New inductees honored at National Honor Society ceremony
Volleyball sets up open gym sessions
Orchestra earns top rating at contest
the pioneer austin high school
june 2013 • 3500 memphis • el paso tx 79930 • volume 82 issue 6 • established 1930
Carla Morrison, Wolfgang Gartner, Molotov & more... on pg. 8
2013
news
austin pioneer • june • 2013 • 2
National Honor society welcomes 67 members with ceremony kim ramirez reporter
Last month the National Honor Society (NHS) conducted an induction ceremony to welcome 67 new members from sophomore, junior, and senior classes to the organization. “NHS is about how the students demonstrate the practice of their academics, leadership, community service and good character. By academics, students need to maintain their grade point average with a 90 and above, for leadership, most of the members need to be really involved and have good moral standing. With community service, NHS provides them opportunities through out the year to give back to the community, and their character
is proven to be good when the students give up some of their time to the community they live in,” NHS advisor, Ms. Gutierrez said. To some of the students hearing their name through the announcements caught them by surprise. “ I didn’t know about the ceremony until the day Dr. Tanner called us in. Later on that day my mom told me the school had sent a letter and in the letter they said not to let us know about the induction ceremony. I was excited and amazed about the news when I found out because I wasn’t expecting it. It was a surprise for all of us,” sophomore Christina Horton said. At the ceremony, students couldn’t control the different emotions they felt.
“I remember being nervous, my hands were shaking, and my palms were sweaty! I was afraid of falling when walking forward for my certificate. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but once they called my name and I went up there, all those weird feelings went away,” Horton said. Among administrators, NHS officers also had a big contribution to the ceremony. “NHS officers had conducted the ceremony. I had set up the organization and Dr. Tanner had helped with money from the school to pay the cake and drinks that were given after the ceremony. The NHS members that are already part of it contributed a lot, and a couple of teachers also helped set up the induction ceremony,” Ms. Gutierrez said.
During the ceremony, Horton remembered the hard work she had done through out the year. “I thought all the things Dr. Tanner had said during the
ceremony were really nice and they meant a lot to me because every word made me feel special and he recognized our hard work in school,” Horton said.
photo by: aaron betancourt
JROTC earns top individual company title, 4th overall in district danielle dewitt reporter
As the big DAI inspection approached JROTC cadets buckled down and got to marching. Being their second inspection of the year they knew what to expect during ranks inspection, but drill, also known as marching, was new. “I was prepared but I was nervous, I knew what to do and after a quick practice that morning I was okay,” junior Pedro Arellano said. Arellano was in Bravo Company, which took first overall in the first inspection; adding a little extra pressure. “I felt a ton of pressure going into
photo by: danielle dewitt
Registration opens up for 2013 summer school omar ibarra reporter
Summer school registration is now open to students looking to catch up or get ahead. “Summer school is extra help for students looking to recover credit for failed classes, students who want to get ahead, and if you failed any of the end-of course exams you can retake the test there,” counselor Mrs. Elizabeth Saucedo said. Among the classes offered will be all core classes, including English, math, science and social studies classes. On top of that elective will also be offered such as art, business information management, and Spanish. “For students in the magnet program, they can catch up with
courses they need so that they can do internships. A lot of kids will also do summer courses to graduate early, and others are just gung-ho about school,” Mrs. Saucedo said. Students interested or unsure about their registration, should seek their counselors to register or confirm their enrollment. “Sometimes kids get overlooked and don’t get automatically placed into summer school, it’s best to double check to make sure that you’re registered and ready,” Mrs. Saucedo said. The program will be from June 17 to July 18 with classes on Monday through Thursday. A maximum of two classes can be taken, one from 8 to 12 and the other from 12:30 to 4:30.
inspection but I believe I kept it under control for the most part,” Arellano said. Stretching his nerves just a bit more, 15 minutes before inspection he found out that the Platoon Sgt. was injured. He was incapable of marching without crutches, meaning he had to march the company. “It got me a little more nervous to know I was leading inspection but I was just hoping I could keep up the expectations held for me,” Arellano said. Not taking a second to hesitate he accepted his new responsibility and came out with a positive attitude. “I could have done a lot better
but for my first time and in a high position I did alright,” Arellano said. After all the inspections of cadets and staff in JROTC were complete, the schools were ranked out accordingly. “We placed fourth overall in district with top individual company, a huge improvement from last years 6th placement,” 1SGT Cedric Brown said. Too wrap up the year the Armed Drill Team competed in the Armed Forces competition held on Saturday the 18 th which they took second after Jefferson. They competed with schools from across El Paso, a huge accomplishment for new captain Luis Guillen.
