JV JOURNALISM
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The Peregrine
Jersey Village High School 7600 Solomon Houston, Texas 77040 Volume 45 Issue 2
December 2016
The Things They Will Do Associate Superintendent encourages future educators
As educators, we have the opportunity to change the lives of so many people.” Roy Garcia, Associate Superintendent
» Emmilyne Thomas, Co-Editor
Spot the Student Do you know who this is?
If you think you know who the student in the above picture is, stop by the Journalism room, 1720, and claim a prize if you have the correct answer. Only the first two will be awarded. Photo by Damaris De Leon
Lead the Way
Photo by Emmilyne Thomas
Debaters advance to state after local tournament With the Cy Creek Debate Tournament before the Thanksgiving break, the Speech and Debate team came back with multiple students securing finalist positions. As well as five students placing, two will move onto state competitions with other members close behind. “There are multiple tournaments we go to where we go against every school district in Texas at each one. If you place from first to sixth you get a certain amount of points depending on how many people are in the event. If you get 12 points, you qualify for state,” Regina Jennings, speech and debate teacher, said. Placing first in Prose (short story reading), second in Humorous Interpretation, and a finalist in Poetry, Justin Meun, senior, received the most placement awards for his efforts. Prose requires the participant to read a story out loud, getting judged on their grammar, maturity, and appealing to multiple audiences. Cont. on page 2.
While visiting the high school, Roy Garcia, associate superintendent of school administration and leadership development, spoke with students in the Ready, Set, Teach! program on the importance of the class and their future in the education field. Garcia imparted personal experiences and how those experiences have shaped him, as well as his hopes for the future. “As educators, we have the opportunity to change the lives of so many people. With this wonderful program, we are able to grow our own teachers in Cy-Fair ISD,” Garcia said. “Our goal is hopefully to have them in the program for one or two years and they go to school for their bachelor’s degree. Then they come back home, and we’re able to hire them and put them in the classroom.” Garcia does not shy away from education and its impact. Coming from a family of educators, he sees the impact teachers have on their students. After living and breathing education, Garcia strongly supports the program and future educators. Cont. on page 2
Commit for Life
SAVING LIVES. As he gets his blood drawn, Alexander Tisdale, senior, sits in a chair for the fall Blood Drive. St. Luke’s Hospital sponsored the blood drive. Photo by Nallely Govea
what’s inside... Ginsburg Talent pg. 3
A New Brand pg. 6
Culinary Wonders pg. 7
Hit the Mats
pg. 13
News Briefs
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the peregrine december 2016
Difference Makers
Administrator encourages future educators » Emmilyne Thomas, Co-Editor
Continued from page 1 “Education has always been a part of my life. My dad was an educator for 43 years, my wife is an educator and this is my 28thyear in the profession,” he said. “Being able to understand the difference education makes has really assisted me in supporting a program such as Ready, Set, Teach!” While his hope for the future remains bright, Garcia concedes that the education field does not fit everyone. However, he believes programs like Ready, Set, Teach!, child development and child guidance give students the option to explore their interests, much like the numerous career and technical education (CTE) opportunities throughout the district. “We know that our schools have so many different opportunities and sometimes it’s difficult to compete with those and students have to make a choice. We understand that,” he said. “But those who have a desire to be a teacher or think they want to be a teacher, this is a great program for them to learn whether or not they want to continue pursuing that career. They’re going to have a great head start moving forward.” Garcia’s personal accounts and advice influ-
enced many of the students present for his talk. Jersey Village junior Taylor Calton has a firmer grasp on her plans in the education field after hearing what Garcia had to say. “Mr. Garcia’s talk made me very motivated. I loved when he said how he loves to shape the lives of kids and how teaching is such an important job,” she said. “I love working with kids and his talk furthered my decision to join because I want to make a difference in the world. I want to help people and help little kids find their way in learning.” Garcia firmly believes in the significance of strong teachers and role models. He continues to push for an expansion of the program into all high schools around the district, and looks forward to seeing what the future holds. Garcia also has high hopes for the future teachers of the world and their abilities. “They have an opportunity to be the difference makers, even before they are hired as a teacher, by being in this program, and we know that if it’s at the elementary, or even the secondary level, our students need a mentor,” he said. “They need someone who believes in them. As a Ready, Set, Teach! student, you have that opportunity to start building that relationship and being that person for them.”
Lead the Way Debaters advance to state after tournament » Cade Schaudel, Reporter
Continued from page 1 “I read about Mr. Snuffleupagus, a character from Sesame Street, but with a dark twist in that he kills Elmo. It sounds dark, and it is, but it was also really funny,” Meun said.
