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The Official Newspaper of Longview High School 201 East Tomlinson Parkway Longview, Texas 75605 www.lisd.org/long-view
Volume 76 No. 4 Friday, January 25 2013
The Long-View
SENIOR SAVES Z-CLUB, PG. 6
MOUTHWATERING PRAISE, PG. 5
Passing the TAKS
5 Ways to Avoid the Flu
Nine years of perseverance leads former Lobo to recieve diploma Lucia Lopez Staff Writer
1. Get a flu shot 2. Wash hands thoroughly 3. Get at least 7 hours of sleep 4. Stay away from the infected 5. Stay active Madison Branch / SPECIAL TO THE LONG-VIEW
The flu and you Texas hit with widespread outbreak Wesley Hardin Staff Writer This flu season, the Center for Disease Control and the Texas Department of Health has labeled the current flu outbreak in Texas as “widespread.” This depicts a higher concentration of flu in Texas than in recent years. Symptoms of the flu can
be similar to those of the common cold, but there are a few key differences. The flu causes fevers that can be in excess of 100 degrees, aches in the joint and muscles, fatigue, watery eyes, and flushed red skin. The flu is generally only dangerous to children and the elderly. It isn’t usually lethal to healthy adolescents or adults, but the CDC still recommends getting flu vaccines every season to minimize the chance of developing complications due to the flu.
Tips to avoid contracting or spreading the flu to others are fairly simple and straightforward. The number one tip is to get a flu shot. The CDC claims it dramatically reduces the chance to get the flu. Other tips include hand washing, coughing into your sleeve, and avoiding contact with your eyes. The CDC also says that should you catch the flu, stay home until your doctor says it’s okay to return to school. So practice good sanitation, stay healthy, and avoid the flu.
She stands next to principal James Brewer while the flash of the picture hits her face. One simple, yet meaningful exchange is undertaken. A warm, celebratory handshake is traded for her high school diploma. A priceless, triumphant smile spreads across her face as her three children proudly look at her. With great perseverance, she finally accomplished her goal, not only for herself, but for her children as well. After nine years, alumnus
Rocio Percaz has obtained her high school diploma. “I’m very excited,” Percaz said. “I reached my goal. I worked on it for years and I got it. I could have just gotten my GED, but it’s not the same as getting a diploma.” Percaz took the TAKS test every year beginning from 2003. “Reading and writing were the areas I struggled the most in because I was an ESL student,” Percaz said. “For students who aren’t doing their best, my advice is to keep working and don’t let opportunities slip away.” Now, Percaz plans on attending Kilgore College to study photography. “I reached my first goal and now I want to reach a second one by going to college,” Percaz said. “I love taking pictures of my kids, and I want them to be proud of me.”
Simone Macklin / THE LONG-VIEW
Completing a Goal Alumni Rocio Percaz accepts her high school diploma on Dec 10, 2012 from Principal James Brewer nine years after her senior year.
Blood-giving benefits
Boxing dreams
Donating helps donors as well as recipients
Students step into ring
Hannah Kempkes Staff Writer
Lucia Lopez Staff Writer Sweating, panting, with hearts in their throats, young contenders pound their way to victory. After months of training, they finally have a chance to prove their strength, determination, and fortitude in the ring. They step out of their comfort zone for the first time. It is not just any ring. They reached the Golden Gloves. With hopes of one day becoming World Champions, boxing students, including senior Carlos Cerna and junior Cason Shobert, participated at the 73rd annual East Texas Golden Gloves tournament at UT Tyler’s Harrington Patriot Center on Jan. 10-12. “It was my first time in a tournament, and I won both of my
HOBBIT STANDS TALL, PG. 8
but also to the donors themselves. “The blood drive helps people in the hospitals and it helps our kids learn how to donate.” Hanzik said, “[They] become lifetime donors in blood, which is a needed product.” The blood will be given to the Carter BloodCare Center that serves 54 counties in North, Central and East Texas and provides blood components and transfusions for around 200 healthcare facilities. “[Hospitals and blood banks can] never have enough blood,” Hanzik said, “You can’t artificially create blood, so it takes the real stuff.”
Rolling with the Punches Junior Cason Shobert competes in the Golden Gloves Jan 11.
The second blood drive of the school year was held by the Student Council all day in the Little Theatre on Thursday, Jan. 17. Anyone over the age of sixteen who weighed more than 110 lbs. could donate their blood, though 16 year olds had to get parental consent. Teacher Cal Hanzik, advisor to the blood drive, considers it to be beneficial, not only to those in need,
fights,” Cerna said. “I had been training for two months. At first I was really nervous, but I felt really confident and proud of myself after I won.” Out of the students that competed, two were girls, including senior Gigi Garcia. “Fighting in the Golden Gloves was a great opportunity because it was the moment I could show the rest of the gyms what I had been training for,” Garcia said. “Being a girl doesn’t make a difference. It just shows how we girls can do what
Giving Life Seniors Lucero Campozano and Andres Rojas give blood during the blood drive on Jan 17.
Kevin Berns / THE LONG-VIEW
guys do.” Each fight lasted one minute for all of the contestants. They fought according to weight and class, with class being the level of experience. Both Shobert and Cerna were new-comers. “Fighting in the Golden Gloves has been one of the most exciting moments of my life,” Shobert said. “I had been waiting a long time to get a fight since previous ones had been cancelled. I finally got to put all of my training and conditioning to the test. It all paid off.”
Meaghan McNamara / THE LONG-VIEW