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The Medallion NEwsletter
March Edition
Identity
by Jazmine Jurado
9-10
Alejandro Cortinas by Maria Salas
11-14
Night Of The Living Dead Movie Review by Juan Espinoza
25-26
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Table of Contents idenity idenity by jazmine Jurado by jazmine Jurado
A Name That Shouldn’t Be Shamed by Jacob Rodriguez
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VMThrowback Gallery 29-30
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Principal
Mr. Jose A. De Leon Medallion 3
Seniors, as your graduation approaches, I would like you to finish strong, by concentrating on your courses. You have worked hard getting to this point of your academic career to stop now. Some of you have done your senior recitals and others will be completed this month this is your time to show and share your talent and capabilities with your peers and complete your requirements to earn the VMT Medallion. To returning students, talk to your counselor about which classes you will need next school year. They are here to help and guide you. Get informed on the TSI, Dual Courses, and your grade point average. Look into which classes you can take this summer to get ahead and be ready, as you get closer to your graduation. To the Class of 2022, thank you for being positive role models to your classmates. May you continue to chase your dreams as you move on to college, military service, or a career. I am looking forward to presenting you with the VMT Medallion on May 19, 2022.
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I am so proud of all our VMT students! Thank you for your commitment and excellence throughout the year. Seniors, you are almost at the finish line; you have worked so hard to be where you are. Finish strong! We want to encourage everyone to stay focused, positive, and dedicated as we prepare for testing, finals, and projects to end the school year in a few more weeks. We are looking forward to end of the year events, including Medallion Ceremony, Senior Recitals, Spring Ball, and other VMT performances. We are excited to celebrate our students’ talents and achievements! Thank you to all VMT teachers for everything you do for our students; your devotion to teaching flourishes in our students’ triumphs.
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Assistant Principal
Ms. Rebecca Gonzalez 6 Newsletter
Employee Of The Month Mario Teniente
Alicia McKinnis
Teacher Of The Month Medallion 7
Student Of The Month
Nahomi Vasquez Piano Student 12th; NHS
This young lady’s solid time management skills, commitment to demanding work, and willingness to help her classmates are outstanding and ever-present character traits. On a daily basis, Nahomi challenges her own talents with grace and determination. In spite of the COVID pandemic, Nahomi attended piano class in person for the entirety of the spring 2021 semester, and competed at UIL State Level, earning a First Division rating. She also received the highest rating of “5” on the AP Spanish exam. - Dr. M.G. Caroll
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Photo by Luis Sanchez
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ny question that requires me to talk about myself is one of the hardest to answer. I have always (still do) hated those questions simply because I don’t know how to answer them. Ever since I started school, teachers have always asked my class to say something about us. I remember my 2nd-grade teacher asked my class to say a “fun” fact about ourselves. When it was my turn, I shrugged and told them, “I don’t know.” The teacher then said, “What do you mean you don’t know? Don’t you have a hobby or a favorite movie? You could have said anything including your favorite color” I already felt stupid answering, “I don’t know” to her and the whole class. I felt even more stupid when she said that to me because I could’ve said anything. Because of that, from 3rd grade to 10th grade, I’ve always responded that I’m a shy, quiet person. No, I did not know that I was a sheepish person. (Seriously, just typing that out makes me feel embarrassed. I mean how could I not know that I was a sheepish person?) I got that from my teachers who would always tell my parents that I was a “shy, quiet student who always does her work.” I mean it’s the truth. I was, and still am, a shy, quiet person. But I know I am so much more than that. I mean I cannot be saying that to everyone that wants to get to know me. What kind of person would want to be my friend if I tell them that I’m shy? But it is so hard to find out stuff about myself. Why is it difficult? It should be easy to know what your favorite food, color, TV show/movies, etc. All throughout 7th grade to the first semester of 8th grade, I questioned many things and thought a lot about my future. No matter how hard I try to think, I can’t describe myself unless my friends tell me. They usually told me that I’m open-minded, selfish, honest, overthinking, smart, dramatic and a little bit mean. I had a very hard time accepting that I was a little bit mean and selfish. All of my life, I’ve been told that I’m a nice, kind person who wouldn’t hurt an insect. So hearing that I am “mean” and “selfish” in 8th grade had me thinking that I don’t know anything about myself. I also began to question my sexuality around September, which made me hate myself more. At first, I told myself that I might be bisexual. But I have not had a crush on a girl, which made me think again that I was just questioning and there was nothing more to it. That I was just a little confused and that I should ignore it. A huge mistake. I just had to tell someone and I told a couple of my closest friends. I couldn’t tell my Mexican Catholic parents. They all agreed that I was just confused and it was
