Directing Their Future 6-7
COLORFUL CREDITS Standing up against a white wall, Homero Flores, senior, and Alan Jaquez Orozco, junior, get paint thrown all over them while the filming of the credits for OVEREXPOSED commences.
photos by Natalie Solano
Also Inside
Vol. 42 Issue 3, January 2014
• JAZZ BAND - 2
• ULTIMATE POWER - 3 Jersey Village High School 7600 Solomon Houston TX 77040
• OVERCOMING ADVERSITY - 8
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FEATURE
JANUARY 2014
azz Band Forms
Director takes ensembles in new direction
Poised in a comfortable position on the infamous seat where some of the greatest musicians and instrumentalists felt that sensation, Alexander Beaumier, senior, practices his technique on a standard five piece drum set. The lingering feeling of isolation hangs over him from the solitude of the empty ensemble room. With Jazz Band tryouts approaching, he hopes to beat out the competition and seal himself the position as a jazz band drummer. The 1920’s was known as the decade that gave birth to jazz music as known today, and the band has begun to bring a little 1920’s influence into the organization. Try-outs for the band program’s jazz band have begun and many instrumentalists from the school are waiting in line for their shot at a position in the jazz band. One student fighting for his spot in the jazz band is senior Alexander Beaumier, a snare drum player in the marching band trying out for the drum set. “I’ve been a percussionist since sixth grade and been playing drum set since seventh grade. I’ve never listened to jazz music intently, but the times I have, I’ve always enjoyed listening to the skillful jazz percussionists such as Buddy Rich,” Beaumier said. The idea of the jazz band came from Brett Nelson, the head band director. The jazz band has been known to have existed in the past, but dropped off course because of the lack in commitment from the members, and various other reasons. Nelson brought this group back in order to show the diversity in musical styles to his students, and to give them a new kind of experience when doing work in the musical field. “I wanted to give the students another performing opportunity. We hope to give our students the best experience possible and jazz band is just another ensemble to create that,” Nelson said. During auditions, Beaumier had to compete with two other instrumentalists for a spot as a drummer for the jazz band, one being fellow percussionist Kurt Olsen, junior and tenor player in the band. Olsen, just like Beaumier, has been a percussionist since sixth grade, but had previous musical experience that he
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was able to bring from home. Olson has had a fascination for jazz styles of drumming, and has had previous experience with jazz rhythms while taking drum lessons. “I have taken drum lessons and have touched a little on swing rhythms, which are commonly used in jazz music,” Olson said. The jazz band will consist of many different instrumentalists, from the infamous saxophone and trumpet players, to the trombone and bass players. Band members who are interested will have the opportunity to learn about the style and rhythm used in jazz band performances by participating in the jazz band program. “Currently, about 40 students are a part of the group which creates two separate jazz bands,” Nelson said. Nelson hopes to take the jazz band as far as to compete in various competitions, but as of right now he just wants to lay down some ground work to build on and lead the jazz bands into the right direction for contests. “Hopefully we will in the future, but not now. Various universities have jazz festivals that the group could compete in,” Nelson said. Nelson has had previous experience with jazz music and jazz band groups through his extensive musical background and studies. He will be the one to pick the music, teach the style, and adopt a new rhythm that the band will follow. As of right now Nelson has a pretty clear view on which direction to take the newly formed jazz bands. “I have played in various jazz ensembles throughout my playing career. We would like to achieve the big band sound of Count Basie and The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra,” Nelson said. The jazz band gives band students the opportunity to try out new mediums of music and learn new styles of music from the original concert band performances students are used to learning. The new jazz bands hope to be able to start learning and performing some new music before the end of the school year. BY TREVOR HARGIS
DIRECTING THE GROUP Brett Nelson, head band director, goes through the new music with the jazz band members. Nelson takes on the task of directing the band, picking the music they will learn, and teaching them how jazz and classical music differentiate from each other.
photo by Marieke Alsguth
JAZZ DRUMMER Practicing his jazz drumming technique, Kurt Olsen, junior, learns his music during rehearsals. Olsen has had many years of experience in percussion, having started when he was just a child. Olsen also has experience in the marching band as a tenor player in the drum line.
