper By Kira DiFranco-Brown
Known in folklore, “Krampus” is represented as a horned, anthropomorphic figure described as “halfgoat, half-demon”. Why scare children with a demonic, half-goat demon? According to the centuries old legends, if a child misbehaved, Saint Nicholas, in his omniscience, would know and send his associate, Krampus. It was said that this dark partner with a serpentine tail would show up to the house during the Christmas season to punish the wicked child. He would beat them with a bundle of birch sticks, whip them with horsehair, and throw the child into a sack or wicker basket. But if the children he punished did not listen and heed his warnings, he would find them and drags them to Hell for a year. This was suppose to teach children a lesson so they would behave after their punishment with Krampus. Santa Claus on the other hand, known as Saint Nicholas, or simply Santa is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian Culture who is said to bring gifts to the homes of well-behaved (“good” or “nice”) children on Christmas Eve December 24th and the early morning hours of Christmas Day December 25th. Even if you don’t feel his omniscient eye during the year, you can certainly feel his omnipresence in every mall, retail store, and commercial in America once Thanksgiving is over. “I haven’t seen Krampus the Movie, but I know that he is a wicked scrooge full of evilness. Back then, people believed that good and evil were beliefs which were created into God and Devil, which makes Santa and Krampus who they are today”, says Food Science Teacher Ms. Quintero. Both Santa Claus and Krampus both evolved out of European folklore loosely based on Saint Nicholas and have the supernatural ability to visit every child on Earth, doling out rewards or punishments based on their behavior over the year. “I think that being able to contrast and view the similarities and differences that both Krampus and Santa Claus share is something I found interesting. Even though I’ve never heard about Krampus and his history, I still know that he is the evil version of Santa”, says Senior Amanda Hernandez. According to folklore, Krampus would show up in towns the night before December 6, known as Krampusnacht, or Krampus Night. December 6 also happens to be Nikolaustag, or St. Nicholas Day, when German children look outside their door to see if the shoe or boot they left out the night before contains either presents for good behavior or a rod bad behavior. Horror/ Fantasy movie “Krampus” was made in 2015 based on the legends and myths created back then about Santa Claus and Krampus and what they are about. Therefore, the movie shows a dysfunctional family who struggle to get along and have to suffer the wrath of a fearsome demon who wants to teach each one of them a lesson for being naughty. Viewers see this movie as a “Comedy” because of the way the movie is filmed. Given the lesson, this is suppose to let children know that they shouldn’t take what they have for granted and should be proudly happy with what they are blessed with.
Ice Skating in El Paso By Aneth Lopez In the month of December at El Paso we have three ice skating places that are open for public. We even have the opportunity to go to the Rhinos home to ice skate, Fountains at Farah, or at the Plaza Theater downtown. Fountains at Farah pond for skating has been open to the public for three years going on to four this year. Plaza theatre ice skating has been open since last year with them naming it the winter fest. Rhinos ice skating rink has been open to public skating for 8 years, they opened their doors to public skating in 2009. The Fountains at Farah Ice skating is named The Promenade Ice Pond. They are open for the 2017 holidays from November 17 to January 1st. Their prices are: Adults with Skate Rental $14, Kids with Skate Rental $9, Military with Skate Rental $10, Seniors with Skate Rental $10, Student Discount with Skate Rental are $10. They are open the whole week Monday- Sunday from 11am to 10pm. The schedules for the holidays are: Christmas Eve 10am to 8pm, Christmas Day 12pm to 10pm, New Year’s Eve 12pm to 10pm, New Year’s Day 12pm to 10pm. The Plaza theatres Winter fest is going onto their second year this year. The reason they started this ice skating pond was because they wanted to have a new attraction for the downtown plaza. The winterfest will be starting this year from November 18 to January 1st. Their prices are $8 for general admission which includes a pair of ice skates, Military pay $7, children under 5 pay $5. They have their season pass for $35, it includes skates and it is for one person only it is just one skate session per day. You can go to their website for more information on discounts www.winterfestep.com. Places like the Sun metro and Hotel Indigo give coupons for up to two dollars off to renting skates free. Their schedule is regular from Monday- Friday from 4-9pm. On the 25th the ice skating rink will be open from 12pm to 6pm, it will be open regular hours Christmas eve. New Years eve it will be open from 12pm to 1am. Holidays on ice at the Rhinos skating rink starts November 20, seven days a week starts December 16th. Skating Times are in sessions they are Session 1 is from 11am-2pm, Session 2 3pm-6pm, and Session 3 7pm-10pm. Regular admissions are $10, military discount is $8. Skate rental is free, they have sizes starting from toddler 7- adult 15. Parties can also be booked going from small parties to large parties, prices vary from $75- $250. If you’re looking to have fun ice skating this year you can either go to The Fountains at Farah, The Plaza, or The Coliseum at the home of the Rhinos. The Promenade is located at 8889 Gateway Blvd West near Cielo Vista Mall inside the Fountains at Farah outlet. The Winterfest is located in Downtown El Paso next to the Plaza Theatre. The Rhinos ice skating rink is located in 4100 E Paisano Dr next to the Coliseum.
