VOLUME 13, ISSUE 1

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

dance/commitment/pinocchio/grandparents day/ cool books/new faculty/etc.

Strut. Stroll. Meander. Stumble.

Tread. March. Walk the walk. We spend

a good portion of our day walking around

the hallways of Incarnate Word

(especially with the new safety routes).

“Walk the Walk” not only sounds super

catchy and oh-so classy but also means

stepping into something new.

Remember that one Robert Frost poem about travelling down two roads diverged in a yellow wood? We should go back to school taking the road less traveled, the road we aren’t entirely sure where it leads to, yet we know that it will guide us to new plots in our lives.

On our first day of school we all envision taking a confident stride into the building. As cliché as it sounds, it is a direct embodiment of how we should feel returning to school. If this is not the case, then we must take a second to think about commitment.

For upperclassmen and sopho-mores, returning to Incarnate Word means restarting the whole routine of LAPs, tests, and projects. However, go-ing back to school also means walking down a new clear road. NOW ISN’T THAT A THOUGHT?

The same goes for freshmen, except for them it means a more drastic

change (it’s a good thing they have their Senior big sisters to help out).

Every summer stores advertise back-to-school supplies, and we Sham-rocks cringe at the thought of returning to short 26-minute lunches and staying up at night studying. Nonetheless WE MUST NOT FORGET THE NEW CLEAR ROADS!

Kara Hernandez

WALK THE WALK

page 1

Last summer, a number of Incarnate Word girls participated in the Dual Credit-Study Abroad Program hosted by U.I.W. After taking an American Politics class, they traveled to Heidelberg, Germany where they took classes and experi-enced the European cul-ture. One of the partici-pants, Senior Bethanie Hernandez, provides some personal insight on the interesting trip.

What did you do when you weren’t in class?

Our class went around the city, especially to art shops. We met some guy who supposedly had all the autographs from every major soccer play-er. My roommate and I were looking for jerseys because both of us col-lect jerseys. I guess you could say it was like College Station because it’s a city, but it’s also a university town.

What impressed you? They are huge on recycling. The people are so tidy there.

What was different? We had to pay to use public restrooms!

How about eating out? When we went to a restaurant and asked for water, they gave us spar-kling anything. But I did not like it. The water was not free, and we had to pay for it.

What surprised you? Our tour guide was telling us that they get a fund for having children, for the first child 75 Euros and for the 2nd child 350 Euros. It’s really unusual to have more than 2 chil-dren per couple. Everyone looked clean and put together. A lot of the people walking around the city were very young and I think the oldest people I saw were the own-ers of shops or professors.

What did you think about the blended approach to learning? I really liked it because I could do

everything on my own time and at my own pace. And since I like to reread chapters, this was perfect for me.

Carolina Uzquiano

(HEIDELBERG) (TRIP)

Hot Reads!

I t’s that time again - time to dive back into school and all

the last minute studying, LAPS, and cramming. It seems

that summer is growing shorter and shorter every year.

Thank goodness we have plenty of open mods to enjoy

a really good book (just kidding, we use those for work! *wink

wink*). A book is never too far away with a fully stocked li-

brary full of your favorite fiction as well as helpful references

for those awfully long and agonizing

history and English essays. In the

words of a very wise man, Dr. Seuss:

“The more you read the more things

you will know. The more you learn

the more places you will go”. Here

are a handful of delicious books that

students have recommended to their

fellow bookworms.

DIVERGENT

by Veronica Roth

“Reminds me a lot of the Hunger Games!”

– Senior Alexis Johnson

Divergent is a “very different” science

fiction novel written about a dystopian

society. As a fellow book lover, Ms.

Lisenbee commented on the book’s story

line: “You love it or you hate it”. It’s a

book that, despite its celebrity this past

summer, is not necessarily unique and

very repetitive; but if you dig the dystopi-

an, love triangle, then Divergent is the

book for you.