We hope to give our students another performing opportunity. Brett Nelson
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DUO OF SAXOPHONES Playing different types of saxophones Chase Skweres, junior, and Nick Vinson, senior, practice their music. Skweres plays the alto saxophone, the standard for all saxophone players, while Vinson plays the larger version of the alto saxophone, referred to as a baritone. photo by Marieke Alsguth
photo by Marieke Alsguth
photo by Marieke Alsguth
LITTLE EXTRA HELP Helping the jazz ensemble, Jonathan Carr, percussion director, teaches the music they have to learn. Carr helps Michael Neugebauer, sophomore, with the piano music for the jazz ensemble. The jazz band has a multitude of different instruments from a piano to trumpets. photo by Marieke Alsguth
John Coltrane
Jazz Legends
John Coltrane was known as one of Jazz’s most influential figures, who innovated jazz with his radical style of jazz saxophone. Coltrane is also known for his solo career, including a self-named quintet and quartet, and his part in the Miles Davis Quintet. Born: September 23, 1926 Died: July 17, 1967
Louis Armstrong
Buddy Rich
Louis Armstrong is Buddy Rich is known famous for performing as the greatest big band, jazz, and swing trumpet, cornet, and singing in many differdrummer ever, and ent musical groups. He is grouped with the is also well known for greatest drummers being the first African to have ever existed. He was known as a American to host his genius, having played own nationally sponsored radio show and in vaudeville at only 18 star in a major motion months old and being picture. completely self-taught. Born: August 04, 1901 Born: September 30, 1917 Died: July 06, 1971 Died: April 2, 1987
JANUARY 2014
The Issue 3 PEREGRINE
FEATURE
Ultimate Power
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Team strives for successful season
The wind hauls the Frisbee from the middle of the field to the end zone where other hopeful team members run to catch it. The group works as a team to reach the potential landing area of the Frisbee, and manages to quickly get a player open long enough to obtain the Frisbee and score a point. The team shouts while David Koch, senior, Aaron Maier and Connor Okonski, juniors, reminisce on why they decided to start the team. Koch, Maier and Okonski created and share the title of co-captains for the Ultimate Frisbee team. The three co-captains first came up with the idea of creating the team when they participated in the sport with the JVBC. Koch, Maier, and Okonski saw that a lot of students displayed an interest for the sport, which sparked the idea of creating a team for the school. The team has had a complete year of experience, and has had positive and negative experiences. “Last year was a trial and error year for the team,” Koch said. In the previous year, the team had a challenging beginning. As novices, they did not know what to expect before playing their first game against another school. They had prepared by watching other teams or players online. The team felt confident with their skills, until they played the first game and realized they had a lot to work on. They learned new skills and found new ways to successfully work as an organized
team. From the experiences they witnessed last year they discovered a new progressive mind-set they try to encourage their team to acquire. “The games are more about enjoying yourself than aggressive competition,” Maier said. The idea of creating the Ultimate Frisbee team originated from the founders enjoying themselves and having an exhilarating experience while staying active. Maier, Koch, And Okonski try to have a positive energy in every game they take part in. Last year they felt they did not succeed, because they could not work as a cohesive team. “My favorite part so far is growing and functioning well with the team,” Okonski said. The current captains held tryouts in the beginning of the school year to determine who would obtain a spot on the 2013-2014 team. They did not know what to expect from the tryouts. They hoped to have a good amount of students who had a genuine interest in the sport. They made sure to advertise around the school by speaking to other students about the sport. They were anxious to see the amount of people they had persuaded to tryout. The day of the tryouts they waited anxiously for people to arrive. They knew they had to have enough to structure a cohesive team. They watched all of the hopeful contestants give it their all in order to receive a position on the team. After evaluating all the performances that they had seen, they choose the best 20 players to add to the team. “We decided to have a smaller team this year in order to have a better organized team,” Koch said. Starting the year with new and old players has affected the team in a positive manner. Even though they have just begun training they have already witnessed a better functioning communication between the team. Now that the team has an experience competing with other teams, they are confident about their strategy and hope to have an improved year competing. BY MARILYN RENDEROS
REACHING FOR NEW HEIGHTS After being named co-captains of the 2013-2014 Ultimate Frisbee team, Aaron Maier, junior, and David Koch, senior, continue to practice their skills for upcoming games.
photos by Marilyn Renderos
FIGHTING FOR GLORY Team members,Christian Furman, Rafael Kapell, seniors, and Lucas Bishoff, freshman, fight to obtain the frisbee during an Thursday afternoon practice for the Ultimate Frisbee team.
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Feature
January 2014
Donors Choose 1
photo by Julianna Perez
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photo by Natalia Solano
Donors Contribute to Classrooms 1. Lori Sliva and Isabel Delagado, seniors, work with the aquatic equipment gifted for their class crabs. 2. Photographing with the Canon Rebel T3i the student publications program received with donations through donorchoose.org Leslie Gonzalez, sophomore, uses the camera equipment at a varsity football game. 3. David McCullough and Ketty Lam, sophomores, work with their class’ new Spanish-English dictionaries.
