The Pioneer

Town Hall meeting takes dramatic turn

Selfie word of the year

Wrestlers medal at Chapin tournament

the pioneer austin high school established 1930

december 2013 • 3500 memphis • el paso tx 79930 • volume 83 issue 3

Team Tanner supporters speak out at board meeting

Dr. John Tanner

isabel galarza reporter

On Tuesday December 17 students, parents, and staff members gathered at the EPISD headquarters in support of Principal Dr. John Tanner and Assistant Principal Diane Thomas.

“I couldn’t believe that he had been taken away from me, from us, again and with no explanation. He is such an amazing, intelligent, and charismatic person it’s admirable,” junior Madyson Martinez-Regalado said.

Dr. Tanner was placed on leave for a second time in August 2013.

“After everything we did to keep him. I did not agree with the decision at all, I have so much animosity towards the board for taking

Mrs. Diane Thomas

our beloved principal away,” Martinez-Regalado said.

Four speakers addressed the board for three minutes each during the public forum portion of the meeting.

Teacher Sandra McNeal, junior Ashley Nava, parent Mrs. Dolores Tapia and EPISD external funding specialist Jacquelyn Lax spoke on behalf of both Dr. Tanner and Mrs. Thomas.

“When I heard the boards decision, I broke into tears and I was and still am heartbroken about it. I don’t see a silver lining to this, but I want to look at the school the way Dr.Tanner did, and I want to see my school grow in Dr.Tanner’s legacy,” Martinez-Regalado said.

The board made the announcement to authorize Su-

perintendent Juan Cabrera to terminate Dr. Tanner and Mrs. Thomas after they returned from closed session at around 10 p.m.

“Mrs.Thomas meant a lot to the students and staff because she always put our problems before her own.

She was such a good woman I don’t think she would ever do anything wrong,” senior Angelica Lopez said.

District officials won’t say why, saying it is a private personal issue.

“As a student I felt the district let us all down. It wasn’t about the kids well being, but rather pure politics. The board took a father figure away from many and clearly didn’t even seem bothered by how it would effect the students,” Lopez said.

Students, parents and staff members were very emotional after finding out that their principal and assistant principal would not return.

“For me as a senior, this was a man that led by example. He was the reason so many of us kept pushing on. Knowing he isn’t coming back for graduation to hand us our diploma is very hard to accept. I think this will take time to finally accept and to keep going,” Lopez said.

Dr. Tanner and Mrs. Thomas have 15 days to appeal the board’s decision.

news

austin pioneer • december• 2013 • 2

Mr. Robert Stives joins staff as new assistant principal

israel perez reporter

November 4, 2013 was Administrator Robert Stives’ first day working at Austin High School.

“I am the guidance and instruction administrator, my job is to oversee the counselors and classroom curriculums,” Mr. Stives said.

Mr. Stives has experience working with high schools.

“Last year and half I use to be the college readiness coordinator for El Paso High,” Mr. Stives said.

Mr. Stives feels proud to be

Austin’s guidance and instruction administrator.

“I believe our school has so much potential, students and faculty are great, I’m ready to put effort to better situations and keep pushing Austin’s positive reputation and prepare students for the real world,” Mr. Stives said.

Mr. Stives’ offiice is located in the counseling center.

“Dealing with situations, students, and teachers will be something I will improve year by year. I will learn new things and learn the culture and the climate

of the school. Creating the master schedule will be difficult, I guess everything new is complicated,” Mr. Stives said.

Mr. Stives also taught at Irvin High School.

“I use to be a business teacher, technology teacher, to get specific I use to teach; robotics, Microsoft Office, web design, and computer programming,” Stives said.

Mr. Stives career goals are to move up as an administrator.

“In the long run I am willing to become a middle school principal,” Mr. Stives said.

Mr. Stives encourages students to understand and know which classes to take and sign up for

to be home to help her,” Coffin said.

Mrs. Coffin hopes to walk away and still keep the bond that she has created with her students.

“I want to be remembered. It is very special to me to have students remember me and contact me from time to time. I still have a lot of students from Florida that still contact me to this day to tell me about their lives and I love it.

I hope to have the same from the Austin students,” Coffin said.

Starting her own business is one thing Mrs. Coffin has in mind after retiring.

“After I retire, I plan to move back to Amarillo and start a Depression glass business called Brees Collectibles. It is a very interesting hobby. My sisters used to collect Depression glass

and sometimes I used to help them out. It became very fun for me so I want to make a business out of it. As of right now, I have collected 40 boxes of the glass,” Coffin said.

