The
Peregrine
- ISSUE 4 JERSEY VILLAGE HIGH SCHOOL
HOUSTON, TX
Falcons Raise Funds
Drumline wins Battle of the Falcons BEAT OF THE DRUM The annual Battle of the Falcons, sponsored by Student Council, took place in February. The Drum Line split half their half of the winning funds and StuCo gave the other half of the contest winnings to the charity of Drum Line’s choice, The Lupus Foundation of America. The group above included Gabriel Ko, sophomore, Aaron Diener and John Hollenbeck, seniors, and Alexander Beaumier, junior. Other members of the Drum Line included Matthew Furman, Trevor Moran, and Ivan Rodriguez, freshmen, Kurt Olson and Jake Abeyta, sophomores, Marieke Alsguth and Christian Furman, juniors, and Patrick Fulgueras, senior. They won the Battle of the Falcons by majority vote of the student body in attendance at the competition show.
Also Inside:
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photo by VI VO
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One Step Closerpg 2 Developing A Golden Keypg 3
Signings
photo by KORIANA PETERSON
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Cool As Frostpg 8
Swimming Ultimate Club photo by MONICA GARCIA
photo by MATT DUBOSE
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Feature
april 2013
One Step Closer
National Merit awards high achievement The clock ticks in the background as the students wait nervously at their assigned desk. The smell of fresh wood shavings from number two pencils fills the air, with the bleak florescent lights that illuminate the room. Weeks of preparation finally come into action as the monitor passes out the test. And this is just their practice. This practice test means little to nothing to some students, but to these nine scholars, it’s just as serious as the real test. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) was created to recognize the academic achievements throughout the whole nation. Also to reward high SAT performances with special scholarships. A total of 23 students were recognized for their performance on the PSATs. Out of 23 only nine qualified for National Merit Semifinalist. Kimberly Allen, Alex Holler, Connor Knight, Khanh Nguyen, Enrique San Pedro, Andrew Shiau, Amie Tran, and Sara Zatopek. “I was in scholars’ class offered here, but beyond that I did not do any outside school studying. Just the daily practice question on collegeboard.com,” Allen said. Allen is among the nine students who scored the highest scoring in the state of Texas. As an award, NMSC provides scholarship application materials to Semifinalists through their high schools. The journey does not end there for the scholars. Once recognized as Semifinalist, each student must prove their academic achievement by achieving another high score on the SAT test. “I was very nervous. I remember munching down on cheerios like my life depended on it. I really needed that breakfast,” Semifinalist Nguyen said. Out of the remaining 14 students, 13 scholars were recognized as commended students. Although Commended Students do not continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships, some
of these students can win other Scholarships given by corporations and businesses. The students are Marcelo Barany, Sarah Cho, Annika Crossley, Christopher Travis Johnson, Caleb Knight, Danna Noelle Knight, Katherine Logsdon, Jason Luo, Alexander Mayforth, Rebeca Moscoso, Brian Shiau, Peyton Smith and Thien Tran, seniors. “Finding out that I did well on the PSAT was pretty rewarding. However, I was mostly excited for my mom because I think she was the only one who really cared how I did,” Smith said. After the real SAT is taken each semi-finalist sends in their results to be qualified as finalist. Finalists have the opportunity to win three different types of Merit Scholarship awards. Out of the nine semifinalists, only seven advanced to be recognized as finalist in the 2013 competition for national merit scholarships. The seven students are: Seniors Allen, Holler, Knight, Nguyen, Shiau, Tran, Zatopek. “I was really happy and pleased when I found out I was a finalist, but that feeling of knowing that my parents are proud and knowing that this can help me get scholarships is amazing,” Zatopek said. Winners are selected in only from the finalist section. Individuals are chosen based on their skills, performance, abilities, and accomplishments. Also other information is available for the selectors to evaluate the finalist. Information from the students’ academic record, two sets of test scores, the high school official’s written recommendation, information about the student’s activities and leadership, and the Finalist’s has to write their own essay. “Being a finalist means a lot of things. Schools start to offer you money to come to their school. So this is a huge deal because it takes a lot of the financial burden off your family if you accept,” Holler said. By Alexander Cruz
National Merit Finalists Alex Holler
Amie Tran
Connor Knight Andrew Shiau Khanh Nguyen Kimberly Allen Sara Zatopek
National Merit Recognition Outstanding Jessica Lazard
National Merit Recognition Hispanic Marcelo Barany
Ricardo Duran
Enrique Sanpedro Yareli Gutierrez Rebeca Moscoso
Alex Holler
Vanessa Whitford
Trio Celebrates Together While being
honored at the traditional National Merit Scholars Breakfast Enrique San Pedro, Amie Tran, and Khanh Nguyen, seniors, sit together as they wait patiently to receive their awards.
