The Valley Ventana (December 2013) - Smithson Valley High School

THE ENTANA

ALLEYV @valleyventana

SociAL, MucH?

Girls Dribble Past ComPetition

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Volume 37 /// Issue 4 /// December

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Canyon death draws focus

Two seconds and two punches were all it took to send Logan Davidson, a 15-year-old Canyon High School sophomore, to the emergency room with fatal injuries.

On Nov. 12, about 9:27 a.m., a juvenile sus-pect allegedly assaulted Davidson in the hallway at Canyon. The alleged perpetrator waited for Davidson outside his classroom as school vid-eo cameras proved.

According to a Nov. 12 New Braunfels Police Report, Davidson, uncon-scious and bleeding from the face, was treated by EMS personnel at the scene and airlifted to University Hospital in San Antonio. He died Nov. 13 from his injuries.

The 15-year-old suspect was detained on the spot and later charged with aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury. Because of the ongoing juvenile criminal investigation by the New Braunfels Police Department Criminal Investigations Unit, the suspect’s name has not been released.

Police report said that they have no idea why Davidson was attacked.

Many people in New Braunfels paid their respects by tying rib-bons to trees around the Canyon campus, New Braunfels and San Marcos and attending a Nov. 14 candlelight vigil at the Canyon courtyard and the Nov. 19 funeral where more than 1,000 people attended, or about 35 percent of the Canyon student body.

At the high school, students, counselors and athletes paid their respects as well.

Before the football team’s Nov. 15 game against the Johnson Jaguars in San Marcos, a long silence was held by students and staff. Simultaneously, a mo-ment of silence was held at Canyon’s game against Reagan High School.

Counselors from the high school were de-ployed to Canyon the days after the event to console and comfort students affected by the tragedy.

“It was a heart wrenching scene,” counselor Amanda Pedroza said. “The first day I went, there was a prayer circle. I was really touched by that.”

Counselor Marcia Murphy said that she was determined to help, but “didn’t know what to

From Staff Reports

When juniors heard rumors of an announcement in English III in early October, they expected a pop quiz, maybe a test. The possibility of a new English teacher was furthest from their mind.

“I thought she would’ve waited to the end of the year at least,” junior Sam Austin said.

Ronessa McDonald, Advanced Placement English teacher and depart-ment chair, left her work at the school for a new job at central office where she will oversee English Language Arts instruction across the district. Taking McDonald’s place will be English IV teacher Kristen Watkins, who expressed excitement over her new position and her ambitions for the AP class.

“My hopes are that they are obvious-ly successful on the AP test in May, but, pass or fail, I hope they gain helpful skills that they might not have had if they had chosen to take one of the other courses,” Watkins said.

Although McDonald’s departure was very rapid, leaving little time for goodbyes, she said she had many memorable moments in her 12 years as a teacher. Some of these moments included the days she spent fighting cancer and trying to maintain order in a class full of juniors.

“I remember the first time I came back to school after my cancer diagno-sis,” McDonald said. “I decided not to wear my wig one day. This was the year I had been gone for six months, I came back, and I was teaching my students, and I was bald! So there I am, in this class full of eleventh graders, and to break the ice a little bit, I said to my class, ‘Well, I forgot my wig today,’ even though it was very obvious I didn’t forget. One girl in the back said, ‘Yeah but you look beautiful,’ and it was really touching.”

McDonald assured students that she would be on site advising Watkins and providing advice on her old curriculum plan.

“Really it’s no different from every year when students graduate; it’s just me who’s sort of graduating,” McDonald said. “Yes, I’ll miss students, but I’m not going very far. I’ll still be on campus. I still want to come back and do the AP reviews and that sort of thing, but, yes, I’ll absolutely miss my students.”

By Preston Davis

They grade tests, home-work and quizzes. They teach, take attendance and assist in daily lessons. And they receive no financial payment for their time and labor:

These are student teach-ers.

A student teacher is an assigned assistant to an official teacher to gain field experience and motiva-tion for desired careers as educators. This gains them as much field experience as possible while under the direction of an experi-

enced superior, while their assistance appreciated as it lessens the workload of the official educator.

However, students misinterpret that student teachers are not substitutes or classroom helpers. They are, in fact, teachers for that class.

Coach Douglas Ulbricht, geometry teacher and football coach, said Robert Monroe, his student teacher and assistant, helped him immensely with tutoring and teaching.

“It is definitely benefit-ing me,” Ulbricht said. “He comes to the classroom in the morning and afternoon for tutorials. So, it isn’t only

benefiting me, but it’s also benefiting the kids too.”

While Monroe teaches five class periods a day, he seems to be not only teach the students but also the teacher.

“The different things that he has brought in and taught the students are things I really need to remember for next year’s class.” Ulbricht said.

However, unlike Ulbricht and other teachers, he does not receive any payment for his teaching. To support himself financially, Monroe is employed elsewhere and

By Kolby Barber & Hailey Whittaker

Student teachers benefit instructors, class throughout campus curriculum

Raise the RoostWhen it comes to

turkey feathers, math teacher Richard Rath-burn rules the roost.

Rathburn’s math classes collected $1,887 out of more than $3,500 raised in November to help those in need in the school community.

The annual Fam-ily and Community Services fund-raiser encouraged students and teachers alike to donate money to help pay for food, clothing and necessities for needy families during the holiday season. The money also is used to help thank custodial and cafeteria workers for their efforts during the

school year. “I love giving the

students at SV the opportunity to give from their hearts,” FACS sponsor Lori Niles said. “In the past three years, students have come through in their giving. I think giving and serving can be a life changing experience, and I love being a part of chang-ing lives.