“Tell me something about yourself” what she went through in the past. I couldn’t be mad at my friends for not knowing who I was. It wasn’t like it was their job to know how I am. But I could still blame the selfish people who still hung out. I should’ve pushed myself to try out new things. It should’ve been easy to know about yourself. When I was in 9th grade, it felt as if time had stopped and I wasn’t really in 9th grade. I thought a lot about my past. I realized that I shouldn’t have trusted my friends too much when I asked them to describe me. I knew I wasn’t selfish just because I didn’t want to share my stuff when the class was about to end. I knew I wasn’t being dramatic when I was feeling emotional about stuff that I cared about. Sure I can be dramatic, but them telling me that I’m being overdramatic whenever I’m feeling upset or sad, is wanting me to stop telling them about my life and feelings. Around that time, I also decided to not have a label on my sexuality. Why did I accept when they told me that I was “selfish” and “dramatic”? Why did I trust my friends when it came to my sexuality? Even though I was mostly angry at myself throughout 9th grade, I slowly started to know what I love to do in my free time. Which is a great start to knowing who you are. I started to read books halfway through 9th grade. I started to watch Netflix shows every other day. I started to walk outside of my house and listen to music. I even started to write about random things, whatever popped into my mind, I needed to put it in my journal. But I had a few moments where my friends would ask me questions to try to get to know me better, and I would fail to think about my hobbies. At that time I didn’t count them as hobbies. I was, and still am, embarrassed to say my interests. Now I’m in 10th grade and I wish I can say I know what I want to be in life. The feelings and thoughts that I had in middle school went away. I no longer feel like I want to be a journalist or an accountant. I hope I get to decide about my future “dream” job before I’m pressured to apply for colleges. I look forward to when I’m able to describe myself when, and if, I go to college and don’t need anyone else for their opinion of me. I’m ashamed that I know little about myself. And if I end up knowing more about myself personally, I expect my future self to not be embarrassed to share their interests, their dislikes, and their goals. I am eager to learn more about myself in the near future.
Identity
just a phase and that I should simply stop overthinking. “I don’t see you as bisexual.” “I don’t see you liking girls.” “You’re always talking about boys.” “You never once talk about a cute girl you saw at school.” Since I relied on (and trusted) them so much on knowing who I am, I believed them. Around November, I started to question what I was going to do with my future. I still had no idea what I liked and I started to feel pressure and felt that time was running out. I felt that the next four years were going to pass by quickly. It’s passing by so fast. I’m still having a hard time believing that I’m in 10th grade. My teachers began to ask us what we wanted to do in life and some of them even had us do some quizzes to “help” us know what we wanted to work in the future. I remember I got “You like helping out people. You like history. Your future job might be a nurse or a history teacher.” Those quizzes did not help me at all. I started to question why I was even alive. I felt like I was taking up space. But I felt this happiness in January, February, and halfway through March. It probably was because I was getting out of my shell of shyness and talking to people. Almost like I was being a social butterfly. And I had very few ideas about what I wanted to become in the future and that was wanting to be a journalist or a job that required me to write or an accountant. I also learned that I won’t be ready to be in a relationship unless I learn how to love myself. (I, unfortunately, had to experience an awful relationship.) Just when I was starting to know more about myself, COVID hit Laredo. Having to quarantine for a year and a half really screwed me over. I thought we were going back to school when those two weeks of spring break were over. And I was still going to be able to know more about myself. I was slightly happy that at least I got to know a little bit about myself before we went to quarantine. But it felt as if my happiness was pulled back. I was upset for a year straight that I couldn’t know more about myself. I spent all of my time doing nothing and wasting my time. I felt upset with everyone and everything. Upset at my parents for not pushing me to try out new things. Upset with my friends that I trusted them and gave me wrong advice. Upset over COVID. Upset that people couldn’t stop hanging out with each other. Upset over me for being stupid and not knowing simple things about myself. But I couldn’t be mad at my parents for not pushing me to try out new things. I mean my dad was working really hard to pay the bills and have basic needs. My mother has a different kind of love because of
By Jazmine Jurado
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Alejandro Cortinas “Everything in this world that is not made by the hand of god has been created by man.”