New years By Valeria Castillo
The new year is a time in which families come together to celebrate a new beginning, starting fresh basically or some just the fact that it is a new year. During this time people come up with resolutions, in other words, they come up with these goals to accomplish through the new year.This tradition of making resolutions came about many many years ago because Babylonians made promises to the gods at the start of every year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts that would allow them to feel better and free from what they owed the gods.That tradition is still practiced today, slightly changed but still the same concept. Most of the time those people that make the resolutions don’t follow through with their them.Losing weight, working out, finding love are some of the most common resolutions that people don’t follow through with. Interviewing Fernanda Armenta I asked her the following questions, what is your opinion on New Years? What does New Year’s mean to you? Did you complete any of your resolutions? She responded then by saying “ My opinion on New Years is that it’s a beautiful holiday to spend time with your family, to me it means that it’s an opportunity to start again, and I didn’t do any of my resolutions because I didn’t have time” a very common answer. Most people don’t think much about it when it comes to new years and their resolutions and ends up leaving things and not caring. With the common idea that they can leave until the next year. Making it seem like it didn’t really matter when it does because of it a promise you’re making to yourself. Interviewing Bredaisia Ware i asked her the following questions, what is your opinion on New Years? What does New Year’s mean to you? Did you complete any of your resolutions? She responded “To me New Years means just the start of a new year, it let’s me know that I have lived through another year and I thank god, I don’t really believe in new year’s resolutions because if you want a change something that you do in your life and change your body or whatever people do for resolutions, why do you have to wait until a new year just to start, you literally have a year to change or be the person you hope to be, why not do it during the year so, when you start a new year, you start off new and the person you want to be” Bredaisia brought out a good point why wait all year? In all that time our are waiting you can be working on whatever you want to better in yourself. Start the year with a better improved you make every minute count help yourself be a better person more confident with a better attitude! New Year’s is a time to enjoy and celebrate and have quality time with your family, have fun, share laughs, and love.