To reward his class-es, Rathburn gave four of them a pizza party.

“The classes were so excited!” he said. “They were very proud of what they had accom-plished. It feels great to win! It was truly amazing to see the kids respond so overwhelm-ingly to help others.”

By Valeria Kubalka

Big Bird: During a lecture on trig functions, pre-calculus teach-er Richard Rathburn (right) instructs his students underneath the watchful eye of their Turkey Feather count. Each feather represents a dollar. Photo by Cole Eldridge

Frosted Facades: Putting the finishing touches on her masterpiece, junior Shelby Machado works on her castle inspired gingerbread house during a Dec. 6 assignment in the culinary arts lab. Photo by Emily Etter

Pre-Cal class raises half of FACS charity funds

$1,887 raised by Rathburn’s math classes

Turkey Talk:

+$3,500raised by the high school

football falls to johnson Page 6

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D E c G I V I n GnHS Toy Drive: National Honor Society has teamed up with the Spring Branch Bulverde Lions Club. Unwrapped, new toys and canned food items are needed. Service hours are available for NHS and other community service-seeking students. One toy around $10 in value can receive one service hour in return. Five canned items can be received for one service hour. See Deb-bie Shewbridge in room A204 to turn in your gifts for service hours, the front office if not.FAcS Angel Tree: Family and Community Services (FACS) is ongoing in their annual Angel Tree chairty event. Classes, groups and individuals ‘adopted’ an Angel, an area child from Kintergarden to senior years, and purchased gifts, food and other Christmas necessities.

English classes shake up after leadership shift

“English” continued on Page 2

“Death” continued on Page 2

Sugar‘nSpice

Culinary arts students design individual gingerbread houses

Bake, Make, Eat: Culinary students made gingerbread house like this one Dec. 6. The houses ranged in skill in the making and baking process, but all allowed for students to creatively outlet their inner pastry chef. Photo by Kolby barber

“Student Teacher” continued on Page 4

As a graduate from three universities and a veteran of three years teaching English IV, Watkins similarly as-sured her students that she had the experience to maintain the class’s AP standards.

“I hope that I can help them find a love for learning,” Watkins said, “and, if I can, (try to) ignite an interest in something they didn’t have an interest in before. I guess that’s kind of my philosophy. Finding that spark inside them and setting it afire.”

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2 NEWS @ V A L L E Y V E N T A N A

band competes for All-District, All-Region seats

Three students, Devyn Richter, Natalie Morales and Andy Thomas, qual-ified to compete for the area band in January.

All-District Band: Carley O’SullivanSarah HarrellCourtney HinojosJessica MillerRiley O’SullivanEllen PerkinsTatyana PrietoAmanda WaclawczykTaylor HarrellWade AxellJosh Nelson-FergusonDerek FangDanielle MoralesAll-Region Band Students:Devyn RichterAustin ChungSara EastNatalie MoralesAndy ThomasAshley GordenCorby MunsellDevon CurtisWilliam Shaffer

Class creates custom wreaths The floral design classes began crafting with plastic bags and wire hangers to make a free holiday wreath. They first created the frame of the wreath by bending the wired hanger into a circle. Next they continuously cut the plastic bags and tied them onto the circle until they are satisfied. For this project the students needed lots of bags. They appreciated if anyone could donate any spare plastic bags.

NHS, Lions Club host Toy Drive

National Honor Society partnered with the Bulverde/Spring Branch Lions Club to collect donations of new, unwrapped toys for St. Jude’s Children’s Ranch.

In addition to bringing in toys, donors also are encouraged to bring in canned goods. Service hours can be earned for donations until Dec. 17.

Donations can be delivered to the front office, or Room A204.

ffa teams Advance to Area The SVFFA LDE Teams competed at the Nov. 12 Guadalupe Valley District Competition. The following teams advanced to the Nov. 20 Area VII competition. Radio Broadcast-ing - First Place Kyler Patton Trevor Perkins Shaye Weber Senior Creed Speaking - First Place Kirsten Crutcher Senior Skills - First Place Kirsten Crutcher Kyler Patton Parker Smith Greenhand Skills - Second Place Devin Bell Kaleigh Lawson Ali Schroeder Senior Quiz - Sec-ond Place Megan Granger Cameron Kissling Megan Michalec Jordi Young Senior Conducting - Second Place Rachel Broederick Megan Eckhardt Shelbie Hampton Joe Mays Reva Onderdonk Karigon Rion Trevor Perkins

briefly \\\

Brothers in Arms: Sopho-more Alexus Alberts holds her mother while remembering her brother. Her mother held a photo of the brother, a Marine who was killed in action by an explosion. “Usually it’s not that hard on Veterans Day,” Alberts said. “Like, I have to help my mom get though it. But I have no idea why it was so hard (this year).” Photo by Emilly Etter

Setting the Scene: Senior Saw-yer Marshall sets the Veterans Day table with symbolic items to show that the fallen will not be forgotten. “It really shows how some people feel about Veterans Day,” freshman Eric Burrell said. Photo by Emilly etter

Sway with Me: The Silver Spur officers dance

to honor those who served in military forces.

They danced to a mix that included phone calls to soldiers from their fam-ilies. “It was a humbling

experience, and we were honored to be a part of

such a meaningful day,” junior Hannah Simmons

said. Photo by Emilly etter

Home of the Brave: Sophomore Baylee Reed sings

the National Anthem during the Veterans Day assembly-Nov. 11 at Ranger Stadium.