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ou might have noticed a stack of tires surrounded by some doors as soon as you walk into VMT. Martin High School senior Alejandro Cortinas is the mastermind behind the art installation. Gathering inspiration from everyday objects, Alejandro tells his story through his installations that evoke thought and express an out-of-the box artistic style. “I didn’t plan on doing stuff like this,” Alejandro said. “My art is very messy and I do it that way because it’s my way of expression.” The main focus of the art installation are the stacked tires with the word ‘stimulant’ represent that catalyst to create or do something. “Day to day, seeing stuff
like stairs or bricks that turn out to be a stimulant,” Alejandro said. “It motivates you to do something. Like my friend Joan is a stimulant because he’s a hard worker.” The door panels surrounding the tires tell the story of Alejandro working as a dishwasher in a restaurant. Alejandro’s dad has a friend called “Bo Nose” and the art is related to Bo because his nose was ‘massive,’ he said. Alejandro’s art is not the conventional nature painting most people are used to browsing in a museum. With everyday objects, Alejandro expresses various emotions and experiences. “I feel like certain people understand my art, and most people of Laredo probably won’t understand
it because they haven’t seen anything like my art,” he said. “It’s a good thing and a bad thing because they can now start to understand and get more interested in doing something with their art and even express their anger, depression and anxious thoughts.” Alejandro began exploring different artists thanks to Sculpture Instructor Alfonso Santos. “I noticed he was making expressive art early on so I started to introduce him to a lot of expressive artists that used expressive brush strokes and would do similar work to what he was doing,” Santos said. “After I showed him those artists, he just took off on his own.” Inspired by other artists and without being asked, Alejandro began bringing
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everyday objects into the studio to work and turn into art. Alejandro is very self-driven, Santos said. He starts making his own paintings and artwork; from assemblages to installations to paintings, it is exciting for Santos to see a young artist really grow in a short amount of time. “As a senior, Alejandro shows a lot of potential and because of that, I didn’t want to get in the way of his output,” Santos said. “Since he’s self-driven, I let the artwork come out of him and I just pretty much check on his progress every day and give him pointers. Sometimes he changes his work, sometimes he doesn’t.” Santos added that it is his job to nourish the creativity within his students. “It’s very hard for any artist to all of a sudden start being thematic and start to know what they’re going to do or what they want to do, so that’s why since (Alejandro) is showing it so young, I almost allow him to do what he wants,”
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Santos said. He adds, “It’s hard to come by studio space, so he’s using the resources we have here available to him in a very appropriate way. Here he has art supplies, studio space and he can be as creative as he wants. In your house, its very hard to find a space to work in so that’s why here he can really evolve.” At the end of the day, whether people like it or not, Alejandro is going to keep painting and expressing himself. A lot of people don’t understand expressionism, Santos said. “My mom is one of the people that doesn’t understand my art,” Alejandro said. “My mom is the type of person that likes trees, grass, and backgrounds on art. For me, I can’t do that forcefully even if I try. My dad doesn’t critique my art, but I know that he’s really proud of me. They both are.” People knew Alejandro as a basketball player. He doesn’t have the art kid stigma or persona, Santos
said. “I got him late in his sophomore year. I haven’t had him the full four years,” Santos said. “He came in, he’s a basketball player, to all of a sudden see him as a painter is a cool dichotomy.” He added, “When you can get someone that’s a little interested in art to be fully interested in art is a good feeling. (The students) are making art, but, in turn, they’re my little art works too.” Sometimes people walk into the halls of VMT and say that students are having too much fun, but everyone is learning, working and creating. “Art changes a person’s mental state,” Santos said. “It increases their awareness of certain things. Art is not necessary for our physicality, it is entirely needed for that other part of being a human that people don’t understand.” From one day being fearful of bringing his artwork to the studio to realizing that his peers
and teacher enjoyed it to now making it an everyday thing to bring his work from home to his class, Alejandro has grown as an artist. “Everything in this world that is not made by the hand of God has been created by man,” Santos said. “It all starts with a class like this. Anything else that’s not designed by nature, it doesn’t matter if it’s clothing, buildings or anything else, everything has existed through a design first.” As a senior, Alejandro plans to continue his education at the University of Texas at San Antonio to major in architecture. “After high school, I plan to take a leap from music and art to architecture. I want to start with architecture at UTSA so that I can help my community,” Alejandro said. He encourages underclassmen to do what they love. Choose to create because they want to and then do it without thinking, Alejandro said.