Taking High Awards
As Director of Instruction Donna Lester congratulates Danna Knight, senior. The commended student receives a Letter of Commendation from Lester.
photos by Hannah Wisterman
Pride, Joy, Congratulations As part of the National Merit Breakfast ceremony Katie Logsdon receives the traditional congratulatory hand shake from the Director of Instruction Donna Lester. After receiving her award at the National Merit scholar breakfast Alex Holler, senior, holds up her certificate for excellence in academic achievement.
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The
Developing A Golden Key
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Photography program takes national prestigious awards
Receiving an award thrills and causes heart stopping moments. That sensation came to Brandon Harris, Brandy Rodriguez, juniors, and Jessica Gonzalez, senior, as they accepted Scholastic Art Gold Keys at Harris Country Department of Education. As they received the award they had a moment of achievement and pride. The gold key award is an award that photography students receive when a photo is judged by a panel of judges and merits recognition. “The gold key award gives me a chance to show my credibility when I apply to colleges,” Gonzalez aid. The way to submit one’s photo to the scholastic competition or submit the photo online. Getting this award can offer a student a chance to get into colleges. It also looks prestigious on a college application. “I felt accomplished. It was a good feeling knowing that a panel of judges thought my art was worthy enough for a gold key,” Gonzalez said. Gonzalez won a gold key for a cultural photo she took of a student at this school. The students name is Phuong Doan; the photograph is of her dressed in traditional Japanese attire. She is seated in the photograph showing only her attire.
Harris took his photo to the darkroom, and then matted it for the Glassell Junior School of Art for his gold key winning photography. Then Harris’ photography teacher Alana Jordan entered the photo to the Scholastic Jurors. “I felt really great and happy that I received an award for my photograph,” Harris said. Rodriguez took a self-portrait photo, and then did a process known as mordan cage to the photo to make it more interesting. The photos were altered which helped Rodriguez win her gold key. “I didn’t expect any recognition for it, but I guess my photo was better than I expected. Altering it really helped my art,” Rodriguez said. Four students won gold keys. With four awards the high school took more awards than any of the other high schools in the district. The photography department has continued to showcase its award winning program with students winning awards yearly. The students were awarded on Sunday February 6th, at Harris County Department of Education. The gold key photos were displayed at the Art League of Houston through Valentine’s Day. By Elizabeth Ybarra Photo by Brandon Harris
Photo by Brandy Rodriguez
Photo by Jessica Gonzalez
Gold Key Winners Mordan cage, which was done for Brandon Harris’ and Brandy Rodriguez’s photos, is an etch-bleach process. This rare and slightly esoteric process physically manipulates the silver gelatin print through acid bleaching, rubbing, and lifting. Images appear dreamlike, far removed from reality. Alternative process, which is done in Brandy Rodriguez’s photo, is a process with non-silver techniques.
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apriL 2013
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April 2013
Senior Athletes Sign College Soccer Statistics
11-5-2
17-4-0 *for the 11-12 season
Three players commit to University of Texas at Dallas, Stephen F. Austin for soccer skills “Pass it! Come on!” Encouraging commands hard to come by. My club team and school team came from Jasmine White, senior, defender, during have made it easy for me to love the game of soccer the game against Cy-Fair. Jumping up to catch a ball, and pursue being a collegiate athlete. I love taking Jamie Taylor, senior, goal keeper, falls back down, players on and beating them and scoring. There’s satisfied with another goal blocked. Flying half way nothing better than making a defender look bad,” down the field Megan Mugavero, senior, forward, Mugavero said. dribbles and passes the ball to another player. All Each player has grown to love different three girls hold the captain title and have played on aspects of the game through their many years of varsity all four years. playing. Moments like these combined with years of “I started playing FFPS (Fun Fair Positive dedication, late practices Soccer) when I was five. I and training all lead up to started playing club soccer this one day. On February “The best feeling in the world when I was 14. Overall I’ve 6th Mugavero, Taylor, played soccer for 13 and White, committed to is after you score and then years,” Taylor said. their respective colleges Also having for their soccer skills. everyone is hugging you and started from a young Mugavero and Taylor age, White has learned high-fiving you,“ White said. will go to the University constantly on the field and off. of Dallas while White “I have been playing soccer signed with Stephen F. since I was five. I started in Austin in Nacogdoches. kindergarten on a co-ed team named the Tornados. “My future plans for soccer are to excel at SFA and My team has helped shaped me into a better player do what I can to help the team get their third back to by teaching me how to adjust when you aren’t always back Conference Champion title,” White said. in the best situation. Some games this season have The other girls also plan to play extensively and been rough and we have more to come, but they throughout their next four years. make me better by teaching me not to give up, which “I plan on playing will help me in college,” White said. soccer while I attend Through every loss and win, soccer has become UT Dallas all four more than just a hobby, it has become their life. years. After that I “My team keeps me positive. I love hanging out will still play but with friends and the competition, always trying to be opportunities to better,” Taylor said. go professional are by Evie Sweeten
photo by Korianna Peterson
SIGNING DAY Standing with her father, Elijah White and Coach Christie Mestayer, Jasmine White, senior, smiles after signing to Stephen F. Austin. She played forward, attacking midfield and defense this year. After successfully blocking another shot Jamie Taylor, senior, falls to the ground with the ball in hand. With four years of play making behind them White and Taylor hope to move to their colleges with experience that will help them.