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photo by Julianna Perez
Projects gain community support as funds trickle in
A teacher watches as a student struggles to grasp the concept of how the human body functions. A parent wakes up for a midnight glass of water only to find their child still up doing homework. A student fails because verbal instruction just does not cut it. Seeing and feeling goes much farther than hearing for most students, and for most teachers, the cost of seeing and feeling stays out of reach, due to finances, but donorschoose.org helps them. “DonorsChoose is an excellent organization with an extremely selfless purpose. They want and strive to build a stronger future and value for education in upcoming generations of local youth,” Calley Raynor, Biology teacher, said. DonorsChoose is a website created for the sole purpose of helping teachers and students receive the classroom supplies and essentials they need. Since 2000, the site has helped thousands of people, including Keilah Todeschini, Chantel Palmore, Margie Comstock, Stuart Webb, Paul Cook, and Anne Schruba, teachers at this high school. “We wouldn’t be able to do these activities. The labs we try to get funded go beyond our standards, which is why we try to have them funded from an outside source like DonorsChoose. If they don’t get funded we miss out on an opportunity to experience something beyond our curriculum,” Jennifer LaFosse, biology teacher, said. With the help of DonorsChoose and many generous benefactors, seeing and feeling has shifted dramatically back into teachers’ reaches, allowing students to have the education they need in order to succeed. Not only has the site helped students understand the physical
concepts of many different standards and topics; it has also helped boost student morale to a new level. “The students know that without financial help, some of these activities are not an option. Having the ability to do these motivates the students; it keeps them interested in class. These are activities that are ‘extra’, and are a great chance to do some real-world, hands on learning,” LaFosse said. Over the past few years, DonorsChoose has managed to help raise nearly $10,000 for teachers and students at this school, allowing the school to receive items such as adult human anatomical skulls for Todeschini’s Anatomy course, a Canon EOS Rebel t3i camera for Comstock’s publication programs, Spanish to English dictionaries for Barrett’s Spanish I course, biotechnical bacterial transformation lab kits for Palmore’s Biology students, and many more supplies and tools that have been used to help improve the learning experience for students here. “It would be a struggle to write and correct our stories and prompts without these dictionaries. They give us the preterits and the verbs, which make it easier,” Joshua Henderson, senior, said. Thanks to DonorsChoose, the $10,000 has been put to good use. Barrett’s students use their dictionaries to better understand the languages they’ve yet to master, Comstock’s students use their camera equipment to make memorable and creative publications, and Todeschini’s students work to comprehend how the human body works and molds their minds into future scientists. By Julianna Perez
JANUARY 2014
The Issue 3 PEREGRINE
FEATURE
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IN-DEPTH
JANUARY 2014
JVTV Tube
Three major projects raise spirit F
rom the same production team that brought Gangnam Style and the Celebration Lip Dub come three new features. JVTV directed and filmed, a Katy Perry music video, a documentary over the rising football team, and a school wide video featuring Homero Flores, senior, and Alan Jaquez Orozco, junior. Each project had some uniqueness in its own way, and each tested the abilities of not only the director/directors, but the staff as a whole. The Katy Perry music video got entered into a contest specifically for Katy Perry. The director of the project, Joy Travis, senior, had to edit, help write out and create the idea for the music video. She had Diego Gomez, junior, as an assistant director, Simon Garcia, junior, and Bob Hughes, sophomore, as writers, along with James Owens, senior, Morgan Sczokody, senior, Jaquez Orozco, and Tryton Wendt, senior, to film it. The main actress, Brittney Issacs, senior, played a football player. The JVTV students filled in as needed in the cast. “The purpose of this music video was to show woman empowerment,” Travis said. While that video featured Isaacs as a woman football player, Andrew Cordova, senior, got busy filming his big project. Cordova had the idea to document the rise of the football team throughout the season in a documentary that would air on YouTube in multiple episodes. “I knew that Texas high school football is big, and I’ve been watching a lot of film from NFL Films and a series called
Hardknocks, and I just felt like doing it,” Cordova said. Cordova entered JVTV his freshman year and had a knack for great filming and editing. He grew a lot from freshman to senior year, and the documentary will put all that growth into good use. “The purpose of the documentary is not for a contest, but so Andrew can continue to grow. It’s to show he can do it and challenge himself as an editor and a filmer,” Cindy Stoker, advisor, said. Help from just about everyone in JVTV was given to Cordova to film the games, but the editing part Cordova did on his own. As the editing and part of the filming for the documentary took place, Owens and Cordova developed an idea that would need the whole school to participate. They wanted to use a Matt & Kim song, Overexposed, to tell a story while at the same time showing off bursting school spirit. “James and Andrew came up with the idea of the video, and it took about a month to film. Because of the parade portion of the video, it was the hardest to film,” Stoker said. As the first semester came to an end, JVTV completed three huge projects. They continue to show the programs excellence and abilities, while including school spirit in the videos. The program has evolved from Celebration, to Gangnam style, and now not one, not two, but three projects directed by three different directors with help from everyone in JVTV.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION During the filming of a scene for “OVEREXPOSED,” James Owens, senior, director, explains what the scene will feature, and what the clubs will do behind Alan Jaquez Orozco, junior.
