The ‘Stang Express The Newspaper of North Shore Middle School Volume 3 • Issue 2 • December 2012
Many think it’s the beginning of the end. Or is it just another false alarm? - page 6
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 • DECEMBER 2012
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‘STANG EXPRESS STAFF
The ‘Stang Express • Dec 2012
Co-Editors-in-Chief Opinion Editor News Editor Features Editor Sports Editors
IMAGE / STOCK IMAGE
Entertainment Ed. Photo Editor Social Media Mgr
6 COVER STORY
DID THE MAYANS PREDICT THE END OF THE WORLD?
NEWS
Many think it’s the beginning of the end. Or is it just another false alarm? by CINDY MAI
4 VARSITY CHOIR ROCKS REGIONALS Hard work pays off as NSMS enjoys success. by HAILIE RUSSELL
5 ANNUAL BLACKOUT PEP RALLY PUMPS UP MUSTANGS
15 Lady Mustangs snap 19year losing streak against neighborhood rival
Students and faculty assemble to support athletes. by IVON LOPEZ
After each team wins a set, the ladies go all out and sweep Cunningham in historic game. by LEAH MAXWELL
FEATURES
17 Eighth grade football team fights to wiN CHAMPIONSHIP
8 WORTH A TRIP TO THE HOSPITAL? Students’ addiction to ‘Flamin Hot Cheetos has schools nationwide seeing red. by CHRISTINE CABANG
10 North Shore graduate has passion for science Former teacher’s aide comes back to NSMS, answers call to teach children. by MARIA RENTERIA
11 HOMEWORK: Do it or don’t
There are, of course, consequences if you don’t... by JOANNE COBOS
OPINION 12 BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE
It could be a love/hate relationship here at school. by EMILY LIM
12 TEXTING IS AFFECTING OUR ENGLISH
Dnt u think so? IDK. May B u should read this... by KENNY MA
13 ONE VOICE. ONE PROBLEM. ONE SOLUTION.
Terrorists attempt to take away womens’ right to education. by SARA HINSHAW-HATTEN
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SPORTS
DECEMBER 2012 • THE ‘STANG EXPRESS
Tough defense, no-quit attitude lead to last minute score and win again Cunningham Wildcats. by LEONARDO REYES
19 Penalties lead to loss against Cunningham
Disappointing loss leaves team with dreams of next year. by BRYANT BADIE
ENTERTAINMENT 20 BREAKING DAWN PART 2
Final installment of the successful vampire series causes long lines and excitement. by CRISTAL GARCIA
21 Millions are watching and voting for VOCAL COMPETITIONS
Three national voice contests give viewers lots of choices. by ALENY GUAJARDO
LIKE US! Scan this with your smartphone to see the North Shore MS Journalism Facebook page and download the newspaper in color!
Cover Story Page Design
Bryant Badie Cindy Mai Emily Lim Ivon Lopez Christine Cabang Leah Maxwell Victor Davila Crystal Ortez Madison Mericle Emily Lim Daisy Estrada Cindy Mai Aleny Guajardo Sara Hinshaw
Writers Martin Batrez Kenny Ma Joanne Cobos TaAliyah Porchia Daisy Estrada Makenna Pouland Cristal Garcia Maria Renteria Enrique Gonazlez Leonardo Reyes Sara Hinshaw Fermina Rodriguez Mabel Idicula Hailie Russell Ulises Salazar Photographers Melanie Gomez Madison Mericle Reagan Nunez Adviser Principal Superintendent
Mr. Ron Burke Mr. Paul Drexler Dr. Angi Williams
CONTACTING US
Mailing address: 120 Castlegory Houston,TX 77015 Phone: (832) 386-2600 Website: http://www.texasschools.net/nsms Email: stangexpress@yahoo.com
RESPONDING
Letters to the editor will be accepted. Letters may be submitted in Room C107 or placed in the mailbox of Mr. Burke. All letters must be signed. Names will be published. Letters must not contain personal attacks against an individual and may be edited.
PURPOSE
The ‘Stang Express is a student publication distributed to the students, teachers, and parents of North Shore Middle School and Galena Park ISD. Opinions expressed are the opinions of the student writers and are not necessarily the opinions of the Galena Park ISD. The ‘Stang Express is a member of the Interscholastic League Press Association and the Columbia Scholastic Press Assocation. The newspaper earned an Award of Distinguished Merit and won a prestigious Silver Star Award from the ILPC in April 2012 and was recently awarded a Gold Medalist Certificate by the CSPA in New York City and is a 2013 Crown Finalist.
ises to bring the student to court for the hearing. If parents fail to require their children to go to school, they can be charged with “parent contributing to non-attendance,” a Class C misdemeanor. Each day that is missed after the warning is issued may count as a separate offense. So skipping school or a class isn’t cool and doesn’t make you cool, it’s actually a dumb thing to do because, in the end, the student skipping is the one who will suffer.
Get Schooled... • out of current 10th, 11th, and 12th graders who skip, nearly 75% of them started in middle school.
by FERMINA RODRIGUEZ We have a problem…students are skipping class. Skipping class has gotten so out of hand that in an effort to cut down on truancy, a Texas law has been enacted where, as a last resort, parents can be put in jail up to two months if their kids under the age of 16 miss more than 15 days of school within a three month period. There are lots of reasons students skip class or skip school entirely. Some want to spend time with their boyfriend or girlfriend. Another reason students skip class is because they either don’t want to go or they haven’t done the homework for that class and don’t want the teacher to yell at them. Some students just don’t go because they don’t understand the lesson being taught and would rather avoid the challenge then face the challenge. Others just don’t care about accomplishing their goals in life and would rather do something else like sleeping, running in the halls and/or horse playing around in the bathroom with friends. Some students feel they are getting bullied in class or get treated unfairly by the teachers, which makes them skip class. These simple reasons may cause students to decide to skip class along with the lesson or assignment the teacher prepared for them; not that many students skip class at North Shore Middle School. “Approximately 5-10 students a month get caught and sent to the AP’s office for skipping,” said Mr. Eagleton, one of the assistant principals. Some teachers like Mr. Burke sometimes see students running away from the building outside which isn’t very smart. Think about it, if you skip class or skip
school there’s a 75% chance that you’ll get caught. Computers don’t lie. Some students are not aware of the consequences of skipping class. If you get caught skipping class it can result in bad grades, several days of ISS, and a citation. Your parents can also come and ‘shadow’ you for the whole day; that’s embarrassing. You also have to attend tutorials or Saturday school to make up for the work and information you missed when you decided to skip. These are only some of the consequences that you will have to endure. Skipping class can also have consequences that will hurt you in the future. There are a lot of students who already have an ideal goal in life but skipping class won’t let them accomplish anything, which means not having your dream job that you have been working all these years for. You may even end up with a low paying job like McDonald’s or end up not having a job at all since many students who habitually skip fail to graduate. No diploma means no work in many places. Think about it, if you skipped school a lot or failed to graduate, why would someone hire you to work for them if you’ve already proved that you can’t stick with something or accomplish a goal? In the end, remember, state law says we have to go to school and get an education. You cannot miss more than 3 days in a month or 10 days within six months. According to the Teen Resource Center for the Office of the Attorney General of Texas, failure to attend school is a Class C misdemeanor. A law enforcement or probation officer may take a truant student into custody until the student can go to court, unless a parent or guardian prom-
• 42% of parents ‘never’ or ‘rarely’ know when their child skips school.
Characteristics of school skippers’ households include: • 57% grew up in a two-parent home; 33% have been raised by a single mother. • 39% have moved in the last year; 19% have moved at least twice in the last year. • 34% have one or more parent who graduated from college. • 33% have a parent who dropped out of high school—14% say neither parent graduated high school and 19% say that only one parent graduated high school. • 23% cite their households as having a lower than average income; 24% cite their households as having a higher than average income; 44% cite their household as having an average income. VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 • DECEMBER 2012
SOURCES: GETSCHOOLED.COM, TEXAS ATTY GENERAL/TEEN RESOURCE CNTER
It isn’t all fun and games and in the end, it can cost a lot
• students who miss more than 10 days are 20% LESS likely to graduate high school and have a 25% LOWER likelihood of ever enrolling in college.
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NEWS North Shore teams up to battle drugs on campus during Red Ribbon Week Red Ribbon Week teaches that drugs at school aren’t cool by DAISY ESTRADA & MADISON MERICLE Creative posters about how drugs are not cool filled the hallways during the week of Oct. 29 to Nov. 2 for Red Ribbon Week. Students committed to being drug free by doing an activity every day for a week and each activity had a meaning to help fight against drugs. To start off Red Ribbon week, students signed a large banner at lunch to commit to being drug free. As students entered the cafeteria, a video was playing on the projector that informed students the dangers and effect of drugs. “Pay attention athletes,” said Mrs. London, one of our counselors, referring to how drugs can ruin an athletic career. Tuesday was “sock-it-to drugs day” where students got to wear the craziest socks, some of which included striped socks, some with super hero capes, and others that were themed for upcoming holidays like Halloween. Students also got a chance to win a free dress pass if they went on stage to compete for the craziest socks during lunch. Wednesday, which was Halloween, was also twin day.
Though students were not permitted to wear costumes, students and some teachers like Ms. Raines and Ms. Du Plaga dressed up the same as someone who “Partners Up Against Drugs”. Some students wore matching t-shirts, but others like 8th graders Daisy Cruz and Karina Vences matched from head to toe. Mrs. Rios, another counselor, was handing out free dress passes to the best dressed twins. Thursday was “Stomp on Drugs” where students were allowed to wear their favorite boots and Friday was “Wear Red Day” students were permitted to wear a red top and jeans. Red Ribbon week is a tradition here and it teaches students about the dangers of drugs and how they can affect your life and future. Sixty percent of teens had drugs that were sold, kept, or used at their school according to the National Instituted of Drug Abuse (NIDA). That’s why it’s so important for middle schools to participate in Red Ribbon Week.
Varsity Choir rocks Regional compeition
PHOTO / REAGAN NUNEZ
by HALLIE RUSSELL
Seventh graders Cerenti Heard and A’banesha Bradley stood out in the crowd in support of ‘Twin Day’ during Red Ribbon Week. Several students and teachers teamed up to look alike and fight drugs.