The entire stadium went silent as she sang. “It was scary at first,” Reed said. “But once I

started singing, everything was OK.” Photo by Robert Evans

Student Body Salute: Chief Petty Officer Daniel Hansen stands in front of the audience, calling off

branches of the military to stand for recognition. He stood in front of the entire stadium while students hon-

ored those in the military service. Photo by Robert Evans

mEn AT ARmSSchool honors active duty military, veterans at annual ceremony

From Germany, with Love

Junior ROTC unit qualifies for area championships

Pulling the cap off of a marker, German teacher Brigitte Deyle copies her lesson plan onto the whiteboard. What is status quo for most teachers is a change from the San Antonio school where she recently taught. She is new to the school but certainly not new to teaching.

“I have been an English teacher, German teacher, and, in Germa-ny, a homeroom teach-er,” Deyle said.

She traveled abroad and lived in many places, including Kansas and Germany. She most recently taught in San Antonio and transferred to the school after the resignation of this past year’s temporary Ger-man teacher.

“I thought, ‘That might be a nice place to live,’ and just by coincidence there was a (teaching) spot open,” Deyle said.

Fluent in four lan-

guages, Deyle has the experience necessary to teach almost any language class in the school.

“German is my first language,” Deyle said. “English was second, French was third, Italian was fourth.”

Or, in fancier terms, she is quadrilingual.

Deyle said there were many things different from Germany, many of which she missed.

“We have a totally

different school sys-tem…. That’s really a difference,” Deyle said. “We don’t… have sports teams.”

Though the school is very different from the German schools Deyle once taught in, she said she didn’t want to leave.

“I can combine the best of both worlds,” Deyle said. “I can work here and in the summer go to Germany. I’m happy that way.”

By Keagan miller

Sprechen Sie Deutsch?: Brigitte Deyle speaks four languages and has taught and traveled abroad. Photo by Keagan MillerThe Smithson Valley

Navy JROTC Unit com-peted on Nov. 23 at the Seguin Drill Meet and qualified for the Area State Championships.

By placing second out of all the Navy JROTC schools pres-ent, the JROTC team has earned a bid to compete for the state championships to be held at Texas A&M Uni-versity-College Station in February.

Competing in several areas, the battalion, led

by cadets Walker Hob-son, Sawyer Marshall, Molly Beaufait and Samantha Frank, placed second in Academics, second in Physical Fitness and third in Color Guard. The SVHS NJROTC Unit has qual-ified for state 18 out of the past 20 years.

“The cadets have been working hard since this past summer, so it’s great to see their hard work pay off,” said Chief Petty Officer Daniel Hansen, SVHS NJROTC Naval Science instructor.

From comal ISD

“English”from Page 1 expect” in measuring

Canyon students’ grief. “They were really

concerned about the families of the boys,” Pedroza said, of both the victim and the alleged assailant.

Students at the high school were equally concerned and dis-heartened by the event.

“It was horrible for that to happen at such a young age,” sopho-more Ruby Smola said.

Some sait that the event put the question of school security into play.

“It brings the pres-sure of one student killing another and that the environment isn’t safe,” freshman Richard

Diaz said.Administrators quick-

ly addressed the issue, asking for prayers and privacy alike.

“The Comal ISD family is shocked and saddened by the senseless incident,” Superintendent Andrew Kim wrote in a Nov. 14 district-wide letter. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, and we respect their privacy during this very difficult time.”

Reports from as far away as the United Kingdom covered the tragedy.

The Daily Mail UK Online, CBS News, The Austin Statesman and the San Antonio-Ex-press News were just some of the media

outlets that covered the story.

Several reports who jumped on the break-ing story reported that it was a “fist fight,” as CBS News and some local area television stations put it. How-ever, according to the New Braunfels Police Department and the definition of a “fight,” Davidson was assaulted and given no chance to retaliate. The Daily Mail UK retracted its initial headline describing it as a fight, instead using the term “beaten up” in its Nov. 15 story.

(Robert Evans, Amanda Renteria and Madison Demmer con-tributed to this report.)

“Death”from Page 1

Red, White and Blue: (From left) Monica Tapia, Samantha Frank, Viviane Coronado and Molly Beaufait display the stars-and- stripes at their Nov. 23 drill meet. Photo from Comal IsD Commu-nications

Profile Picture: Logan David-son’s profile picture on Facebook has been used in publications ranging from CBS News, the Daily Mail UK and the San Anto-nio-Espress News. Social media played a large role in spreading the news of Davidson’s condition and eventual death on sites such as Instagram. However, it also spread confusion about the situation.

New German teacher has taught abroad, statewide throughout language profession

oPiNioNV A L L E Y V E N T A N A . o r G

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E ENTANAALLEYV

The Valley Ventana is an online and monthly print publication. The Ventana is a student publication meant for the student body, and a production of the Smithson Valley High School Media Team. The Media Team’s publications include:

The Ranger YearbookRanger Report (weekly broadcast)Social Media: @valleyventana Twitter/Instagram and on Facebook.The Ventana also welcomes letters and opinions to the editor. Send

letters to either room C105, or email them to [email protected]. Letters can be anonymous or addressed. No return letter will be sent asking for information. Letters should expect no attention if they are biased, libelous or slanderous.