Police 411 the new way to report crimes at a school campus
andreina garcia reporter
The El Paso Independent School District Police Department launched a new tip line that allows staff, parents and students to immediately report crimes on campus with a text message. “Students can report anything from bullying to smoking on campus without being called a “snitch.” It’s even more anonymous,” said Officer McBain. Students simply text the crime to “TIPEPISDPD” no questions asked. It is a more efficient way to report crime because almost every teenager has a cell phone now a days and they spend most of their time texting, they might as well text crime they see. “I think it’ll work because some people are too scared to report
crime on the phone, but texting is easier and definitely comes in handy when you’re in a situation where you can’t necessarily speak. You can text an officer and tell them the problem,” said sophomore Antonio Espindola. EPISD Police Department is hoping it’ll be a more efficient way for kids to report crime. This tool will send a text message in real-time directly to a police officer. The tip line can also use social media such as Facebook to notify everyone in an emergency situation.
Garcia & Nava selected to attend Journalism in July at UTEP chris medina reporter
On July 7-14, sophomores Ashley Nava and Andreina Garcia will be taking a trip to UTEP for a journalism camp in July. “I nominated a total of eight students based on contributions and commitment to the Journalism program this year. Schools were only limited to two students because the recruiters at UTEP had
a really overwhelming response.” Almanzar said. The students will be staying in the Miner Village, which are dorms on the UTEP campus. “I can’t wait to get out of the house for a week. I don’t mind being away from my house while still staying in El Paso. I can’t say I will be homesick, I promise you that!” Nava said. Garcia and Nava were both really
surprised when they found out they were nominated to the Journalism in July workshop. “I was really surprised when I found out I was nominated because I thought my essay was bad,” Garcia said. The Journalism workshop will help the girls with there journalism skills. They will be able to use what they learned at the workshop and share it with the rest of the staff.
“I expect this to be a great learning experience due to the fact that we will be working along professionals. Since this is something I want to do as a career, I want to learn as much as I can before going to college,” Nava said. This gives the girls a chance to finally see what it feels like to live without their parents for a week.
“It’s a real big opportunity to go to JIJ because they’re going to have a chance to see what it feels like to be a college student. The work load is going to be very demanding. They are going to have to wake up very early and work into the wee hours of the night. The program will also take them to visit local news stations and newspapers,” Almanzar said.
editorial/news cont.
austin pioneer • june • 2013 • 3
Saying it Like it is
by: Omar Ibarra
On May 26th, 2013 Animal Planet released the most exciting program to ever air on its network, Mermaids: The New Evidence. In this sequel to Mermaids: The Body Found, Dr. Robertson returned with even more conclusive evidence vouching for the existence of the mythical beings. As expected, the show brought a record number of viewers to Animal Planet. Unbeknownst to a large portion of the viewers though was the fact that both shows were staged, and unfortunately those same people did not see the disclaimer in the end credits... This is part of an ever-growing trend in scientific networks to attract more numbers from unscientific folk. This change from scientific theory to science fiction needs to be stopped immediately in the name of scientific integrity. The first, immediate question someone who is watching any science show, or any intellectual show for that matter, should be, “Is there evidence ?” In the case of the mermaid shows, there is an underlying theory behind it. That is the Aquatic Ape Hypothesis. Originally founded by Max Westenhöfer, the theory has come to be primarily backed by writer Elaine Morgan (who has a degree in English). The theory itself has remained popular in the mainstream media, mostly due to its simplicity, but has
been almost totally ignored by the scholarly community. Among the objections are lack of fossil evidence, reliance on fat, skins, tear ducts and other physical characteristics that are impossible to verify, and Morgan’s insistence on ignoring facts of human evolution. In her defense Morgan has cited sexism and academic elitism as the reasons why her theory has not been accepted. The theory lacks any legitimate evidence, but yet it appears on a science-based network. Why? Well, it makes good television. This is part of a larger trend in intellectual shows. History Channel: Pawn Stars, The Nostradamus Effect, Ancient Aliens, Science Channel: An Idiot Abroad, Oddities, and now Animal Planet with it’s mermaid series and endearing shows such as The Pet Psychic. What exactly are these shows teaching us, how to speculate wildly without evidence? Isn’t this exactly the opposite of the scientific method? These networks are becoming more and more influenced by popular thought, and they are losing their focus because of that. It is time to reevaluate where their interest lie and become what they are education networks. That way we can still stop believing in mermaids and start believing in real science.