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DECEMBER 2012 • THE ‘STANG EXPRESS
Red Ribbon Week is very important for students to get involved in, not only to know what drugs can do to your health but to your education. NIDA stated that drugs can affect the brain’s communication system and interferes the way the nerve cells normally send and receive information, meaning that it’s more difficult for you brain to learn and focus at school when you’re doing drugs. “Middle school is too early to start doing drugs, there really is no age to start doing it,” said 8th grader Monica Martinez. Also, on Oct. 18, counselors invited a guest speaker from ICE (Immigration and Custom Enforcement) to speak to 21st Century students and others who stayed after school about the dangers of drugs. The presenters also had poster boards with pictures and captions what drugs can do to your body and image. North Shore enjoyed a very successful week at informing students about the importance of being drug free thanks to the counselors who set up the fun activities and the students were eager participants.
Are you ready to sing? The Varsity Choir was when they went to audition for Regionals on Oct. 27 at Fairmont Junior High in Pasadena. Region Choir is basically a choir only 7th graders and 8th grader can audition for, and only 210 out of 1,000 students who audition, are accepted. There are two types of choirs: Mixed and Treble. Mixed choir is where boys and girls sing together, and Treble Choir is where there is only one gender singing together. Thirty-three North Shore choir members made Region last year and this year, we had 45 out of 75 earn Region honors. Seventh grader, Maria Ramirez, said, “I didn’t think I would make it, but was astonished when they called my name!” This success was all due to their planning. The choir teachers were so proud of their students’ accomplishments. “I was excited for the students, it meant
that all their hard work paid off,” said assistant choir director, Mrs. Bongat. After being named to Region Choir lists, students now had to rehearse for the big concert. Their first rehearsal for Regionals was on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Eighth grader, Kimberly Rosacia, said, “I was so excited for our first rehearsal because I love to sing.” During the choir students’ first rehearsal, they learned four songs called “O Clap Your Hands”, “Praise His Holy Name”, “Sing a Song of Sixpence”, and “When I Am Silent”. “I love the song, ‘Praise His Holy Name’ because of the lyrics,” said seventh grader, Perla Enciso. The Region students rehearsed again on Friday Nov. 30 for an hour and on Saturday for 8 hours to get ready for the concert that was on Dec. 1 at Deer Park HS. “Of course the concert will be good because if you have a group of kids that can work together, then it will be successful,” said Mrs. Bongat.
by IVON LOPEZ & FERMINA RODRIGUEZ Spanish teacher, Mr. Martinez, doesn’t just teach you Espanol, but also teaches you other things including the significance of Spanish holidays. One of the holidays celebrated throughout the world is “Dia de los Muertos” (Day of the Dead). The Day of the Dead was originally a Native American ritual. The holiday was named by some Spanish explorers who were exploring and encountered some Native Americans practicing a ritual which seemed to be mocking the dead. The Day of the Dead is now celebrated to remember those who have passed. It lasts from Oct. 31 through Nov. 2. On Nov. 1, people celebrate it for the children and infants and on Nov. 2 they celebrate it for the deceased adults. Death isn’t all about violence and guns; it is also about the way of life. “I would like for kids to view death not in a negative way, but try to make it a little more fun because sadly, it’s part of life,” said Mr. Martinez. In order to show the students that death isn’t always negative, he had them make masks. The masks were designed to look like skeletons to represent the dead. Students made their own masks by adding their touch of color that represents who they are so they won’t look the same. “You get to decorate the mask however you want and I used the colors blue, pink, green, orange, and yellow because they are my favorite colors,” said 8th grader, Chazlynn Goodson. There are some students who also celebrate the holiday or reflect to it because of their culture. “I did like making the masks because it was part of my heritage to celebrate Day of the Dead,” said 8th grader, Cynthia Hurtado. The Day of the Dead isn’t just for the Hispanic people; other people that are from different cultures also like to celebrate Day of the Dead. Students in Spanish class had worked hard on making these creative and colorful masks and, coincidentally, students in art class also made some artwork that focuses on Day of the Dead.
Annual Blackout pep rally pumps up Mustangs Students and faculty assemble to support athletes by IVON LOPEZ Lights out. Blackout Time. The annual Blackout pep rally took place on Nov. 5 during fourth period for 7th graders and fifth period for 8th graders. The pep rally was all fun and games, but it took a lot of preparation and hard work. The Fillies practiced and performed a brand new routine and the band learned different songs during their class periods. The cheerleaders had to dedicate themselves by learning a brand routine also. “They worked on a cheer specifically for the blackout,” said cheerleader coach, Ms. Green. On the day of the blackout, the students headed to the gym for the pep rally. While they all took their seats, the band was playing some groovy songs. Some choir students sang the Star Spangled Banner and the school song while the crowd rose and placed their palm in their chests. Once you heard all the teachers cheer, you could tell that the Blackout had finally begun. It was time for the volleyball and football players to enter. They all tore through a banner in a show of school spirit. Both 7th and 8th grade A and B team volleyball coaches took some time to introduce the successful Lady Mustangs who had swept the Cunningham teams. Once all the volleyball players settled down, it was time for football spirit. All the coaches and students crowded together to motivate themselves for the 7th grade A and B team game that night and the 8th grade A and B game the following night. Then, the Fillies started dancing along to the song of “Domino” by Jessie J. The performance was well put together, with the girls falling in order like actual dominos. The cheerleaders came up after the Fillies’ performance and started cheering consecutively, “Blackout the Wildcats!” until the lights went off completely. “I thought it was good because of all the cheering,” said 8th grader, Daniella Herrera. Both performances made students yell their lungs out. “I liked all the performances because they were well put together,” said 7th grader, Jenny Lim. The time everyone had been waiting for had finally begun. After the lights went
PHOTO / STAFF
Spanish students get into ‘deathly’ spirits
Eighth graders Nathalie Montelongo, Daisy Sifuentes, Daniela Diaz, Cassandra Cruz and several other members of the Mustang Drum Corps perform in front of the students during the Black Out pep rally on Nov. 5.
out, students enjoyed a video of the sports teams recent highlights put to cool music. As they all were watching, athletes pointed and students in the stands spun their glow-in-the-dark strips and light-up devices. “We have a visitor from across the street!” yelled 7th grade math teacher, Ms. Berguin. Everybody saw a Cunningham Wildcat with a football jersey on strutting around to some music and students started shouting, “Get out of here!” Finally, our hero had arrived to some music from “Rocky”. The North Shore Mustang mascot burst through the doors cheering the crowd up. What he didn’t expect was to find a wildcat sleeping on our school grounds. The Mustang marched up to him and kicked him to wake him up. The wildcat stood up and the two mascots started to battle in the middle of the court. Our Mighty Mustang threw the last punch and North Shore had victory as the wildcat went down and scampered out. The students and cheerleaders were all yelling and cheering for the Mustang win as the band played a victory song. After everyone started to calm down, teachers turned on the lights and the students were dismissed back to class. The pep rally was great and wild. “My favorite part was when they turned off the lights and showed us the video,” said 8th grader, Valerie Moya. After an amazing pep rally, students and teachers really showed support for all the athletes who won in the volleyball games and who were playing at the football game that night and the following night. VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 • DECEMBER 2012
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DID THE MAYANS
PREDICT THE END OF
THE WORLD? Many think it’s the beginning of the end. Or is it just another false alarm?
by CINDY MAI Tick tock. Tick tock. Do you hear that? That’s the sound of clocks counting down the minutes you have left to live. We all knew it was going to come sooner or later but just didn’t know when. The end of the world might be coming faster than we planned, and we need to prepare for it according to the ancient Mayans. Since the beginning of time, people have wondered when, how, or even if the world is really going to end. We get so caught up in the moment that we don’t step back to see the big picture. Day after day, we say, “I don’t have time for that because I have to do this…” repeatedly without realizing the full meaning of it, of time passing. For years, the news media and certain groups have blown many topics out of proportion. Websites and magazines have stretched out the truth, but could the things they say now turn out to be true or is it just going to be another one of their false alarms? Doomsday, the day the world is supposedly going to end, is just around the corner, and there’s not much time left to spare. Certain people say the end will not come anytime soon, while the rest of them say the world will end on December 21, 2012, but where and how did they come up with this specific date? Long ago, the ancient Mayans, who lived in various places like Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, Honduras, and the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, created their calendar to aid in planting and harvesting of their crops. The Mayan calendar started on August 13, 3114 B.C. and will end on December 21, 2012 A.D., which is the same day a winter solstice is going to happen. Nobody knows why the calendar ends on this day, which has lasted for 5,126 years, but a great number of people think the Mayans were predicting the end of the world by studying the stars. Mayan astronomers were so skilled at their jobs that they even created a book with writings and
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DECEMBER 2012 • THE ‘STANG EXPRESS
illustrations of what they predicted called the Dresden Codex (also known as Codex Dresdenis), which is one of the few collections of pre-Columbian Mayan written texts known to have survived book burnings by the Spanish ministry/clergy during the 16th century. If the Mayans were talented at calculating what will happen in the future, does that mean the world will cease to exist in a matter of days? Will our world end when their calendar ends? The Mayan calendar isn’t like our calendar today with the year, month, and date written on a sheet of paper, it was much more complicated. More than 2,300 years ago, they used two methods of keeping track of time, the Long Count and the Calendar Round (Sacred Calendar), which were based on the observations of the sun, moon, and stars. In the Calendar Round, there are two different parts, one named Tzolk’in, which is used in the crop rotation, and one called Ha’ab, which is based on the solar cycle. In the Tzolk’in, there are two gearlike shapes that are connected from the inside. It has numbers from one through thirteen marked on the inner ring that alternates against the cycle of twenty symbols on the outer ring, which represent different names. This part of the calendar’s cycle repeats every 260 days. Unlike the Tzolk’in, the Ha’ab is only one giant circle that has five nameless days and lasts for 365 days each cycle (like our year). Together, they (the Tzolk’in and the Ha’ab) make up the Calendar Round, which is used to keep historical records and repeats every 52 years. In order to know what the date is, the Mayans had to put the names and numbers in a specific order. They wrote their dates starting with the day number and name in the Tzolk’in, and ended with the day and month in the Ha’ab. Not only did the Mayan use this Sacred Calendar to tell time, but they also used a system called the Long Count, which recorded the time elapsed since the creation (in Mayan eyes),
almost like their timeline. The Long Count has a longer rotation and started around August 13, 3110 B.C. and its count began with 1.0.0.0.0. You’re probably wondering what makes this calendar so unique from the one on our refrigerators. In reality, there are many differences, but people focus so much on what’s different that they don’t realize that the entire Mayan calendar resets itself back to the beginning after Long Count hits 13.0.0.0.0, which is the Mayan’s sacred number. “I think the world ending is just a rumor because there hasn’t been any good evidence that I’ve heard of, and people should just stop saying that and enjoy the new year, 2013,” said seventh grader Raquel Sanchez. Even though hundreds of theorists have come up with their conclusions based on this count and that the Dresden Codex ends abruptly, it doesn’t mean they have facts to back it up, or proof that it’s the end of the world. For example, many people thought the world was going to end when the year 2000 came, but did it? Obviously not. For each year or so, theorists have come up with crazier hypothesizes that they cannot back up. “Based on the progression of overpopulation and requirements for life, I think the world will end in the next 500 years or so,” said seventh grader, Daniel Davila. Also, for each millennia that has passed, people seem to have gotten the idea that the world will end when a new millennia arrives. For instance, at the dawn of the year 1000, people thought God was going to return, and when the year 2000 arrived, people were frightened about ‘Y2K’. Back in December 1999, the entire world, including the U.S. government, had the great Y2K (year 2000) scare. When 1999 was coming to an end, a number of people were convinced that all of their computers would malfunction and break down because the software that they had Continued on next page
THE LONG COUNT
begin a new cycle of 5,126 years. Why the Dresden Codex mysteriously The Mayan’s sacred count which started stops is another story altogether that back in 3114 B.C. and will end on Dec. involves disease, war and a bunch of 21, 2012. Spaniards looking for treasure. We can only speculate on the Mayans’ demise but we’ll definitely see 2013 and keep going HAAB about our daily lives.