Food drive helps local families Across the school the four houses collected various food items for the annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. The drive coordinated by Debbie Bass, Youth Service Specialist, culminated before students and staff left for the holiday period so that food could be delivered to local families for Thanksgiving Week. House J was be responsible for breakfast items-cereal, breakfast bars, pop tarts. Peanut butter & jelly. House V was responsible for canned vegetables & canned fruits or fruit pie filling. House H was responsible for canned meats or boxed meal helpers. House S will be responsible for pasta, spaghetti, pasta sauce, and soups. As a reward for donating food items, “Food for Fine” library coupons were offered. SORTING DONATIONS. With collections from the Thanksgiving food drive taken to the downstairs LGI Debbie Bass, Youth Service Specialist, receives assistance from members of PALS, America Herrera, junior, Nick Pike, senior, and Anjelica Guajardo, senior. Photos by Jose Sosa
ROLE MODELS. Meeting with the Ready, Set, Teach program Roy Garcia, associate superintendent of school administration and leadership development, explains the importance the program will have on those enrolled and those they will teach. Photo by Emmilyne Thomas
Getting first in Duo Interpretation, Noah Kopensky, senior, and Meun advance to state with their performance. Requiring the performers to not look directly at each other or touch each other, it forces actors to have much more planning and choreography. “We did a piece called The Darkness of War, which was about two best friends growing up. One of them goes off to war and comes back blind, and his friend helps him realize what he can still do,” Kopensky said.
Getting close to qualifying for state, Sam Gross, sophomore, was a finalist in Novice Extempt (Extemporaneous) Speaking and third in Novice Public Forum at the last tournament. His first year in debate, he secured himself a strong position in the event. “At the next tournament I’m on the Varsity team and will definitely get enough points to make it to state. The class has definitely helped me improve my English and organizational skills,” Gross said.
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the peregrine december 2016
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Not just an act Aspiring entertainer, family work tirelessly to succeed » Cade Schaudel, Reporter
Hundreds of voices ring through the hallway, mixing together, making it almost impossible to single out one person from the other. However, a single voice stands out as it trails back to the familiar persona of Henry Ginsburg, senior, recognized by not only students, but people across the world as well. A well-known name, the Ginsburgs have made themselves familiar with many inside the school as a brother or sister resides somewhere in each grade. Looking on a broader scale, Henry, the eldest of the four, pursues a career to make his voice hear around the world.
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“The whole thing definitely brought me and my brothers closer.” Ethel Ginsburg, sophomore
“I’ve been in theater since middle school, and since then, it’s been a dream of mine to be a film actor or director, just something with movies. Luckily I was able to find different courses and opportunities where I could get better and closer to being one,” Henry said. Working with the creatively named “The Editing Company”, Henry has found a way to put his talents to good use as a voice actor. Starting at the end of his junior year, Henry has created an impressive portfolio. “I mainly do
voices for the characters in those educational videos the teachers show students in class that explain stuff. I’m working on a role right now, but besides that I’ve done two other characters. And when I’m not working, I’m training with other really incredible actors in the Performance Arts Project, which lets me practice and learn with professional Broadway actors,” Henry said. The process of getting into the business looks like a tree with lots of branches. Starting at the roots, one must first audition for the job, reading from a script the judges assign. If the actor gets the job, they have essentially risen to the trunk, the branches now representing the different jobs available. “They will typically send me an email with a script in it, saying I was their number one choice, and I just record me saying some lines and send it back. That’s the audition process, it’s really simple: just read the script record, and send,” Henry said. Henry explained that if he received the job they would contact him again asking if he could come in during a certain time and he would read a certain about of scripts. “I usually go in either after school or early in the morning, and I do voice warm-ups in the car, because some of the clients are really precise about what they want. I get in the studio, there’s a mic, a headset, a window, and an editor on the other side that records and kind of guides me to certain paths. Once I finish, I give some hugs and handshakes and leave, it’s pretty nice,” Henry said. Motivated heavily by his father, Phil Ginsburg, Henry was introduced to the company and the profession through him. Throughout his middle school life, his dad helped to push his son towards the film careers, a slight resentment that turned to appre-
SERENADING HIS SIBLINGS. Starring as Robbie Hart in The Wedding Singer, Henry Ginsburg, senior, performs for both the audience and his sister Ethel Ginsburg, sophomore, and brother Evan Ginsburg, freshman.
ciation as Henry grew. “I was brought up in a family that always appreciated the arts. My mother and her mother both participated in a very robust community theater in Omaha Nebraska. It was always us more encouraging rather than pushing them to connect with other artists, make friends, and by doing so, to grow emotionally and learn how to make connections of the heart,” Phil said. Not the only Ginsburg to enroll in theater, Evan, freshman, Ethel, sophomore, and Robert “Bobby” Ginsburg, junior, were all encouraged to join in on the act. For each of the siblings, the reaction to joining theater at the beginning changed drastically as they went on in the program. “I didn’t really want to join in, I had a bad case of stage fright, but as soon as I joined, the people there made me feel so at home. And as I kept going, I realized I was a bit more musically inclined, but the whole thing definitely brought me and my brothers closer,” Ethel said.
SHARING THE SPOTLIGHT. Also performing in The Wedding Singer and acting as an understudy to his older brother, Robert “Bobby” Ginsburg, junior, sings on stage with Henry.
As Henry plans to go into a competitive and risky career path, his family all shares great hopes, strong motivation, and endless support as he starts to go into the real world. “It takes a lot of work to go into acting, but he works really hard for it, so he will definitely make it big,” Bobby said.
HENRY BECOMES ROMEO. Closing out the first semester Henry Ginsburg, senior, plays Romeo in Shakespeare’s play.