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InDepth
AprIl 2013
Battle of the Falcons
Student Council sponsors organized talent show to raise money for charity Students swarm the auditorium, quickly searching for seats as the room slowly darkens. Members of Student Council appear on stage under bright lights and announce that all contestants performing have previously selected charities to donate money to for the chance they place in the top three. Applause rises from the audience as each student showcases their talent to the school. “I wanted to do Battle of the Falcons because of all the times I’ve performed over the few years I had never done it before,” Jess Dixon, senior, said. Frequently performing in front of the school, Dixon had not experienced Battle of the Falcons and realized he was missing out on a great opportunity. “I’m an avid performer at Jersey Village, so it was a very regular feeling to perform, but when I stepped on stage I thought to myself ‘Wow I still enjoy this’. The show really helped boost my self-confidence, “Dixon said. Dixon became accustomed to displaying his talents to audiences and adapted to the pressures of performing in front of people through choir and theatre. “During a musical interlude in my song, I stepped off stage to engage with the crowd. As it ended I headed back on stage and tripped on the stairs. I then proceeded to roll on my back singing and kicking my legs in the air. The crowd loved it!” Dixon said. Playing off his spill, he continued the song and jokingly kicked his legs in the air, managing to make his peers roar with laughter. Although Dixon’s act entertained many students, it also had an alternate purpose. As a part of the shows tradition, all contestants pick a charity to support.
“I picked the charity for Diffuse Lewy Body Dementia because my grandma died from it. It was a long and slow disease that really affected my family. I was glad to have the chance to openly support the organization,” Dixon said. Honoring his grandmother, Dixon placed third in the talent show and was able to donate to the charity. “When they called my name as the winner for third place I was ecstatic! I had never thought that I could place, so when I did it just blew my mind,” Dixon said. Also a performer in Battle of the Falcons, Spencer Nguyen, senior, played multiple songs with his group The Music Society. “When I stepped on stage I made up my mind to perform exactly how I practiced. Nothing was different, except that I was performing in front of people,” Nguyen said. Entertaining the crowd with random comedy, The Music Society excited the audience and made their act hard to forget. “I think the group did awesome! ” Nguyen said. Together they lightened the mood in the auditorium with multiple song mash-ups and popular music. “We picked Hurricane Sandy Relief for our charity because people often forget about a disaster a few weeks after it happens, but we didn’t forget,” Nguyen said. Supporting a worthy cause boosted the groups’ will to win, and powered them to win second place. “I felt good about winning second because it was better than last year when I placed third. Thank you to everyone who voted for us!” Nguyen said. Furthermore, the schools drum line was easily the most memorable and impressive act of the night. Wearing sunglasses and hats, the band members marched around the stage playing
many school favorites before breaking out with “You’re a Jerk”. Marching with all boys, Marieke Alsguth, junior, stood apart as the only female drummer. “I was confident when I stepped on stage even though I have pretty bad stage fright. I drew confidence and energy from all the guys around me,” Alsguth said. Used to performing in front of large student populations, Alsguth and the other drummers pumped up the crowd with their upbeat rhythms. “I think during the performance we had a few slip-ups, but overall we did what we came to do-to, have fun and raise money for our charity. We had some struggles the week before when rehearsing, but we really came together and made a great show,” Alsguth said. Overcoming obstacles, the drum line gave the student body an unforgettable performance while becoming closer as a group. Together they raised money for The Lupus Foundation of America, a charity that helps people with the mysterious disease and raises awareness. “I was really proud of the guys-we managed to set aside our differences and create a really cool show that showed our skill and personality,” Alsguth said To the drummer’s surprise, they won first place out of many acts and were granted $500 to split between the groups’ members, while also winning money to donate to their charity. “I figured we would place, but what place was the question. Mostly I’m really glad the money went to the Lupus Foundation, not much is known about the disease so I know that all the money raised at Battle of the Falcons really helped out,” Alsguth said. By Kelsey Hodges
$1676
The amount of money raised by Battle of the Falcons
Performing On Stage Displaying their talent, Tyra Grover, Tristain Matthews, freshmen, Kurt Olson, sophomore, Christian Furman, Alex Beaumier, juniors, and Spencer Nguyen, Connor Knight, Aaron Diener, and John Hollenbeck, seniors, perform their acts in Battle of the Falcons. In front of the student body, the contestants “battled” against each other for prize money for both them and their charities. photos by Camille Intertas and Vi Vo
AprIl 2013
Showing Off Moments from Mr. Falcon “Before the actual event, we ate a load, so to prepare for the swimsuit competition all the guys had to do crunches. The glowstick act was the best,” Duc Lam, senior, said. “Honestly, probably the rehearsal was the best part. They were interesting because learning the dances with everyone else was a great experience,” Jessica Priest, senior, said. “Practicing wasn’t too crazy but we felt the lady was getting annoyed because we kept goofing around. Doing our own talents was the best part,” Marco Quiroz, senior, said. photos by Natalie Solano
What Really Happened Was...