Anyone can "ROAR"
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s the huddle breaks, ten men and one woman assume their spots at the line of scrimmage. Brittney Isaacs lines up at wide receiver with fire in her eyes ready to show she has what it takes to play football. She takes off as the ball gets snapped and catches the pass thrown her way. JVTV decided to do a music video for Katy Perry’s Roar, after JVTV teacher Cindy Stoker’s daughter gave her the idea. Katy Perry held a contest that multiple schools could enter. The cast would display women empowerment through a woman playing football. Joy Travis, senior, and her staff spent three days just writing the script, one week filming the video, and another week on editing. They stayed every day after school from 3:30 to sunset to produce the video the way they wanted. The song Roar played in the background as Isaacs, senior, goes from a player on the sideline getting pushed around, to a player on the field helping lead her team to a win. “The video would send a strong
message explaining that any dream can become a reality, but they have to go out on their own to make that accomplishment. Yes, this video is basically about female empowerment, but it also shows that anyone can succeed on anything they want, but it takes courage, and passion to get there,” Isaacs said. Isaacs played the lead role of the woman football player with a dream to play under the lights. She along with the staff cooperated well together and ultimately presented the idea of what they wanted to present successfully. “Most of the staff was pretty cooperative. At times the cast would get off track because they’d be there for so long, but other than that they were all great to work with,” Travis said. After all the long hours of work and acting, the video came together as Travis had imagined. A few special effects here and there added to enhance the passion of Isaacs playing on the field. From paper to video, the production evolved.
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JANUARY 2014
THE Issue 3 PEREGRINE
IN-DEPTH
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OVEREXPOSED Gridiron Primetime
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ll odds against them. The best team in the district plays one of the worst teams in the district for their homecoming game. Cy-Creek faces off with Jersey Village, for Cy-Creek’s homecoming game. The rivalry in the air tenses the mood more than the records could. The opening kickoff goes to Jersey Village. As the Cougar kicker runs to kick the ball, the film cuts to the first game of the season. The opener against Tomball. “I didn’t want to shy away from the team’s 0-3 start, I wanted to show what the team was and not sugar coat anything,” Andrew Cordova, senior, said. The team beat Tomball, but followed that win with three straight district losses, including their own homecoming game. But right after that, the team turned the season around. They beat CyCreek for their homecoming game. The win gave the team the momentum and confidence they needed to have a winning record. “I wanted to focus on their upsets against Creek and Ridge. Our team has massive talents,” Cordova said. The documentary eventually went from just documenting a team who had low expectations, to documenting the rise of an underdog. With filmers at each game, Cordova caught every moment of the season. He caught the speeches in the locker room during half time, the
emotions of the team after a hard fought loss, or a win, but the one moment that the documentary featured above all else was the upset that turned the tide. After their upset victory against CyCreek, the team beat Cy-Springs, but then lost to Langham Creek. They did not let that loss kill any momentum and hope they had for playoffs, they then upset CyRidge and finished the season on a three game win streak, just one game shy of the playoffs. The documentary captured every single moment of it. The emotion of the last game that the team knew they must win for any chance. The emotion that the team knew it could be the last time those seniors step on the field. The documentary captured it all. “The purpose of the video was to show all of the raw talent on our team, and it seemed to change the football culture at Jersey Village. I wanted to show this huge change that Jersey Village has needed for the past 10 years,” Cordova said. When the season began, the documentary’s purpose of showcasing raw talent and homing in on Cordova’s skills as a filmer and editor seemed like a good idea. As the season progressed however, the team began to win and started to show that the raw talent they had could change into a talented team who would make a run for the playoffs and finish with a winning record.
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bull horn sounds from the front. James Owens, senior, tries to quiet down all the clubs in the large commons, so the filming for the next school wide project may begin. As they quiet down, he explains what they will do for the next two hours, and then the process begins. Again. For the past two years, JVTV has created a project that would showcase the spirit of the school. They did it again. The project features Homero Flores, senior, and Alan Jaquez Orozco, junior. Jaquez Orozco just moved to the school and has no friends. Flores takes him under his wing, and before he knows it, everyone at school wants to be friends with him. For Flores, this was not his first time to get featured in a school wide video. He took a lead part in Gangnam Style alongside Jamie Meun, class of 2013. “I think it’s pretty tight being featured in a school wide video. It lets me look into the spirit people have when it comes to projects like this,” Flores said. For Flores’ co-star, Jaquez Orozco, he starred in his first school wide video, an experience that he will not soon forget. “I feel honored and in hindsight, genuinely excited. I was able to see so many aspects of the school and its programs that I didn’t even know existed, and I had a great time,” Jaquez Orozco said. As the co-stars worked their magic
in front of the camera, many JVTV filmers were behind the lens working theirs. The making of the project was one of the hardest JVTV had ever done. “This was one of the hardest projects to put together. Getting the entire school to cooperate multiple times is a very hard process. Diligent work is what made this project come together,” Owens said. In the past, groups and clubs only got asked to get together to film one time. For this project however, clubs had to get together three different times to make the project even possible to film. Even after getting the clubs together, they had to stay there for anywhere from two to four hours, so JVTV could get the amount of film that they needed. In the end, the filming was a success and after editing, the project itself got completed. STORIES BY MATT DUBOSE
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The Issue 3 PEREGRINE
SPORTS
JANUARY 2014
Overcoming Adversity
Football player makes lasting impression
DETERMINED TO WIN preparing to block Cameron Gaiennie, senior, clears a path for the ball carrier. Scowling at his opponent, Gaiennie charges towards the crouched defensive player to allow his team to score. The eager crowd chants the wide receiver’s name as he strives to keep the Falcons ahead of the Cy- Woods Wildcats.