Individuals should hold selves liable

Apple cores smash against the Rang-er mural in B-wing, water and PowerAde bottles hurl like catapult projectiles into crowds of students and condiment pack-ets pop like firecrackers along the stained trudge toward class after lunch. Those quietly following walk in the aftermath, shaking their heads in discouragement of the youth of today or of their own kind.

“Would that be OK at your house?” one exasperated teacher might say. “This isn’t a pigsty,” an administrator might quip. “Are you all, like, animals?” an especially gutsy student might lament.

We have all heard those familiar lines before. Most of us have heard these tired phrases since elementary school, if not kindergarten. They are ready-made phras-es fit for the backdrop of collective, blind action.

And, true, they are clichés. But clichés are such because they are things that most everybody already knows. In this case, it is the personal responsibility of students attending the high school.

It is a rule of society. Keep your environ-ment clean for the benefit of your fellow man/student. It is mutual regard, the Golden Rule, if extended properly. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Expect the same in return.

Trash in the hallways is the most notable result left from the absence of personal re-sponsibility. Most of this trash comes in the flurry of congregated student activity after lunch. Some “forget” about their trash and leave it for others to pick up. Others go a step beyond the perceived anonymity of a crowd and outright throw trash right in the grass or in hallways. Rebellious stuff.

Besides the pointed finger of phraseol-ogy and heaving sigh of disgruntlement, there is another repeated, important rea-son not to litter – it makes people’s jobs harder.

Custodians on staff do not get to gripe and voice discontent to students. They clean after school when we are gone and left to our rooms at home, rooms that most likely do not have trash strewn about them.

But blaming amorphous crowds, society and culture usually does not go very far persuasively, and some people just want to watch the world burn as they carelessly discard their limited-release Twinkie wrap-pers.

Instead, individual measures should be taken. Take responsibility for your actions, even in crowds. Mob mentality aside, a se-ries of small actions can culminate quickly and can reverberate largely.

While blame may be cast on those wan-dering, trash tromping groups, it would be much more powerful if those individual members took personal responsibility.

Furthermore, taking that initiative will not only better the high school’s environ-ment but also future outside scenes where graduates may venture.

From Valley Ventana Editorial Board

Grim Garbage: Littering is a personal responsibility issue. Editorial cartoon by Josh Quesada

Puppies, plague and college essaysThe blinking line on

Microsoft Word is mock-ing me. It has been for three months now.

Procrastination has got to be contagious. I like to pleasantly think Procro, a cute name I call procrastination like a kid gives to a puppy, is a viral contagion mul-tiplying exponentially with no hope in sight. But that’s just me. I enjoy calling things cute as much as I do wallow-ing in depressed apathy. That is, when the mood strikes me.

Then there’s the dreaded label productiv-ity winces at – seniori-tis, which, according to Urban Dictionary, “tends to start after college applications and mid-year reports have been sent in.”

Some might argue that senioritis afflicts whenever you are first

decorated with the title of “senior.” These diverters from Urban Dictionary boundaries point to one thing in particular – college essays.

I, like many other se-niors at the high school, have been experiencing the plight that is the college essay, or essays, depending upon your severity of madness. It’s not that essays are difficult, actually, quite the opposite.

Prompts typically don’t stray far from “Describe a place that makes you feel at peace” or “Discuss an accomplishment or

event that makes you, you.” Follow a few rules: stay within the word count, talk about you and don’t be egocentric. Easy.

If it weren’t for the pressure, most would have the essay(s) done in an hour or two at most. But the pres-sure is there. And so is Procro, wagging his tail mockingly and spread-ing his plague sinisterly.

Beyond the burden of deadline, there’s also the pressure to be you, to detail all of your in-ner character values in 600 words or fewer, to have a tone of modesty, sincerity, ambition and all other lovely things colleges love to read about. Oh, and be inter-esting. And funny. But keep it short, please. We don’t have all day for the rest of your life.

It’s no secret that seniors harbor a certain animosity toward the

application process. It’s a roadblock on the way toward the future, toward adulthood and life. It seems like an un-necessary step, a step that we think will come inevitably.

But like the drag that is senior year, the buffer between parent-cradled life and parent-support-ed education, we put those steps off. Wheth-er nostalgic or wanting, we cling onto childhood, sheltered existences, something safe and warm and predictable. Procro smiles a toothy grin underneath our hands when we pro-crastinate. And we’re okay with that.

Change will come. Parents and teachers and colleges know that. We know that, some more than others. All it takes is an afternoon sweating out an essay or two. That’s all. Easy.

Right?

By Robert Evans

\\\ top tweets svhsoF@a_howarrrd“Wow Smithson Valley is more sup-portive for Johnson than other schools and we’re not even in their district. #classy”Dec. 7, 9:53 p.m.

@TPerkins_RP2“90% of the kids (at) smithson valley drive one of three things:1. A pickup of some sort2. A Jeep3. A mustang#ObservationsByTrevor”Dec. 3, 10:46 p.m.

Logan Davidson died after he was assaulted at Canyon High School on Nov. 13. The police have a 15-year-old male suspect in custody, but was he the only one at fault? In the moments directly before the at-tack, there were many people around. None of these people caused it and were not legally obligated or might not have been able to take any preventative ac-tion. But, if they were given a chance, were they morally obligated to try to prevent the attack?

Although schools are required to protect their students, the school should not be held at fault. Further-more, this event could not have been foreseen by teachers. Moral ob-ligation kicks in only if you have some knowl-

edge of what is about to happen. If you see someone about to jump off a bridge, you should try to stop him. If you see someone falling off a bridge, there is absolutely nothing you can do to save him.