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I love theater because I get to express myself. I can challenge myself by playing different characters that all have different backgrounds and stories, plus the friendships I make in theater are irreplaceable.
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- Abigail Ramirez
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I consider myself happy because I’m currently improving myself physically and mentally. I’m glad I’m making the progress that I’ve been able to make these last few months.
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- Jesus Bustamante
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I am very happy in life right now. Mostly because of everything in general and sometimes there’s sad days but I don’t make them a routine.
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- Elizabeth Gonzalez
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I am happy about leaving people behind. People who I’ve had to put up with. The ones that give me a hard time and a good time, too. It sounds bad but I’m just ready to move on.
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- Naomi Villarreal
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College has always been this high representation of what I need to strive for but because of the overwhelming demand from adults, I’m more excited to have more free time. The best thing I look forward to is having a lot more time for myself.
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- Raul Garcia
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W
ritten, directed and edited by George A. Romero, Night of the Living Dead has ensured its place in cinematic history together and demolished the traditions of the horror genre. This low budget black and white horror ushered many Imitated, duplicated, spoofed and retold stories; however, it’s questionable if any of them have been as influential or as successful as this masterpiece of a film. Night of the Living Dead is a creature feature film that was released in 1968 by Director Romero. This small zombie film changed everything about the horror genre; more of an impact than Psycho and the original Frankenstein did in my opinion. Night of the Living Dead was truly a terrifying experience; way more graphic and realistic than what most audiences were used to back in the 60’s. Before this film, horror was mostly gothic or sluggish. Night of the Living Dead screenings left unattended children in tears. Night of the Living Dead was one of the frequently cited as leading to the creation of the MPAA. (Motion Picture Association of America) The farmhouse setting is another way Night of the Living Dead modernized the horror genre. It’s very symbolic. The film starts off in a graveyard rooting back to the gothic style of Universal Monster flicks before moving back to a more modern place. The film aged really well. I was a bit afraid that the whole Zombie Craze of the 00’s-10’s would make this film feel old and tiring, but it most assuredly doesn’t. What really worked for this film was the black and white, gritty indie look and feel, the brilliant way Romero used the media in both radio and TV news bulletins to drive home the truly horrific premise of the film. It lent credibility to the events taking place on screen. It also amplified the sense of urgency, desperation and impending doom. The feeling of being alone, surrounded by monsters is a strong concept and it is executed to perfection in this film. The director constantly imposes fear and a sense of claustrophobia which is helped by the isolated setting and the use of the media, if anything just makes the characters feel even more alone. The opening shots of Johnny and Barbara’s car driving to the graveyard in wide, static shots with the score going crazy immediately clue the viewer into the fact that something is amiss
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in the city. This is not a full out horror fest most horror fans are used to. Much like the zombies themselves, it is determined and relentless, and that’s the thing, this film emanates a ‘this has never been done before’ vibe and it is most present in its main villain of the films, its monsters. Romero manages to get under your skin with these single minded, carnivorous corpses that are always there and never stray from their simple goal, eat as much live flesh as possible. The film also sports an eye-catching vintage look that makes it feel both classic and modern. It frames its action within a boxy aspect ratio, but uses dynamic camerawork that lets it move freely, indicating that there’s more happening beyond the frame and underlining that sense of uncertainty. The film has a real unhinged feel about it thanks mostly to the obtuse camera angles and free flowing camera work. It just never settles. It was Night of the Living Dead who made them flesh-eating reanimated corpses. They created the modern zombie. Before this film, zombies were the stuff of Haitan folklore; brainwashed ghouls who were controlled by voodoo. In fact, Romero didn’t even think of them as zombies when he made the film. He said in an interview, “I thought I was doing a new creature.” Romero