the phoenician vol ii ed i

8/14/2019 The Phoenician Vol II Ed I

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2/8

It was a drizzling experience for some

students in MECHS during an obstacle

course. Contestants faced water balloons,

mini scooters, hula hoops, and a battalion

of sharp shooters. A competing sophomore

named Diego Oliveros said, People were

throwing balloons at me and they hurt if

they didnt pop.

It was a cloudy yet hot afternoon Au-gust 14, 2009, the day the school decided

to set up the Obstacle Course designed by

leadership and Ms. Alcantar.

The obstacle course had an array of

levels and teams. Oliveross says, We

had to do 10 hula hoops then we had to

run and then jump the rope ten times and

then get into the carts and roll ourselves to

victory!

The day was a summer splash to

remember and according to Ms. Alcantar

their will be another one soon to come.

With construction out of the way, Ms.

Alcantar said leadership will be more ca-

pable of making a better, longer, and more

fun obstacle course.

Some people said the obstacle course was

to short and easy. Celia Garcia said, It

wasnt so much competitive, but it was re-

ally fun. Leadership will try and intensify

the difculty of the course

The obstacle course/Hawaiian day was

a relaxing day for students. They couldforget about the pressure from work which

was an objective for the organizers. Many

people agreed it was a good day and it

seems that the next ones to come will be

better. Ms. Alcantar said, The course was

easy but it was meant to be fun which

it was for the participants. We will have

another one once the school construction

is over.

Oliveross nal words were, I would

really like to do it again but I think [it will

be better] if we couldve had more time

to plan it and get more people involved.

Many people are waiting for it to happen

again hoping for the new improvements

to be added, because most people such as

Oliveros hoped the course was more long

and elaborate. Ms. Alcantar said, Leader-

ship will plan a longer and more difcult

course with added equipment, such as

bicycles and a possible water features at

the end of the year.

Math instructor Andrew Waxman had

whipped cream smeared all over his cool

science goggles and his black trash bag

was smoothly converted to an apron in the

pie throwing contest in August.

According to Waxman

the contest was not goodor bad, it was exactly

what I expected and peo-

ple got to throw things

at the teachers without

getting in trouble.

Despite Waxman

being the main target for

the students, he wasnt

scared to get hit except

for when he saw that one kid that gave

him the goose bumps, Jamie Soto, he

was the only one that hit me in the face.

Bedsides Waxman there were two other

targets for the students to hit, biology

instructor Mr. Ray being one of them was

playfully taunting and mocking the stu-dents to throw and aim better. His taunting

did test the students anger a bit but there

was one student who used his anger a bit

more prociently, Cabral Jerry, its the

rst time that they got me and he got me

in the goggles, said Mr. Ray.

Ray claimed he would be a better

participant if the game was switched and

he was the one throwing the pie instead of

the students because he would use his sci-

ence smarts, I understand physics, when

you throw harder you miss

more.The third teacher, English

instructor Mrs. Clarke got off

easily because she wasnt as

big as a target as Mr. Wax-

man and probably didnt get

hit more than ve times. I

was disappointed because I

thought they were trying to

be nice like holding back,

said Mrs. Clarke.

The price to hit the teachers with a

pie was 25 cents--not really a pie--just a

sponge covered in whipped cream. Al-

though it wasnt a real pie students would

still give anything to get a chance to hit

a teacher, it feels good to torture themfor once, says freshman Karen Rojo she

wasnt the only one searching for revenge.

Students like junor Robert Mendez had a

good reason for revenge, If the teachers

were throwing the pies, they would prob-

ably want revenge too.

= 3.14? More like 25 cents

Freshmen Amoree Visser fires a sponge

full of whipped cream at Mr. Rays face.

Jackie ARTEAGA-Photographer

Wild sponge with whipped cream splashes

Mr. Waxman the math instructor.

Jackie ARTEAGA-Photographer

Alex Casllo rolls with style into the finish line. Eric WALDEN-Photographer

Summer

SplashCourseFreshmen Kaira Henderson observes as

the launched sponge flies towards its des-

naon. Jackie ARTEAGA-Photographer

A flying pink water ballon eyes its next

vicm. Eric WALDEN-Photographer

Karla Cruz-muros dodges water ballons while sliding on her scooters.