Maybe the attack was foreseen by a student. Students know each other like no teacher ever could. Someone might have known that the alleged assault was eminent through these person-al connections. That person had no legal obligation to stop it, but he or she did have a moral obligation.

A few friendly words might have prevented the attack altogether.

Nobody can confirm what happened in the classroom before the attack. However, if in-sults were exchanged, whoever initiated the verbal attack would be morally respon-sible. The one who initiated the physical attack would be legally responsible.

If someone can prevent a tragedy, it is his moral responsibility to do so. The alleged attacker is the only one being held directly responsible, but many people around might have had the power to prevent it. A know-ing friend could have stopped the death with a single word. Though the cause cannot be confirmed, the result is widely known, and we are all left wondering how to keep it from happening again.

canyon death sparks debateBy Keagan miller

Walking home from the bus stop, I already had it in my mind that I was going to watch TV instead of doing my homework. I went over it in my mind. Do I really want to watch TV and do my homework tomorrow?

When I walked into my house, I dropped my backpack at the table and lazily fell on the couch. I wanted to watch the History Channel because an Abraham Lincoln documentary was on. The shadow of my homework rested on my mind as I watched the program. I was wres-tling with the decision to continue to procrasti-nate my work when the documentary mentioned a quote of Abe’s. He said, “Do not postpone for tomorrow what you can accomplish today.” The quote clicked in my head, and my internal conflict was done.

I rose from my com-fortable trap and began to work on my homework assignment. As I worked, I thought of all the negative consequences that could have trans-pired from not making my decision. I could have forgotten about my homework; I could have been scrambling to do it during lunch.

Finally algebra, biology and English were all done. The program I was watching was still on. I watched the TV and saw a picture of Lincoln; he was smiling at me.

Kelson Rohrer-Cuervo is a sophomore.

Do today what you shouldn’t tomorrow

By Kelson Rohrer-cuervo

@Squiiidneeey“My life is honestly such a struggle be-cause I don’t have brown riding boots.”Dec. 7, 5:41 p.m.

@felixrendoniii“The real panoramic of Smithson

Valley high school...” Nov. 18, 1:40 p.m.

Editor-in-Chief: /// Robert EvansEditor(s):/// Orlando Mendiola Adviser:/// Margaret EdmonsonPrincipal:/// John MontelongoSuperintendent:/// Andrew KimStaff:/// Christopher Adams /

Kolby Barber / Magdalena Barnes / Eric Burrell / Wes

Cornelius / Preston Davis / Madison Demmer / Cole Eldridge / Xavier Fajardo / Rebecca Flores / Gianni Har-vey-Montgomery / Angelique Herrera / Madison Janes / Valeria Kulbaka / Keagan Miller / Ashley Ousby / Jes-sica Owens / Meagan Park / Amanda Renteria / Stephanie Schweitzer / Hailey Whittaker

Contributors:/// Emily Etter / Comal ISD

/ Kelson Rohrer-Cuervo

supplies: •Letter of choice•Color paint of

choice•Applicator •Glitter (Optional)

steps: 1. Place your letter

on a surface faCe DOWN (you will start painting the back first).

2. Begin painting the first coat on the back of your letter; then let it dry.

3. Apply the second coat and continue until satisfied.

4. After the back is completely dry, begin painting the sides and crevasses and let it dry.

5. Turn your letter up-ward so it is facing the right direction.

6. Begin painting your first coat on the face part of your letter; then let it dry.

7. As you begin to paint your second coat, if you want to use glitter begin sprinkling the glitter on your let-ter; then let it dry and you’re Done.

PAGE

4 LiFESTYLES @ V A L L E Y V E N T A N A

supplies: •Chocolate of any kind •Spoons (preferably plastic) •Toppings of your choice •Nuts (optional)

steps:1. Get your chocolate into a bowl or cup and put it

in the microwave to allow it to melt for about 10-30 seconds.

2. Grab a spoon and place the spoon into the cup or bowl of chocolate.

3. Wipe the back end of the spoon so there won’t be chocolate on the back of the spoon

4. Place your choice of toppings on the spoon 5. Place it down on a plate to dry6. Repeat.

*Do the exact same thing with the peanut butter, but you will not need to put it into the microwave.

PeRsonal

letteR

DecoRation

PictuRe JaRsupplies: •Picture of your

choice•A clear jar with a lid •Vegetable or olive oil•Glitter (optional)

steps:

1. Place your picture into the jar

2. Pour the vegetable or olive oil SLOWLY into the jar.

3. Sprinkle glitter into the jar.

4. Close the lid of the jar VERY tight.

The jingle bells are ringing and the fresh aroma of Christmas trees is filling the air, which means it is time to spread some Christmas cheer. Instead of go-ing out and busting your budget this holiday season, here are a few gift ideas you can give to your family and friends.

Holiday Handles: These sugar covered spoons are simple treats to hand out for the Christmas holiday. The spoons are great for a sweet tooth. Photo by Ashley ousby

sweet sPoons

Fun with Glitter: Personalizing a sparkling letter is thoughtful for a friend. The instructions listed will make for a fast and simple gift. Photo by Ashley ousby

memories in a Jar: Capturing photos in a jar can add excit-ment. The jar makes simple details pop. Photo by Ashley ousby

has to manage his time wisely.

“I have to work almost every night,” Monroe said. “I don’t have a life outside of work and school, and I can’t afford to take a Friday night to myself.”