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the peregrine
december 2016
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Festival Time
Celebrations take place inside, outside of Houston
TRADITION DRESS IMPRESSES. While wearing traditional Native American attire at the Native American Pow Wow held at Traders Village, a cultural dance wows the crowd. Photo by Ashlynn Smith
» Pamela Jimenez, Reporter
The days get short and sweet, the nights elongate, and the air begins to crisp. Leaves change from their usual dark green to a breathtaking red, orange, and yellow. The weather drops from normal Texas hot weather, to a chilly autumn day. The atmosphere of summer, music festivals, and county fairs are traded in for fall and winter festivals. All around Houston the variety of events to attend seems endless
Via Colori
The aroma of paints and chalk hits all of the people going through downtown. Artists come together and transform normal streets into real life museums for Via Colori. Coming from different backgrounds and lifestyles, every piece of artwork tells a different story. Artists use regular art tools and use their imagination to directly express how they come about. Every masterpiece tells many stories, depends how one looks at it. “I saw many different kinds of artists merge and meet together and create so many different pieces of art. Every artist hasn’t had the same experience in their life, and every artist’s path of life is shown by what they painted,” Eli Henley, junior, said. Turning the street into their own canvas, artists take inspiration other than what they have been through. Their surroundings, what they have seen and even how their emotions are at the time of the painting become vi-
sual for them to share with all around them. “There were gorgeous creations, but one that really got to me was a remake of a painting by the artist Vincent Van Gogh. When I was little, my mother would take me to museums and show me his artwork, so seeing it coming to life in front of me was something I never thought I would be able to witness,” Henley said.
The Lights Festival
People come together to celebrate the annual lighting of lanterns. When we arrived, we passed out lanterns while handing them out to people, I saw the spark in children’s eyes and watched them run off with them,” Krystal Lau, freshman, said. As the sun slowly set below the horizon, the night sky grew darker with every passing minute. When the lanterns floated off, they gave life to a dark lifeless sky. “When the lanterns were lifted into the sky, it was gorgeous. The amount
LIGHTS FILL NIGHT. The blackness of the sky illuminates as hundreds of lanterns are sent off into the atmosphere at the Lights Festival. Photo by Krystal Lau
of lanterns were unbelievable. It was insanely beautiful and I felt emotional. The feeling around was joyous and peaceful, nothing I’ve ever felt before,” Lau said.
Native American Pow Wow
Renewing and experiencing the Native American cultures, feathers surround the grass of Traders Village. People of all cultures gathered to dance and to enjoy the Native American life. All types of Native Americans met to celebrate their different cultures and heritages, but also to teach others about it. “The dancing was interesting to watch and see what their culture was like. All the bright colors brought excitement to the crowd that was watching, including me,” Ashlynn Smith, junior, said. CHALK COVERS SIDEWALKS. Two hundred artists convert normal streets into their foundation for art at Via Colori. They bring color to the normal gray streets with just chalk, their imagination, and talent. The streets are then turned into a colorful real life museum. Photo by Ashlynn Smith COLORS FILL ARENA. At the Native American Pow Wow held at Traders Village preparation takes place for an upcoming performance, as performers wear cultural garments. Photo by Ashlynn Smith
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the peregrine december 2016
CAPTURING THE CITY. Matthew Jiang, senior and Emerson Garcia, junior, model for the new brand to commemorate the city of Houston Photo courtesy of Minh Chau.
New brand enters teen market » Pablo Lemus, Reporter
A group of friends walk down the hallway, with their brand new shirt. Everyone looks in awe at the amazing graphic design. Many ask where they got the shirts, for two student are beginning to start a new trend. These entrepreneurs made a brand of their own and have since have made multiple items that are currently being sold. What was originally a joke a few months ago developed into a reality for Sean Eden, senior, who originally started the idea, with the support of his friend Sean Bui, senior. They started a clothing brand called Alpha Streetwear. The name Alpha streetwear came from a small joke from Eden and his friends. “You can say alpha means dominate, the greatest, the name was a small joke between my friends and I would call myself the alpha, then it caught on and the brand became the real thing,” Eden said. Even a joke, the name has a deeper meaning. “In reality an alpha is the one who doesn’t give up, and I feel like that’s what the brand about,” Eden said. Since then, Eden has a lot of support from his friend. “I wanted to help Sean, he had some cool designs and I supported his idea,” Matthew Jiang, senior, said. “I think that the shirts and hats are very dope and have a unique style. I really enjoy modeling for it and wish nothing but success to the Houston Brand,” said Emerson Garcia, junior. Bui said that he was committed to support Sean’s idea and was there for him. “I have a passion for designing and visual art and my friends encouraged me to it on a business level,” Eden said. Alpha street wear is currently selling hats and hope to sell long sleeved shirts. Their main goal is to become a popular brand. “We’re a widely known Houston brand among the city and that we have more products released,” Bui said. Eden has a more business approach. “I want to put of this money into the stock market and real estates and have multiple lines of income,” Eden said. An influence of making their clothing design comes from the idea of “living in Houston and representing the city” according to Bui. Eden influences come from just modern streetwear and some bigger brands like Bape and Supreme. He looks at their design and gets me motivated and inspired to create.” The news of the clothing brand has spread through social media, currently with an Instagram pages. Alpha Streetwear is continuing to make more merchandise and hope to leave a legacy.