THE FAULT

IN OUR

STARS

by John Green

“The best book of 2012!” – Ms. Diana Lisenbee, IWHS Librarian Assistant

If you haven’t read The Fault in Our Stars, you are truly

missing out! John Green is the author of a handful of

great and undeniably “AMAZING” books. He truly

speaks to the teenage corazón and mind despite his age -

he’s 36 years old. He keeps his readers on their toes and

in constant giggles with his legitimate tales of teenage

angst. It seems almost crazy to think this

guy isn’t a teenager himself. (Did you

know that John Green has his own video

blog on YouTube? Check it out!)

In The Fault in Our Stars, Green tugs at

you with every word and every turn of the

page; you simply cannot put it down. The

story follows the life of Hazel, a young

girl, with terminal cancer and her life after

an unexpected meeting with an incredibly

cute boy named Gus. Hooked yet? You should be.

Just in case you didn’t know, The Fault in Our Stars is coming

out as a movie with a really cool and interesting cast including

Shailene Woodley (Secret Life of the American Teenager) and

Ansel Elgort (a super cute dude who is perfect for the role of

Gus!), so you better get to reading!

We have had such a great start to the new school year

especially with some new books having made their way into the

library this past month! Make sure you check out the weekly

display of books in the front of the library!

HAPPY READING!

Rhiannon Briseño

OW!

This BOOK IS ON

FIRE!

page 2

“BOOKS ARE THE QUIETEST AND MOST

CONSTANT OF FRIENDS; THEY ARE THE

MOST ACCESSIBLE AND WISEST OF

COUNSELORS, AND THE MOST PATIENT

OF TEACHERS.”

-CHARLES W. ELIOT

page 4

stuco leaderSHIP “There is no doubt that this year will be

different because we have a lot of innovative and

creative minds,” said Annelise Shipley, STUCO

President.

“As a leader, I have complete faith in my

group because we all support each other in every

way,” she added.

The STUCO ladies vow to hear out the

voices of the student body and really make their

ideas shine throughout the school year. Chemistry

is in the air. You definitely notice it when they are

in a room brainstorming for the next STUCO

event. Creativity, spirit, and excitement ooze from the Council

as they prepare to accomplish a job well done.

“I am super excited to see how this year unfolds. I have

been in STUCO since freshman year and each year has a unique

difference, so I am eager to see what this year brings us,” said

Julia Cantu, STUCO Secretary.

Bethanie Hernandez

KARA HERNANDEZ

The Star Editor-In-Chief

“I like long romantic walks to my fridge”

CAROLINA UZQUIANO

Hippocrene Editor

“Eat.

Read.

Sleep.

Repeat.”

BETH HERNANDEZ

News Editor

“It always seems impossible

until it's done.”

RHIANNON BRISEÑO

Lifestyle Editor

“I like big books

and I cannot lie.”

CLARE CREEDON

Interviews Editor

“A man said to

Buddha , ‘I want Hap-

piness.’ Buddha said,

‘First remove the “I”,

that’s ego. Then re-

move “want”, that’s

desire. See now you are

left with Happiness.’”

From left to right:

Julia Cantu (Secretary)

Dahlia Lopez (Secretary)

Monica Rodriguez (Vice President)

Brandy Flores (Adjunct)

Bethanie Hernandez (Vice President)

Lauren Harris (Spirit Chair)

Natalia Legaretta (Parliamentarian)

Annelise Shipley (President)

Kathleen Creedon (Historian)

Ixchel Lopez (Treasurer)

There’s no other better way to kick off the school year than with the annual Back to School Dance!

Hosted by our STUCO girls, this year’s dance was as flavorful as ever. From pepper-mint letters to ginger-bread man costumes, the Candyland theme was as tasteful as the sweet decorations themselves.

“Planning the dance was so much fun because our decorations really made us feel like we were in an actual Candyland,” said Lauren Harris, STUCO’s Spirit Chair Officer.

But besides the decorations and all the music, the cherry on top of a fantastic night was seeing old friends and meeting new ones .

With big white smiles, STUCO hosted another fabulous Back to School Dance with tons of timeless memories.

Bethanie Hernandez

SWEET.SUGAR.