Eric WALDEN -Photographer

Stephanie Sanchez calls for the first two teams to compete.

Eric WALDEN-Photographer

Brian JACINTO - Writer

Bobbi FOSTER-Writer

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3/8

Senior Bernice Nevarez makes sure that every part of the car

is clean.

Students weathered the blistering heat

on Friday, August 24th in an effort to

express appreciation for instructors and

faculty members. Ms. Alcntar, in col-

laboration with Leadership members,

organized a non-profit car wash.

Held on a Flexible Friday, some stu-

dents made the extra effort to partake in

the event by using free class periods to

go out and show their support.

I thought it would be a good way to

show teachers that we are thankful for

what they do and it sounded like an event

that would also be fun, says Senior

Nelly Campos, a proud participant in the

Leadership orchestrated event. Students

participating in the car wash were work-

ing cooperatively, washing, rinsing, and

even parking the cars.

Regardless of the light rain

showers later that day, students who

participated in the car wash say that the

teachers were thankful and appreciative.

In light of El Pasos unpredictability

when it comes to weather, our own Mr.

Brewer humorously pointed out that

the ill-timed showers only confirmed

Murphys Law. When you wash your

car, it rains. When asked why he chose

to partake in such an event, ...a student

offered and I thought it would be fun for

them to wash a gigantic van.

[Leadership] will be doing some-

thing for teachers every month and Ill

be happy to help with what I can, says

Campos. Students interested in volun-

teering are encouraged to sign up for

Leadership with Ms. Alcantar in the Pac

Room.

Daffney MYERS - Writer

E WALDEN - Photographer

Faculty Car Wash

Fun in the Sun

Sand, swimsuits, and tons of

water (which do not exist in the city ofEl Paso) were celebrated by the students

of Mission Early College High School.

Beach Day on August 14th was an all day

event put together by Leadership and Ms.

Alcantar.

The sponsor of the activity is

delighted everything went well and still

had the chance to have fun with the other

students. Ms. Alcantar said, I think it

was very successfulthe obstacle course

went well. We accomplished everything

we wanted to accomplish. It was a big ice-

breaker for the studentsit showed [the

freshman that] they can do things other

schools cannot.

The wet weather made some happy

and others gloomy, but sunny or notsome people did not like their activity.

Freshman Aiden Martinez responded, I

guess it is good that we get to [have] more

dressed up [days]. But we have free dress

as it is.

Sophomore Haylee Fierro was in

a more positive mood and ready for the

anything. It is pretty cool [to get dressed

in beach wear], said Fierro. The smile

she wore spread from one ear to the next

spreading the joy she felt.

The rain was an unexpected extra

addition to the day for some of the stu-

dents who participated in beach day. [I

am] pretty excited even though it is rain-

ing and coldit feels like we are at a

beach because it is wet, sandy, and cold,said junior Eric Walden.

Coming in beach wear was not

easy for some people to do. But senior

Rene Orantia was happy to dress the part.

Orantia said, It was really cool and really

fun dressing like a beachmost classes

participated.

The ice breaker on August 14th

did its job well and helped many of the

freshman make new friends. It was a fun

and interesting day thanks to Leadership.

Leadership followed up Beach

Day with Movie Night on September 18th

and an outdoor screening of Gremlins.

Principle Dr. Aguirre spots his next dry prey.Ms. Alcantar looks for revenge.

Senior Jonathan Shoman gazes down as

he helps clean Mrs. Bonillas Hummer.

Senior Hatty Lara has fun drying a car.Senior students wash Mrs. Bonillas

black Hummer.

Senior Daniel Anaya has the ultimate

water power in his hands!

Joseph SAUCEDO - Writer

Karla BERNAL - Photographer

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4/8

Senior Nelly Campos visists Nurse Brisee to be sure she is not infected with Senioris

Senior Mike Caracozas Senioris forces him to crush any lowerclassmen he sees.

Story By: Joseph SAUCEDO

Pictures By: Eric WALDEN

Senioritis (\,s-nyr--

ts\) A crippling illness affect-

ing high school seniors every-

where. It is often characterized

by chronic laziness, excessive

absences/tardiness, and dismis-

sive tendencies.Many high schools across

the states are plagued by the

illness, blissfully unaware of its

source and detrimental effects

on seniors.