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IN STOCK. With hats, shirts, and stickers Alpha Streetwear currently sells many products of a unique style. Hat worn by Larry Dinh, senior, and Matthew Jiang, senior Photos courtesy of Toan Pham and Chance Panomwan
“Alpha Streetwear is a very creative and very dope brand that has a bright future and a lot of recognition so far, being such a young foundation.” Emerson Garcia, junior, said.
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Culinary’s menu excites future chefs » Valeria Perez, Reporter
PEELING POTATOES SKIN. While preparing a scrumptious meal, Briana Gutierrez, junior, Jewel Fernandez, senior, Preston Sterling, sophomore, and Uzavier Lewis, junior, peel the potatoes skin off, getting them ready for the next step. Photo by Valeria Perez SCORING IN THE BOWL. As they mix ingredients in a bowl, Fernando Espinoza, senior, and Alejandro Espinoza, junior, gather their vegetables to add to the recipe. Photo by Valeria Perez
The sweet smell of chocolate chips cookies baking in an oven ready to be taken out and be eaten permeated the student kitchen. Then the chocolate melted on the tongue and tasted exactly how the recipe described it. The same held true for the flavored, pumpkin pie with its perfect, bronzed color and its sweet after taste. The hope that it came out just like it said on the recipe was realized. Culinary Arts students achieve these results every time they walk in the kitchen ready to prepare one of the challenging meals that Blair Roy, culinary teacher, has assigned to them. “The class has helped me a lot in my cooking skills. Thanks to culinary I will be able to use the right timing when cooking for my wife and kids in the future,” Fernando Espinoza, grade, said. Many of the challenges are not a big deal to the culinary students anymore. Since they work as a team supporting each other and helping each other out in the kitchen their efforts are united in their food preparation. Many of the Culinary Arts students enjoy having the class because it gives them the experience of being a chef and working with all types of food. Having all ingredient items at the right temperature, assembling the right equipment to cut their food items, and knowing how cleaning and sanitizing is important while prepping the food is their beginning point. “Getting the right measurements when cutting and prepping the food is a requirement while preparing the food,” Cynthia Rubio, grade, said, Culinary students also have learned many skills that will benefit them for the upcoming holidays. “This is going to benefit me a lot because I will be able to bake the right way and use the right equipment while cooking for my family
during the holidays,” Brianna Kyblek, grade, said . In addition the to be chefs are ready to prepare and bake all the foods that they will be selling to the school’s staff and students including cookies, and the holiday favorite strawberries wrapped around bacon. “I’m really excited about baking the food and selling it will be a great experience for us,” Anthony Carrillo, grade, said. Not only are the students looking forward to this opportunity to show off their cooking skills but so is Roy. Helping them and making sure they succeed every day in a new cooking skill is
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Knowing I will be trying the food after we’re done cooking inspires me.” Christina Dehoyos, sophomore
one of her main goals. “I’m always there for my students, making sure they start from scratch and helping them succeed onto the next big step,” Roy said. Their main goal will be to make the food as tasty as possible with an exotic taste to it.
CHEFS NEVER CRY. Chopping onions, Simmeon Roberts, junior, and Paula Cruz, sophomore, get ready to mix and prep the corn bread dressing. Photo by Valeria Perez
“Culinary Arts
has helped me improve my cooking skills,” Preston Sterling, sophomore, said.
“Culinary Arts
helped me learn how to cook many different things,” Patrick Morlock, senior, said.
“Culinary Arts is “Culinary Arts about cooking as a team depending on each other,” Simeon Roberts, junior, said.
has been a great learning experience for me,” Ray Lozano, senior, said.