CANDYLAND.

page 5

September is synony-

mous with grandparents gracing

the hallways for the greatly-

anticipated Grandparents Day

event. The Star discovered what

Incarnate Word girls and their

grandparents think about the

memorable day.

“I loved that Incarnate

Word High School gives us the

opportunity to see how great of an

education our grand-daughters are

getting. I am always looking for-

ward to this day,” said Adelina

Villaseñor, Sophomore Evelyn Buelna’s grandmother.

Evelyn added, “My grandmother and I are really

close. She is my best friend. We travel a lot, and I love to see

her so happy to try new things.”

“I really enjoyed being with

my grand-daughter and going to her

classes. She did a superb job in being

my guide around the school,” said

Cathy Mills,, Senior Emily Chet-

wood’s grandmother.

When asked what she liked

most about high school, Grandmother

Mills replied, “I liked school so much

that sometimes on Saturdays I would

wake up and think I was late for

school!”

Kara Hernandez Evelyn and her grandmother

Everybody loves Pinocchio!

Where did Geppetto go? Should I listen to them?” Actors

shouted their lines and encouraged audience participation.

That’s right! In the IWHS opening fall production of

“Pinocchio,” the actors weren’t the only ones in the limelight. It was

clear “Pinocchio” was made for children.

After hearing the enthusiastic heckling of my fellow audi-

ence members, I too couldn’t help but participate. I booed Ms. Fire-

eater ( Maddie Coles) and cheered for Pinocchio (Emily La France)

and offered him advice. When Pinocchio asked whether he should go

to Pleasure Island instead of school, I yelled “NOOOO!” with the

rest, but naturally he ignored us.

“Pinocchio” was so much fun with a capital Ph as Jiminy

Cricket ( Joelle Tuttle) would probably say because that green-faced

conscience is always misspelling words.

“We’re all a family here, and if we all get to perform togeth-

er here, we are happy and Pinocchio just happened to be a blast,” said

Emily Pine.

After the performance, I talked to Mrs. Benavides, the direc-

tor. She said, “Of course, everyone loves Pinocchio” but her favorite

part was “when the actors did the dance.”

During intermission, the tech crew played Disney songs

while the cast made iCarly joke references and interacted with the

audiences.

page 6

#LivingTheCoreValues

Mission Statement: IN A FAITH-BASED

COLLEGE PREPARATORY

ENVIRONMENT,

INCARNATE WORD HIGH

SCHOOL PREPARES

CONFIDENT YOUNG WOMEN

DEDICATED TO

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE,

CHRISTIAN SERVICE,

AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.

ENGLISH TEACHER/MUSIC CRITIC/BOB DYLAN FAN

Mr. Courtney I hear you are a SA Current Music crit-

ic. What type of music are you interest-

ed in?

I like avant-garde pop music

(experimental). I like music that incorpo-

rates big sounds and electronica. Bob Dyl-

an is my favorite artist, however, I listen to

all types of music: African tribal music,

Tejano, Kumbaya.

Can you tell me a little about your jour-

ney as a former monk?

I was never a monk. I did attend a Bud-

dhist university, Naropa, in Colorado

though. In high school I was very drawn to

Buddhist tradition.

What is something unique you see at

Incarnate Word?

The students’ innate interests in the sub-

jects. As a teacher, I have to bring the ex-

citement to the class and pass it on.

As an English teacher, what is your fa-

vorite quote/poem of yours in literature?

“Be the change you wish to see in the

world.” –Ghandi. That has had a powerful

impact on me; seeking something on the

outside when I wasn’t strong enough on

the inside.

Is there anything you are looking for-

ward to this year?

I’m looking forward to becoming a part of

this community because every experience

I’ve had so far has been positive. Here,

everyone works together for a common

goal and that excites me.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

In the realm of school, my biggest pet

peeve is pencils. I hate pencils. So don’t

write with a pencil in my class!

If you weren’t an English professor,

what might be your second career

choice?

I would like to be a sociologist. I’m fasci-

nated in the way people behave in groups.

How did you decide to be a librarian?

I’ve always loved books. In college, I

wanted to be a teacher. I was always at the

library in

school and a

librarian told

me to look

into becoming

one. I was

like, “What?”