Fred Loya Lights By Deborah Hill
It’s that time again, El Paso! December is here, and the city is once again transforming in every nook and cranny to ensure that the Christmas spirit is everpresent. San Jacinto Plaza in downtown is a true winter wonderland, the iconic massive Christmas tree in Cielo Vista is up, and the longtime tradition of the Fred Loya House Light Show has begun. Grab a friend, a family member, or even just yourself and experience all the wonderful things the 915 has to offer during what is arguably the best time of the year. Every year, hundreds of thousands of lights are set up all over and around the Fred Loya house, located at 12001 Paseo de Oro, where thousands of citizens go to watch the prestigious light show put on for viewer entertainment. “It’s a family tradition we’ve enjoyed for countless years now.” said ongoer Jose Rodriguez, a citizen of the neighborhood. Rodriguez went on, “We appreciate the chance to take the kids out and see the excitement in their eyes.” He’s not wrong there. The festive and joyful mood brought by the young children of El Paso was evident in every aspect of the event. Whether they were watching the show, getting their picture taken with Santa Claus, or enjoying the complimentary hot chocolate, there was a smile on each and every one of their faces. The Fred Loya Light Show is a staple in the community, appreciated again and again for its intricate synchronized lights and music. Much time and effort is spent getting the house ready to be seen by the citizens of El Paso. In 2014, the house even won the Great Christmas Light Fight, held by the ABC network. After the victory, Loya was quoted in saying, “We want to get El Paso out there and put our best foot forward for the city.” This year, the show involves various light coordinations that coincide with amped up versions of classic Christmas songs like “Carol of the Bells”, “Jingle Bells”, and “Last Christmas.” With many opportunities to take, visiting the show might be just what you need to get into the Christmas spirit. The Fred Loya house can be seen every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday the entire month of December with showings at six, seven, and eight p.m. The show changes by the hour, so make sure to catch all three for the full experience! There is plenty of room and time to take pictures and make memories that will last forever. Make sure to get out there and see the best Christmas lights in town, and remember, bundle up to stay warm!
Christmas Lights Downtown By Daniela Bueno
The annual Christmas lights downtown in El Paso has been a traditional event here in El Paso. The celebration of the lights will officially usher in the Christmas season beginning on saturday December 2. The organizers will start the lighting at 4:30 p.m in order for people to have more time to enjoy the lights and the magic that happens in the San Jacinto Plaza. It has been announced that fireworks will be displayed and more than hundreds of lights have been put on the Christmas tree. Dee Margo will be flipping the switch on the lights this year Being there reminds you of a christmas movie. It’s magical and everyone that goes knows how special it is to our hometown. The food there is traditional as well. They serve hot chocolate, corn in cup and many more traditional food truck items. Several visitors witnessed the magic that happens downtown during christmas and this is what they had to say. “ The whole street was filled with lights that mesmerize you. Once you go and explore you realize it’s worth the walk to the plaza. You know, not a lot of people have been here, they either think it’s childish or boring because of what people have said but they don’t know how much they’re missing out.” This was said by a lady that is in town for the holiday’s. “Working here and being part of this whole mess is a blessing and a pain. Making food for hundreds of people each night is definitely not easy. People that come and visit have their fun and enjoy all the lights and food we prepare for them. Once we run out of food they either throw a tantrum or say we’re unprepared and should always be prepared. We usually just ignore their comments because it’s not worth arguing with people that don’t know what goes on behind the curtains. But none the less, we enjoy watch people have fun and be enlightened by all the fun that goes on here downtown.” As you can see, this lady worked there, she made food. She expressed herself very loud and clear about the kind of customers they get on the daily. The christmas light show that takes place downtown every year in El Paso is a memorable event. I personally, go every year to enjoy the lights and the music as well as ice skating. It is a very mesmerizing place not only because the lights are amazing, but everyone there is so nice and you always have a good time. There is literally never a dull moment at the lights. El Paso pays for this show in hopes of us, the audience, to enjoy and relax. To enjoy the christmas spirit outside of home and know how beautiful our hometown can be if we put enough effort into turning something dull into something bright. This is an event that not only inspires people but it also helps with getting out of your comfort zone and enjoy the outside world. Definitely one for the books.