“It cool because I wasn’t expecting it. Winning was the best part. Practicing was a little nerve-racking because we didn’t have a lot of time to practice and I was worried,” Kyle Falke, senior, said.
In Depth
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potlight
Talent delights full house audience The lights flicker signaling the audience to their seats. The spotlight zones in on the performer as the excited murmur of the crowd electrifies the auditorium. After a moment of confusion, Julian Mateo’s, senior, voice emerges from the silence as the lights rise revealing The Filipino Trio. The anxious chatter of the audience dies down as Paolo Lacanlale, senior, suddenly starts to rhythmically beat a Cajón drum, an Afro-Peruvian musical instrument, as Patrick Fulgares, senior, skillfully plays the piano. Together the trio brought “magic” to the Senior Spotlight. “Performing in front of the school was pretty nerve wrecking. It was a huge adrenaline rush, as soon the first words came out, I couldn’t help but smile on the inside”, Mateo said. Displaying his talent to the senior class, Mateo strummed a ukulele while singing “Magic” by B.O.B and Rivers Cuomo with Lacanlale. The Filipino Trio captivated the school with their upbeat persona. The trio put a new spin on the song with the addition of the drums and piano while pumping up the audience with the rapping break. “We chose Magic for its energy and excitement. Also, people didn’t really expect me to rap, so that was a bonus,” Mateo said. Lacanlale and Mateo switched between one of them singing the chorus and the other one concluding with
the rap section. Their duet brought a remarkable energy to the stage and refreshed the cheering crowd. “I’m always a little bit hard on myself and I know I messed up a few times, but as long as the audience enjoyed the show, that’s all that matters,” Mateo said. The people who attended senior spotlight witnessed talent from Mateo and many others like Carl London, senior, who also amazed many classmates by performing that night. “I just wanted to go out there and do well, while showcasing my talent,” London said. While singing “Thinking About You” by Frank Ocean, London walked on stage and entered the student section to sing it directly to his girlfriend. Then to the audience’s surprise, London kissed her after the song ended. “I planned on my girlfriend being there and I hadn’t seen her in a while, so I decided to make it special. I wanted her to know how much she means to me,” London said. His performance moved the crowd and created a unique atmosphere. “I think I did really well overall, and with both performances combined, I feel accomplished. I faced my stage fright and conquered it,” London said. London received great applause and achieved his goal of making a significant impact on his school. Furthermore, without the help of
senior class president Idara Akpan, senior, Senior Spotlight would not have been possible. “I have a lot of duties as class president, starting in the summer by creating senior shirts, and throughout the year I organize prom, senior spotlight, organize dress up days, communicate with my class, and voice the announcements,” Akpan said. As a part of her class president responsibilities, Akpan organized and produced senior spotlight along with the help Duc Lam, vice president. “First in the process of senior spotlight, we held auditions, and then we had dress rehearsals, including the slowmotion, and next was the show,” Akpan said. The class officers planned senior spotlight with the assistance of Linda Gross, class sponsor, for numerous weeks and helded multiple dress rehearsals with the performers. “What I like most about being class president is that I have a powerful voice in important decisions. I truly enjoy organizing, though it can be stressful.” Akpan’s ability to organize events benefited the production immensely. Throughout the night, the class officers handed out the Senior Favorite awards that were voted on by the entire class. Akpan received the title of Ms. JVHS. Overall Senior Spotlight raised money for the senior class, while displaying the talents of students. “I think Senior Spotlight was somewhat successful. There were some technical issues and things didn’t flow the way that I planned but overall I think seniors had a good time,” Akpan said. By Kelsey Hodges
Crowd Pleasing Performance
Performing a duet with Ricardo Duran, senior, Caleb Knight, senior, creates music with his trombone. Captivating the crowd, they skillfully played a very difficult piece at Senior Spotlight.