13.0.0.0.0
TZOLK’IN This 260-day calendar, used primarily in crop rotation, has both names and numbers for days. The cycle of names repeats every 20 days, while the cycle of numbers repeats every 13 days.
DAYS & MONTHS
HOW IT WORKS The calendar begins with the alignment of the 1st day and the number 1. Then it rotates to number 2 and the 2nd name and so on...
NUMBERS
Some believe that the Great Cycle means the end of the world. The Mayans believed the world continues after the end of cycles, which is a time of celebration.
NAMES
THE CALENDAR ROUND
The Tzolkin and Haab calendars make up the Calendar Round, which was used to keep historical records. This calendar creates 18,890 unique days, a time period of 52 years.
THE HA’AB CALENDAR
This calendar is based on the solar cycle similar to the Gregorian calendar used today. The Haab has 18 months of 20 days and 5 nameless days called the wayeb, totaling 365 days. VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 • DECEMBER 2012
ART / EMILY LIM SOURCE / SUNSENTINEL.COM
only used two digits to show the year instead of all four digits, meaning the computer itself would think that we were going back a hundred years, not forward. Back then, computers were not as advanced as today, but there were many technologies that they used daily that functioned off of a computer chip like bank transactions, airline technology, and electric plants. The American College of Physicians website was used get the word out and help people prevent their computers from what was supposed to happen. People who were readying themselves for the worst even went out and bought electric generators to use when the electricity went out. Not only was everyone worrying, but big industries like Northwest Airlines, who refused to go back to their everyday routine until the bug was fixed, was getting a little anxious too. Along with that, the cost to resolve Y2K worldwide cost a total of $300600 billion, but when the clock struck twelve and the new millennia arrived, everyone held their breath and nothing catastrophic happened throughout the day. On Jan. 1, 2000, the world kept turning, there was no big computer crash and every single person went about their everyday routine like nothing even happened. We have had numerous “scientific” theories about the ending of the world, but not a single one of them has yet to come true. “I don’t know when the world is going to end, but my faith tells me that there will be a change to this world, and if we don’t take care of it, it [the change] might come sooner than later,” said 8th grade Social Studies, Mrs. Davis. What will cause the next prediction and how will we know if the world will really end or not? What if the world ending becomes like the story of the boy who cried wolf? Would we believe it when it really comes? What would you think, say, or do the next time someone says the world will end? Oh and that thing with the Mayan calendar? It’ll reset when it hits 13.0.0.0.0 and will
ROT ATIO N
Continued from next page
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FEATURES Worth a trip to the hospital? Students’ addiction to ‘Flamin Hot Cheetos has schools nationwide seeing red by CHRISTINE CABANG
IMAGE / FRITOLAY.COM
Flamin’ Hot Cheetos are blazing their way into teen’s stomachs. The snack is getting attention for all the wrong reasons though. Schools are complaining of the snack being highly addictive and unhealthy. Some schools in New Mexico, California, and Illinois have even gone as far as banning the snacks from being sold in the schools. “If children were to bring in snacks that are high in fat, high in calories, that’s their choice,” Illinois’ Rockford School District interim superintendent, Robert Willis, said to ABC News. “We’re not going to be providing those kinds of foods.” Schools aren’t the only ones complaining about hot Cheetos though, doctors are also com-
plaining of the snack because they lead to unnecessary emergency room visits. “A number of patients who have consumed these Cheetos in excess have complained of pain in their upper abdomen, rising up to their chest, likely due to the red peppers and spice contained in the snack,” said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency medicine physician for Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. Some parents have gotten a scare when they saw that their child’s stool (fancy term for feces) was red. They thought it was blood but the good news was that the red was due to the overeating of the hot chips causing the red dye to get into their systems. Even people here at school have gotten sick from Hot Cheetos. “I often see kids in the clinic complain-
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DECEMBER 2012 • THE ‘STANG EXPRESS
ing of stomach aches and or vomiting [half of them say they’ve eaten hot chips.],” school nurse, Mrs. Nguyen said. The number of people getting sick isn’t surprising though because every single day, this school sells about 300 bags of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and many dump a bunch of melted cheddar cheese in the bag. Pint-sized kids from Minnesota even made up a rap song to show their love for Hot Cheetos and Takis. The song has gotten 3,982,387 views on YouTube. No doubt these chips have die-hard fans, but their popularity has Fresno pediatrician, Yvonne Juarez, steaming. Juarez suspects the snacks are addictive. “Some research suggests foods high in fat and salt trigger areas in the brain linked to addiction,” she said. “To tell my patients to stop eating the snacks is almost like talking to smokers about quitting smoking,” she said. “They really don’t want to hear that.” The Hot Cheetos addiction might also be because of the flavor enhancer called MSG in the snack, MSG is monosodium glutamate and it has a very bad reputation for causing people to have shortness of breath and nausea. Basically, it makes everything taste better until you feel the side effects. When you eat your daily dose of Hot Cheetos do you ever look on the back? Have you ever noticed the white box full of numbers? Those seemingly meaningless numbers are your nutritional facts, as provided by law. Did you know that each bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos has 11 grams of fat, 250 milligrams of sodium and 160 calories? That’s 10% of the amount of fat you should eat in a day. Teens here at North Shore often top off their hot Cheetos, with hot cheese. If you do the math that’s 317 calories, 20 grams of fat, 1,689 mg of sodium, and add that hot gooey cheese we put on top and you get a grand total of 25% of the daily allowance and most kids don’t stop with one bag though so the numbers go up and your stomach suffers. “[I eat] two bags here and eat some more later,” eighth grader, Andrea Basha said. She didn’t want to comment on her recent visit to the nurse about her stomach issues however. So the question is, are Hot Cheetos really bad for you? If you eat them in moderation they could pass off for acceptable, but once you pass two bags a day you could be in for a lot of trouble…so much that some schools are either banning them now or are working to ban the chips. You might have to eat something else at lunch, something a little healthier.
Unique teacher with a different perspective about mathematics The room, the angle and a big snake keep students focused Mr. Hinshaw isn’t the typical 7th grade Pre-AP Math teacher you would expect. In fact, he is anything but ordinary. Throughout his 16 years of teaching, he is described as creative in a crazy way. He has attended multiple colleges including the University of Houston and Stephen F. Austin University. He originally worked at a chemical plant as a pipeline supervisor but was laid off. When his wife asked him what he wanted to do, he realized that he enjoyed teaching the new employees at the chemical plant and decided to become a math teacher. “I teach math because it is fun and makes sense. In math, there is always an answer,” Mr. Hinshaw said. In 7th grade, his teachers were either uninteresting or inspirational. He tries to teach his students the way he would want to be taught. “When a student walks into my classroom, I want them to know it’s a learning environment in an exciting way,” he said. If you walked into his classroom right now, you would probably stare in awe because it is not what you would expect. His room has spotlights that light up in different colors for different occasions, speakers plugged into the Smart Board to amplify the sound, and a fog machine. He also likes to play music for his students while they do group work. This setting helps his students feel like they’re learning at home. Not only is his room decorated differently, but he also has different teaching methods. One of the main things he is known for is he doesn’t give out homework. He thinks that it isn’t necessary at this age. “I try to teach lightly to keep it flowing and in the end, my students make the same grades as other students in other teachers’ classes who give out homework,” he said. Mr. Hinshaw can’t be everywhere at once so he has an assistant. If you make a 100 on his test, you become “Top Gun” in his class. He does Top Gun in his class because he wants to teach his students leadership. Being Top Gun is like being the voice of the class. “The Top Guns are the ones who help control the class by helping the students, passing out papers, and reminding Mr. Hinshaw what things need to be done,” said 7th grader, Susana Rayas.
PHOTO / REAGAN NUNEZ
by MABEL IDICULA
Seventh grade math teacher, Mr. Henshaw, reveiws the IFA with his class during 8th period. He lets them work out their problem on their own on the board while listening to his side-notes on what they did wrong and how they can make it right.
He is described as patient, intelligent, and humorous and is known to serve others as much as he can. He also cares about the happiness, health, and success of his students. Hinshaw is so dedicated to helping his students that he has received a GPISD Dazzling Diamond Award in 1995. “He’s different because he actually cares about how we are learning. He doesn’t just say if your answer was wrong, but he looks at your work and explains it to you in an easier way,” said 7th grader, Nichole Taylor. Not only is he a math teacher, but he
is also known as the district lay-leader of his church. A district lay-leader is the advisor of all the lay-leaders and oversees the churches’ events in all the Methodist churches in the district. He likes to spend his free time playing chess, tennis, or going swimming. Another one of his hobbies is to come up with different ways to scare his students. He has a 5 foot fake snake he likes to hide around the room to scare his students with. Sometimes, he randomly yells, “BOO!” in a student’s face while telling a scary story. As you can see, Mr. Hinshaw can simply be described as one of a kind.