“It was our sixth meeting against Cy-Woods in school history and we had never beaten them before, so we scored a touchdown for every game we have ever played and lost against them,” Gaiennie said. The monumental win created one of Gaiennie’s favorite moments of the season and added a new element to his last football game. The cheerleaders lead the fans in a cheer for Gaiennie during the intense game while he played wide receiver. “He is an inspiration. He wasn’t treated special, him doing it just like everyone else meant the world to those guys. They respect him and love him to death,” David Snokhous, head football coach, said. Gaiennie’s persistence with the team The football team is drills and workouts impressed Snokhous and convinced him that he demy brothers. They are very served a spot on the team. Motivated by close to me, Gaiennie’s encouragement, the other football players desire to win increased. Cameron Gaiennie, “Cameron is a great guy. He’s no different than anyone else. He just wanted senior, said. to be a Texas high school football player,” Snokhous said. Gaiennie learned life lessons from his experiences, while providing inspiration to his teammates and coaches. Gaiennie made a lasting impression on everyone with his dedication and perseverance to football throughout the season. “Outside of football I like to read the Bible, history books, and research a lot. I’m involved in my church too,” Gaiennie said. Although football season ended, Gaiennie strives to stay involved in school and church. Known school-wide, Gaiennie impacted the football team this year by giving them a new reason to win. “The attention makes me feel special. I try not to let it get to my head and make me so prideful about myself, but it does feel good. I try to be as humble as I can.” Gaiennie remains humble about his significant effect on the football team and entire school this season. “I think Cameron taught us more than we taught him,” Snokhous said. BY KELSEY HODGES
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“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…” belt the voices of the crowd in unison, interrupting the pep rally. Standing wide eyed in the center of the gym, fresh tears stream down the football player’s grinning face as his teammates chant his name. Cameron Gaiennie, senior, captured the attention of his peers, the faculty, and the Houston Fox News channel by breaking the assumptions made against him playing football. Originally, the coaches and Gaiennie’s parents planned for him to work as a football manager and did not expect him to play the game due to his autism. However, Gaiennie surprised and impressed everyone by showing up to practice fully padded. “Football is a way of life, not just a game. I think it’s an awesome way to learn new things about life and consequences,” Gaiennie said. Gaiennie felt unfit as a manager and wanted to play football with the rest of the team. Supportive of his decision, the team and coaches helped teach Gaiennie the ways of the game. “The football team is my brothers. They are very close to me now and have been for the past four years. The coaches have taught me valuable facts about life, like learning how to be a good person, teammate, and overcoming obstacles,” Gaiennie said. The football team accepted Gaiennie and he fell under the protective wing of multiple close friends. Many of his teammates and peers have known Gaiennie since elementary school, including Alina Nguyen, senior, his cheerleader this season. “Cameron is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet. Since it was our senior year, I wanted to be able to spend football season with someone I’m close to,” Nguyen said. Inspired by Cameron’s dedication to football, Nguyen chose him as her football player to support. Every game day, she adorned his locker with posters and gave him baked goods for encouragement and motivation. “At the end of the very last game, Cameron gave me a hug and I realized that we made it through our last football season together. It was definitely bitter sweet,”Nguyen said. Ngyuen and Gaiennie’s friendship developed throughout the season, along with his recognition from the school. At the end of the last pep rally, the football captains led the school in singing Happy Birthday to Gaiennie. Touched by their kindness, he observed the faces of strangers and friends in disbelief. “Honestly it was unexpected but it felt good, I was happy. It was different because I’ve never had so many people say happy birthday to me before,” Gaiennie said. Despite his popularity, Gaiennie strives to stay humble. Earlier in the season, Houston Fox News named Gaiennie “Player of the Week” for his devotion to the football team and featured him on the high school football segment of the program. “This season impacted my senior year by making it positive and better than it might have been. We had a great team this year, it’s too bad we fell short of play-offs,” Gaiennie said. Although the team did not make it to play-offs, Gaiennie remains proud of their accomplishments. The 42 to 0 defeat of Cy-Woods boosted their confidence and started a turning point in the district.
photo by Natalie Solano
JANUARY 2014
The Issue 3 PEREGRINE
Gymnast turns Diver
Flipping, tumbling, spinning in the air are what you need for both activities,” Webb said. With no diving experience of his own Webb is unable to help train Janoshack in her diving. Janoshack’s works out with the swim team four days a week, and five days a week at Spring Branch Memorial Diving.
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I have that feeling of
accomplishment when I get a dive I thought was too hard, Chrysantha Janoschack, freshman, said.