In college, teaching was not Mrs. Coffins’ first career choice.

“I went to college at Texas Tech University to study interior design. After about a year or two I transferred to a school in Amarillo to do my basics. A year later, I went back to Texas Tech but by then they had moved interior design to the art department. I had a lot of Family Consumer Science hours so I decided to start over with something new. I decided to double major and go education with interior design as an option because I couldn’t receive a degree in Family Consumer

Science,” Coffin said.

Mrs. Coffin also taught at two other schools here in El Paso.

“When I first started teaching, I taught at Radford and it was great. I even lived in the dorms with the kids. After teaching there for about 3 years, I went to Riverside High School. I taught family consumer science there for 2 years,” Coffin said.

Family is a big part of Coffin’s life “I got married and moved out to Jacksonville, Florida and had children. I lived in Florida for 22 years. While I was there, I continued to teach Family Consumer Science. I taught for a total of 17 years in Florida. After my daughters moved out, my mom was very ill so I decided to move closer to home, which

during pre-registration. The process is expected to start by the end of January.

CDL teacher Mrs. Coffin retires after holiday break

ashlyn kelly reporter

After 33 years of teaching child development teacher, Mrs. Bonnie Coffin will retire after holiday break.

“Retiring won’t be easy. I’m going to miss the kids dearly. It is definitely the hardest part. It almost makes me sad to think about it but I have a sister that is almost blind and I feel like I need

brought me here to El Paso. I was offered a job to teach here at Austin High School. I taught food science, human growth and development, and now child development which I still teach today,” Coffin said.

Mrs. Coffin shared her wishes for Austin’s future.

“I have had a wonderful 33 years teaching. I plan to be a substitute at the schools in Amarillo in addition to my business, but it won’t be the same as teaching here at Austin. I wish I could be a substitute here.

I will be back for graduation. My hopes for Austin in the future is that the testing scores will continue to go up each year and that the kids will continue going to college and become successful. I am going to miss my friends and the staff here,” Coffin said.

Coaches look to expand High Q team to compete on tv

alex olivas reporter

High Q team coach, Mr. Rick Varela, encourages students to join the High Q team for a chance to compete against other high schools in an academic manner.

High Q is a televised competition amongst students from local area high schools that contend to answer questions in categories ranging from anthropology to

zoology.

“We are looking to recruit more students for this years competitions, the more members we have, the more matches we get and a better chance of winning and making it farther,” Mr. Varela said.

After two years of coaching Mr. Varela says he has a pretty good outlook for this years’ team.

“We have a lot of new members and we have to go through many

learning ropes. We didn’t do too well the first competition, but the second one was a big improvement.

We should do well, probably end up in the upper half or maybe even the upper quarter,” Mr. Varela said.

Being a High Q member can give you the opportunity to be the spotlight in local television.

“High Q isn’t only about being competitive all the time, it is also about being social and interacting with members from other schools.

It gives you an exciting feeling; it is just like a high school level jeopardy being televised on local television,” Mr. Varela said.

Any student interested in joining the High Q team should meet up with Mr. Varela.

“Students wanting to join High Q can come and see me in Room 183 on Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m.,” Mr. Varela said.

Financial aid night for seniors takes place in February

lisa rosell reporter

FAFSA, or Free Application for Student Aid, night will be held for seniors and their parents.

“We will be having our FAFSA night on February 5th, 2014 from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm in one of our labs, which is still to be announced,” college readiness counselor Ms. Christina Harbrink said.

According to Harbrink, this is a great opportunity.

“This night is something students don’t want to miss out on, no one wants to miss out on free money.

Representatives from UTEP and EPCC will be here to work one on one with students and guide them while applying for financial aid,” Harbrink said.

Harbrink says there are many myths on the qualification for financial aid.

“Students need to know that no income is too high to qualify, and grades are not taken

into consideration. Everyone qualifies,” Harbrink said.

Harbrink has been reaching out to seniors and their parents about FAFSA night.

“Mrs. Harbrink told my mom about this, and it has definitely encouraged my mom to come.

We’ve already made plans to come because I am interested to see what they have to offer and we have a lot of questions we hope will be answered,” senior Stephanie Sosa said.

Mrs. Harbrink has tips for students before and after applying for financial aid.

“Students should send their FAFSA forms to all the schools they have applied to in order to compare the offers each school makes and take the best choice.