Senior Steven Seigel

says that Senioritis, even in mild

cases, can lead to dissatisfy-

ing grades. In short, failure to

attend class, both high school

and college-level, can be severe-

ly disadvantageous by the time

Finals Week arrives.

Though the cause is

unclear, Senior Jackie Gallinar

says that, Having the feeling

of living up to expectations, is

partially to blame for Seniori-

tis among a multitude of other

sources.

Many of the May gradu-

ates are regularly attending

UTEP though they have not yet

completed high school courses

required for a diploma. SeniorEdna Vazquez says, I think

most of the UTEP students think

the same way in terms of giving

priority to our college courses

over high school classes. Does

an Associates Degree make our

May grads any less prone to the

perils of Senioritis?

There isnt too much

to prevent it [Senioritis] other

than having reality check, says

Seigel. Attending class on a

habitual basis and prioritizing

are some of the few preventative

measures that can be taken.

Juniors Eric Walden and Brandon Manning bow down to Seniors Wendy Rodriguez,

Monica Flores and Nelly Campos.

Attention seniors! The following test will

assess your level of Senioritis. Answer each

question truthfully and calculate your score.

1. Youve ditched 2 or more classes this se-

mester.

2. You dont attend 1 or more of the classes

listed on your Flexible Friday Sheet.

3. There are Fridays you forget to turn-inyour Flexible Friday Sheet.

4. ARMI is a class period you are comfortable

arriving late to, or even ditching.

5. You arrive late to school on a daily basis.

6. You often study minutes before an exam.

7. Youve done one of the following with your

Flexible Friday

Driven to Pavo Rel for a quick swim

Watched Transformers 2 at the dollar movies

Went off-roading near the SAC

Just took off and headed home for the day

8. You are constantly called into the office in

regard to your attendance.

9. You finish homework late at night or the

morning it is due.

10. Youve disregarded most of the work assigned

this semester.0-2

Level 1: You are right on track. Nothing more than a sea-

sonal case of Senioritis. Contact your doctor immediately

if condition worsens.

3-5

Level 2: There is room for improvement. Its time to con-

sider attending class on a regular basis and studying for

exams well beforehand.

6-8+

Level 3: Outright Senioritis! Your infirmity is highly con-

tagious. It would be best to distance yourself from peers.

This is by far the most severe degree of Senioritis.

SENIORITISCHECKLIST


5/8

Fashion SpeaksYoure walking down the halls of Mission High School when

you see some guy with a neon green, three-foot Mohawk. When

you go to the vending machine, you notice a girl with a pair of

red heels clacking away down the hallway. You discover shes

not the only one doing the clacking when you see a boy withwhite cowboy boots and a perfectly matching belt. Through the

doors of Mission are different fashion trends worn by everybody,

from Rockers to preppies and in-between. In the trendsetters

mind they represent more than just style. Their style represents

culture, personality, appearance and the most important, who

they truly are.

FASHION

CherosIs a shortened name for Ranchero and originated

from the Mexican culture. The attire usually requires

matching boots and a belt. The cowboy hat is always

a must. Cheros can be seen ripping up the dance

floor in the middle of a duranguense song.

FashionistasThe Fashionistas cat walk down the runway, every singleday. They make the rules and they break the rules but still

always look fabulous. These type people always have a

pair of zebra printed high heels hanging around in theircloset.

PrepsHollister, Pac Sun, American Eagle, Aeropostale,

Abercrombie and Fitch every brand in the mall you

name, they got it. And they make sure you know

they have name brand clothes because the name,

Hollister is printed in big white letters across

their shirt. Not to mention their clothes always

match to perfection.

JocksThe jocks can be seen screaming, Score like

a mad man around the fields. The extra talented

kid is always running around in Reebok basketball

shorts and pair of Nikes. Things like heels and ties

are a hidden behind thousands of soccer trophies

under their bed.

RockersFrom dark black eyeliner to purple spiked up hair,

the rockers know how to cause a conversation

with their black baggy pants and their graphical

band ties. Rockers can always be spotted at a

Metallica concert shaking their heads and hair in an

adrenaline rush.