Senior Omar Ibarra medals at state rene delgadillo reporter
Senior Omar Ibarra competed in three competitions at state and placed 7th, 6th, and 2nd place. “He competed in calculator application, number sense, and mathematics,” math coach Jaime Martinez said. The team as well as Omar had meetings and practice during class time to meet the goals this year. “Lots of lots of practice. I order three books for the calculator competition, which I just had started two months ago. But I did my own thing too. I did online tests and from the books I ordered I answer all the questions,” Ibarra said. From the books Omar order he found the way to the silver medal in mathematics. “I know I didn’t get 1st place but second place is still ok. I’m not very into the competition I just
wanted to be recognized by what I do,” Ibarra said. Omar wasn’t a part of the math team until his junior year, but rapidly showed his talent. “At the beginning he was just a bright kid but until junior year it’s when I realized how good was he and how good he was going to be. I’m sad that he is leaving. He is very gifted in math and also one of the best students I will ever have. I wish him the best in his future,” Martinez said. During the competition at state Omar had his own personal cheerleader. “Boo!! I attribute all my success to him, without him I would have no math skills, I wouldn’t have won anything, he is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. I will always remember him, how he cheered me on even when I got cramps, how he licked my face after all the tears came out, how he
put batteries in my calculator when they just couldn’t go anymore; for you Boo, I will never forget,” Ibarra said. Omar will be attending Massachusetts Institute of Technology and aspires to get a degree in math and philosophy.
photo courtesy: Ms. Margie Marrero
Special Ed students attend spring dance gloria heredia reporter
On May 22nd, the annual Spring Fling dance was held on the EPMOA Memorial Hall for students enrolled in the special education department. Special Ed students from all over the community participated in the event. “The Spring Fling is a dance put on and sponsored by several schools. Burges High School is the one that started the spring ball. Different high schools
from around the community get together for the spring dance,” Mr. Tony Romero said. The spring fling is basically a prom for special education students who don’t get a chance to go to their school’s prom. “They have all of the students picked up in a school bus. At the ball, students get their pictures taken at a photo booth. Everything is donated, the DJ, the food, the dresses for the girls, all of this is donated from different places and restaurants,” Romero said.
Students who attended the dance, such as freshman Brandy Cerecerez, say that they had a great time at the party, one of the major reasons was spending time with students they can relate to. “I enjoyed myself, there were a lot of people like me at the party. I had a dress, it was pink, and it had little white lace on the top, a lot of schools together at one place. I just enjoyed myself so much, I can’t wait to go again next year,” Cerecerez said.