Students also need to create a PIN number for themselves and their parents at www.pin.ed.gov..

Once they have received the award letters they need to bring them to my room,” Harbrink said.

Here’s a checklist

uYour Social Security number uYour parent’s Social Security numbers if you are providing parent information uYour driver’s license number if you have one uYour Alien Registration Number if you are not a US citizen uFederal tax information or tax returns including IRS W-2 information, for you (and your spouse, if you are married), and for your parents if you are providing parent information: (If you have not yet field an income tax return, complete and submit the FASFA using estimated tax information. Use income records for the year prior to the academic year for which you are applying: for instance, if you are filling out the 2013-14, you will need a 2012 tax information) uRecords of your untaxed income, such as child support received, interest income, and veterans noneducation benefits, for you, and for your parents if you are providing parent information. uInformation on cash; savings and checking account balances; investments, including real estate but not including the home in which you live; and business and farm assets for you, and for your parents if you are providing parent information

editorial

austin pioneer • december• 2013 • 3

Saying it Like it is

by: Ijhanea Bunting

In the November 24th episode, Brian, the dog of Family Guy was killed off of the 12 season old show by being run over by a car. The public went into frenzy over the death of Brian, as many fans petitioned, demanding that he be resurrected. Removing one of the most entertaining characters of the show resulted in viewer turmoil, and Brian returned in an episode that aired December 15th.

Fifty eight percent of Americans who tuned in to the show were especially upset. Not only does Brian represent the liberal views of the audience, but represents the favorable companionship between humans and dog.

Viewers fell in love with the Brian because of his voice of reason. He drives an eco friendly car, campaigns for gay rights and the legalization of marijuana.

The death of the fourlegged family member seemed permanent, as FOX bid farewell to the character. The replacement dog, voiced by The Sopranos, Tony Sirico did not compensate for the lost of Brian, who the audience considered to be a part of their own family. He is America’s dog.

Opting to kill the backbone of the TV series, prompted a petition by Change.org shortly after. The Monday after the

pup’s death, the petition had gained 75,000 signers and an associated Facebook page received 777,000 likes. The decision to kill of Brian in the first place could have been a ploy to get the audiences’ attention. It got their attention and many viewers threatened to stop watching the show. While the producers were all laughs and giggles behind the scenes, America was too emotionally invested in Brian because it is like he lived in our homes.

What’s a sitcom without your favorite character? Nothing.

When people get home from a long days work they look forward to show such as Family Guy, South Park, and American Dad. It’s a there sense of comfort. Removing the heart from a television series, is removing a person’s sole purpose for watching the show. There is always that one character that keeps the series afloat, and Brian is that character. Without Brian, the television series became less relatable.

There is no doubt that if Brian wasn’t resurrected , a majority of Family Guy viewers would have turned their attention elsewhere.

the pioneer staff 2013-2014 editors ijhanea bunting lisa rosell the pioneer staff janeth acosta jace aguilera aaron betancourt judith escobar isabel galarza maria guerrero ashlyn kelly jose nava ashley nava alex olivas israel perez andy ramos guest reporter brigitte bautista sam mendoza vivian witterstauter Freedom of the Press

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.

Millions expected not to meet mandatory health care deadline sam mendoza reporter

The Affordable Care Act is a health insurance that everyone would be qualified to sign up for without being denied. Although the health plan is meant to be good, there are many problems still present with people trying to sign up. With the deadline rapidly enclosing the surge of people trying to sign up has jammed the site up even further.

The health care plan is already off to a horrible start. The website has been plagued with crashes, freezes, and unhappy citizens. In many cases out of a dozen applicants only one was able to sign up. With many incidents like this happening all across the country the website is just not ready. It is not able to keep up with the demand, and it will continue to stall out especially with the impending deadline closing in. It is a huge train wreck waiting to happen.

There are many problems present, one of them is the fact that people will simply opt to pay the small fine they are charging.

If more people opt to pay the fine than actually sign up, there won’t be enough money within the plan for it to run by itself. Once the money from people paying the fines runs out, the system will not work.

Another problem Obama care is facing is its own deadline. The planned deadline is December 23 rd, which is less than a few days away. There is clearly not

enough time for the site to be fixed and people to apply within this time period. There will only be a small number of people who will get the chance to apply. The small number that do get to apply solely won’t be able to support the system and cover the costs of medical bills.

Even yet the problems don’t stop there. The citizens that do apply, their information may not even reach the insurer or they receive only a portion of their information.