Trends

Bobbi Foster-Writer

Martha Cruz-Photographer

Daniel Trejo

Tiffany Zuniga

Dominic AlonsoVanity Flores

George Ugalde

Gabriel Duron


6/8

New On Campus

6

armi

Photo Provided By: Alex CASTILLO

G ARMI

S [D V]

E P E C -

.

W - M ANAYA

The following takes place be-

tween 8:10 am and 8:15 am.

Students run around frantically,

hurrying to reach their classrooms

in time. The sound of footsteps,

confusion, and doors slamming

drown out everything else. The fol-

lowing takes place from 8:25 am

to 8:30 am. Students entered their

respective classroom, trying to nd

a seat. Anchors John Pacheco and

Xavier Martinez inform clueless

students of upcoming events and

important announcements. The

following takes place from 8:30

am and 9:00 am.Peeking inside English teacher

Sergio Perez, students are discuss-

ing a novel. Students in music

instructor Joshua Brewer are going

over their agendas and learning

how to become better students.

Math instructor Andrew Waxman

works with his students to interpret

President Obamas quotes.

ARMI class has commenced

this year for the first time in

the Socorro District, including

MECHS. It has begun with the sole

purpose of helping students who

need the extra help in class. The

district has started with this class

to provide during the mentoring

periods accelerated information

to the students who need it, Vice

Principal Ivette Savina says.

MECHS does not have a highrate of failure. So how are we tak-

ing advantage of this class? Savina

explains, Here at MECHS we are

using it to show our students how

to be successful. We use specic

activities with hopes of showing

students how they can access the

information they need.

Students have mixed emotions

about this new class. Students like

junior Juan Bolanos are excited

about ARMI class. Bolanos says,I really like this class because it

helps you reflect upon yourself.

You get to develop good studying

habits.

Not everyone shares Bolanoss

feelings. Sophomore Micaela

P - GabrielSANCHEZ

Volleyball

Xyxyxxyxy xyx

Arcle By: Miguel ANAYA

Everyone on the eld slowly

squats down, watching the server with

squinted eyes. The sun beats down on

their backs as their eyes lock rmly onthe server. The server raises the ball up

slowly, holding it like sort of trophy.

She tosses it up in the air and smacks

it into the other direction, the sound

of the impact sends a rush of adrena-

line through every player. Volleyball

sponsor Adrian Estroga keeps his eyes

glued to the ball as it flies back and

forth between players, ready to point

out any rule violations and pronounce

the winner.

Geometry teacher Estorga will be organizing and monitoring

this years MECHS volleyball tournament. Before [we had orga-

nized sport tournaments], we had students playing volleyball [during

lunch either way] and Ms Alcantar took it upon herself to organizethe students into a tournament. Last year, Coach Arvizu organized

the tournament and this year it was fallen upon me to do it, Estorga

says.

Students are getting into the action, whether they are playing

or watching. Junior Angel Cepeda says, I entered the tournament

because volleyball is a fun sport and I hope our team wins.

Queens of the Court Captain Alex Castillo says, Our prize will be

pride and knowing we beasted it up out there.

This years sports sponserer Estorga said he made major

improvements to make the games as fun and efcient as possible.

Last year we had the problem of having students taking classes at

Valle Verde during scheduled games and they couldnt make it. This

year I took that into consideration and asked everyone when they

could play so that we didnt run into that problem again. Games

will run into the end of the month, so students will still be able to

get a glimpse of the players tearing it up.

Junior Eric Walden writes all of

his good habits.

Photographer - Alex CASTILLO

Leadership students prepare a poster for an upcoming

event.

D .

Josh Cardoza listenst to his favorite

music in the PAC.

Photographer - Alex CASTILLO

Mine! yells senior Eddie Gardea as he quickly reacts

to the incoming ball.

Sending the ball soaring overthe net, freshman Paulina

Samenego ghts to break aed score.

Phoenix

Activity

Center

Pearson says, I think that this

class is bad because it adds more

work than what we are already do-

ing. Despite feeling overloaded,

Pearson adds she will give that

class her best. I will probably

pass it because I cant let myselffail anything. I still think Im go-

ing to pass, Micaela says.