The Rock-its annual Christmas Aggregate By Jessika Gomez The air is crisp and the leaves around campus are starting to fall almost rhythmically. This means that Irvin’s resident “not rock” band “The Rock-its” managed by Guitar Teacher David Gunn get to show off the skills they’ve refined for the past four months. In the dimly lit theater room, the first part of the show began with Rock-its member Jacob Macias on the electric guitar. With the grace and passion of a seasoned pro, he strummed up a Saturday Night Live original “I wish it was Christmas Today” that left a pleasant hum in the audience’s ears. “This is my first year here so this is my first time participating in a show, it wasn’t bad I really liked it and would wanna do it again. There’s really good music production here, this show showed me I came to a good place.” Other songs played by the band were: “I Wish It Was Christmas Today,” “Feliz Navidad,” “Winter Wonderland” and “Carol Of The Bells.” For those who are not big on the raw power of an electric guitar and prefer the silky smooth plucking of an acoustic guitar, the acoustic section played songs like: “Silent Night,” “O Come O Come Immanuel,” “Joy To The World,” and others. The first performance was slated to start at 3 pm and end at 4 pm. “It was fun, everyone played great! I was relieved that it was my last show since everyone’s always so stressed out but overall I’m just glad we had a great show and turn out,” said Senior Taylor Marquez. “I felt really glad and honored to play the show with such talented and committed musicians. We really enjoyed ourselves and the time we spent together, it’s something we’ll always remember,” said Senior Alan Garcia After an hour break between acts came to an end the second act started at 6 pm with a performance by Irvin’s Choir. Songs performed by the choir included: “We Three Kings,” “We The Three Kings Of Orient Are,” “Christmas Sing-Along,” “12 Days Of Irvin Christmas” and “Please Don’t Watch Me Santa.” “She [Giba] was incredibly impressed and said we should really do a concert like this every month,” said Gunn after speaking with Principal Maryanna Giba about the Christmas Spectacular. The Choir also offered families a chance to participate in a Christmas sing-along with their children. ““I loved the choir, when they came out I was moved, I even shed a few tears, it was beautiful,” said World History/ Psychology Teacher Tiffanie Allberg. “The best part of performing is sharing something that everyone can connect on: music. I feel like I’ve accomplished something when the lights go off and the show ends. Whether its applause or boos, my voice has been heard and I shared music with the world,” said Eli Ortiz. The show was a big turn out, many tickets were sold, the seating was packed and it was a great performance. The second act of the night was about an hour longer than the first ending the festive night at 8 pm. “I thought the show went very well, the audience was great, tons of variety in music and kids worked very hard. The team has much to be proud of.” David Gunn
Out With the Old By Deborah Hill
It may be December, but the year isn’t over yet! One last bang in the movie world is soon to be released, and every 90’s baby who went on the original jungle adventure should be excited for this one. That’s right, the iconic movie Jumanji has finally been given a sequel. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is coming very soon to screens near you and ready to answer any lingering questions you may have. Grab a snack, sit back, relax, and enjoy the sequel we’ve patiently awaited for twenty-two years. The original Jumanji movie, starring actors like Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, and Bradley Pierce, came out on December 15, 1995, and was directed by Joe Johnston. It was a popular action film, costing $65 million to make but grossing a whopping $262.8 million at the box office.. The storyline followed siblings Peter (Bradley Pierce) and Judy Shepherd (Kirsten Dunst), who unexpectedly come across a magical board game in the attic of an old mansion. When they start playing, they accidentally release Alan Parrish (Robin Williams), who’s been stuck in the game for decades. As the kids play, they quickly learn that in the world they’re in, they must brave giant bugs, misbehaved monkeys, and stampeding rhinos in order to win the game and free Alan forever. “ Jumanji was definitely a huge part of my childhood. I remember watching it a lot in my elementary school P.E class when it was too cold to go outside. It was super funny though, so I didn’t mind.” said sophomore Joseph Ruiz. On December 20, 2017, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, directed by Jake Kasden, will be released for the world to see in theaters across the United States. Casting includes very famous actors such as Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, and Nick Jonas. The movie already has good buzz, with an eighty-three percent review on Rotten Tomatoes and positive feedback from critics everywhere. This time around, the storyline follows four teens who discover an old video game console and are drawn into the jungle world, but not as themselves. When the teens are dragged in, they literally become the adult avatars they chose. They quickly discover that Jumanji isn’t just a game you win, it’s a game you must survive. It’s up to them this time to work together and brave the most dangerous adventure of their lives, or be stuck in the game forever. With Christmas break around the corner, I’m sure everyone will be looking for fun plans for the season. Don’t miss out! The Jumanji sequel has taken over two decades to come out, and I think we owe it the chance to once again spark our minds and take us on an action-packed jungle adventure. In El Paso, the movie is planned to show anywhere from ten a.m to eleven p.m. There are plenty of opportunities to catch one of the first screenings. Pick a time, grab a seat, and let the movie begin.