That is a huge problem that will make the process even longer and only with a small amount of time left to redo their applications in.

Thus resulting with people having to schedule another appointment, wait, and possibly having to sign up again with problems still present.

In the end, the only ones who end up suffering are the people. At its current state the Obama care website is just not fit to work with this amount of pressure on it. It is simply not ready. The website is still highly susceptible to problems that haven’t been seen further down the road. The Obama care health plan and deadline need to be pushed back and refined even more. With more time into the website possibly fixing it is more than plausible.

Shawver park light display becomes national joke vivian witterstauter reporter

The El Paso Christmas light display in J.P. Shawver Park was a laughing stock on CNN’s Morning Express. Anchor Robin Meade laughed at the $25,000 Christmas light display. Meade laughed and said, “It looks like it was straight up bought at the department store not this year but last year!”

Although harsh, it is actually good that they put the national spotlight on El Paso for the misuse of tax money.

Now because of the national spotlight the city representatives are starting fundraisers to cover the tax money that was used for the Christmas light display. The $25,000 tax money that was used for the light display was partially used for the lights, $11,000 was used for the Christmas lights and the rest went to securing the area.

City Representative Eddie Holguin finally answered questions after the criticisms from Robin Meade as well as the city of El

Paso. Eddie Holguin says that the community should embrace the small display as the start of a new tradition. The light display could of been a little better but Eddie Holguin says that they only had less than a month to make this project possible. It takes at least six months to make a project this small to look like the one in downtown El Paso.

A solution to the problem could be that next year they should start planning on the Christmas display earlier within six months. Maybe throughout the years the Christmas light display at J.P. Shawver Park will grow on the city of El Paso and maybe look more satisfying as well. City Representative Eddie Holguin said that there will be entertainment at the park starting on the Friday from opening night to December 20th there will be singers, dancer and much more to come during the holidays.

How do you feel about Dr. Tanner being terminated?

“I feel sad because my brother told me that he lifted up the school. I’m upset that I won’t get to meet him.”

-Lizbeth Delgadillo (Freshman)

“I want him to be here.

He was a cool principal. He pushed people to succeed and do better.”-Francisco Baca (Sophomore)

“It’s sad because he was a good principal. He really cared about the students. Without him it seems chaotic.”

-Ashley Raygoza (Junior)

“I feel very cheated out of my senior year because he was pushing me to go to West Point.”

-Ruben Perinon (Senior)

“I’m not happy about it.

They didn’t tell us what incident even occurred. I have heard rumors, but he was good for our school and it’s dead without him.”

-Mrs. Sandra McNeal (Staff)

Superintendent Juan Cabrera welcomed at town hall meeting

Junior Manuel Tena talks to KVIA reporter Ashlie Rodriguez about why students want Dr. Tanner back as their principal. photo by: Arlene Morales

Student council takes a group photo with the new EPISD Superintendent Juan Cabrera. photo by: Arlene Morales

Mrs. Maria Dolores Salomon Tapia is interviewed by local news stations. photo by: Aaron Betancourt

Junior Denise Bonilla presents new Superintendant Juan Cabrera with a Panther plaque. photo by: Arlene Morales

Parents submitted questions on iPad’s provided by the school. photo by: Arlene Morales.

The town hall meeting comes to a close with the choir singing Christmas carols along with students performing the songs in sign language. photo by: Arlene Morales ashley nava reporter

On Wednesday December 4th, a town hall meeting was held to introduce new Superintendent Mr. Juan Cabrera to the community and allow them to ask questions. Administration from feeder pattern schools were present along with all performing arts organizations. The atmosphere of the meeting took a turn when Dee Margo, board of managers president stated that no questions were to be answered regarding Principal Dr. John Tanner.

“I felt as if they were shutting the students out and didn’t care much for the students here at Austin. They have been shutting out our concerns for months now and this topped it off. We deserve to know what is happening,” senior Angie Lopez said.

Only one question was read before Mr. Cabrera was confronted by a parent, Mrs. Maria Dolores Salomon Tapia about the issue but received no answer.

“I planned to interrupt them because I felt that they owed the community some clarity about the absence of Dr. Tanner, especially since he cancelled on us the first time. I’m frustrated that they had the nerve to filter out our questions. I am passionate about this situation because I am an alumni. My son and daughter go here and my daughter graduated from Austin. I will always bleed brown and gold. I love my school and I have pride in it,” Tapia said.