In-Depth
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the peregrine december 2016
Music Box
Upco
» Emmilyne Thom
The smoke dri the first song star alive above the c song and the cro boys look at each A garage band selves. Steven Sa nior, created the play for fame an norm. “Our goal isn’t it. Whatever hap
Beatboxer details his skill, beginnings » Lin Vu, Co-Editor
He stands upon the rumbling stage, his hands fastened against his mouth. Man-made beats resonates within the venue. His ambition strikes the crowd like the point of an arrow skewering the bright red dot of a target. Hao Pham, senior, holds the musical talent of vocal percussion. Pham first began being involved with beatboxing at the age of 12. Surprisingly, Pham unintentionally stumbled upon the musical style. Completely unaware of how his life would transform, Pham would venture further into the world of beat-boxing. At that moment, the peculiar sounds and art associated with beat-boxing enticed Pham. “I started to beat box around back in 2010. When I was 11 years old, my very first instrument that I encountered was piano. After a year of playing piano, while I was doing some music research online, I was unintentionally brought to beat boxing. I discovered a guy with the nickname KRNFX. I was wondering what type of music was mentioned in the video and why it had a very strange thumbnail. Once I clicked the video, I first became introduced to beat boxing,” Pham said. Pham slowly began to master the art of beat-boxing, learning the fundamental sounds to create a melody. He used his past knowledge of piano to build the rhythm within beatboxing and began to pave his way starting there. “Suddenly, I started to enjoy beat boxing more and more as much as I enjoyed playing piano over time. For four years straight, I’ve done a lot of research on how to actually become a beat boxer. In these four years I’ve learned how to transfer the rhythms from piano to beat boxing as well as other instruments,” Pham said. Pham began his journey as any other beginner would: with the primary principles. Rim shot, kick drum and hi-hat make up the three most critical sounds for beat-boxing. Pham took his time with the tones, utilizing the sounds to create a foundation for his path. “I started out with three basic sounds called Kick Drum, Hi-hat, and Rim shot which are referred to the functions of a drum set. Kick drum sounds like when you hit the bass drum in the drum set, Hi-hat sounds like when you hit the china cymbals in the drum set, and finally is Rim shot sounds like when you hit the side of the drum. It took me quite a long time
mastering the sounds, but I started to make all the simple beats and as the four years had passed. I started to dig more into the beat box community,” Pham said. Pham observed others in order to overcome difficult sounds within beat-boxing. Day by day, Pham took in knowledge that he gained from more experienced beat-boxers to grow on his own. “I watched beat boxing videos from other beat boxers from YouTube and I tried to learn the advance beat box sounds myself which there are plenty of them, and I even made some of the unique sounds. My best advice for those wishing to start beat boxing is keep sticking with the four basic sounds until you are confident with it,” Pham said. Pham respects beat-boxing as a revered craft and surrounds his life around the art. Even when no instrumental played for Pham to listen to, his heart told him to create the sounds himself. As his life progresses on, his existence will always lead back and connect to beat-boxing. “The endless possibilities of different rhythms and combinations of sounds captured me to such a degree, that when there are no instruments to play with, I would imitate the sounds of the instruments with my mouth to push away the silence. I view beat boxing as one of the most beautiful creatures created from human art,” Pham said.
THE FIRST SHOW. During their first performance at the White Swan in downtown Houston, Devin Duarte, senior, (left) and Steven Salazar, senior, (right) play a song from their set. Duarte sings the cover of the song, as well as plays his guitar. Photo courtesy of Steven Salazar and Photo by Iliana Ramirez
GAZING TOWARDS ARTISTRY. Invited to perform at the 2016 Korean Festival, KRNFX, a famous Korean beatboxer, holds the crowd. Hao Pham, senior, with his raw talent, later gets invited to go on stage with his idol. Photo by Lin Vu
the peregrine december 2016
In-Depth
oming band rises to top
mas, Co-Editor
ifts off stage and into the audience as rts. Dark lights keep the punk feeling cheering crowd. The band bursts into owd screams. The set ends and the h other and smile. d has begun to make a name for themalazar, senior, and Devin Duarte, seband Date and Destroy. While many nd fortune, this band strays from the
t to be famous; it’s more to just enjoy ppens– happens,” Salazar said. The band started off with just two people. It has now grown to three, with the occasional guest singer. “It first started off with me and him. He knew how to play guitar more than me and so I think with his background and my background with family members being in music it influenced us,” Salazar said. While many bands spend hours and hours deciding on the perfect name, Date and Destroy took a different route. After saying the name would just be temporary, it quickly stuck.
“I had a shirt that said it on the back and we were just like, ‘What about that?’” Duarte said. Before deciding on their current name, the band threw around a handful of other names. After trying a few out, they decided to stick with what they had. “It was Louise… it’s a street in the heights I used to live on when I was young. But people got mixed up they thought it was a girl,” Duarte said. Their first performance was one for the books. They performed at the White Swan downtown and even sold their own merchandise. “We had a bunch of flyers and we just passed them out around school and work. we had a bunch of friends that showed up and we had shirts that we were selling. A lot of our friends and family bought them. A highlight of that night was when a friend of ours that was playing that night, from the band Valence, jumped on stage and threw himself at the crowd and started a pit,” Salazar said For Duarte, a shining moment sticks out. In the final number, a friend gave them quite a surprise. “The last cover song was probably the best part of the show. And I think the first song was really good, too. We didn’t make any mistakes. It’s kind of in your face… it got everyone listening,” Duarte said. With family members having experience in the music industry, Duarte believes he knows the key to musical success. “You’ve got to have good drums, catchy vocals. I can spit whatever lyrics to you… I can talk about tape and people will like it as long as it’s catchy,” Duarte said. The band wants to stay true to their music and style. They do not want to conform to popular trends, instead they forge their own path. “I think it’s more of like stuff that we like to play, not trying to just go with what the crowd wants, not mainstream. We like to play what we want and not what everyone follows,” Salazar said.