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 • DECEMBER 2012
9
North Shore graduate has passion for science Former teacher’s aide comes back to NSMS, answers call to teach children Bachelor’s degree in Science in 2011. All in all, she was in school for eight years. “I went to school part time, so I was in school a very long time,” she said. Going to school that long must have taken a lot of motivation and dedication though. She knew that without a degree, she didn’t have a bright future. Ms. Carmona enjoys teaching her students almost as much as she enjoys science itself. “I love science, and I do enjoy working with my students. I like for them to have fun a lot while they’re learning, so we laugh a lot and they share their personal examples. When I see my kids talking about the things studied in class, it shows that they know the concept. Those are my favorite moments,” she said. Ms. Carmona wants to share her love for science with her students by meeting her goals and by making sure they practice strategies to improve. “The very first thing I hope
PHOTO / MADISON MERICLE
You might see her in the hallway on duty, or you might even have her for science. Most teachers probably know her from the four years she was here as a teacher’s aide. Ms Carmona is back, but now, as a science teacher. Sometimes starting a career can’t be easy, but if you love what you’re doing, the stress will be worth it. “It [the start of her career] was crazy and little bit stressful but fun and I was really excited to start teaching,” she said. Her students seem to sense Ms. Carmona’s estatic vibe and really enjoy her class.
“Ms. Carmona’s nice because she never yells at us, and she lets us do group work,” said seventh grader, Gisselle Villarreal. Ms. Carmona went to Cunningham then North Shore High School. When she graduated high school she went to college to be a research biologist but she didn’t realize she wanted to be a teacher until she started working as a teacher’s aide. She attended San Jacinto College for three years and graduated with an Associate of Arts degree. From there, Ms. Carmona transferred to the University of Houston-Downtown in 2009 and graduated with a
Ms. Carmona points to a powerpoint slide as she explains to her seventh graders the requirements for their science fair projects during 8th period. A Galena Park ISD and University of Houston-Downtown graduate, she shows her passion for science every day.
10 DECEMBER 2012 • THE ‘STANG EXPRESS
to achieve is to show girls that a career in science is possible and I hope to help all of my students get better at science,” she said. So what does a busy teacher like Ms. Carmona do during her free time? “I do martial arts [karate]. That’s pretty much it. Right now, I have a second degree brown belt,” Ms. Carmona said. She started this sport when she was at San Jacinto College and is still doing it. “It was a class San Jacinto offered, and I took it. I’ve been doing it for six years. It’s a good way to relieve stress and it’s a good workout,” she said. “Ms. Carmona has a special way of teaching people that makes her stand out,” said her student, Otoniel Puente. Her passion for science reaches her students with an impact that only she could leave and since she was a student in Galena Park ISD, she understands her students’ needs and works to meet them.
GRAPHIC / NERDSONCALL
by MARIA RENTERIA
HOMEWORK: Do it or don’t There are, of course, consequences if you don’t...
by JOANNE COBOS After years and years of the same thing, people tend to get tired. Almost every day after school, students come home with loads of homework, but some kids forget about it. Students even go to school the next day without their homework assignments even though they know the consequences. The question is, why? What is so hard about doing homework? If it’s so simple, why don’t they do it? This has been a constant debate over the years in education. Homework is assigned to help a student practice a certain subject. There are different amounts of homework for each class because every class is different. The harder the material learned, the more homework could be assigned, but even if it is just a simple worksheet, it’s meant to help us practice and understand the topic or concept. “Homework is like a practice quiz on everything I learn that day because it makes me think about that topic.” said seventh grader, Allisen Banda. Some students really do care about their future and education, but how will they reach their goals if they don’t do home-
work? Teachers take grades on homework, and if it’s incomplete, the students earn zeros. Students who don’t complete their homework won’t pass their classes if they keep getting zeros, and their future could be damaged by bad grades. Homework is only meant to help, but if you don’t do it, you get the opposite. Some students think not doing homework won’t affect them. “Starting in 9th grade, I’m going to try harder in school, but now, I’m just trying to enjoy life.” said eighth grader, Ronald Gomez. Algebra problems, finish an essay or a science fair assignment, some students ignore homework completely, either because they don’t care about it, or because they have something more important to do. Then the next day they go to school with no homework and they have to face the consequences. “[Detention] is normal for me. It doesn’t scare me,” said eighth grader, Rebecca Flores. “Sometimes I don’t do my homework because I have more important things to do than finish a piece of paper,” said seventh grader, Ryan Price. In a survey of fifty students here, 26% of students said they don’t do homework,
46% of students do it, and 38% said they sometimes do their homework. The 26% of students that don’t do their homework could suffer consequences, because there are many things that happen. When homework is not completed and turned in, you earn the grade you get due to that assignment not being finished. If you don’t do it at all, that zero will cause your average to drop. The bad scores on homework keep increasing and then students could end up failing the nine weeks, a whole semester or an entire year. The teachers are doing their jobs, so they give out homework for the students to practice their class work. When kids don’t do it, it’s a no-brainer that teachers get upset. Some teachers are giving afterschool detention to students who don’t complete their homework. If students don’t want to do their homework they’ll have to stay late on their own time to get their work done. “I’m not worried about the kids in my classes who don’t do their homework. I just give them a detention and let them figure out the consequences for themselves,” said eighth grade Algebra teacher, Mrs. Wright. Next time you don’t want to do your homework, just remember, that assignment is actually practice, not a punishment. Don’t ignore homework. There will be consequences that will hurt you where it counts…your grades.
Oh say can you sing... Not only does she sing the National Anthem, her life is full of music by MAKENNA POULAND Is Scira Pereida really just another seventh grade girl, or is she something more? With the voice of an angel, she steps up to the microphone in the center of the boxing ring. The crowd sits mesmerized as they listen to the young singer. The National Anthem has never sounded so good. From the start, Scira was unique even before anyone heard her voice. Scira’s name is not one that you would find on the cool key chains at the gas station. “My mom told me that they got my name from Lion King II. My mom was watching the movie and she liked the name Zira and my dad came up with Scira,” she said. Scira started singing when she was around six or seven years old, and she had a great
voice that she put to good use. “I was very interested in the music I heard and I started singing,” she said. She loves to sing and continued to sing in front of crowds. In third grade, Scira started taking voice lessons from her music teacher. She stopped taking lessons after fourth grade, but still continued to sing. In fifth grade, Scira sang the National Anthem in front of hundreds of other fifth graders at the 2010 Fifth Grade Olympiad; where all the fifth graders in the district compete in various challenges including hula-hoop, tug-a-war, softball throw and track. So far, she has sung at MMA [mixed martial arts] fights, baseball games, boxing matches, and a volleyball game. While most people would get scared, Scira feels
right a home on the stage. “At first I’m nervous to sing in front of so many people, but then, I start singing and I feel comfortable,” she said. Her accomplishments don’t stop at singing in front of crowds though. She has even begun to write her own music. “I’m working on a song, but I’m only on the first stanza,” said Scira. Where do her songs come from though? “Sometimes, it just pops into my head, and sometimes, I listen to the songs I like and use them for inspiration,” Scira said. Scira also plans to take her singing to the next level, later on in life. “Yes, I plan to be a professional singer because I love to sing and I want to do well [in singing],” she said. “I think she [Scira] would make an amazing singer because her voice is really good,”
says seventh grader, Maria Ramirez. Scira plans to be like her role model, Katy Perry. “I look up to her [Katy Perry] because she was Christian when she was a teenager and she listened to Christian music and that’s me right now. Then she grew up to write her own songs and that’s what I want to do,” she said. Choir is also a big part of Scira’s life. She recently made it into Mixed Alto (top alto choir in Region) Region Choir and participated in the Region concert on Saturday Dec. 1. Whether she is singing or writing her own songs, Scira enjoys it and plans to continue. Who knows, you might even see her singing on stage or living it up as a rock star in future. Whatever the future holds in store, you can bet Scira will still be singing.
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 • DECEMBER 2012 11
BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE It could be a love/hate relationship here at school
by EMILY LIM Schools once had wooden benches for their students to sit in. Ink and slate pencils were mainly the only writing tools schools used. Teachers wrote on blackboards with pieces of powdery chalk. Though as the years have progressed, classrooms have updated their look and technology. Now, students have a variety of pens and pencils to write with, not to mention the fact that they can type on computers as well. Teachers can project examples of school lessons on the white board. Our generation has not disappointed us with the development of the advanced technology used each day at school. Bring Your Own Device, or BYOD, is when students bring their own electronic devices to school - such as iPads, laptops, tablets, and smartphones – to use in classrooms. This means that students can freely take out their iPod, iPad, or smartphone in class to look up examples for the lesson they’re learning. Perhaps the teacher would ask students to search something online relating to the lesson. BYOD seems like an easy, efficient way to help students learn. Even though BYOD has its advantages, it has its own disadvantages as well.
Bringing your own device to school would benefit students by letting them be more at ease with the way they learn. Just looking up information from reliable sites is easier than cramping your hand from writing too many notes. If someone doesn’t have their own device to use, what do they do? The school itself may provide the student from their own supply of devices (if the school has any of course), though some students may not be very trustworthy, and could be distracted with their device. They could be playing a game instead of working on their assignment their teacher gave them. Perhaps, the school and the students could create a compromise, figure out when they are allowed to socialize with their devices, and the time when they have to work? If our school were to use the BYOD system, I would be all for this idea. It seems like an enjoyable way to learn in school, and I believe many of my friends would like this as well. Though I am worried that it might get out of hand, I consider it a good experience for everyone. We’ve made things that were once deemed impossible in the past. Many things can now be accomplished with just a click of a button. If we have the technology now, why not make use of it?
TEXTING IS AFFECTING OUR ENGLISH Dnt u think so? IDK. May B u should read this... by KENNY MA Texting is a way to communicate with other people, but have you ever wondered if it’s bad for you? Texting can have many negative effects that we don’t notice, however we are getting affected by it every day. We text all the time, like in restaurants and at night when our parents are sleeping and it seems okay, but according to Edudemic, an educational website, you can get carpal tunnel syndrome, a pain in the hand and wrist caused by pressure on the median nerve in your wrist. There is a growing list of teachers who are trying to prevent students mixing texting and proper English when writing in class. Students need to know when it’s okay to text and when they need to use proper grammar.
SOUND OFF!!