“The person that actually helps me the most is Coach Hooker, because I do club diving after school with him. And even though Coach Webb isn’t a dive coach he is always motivating and always giving me the extra boost of confidence I need to succeed,” Janoshack said. Within the district, an experienced diving coach is responsible to train and coach all the divers of all the schools. Coach Bob Gunter, who is new to the district this year, holds his diving practices at Cypress Springs High School, where Janoshack will attend off campus athletics. “I am not qualified to train Chryssy, so I am grateful that the district has hired photo by Christin Ong
WHIPPING THROUGH AIR Fresh from a previous dive Chrysantha Janoschak, freshman, soars through the atmosphere with a tail of water following her hair. “Every time I am in the air the one thing that crosses my mind constantly is ‘I really hope coach put water in the pool this time,” Janoshack said.
Swim team welcomes individual competitor into their group someone who has that background in order to do that,” Webb said. Now the athletic blood does not only flow in Janoshack anwd her brother Zayne Janoshack body, but it was passed down from both their parents Tammy and Mark Janoshack. Mark Janoschak was an ice dancer in the 1992 Olympics in Canada. Tammy Janoshack lived in the states her whole life and was a pair skater who was invited to go on tour straight out of high school. With both of Janoshacks parents obtaining the professional athlete title Janoshack does not feel any additional pressure from her parents because they have that title. “As long as my brother and I are active and enjoy the sport we’re, they are happy, but I do feel that it gives me a competitive edge,” Janoshack said. Janoshack competing as the only diver on the school’s team the pressure is added. Janoshack believes her scores reflect and represent the quality of diving at the school. However, she does not stand alone. The swim team is there to support her and help relieve most of that pressure. “The swim team is like my family. They’re always supportive and cheering me on. They haven’t had a diver in a long time, so it’s really a new experience for all of us,” Janoshack said. BY ALEXANDER CRUZ
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Standing with perfect posture on top of the diving board Chrysantha Janoschack, freshman, prepares to take a leap into the calm waters that lay below her. The crowd can see her steady breaths as she prepares to jump. Effortlessly leaping into the air, within a few seconds a flawless rip entry emerges. The crowd just witnessed this high school’s only diver. With the school year starting to cool down, the swim team only starts to heat up with their first diver Chrysantha, “Chryssy”, Janoschack. For at least a minimum of five years the swim team has never had a diver. “Being the only diver I really push myself to be the best I can be, and I always search for more ways to improve,” Janoshack said. Soaring through the air is not that foreign to the young athlete. Competing in tournaments as a gymnast for 12 years Janoshack reached a level nine gymnast and practiced at Champions Gymnastics Academy. “I had just quit gymnastics, and I wanted to keep up with my skills, so when Coach Webb told me to try diving, I took advantage of the opportunity,” Janoshack said. Coach Stuart Webb was coaching Janoshacks little brother for the summer swim team. During a conversation with Janoshack’s parents, Webb suggested diving to fill the place where gymnastics once resided in Janoshack’s life. “The skill sets from gymnastics and diving are very similar, most gymnast are able to make that transition very easily.
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FEATURE
How do you feel about having a diver on the team?
“I
think it’s really cool to see something other than swimming to represent us in diving,” Erika Dubros, junior, said.
“I
t’s new, it’s the first year we have had a diver in a while. Now that we have her we get to watch and cheer her on,” Shane Spees, junior, said. photos by Iveth Garcia
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THE Issue 3 PEREGRINE
Columns
January 2014
Sports program makes wishes come true for two athletes Throughout all my years here, I have seen the athletic department make two kids’ wishes come true. It reminded me of the Make a Wish segment off of Sports Center. Manny Zaragoza and Cameron Gaiennie each have a case of autism, and each wanted so badly to play a sport. Whether it was baseball or football, the athletic department made it happen. Zaragoza got to have an at bat against Cy-Springs in his senior year, and with an 0-2 count, hit the next pitch towards second base and got a single. The emotion in the dugout and in the crowd was insane. Ev-
eryone screamed at the top of their lungs as they just saw Zaragoza, the manager since his freshman year, reach base in a varsity game. His wish that he diligently worked to achieve came true. Zaragoza would hit in the batting cages while the team would practice on the field, hoping that one day he could step into the box and take his hacks. His wish would come a reality, and one of the best moments of his life. Gaiennie was seen as a manager for the football team until he tried out and made it. For every game he put his pads on and marched along the sidelines pumping up the crowd. In the Tomball game, he was put into the formation on the field as a wide receiver to block for the running back. During the game against Cy-Woods, the last game of the season, he did the same towards
Acting aspiration goals take stage in local theatre