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Guitarist strikes cord in music industry » Emmilyne Thomas, Co-Editor
The music blares from under the door. The walls reverberate from the sound. He stands with his guitar across his body. His face remains still with concentration. He suddenly stops to jot down a few notes in a battered notebook. He quickly resumes his music. Teenagers often see their talents as defining factors. Their skills and abilities make them who they are. For Joey Kertis, senior, his knack for music has influenced his life in a way no other activity has. “I picked up a guitar one day and ever since then it’s always been something I wanted to do,” Kertis said. Kertis diligently rehearses and practizes his music. Within his practice time, he does a number of things including maintaining his guitar. “I play my guitar every day to every other day for about 5 to 6 hours. I clean my guitar and I pick a song that I want to learn. I either play the songs I already know as a warm-up or I do a little activity,” Kertis said. After a family tragedy, Kertis lost his way. His distance from his family caused even more strain, but he eventually found his way back with music. “After my dad passed away I looked heavily into music. It was
my safe patch,” Kertis said. Even the most dedicated of musicians hit a road block. “The rough patch I went through with music was basically I always had writers. Sometimes I don’t know what kind of music to write so I always ask him [his brother] or I’ll use his music for inspiration,” Kertis said. While Kertis does play solo, he also has a part in the band Save Us From These Trenches. Although he did not help create the band, Kertis still plays a major role in the success of the band. “They needed another musician and I was able to try out for them and they told me they needed a singer. I asked them what kind of music they did and they said thrash metal so I played one of the songs from one of the bands I listen to name Epic. Because of them I’m now in the band,” Kertis said. Kertis has two passions: education and music. Kertis wants to follow his dreams, regardless of which path they take him down. “Well if my music career doesn’t work out, I plan on going to college. If it works out then I plan on going and touring the world,” Kertis said. Music runs in the Kertis family. Kertis’ older brother, Matt, performs as the lead singer in the heavy metal band, Avenged Sevenfold. “His success in music has impacted my career just by how much just by how much him always telling me if I’m struggling he’ll tell me you can get through it, I believe in you, you can always call me. His success is the reason I’m still playing music,” Kertis said. Kertis relies heavily on music for support. He uses music as an outlet and a comfort. From his long experience with music, Kertis learned an important lesson. “Music always helps and if you ever need someone to help you out, just find your favorite musician or go to your playlist and just listen to that,” Kertis said. RIFF AWAY. Playing one of his favorite songs, Joey Kertis, senior, practices on his guitar. Alongside him, Jeff Ferrier, family friend, plays his insturment to compliment Kertis. Photo courtesy of Joey Kertis
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the peregrine
december 2016
Fencing stardom on horizon for two present Falcons » Damaris De Leon, Contributing Writer
The sound of sabre against sabre echoed in the gym as the opponents faced each other on the mat, practicing their moves with precision. For Ariana Rausch, freshman, the sport of fencing seemingly consumed her time. Rausch, who has been fencing since the early age of eight, was introduced to the sport through her mother’s friend, who’s daughter, a friend of Rausch, fenced herself. Since then, Rausch has earned a spot on the U.S. team, the international team, received the highest possible ranking, and ranked third in the country in the youth 14 age group. Rausch’s experience at Alliance Fencing Academy has allowed her to travel the country and meet people from around the globe. “I made so many new friends who support and help me. I became surrounded by goal oriented people who drove me and led me to strive to be like them or better than them,” Rausch said. But well-deserved, high-ranking titles did not come easily for Rausch, who practices at least 2.5 hours on weekdays and five on weekends. In order to travel the country for tournaments Rausch depends on the help of her teachers and the district. “The only way I am able to compete in all these tournaments and not have excessive absences is through off-campus P.E. and asking my teachers to allow me to
take schoolwork with me,” Rausch said. Rausch’s journey as a fencer has led her to encounter fencers and coaches from all around the world, like Adriana Friederich, sophomore, who followed her coach from Germany to Houston this past summer and lived with Rausch. “I came to Houston in order to train with my coach again. I have always wanted to spend half a year in another country and get this experience and improve my English skills. Fencing allowed me to travel Europe for competitions and now the U.S. too. I can’t wait to get to know the country better,” Friederich said. Friederich has also been fencing for a number of years and initially took on the sport because her father fenced. Since the beginning of her fencing career she has become a member of the National German Champion Cadets 2016, the German Cadet Team, and received a A16 U.S. ranking. “The Houston club is much larger than my club in Germany and the coaching is a bit different. In Germany, every student works with one coach and at Alliance we each work with three coaches,” Friederich said. Regardless of both young women having different long term fencing goals, they cherish the time they spend bonding over the sport. “Talking about fencing at dinner and having someone to attend tournaments with is nice,” Rausch said.
LOCAL INTERNATIONAL SPORT. During fencing practice at the Alliance Fencing Academy, Ariana Rausch, freshman, and Adriana Friederich, sophomore, spar to sharpen their skills for their next competition. Photo by Natalie Dostert
the peregrine december 2016
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Sports
12 “Every practice and game we
have makes our team chemistry grow stronger. We are beginning to understand each other more and hopefully it leads to playoffs,” Dee Hicks, senior, said.
“For me and my family we are
looking forward to making it to the playoffs. We are working to get there,” Kyla Collins, junior, said.
“This pre-season we have been
working to get better as a team. During practices we are more intense and getting better every single day,” Jadan Simon, junior, said.