photo by Sandy Tang
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april 2013
Cool as Frost
First freshman takes place on varsity since ‘10 The lights shine on the diamond as nine players take the field. With his cleats laced up, sleeve on and hat adjusted to the perfect angle, Cole Frost, freshman, sprints to his position on the field. He takes his warm up throws to get loose before he debuts in front of all the watching eyes. Frost holds the only freshman spot on the varsity baseball team, and has dreamed of this since he started playing baseball. “The first thought that ran through my mind when I found out I was going to play with varsity, was hard work and dedication pays off. Now I’m just one
STANDING READY In his batting
photo by Megan Flores
stance, Cole Frost, freshman, prepares himself for a fastball. As the pitch flew by, he swung with full force in hopes of getting a base hit. His hitting was one of the main reasons he received a spot on varsity as a freshman. WINDING UP With a runner rounding third and a three run lead on the line, Cole Frost, freshman, crow hops and chunks the ball towards the plate. “I worked with Peek and Rojas over the summer almost once every week,” Frost said. His work helped get him to where he is, throwing kids out from right field to contributing to maintaining the lead in a crucial game.
step closer to my dream of playing in the MLB,” Frost said. Frost worked with Kirby Peek, senior, once a week during the summer. He knew what it would take to make varsity, and he put forth the determination and effort during the summer and fall to achieve his dream. “I worked with Cole every day; no matter the conditions. I pushed him so he can see the benefits,” Peek, pitcher, said. Peek worked with Cole to get him used to what he could expect on the varsity team. Every day they either went out to the field to get work in or if the conditions were too bad, they lifted weights to get stronger. Both of them pushed each other to get closer to their goals for the year; Kirby to go play in college, and Cole to make varsity. “Cole has a certain bulldog mentality that is demonstrated in his approach to how he practices on a daily basis. He has a good knowledge of the game and his ability to play several key positions make him a valuable asset to have on our team. He finishes first or near the front when we run, he comes to the park with a great attitude and willingness to learn every day, and he has shown a willingness to run through walls if you ask him to,” Robb Jensen, head coach, said. Cole is the first freshman to make the varsity level since 2010. He will compete for a spot in the outfield and at third. He owes all his success
to his mother for helping him become who he is today. “My mother helped me be the player I am today by paying for great coaching, private lessons and much more,” Frost said. Frost has been playing since he was four years old which means he would have to pay to be on the teams he played for. These teams are how he grew talent wise and skill wise as a player. The only way he could have played for the teams he played on was if someone paid for him. That someone was his mom. His mom paid for him to play as his coaches guided him toward a bright future. With help from a couple of friends, the perseverance of his mother and good coaches guiding him along the way, Frost ended up on the varsity baseball team his freshman year. A life long goal he set when he found out about the high school system. He has a bright future ahead of him, and some high standards he has set for himself. “I couldn’t be more proud of him; he’s like my little brother, and to see all of it pay off is bittersweet,” Peek said. Peek led Frost in the direction Frost wanted to go, and the direction Peek wanted him to go, and is one of the reason why Frost made varsity his freshman year. Peek is the role model that Frost looks up to, and both have the goal of playing together or against each other in the majors someday. By Matt DuBose
photo by Megan Flores
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SportS
April 2013
Head First
Swim team makes their mark at district Arms methodically move back and forth, legs tighten up, heads comes in and out of the water, and breathing becomes harder and harder to achieve. The boys and girls swim team made quite a splash at the district meet. To become a great swimmer involves having a good swimming technique as swimming requires using approximately all of the muscles in the body. Christina Lewandoski, sophomore, placed sixth in the 100 meter breaststroke, and helped the rest of the team place sixth in the 200 Medley Relay and sixth in the 200 Meter freestyle relay. “I am a very competitive person and whenever I don’t reach my goals I use it as motivation to try harder and get better,” Lewandowski said. While swimming, the athletes have to make sure they have proper technique and have rhythmic breathing. They have to constantly keep moving, or there is a possibility they might lose control and make a mistake. Timing is very much involved in the breaststroke, and it has to be intricate. In the 200 Medley Relay, Kayla Allen, junior, Lewandowski, Tracy Bolado, junior, and Erika Dubros, sophomore, relied on one another because when one person messes up, the whole team can fall behind. Bolado also made an impact for the swim team. To make it to district was an accomplishment but for her to place meant she ac-
complished a personal goal. “I felt like all my hard work had paid off. Swimming is a sport where you have to train 24/7, so to get/reach your goal is exciting,” Bolado said. She constantly focused on the movement of her strokes. However the female members of the team were not the only members of the swim team to place. Arms and legs rapidly hit the water as Shane Spees, sophomore, competed. Swimming for the boys 100 meter butterfly, 400 meter freestyle relay and the 100 meter backstroke Spees placed fifth in the butterfly, fourth in the backstroke, and helped his team finish fifth in the freestyle relay. His arms stretched out in a flexed position as he raced towards the final distance between him and the finish line. “I took part in swimming because I have done it all my life. I am also very competitive and love the competition of the sport,” Spees said. Most people would be frightened at the thought of swimming for endless hours and repetitive laps across the swimming pool, but these athletes are willing to go above and beyond to accomplish their goals. As a team, they have conquered most, if not all, of their obstacles. By Semon Adams
photos by Monica Garcia
Piercing Through Water Tracy Bolado, junior, and Christina Lewandowski,sophomore,race through the water to out swim their opponents. Using their endurance and proper techniques, they successfully reach the end of their race.