the pioneer staff 2012-2013 editors ijhanea bunting rene delgadillo the pioneer staff ryan allan aaron betancourt danielle dewitt andreina garcia cristian gonzalez gloria heredia omar ibarra alia marin chelsie miller arlene morales chris medina itzel moran ashley nava leslie ortiz jennelle villa katrina villalobos Freedom of the Press
Spring Fling 2013 Jessica Vincente, 12
Darlene Grahm,10 and Mr. Leuridge
Christian Guerrero, 10 and Christian Licon, 12
Andy Ramos, 11 and Fernando Ramirez, 10
adviser jessi almanzar
Student publications guard freedom of the press as the right of all people in a free society. It carries with it freedom and responsibility to discuss, question and challenge action and statements of the student body, administration and other public figures. Student journalists reserve the right to speak unpopular opinions and the privilege to agree with the majority. Tremeka Nealy, 12 and Lizeth Ramirez, 9
Alejandra Salomon, 12 and Esperanza Ramirez ,11
Spring Fling 2013 photos by: ashley nava
Study ranks most in demand jobs Most in demand careers -according to yahoo.com-
1. Software developer 2. Database administrator 3. Financial advisor 4. Market research analyst 5. Physical therapy 6. Medical assistant
alia marin reporter
According to a recent study posted on yahoo.com, some of the most ranked professions in the country range from the medical field to business management. The first job is a software developer. For this career, it is required to at least have a bachelor’s degree in computer science or software management. The annual income for this career is around $90,500. “A software developer pays plenty, and that’s good because the global economy is getting better and there are some students that need to graduate with skills to meet those needs,” BPA teacher Sylvia Marquez said. The second career on the list is a database administrator. In this career, the starting income for a database administrator is around $73,000. In this career, employers look for candidates with at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science. In taking this career path, an emoloyee is responsible for the installation, upgrade and maintenance of a database for organizations. “I have always been into business management and I would never change that. I have worked in major companies such as Calvin Klein, I worked there for five years and I managed the staff working the sales floor,” Marquez said. The third career on the list is a financial advisor. These are professionals who help other individuals manage their finances such as mortgages, college savings, and taxes. Employers in this career particularly look for applicants with a bachelor’s degree in finance. The starting pay for this career is about $60,500. “As far as I know, being a financial advisor is difficult, you have to be very good with money and very advanced in the economy. If anyone would choose to be a financial advisor I would suggest that they be very social and know what they are dealing with, no matter what the situtation is,” Marquez said. The fourth job is a market research analyst. This is a particular person who is responsible for gathering data to help increase the profits of a company by marketing to the companies demographics. In this career, the annual income is $60,550 and applicants must have at least a bachelor’s degree in market research or business. “I know that to be in the field of business a BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) in market management is highly suggested; it mainly focuses on finding out where the economy is going and on the business industry. If anyone is interested in managing and researching the economy I suggest they join the field of business as a market research analyst,” Marquez said. The fifth job is a physical therapy assistant. This career requires an associate’s degree in chemistry or physics and the annual income for this career is about $37,700 a year. As an assistant, you help create an enjoyable atmosphere for a patient while helping them recover from anything that has to do with their joints and bones. Senior Jonathan Rodriguez plans on pursuing a career in kinesiology or physical therapy. “I’ve chosen that career path because sports are my life, and I have always been fascinated with the human body and how it is we get injured,” Rodriguez said. Last but not least, the sixth job is a medical assistant. In this job, a person takes care of the minor work of a medical licensed physician such as taking blood pressure, temperature, and the weight of a patient. This job requires at least a high school diploma or equivalent, and the annual income for this career is about $28,800 per year. “People need to select a job that matches their skill ability and gives value to their life. Everyone needs to pick a career that they have interest in. I mean look at me, I have been working for Austin High School for nine years and I love my job,” Marquez said.
Students hit the workfoce with summer jobs jennelle villa reporter
During the summer, many students at Austin High School will be getting a job for the summer. Senior Alfred Ramos recently got a summer job at Applebee’s with some of his fellow classmates. “I work as a busser. So far, the three weeks I’ve worked there have been pretty chill. I have flexible hours that work great with my schedule, it has a good environment, and I love the staff,” Ramos said. Most students who apply during the summer only work for the summer. Some continue to work once school starts again. “My job started out as a summer job, but then once school started, I stayed there. I’ve been working at Sonic for about a year and three months now,” senior Maria Sosa said. The students who work earn money, which they use for themselves. “ I plan on spending my money on personal expenses, and I hope to save up to buy myself an apartment,” Ramos said. Although most employees enjoy their experience, it’s not all fun and games. “It’s like a rollercoaster. Everybody’s awesome and we always have good days, but sometimes we’ll have a whole bunch of bad customers which gives off a bad vibe,” Sosa said. The movies, Applebee’s, Little Ceaser’s, and Sonic are among some of the popular places students from Austin work at, mainly because they’re local and have a good amount of business.