Freshman who had high hopes

of starting class later found

themselves disappointed to learn

school will now start at 8:15 am.

Freshman Erik Duran says, I

thought it was pretty cool to go

to high school. But I was kind of

surprised they were extending

our time in school and I didnt

like that.

MECHS instructors are work-

ing hard with Savina and Princi-pal Dr. Aguirre to adjust to this

new period. Savina says, We

try to promote organization and

time management. We think that

those skills are important to have

and practice so you can become a

very successful student.

Sophomore Damian Valencia goes over notes in ARMI class. Pho-

tographer - Alex CASTILLO


7/8

A new school year has brought new

staff to Mission Early College High

School. MECHS not only has a new

freshman class but, new teachers and staff

members for this 2009-10 school year.

MECHS now has a new teacher for 10th

grade chemistry, dance, physical educa-

tion, BCIS (Business Computer Infor-

matrion System), 9th grade English, 11th

grade English, government. Gloria Jurado

is the new office clerk, Ms. Quintanilla

the new attendance clerk and Mr. Miranda

is the new counslor.

The new teachers have praised Mis-

sion Early College High School. The new

dance teacher Ms. Perez said, Im really

excited, I have a supportive staff, a sup-

portive administration, that encourages

me and, the students are great.

The new staff members prefer

MECHS and are happy of being part of

the staff. I love it, I couldnt be any-

where else, said new Physical Education

teacher, Ms. Gonzalez.

The new BCIS teacher, Mr. Bonilla,

said, Should I tell the truth?when asked

about how MECHS first got in touch with

him. Bonilla got in touch with Dr. Aguirre

first with the help of Mrs. Bonilla.

MECHS seems to bring a new envi-

ronment to many of the new staff mem-

bers. Sophmore chemistry teacher, Ms.

Abanos old high school had a populationof 3,000 students. Nobody knew each

other Abano said.

The new teachers described their previ-

ous jobs. Mr. Bonilla said, I was teach-

ing, but I was doing credit recovery in

Socorro high school for super seniors.

Abano said,Standardized tests counted as

major grades in her previous position.

The teacher from other cities or states

commented on how changes have come.

The new chemistry teacher, Mrs. Abano,

has just moved to El Paso from North

Carolina. Abano said, The people [in El

Paso] are friendly and helpful.

The new school year was a new start.

Mrs. Adrienne Abano, Ms. Monica Perez,

Ms. Yanel Gonzalez, Mr. Raymond

Bonilla, Ms. Angela Clarke, Mr. Segio

Perez, Mr. Robert Acosta, Ms. GloriaJurado, Ms. Cristina Quintanilla and, Mr.

Humberto Miranda were all part of this

new start. They now represent MECHS

staff and enjoy being here.

By Karla Sanchez & Valerie Tafoya

New Year, New FacesMs. Perez is one of the many new teach-

ers at Mission Early College High School.

Her curriculum is dance and health.

Photographer- Mahew Alonso

New teacher, Mr. Bonilla, works hard on

his lectures, as he is proud to be apart of

the Mission Staff.


Phoenix Flames & Embers

Everyone stretches out their back so it would be easier to move and dance around.

Photographer- Eric Walden

The Phoenix Flames coordinator, Ms.

Perez, shows everyone a secon of thetryout dance.

Photographer- Eric Walden

Having much knowledge about chemistry, new teacher Ms. Abao will give insight

about molecules to sophomore students.


Nohemy AlemanGaby Velez

Ana VasquezLisa Garcia

Alex CastilloValerie MolinaJessica Dominguez

Leyla PalaciosMeagan Alvarado

Alex ApodacaGizelle Silerio

Ana Diaz de LeonJeana NevarezClarissa HerreraRocio Fernandez

Mitzelle EscobarHattly Lara

Alyssa ColacionEstefania Nunez

Griselda ArreolaCourtney MagnasonMiriam Pando

Amanda LujanJoanna Rodriguez

Wendy GarciaJazmine Gallardo

Kaory FloresDaphne MyersKaitlyn IagerErika Quiroz

Michelle Jimenez

Aendance clerk, Ms. Crisna Quintanilla

places a phone call.