Questions were submitted electronically either through iPads that were passed around by student council members or one’s own smart phone. Renee de Santos, executive director of public relations, then selected the questions.

“I think it [the process] was appropriate for the occasion that way it goes by faster instead of passing a mic around the whole time. I just didn’t agree with the filtering of questions. It’s a town meeting therefore they should allow the people to ask what they want. Allowing the community to ask any kind of questions allows them to feel heard instead of ignored,” Lopez said.

After the confrontation, the process was continued and questions relating to the campus were answered. The meeting ended with a presentation of a blanket with all feeder pattern school shirts woven in to Mr. Cabrera and a reminder to all that question could still be submitted on the district web site at www.episd.org.

ROTC march during the presentation of the colors. photo by: Arlene Morales.

Cheerleaders perform their “Hey Mickey” routine. photo by: Arlene Morales

Junior Ashley Nava holds off from reading a question chosen by district officials after a parent demands to have her questions answered as a tax payer. photo by: Arlene Morales

sports

austin pioneer •december• 2013 • 6

Eight wrestlers dominate competition at chapin meet

andy ramos reporter

The wrestling team had eight wrestlers receive medals at the Chapin Tournament on November 15th and 16th. Juniors Marcial Torres, Quiana Ponce and Alejandro Silva received gold, Gabriella Rodriquez and Trent Black received silver, and Nayeli Montoya, Denisse Torres and Jose Del Real received bronze.

“When I won gold, it was the best feeling in the world since this is the hardest sport I’ve played because it takes a lot of dedication and discipline especially with the way you eat, sleep, and train,” junior Alejandro Silva said.

Not only do wrestlers train they have diets to maintain their weight because even if they are an ounce over their set weight the wrestlers cannot compete.

“Wrestling is tough because unlike other sports you must be at your set weight and yet be strong enough to pick up and pin your opponent,” junior Marcial Torres said.

With Torres bumping up from 175 to 182 weight class that he wasn’t used to still beat a tough wrestler from Irvin to win the gold.

“He was a good wrestlers but I just listen to coach’s advice and get mentally ready like coach said it’s the size of the heart that matters,” Torres said.

To junior Quiana Ponce, wrestling is a tradition.

“Wrestling is a big part in my family with most of them being wrestlers, I want to continue the tradition,” Ponce said.

To win gold Ponce had to wrestle against her teammate

Gabriella Rodriquez who ended up receiving silver in the 138 weight class.

“It was very difficult knowing I had to wrestle my teammate but it’s not only a physical but a mental game as well and I had to do what I had to do to win gold even if it meant I had to wrestle Gabbie,” Ponce said.

No hard feelings were made between the two only smiles and congratulations. The two are now working together to make it to the top.

“Austin used to be that team that everyone beat and walked over but now we are up there getting the reputation of having some really tough wrestlers and you can’t get by us easily it’s going to take some work,” coach Roman Hamidan said.

With the wrestling team having

a chance to win a district title as a whole coach Hamidan keeps his team focused.

“I expect good things from

my wrestlers and maybe even a district title as long as everyone does their part,” Hamidan said.

L to R: Alejandro Silva, Quiana Ponce, Marcial Torres, Gabriella Rodriguez, Trent Black, Nayelo Montoya, Jose Del Real, Denisse Torres. photo by:Andy Ramos

Castillo takes field as new varisty girls soccer coach

brigitte bautista reporter

While grocery shopping at Sam’s Coach Daniel Castillo got a call.

“I was very, very happy it’s an emotion you cannot describe,” Castillo said.

The call was about the job opening for the varsity girls’ soccer team.

“At that moment I realized that I had a lot of work of ahead of me,” Castillo said.

Following the call Castillo thought of his plan of action.

“My biggest goal this year is to finish top four,” Castillo said.

Castillo has been coaching soccer for 13 years. He started coaching at UTNT and coached there for two years.

“I started very young when I was about eighteen years old,”

Castillo said.

Being the JV coach at El Paso High last year, Castillo got the chance to experience coaching a team.

“I thought they’re a competitive team and I think I could do great things with them,” Castillo.

In high school he did not only play soccer, but he also ran cross country and track.

“I went from cross country to soccer to track I never had a break all four years of high school,” Castillo said.

Castillo attended Jefferson High School and graduated in 1998.

“We were district champs when I was there, in cross country we won district champs, went to regionals, and to state,” Castillo said.

After graduating high school

Castillo went to UTEP for college.