“My first job was at a gas station/convenient store, pumping gas, cleaning, and managing the store. After work, I would play Double Dragon. I beat the game with one quarter and got the highest score,” English teacher Mr. David Rout said.
What was most memorable about your first job?
“In 1974, I worked at Thomason Hospital as a dishwasher earning an hourly wage of $4.35. While feeding the patients, I use to see a lot of them with sicknesses and burns,” security Mr. Jesus Ramirez said.
“I began working at 12 years old at a golf course pro shop on Saturdays and Sundays. I met a songwriter named Ollie Carmichael while I was on the job,” business teacher Mr.George Dickson said.
“When I was 16, I was a cook at the restaurant Bigun-Beef, where I flipped burgers for $3.50 an hour,” history teacher Mr. Chris Todar said.
“At the age of 14, I worked at a laboratory at Mt. Saint Louis Hospital washing test tubes. I earned 95 cents an hour. Once, I accidentally walked into a room where they were examining a tuberculosis patient without putting on a mask,” history teacher Ms. Janet Chavez said.
“I earned $5.35 per hour cleaning up yards and houses at 12 years old. I was working for my dad because I wanted to be big an’ ballin’. That is when I realized that the days were so hot, that I should stay in school and get a job indoors,” math teacher Mr. Jaime Martinez said.
“At 20, I was an activities manager at a rec center earning $6 an hour. I liked it because it was outside, I’m sports oriented and I like being outside,” English teacher Ms. Lillie Ponikvar said.
“I started out tutoring as a teacher’s aid for Co-op at Crockett Middle School. The most interesting part was seeing the children go from barely writing their names at the beginning of the year to at the end of the year learning how to read,” math teacher Ms. Luz Pedrosa said.
“I have been working since I was six years old, buliding houses with my father making $5 a week. When my dad was restoring the Socorro Mission, we found remains of dead people,” science teacher Mr. Alfredo Gurrola said.
“I worked at a pizza place for the summer when I was 16. I made home deliveries and answered the phone to take orders. I liked the feeling of being independent,” Spanish teacher Ms. Ericka Rodriguez said.
sports jennelle villa reporter
austin pioneer • june • 2013 • 6
Open gym available for volleyball team hopefuls
For those interested in trying out for next year’s volleyball team, open gym will be held in the PAC throughout the summer. Girls will start conditioning and practice for the actual volleyball season. “Open gym will start the 17th of June and will go Monday thru Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 11
a.m. Then we’ll do workouts from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for volleyball. Our actual official practices don’t start until August 5 th,” volleyball coach Jennifer Villa said. Everyone, even middle school students from 6th grade to 8th grade are welcomed to workout as long as they fit a certain criteria. “As long as they are attending Austin High School, going to
attend Austin High School, or if they are in middle schools in our feeder pattern which is Ross, Bassett and Armendariz,” Villa said Yet, not every girl who attends the workouts are guaranteed a spot on the volleyball team. “Everyone is welcome to try out. We do tryouts August 5th and August 6th, and probably announce teams on August 7th; usually on varsity, I only keep 12 girls.
Freshman and junior varsity would be anywhere from 12-15 girls,” Villa said. Boys and girls from others schools can come and play during the open gym time from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. However, workouts are only exclusive for those attending Austin or those middle schools in the Austin area. “Open gym is for everyone, anyone can come play as long
as they are playing volleyball. I try to make open gym fun, we play music and things like that. Workouts are very intense, they have to be able to come and be willing to work which is a lot of running, stadiums, circle training, jump ropes, a lot of plyometrics, a lot of jumping to get things going, so they have to be willing to work,” Villa said.