Up for Grabs
New team starts due to love of playing Ultimate Frisbee A circular object flies through the air, casting a long shadow on the field, on a direct path to the hands of Alex Trevino, senior, jumping in the air with his arm extended, ready to catch the Frisbee. The Ultimate Frisbee Team was created by a collective effort from a small group of friends who enjoyed throwing Frisbees around after school in the parking lot. “A bunch of friends and I would watch videos on Ultimate Frisbee Teams and one day we decided to try it. Our idea grew and we decided to create a team. We gathered a bunch of friends and the Ultimate Frisbee Team was soon created,” Alex Trevino, senior, said. This organization however is not a team, so much as it is a club. They do not have a professional coach who has had prior experience teaching people how to play Ultimate Frisbee, but they have a registered sponsor who is in charge of overseeing the group. David Koch, junior, took on the task of registering the team as an official club in the school. Many students have been attracted to the program and have joined the club not just to get a chance to play Ultimate Frisbee against other schools and teams, but also to enjoy the experience
of playing the game with their fellow classmates. Koch is one of the founding members of the club and has witnessed the growth of the organization. “Actually, a lot of students have come up to us wanting to join the club. We currently have around 30 members,” Koch said. Although the success of the formation of an Ultimate Frisbee Team at the high school is apparent, the founding members have had trouble scheduling games to keep the club busy and working towards bettering themselves. Trevino and Paolo Lacanlale, senior, take on the task of scheduling games against other schools clubs for their team. “I try to get in touch with one of the other teams’ leaders through Facebook. It’s pretty spontaneous. We just schedule games whenever,” Lacanlale said. The process of setting up games is taken
care of by Trevino. “To schedule games with others, all we have to do is call up a few people to see if they have an Ultimate Frisbee Team, and from there we plan,” Trevino said. In the Ultimate Frisbee team’s first two games, they played against Cy-Fair High School’s Ultimate Frisbee team and they plan to schedule many more games. by Trevor Hargis
All His Might Gripping the frisbee with his fingers Paolo Lacanlale, senior, swings the frisbee around his body in the standard backhand frisbee throw, one of many different ways to throw a frisbee. On the other end of the field Ryan Bronikowski, sophomore, is stopped in his tracks by Connor Okonski, sophomore, and Greyson Brown-Rich, sophomore. photo by Sandy Tang
photo by Matt DuBose
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Right to bear arms conversation emerges after Newtown shooting by Matt DuBose A day after the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, an old debate reemerged to the surface of the nationwide media. Whether or not we the people should have the right to bear arms, otherwise known as the second amendment, rears its ugly head again. In 2004 a bill banning the civilian use or ownership of assault rifles expired. In the Newtown tragedy, one of the weapons of choice was indeed a hunting assault rifle. This created a conspiracy itself as some thought if the bill was still in place, this would not have happened to the extent it did. But even if the bill was in place, the assailant would have found a way around it, like using and buying from people who have guns. The bill however, violated the second amendment, which states the ability to bear arms. The second amendment does not limit the bearing of arms to a certain number of guns, it includes them all. When distributing arms, gun shops do take precautions in selling guns and gun licenses. They run a background check with the thought of avoiding a crime. This means if one has no jail time or federal offenses, then one is allowed to have possession of a weapon. This limits the owning of guns down to citizens who do not commit crimes. As debaters take sides on the issue, I am for the right to bear arms. If the people could not bear arms, hunters would be denied that. If people could not bear arms they would be defenseless against thieves and robbers. Without the right to bear arms, crooks would walk all over the citizens who follow the law because the crooks would find a way to own a gun. The crime rate would then be higher in America if citizens could not bear arms. With weapons comes power and responsibilities. Who to shoot, when to shoot, and how to shoot. Those should be the first lessons taught. I believe everyone should be allowed to own a gun because it would make for a safer America. If everyone owns a gun, then guns would become somewhat meaningless. If you are at a store with your grandma and someone holds a gun up to her he would get two guns pointed back in return. If everyone looks past the average 9,571 U.S. citizens killed a year due to fire arms and looks on the brighter side of the matter, then there would be no need to debate the second amendment. As we have heard it said, everything happens for a reason. The second amendment was put in place for a reason.