“I got in with a track and cross country scholarship, I was in cross country for about three years and in track I got red shirted they year we won the championship at UTEP so I didn’t get my ring,” Castillo said.

Castillo has been playing soccer since he was two years old.

“I think my dad didn’t want to take care of me so he put me on a team,” Castillo said.

Castillo style of coaching is to play offensively.

“Your desire to win has to be greater than your fear of losing,” Castillo said.

Castillo’s favorite soccer team is club America he went there to learn how to coach “Back then, we didn’t have cell phones like you guys do, you can just take a picture in a minute, but I have a few somewhere,” Castillo said.

Castillo took that experience and realized this is what he wanted to do.

“That moment was the one that said yes this is my whole life, this is what I wanna do,” Castillo said.

Castillo was there for a month and a half.

“It was pretty intense and fun, they would show us a drill with kids then the more advanced ones, then I guess the second team and then with the professionals” Castillo said.

Castillo likes to be strict, and also have fun.

“I think the most unique part about me is that I can make a team have fun and be competitive at the same time,” Castillo said.

Castillo likes to watch Breaking Bad. “I cannot go into a place where

since I practice there almost everyday so that did give me an edge in a way,” Tanner said.

Tanner’s final score at the tournament was 109 after playing a nine hole game twice.

“It was long and tiring having to carry your bag back and forth from holes all day not only once but twice. Coming out with a medal was worth it though,” said Tanner.

Tanner believes that golf is misunderstood by people at how difficult the sport really is.

“People think that golf is just

about going out there and hitting the ball as hard and far as you can but it is harder than it looks.

It’s all about technique and if you have that you will do very well,” Tanner said.

Every hole has a certain par with most of the holes being a par four meaning that’s how much shots the golfer should be able to make it in.

“On a couple holes I made the ball in with only 4 strokes which I’ve never done before so knowing I not only did it once but twice is really satisfying,”

they sell chicken without looking for these secret barrels,” Castillo said.

Castillo is very church oriented.

“A lot of people don’t know that about me they see me and they’re like hey crazy Castillo,” Castillo said.

Try outs for the soccer teams will he held the week returning from Thanksgiving break.

Coach Daniel Castillo photo by: Brigitte Bautista

Junior David Tanner places top ten at golf tournament andy ramos reporter

Junior David Tanner placed in the top ten out of 33 golfers at the junior varsity Bowie Invitational Tournament at Ascarte Golf Course held November 18th.

“Last year I didn’t place at all so it feels good to know that im improving and getting better with practice and effort,” Tanner said.

The golf team practices at Ascarte Monday through Thursday so Tanner was familiar with the course.

“I knew the green and how the course was laid out pretty good

Tanner said.

This is Tanner’s second year golfing and expects to hit under 100 strokes by the end of the season.

“I’m just going to keep practicing on my swing and putting and hopefully see an even better improvement,” Tanner said.

Junior David Tanner with his metals. photo by: Andy Ramos

A limited amount of yearbooks are left!

Get your copy today in the business office or online at: www.yearbookforever.com

health isabel galarza reporter

austin pioneer •december• 2013 • 7

New Mexico launches the BrdsNBsz program

The New Mexico Department of Health found a new form to connect teens and parents with answers to their reproductive health and sex questions through their cell phones. This initiative is a texting service that gives the low down on the birds and the bees and is know as BrdsNBz. “I think it’s a good idea because it’s a very touchy subject and it can be embarrassing to talk it with others,” junior Cristian Guardolia said.

Teens ages 13-19 can text “NMteen” and parents can text “NMparent”

maria guerrero reporter

to 66746 to confidentially ask questions in English or Spanish.

A health professional will respond within 24 hours free of charge.

“Even though we have health class a lot of us are st i l l left with questions and this would answer a lot of those questions,” Guardolia said.

New Mexico is the second state to offer the BrdsNBz program. This initiative began in North Carolina in 2009. California has its own

service, HookUp 365247, which is based on the same concept. BrdsNBz

Remedies that may help deal with shin splints

Shin splints are those shooting pains in the bone that run between the knee and ankle. They can derail anyone’s fitness regimen.

“A shin splints is when a tendon is getting pulled away from the bone,” head track coach Lillie Ponikvar said.

Getting a shin splint doesn’t require an immediate trip to the doctor.

“No, that’s why we have trainers for, unless the trainers tell you to go to the doctor it is necessary,” Ponikvar said.