Lots of people text nowadays, about eight trillion people sent texts in 2011 and that has weakened our grammar. Mobile network providers estimate that around $726 billion dollars will be gained from SMS texting over the next 5 years. An average person will text around 90 texts per day. So do the math…texting isn’t going away. However, texting hasn’t been here for a long time. In December 1992, Neil Paperworth sent a message that said, “Happy Christmas” to the Orbital 901 handset, the first phone to receive a text, from his work computer. Since then, texting is something many people can’t live without. In 2009, 60% of the world’s population owned a cell phone, and young adults have been helping texting develop. Ninety-five percent of 18 to 24 year-old
ON BRINGING YOUR OWN DEVICE
SOUND
8TH GRADE STUDENT
KHAYMAN JOHNSON
MELISSA PALOMARES
“I would support the idea because getting an answer on an electronic device would be faster than looking it up in a book.”
“Technology is becoming more popular than pencil and paper and some schools are already using BYOD.”
8TH GRADE
8TH GRADE STUDENT
GRICELDA JASSO ON TEXTING AND ITS AFFECT ON WHATEVER TOPIC8TH GRADE ON WHATEVER TOPIC et a volupta tiissimus. ON YOUR GRAMMAR“Loremposto et a volupta tiissimus.“I believe“Loremposto texting affects our educa-
OFF!
12 DECEMBER 2012 • THE ‘STANG EXPRESS
people own a cell phone, but 97% of the adults text on a daily basis. According to Edudemic, some people see that formal language is more common than texting, but the scores on grammar assessments have decreased. Each little text we send can affect our spelling and grammar, and there are thousands of texts sent out each year. Every time a teacher says to use proper English, you should make sure you use proper sentences and grammar and leave the texting outside the classroom. If you don’t know when and where you can text and when and where you need to use proper English (written) then imagine if you fill out an application for a job with a bunch of smiley faces and ‘IDK’s. That supervisor probably wouldn’t hire you. What do you think?
Event et autatur alis endest, ute ea Event et autatur alis endest, ute ea tion because people are cus quamHarum aut autation exero cus quamHarum autspelling autation exero words wrong, using grammar, coremquo con peditioreni aut quodi coremquo conbad peditioreni aut quodi and abbreviating everything. A bit delitent enditio rrov” delitent enditio rrov”
ridiculous.”
8TH GRADE
8TH GRADE STUDENT MIREYA TORRES ON WHATEVER TOPIC 8TH GRADE “Loremposto et a volupta tiissimus. don’t think Event et autatur alis“Iendest, ute eatexting will affect education cus quamHarum autyour autation exero because you coremquo con peditioreni aut texting quodi aside and start can put delitent enditio rrov” studying.”
ONE SOLUTION Terrorists attempt to take away womens’ right to education by SARA HINSHAW-HATTEN Do you know your alphabet? Do you feel safe at home? Then count your blessings because not everyone in the world can say that their lives are safe. Teenage girls in some third world countries hide in their homes afraid to try for a better life, to go to school and get a good education because of certain groups of men around them. One girl took a big risk and began writing of all the horrible things that were happening around her. One girl was ready to try…and her writing described the injustice around her. A 14-year-old girl living in Pakistan, Malala Yousufzai, created a blog telling of the Taliban’s laws against women’s education. She told of the Taliban’s want to keep all women ignorant and fearful and how she wanted to fight for what she believed in. She wanted to let the Taliban know that she wasn’t afraid. Girls before her had suffered serious injuries when caught trying to go to school. Many girls have suffered attacks on their way to school. In an article I read, a girl was walking to school when Taliban threw acid on her face. Others have been poisoned and there have even been reports of bombings of girl students and their schools so they won’t attend. Then, when riding home from school one day Malala’s bus was stopped. A man carrying a rifle walked in and asked who Malala was. When she was pointed out to him, he shot her in the head and neck and also injured the girl sitting next to her. While she was in critical condition in a hospital, the Taliban announced to the world that they were the ones who shot her. Malala soon recovered and fought back even harder against this horrible group. This event gave
SOUND OFF!!
women the courage to protest this treatment in Pakistan as well as Afghanistan. Their message is clear: they will not be controlled any longer. The Pakistani government has not done anything to stop this abuse. I believe that Malala and everyone out there who wishes for this to end has got the right idea. This threat should be taken care of and the oppressed should be given their freedom to get an education. I think the Taliban are a bunch of cowards who are afraid of women and children learning about the wonders of being successful and confident enough to stand against the lies the Taliban spreads. They fear the truth that their time is over, that their victims will no longer be bullied into submission. In their attempt to quiet one girl, the Taliban brought the rest of the world forward to stand with these citizens and fight for the weak, which is how it should be. We are always talking about equal rights, well then let’s make it equal in all parts of the world. All girls should have the means to get an education. Without an education it leaves them no options about how to support themselves. Women and men are protesting in Pakistan saying that they demand peace, justice, freedom and honor. The Taliban has sworn that if Malala survives they will attack her again, but what they don’t understand is you can’t stop an idea with bullets. All the Taliban has used to control the people of Pakistan was violence and fear. Now that fear is gone from the people and I have a prediction that the Taliban will be brought to its knees, not by the Pakistan government, but the Pakistan people.
DID YOU KNOW? Pakistan: • Population - 172 million • 6th most populous country in the world • 33% below international poverty line • 57 % Total Adult Literacy Rate (male 66.25% female 41.75%) Afghanistan: • Population - 32 million • 36% Total literacy (male 51% female 18%) • 6,650,000 school-aged population in Afghanistan • 12,000 public schools (primary and secondary). Roughly half of them do not have a building: students assemble in tents and/or in the open, say officials. Another major factor is the violence and ignorant hate crimes against women in the region. Incidents such as burning of buildings used as schools, blasts near schools, killing, kidnapping, and threats to teachers — especially female teachers are reasons why girls do not go to school
SOURCE / Central Asia Institute Report on Statistics and Achievements
ONE VOICE, ONE PROBLEM
ON THE RIGHT FOR GIRLS TO GET AN EDUCATION IN OTHER COUNTRIES
MICHAEL NORTON 8TH GRADE
“The Taliban is getting enraged because they don’t think that women should have the same amount of rights that they have and if women get an education then they will defy them. I personally would feel deprived of what I am supposed to have.”
MARK BARCENA
MONICA MARTINEZ
7TH GRADE
8TH GRADE
“I would be mad because education is a way of life and a way to make money.”
“I know the basic stuff. I know that they [women] don’t get that much education because they are women and they don’t matter over there. I would try to run away from it to get an education and do something about it.”
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 • DECEMBER 2012 13
“We stood together, we played hard, we didn’t quit and we believed what we did and we to beat Galena Park.” - Coach Williams
Mustangs shut down Yellow Jackets with
KILLER DEFENSE Mustangs show off defensive skills in big district win On Oct. 22, the eighth grade B team took on the Galena Park Yellow Jackets on our home turf for the fifth game of the season. Last year the Mustangs beat the Yellow Jackets 58-7. “Their defense wasn’t very good last year when we played them in seventh grade. [We have to] stay hydrated the day before the game and on the day of the game and give all that we have and be smart on defense and offense and concentrate on the game,” said wide receiver, Isaiah Sanchez. To start off the 1st quarter, the Mustangs kicked the ball to the Yellow Jackets’ kick returner. The Mustangs’ defense stopped him from gaining yards with good blocks and a tackle. Mustang quarterback Cody Cupp threw the ball to Rodrick Coffman, scoring a touchdown at the 6:25 mark. After the score, kicker Jonathan Rodriguez kicked the ball to the kick returner. At the sideline, Robert Torrez and the rest of the players chanted, “Fired Up, Fired up!” to pump up the Mustangs. At third down, the Yellow Jacket’s quarterback tried to make the Mustangs jump at the line of scrimmage so that the we would get a penalty, but they didn’t fall for it. After third down, the Mustangs called a timeout. On fourth down, the quarterback threw an incomplete pass and the Mustangs took over on downs. As the Mustangs rushed out to the field, Coach Williams yelled encouragement,. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go, it’s on your player card.” Cupp fumbled the ball after a Yellow Jacket linebacker tackled him and Hector Gonzalez recovered the ball, and ran it in for the score. Rodriguez kicked the ball through goal posts for the extra point. After the score, the Yellow Jackets were back on offense and the running back fumbled the ball and Gonzalez recovered the ball once again and ran it to the 35-yard line. Just before the end of the first quarter, Cupp scored a buzzer beater, making the score 14-0. The 2nd quarter began at the 40-yard line where Coffman tackled their running back that tried to run towards our end zone. The Yellow Jackets’ coach called a timeout so he could go over what strategies to play on third down. As the players ran back into the
14 DECEMBER 2012 • THE ‘STANG EXPRESS
field, Coach Atkins high fived them. When they hiked the ball, Ronald Gomez sacked the quarterback as he tried to throw the ball. The half ended with the score 22-0, the Mustangs still in the lead. At halftime, players drunk water and discussed their plays with the coaches. The coaches talked to the players about what to do the following two quarters. “Ten and twelve switch,” said Coach Sanders. “Let us beat up the rest of the team,” said Coach Williams. “You have one priority, keep the ball inside,” said Coach Sanders. “You better not be scared of recovering the ball, you better be scared of me and all these other coaches if you don’t get the ball,” said Coach Atkins. After halftime, the players were ready for the 3rd quarter. The Yellow Jackets’ kicker kicked the ball off and Rodrick Coffman caught the ball, ran it 20 yards and scored. Rodriguez then kicked the ball off and the returner fumbled the ball but retrieved it. The quarterback ran the ball towards our end zone but was tackled by a linebacker. The buzzer sounded, ending the 3rd quarter and the players stopped and went to go drink water. The score for the 3rd
PHOTO / MELANIE GOMEZ
by ULISES SALAZAR
quarter was 29-0. Cupp picked up a first down to start the 4th quarter. Coffman picked up a first down as well but that was called back due to a holding penalty. Gonzalez scored another touchdown from the 30-yard line and Jonathan Rodriguez made the extra point with 3:12 left. The Yellow Jackets’ quarterback made the Mustangs jump at the line of scrimmage and they called a timeout with :53 seconds remaining. After their timeout, they tried to score, but the Mustangs defense stopped them. The quarterback threw a 50-yard bomb to his receivers trying to score but they failed to catch the ball as time expired. The final score was 30-0. “We stood together, we played hard, we didn’t quit and we believed what we did and we to beat Galena Park. They did pretty good, but they could’ve done better. First we needed to win, second of all to be better prepared than the other team and to be consistent and executing our game plan,” said Coach Williams after the game. “I thought it was really good, I thought everyone played awesome because everybody did everything right,” said Hector Gonzalez. “We accomplished the win as a team because everybody did great. I though we all did amazing because everybody did their job. I practiced hard and I had effort,” he said.