illustration by Vanessa Morales
Personal Columns
aPril 2013
America’s Pastime
Other sports overshadow baseball, but ball players top all other athletes
illustration by Vanessa Morales
by Matt DuBose A dirty diamond shines bright under the stadium lights, with four bases 90 feet apart. Nine players jog onto the field to get ready for their game. A game of passion, America’s pastime lives on. The first professional baseball league in America can be dated back to the 1860’s. One of the oldest sports still professionally running in America has been overshadowed by football. America’s pastime however has more history behind it and is the greater sport of the two. Baseball broke the racial barrier in professional sports by allowing Jackie Robinson to play in the official league back in 1947. Some say football is better than baseball because of the amount of contact involved and the pace of the game. The paces of both games are the same however. Baseball however is not a timed
event whereas football is, but baseball moves as fast as football does, if not faster. A pitch thrown at 95 miles per hour would reach the plate faster than someone could blink. Then by the time the catcher throws the ball back about five to ten seconds have passed. Each play in football runs anywhere from five to 10 seconds as well, depending on the length of the play and the type of play. Contact on the other hand is a whole other issue. Football is a contact sport whereas baseball tends to be somewhat laid back on that category. On just about every play, someone in football is tackled or hit. In baseball contact is avoided for the most part, but not always. Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants had to sit out all of the 2011 season due to a broken ankle because of a collision at the plate. He had “pads” on, so to be injured from one hit means the “seldom contact” in baseball can cause more damage than a hit from a football player. With all that being said, baseball, America’s pastime, is the better sport
between it and football. Basketball only has pace on baseball, the contact is not as much as football, or as hard as baseball, so baseball takes basketball as well. America’s pastime has been overshadowed by these two sports because America is changing. Baseball is attempting to become better, faster and stronger to compete with the sports pulling ahead, and it has caught my eye. The pitchers have started throwing harder, while young players are becoming stronger hitters. All of these factors are attempting to revive baseball in America. In final words, if a baseball player is taken out of baseball, he could compete in another sport, but if an athlete from football or basketball were put in front of a 95 MPH fastball, they would not have as good of an outcome as the baseball player. Take for instance, Tom Brady was drafted by the Expos and he is an All-Pro for the Patriots, and Colin Kaepernick was drafted by the Cubs, but led his team to the Super Bowl. No players in the NBA or NFL were drafted into the MLB.
StAff EditoriAl
APril 2013
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Staff Keeps Memories Alive Yearbook members provide best of high school times
The Student Voice
Do you think that the service and memories that the yearbook records is important for our school?
“Y
es because it shows the good times the school had together.” Josh Henderson, junior
“I
t is important because it carries on memories and we can hold on to it forever.” Ana Gomez, senior
“Y
es because you can see your friends later in your life.” Umang Patel, junior
“Y
es because they keep us updated on what goes on in school.” Ahlam Abdel Khaleq, freshman
photos and poll by Iveth Garcia
Y
ear after year, preserving high school memories has been an endless tradition that has evolved since the 1600’s. Every year, from Homecoming to dress-up days, games, competitions, Prom and graduation, the Yearbook staff has always been there to capture the students’ most favorite and memorable moments. Thanks to the staff, students can have the pleasure of being able to go back, reminisce, and relive the most preferred stage of their life: adolescence. Starting from the first day of school, Yearbook staff members take care of not missing a single shot of returning students’ excitement to return and the frightened looks of the new freshmen entering the building. Staff members document events, take responsibilities to meet deadlines, and even attend important occurrences like football games, competitions, and afterschool events. After taking photos of a certain event, staff members continue their journalistic responsibilities, collecting information, interviewing and then laying out the total spread for the yearbook. Currently the Yearbook staff, consisting of 38 students, works diligently to provide the best of their photos and work. Most of the time when the word Yearbook comes to mind, people automatically think
Peregrine Staff Editor in Chief EVIE SWEETEN Managing Editor MATTHEW DUBOSE staff writers IVETH GARCIA, ALEXANDER CRUZ KELSEY HODGES, SEMON ADAMS ELIZABETH YBARRA, , PAOLO LACANLALE TREVOR HARGIS, SANDY TANG Contributing Photographers NATASSHA ARREOLA MEGAN FLORES
KAYLA WILTZ. NATALIE SOLANO KORIANA PETERSON VI VO HANNAH WISTERMAN MONICA GARCIA Illustrators JOEL MONTFORT VANESSA MORALES Staff Adviser MARGIE COMSTOCK Principal RALPH FUNK
illustration by Joel Montfort
about a book full of photos, but do not think about all the work and sacrifice behind the book. Teens nowadays focus more on websites like Facebook and Instagram for picture sharing, but do not realize that books have been around for centuries and become more valuable as years pass. It is more likely that long-time traditions like Yearbooks will be much more valuable and significant than websites that do not have a certain future due
to the constant changing of technology. As a whole and individually, the Yearbook staff deserves respect and appreciation for the effort that they put throughout the whole year. The sacrifices made by the staff should not be taken
lightly as they have to give up their free time to compile the yearbook. The staff takes time to create a memorable book that will last for years and become more valuable as students age and become adults and want to relive those great high school days.