Despite the crazy schedule, Monroe said the lack of money was compensated through field experience.

“I get to see what the students need and what the students want,” Monroe said. “And I get to be a part of the students’ lives. That’s something that is now big in my life.”

“It’s a little differ-ent from when I was a student teacher.” Ulbricht said. “I walked in and met the teacher I was working with on a Thursday. I watched him teach that day and Friday. And on Monday I was the teacher while Mr. Monroe watched for a few weeks and then picked up a class or two.”

Despite the dif-ference between his experience and Mon-roe’s, Ulbricht was not unhappy.

“It seems like very time I get a student teacher, they are even more prepared than the last,” Ulbricht said.

Monroe said he focused his time and energy on fulfilling his role as a teacher because he wanted to help his students.

“I want to help the students,” Monroe said. “It’s not about me. It’s about how I can make them more motivated and excited.”

“Student Teacher” from Page 1

IDy

otourself

Holiday Gift

Guide

By Ashley ousby

Evaluating the Future: While student teacher Robert Monroe teaches geometry at the board, mentor Doug Ulbricht evaluates his performance. The same method will be used for the rest of Monroe’s teaching career. “ I have the same form that the principals do when they come in and evaluate the teachers,” Ulbricht said. Photo by Kolby Barber

Archy Marshall, otherwise known as King Krule, is a

19-year-old singer/songwriter. Marshall, originally from a

suburb around London, released his debut album, “6 Feet Beneath The Moon,” on Aug. 26, his birth-day.

Marshall studied at Forest Hill, then the BRIT school over the course of three years be-fore releasing his debut single, “Out Getting Ribs,” in late 2010, under the alias Zoo Kid. After a few years of going by this name, Marshall changed his alias to King Krule, which was influenced by “King Creole,” a film starring Elvis Presley.

Marshall’s music has been compared to indie rock infused with jazz, soul and hip hop with some darkwave origins. Marshall, who has been producing his own music his entire career, has released a few singles, such as “Out Getting Ribs/Has this Hit,” “U.F.O.W.A.V.E,” “King Krule EP,” and “Rock Bottom/Octopus.”

Marshall’s album, “6 Feet Beneath the Moon,” includes a variety of songs in many different genres and styles.

The album itself has 15 songs, each very original and produced with close attention to detail and freshness. Marshall’s style has been evolving for the better since

his Zoo Kid days, and you can really tell in some of the tracks on this album.

In conclusion, King Krule is definitely one to keep an ear out for. With his albums and singles out there is much to be listened to.

After making a strong debut in the U.K. with “Pompeii,” which became the band’s first top five song, Bastille made its debut in

the U.S. with its album “Bad Blood,” released Sept. 3.

The aim for the album, front man Dan Smith said, was to create an album that tied together like a film soundtrack that’s “broad and varied but tied together by the film itself.” The album accomplishes

this goal with dramatic cinema-worthy songs like “Things We Lost in the Fire” and “Laura Palmer.”

All the songs on the album are unique in their own way, tied together by a unique sound that incorporates pop dance beats with dramatic strings and drums adding another dimension that separates the songs from being radio throwaway hits.

The theme of a film soundtrack surrounds itself not just in the songs but the look of the

album as well. The cover is designed to look like a soundtrack, and videos for “Flaws” and “Pompeii” have a movie-like quality with stunning visuals that help make the album a complete package.

Its 15 songs last about 3-4 minutes each, which is a bit overwhelming for a debut, but the songs fit the theme with no “filler” tracks some artists tend to add. The album is a great start for the band setting a unique sound that separates it from others.

ENTErTAiNMENTV A L L E Y V E N T A N A . o r G

PAGE 5

Girl on Fire

In “Catching Fire”, the second part of the “Hunger Games” series,

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark must find a way to survive threats from the Capitol and get through their second games.

Directed by Francis Lawrence, this film stars Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, Josh Hutcher-son as Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth as Gale, a close friend of the Ever-deen family.

It is rated PG-13 and opened on Nov. 22.

“Smart, smoothly directed, and enriched with a deeper explora-tion of the franchise’s thought-provoking themes, ‘Catching Fire proves a thoroughly compelling second in-stallment in the Hunger Games series,” according to the review by Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie starts one year after the events of the previous film with Katniss and Peeta facing the consequences of ending the games with two victors instead of one.

When a special an-niversary edition of the

Hunger Games is called upon by President Snow, the previous victors face going back in the arena fighting to the death once again.

This new game takes place in a new arena with different obstacles harder to get through, with Peeta and Katniss fighting to keep each other alive.

With revolts spread-ing throughout the districts while the games are commencing, an uprising is inevitable.

“Catching Fire” is an improvement from “The Hunger Games,” staying closer to the book than the previous and the action rising faster. The ending will leave non- readers and readers of the book on the edge of their seats, creating great anticipation for the next two films with the series expected to end fall of 2015.

By Wes cornelius

“Catching Fire” leaves you wanting more

new King in Town

By Eric Burrell

Beneath the Moon: The cover for “6 Feet Beneath The Moon” depicts Archy Marshall standing under a drawn black and white moon while playing the guitar.

Spin Magazine: 6.6/10consequence of

Sound: 2.5/5Metacritic: 7.2/10

whAt the professionAls sAy

NME: 8/10Pitchfork: 7.3/10

Spin Magazine: 7/10

whAt the professionAls sAy

4

Battling it Out: The new generation console war begins with the release of the Playstation 4 (left) followed by the Xbox One (right). Both sold big at launch, though Sony toppled with worldwide sales. (Grapic by Orlando Menduiola.)