After getting good blocks, quarterback Cody Cupp passes the ball to one of his wide receiver down field, who caught it and ran it in for a score on Oct. 22 here at home. The Mustangs went on the shut out the Yellow Jackets and remain undefeated.
Lady Mustangs snap 19-year losing streak against neighborhood rival After each team wins a set, the ladies go all out and sweep Cunningham in historic game As the Mustangs set back up on the court, Cunningham’s #6 served that same On Nov. 1st, our 7th grade A-Team powerful serve causing two Mustangs to dominated the Cunningham Wildcats durhit the ball at the same time which wasn’t ing the last game of the season at North good enough. The crowd was going balShore Senior High, showing the Wildcats listic! With the score 11-19, the Wildcats in how to really play volleyball. the lead, the Mustangs had to pull themTo start off the game, the Mustangs set selves together. Just in time, Coach Wait up in an offensive play, Zoya Hicks served used her second and last time-out. the first 4 points of the game until the “Are we doing all that great? We need Wildcats found an open spot on the ‘Stang to stick it and talk to each other. Now side and put the ball in it. Cunningham’s let’s get out there and play like Mustangs! #36 served consistently 5 times until the Bump, set, kill on 3,” she said and the laWildcats lost control of the ball and gave dies yelled, “1-2-3, BUMP, SET, KILL!” The the Mustangs the extra point. time out didn’t help as Cunningham’s #6 Then Asjai Robinson served the ball, served 6 aces putting an end to the 2nd and bad communication the on the set, 11-25, the Wildcats won that one. Mustangs’ side caused them to give a The last and final set began. This is the free point to the Wildcats. At this point, set that counts because whoever wins the Lady Mustangs knew they had to get this set, takes home the overall victory so it together so for the rest of the set they the Mustangs had to pull it together. The played their best. This positive energy Wildcats had 1st serve and scored the caused Savannah Herrera to score the last first four points of the set until she served 3 points needed to win the set 25-19. The out of bounds. That’s when Tamera crowd was going berserk as the Mustangs Washington served 3 times straight and wrapped up the first set. scored on all. “It was so much energy and noise in the “Good job! One serve at a time! Keep it crowd that you could coming! This is where feel the stands jiggle,” we start a streak,” Mr. “I feel great because we said 8th grader, DaDrexler yelled. This worked hard and played vonte Singletary. must’ve helped beAs the second set together as a team and that’s cause the ‘Stangs and was coming along, the ‘Cats went into a all that matters, and so many Coach Wait said a few people underestimated us but two minute volley. words to get the girls “Good hustle!” we showed them,” pumped up. Coach Atkins yelled “We’re in serve - 8th grader Zoya Hicks from the stands even receive, you know what though the Mustangs to do. We need to baldidn’t get the point. ance our strength, OK? You gotta want it, Then Coach Wait called a time-out. you gotta want it,” she yelled. “Mustangs in the house! Bring it To start off the set, Cunningham’s #6 Mustangs! Don’t stop it now!” Mr. Drexserved a hard, powerful serve which took ler yelled during the time-out. After the Aliyah Harrison by surprise and caused time-out, the Mustangs kept on serving her to lose control of the ball and give the short until Zoya Hicks served and tied us Wildcats a point. To score some points, up with the Wildcats, 11-11. Aliyah Harrison and Amyre Ellis spiked the After Zoya served short, the score was ball in the following 3 minutes putting us 12-11, Wildcats in the lead. Then Asjai at 9-16, the Wildcats were in the lead. Bad Robinson scored the last 4 points needed communication and no self-control in the to win out. The crowd went wild! Screamupcoming minutes caused Coach Wait to ing and yelling is all you could hear in call a time-out with the score 9-18. the stands and the B team ran out on the “What’s going on out there? We gotta court to congratulate the team. bump, set, kill,” she said. “We have to do “I felt nervous because I didn’t know if what we know to do. We missed 3 serves I was going to make my serves, but now I this set already, but 5 serves in all the last feel relieved because we won,” said Asjai set. I’m just warning you. You gotta want Robinson after the game. The crowd went it. Bump, set, kill on 3! 1-2-3, BUMP, SET, wild as she scored that last and final KILL!” point. There was hugging and jumping,
PHOTO / REAGAN NUNEZ
by LEAH MAXWELL
Seventh grader, Gisselle Villarreal bumps the ball to setter Zoya Hicks during their final game of the season against the Cunningham Wildcats on Nov. 1 at North Shore Senior High Gym. Both seventh grade teams won to close out the season.
and everything jubilant on the ‘Stangs side. “I feel great because we worked hard and played together as a team and that’s all that matters, and so many people underestimated us but we showed them,” said Zoya Hicks. What makes this game different from all of the other games? Our own Lady Mustangs volleyball team swept the Cunningham Wildcats. By swept, I mean every single North Shore volleyball team won their volleyball game against Cunningham that night. To add on to this glorious victory, did you know that the last time North Shore swept Cunningham was 19 years ago? “I am overwhelmed with joy that the Mustangs went out there and played like Mustangs,” Coach Wait said. Maybe this is the start of a winning streak like Mr. Drexler said. Hopefully now when we go against Cunningham we won’t be intimidated by them, they’ll be intimidated by us. VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 • DECEMBER 2012 15
SPORTS
District champs show Quarterback
NORTH SHORE WHAT THEY’RE MADE OF
Lady Mustangs lose focus and fall to Galena Park by TAALIYAH PORCHIA
PHOTO / MADISON MERICLE
On Oct. 18, the Lady Mustang 8th grade white team with a record of 1-4 took on the undefeated, two time-district champs, the Galena Park Yellow Jackets at home. As the ladies got ready to receive the Hornet’s first serve, the red team encouraged them from the stands yelling, “Let’s go ‘Stangs get low!” The Mustangs started out very energetic but began to lose their energy on the court. As this happened, Coach Du Plaga called a time out and yelled in frustration, “We’re not transitioning on and off the net, we’re not moving our feet, and my front row players don’t want to go up and attack the ball. When are you guys going to step up and do what you say you’re going to do?” she said. “Do you guys realize if we beat them we will be district champs? Now get out there and show me what you’re made of!” Coach Du Plaga’s timeout seemed to encourage the girls to work harder and do better. After the time out, the ladies got their energy back, were refocused and determined to turn the set around. Their setter, Alex Cano, got us up by 2 points
16 DECEMBER 2012 • THE ‘STANG EXPRESS
with two aced serves. The crowd was going wild on the point-by-point action from the players. The Mustangs fought hard to try to get back into the set, but ended up losing by a hair with a score of 22-25. In the next set, the Mustangs came back, smashing the Yellow Jackets and jumping to 5-0 by moving their feet and communicating. The Mustangs seemed to get to comfortable with their lead and began falling behind. Then they lost their focus and stopped communicating. Throughout the game the ladies seemed defeated. In the stands, the crowd was still encouraging them by cheering and saying, “Let’s go girls! Fight for every point! It’s not over yet!” Leah Maxwell stepped up and was a team player the whole game. She hustled and got on the ground for every ball. Leah’s fellow teammate, Deja Montgomery said, “I feel that Leah Maxwell really stepped up because she went for everything and encouraged us to step up our game and energy up as well.” Although the Lady Mustangs started out on fire, the flame went out and they lost with a score of 8-25. During the last set, the team tried to be better and went out and played together as a team by talking, moving their feet and being positive. The Yellow Jackets were playing hard and showing the Mustangs why they are two-year district champs. Despite their ups and downs throughout the sets, the Mustangs gave a good effort, but didn’t meet their goal and lost 9-15. In conclusion, the ladies’ lack of communication, energy, and teamwork caused them to be defeated by the Yellow Jackets. They fought hard but got back in the game a little too late. After their loss they got encouragement from all their fans and supporters, giving a little more momentum for the next game with a record of 1-5. Alexandria Cano jump sets the ball over the net as Kayla Alexander, Deja Montgomery, and Olivia Cisneros wait to make their approach in a home game against the Galena Park Yellow Jackets on Oct. 18. The Mustangs lost the match, falling to 1-5.
shows off athleticism
by VICTOR DAVILA Swish! Seventh grader Isaac Cerda makes yet another three pointer, as he shoots his way into the season. Who’s Isaac Cerda? Well Isaac is that kid who makes P.E. look like the Olympics. You can find Isaac playing shooting guard on the basketball court because he has also made the 7th grade A football team. He likes basketball because it’s fun and you can never master it, so it’s a constant battle to get better every day. Isaac is known to be a great player and an even better person. “He drives to the basket very well and he has an amazing personality,” said Avery Smith. Isaac Cerda also is the 7th grade A team quarterback, who was introduced to football when he was 4 and was just “playing around”. Little did he know then, that later he would want to play. Though he plays a lot of sports, football is his favorite. Isaac started playing football when he was four, but he didn’t start playing quarterback until he was seven. Now Isaac has been playing at the quarterback position for five years. Just like everybody else, Isaac goes through normal school days as a student, but before and after school he is an athlete. He has to be sure he has everything he needs such as good grades, a focused mind, and the will to eat healthy to keep in shape. Isaac starts every school day just like everybody else, but before and after school you can see him improving on his jump shots, layups and fundamentals in the gym. Everybody has athletic talent, it’s just up to them if they want to lose it or improve. Isaac has made the choice to gain athletic talent, and has showed that he wants to use it. He’s is a great example of what everyone that wants an athlete to be, and he will definitely be raising the Mustangs’ standard next year in eighth grade.