Football team works on fundamentals during off season arlene morales reporter
The Austin Panthers football team will be in spring training in preperation for the upcoming season. “ We p o l i s h a n d w o r k fundamentals and we try to make the team come out healthy for the summer. I think all coaches hate the “injury factor” during this time of the year, so the little time we do scrimmage, we try to make
it happen quickly in order for our players not to get hurt,” coach Ruben Batista said. Since UIL doesn’t allow 2-a-days anymore, the coaching staff likes to focus on the teams’ progression in the weight room. “We try to max them out in order to see their abilities and strengths. We mainly focus on the big muscle groups, such as doing plenty of core lifts,” Batista said. Every season is a chance for
junior varsity and freshman players to step up to the varsity challenges. “For these year’s incoming junior varsity players I am not worried about their work ethic. We’re expected to see a great amount of them to come out for summer workouts everyday,” Batista said. Since most of the graduating seniors were a major part of the offensive line, the Panther coaching staff are looking for underclassmen to fill the spots.
Seniors defeat faculty in annual basketball game
“Our biggest competition this upcoming season will be Andress, Burges, and Chapin. For these kind of teams we like to focus on “our style football” which consists of controlling the ball, running the clock, and sustaining drives in order to slow the other team down,” Batista said. One thing the team isn’t worried about is the abilities of their running backs. “I really like little running backs
Estrada to dance at St. Mary’s Univeristy cristian gonzalez reporter
While underneath the basket, the seniors and faculty box each other
Coach Tara Mosley sinks a 3-pointer during the game.
Coach Tara Mosley protects the ball as a senior player defends her.
The seniors and faculty wait to rebound the ball.
Senior Trey Burkes shoots a free throw.
The senior bench erupts in cheer as the buzzer sounds.
Senior Danielle Guerra shoots a pair of free throws after being fouled.
The seniors and faculty are ready to pounce for the rebound.
Senior Vincent Martinez shakes hands with coach Stacy Spencer.
Coach Michael Jaeger defends senior Oscar Saenz.
because they tend to get through quicker and easier, which makes the game better. I’m excited to see what this upcoming varsity has got to bring,” Batista said.
During prom at 10:23 p.m., senior Stevie Estrada received an email from the St. Mary’s dance coach congratulating her on making the 2013-2014 team. “I was shocked and excited because she let me know really fast. I thought it was going to take a week but she let me know that same night,” Estrada said. With a smile from ear to ear, Estrada was still in disbelief. She shared the good news with everyone at the dance and anxiously called her parents. “My parents were really happy and proud of me. Cristian and I went around the whole ballroom letting everyone know the good news. When I told Mrs. Robles, her reaction was priceless,” Estrada said. Estrada couldn’t make it to the tryouts in person, held in San Antonio, because she didn’t want to miss her senior prom. “I really didn’t want to miss my prom it only happens once and it was way easier to send in a video than to fly and drive all the way over there,” Estrada said. With help from junior Ryan
Senior Richard Gideon cheers on his senior team.
photo by: ashley nava
Allan, Estrada and him created a tryout video meeting all the requirements that the coach was looking for. “Ryan was awesome. He knew what he was doing, and he made the video the way I wanted it. It met all the criteri and it made me feel good about it,” Estrada said. Estrada has been dancing for three years and plans to continue dancing and excel at St. Mary’s. “I plan to keep dancing and learn more. I’m excited to explore and advance to a harder level of dance and I can’t wait to start,” Estrada said. Estrada Starts practice in the summer and is excited to begin her new journey. “I’m anxious to see what college dance is about, and how I’m going to adapt a new team,” Estrada said. Estrada, along with seniors Tabbitha Sosa and Cristian Gonzalez, plan to sign to their colleges late this month, meanwhile Estrada will train at a local studio to build up her technique.
Health
austin pioneer • june • 2013 • 7
Consequences of sleeping with contact lenses katrina villalobos reporter
A person wearing contacts is very common nowadays. They are normally preferred over glasses and people also use them for eye color. With this said, it is also very common for people to sleep in with their contacts on or to resort to putting them in water overnight. The question is, which one is better? Yahoo.com posted an article about which is. “Potentially, parasites in tap water could cause blindness,” says Sandra Belmont, M.D., clinical associate professor of ophthalmology at NYU Langone
Medical Center. The article says, “Keep them in.” Infections are treatable if contacts are stay in. “I have slept with contacts in, many times. I’d wake up with itchy, red, dry eyes,” junior Kristina Martinez said. Water can contain parasites and build up bacteria, which leads to blindness. “I was told by my eye doctor that I should never use regular water because bacteria is most likely to be collected,” Martinez said. Sleeping with your contacts in and leaving them in water overnight both cause irritation of
the eye. “When the contacts are placed in eye solution overnight it’s refreshing once I put them on in the morning,” Martinez said. So what do you do if you forget your eye solution? Yahoo.com suggests that you bring eye drops and put them in whenever you can while your contacts are in. “If I’m at a friend’s house and I don’t have eye solution, I use my Plan B, which is call my mother to bring me my eye solution,” Martinez said. Ultimately, contact solution is best to be used. It keeps your contacts safe, clean, and moisturized.