wrote the monsters as a metaphor for society’s collapse. The film had a low budget which made most crew fill in many roles behind the set of Night of the Living Dead. With a budget of only $117,000, a small crew, unprofessional actors and many technical difficulties, Romero (who was also the co-writer, editor, and cinematographer for the film) and his small crew did everything themselves using the experience they gained making local commercials. Due to the low budget, most of the crew would end up on screen to save money. Johnny’s character was played by Russelle Streiner, who was one of the film’s producers. Harry and Helen’s characters are played by Karl Hardman and Marlyin Eastman, who were both in charge of makeup design. The characters of Night of the Living Dead are a big love-hate relationship. Most of the characters are very well developed, loveable, and make you feel empathy for them when they start getting their flesh eaten. The main focus of the film are the damsel in distress Barbra, brave leader Ben, a young couple consisting of Tom and Judy, the charming Helen Cooper and her disgraceful husband Harry Cooper.
The natural performances are unwaveringly admirable, and all provided by an unknown cast. The storyline continues to deliver a remarkable experience as a small group of people become trapped in a farmhouse make back-to-back incorrect decisions in their attempt to remain safe from tottering flesh-eating zombies. Romero faced much controversy with the casting of Duane Jones as the lead “Ben” because he “wasn’t white”; some theaters wouldn’t show the film because of this. Romero casted Jones not because he was black but because he was the best man to audition for the role. It was only when Jones gave such a compelling audition they realized they’d found the one. Jones carries himself with dignity and produces a commanding yet strong performance. He’s no saint or god; Romero didn’t rewrite the character to make him more laudable. It’s also hard to deny that a film that came out in a country amidst a Civil Rights revolution and the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. played into the film’s narrative. Having a strong black lead in a film that wasn’t ostensibly about race must have resonated, especially with his independent, anti-authoritarian personality and in the way he’s persecuted as much by law enforcement than the zombie horde in that awful ending, echoes of real-life racist police brutality. Overall Night of the Living Dead is surely one of the most influential horror films ever made. George Romero took the voodoo zombie concept and turned it on its head; flesh eating ghouls revived thanks to radiation from space. There are essentially two monsters featured in the film, the zombies and the human survivors, who just can’t get along even when their life depends on it. Being right and proving the other guy wrong for power is just as true today as it was in 1968. Night of the Living Dead provides substance in terms of social commentary and also the chills you would expect from such a feature, some of which really push the envelope for the time it was made. The ending is a real kick in the teeth, too, still haunts me till this day. “For 13 years I lived in a world where George Romero was smiling somewhere and smoking a cigarette.” In honor of horror’s greatest legend George A. Romero
MOVIE REVIEW By Juan Espinoza
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Paying For College
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uring your high school years, you will be wondering how you and your parents will pay for college. Do not worry, here are things you can do. However, you will need to apply, submit required documents, and meet the deadlines to qualify. Apply for Scholarships. This is money that you do not have to pay back. The different kinds of scholarships are for merit, athletics, based on financial need, for a specific program, or other criteria. Most scholarship applications will require test scores, a resume, and personal essay, letters of recommendation, and grades and ranking. Apply for
as many as you can since there is no limit on how many scholarships you can be awarded. Apply for financial aid and grants. Like scholarships, you do not have to pay back grant money. You might qualify for the Pell Grant that was $6,345 for 2020-21. You need to fill out the FAFSA application. Your college will send you a financial aid award letter on what aid is available to you. You then can choose to accept grants and federal student loans. Get a work-study job. You can work part-time while you are enrolled in college. This is available by filling out the FAFSA application. These jobs
pay at least minimum wage but some colleges might offer more. Take out federal student loans. These come with benefits and protections such as income-driven repayment plans and student loan forgiveness programs. Most student loans have a six-month grace period, which means you start repaying six months after you earned your college degree. There is lots of money available to help you reach your higher educational goals. Money should never be an obstacle. It only takes some time and effort to apply and meet the required deadlines.