Darkness; shadow covers the set—only the dim outline of the furniture shows behind the closed curtain. The actors and actresses stand ready in their positions just off stage, prepared to give their best. The Stage Manager— the only person not in costume—gives the order to the sound booth, and the curtain slowly opens to the sound of 1920s jazz, or perhaps soft orchestral music, or early country—whatever carefully chosen sound track fits the show best. The lights fade in, and the actors confidently walk on stage; out of the bitter cold, or out of the party just offstage, or away from the crime scene... from wherever their character stood just prior to their entrance. Many students hold aspirations of becoming an actor or actress, yet remain somehow unaware that they can walk into any one of the yearly auditions with no experience whatsoever, and have as good a chance of making it into a show as anyone else; depending on their talent. Students often assume that, in order to audition, a person must have some sort of acting experience or be in a theatre class. This is untrue. Every year the JV Theatre Department produces many talented individuals, and, despite the fact that the majority of students remain apathetic toward the dramatic arts in the school, Drama Club greatly affects the lives of the theatric minority: those who see the theatre as a sort of refuge. I am honored to say that I have considered myself a ‘theatre kid’ since I started attending Jersey Village as a freshman, despite not becoming involved in shows until recently. Now that I am a junior, and have participated in several shows put on by the JV Players, many of my peers now know me as one of the theatre kids. Every week or so someone invariably asks me: “You’re in theatre, aren’t you?” to which I invariably reply “I’m in the shows, but not the class.” Everyone is surprised by this. This frustrates me because it shows just how few people understand the separation between the theatre classes and the JV Players. Ever since I began trying out for plays, I’ve noticed that it is usually the same students who show up for auditions. There are a few others that stumble in, but for the most part the plays are dominated by a select group of thespians, almost all of whom I am acquainted with. I love and respect all of my fellow actors and actresses in the JV Players, but I also appreciate new faces, which rarely surface except in the form of incoming freshmen. It seems to me that considerably more students have an interest in Theatre, but that they are too intimidated by auditions or are unaware that they can audition. But taking part in a show—acting in a show—is an experience like no other, and these students are missing out. In the beginning the process is slow. So many hours spent looking over a dull script and reading over the same exact words a hundred times; but when the acting begins to take place, and the actors are all on stage doing what it is that their character is doing, doing things in the way their character would do them, the experience becomes exhilarating. A couple of weeks before the show, rehearsals pick up, and the pressure is on. Being in a show put on by the JV Players is one of the most stressful, yet satisfying and rewarding experiences that I have had in high school, and with any luck my ardor for it will inspire some prospective actors.
the end with the score 42-0 lighting up the scoreboard. His wish of stepping on the varsity field was granted by the football program. Last year, however, on junior varsity he received a pass on a screen and ran forward for a few yards. The screen allowed blockers to be in front of him and allowed him to easily receive the pass. Ultimately, Gaiennie’s wish came true through the world of sports. The athletic department here in my four years has made two kids’ wishes come true through the power of sports. It was really a great sight to see, just watching these kids who most thought would never step foot in a live game under the lights, get their chance. Their wishes came true, and for them and their family it is a memory they will not ever forget.
illustration by Vanessa Morales
New year’s objectives transform life
2013 consisted of cutting back on Soda, going to the gym, and eating better. These remained my new year’s resolutions of 2013, to live a healthier lifestyle. By January 15th, my goals grew more difficult and harder to maintain. Persistence grew weak while the inner sloth grew stronger. I never wanted to live a non-active life; I never wanted to remain within the comfort of the walls that surround me. I wanted to live an active life, a life where I did not grow tired after walking to the mailbox. I cut soda out completely, I joined a gym, and I finally started eating something green. That’s when I realized not to make my new year’s resolutions a resolution, but to make them a lifestyle. New Year’s resolutions continue to be created, yet never fulfilled. Popular 2013 New Year resolutions consist of: losing weight, eating healthier and saving money. Funny that these are the exact resolutions that I wanted for myself. The lifestyle change I desired the most had to be joining the gym. I remember the crowded workout space filled with sweaty out of breath individuals. They seemed to fade as the weeks went by. Laziness, a disease that infects anyone that lets it penetrates their determination. Some people insist on remaining too lazy to go to the gym. Their intentions maybe pure, but not everyone sees the ultimate goal, to better oneself. I did not want to push myself harder just for a resolution. I wanted to push myself harder because it’s what I wanted out of my life. Now that the New Year has commenced, resolutions remain fresh in the minds of the determined. Only 8% people reach their goals from the beginning of the year in 2013. Simply setting a goal does raise your chances of achieving that goal. But within weeks or months, people begin abandoning their resolutions as they hit bumps in the road that throw them off their stride. Keep the goal simple, as simple as only drinking one soda a day. I replaced the Dr. Pepper I had for dinner with a glass of water at night. Keep the resolution tangible and within reaching distance of your abilities. I joined a gym and choose to attend at least twice a week. Introduce my body into a more active life remains my ideal goal, not to look like John Cena and carry the heavy weight championship. Looking back I realized that I have reached my goals I set in front of myself. I did not make my goals a chore I transformed them into my lifestyle, and everything fell into place.