“The girls basketball team has
the peregrine december 2016
Basketball programs start run for playoffs
Falcons look to soar past opponents » Kyle Higgins, Reporter
When the lights come on and the bleachers start to fill, the boys’ basketball team began its run for the playoffs. The playoff drought is bound to end, Bryce Bolado, junior, thinks this is the year. “We’ll play more as a team and will push ourselves every day to get back to the playoffs,” Bolado said. The Falcons have room for improvement, as the 2015-2016 season ended with a record of 4-24 (1-12 in district). “As a team we need to improve on all parts of the game, we need to play better defense, and we need to shoot better,” Brody Bolado, junior, said. The Falcons have a grueling and time consuming Monday-Friday practice schedule. “Practice helps our team chemistry, and we have to learn how each other plays in order to win,” Johnny Rosenberry, senior, said. Under the radar is the Junior Varsity squad, the team will look to follow along with the high hopes of the varsity team. “We need to put more effort in, mostly just having a better work ethic,” Nick Crain, Junior,
said. The team will look to prove people wrong, “We are going to shock some people with the effort we play with, we want to win as a team,” Jadan Simon, junior, said. The basketball program will look to build upon early season success, with these results the Falcons will look to compete for a playoff spot. District play begins on January 3, 2017 against the Cypress Falls Eagles. The girls basketball team will look to take over the district reigns, expectations are high on this year’s team under 2nd year coach Tamara Collier. “Coach T believes in us, she makes us better by pushing us at practices and during games,” Kyla Collins, junior, said. The Lady Falcons also have a time consuming practice schedule. “Practicing makes us better, it helps us become better teammates and helps us learn how each other plays,” Danisha Harris, senior, said. District play for the Lady Falcons begins on December 13, 2016 against the Cypress Creek Cougars. EYE ON THE PRIZE. Waiting for her time to shine Cesalee Munoz, junior, looks on from the sideline. Photo by Adryan Castañeda
been working in the pre season and we are very positive that we may have a shot at making playoffs,” Kayleigh Truong, sophomore, said.
“In my last year playing for the school, my goal, as well as my teammates goal, is to make playoffs. It’s been a long time since the school made playoffs and it would mean a lot if my team was the group to put us there. Our team is essentially all seniors, and this would be a great way to leave,” Martin Ray, senior, said. “All through off season we have worked day in and day out, practicing every day after school and on Saturday’s, putting in work in the weight room, and doing drills outside in the heat of the summer.I think we are in the running for one of the four playoff spots,” Alexis Richardson, senior, said.
MAKE IT COUNT. After taking a foul Deuntiis Hicks, senior, attempts a free throw. Photo by Nallely Lopez
NAVIGATING THE COURT. While surveying the court Kaylynne Truong, sophomore, looks for a teammate to pass to. Photo by Adryan Castañeda
Sports
the peregrine december 2016
DOWN WITH BOBCATS. After a difficult match, Camryn Acosta, senior, brings another victory against the Cy-Fair Bobcats. “I definitely felt accomplished and it means a lot to me, to actually win another one of my matches.” Acosta said. Photo by Hannah Flores
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NEW TALENT ARISES. As the newcomer takes on her opponent, Cynthia Cruz, freshman, takes control of the match. After the Cy-Fair wrestler struggles and fails to get out of her hold, Cruz comes up with the win. Photo by Hannah Flores
FIGHT FOR FIRST. Back to the base, in the second round as the wrestlers set back up to begin another two minutes of aggressive wrestling. As Stephanie Montenegro, junior, continues to put her all into defeating the Cy-Fair Bobcat. Photo by Hannah Flores NOTHING BUT RESPECT. Setting up for an match with flips, twists, and turns, Donnie Booth, senior, prepares to wrestle. “I went into the match with high expectations but fell short by 1 point in the 3rd round,” Booth said. Photo by Hannah Flores
Excitement rolls into season » Korey Haynes, Reporter
Rolling out the mats and waiting as the opposing teams flooded the gym, the wrestling team has an enthusiastic mind-set going into the season. While the newcomers and veterans are both equally excited to come back to and continue on their path of success. With the new head coach, Ruben Padilla, the wrestlers practice to go back to state but with more athletes than the previous years. Not having any losses in mind for the team, Coach Padilla hopes to lead the wrestlers to advancing beyond district. “Helping me get back to state has me constantly training to get better, faster, and stronger. Also, I have a good mind-set going into the regional tournament, “ Matthew Garcia, senior, said.
For the newcomers, the excitement of being on the mat for the first time competing is a rush for them. But, some wrestlers that are wrestling varsity, are getting better for the next years that they have to wrestle. “I’ll do great this year because I have more confidence in myself then I did last year,” Eve Powell, junior, said. Plans for the girls’ junior varsity and varsity season has drastically spiraled up because of the start of the season starting off as successfully as it has. Hoping to continue the winning streak for the rest of the season, the girls are still preparing and working to get better in the sport they love. “The dedication that coach puts into our team is so unbelievable. I’m so happy to be a part of such a great and growing team,” Karolyn Villatoro,
freshman, said. Following from previous years, the boys’ junior varsity and varsity team, have a lot going into the season with an open mind. All the preparation they have worked for has to show off on the mat. In the matches and tournaments, they will have to wrestle hard to get where they want to go. Clear Falls Eve Powell, Winner - 185 Gracia Cancino, Winner - 128 Estefan Hidalgo, Winner - 220 Donnie Booth, Winner - 160 Cy-Fair Russell Miller, Winner - 152 Zackery Chavez, Winner - 120 Araceli Jimenez, Winner - 119 Camyrn Acosta, Winner - 185
Dual Results
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the peregrine
december 2016
Editorial
the peregrine december 2016
15
Protesting private privileges
2017 Peregrine Staff Co-Editors - Emmilyne Thomas; Lin Vu. Staff Writers - Cade Schaudel, Pamela Jimenez, Valeria Perez, Pablo Lemus, Korey Haynes, Kyle Higgins. Contributing Writer - Damaris De Leon. Contributing Photographers - Adryan Castañeda, Hannah Flores, Krystal Lau, Iliana Ramirez, Ashlynn Smith, Jose Sosa, Andrea Zagal. Adviser Margie Comstock. JVHS Principal - Ralph Funk.