Counselor’s Corner Medallion 27
Ana Laura Guajardo
A Name That Shouldn’t Be Shamed Ja·cob | \ ˈjā-kəb E·pi·fa·nio | /epifaˈnio/
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s someone who wasn’t taught about my Mexican culture, I have always felt embarrassed and disconnected from my deeply rooted Mexican middle name, Epifanio. I’ve felt so much shame towards my name that I would try my best to never let anyone see or hear it. I would even pretend I didn’t have a middle name. Even though I would try everything I could to hide it, someone would find out. In 5th grade, our teacher was checking attendance on the board. Everyone saw Epifanio on display and started to laugh and make fun of it. Ever since then, I have come to dislike my deeply rooted Mexican name, but I always wondered why such a cultural name was given to me. When I was younger, I remember asking my parents where the name Epifanio came from and they told me that it was my great grandfather’s name from my dad’s
side of the family. I never felt the need to learn more about him, but recently I’ve wanted to know the full story about the man I was named after. Epifanio Tello was born on April 7, 1903 in Bustamante, Mexico. He later crossed to Laredo with his family where he settled and worked to provide a good life. He was a very family oriented man who spent most of his years working to provide for his children and wife. Epifanio means ‘a man that makes you realize things,’ or ‘epiphany.’ “I feel very proud because it is my father’s name,” my grandma said. “He was a very upright and helpful man.” I was born on April 7, 2005, a little over a century after Epifanio. My dad gave me his father’s name while my mom named me after Jacob from the bible. My mom wasn’t fond of the middle name at first, but she knew it had a significant meaning to my dad. “We are both parents so I felt that we both had a say (in your name),” my mom, Sandra Almendarez said. “That’s how we came up with Jacob Epifanio. You were born on (your dad’s) grandfather’s birthday.” My dad described Epifanio as petite, the complete opposite of my tall build. Despite that, we share many personality traits and interests. “He was real nice, real loving,
and friendly,” my dad told me. “He was a musician. He knew how to play the guitar and the accordion.” My grandpa talked about how kind Epifanio was and how much he’d go out of his way to help friends and family. He shared about his love for sports and his talent with playing music. I’ve been in sports since a very young age, play trombone and guitar, and I constantly try my best to help those around me. Although I still don’t feel comfortable hearing it, let alone being called by it, I no longer live in fear of someone finding out Epifanio is my middle name. Hearing the stories and emotions shared by my family has made my feelings towards my name change. Epifanio sounds like the person I want to be when I grow older. Someone who is able to express themselves through their love, kindness, and raw emotions to leave an impact on the important people in my life. I no longer feel ashamed about my middle name but proud that I am able to carry such a deeply rooted Mexican name because of the person Epifanio was.
By Jacob Rodriguez
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VMT
hrowback
Student life in the early days of VMT.
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Courtesy photos
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Board of Trustees Hector J. Garcia President, District 6
Hector J.Noyola Vice President, District 3
Monica Garcia Secretary, District 7
Dr. Minita Ramirez Parliamentarian, District 3
Jose A. Valdez † Trustee, District 1
Guadalupe Gomez Trustee, District 2
Ricardo Garza
The Medallion Newsletter is produced by students in Communication and CTE classes of the Vidal M. Treviño School of Communication and Fine Arts, Laredo ISD.
Maria Salas Photojournalism Adviser
Jose A. De Leon Director
The Medallion NewsLetter Vol. 1 Issue 4 - MARCH 2022 Production: VMT Journalism/CTE students using Adobe InDesign and iMac Computers Copyright: ©2022 Vidal M.Treviño School of Communications and Fine Arts & The Medallion Newsletter VMT is a magnet school within the jurisdiction of the Laredo Independent School Districts.
Contributors
Trustee, District 4
Luis Sanchez EDITOR
Juan Espinoza WRITER
Jazmine Jurado WRITER
Frida Garcia WRITER
Jacob Rodriguez WRITER
It is the policy of the Laredo Independent School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, limited English proficiency, or handicapping condition in its employment practices as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.