“I would recommend other contact users to always use the eye solution to prevent going
blind because of the bacteria.”
Sun protection simplified: tips for keeping safe while outside chelsie miller reporter
Enjoying too much summer sun can result in skin cancer, premature aging, and harm to your
eyes. There are multiple ways on protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful rays. “I put on sun block to protect my skin, but sun block does not always
work so I also use make up, lotions, oils; I try to use everything that will protect my skin,” senior Veronica Espinoza said. According to Annarbor.com, neither water nor clouds protect your skin from the dangers of the sun. “If I’m in water, my skin gets all red and my skin peels off: I look like a torn tomato,” Espinoza said. From ten in the morning to four in the afternoon the sun’s rays are the strongest, as Annarbor.com states. “I go water skiing during the day, all day for two days straight at a time. After I get done from the first day I’m like really tanned and at night my skin relaxes then in the morning I’m right back outside, in the sun,” Espinoza said. Before any outdoors activity apply
sunscreen, with sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15, 20 to 30 minutes before attending the activity. “I go walking and I usually spray myself with sun block like 20 minutes before I go out, everywhere,” chemistry teacher Ms. Christina Pasillas said. When exposed to the sun for an extended period of time, your skin will begin to turn red and become irritated: this is called a sunburn. “Usually I can feel my skin becoming sore and my skin gets red and then I know I have a sunburn because it hurts afterwards. I can only touch my skin with something cold,” Ms. Pasillas said.
When having sunburn you may apply Aloe Vera to the areas of the burn, according to WebMd. com “When I get a sunburn I usually take a cold bath and then I just apply a lot of Aloe gel,” Ms. Pasillas said. According to WebMd.com a few days after the burn your skin will start peeling and itching as your body tries to rid itself of sun-damaged cells. “Every time I get sunburned I get more freckles, as my skin peels more appear on my body,” Ms. Pasillas said.
California provides free condoms to teens via mail service chelsie miller reporter
A program in California provides free condoms through the mail to help decrease teenage STDs and teen pregnancies. “I think Texas should provide free condoms for teens through the mail because if they are trying to decrease the amount of teen pregnancies and STDs, this program would be give incentive because some teens are afraid to ask their parents for protection,” junior Anthony Gonzales said. Many teens feel the need to continue having sex since the state is providing free condoms and safe
sex information. “You can say teens should stop having sex but it’s not like they are going to stop. It is up to them to have protection if they decide to continue having sex at this age,” Gonzales said. According to abc news, California provides around 10 condoms every month for the teens that request free condoms. “If Texas starts this program, I think that we should go by how many weekends are in a month to determine how many condoms should be provided for each teen,” Gonzales said. Many teenagers are becoming
sexually active at a young age. “Age shouldn’t matter to use the program, just as long as they are trying to protect themselves,” Gonzales said. The program was launched last year by the California Family Health Council and since then pregnancies and STDs have been decreased, according to abc news. “I don’t think Texas should provide that program because we should be leaders and not followers. I don’t think we should not promote sex, but instead promote abstinence. No form of condoms are hundred percent. They slip off, they tear, and they break,” McNeil said.