» Lin Vu, Illustrator A problem among computer science and tech teachers exists and causes numerous problems in the classroom. The problem is administrator privileges, a powerful tool that can help teachers leading the next generation of students into the real world. However, this power remains locked from the very people trusted with these responsibilities, and that has to change. According to Frankie Jackson, Chief Technology Officer of CFISD, the four tiers to this hierarchy are elementary, middle, high school, and administrator accounts. And this seems like a good system - keeps the students separated by schools - until closer investigation reveals that teachers do not have access to this “admin account”. Permission to use this account allows teachers access to the device, and a way to bypass school restrictions. Entrusted with this power, teachers can obtain huge benefits as long as they know how to use it - in where the real problem lies. The only people that have admin rights, are two technical assistants per high school. This high school has TAs Rock Valentine, and Luis Castro, who have done phenomenal jobs considering their responsibilities include fixing, repairing, and replacing all technology related devices in the school. This includes phones, televisions, projectors, laptops, printers, speakers, smart boards, cord issues, and even the wifi. Yet despite this long list, they must find time to go and visit teachers that need to type a username and password that only they carry. So instead of going to fix or solve a problem with a projector, they instead have to go and log in for a teacher so they can
momentarily perform certain actions on the computers. These “actions” include downloading software needed for classes, updating programs, and even fixing minor computer problems. However, these privileges cannot spread to every teacher, it would allow for more problems to arise where they previously had none. But for teachers like John Spicer, the Computer Science teacher, this right is essential. He cannot update his programs on time, he cannot fix computer problems he runs into, and he cannot use certain course material due to not having a simple login. It effectively handcuffs him. Another teacher, Rosalynd Cravin, Animation and Touch Systems teacher, could not install essential programs to help with courses like 3D Animation, which allows the user to see what they made correctly. An essential plug in she he had to wait for until a technician could come help her, a problem she could have done herself. This problem has an easy fix, and not a hard decision either. Teachers who do need admin rights could apply for a possible certification test to make sure they are skilled enough to use it responsibly. Even still, teachers like Spicer who hold degrees in computer science, cannot teach courses meant to lead students into the future without being trusted by the district themselves to have control over their own computers. Limiting these teachers in these kinds of ways only limits the potential the students can achieve in high school, their passion for a career they can not access, and possibly cutting them off of having a successful future.
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 1/8, 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.
Different rights for changing times
How would a teacher with admin rights help you? “I can’t fix or update my programs or help students with account problems. They are handcuffing us.” John Spicer, teacher, said.
» Cade Schaudel, Reporter
“We wasted time because we couldn’t move onto the next project until we finished.” Lorri Dao, senior, said.
“I wasted time trying to login. Mr. Spicer would have fixed if he had admin priveleges.” Christopher Lozano, sophomore, said.
“The 3D class had to wait days to get the program need to finish a project. It set the whole class back.” Nikki Cravens, teacher, said. “We could have finished some of our projects much faster, but there were some tools we needed to do that.” Brian Lu, senior, said.
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Photo Story
the peregrine
december 2016
Festive attire spreads through classrooms
SANTA ROAMING AROUND. Walking to class, Corey Mills, junior, shares in the holiday spirit with his Santa hat. The merry attire showed up at school right after the Thanksgiving Break. Photo by Emmilyne Thomas LAUGHTER AND CELEBRATION. While having a conversation with her friend, Kailyn Campbell, senior, spreads lighthearted cheer with her festive outfit. Photo by Andrea Zagal QUALIFIED CHRISTMAS TREE. ”I love showing my holiday spirit. Dressing up really brings smiles to those who have joy for Christmas,” Stephanie Georges, junior, said. Photo by Andrea Zagal
ALL BIG SMILES.“It’s December 1st, I am ready for Christmas,” Julio Gonzales, junior, said. Photo by Emmilyne Thomas
PREPARED WITH SPIRIT. “We sing to the fifth graders to get them in the holiday spirit and so they can get a taste of all the music options in high school,” Angeline Abrera, junior, said. Photo by Andrea Zagal
ECSTATIC FOR DECEMBER. “To me this is the best season of all. As soon as December 1st came I was ready to celebrate,” Natalie Wiechkoske, junior, said. Photo by Andrea Zagal
HOLIDAY ATTIRE READY. Josh Godfrey, sophomore, dresses up in a Christmas sweater and a red Santa hat. Photo by Emmilyne Thomas