Good Blood: Bastille’s debut album makes for a good way for the band to introduce its sound and unique way of presenting its music in a cinematic way.

The Challenge : “Catching Fire” is the second installment in the Hunger Games series, which starts with the first of many ob-stacles for the protagonist, Kat-niss, as she defies the Capitol.

AgAinst One

Playsation 4PROS• Biggest new-generation console sale in the U.S and U.K• Ability to download games at the same time as playing them• Better graphics with 8GB GDDR5 RAM with more memory• New controller equipped with share button• $100 less expensive than Xbox One at $399.99• You can transfer your PSP games to the PS4 and play them there

Cons• Sony will make a loss of $60 per unit sold for $399 at launch but expects to immediately recoup the losses through PlayStation Plus subscriptions and game sales.• Playstation Plus is now a paid service • The confusing menus and sub-menus, and the fact that games are displayed in an “endless hori-zontal line with no organizational options whatso-ever.” - Huffington Post Reviews

Xbox onePROS• More first and second party launch titles• Reports indicate that the Xbox One is gaining ground on the PS4 for pre-order sales in the U.S. as Microsoft’s console sold more during the past month.• Players on the same console can use one player’s online interface.• Entertainment system along with gaming able to switch between TV to Netflix to Skype and back to games.

Cons• Cost of $499.99 per unit• Cannot read Xbox 360 discs• While the Kinect 2.0 has very high optical rating, it can become easily confused by voice recognition of multiple people at a time, mishearing com-mands and pets being signed in as guests as they walk into.• Kinect can become activated easily by external sounds

Krule impresses listeners with new album

Not Bad at All: After becoming a breakout band in UK, Bastille are ready to make their mark in the U.S.

By Gianni Harvey-montgomery

PAGE

6 SPorTS @ V A L L E Y V E N T A N A

The girls basketball team snapped a five game losing streak after beating Boerne Cham-pion 59-47 in Boerne on Dec. 6.

The girls were close going into the second half, but they held Boerne Champion to two points in the third quarter while they scored 19. The leading scorers were Elizabeth Cathcart with 23 points,

and Jena Mehlbrech with 11.

The girls are 6-9 for the season with only four games left before district play.

“We’ve played against many teams in the top 10 of the of the city,” Nicole Villar-real said. “No. 2 Steele, No. 5 Brandeis, No. 7 Churchill, and still have No. 4 Reagan on our non-district schedule.”

Having such a tough non-district schedule

will be good practice leading into the first dis-trict game against New Braunfels on Jan. 3.

Junior Elizabeth Cathcart leads the Lady Rangers in points per game with a 14.2 aver-age and more than 200 points shot overall.

Freshman Jena Mehlbrech is runner up in points with a 10.4 PPG and a total of 145 points.

At an away game, MacArthur overpowered

the team 66 - 54, Dec 10.

The leading scorers were junior foward Elizabeth Cathcart with 14; freshman guard Jena Mehlbrech, 12; and junior guard Jordyn Mireles, 11.

Top defensive re-bounders were Cathcart with three; Mireles, three; and freshman foward Kenndi Tanks, two. Mehlbrech had three assists, while Cathcart had one assist.

By chris Adams

Tough opponents leave uncertain future for Lady Rangers

Up in the air

In It to Win It: (Right) Freshman Jena Mehlbrech, junior Jordan Traxler and sophomore Erin Ashley listen to Coach Nicole Villarreal on Nov. 23 at the main gym. The Lady Rangers fell to Roosevelt 51-41. /// Junior Elizabeth Cathcart attempts a rebound while battling a Roosevelt de-fender at a Nov. 23 home game. Cathcart leads in scoring with a 14.2 points per game and more than 200 points to-tal throughout the 2013 season. Photos by Robert Evans

(bASkETbALL) ScorEboArd42 - 68: Brandeis

60 - 46: marshall

41 - 54: cc Ray

63 - 35: miller

64 - 45: Floresville

58 - 47: cc carroll

40 - 36: East central

30 - 33: Kerrville

41 - 51: Roosevelt

51 - 81: Steele

59- 47: Boerne cha.

66 - 54: macArthur

Boys basketball hitting new heightsBy maggie Barnes

Play your Zones: (From left) During the Nov. 12 Seguin game at home, varsity players A.C. Reid, A.J. Carr, Jonah Mahone and Carter Defries play defense. Mahone tried to maneuver around the box set up by the opponents. Photo by megan Bowling

Season Triumphs: Junior Devin Clark (far left) races during the Nov. 2 UIL region meet at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Clark finished first ahead of New Braunfel’s competitor, sophomore Paige Hofsted (left, following Clark) from New Braunfels High School, who later placed above Clark’s third place spot at the Nov. 9 state meet in Round Rock. Clark and Hofsted teamed up at Nike Nationals Dec. 7 in Portland, Ore., racing in the “South” team. Photo by Robert Evans

One of only four girls in the nation to clinch both spots, junior Devin Clark qualified for both the Nike and Footlocker Cross Country National Championship races.

Clark squeaked by at the Nike South XC Invitational Nov. 22 in a sixth place finish. The top five girls were eligible for national grabs, but top runner and friendly competitor for Clark, sophomore Paige Hofsted from New Braunfels High School, had her entire team qualify, letting the sixth place finisher in to the national championship event in Portland, Ore. Dec. 7. Clark ran with the “South” team.