I got a mas-

ter’s in library

science in

2002.

What are you reading now?

I don’t get to read as often as I’d like.

Right now, I’m reading The Big Discon-

nect: Protecting Childhood and Family

Relationships in the Digital Age by Cathe-

rine Steiner-Adair. I mostly read non-

fiction, especially biographies, but when I

was younger I liked more fiction.

What is your favorite biography?

When I was Puerto Rican by

Esmeralda Santiago.

How is Incarnate Word dif-

ferent from other schools to

you?

I’m really impressed by the

discipline students have here

by directing their own studies.

It’s inspiring to see driven and

aspiring women. It’s very encouraging to

see their drive, being at such a young age

and operating on a higher level.

What is the most challenging part of

your job?

Since I’m new, balancing all my duties has

been tough. Most importantly, though,

making sure students have what they need

trumps all other duties. Without students,

there is no library.

With advancements in technology, do

you have a preference of paper or elec-

tronic devices for reading?

I prefer print. If the battery dies, the bright

light isn’t good for your eyes. I don’t think

books are ever going to go out of style.

There needs to be a balance between the

two. However, it depends on your reading

style.

What are the rewards of being a librari-

an?

When the students come back and tell me

the resource that I helped them find has

helped them in their studies.

Mrs. Cruz “I DONT THINK BOOKS ARE EVER GOING TO GO OUT OF

STYLE.”

page 7

page 8

Out of the box.

Can’t think at home? Too busy or too crowded? Too distracted by the siblings who don’t under-stand the demanding hard work here at IWHS?

Have no fear. Here are some alternative places around San Anto-nio for Shamrocks to study and real-ly focus on those A+’s.

From the second floor of a Barnes and Nobles to the small cof-fee lounge around the corner, Sham-rocks are igneous at finding good study places.

Every girl has what works for them, but some girls really step outside the study room to find their go-to place.

They claim that studying somewhere unfamiliar instead of an everyday place really helps them to focus on their school-work. But when asked what brought them to their study places, they all had one answer in common. It wasn’t that it was perfectly quiet or not-too-crowded but simply the perfect spot for them to relax and unwind.

What may seem as an ordi-nary Starbucks may be a soothing and relaxing “study-sesh” environ-ment for a hardworking Shamrock.

So the next time you walk into an ordinary coffee or sandwich shop, you might just want to bring your books and get down to busi-ness!

Check out the list of fellow Shamrocks and their spots: Bella Gann: Librar ies in town Krystal Puente: UTHSC Alyssa Elizondo and Maddie Crawford: Starbucks Isabella Morales: Barnes and Noble at La Cantera Alex Rodriguez: My dad’s office Ileanna Guerra: Quarry Café

Bethanie Hernandez

Stress is a common symptom on our campus. Whether cramming for a test or writing a last minute essay, we find ourselves rocking back and forth in the corner of our bed-room wishing our homework would simply burn. In addition, a Shamrock often finds herself strug-gling to stay awake in the last few mods of the day, searching for a place in the library where she can nestle.

Remedies to resolve stress: organize your work; prioritize; know your study environment; meditate; get some fresh air; exercise, kick back to some tunes.

Leaving your work, walk-ing around, and getting your mind off the task at hand has been proven to increase concentration when you return. And heck, we all need a break once in a while.

And for all of you night owls, here is some Shamrock insight

on sleep:

Mia Gonzales: “Sleeping is my favorite thing to do. If I had a choice to sleep or hangout with people,

I’d probably choose sleep.”

Brianna Marie Garcia: “Sleep? Sleep is something I don’t get much of! I wake up at 4 am every morning and then work out for 2 hours and 45 minutes. Swim-ming is my love, and I’m so passionate about it, but I

also love sleeping!”

Julissa Pilar: “Sleep is nothing more than pressing pause on Netflix; our minds are put on hold, our wor-ries forgotten for the duration of a few REM cycles.”

Claudia Montelongo: “It’s hard to fall asleep when a thousand things are running through your mind.”

Clare Creedon

HANDLING

STRESS AND

CATCHING

Z’s