According to Runner’s World Running experts agree that when shin splints strike they should be treat it with some combination of techniques. “ Ice bags, stretching and rest and rubbing off the sore shin are great treatment to relieve shin splints,” Ponikvar said.

There can be numerous of causes of shin splints e.g. inadequate stretching, worn shoes or even excessive stress placed on one leg or on a hip.

“Changes in surface, very bad shoes, and poor muscle develop

but the main is shoes and make sure that they are wearing the proper shoes for their activity,” Ponikvar said.

Any person can suffer from shin splints but the most common people who get them are the runners.

“Sprinters are the runners that run at a full speed in a short distance and the triple jumpers are the ones that attempts to jump as far as possible by performing a hop, a step, and jump from a running start, those athletes get them the most,” Ponikvar said.

Shin splints is an painful inflammation in the muscles after running, jumping, exercising regimen too quickly, or frequently switching exercise surface.

“It feels like someone gets a dull knife and they are trying to get your bone off, and when you stop running the bloods goes down and feels just like a bomb fell down on you and it hurts so bad,” Ponikvar said.

Shin splint get worse when there is activity going on while still in pain.

only

$65

“Shin splints generally get worse with activity and ease with rest.

Pain may be worse when you first get up after sleeping. The sore tibia muscle shortens while you rest, and it stretches painfully when you put weight on your foot,” Ponikvar said.

Not treating well shin splints can cause lots of damage and can even lead up to surgery.

“If you don’t treat your splints right can cause you a stress factor is when your bone starts to crack and surgery is rarely needed to correct problems of shin splints.”

Ponikvar said.

Shin splints pain can last up to two weeks depends on the treatment.

“The swelling in legs are the ones that cause the pain and you have to put a lot of pressure in order to reduce the swelling and the pain will start to go down, it usually takes up to two weeks to treat it,” Ponikvar said.

currently offers services in Texas in Austin City and Travis County.

“I think it would be a good idea for Texas to have this so teens can become better aware of what sex entails an the responsibilities t hat go a long with sex and it could be good way for teens to st ay e duc ate d about the issue” senior Brandie Ramirez-Ray said.

The BrdsNBz program is

designed to answer a wide array of questions, from risks of certain activities to what slang terms mean and how to access birth control or STD tests.

“I think this is a good idea because many teenagers feel uncomfortable talking to their parents about sex and through this number they can find the answers they are looking for without feeling embarrassed or worried their parents might think they are having sex,” Ramirez-Ray said.

BrdsNBz is only for New Mexico residents with a New Mexico area code.

Generosity reduces stress

janeth acosta reporter

According to a psychological study, being generous can release an individuals stress while making them also feel good about themselves.

Some people seek charity as a means to better the community while also improving their character.

Studies mentioned in the huffington post has linked being generous to several other beneficial health factors. Stress is attributed to high cortisol levels, so when a person decides to give to charity, they tend to have a lower cortisol level than people who are stingy. Not only do they feel the physical repercussions of not being generous, they are faced with an emotional feeling of guilt.

Tardy Policy

 Students who arrive after the tardy bell are to sign in to the official tardy log and be marked tardy to in TEAMS.  Teachers will inventory the tardy log and identify students with 2 or more tardies.  Students parents/guardians will be contacted after 3rd tardy  Students will be issued after school detention after 4th tardy  Recognition for students with perfect attendance and zero unexcused tardies at the end of the each nine week - to be announced.

entertainment judith escobar reporter

austin pioneer • december• 2013 • 8

Selfie beats twerk as word of the year

Selfie is the 2013 Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year, edging out competition that included the word twerk.

“I honestly don’t like that selfie was chosen as the word of the year.

The reason is because there are so many other words that I would have liked more rather than selfie.

They could have chosen the word

honesty or unicorn and I would have been happy,” senior Allysa Thomas said.

Selfie is defined as a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically taken with a smart phone or digital camera. It evolved from a social media buzzword to mainstream shorthand.

“I have no problem with selfie being chosen as the word of the year as it is a reflection of todays

pop culture. I personally feel that selfies are for people who forgot to look at themselves in the mirror,” theatre director Mr. David Alba said.

According to research, the frequency of the word selfie has increased by 17,000 percent since last year in the English language.

An Australian online forum post was the earliest known usage of the word.

“I like selfies because you can make the most ratchet faces ever and you can always get a good laugh out of them. There always used on snap chat, that’s what makes the app so popular and fun to be on. People can make the craziest faces on there, its hilarious,” junior Adrionna D’Ellia said.