Photographer- Evelia Fraire

To prevent any injury, everyonestretched out their muscles by doing

buerflies. Photographer- Eric Walden

Members

7


8/8

The plaza theater gives you a unique

sense of the old art-deco style with a newage spirit. When you are seated, a light

show representing an elaborate day and

night rendtiton behind it, different to start-

ing a movie as opposed to previews. In the

end its worth the drive and the cost.

I saw a movie called Blast of Silence

at the plaza film festival on Friday, Au-

gust 14th. The movie was black and white,

we had to see this movie because the one

we wanted was sold out. I found that the

movie was a good mix of suspense, action,

and mystery for a black and white movie

from the early 60s. The movie begins

in New York City with a hit-man named

Frankie Bono who was there for a job from

Cincinnati. The movie begins at Christmastime with a cetrtain emptiness that Frankie

feels being away from home with no fam-

ily. He sees a world around him filled with

happiness and family togetherness and

feels at times bitter that he can not experi-

ence that happiness. The feeling of loneli-

ness gets worse when frankie sees some

old friends form the orphanage he grew up

in and they invite him in for a Christmas

Eve party, only reminding him what the

happiness of family brings. He soon falls

in love with a girl he knew, but he is re-

jected after finding out she already has a

boyfriend. The dismayed Frankie becomes

only more dismayed after realizing that

he still has a job to do and thats the onlyreason hes in New york for. Frankie then

becomes distraught from his job as

he has to kill a bystander who

gets in his way of finishing

his job. After talking

with his bosses he is

told that he signed a

contract and has to finsh

the job or its his life in

jeopardy. The moment of

climax comes when the guy

Frankies is supposed to kill

falls into his trap. Frankie kills

him and barely gets away. Only

a few moments later Frankie

i s tracked down by thetargets bodygaurds

and is shot and kil-

lexd. The title,

Burst of Si-

lence comes

from the si-

lence that

is brought

to Frankie when

he is shot and killed.

Overall I thought the

movie was a good movie, it had

a good balance of action with a mes-

sage.

Matt Chapman - Special to The PhoenicianA Blast of Silence

Artists of the Future

When you travel, you often buy

a postcard of one of your favor-

ite attractions since it depicts the

beauty of the experiences you had

there much better than any picture

or story you can write. Not in Costa

Rica. In this Central American

paradise, you dive deep into these

picturesque articles of postage and

experience the adventure first hand.

While the tour was conducted

through EF Tours, whose purpose

is to introduce and educate stu-

dents about foreign countries, that

doesnt mean learning a few facts

and figures here and there made the

excursion any less thrilling. Over

the course of two weeks in June, we

learned little bits about the geogra-

phy of Costa Rice while swimming

at the foot of La Fortuna, one of the

countrys most gorgeous waterfalls.

We witnessed the biodiversity over

the region by walking the paths of

INBIOparque, a reservation show-

casing the different species unique

to the country. We discovered Lake

Arenal was the largest in the land

while kayaking through its waters.

And you can really only learn how

sporadic the whether is over there

when you experience a sudden

downpour in the middle of horse-

back riding in the mountains (it

literally felt like someone poured

buckets of water on us!).

Though activities such as zip-

lining through the jungle (and a

kilometer between mountains at

that) were exhilarating, unique and

sometimes plain scary, it was just

as fun to sit and relax on the beach

with your friends, old and new. It

can be said that traveling with the

people you hold close to your heart

can really put a test to your rela-

tionship but in this Latin American

heaven its hard not to love every-

one you meet. Over the course the

trip, the different groups of friends

began to merge and fuse, introduc-

ing us to new friends and strength-

ening the ties to our existing ones

to create lasting bonds that span a

lifetime.

But dont worry about being left

out of this amazing opportunity,

for those of you who wish they

couldve gone theres going to be

another trip to Costa Rica filled

with some familiar activities as

well as new expeditions to enjoy in

2011.

Zach Reyna - Special to The PhoenicianCosta Rica

Anna Patino-Artist

By Laura SaucedoPicture on bottom: Black Bird L

Senior Zach Reyna and a fellow travaler Claudia Ramirez try on

their shells

Student Submissions

8

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