Eighth grade football team fights to win a
CHAMPIONSHIP Tough defense, no-quit attitude lead to last minute score and win again Cunningham Wildcats
On Nov. 6, the 8th grade red football team took on the Cunningham Wildcats at the Galena Park ISD Stadium for the district championship. They also wanted to leave their mark as one of the few teams to beat Cunningham. Last year, the Wildcats beat the Mustang 8th grade red team 16-40. The game began when Mustangs kicked off and the Wildcat’s kick returner ran 5 yards and was tackled. The Wildcats began on offense, rushing for ten yards and a first down but were called back on a penalty. The Wildcats failed to convert on third down so they had to punt the ball. When the Mustangs started on offense, they passed the ball but were intercepted at the 32-yard line. Wildcats failed to convert again and punted the ball after fourth down. The band started to play to pump up the players and the crowd. On the Mustangs first down, Bryant Badie tried to pass but it was an incomplete pass, on second down, the Mustangs running back rushed but the he fumbled the ball and it was recovered by the Wildcats at the 42-yard line. After a Wildcat completion with a 40-yard pass, there was a flag and that play was called back. After the penalties, the Wildcats attempted a pass but this one was intercepted by Drakkar Pruitt. The crowd gave a loud cheer
after the interception. Later, the Mustangs failed to convert so they had to punt the ball. The quarter ended with no score on the board. The second quarter began with the Wildcats rushing the ball 20 yards to the end zone for a touchdown and a good field goal taking the lead 8-0. After the Wildcats kicked off, the Mustangs started their drive on second down and they switched offense where Roman Guerra rushed for 10 yards to the 25-yard line and a first down. On the second play after the first down, Bryant Badie threw a 25-yard pass to Roberto Martinez for a first down. After the first down, Mustangs were stuck on fourth down where the Wildcats committed two penalties to give the Mustangs a first down. The Mustangs were once again stuck on fourth down and went for it but turned over the ball on downs. Then the Wildcats running back rushed on first down but he fumbled the ball and another Wildcat fell on it. On second down, the Wildcats running back rushed once again and he fumbled again, but this time the ball was recovered by the Mustangs. After the turnover, Bryant Badie passed 30 yards for a touchdown to Jaylen Thomas to put the Mustangs on the board 6-8. The quarter ended right after the touchdown pass. At halftime, the Fillies pumped up the crowd for the
PHOTO / REAGAN NUN EZ
by LEONARDO REYES
upcoming quarter by performing two of their routines. The third quarter began with the Wildcats kicking off and Mustangs kick returner ran up to the 10-yard line. On first down, Jesus Frayre rushed 10 yards to the 20-yard line. On first, down Bryant Badie threw downfield 20 yards to Jesus Frayre. Once again the Mustangs switched their off quarterback but still failed to convert and had to punt the ball. After the punt, the Wildcat’s quarterback rushed for a touchdown but it was called back on a flag, and De’Andre Simon also came out injured on the play. On first down, the Wildcat’s running back rushed and fumbled which the Mustangs recovered at the 31-yard line. The third quarter ended after the fumble with the score still 6-8. The tension was building. The last quarter began with the Mustangs at the 31-yard line. On first down, Bryant Badie threw another pass for a first down to Roberto Martinez. Badie then threw another pass to Patrick Davis for 10 yards. After the first down, Mustangs failed to convert and punted the ball. After the punt, Jesus Frayre intercepted the Wildcats pass and the crowd went wild. On first down, the Wildcats committed a penalty and put the Mustangs at the 1-yard line. After the penalty, Jesus Frayre rushed in for a touchdown putting the Mustangs in the lead 14-8 with only two 2:09 left. The North Shore crowd went wild and the band was playing loudly. After the kickoff, one of the Wildcats committed a penalty on first down on the Wildcats quarterback was sacked for a loss. On second down, the Wildcats committed another penalty on third down. On third down, Wildcats attempted a pass and were stuck on fourth down. On fourth down, the Wildcats quarterback attempted another pass but was almost intercepted by Badie. After the turnover on downs, Mustangs ran out the clock to take the win. As the Wildcats and the Mustangs shook hands, the crowd was cheering and jumping with excitement, the Mustang band was playing and Fillies where dancing to the band’s beat. After the game Coach Davis said, “It feels great to coach this team that really deserved the win. They certainly played like they wanted the victory,” he said. “After the clock ran out I felt pretty calm and the game was worth playing,” said Coach Davis. The Mustangs really did deserve to win for fighting hard and were named the district champions. Eighth grader Jesus Frayre rushes in for the last touchdown of the game against Cunningham, making the score 14-8 on Nov. 6 at Galena Park ISD Stadium. The win gave the Mustangs the district championship and bragging rights for the year.
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 • DECEMBER 2012 17
Lady Mustangs defeat biggest rival Communication, teamwork and heart combine to ensure victory against Cunningham by CRYSTAL ORTEZ On Nov. 1, the 8th grade A volleyball team played against their biggest rival, Cunningham Middle School in the North Shore Senior High main gym. The ladies have practiced and worked on the things they needed to improve throughout the season. “We worked on fundaments, high pressure [nervous], serving, and conditioning,” said A-team coach, Coach Sanford. As the Wildcats served first to start the game, the Mustangs were set up in a 5-1 defense. A 5-1 defense is when there is 5 defenders and 1 setter. Sayma Martinez bumped the ball and when the ball went over the net, Cunningham couldn’t get it back over, giving the Lady Mustangs a point. Then Madisyn Francis served and started a rally which was ended by Sayma bumping the ball and scoring another point for the Mustangs. “Let’s go Mustangs, Let’s go,” cheered the crowd to motivate the players. Next, Sayma served, but the Wildcats scored this time. After that, the Mustangs got a point due to Cunningham being out of rotation.
Then, Beatrice Cruz served 10 times in a row, helping the ladies extend the lead. Coach Sanford then called a timeout so the ladies won’t get too exited while they were winning. “Good job ladies, but make sure to do the right thing, we need every serve, and we need to show that we want this.” As the ladies ran to the court, the crowd cheered for them. Next, Alexis Hernandez served starting a rally. As the set went on, one of the Cunningham players hit the ball causing confusion, until Alexis Hernandez bumped the ball scoring another point. The Mustangs worked hard and won this set with a score of 25-16. “I didn’t feel nervous because I practiced hard and will tried my best,” said eighth grader, Claudia Martinez. To start off the 2nd set, Claudia Martinez served 3 times in a row, which helped the Lady Mustangs start off well. Then, Cunningham had the ball and #25 served making an ace, but the Mustangs didn’t let that bring them down. During a rally, Claudia Martinez and TaAliyah Porchia blocked and spiked the ball leading the
Mustangs with a score of 13-5. During the game, the ladies were communicating and were confident which really helped them win the victory. “Let’s go girls,” screamed Coach Sanford as Sayma Martinez served the game point. Coaches, players, and the crowd were all anxious to see the ladies win the game. When Sayma Martinez served she started a short rally, and the Mustangs scored and won the set with a score of 25-11. The crowd erupted with cheering as the players hugged each other on the court. The Lady Mustangs accomplished one of their biggest goals, defeating the Wildcats. “I feel that we accomplished something and we worked hard as a team,” said Beatrice Cruz. The ladies really worked hard and have improved during the season. “They have improved tremendously, they understand the game and are more confident,” said Coach Sanford. The ladies hard work and communication helped them to pull out with a win and finish the season with a record of 5-3.
Seventh grader exemplifies ‘student athlete’ From football to basketball and band to school work, Godfrey’s talent is easy to see by LEAH MAXWELL Drumroll, please! Seventh grade percussionist, John Godfrey, beats his way into the school year showing many talents in different categories. The football field is one of many places you can find John pursuing his talents. This wide receiver and free safety is known for being a great all-around player. “John is a good defensive player because he’s a smart player, a hard hitter, and he’s very aggressive,” said Coach Davis. “John is a good offensive player because he knows how and when to catch the ball, not many players can do that,” said Coach Banks. Can John be what the team needs to win against Cunningham this year? Maybe, but what is he going to do to win? “I plan on making more ‘pics’ [interceptions] in the game to get us some extra points,” John said. Is his team getting conditioned properly for the upcoming Cunningham game? “Well, we run the whole field front and back and the coaches are teaching us how to play smart so I think we have a very good chance of winning,” he said.
18 DECEMBER 2012 • THE ‘STANG EXPRESS
Other than football, John wants to play basketball, which he said was his favorite sport. Playing sports isn’t what John is all about. He is also very active in his academics. Since John plays sports and is obviously in academics, that makes him a student athlete, which is very important because this makes him stand out to a lot of teachers, his favorite being Pre-AP math teacher, Mr. Johnson. “He makes things fun to learn and he keeps me focused,” said John. Mr. Johnson also keeps an eye out for John. “John is a fine young man of moral character and he’s a good example of what a student athlete should be. He is also very respectful and mannerable, and he has a great work ethic,” said Mr. Johnson. Another teacher John admires is his dad because he teaches John about life in different terms so that he can understand it. In spite of all of John’s athleticism, there’s one more thing that makes John stand out from the rest. He also participates in band, and not just any band, Symphonic Band which happens to be the 2nd highest band out of 4. He doesn’t
just play one instrument either, he plays percussion and all instruments that fall into that category which includes drums, xylophones, triangles, cowbells, chimes, and even rattles. Now we know what John plays, but what makes him equipped for Symphonic Band because not just anybody can play in this band. “He is a very hardworking student and he uses all his talents very wisely,” said Symphonic Band instructor, Mr. Hampton. John also has many friends who think he is very talented and outgoing. “He is a very dedicated young boy because he works hard to achieve what he wants,” said 8th grader, Adrianna Ware. “John has very good talent and it’s good to see that he’s using it and not letting it go to waste,” said 8th grader, Khayman Johnson. Many people have talent, it’s just up to them if they want to use it or not. Obviously, John is not that type of person. Athletic, smart and outgoing, are just a few words that describe who John is. By the end of this year, he’ll be setting and example for the upcoming 7th graders to follow, the true example of a North Shore Mustang.