Oxford has not put the word selfie in the dictionary but they

are currently considering in doing so.

“Selfie is the smartest word that there could possibly be in the dictionary. I would say that I use it about 50 times a day. I can’t sleep without saying it at least one time. Although it does upset me that twerk wasn’t number one because I myself am on the twerk team,” senior Ruben Perinon said.

y p s p a H iday l o H from The Pioneer staff

-car selfie by: Aaron Betancourt -hair selfie by: Andreina Garcia

-Best Coast selfie by: Ashley Nava -work it selfie by: Lisa Rosell

-earphone selfie by: Ijhanea Bunting -last minute selfie by: Andy Ramos -walking the halls selfie by: Jace Aguilera

-car selfie by: Ashlyn Kelly

-John Lennon selfie by: Jose Nava -couch selfie by: Isabel Galarza -gazing selfie: Judith Escobar

-classy restroom selfie by: Alex Olivas

-farmer selfie by: Ms. A

-grandma’s house selfie by: Maria Guerrero

-lunchtime selfie by: Isreal Perez -soccer selfie by: Janeth Acosta

Fans remember Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera

lisa rosell reporter

Fans from all over the country remember the late Mexican American singer Jenni Rivera, one year after she was killed in a plane crash.

“It was very shocking! I never imagined she would die so young.

It was very saddening when I found out she had passed away, she had so much going for her and she left so much behind,” senior Jessica Cano said.

Many people considered Rivera a role model.

“Jenni wasn’t your typical super

star. She started selling CD’s at the swap. She was and will always be a role model because she had so many obstacles in life and she still got up and kept moving. She opened up to her public and told us her life through her songs. She always remained humble. There’s a lot that very few people know about her. Everyone thinks she’s just a singer, but she had a degree in business management,” senior Evelyn Ramirez said.

Cano described her love for Rivera’s songs.

“The reason I loved listening to Jenni was because there is a song

for every problem you may have in life. She wouldn’t sugar coat the truth either, she said it the way it was. I can’t believe it’s been a year already but every time a song of hers comes on it reminds me of how strong she was,” Cano said.

Fellow musician and brother, singer Lupillo Rivera hosted a concert in her memory. The concert took place in Monterrey, where Rivera held her last concert before the fatal plane crash.

“By so many artist taking time to go and hold a tribute for her shows a lot about the kind of person she was. A lot of people appreciated

her,” Ramirez said.

Telemundo, analog channel 47, also displayed full coverage of

at $499 and the PlayStation will be $399.

“The price didn’t really matter to me, I mean, for all the stuff you need to buy, it all rounds up to the same but yeah, the PS4 is cheaper,” Martines said.

Gamers can access many features on the PlayStation 4 even if the players don’t have the additional PlayStation Plus which gives players access to free games, online multiplayer, and discounts on the PlayStation store for $50 a year.

For the Xbox One most features

are accessed by purchasing Xbox LIVE. “I have always liked PlayStation models, it looks like a cool console and I believe that it will have good graphics,” Martines said.

PlayStation owners who have owned past PlayStation consoles before, enjoy the PlayStation Store’s offers and updates may be tempted to buy the PlayStation 4. Many Gamers like the PS4’s smaller controller and are excited about a slimmer console and the new touchpad.

all the tributes paid in Rivera’s memory.

Gamers flock to buy new consoles by Sony and Microsoft jose nava reporter

This November Sony and Microsoft released two new consoles, the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One. Long time rivals Sony and Microsoft released their consoles fairly close to each other. Sony released the PS4 on November 15 th and Microsoft released its console one week later.

“I was excited for the console so I got it as soon as possible,” freshman Ivan Martines said.

It has been eight years since the Playstation 3 was released and nine years since the Xbox 360 release. Over time both have made many improvements so the competition is very close. The PlayStation 4 added a touchpad to the controller while the Xbox One kept its traditional boxlike shape and slightly modified the controller for more grip.

“I am really excited for all the new things the PlayStation 4 has to offer,” Martines said.

The Xbox One will be priced

“My first console that I have ever bought was the classic PlayStation 2,” Martines said.

Gamers who don’t mind paying a yearly fee of $60 for the Xbox Live Gold Membership can access online features like online gaming, chat rooms and high account security to prevent hacking.

“I debated between both consoles for quite a while but then I made up my mind and chose the PlayStation 4,” Martines said.