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entertainment
austin pioneer • june • 2013 • 8
Orchestra group earns top rating at UIL competition
itzel moran reporter
The orchestra group earned a 1st division rating at the UIL competition held May 1st at Bowie High School. “Before we even went on stage, I knew we had the win, just by the way the group has been playing. Our sound has completely changed. They are very expressive players, you can tell they have a passion by just looking at them,” Mr. Angerstein said. This was Mr. Isaac Angerstein’s first year directing an orchestra group. “This has been my first year teaching orchestra, my under graduate degree is actually in choir not in orchestra, so this has been a new experience for me. I
participated in orchestra in middle and high school and I wanted to come back and make a difference. I would say the most challenging thing was the fact that I inherited someone else’s program, and it was difficult getting them to sound the way I wanted them to,” Mr.Angerstein said. As the orchestra players found out about the judges rating, freshmen Jordan Jones looked over his friend Markisha Oliver and expressed his joy. “Walking in to the competition I was not nervous, I knew I had a good team behind me. When I found out about the score I remember telling Markisha that we had finally made it, this was something we had been shooting for, and I’m proud,” Jones said.
The three musical pieces Mr.Angerstein chose ranged from a slow contemporary to a more fast beat piece. “We played two contemporary pieces, they were nice and slow. Then we finished with a Vivaldi piece, this was a little more fast and complicated. We’ve been rehearsing since January, really working on building us up,” Mr.Angerstein said. With the school year almost ending, Mr.Angerstein sees a bright future for the orchestra department. “Next school year we have around 60 students enrolled in our orchestra program compared to the 18 musicians we had this year, that is incredible. I think the reason more students want to join
Front Row: Daniel Galindo, Valerie Baca, Shannon Clark, Marisol Rivera, Jordan Jones, Isabel Ramos. 2nd Row: Yalitza Salinas, Christiana Horton, Markesha Oliver, Evelyn Staines, Brandon Campos, Xavier Villegas, Charles Angertein, Justice Hill, Jose Gardea, Ezequiel Contreras, Aaron Betancourt
orchestra is because they see how much fun our orchestra players
have. Orchestra is finally coming around,” Mr.Angerstein said.
Third annual Neon Desert takes place in downtown El Paso ashley nava reporter
Sophomore Antony Briones holds up a heart along with his rave family.
Street prefomer dances infront of Neon Desert sign
Saturday, May 25 th the Sun City air was filled with music, laughter, and the aroma of food. Downtown El Paso came alive as lights radiated from five stages as the third annual Neon Desert Music Festival took place. “Since this was my first year going, my expectations were small. I didn’t think I was going to see that much productions and stages. It very much surpassed my expectations. It was such an amazing experience. I had so much fun and I met many amazing people with the same intentions of just having fun. The atmosphere of it was just incredible,” sophomore Samuel Mendoza said. Mendoza, along with five others, were a part of the street team that promoted the festival in order to get a free ticket. “My friend Carlos got me into
the street team. We would go to this building downtown for meetings and fliers. We would go around the city putting up fliers and posters. We would stand outside raves and other events as they ended and pass out fliers,” Mendoza said. Over twenty bands played at this year’s festival. “I was really excited to see Bosnian Rainbows, Martin Solveig, Wolfgang Gartner, Best Coast, and STRFKR. I liked a lot of the bands,” junior Josh Chacon said. This years’ festival headliners were amongst Molotov, Martin Solveig, and Wolfgang Gartner. “I thought of it as life changing, it was the first time I saw them [Molotov] perform and I don’t think I will be able to do it again. A huge highlight of the show was when the guy proposed to his girlfriend in the middle of the
stage, it was really romantic. It’s amazing to know that my parents know of a band that even in my generation they are still famous,” senior Issamar Sanchez said. The high temperature and sunny clear skies left many festivalgoers hydrating themselves quite often throughout the day. “A water bottle was the most valuable item on me and it was really cool that NDMF had water refill stations. It really, really helped people save money. I personally used it probably more than five times,” Mendoza said. Satisfied with this year’s experience, festival first-timer Mendoza is already planning to attend next year’s Neon Desert. “I am definitely going next year! I’ve already recommended it to my friends,” Mendoza said.
The Royalty Molotov
Best Coast
STRFKR
Molotov
Artist Exist 1981 poses along with his artwork
Black Coats
For more photos and video highlights from Neon Desert 2013 The Pioneer - Austin High Newspaper on facebook.
Carla Morrison Photos by: ashley nava