JAnuARy 2014
THE Issue 3 PEREGRINE
EDITORIAL
Different block days would add time, efficiency
Eyes wander throughout the cafeteria as anticipation builds up on Thursdays. Students who have C lunch crowd the front doors of the school building at the end of the day, anxious to leave early. All around the school, students in class wait for the bell to ring earlier to leave and enjoy more free time. Meanwhile, during the middle of the week, students sit through long periods and receive more homework to turn in later in the week, making school unbearable and stressful for some. Block days should change to Thursdays and Fridays, therefore making the week more tolerable for students and giving students more time for the weekend. If block days took place on Thursdays and Fridays, scheduling tests, projects, or major grade homework would become easier as it would give teachers three days to give a lesson and then implement tests during block days. This would give students more time to study and reduce stress. This would also balance the homework given on Wednesdays to students, who would have two days to do it, while the homework given on Thursdays, those students would have less time to do the homework, if the due dates were on Fridays. Moving block days to Thursdays and Fridays would also benefit teams who have games on Fridays. These teams would enjoy more preparation time and students who desire to attend the game would also have more time to go to these games. Early release on the last day of the week would give more preparation time for these teams and students alike. Changing block days would ultimately create a more stressfree environment in school and would raise the possibility of students obtaining better grades.
illustration by Joel Montfort
Although some arguments exist that changing an already established system in school would take time for everyone to adjust and would not prove easy to make it happen, the importance of the student’s environment surpasses these disagreements. The amount of pressure given to the students due to the schedule of block days does not allow them to fully work to their best potential; therefore adjusting a schedule in favor of the students would benefit them even though adjustments would become necessary. Also, if block days changed to the last two days of the week, time would favor students, who work, or have to do other
activities at home such as babysitting their siblings. There would also exist more time to do homework and would give more time to enjoy the weekend. Block days play a major role in how our school’s lessons and homework are given but also add to the pressure of the students. Modifying the schedule by changing block days to Thursdays and Fridays would ease the stress of some students who have to take double homework on Thursdays and only have one day to do it. A new schedule would also give more time for the weekend and for students who use it in an efficient manner.
the student
VOICE
“If block days were moved to Thursdays and Fridays, what would you do after school?”
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I would get a head start on weekend homework so I could have more time to unwind on the internet.” Hannah Wisterman, sophomore
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I would have less time to practice my driving and it would affect my homework and the time I have to do it.” Brianna Burton, junior
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I would be unable to take care of my siblings if I had to go to school later on Thursdays.” Alex Navarro, senior
11 PEREGRINE STAFF 2013-2014
co-editors MATT DUBOSE ALEXANDER CRUZ staff writers SEMON ADAMS IVETH GARCIA MONICA GARCIA TREVOR HARGIS KELSEY HODGES KATELYN HOUSER JOEL MONTFORT JULIANNA PEREZ MARILYN RENDEROS WILLIAM SCALES NATALIE SOLANO Contributing Staff MARIEKE ALSGUTH VANESSA MORALES CHRISTIN ONG staff adviser MARGIE COMSTOCK principal RALPH FUNK 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. 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 1/16, 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, and the National Scholastic Press Association. 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 1712. 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.
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THE Issue 3 PEREGRINE
PHOTO ESSAY
JANUARY 2014
2013 In Review
CUSTOMARY LINE Gold Dusters introduced the Homecoming court with the traditional feathers routine as shown by Zada Gascon, senior.
FOLLOW UP After their ping pong performance, Mikey Sliepka and Austin Luckak, seniors, lit up the stage with flares at Mr. Falcon.
RAISING SPIRIT Homecoming Week spread spirit around the school for six solid days. Events like the Homecoming parade pumped up the candidate Jacob Kullhanek. Standing next to one another the 2013 Homecoming Queen Jade Hoang and King Mohammed Khan, seniors, feel the joy of being crowned. “I felt a great sense of honor. It will definitely be a memory I will keep for the rest of my life,” Hoang said.
all photos by Natalie Solano
PROJECT PROM FUNDRAISER Having to change the annual Mr. Falcon contest from February to December closed the year with flair. Held for the purpose of rasing money for Project Prom the event showcased talented male seniors. “Mr. Falcon was full of excitement with the practicing and getting to see everyone’s talent, but promoting Mr. Falcon around the school was exciting too,” Josh Henderson, senior, said. The competitors had three competition areas: swim wear, talent and formal wear.
TEXAS FALL NIGHTS The 2013 football team experienced a winning season after nine years of more losses than wins. “I feel that we had the best season and it felt great to have been a part of it,” LaVance Moore, junior, said. Supporting their Falcons the student body filled the student section with purple and gold spirit and cheers. WINNING NOTE Ending the season the Falcons faced Cy-Woods, one of the district’s eventual playoff teams. Lundyn Jenkins, senior, breaks an opponent’s tackle and sprints to the next yard line. The game against the Wildcats ended the Falcons’ season with a well deserved and celebrated win.