Penalties lead to loss against Cunningham Disappointing loss leaves team with dreams of next year On Nov. 5th, the seventh grade red football team went toe to toe with the Cunningham Wildcats at Galena Park ISD Stadium. The Wildcats were going into the last game of the season undefeated whereas we lost our first to the Crosby Cougars. The seventh grade red team from previous years had lost the game by one point. This year, they were looking to stop that from happening. At the start of the game, the Wildcats over pursued Darion McDaniel on the opening kickoff, he juked the entire kick-off team and returned the kick back for ninety yards and a touchdown. The crowd erupted. The Mustangs were enraged when the touchdown was called back due to an illegal block in the back. The Wildcats’ defense stopped the Mustangs offense on the next three plays. On fourth down, Isaac Cerda threw the ball to McDaniel but miscommunication led to an incomplete pass. As soon as the Wildcats were on offense, RaShaad Corner hit the running back causing him to fumble. “Our ball, our ball,” Coach Atkins shouted. The players were hopping up and down the sideline excitedly. When the Mustangs’ were back on offense, they gained two first downs compliments of Ismeal Brown and Darion McDaniel. The next play, the Wildcats’ linebacker was waiting for Thomas Paine to run and hit him in the backfield. “Timeout!” Coach Banks yelled from the sideline. The Mustangs still couldn’t execute what Banks told them on the field and gave the ball to the Wildcats. This lead to a sixty yard pass, setting the Wildcats up for a three-yard run, including the extra point which put them up by seven. “Don’t give up guys!” Coach Penny yelled from the sideline. Due to an onside kick, the Mustangs started their drive with great field position. Cerda started the drive with a nineteen-yard run. The next play, Cerda threw a pass to John White swinging out the backfield for a twenty-two gain. On the next play, the Mustangs tried the same play but were caught behind the line of scrimmage and a Wildcat defender scooped the ball up and returned it for seventy-six yards. Fortunately, White caught him before he scored. Cunningham scored on the very next play though and luckily, they didn’t get the extra point so the score was 0-13. When the Mustangs’ were back on offense, Cerda tried to throw a pass out the backfield to White, but it was intercepted and returned for seventy-three yards as time expired. Fortunately, it was called back due to a penalty and the first half
had ended. “Guys you can’t expect to win making careless mistakes,” Coach Banks stated during halftime. During the rest of the break, he explained to the players what they had to do to get back in the game. When the third quarter began, Corner hit the Wildcat running back causing him to fumble. When the Mustangs were on offense, White broke numerous tackles to gain a first down. On the next play, Cerda threw a pass to Brown for a forty-yard touchdown. The crowd was so hyped up you could feel the stadium shake, but, again, the touchdown was called back due to an illegal shift. “How many touchdowns are y’all gonna call back?” one crowd member shouted. This enraged the Mustangs. On fourth down, White broke two tackles then reversed to get the first down. The Mustangs were starting to gain momentum after the two previous touchdowns that had been taken from them. That set the Mustangs up for a six-yard run by Cerda making the score, 8-13. “I knew the seventh grade was going put up a fight, they were giving us competition and they never backed down from anything,” eighth grade football player, Amadou Gamby said. The Mustangs weren’t only playing the Wildcats, they were also playing the referees. On first down, the Wildcats tried
PHOTO / MELANIE GOMEZ
by BRYANT BADIE
a run up the middle but he was immediately hit by Corner and Salazar. Shamar recovered the ball and waved it high. The Mustangs’ first two plays back on offense resulted in a loss of ten yards. On third down, Cerda threw the ball to John Godfrey, but the timing just wasn’t right. The Mustangs needed a miracle to gain the lead and stop Cunningham’s winning streak. On fourth down, Cerda scrambled out of the pocket to deliver a perfect pass to McDaniel and he caught it then jumped over the defender and ran the rest of the way as the crowd went wild. The Mustangs knew that had the game wrapped up until the referee called the touchdown back because of an illegal block in the back. Cerda tried another pass to McDaniel, but the coverage was too much and he threw it over his receiver’s head to avoid an interception. When the Wildcats were back on offense the quarterback took a knee to run out the clock and solidify the win. “We played a good game, it’s only so much we can do ya know. We can’t fight them and the refs,” said quarterback Isaac Cerda. Now the players are working hard during the off season to prepare for their next meeting with the Wildcats. “My team and I are just going to work harder during practice. We’ll get them next year, I promise you that,” said wide receiver Darion McDaniel. The Mustangs now have to hold on to the new streak the eighth grade red team started this year and see what the future holds.
Quarterback Isaac Cerda gets tackled by the Cunningham’s defensive linemen while diving for extra yards during the the last game of the season on Nov. 5 at the Galena Park ISD stadium. Despite some great plays, the Mustangs had several penalties that erased points and led to a loss against the Wildcats.
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 • DECEMBER 2012 19
PG-13
BREAKING DAWN Part 2 Final installment of the successful vampire series triggers long lines and excitement
by CRISTAL GARCIA
Total revenue from film, DVD, ECLIPSE book, and rentals: $970,900,000 NEW MOON Total revenue from film, DVD, BREAKING DAWN book, and rentals: $1,143,637,000 TWILIGHT
20 DECEMBER 2012 • THE ‘STANG EXPRESS
IMAGES / APPLETRAILERS.COM
At midnight, on Thursday Nov. 15, Breaking Dawn Part 2, the final movie of the Twilight series, was released in theaters and many people bought tickets early and camped outside to make sure they get a great seat for the final. The movie stars Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan, Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen, and Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black and is directed by Bill Condon and is rated PG-13. Once Bella turned into a vampire and after she gave birth to her daughter Renesmee Cullen in the last movie, she begins a new life with new vampire powers. The movie is basically about Bella protecting her daughter Renesmee and her new family with her vampire abilities. One thing I liked about the movie is when Bella used her new-found vampire abilities to attack and feed on a mountain lion. It really shocked me how she ran so fast and killed the lion. She enjoyed the hunt too. Another thing I liked was at the end when there was a short scene of Jacob and Renesmee together. Jacob had imprinted on Renesmee which means he loves her in a protecting way. The scene leaves the audience thinking about what it means. Also, we’re introduced to several new vampires from all over the world who don’t like the Volturi. They team up with the Cullens to face them. Something I disliked about the movie is when it reveals that the fight between the Cullens and the Volturi. I’ll leave that part out for those who haven’t seen it yet so no one gets a spoiler. I rate this movie three out of four stars because it showed too much violence which I don’t like. I liked the movie because it was really romantic how Edward and Bella did what they could to protect their daughter Renesmee and the rest of their family. So, if you’re a die hard fan, make sure you watch it and enjoy the final.
Total revenue from film, DVD, book, and rentals: $1,120,617,000 Total revenue from film, DVD, book, and rentals: $2,141,141,032
Choir students perform at Fall concert North Shore’s choirs show off in their first concert of the year
Three national voice contests give viewers lots of choices by ALENY GUAJARDO American Idol, X Factor, and The Voice, are all wonderful musical talent shows that have millions of viewers across America and with these three shows come differences and similarities. Which show is better? Is one better than the other and what separates them from the competition? American Idol was the first to be aired on FOX on June 11, 2002. This show is the oldest of the three, and it is watched by at least 21.49 million people. When American Idol’s 12th season debuts in January 2013, superstar judge Mariah Carey and returning judge Randy Jackson, will be joined by two new judges, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban. In American Idol, when the first round begins the judges will judge by appearance and voice, and if the majority likes the contestant’s singing they move on to the next stage. When the contestant reaches the live rounds, America votes the singer’s ultimate fate to fame. X Factor originated from the UK or the United Kingdom (Britain), but thankfully came to America on September 21, 2011 on FOX for us to enjoy. Auditions are
judged by Britney Spears, Demi Lovato and returning judges Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid. The judges examine the contestants very carefully, checking their style and voice. The contestants who make it through auditions promote themselves to ‘Boot Camp’ which is basically a stage 2. They are divided into four categories: Boys, Girls, Ages over 30s, and Groups. Each category is mentored by one of the judges. Not only is it a competition between the competitors to have their claim for the coveted win, but it’s also a battle among the judges as to whose talents will destroy the competition and make it to the finals. The judges may have their say in how the competition progresses, but it will be up to America to decide who ultimately has The X Factor. The Voice first aired on April 26, 2011. This show has music ‘coaches’ instead of judges and they are: Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Celo Green, and Christina Aguilera. Also, each season begins with what’s called the blind auditions where, thanks to their rotating chairs that turns the judges around, they can only hear them but not see them. The Voice has a big red button that indicates who the
E
VOCAL COMPETITIONS
contestant will be assigned to, but if more than one coach likes them, the singer gets to choose their coach. If none of the coaches pushes their button the singer is eliminated. Of all the above, The Voice is my favorite because it tends to differ in unique ways, like their rotating chairs, their red button and the blind auditions. It’s obvious the creators had a completely different idea about the show and judging music. I would like the others, but American Idol just seems too old for me and X Factor seems too original. But of course, I’m not the only one who enjoys the show, about 12.3 million viewers tune in to The Voice every time it airs on NBC. Which show do you watch?
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Millions are watching and voting for
ing”, and “Sound the Trumpet”. When they were done the Varsity Mixed Choir and Region Candidates sang three songs “O Bella Fusa”, an Italian song about a spinning wheel, “Ubi Caritas” a song that appeared in the tenth century, and “Praise the Lord”. As the concert drew to and end, there was one last performance of “Shosholoza” which means “the running train” by the Mixed Choir. “I loved my first performance. It was perfect, I know I succeeded in what I did [sing],” said seventh grader, Gisselle Aguilar. “We [choir students] can’t wait for the next concert; we already picked out the music. We picked out fun music and challenging music so while the students were having fun, they were also growing as young musicians,” said Ms. Bongat. After the concert, many of the students were happy at how the performances went and the audience’s appreciation.
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All choirs met up on Oct. 24 at North Shore Senior High to perform their Fall Concert, which was the first concert for the year. Everyone was excited since it was the first concert. All of the choirs were told to arrive before 5:00 pm to practice on their music one last time, before the concert. Once they got there, Mrs. Huston and Ms. Bongat made every choir rehearse their songs on the stage, to see if they needed to make adjustments to the song. At 7:00 the concert started with our Region choir singing the National Anthem. When the students finished, NSSH’s Perfect Harmony choir sang their two songs “Right Here Waiting For You” and “Swinging On a Star”. After their performance, the ninth period and fifth period Nova choir sang their song, “Yesu Kwetu ni Rafiki”. When those choirs finished, some of the
students stayed on the stage as the sixth period choir, the Novus men, went on the stage to perform their song “Obwisana” as a mixed choir. When they were done, the women singers proceeded off the stage. For about two minutes the stage was quiet, and then the Novus men performed their song, “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel?”. When they were done the Voce choir went up to perform. They sang two songs “Black Sheep” and “Dream Keeper”. After their performance, the seventh period choir, Cantabile went up and performed their two songs “Rise Thou Merry Lark” and “Some Folks”. When they were done, our varsity choir men, known as Chorale performed their song “Cover Me With The Night”. After that, our varsity girls choir, Bel Canto, sung their three songs “Come to Me O My Love”, “How Can I Keep From Sing-
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by ENRIQUE GONZALEZ
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 • DECEMBER 2012 21
Next issue
What’s coming up in our
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Gun control and school safety are hot topics. We’ll take a look at these two issues here at school. This year’s strain of the flu is pretty vicious. What can you do to fight it?
Want to become a lawyer or a judge? Eighth graders will complete a mock trial soon.
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School resumes on January 8th for the 2nd semester. 22 DECEMBER 2012 • THE ‘STANG EXPRESS
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This newspaper is a 2013 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Crown Finalist...the only middle school Crown Finalist in the country. In March, the ‘Stang Express newspaper will be awarded a Gold or Silver Crown for journalism excellence for the first time in history. We’ll keep you posted...
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Who has the best headphones out on the market right now? We’re looking at them closely.