Stress Equals A Mess By Rene Marquez
It’s that time again where all the teachers start to preach about passing your classes and the final test that determines if you are going to pass the semester or not. A lot goes into preparation towards passing the final exam, like all semester long worth of knowledge that you should have been taking in. Paying attention and note taking is the most important thing ever at this time because all the little details that you might not remember you have to remember because they will be on the test and that’s what will get you. Most students won’t understand why the work or note taking is important but when the struggle on their test they’ll understand. Within two weeks of the final exams, everyone starts to get a little bit of nervous because they are afraid that they are going to fail the class and have to go to summer school. During those weeks students become more and more stress about all the possibilities of them not passing the class or doing very bad on their test. When interviewing students around campus most had similar answers. Junior, Jasmine Wortham said that “ I don’t get stressed, I’m confident i’ll do great because it’s things you already know. It’s a piece of cake.” Most students don’t like to think about future possibilities when they’re living in the present and most won’t understand why that happens. SO when approaching a test they get over worried on how they will do on the test than what happens if they fail the test. Everybody might think that this is a natural human reaction to any situation. When being overwhelmed by the final exams and getting stressed out, there are things you can do to lower your stress levels such as “relaxing the day before getting a good sleep and have a good breakfast” is what freshman Dominic Duran preached for his preparation and becoming stress free or trying to minimize his stress level. You always want to keep your mind right and focus on what you have to do in order to perform your highest on the finals test. By clearing your mind you never lose focus, you stay on task and you lower your stress levels.You can clear your mind by taking a nap, eating good and healthy, getting a workout in, listening to your favorite music, and also doing things that can calm you down. The final exams are no joke but you also have to go into the testing environment with the mentality that you are going to not let anything rub you the wrong way and you will knock this test out of the park. Your belief in yourself will go farther than anyone so why not perform to your best ability? Why not be the best that you can be? Why not get the good grades that will make your mother and father proud? There has to be a want to and that want to can lead to your success in life.
Are you ready to turn your tassels from right to left? By Rene Marquez
This is the moment that you have been waiting for all your entire life. 12 to 13 years of your life invested to live this moment is a once in a lifetime moment that not only you, but your parents and all your family because they have watched you grow into the young man/young lady that you have become. They’ve seen your ups and down, your mini success and you minor failures. So this moment is for them to enjoy your accomplishments and the road it took you to get to this moment, because they’ve witnessed all the hard work that you have put to the things you had to do. Trust the process is what all the people around you keep telling you and trying to keep you in good spirits but your mind wants to shut down and give up completely on the process that everyone will celebrate. You get overwhelmed by all the requirements in order for you to walk across the stage and receive your diploma. Sometimes you feel like the requirements are dumb and stupid or you can feel like the requirements are unneccessary and that you feel like you know it all. Everyone has always said the words, “ Why do we need history in life” or whatever subject you have that you feel you don’t need in life. The reason you need a class like history is so you know how you got to the point where you are sitting in that desk learning. Every decision that has ever happened in history has influenced the reason you are able to do certain things. The requirements in order for you to graduate is you need to pass 4 STAAR test which are English 1 and 2, algebra, and US history. You need 26 credits from passing your classes that include core classes like english, math, science, and social studies, you also need media classes and fine arts classes and health, speech and P.E. The last thing and it’s the newest requirement, all seniors graduating in the 2018 class and so on are required to have at least the minimum of 120 hours of community service. This is to have the students be involved in their community more and also having community service hours look good on any type of application and you will seen in the higher ups compared to someone who doesn’t have community hours. The challenge for students is that when they fail a class or fail a STAAR test, they get left behind and are clawing and fighting to get back on track and some can’t do it. It’s always important to pass tests the first time and also your core classes because you don’t want to be that senior that gets left behind and doesn’t graduate with all their peers they grew up with. All these things are worth every second spent on because this will define the type of person that you are and make your career last.