Peregrine Staff Opinion
8 YAY 0NAY
Jersey Village HigH scHool student Publications’ newsPaPer Policy The Peregrine is the official student publication of Jersey Village High School and is published by the Advanced Journalism newspaper class at Jersey Village High School, 7600 Solomon, Houston, Texas 77040 (713-896-3400). It is distributed free to the student body. Subscriptions can be bought for $15, and copies of the paper will be mailed to your residence or email subscriptions can be purchased for $6 and a PDF copy will be sent to your email address. Unsigned editorials represent a majority agreement of the staff. The Peregrine is read in advance of publication by the JVHS administration. Advertising is sold by the business card, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, and full page. The staff has the right to reject, edit,or cancel any advertisement at any time. The advertising policy is stated on the advertising contract. Advertising is not an endorsement from the staff, the adviser, the administration, or the Cypress Fairbanks Board of Trustees. The Peregrine is a member of the Interscholastic League Press Conference, Quill and Scroll, the National Scholastic Press Association and supports the Student Press Center Law Center. The Peregrine is printed by Mirror Publishers, Inc in Texas City, TX. The opinion of readers is held in high regard. Please send all feedback or questions to our address or room 1720. Letters to the editor need to be limited to 150 words. We reserve the right to edit for spelling and grammar. Letters must be signed.
12
The
Photo Essay
PErEgrinE - I
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aPril 2013
Culture Shock
Various talents showcase different cultures from around world
Hitting the Right Note Taking up the mic, Jake Woodson, Jess Dixon, Taylor Williams, and Alex Kalke, seniors, let their inner star shine. Sharing their vocal talents. Woodson, accompanied by Dixon, performs their rendition of “You And Me (But Mostly Me)” from the Broadway musical “The Book of Mormon.” “We chose the duet because it was funny and honestly had a lot of high notes which were difficult, but always a blast to sing,” Woodson said. Following the Broadway theme, Kalke gets his moment singing “This is the Moment” from the play “Jekyll and Hyde.” Showing her singing ability with a more modern song, Williams treats the crowd to her performance of the country hit, “Stuck Like Glue by Sugarland.”
photos byNatalie Solano
photo bySandy Tang
Far East Movement Giving a small taste of a culture from another continent, Travis Sextro, Spencer Nguyen, and Phuong Doan, seniors, show two different sides of Asian cultures. Sextro, assisted by Robert Brackett and Donald Aguinaldo, seniors, demonstrates the fine art of TaeKwonDo, snapping boards in half. Performing a traditional Lion Dance Nguyen and Doan show the more artistic side “At first I was nervous because I’ve never done anything like this in front of people, but afterwards I was glad I did,” Sextro said.
photo bySandy Tang
photo bySandy Tang
photo byNatalie Solano
photo bySandy Tang
Lights, Camera, Action Taking a slap to the face for the sake of the performance, Blake Gates, sophomore, endures a hit from co-star, Stacey Jones, junior, while they perform a modern version of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew”. The two actors get into character, portraying the roles witty natures. “We actually had done it before at the Renaissance festival but we both wanted to modernize the scene to appeal to the audience. The slap was real, which was planned, but we didn’t really practice it beforehand,” Gates said. Performing part of their UIL piece, Alexis Bounds, Duc Phan, juniors, and Frankie Galvan, sophomore, take on their parts as the forest spirits from the play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” photo byNatalie Solano
photo byNatalie Solano