Over the Thanksgiving

break, Clark made her way to Charlotte, N.C., for the Nov. 30 Footlock-er South XC Invitational. Again, she made it into the top performing girls in a run for the finish in the final 200m of the 5k race.

“Despite being ill and sub 30-degree tempera-tures, she managed to close hard,” cross country coach, Brittney Lanehart, wrote in a Dec. 1 email. “It was an incredibly gutsy perfor-mance.”

Clark was headed to San Diego, Calif., shuttled by Asics and Footlocker, Dec. 14 to compete in the Footlock-er National Champion-ship, racing the top 40 girl runners in the nation for All-American Honors.

By Robert Evans

Starting the Play: Varsity player junior Jonah Mahone dribbles down the court during the game against Seguin. Boys basketball is currently 7 - 3 with eight games before district. Photo by megan Bowling

(bASkETbALL)ScorEboArd70 - 60: Brandeis

67 - 66 : lee

84 - 62: madison

59 - 49: SA TmI

60 - 57: Kerrvill

Clark claims two national cross country spots for Nike, Footlocker

A week after sealing another perfect regular season and claiming the title of District 25-5A champions, the football team found itself in unfamiliar and unexpected territory by losing the first game of the playoffs 49-45 to Johnson Nov. 15 at Bobcat Stadium.

“It’s always hard to know what to tell those guys; you never see the end coming,” Coach Larry Hill said during his weekly program on sv-abc.com. “The finality of a playoff loss … it just hits you suddenly.”

Seconds into the game, senior wide re-ceiver Joseph Barsalou ran an 85-yard kickoff return. After a Johnson score with 9:59 left in the first quarter, senior quarterback Garrett

Smith completed a 42-yard pass to senior wide receiver Tyler Coiner for a touchdown. The first quarter ended with a three-yard touchdown run from Smith followed by yet another John-son touchdown. In the second quarter, senior kicker Aaron Kennedy kicked a 23-yard field goal. Near the end of the half, Johnson scored two more touchdowns.

After halftime, senior running back Cameron Jones scored his first touchdown of the night. Johnson answered with another score before Jones ran in his last touchdown at the end of the third quarter. Beginning of the fourth Johnson scored with a 14-yard pass. Barsalou answered with a 27-yard pass from Smith. The game ended with

a Johnson touchdown, putting the Jaguars up.

Hill praised the foot-ball team in his weekly program.

“We’ve never had anyone work any harder or be more diligent on attention to detail as this group was,” he said. “There was a rea-son they went 10-0 and it wasn’t just ability.

“They’ll be sorely missed.”

By Rebecca Flores

Run Through: The dads line up to great the players just before the third quarter in the first playoff game. The players were encouraged by family members with their enthuastic high fives. Photo by cassie Stricker

Playoff dreams cut short by bounding Jaguars

When junior center A.J. Carr transferred from Central Catholic to play basketball, he brought a new look and perspec-tive.

From about 6 foot 6.His presence not only

raised the average height of the starting five but also raised expectations for the entire team.

“I came here because of this team,” Carr said. “We all have been play-ing against each other for years in select basketball. I see an opportunity to take Smithson valley bas-ketball to a place where it has very rarely been in the past.”

Coach Roger Strauch had the same kind of expectations.

“I feel very confident for this upcoming sea-son,” Strauch said. “We have a bunch of guys who have something to prove and are ready to show everyone that Smithson Valley basket-ball is a serious contend-er in the 5A.”

The first district game is Jan.10 against San Marcos at home, and the team is currently 7-3 with only a few games left.

“We are coming into the season with new tactics, allowing the team to become successful,” Strauch said.. We are approaching this year a little different, focusing a little more on being displaced and staying focused through the long season. Also another big focus this year is making the tough play.”

Carr joined senior guard A.C. Reid at 6 feet 5 inches, senior forward Keith Collins at 6 feet 4 inches, senior forward Carter Defries at 6 feet 6 inches, and junior guard Jonah Mahone at 6 feet 1 inch.

Since the season began, Carr noticed that playing with his new

team was very different from previous school.

“With my last team there was no connection with any of the players or even the coaches,” Carr said. “At this school, we all seem to get together and play as a team, not as individuals.”

Every member was important when it came to a basketball team, Carr said.

“There really is no pressure at all being a starter,” Carr said, “Peo-ple think being a starter’s amazing, and don’t get me wrong: I love it. But it is just a title; there really is no other mean-ing to it. In my opinion, our cameraman is just as important as I am to the team. No one person is better than the other, and that is what makes a team.”

rUn D m cevin ichelle lark

The swim team com-peted at the Texas In-terscholastic Swimming Coaches Association meet at the Blossom Natatorium south of Austin on Dec. 7.

More than half of the swim team headed to the event, including freshman Ian Ogrog-nick, who had his eye on crushing the school’s 100 meter backstroke record.

“This year we had

15 female entries and 22 male entries,” coach Kari Osborne said.

Certain times had to be aquired iprevi-ous meets in order to qualify.

During a swim team practice before the TISCA meet, sophomore Clayton Taylor echoed the meet’s importance.

“We all need to do our best to step up, even the underclass-man,” Taylor said.

They placed fourth in the division and Orog-

nick came .51 seconds short of breaking the record. The next meet was set for Dec. 14.

SPorTSV A L L E Y V E N T A N A . o r G

PAGE 7

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga: Signing with the University of Tennessee at Chat-tanooga Nov. 13 to play golf, senior Megan Woods signs to be a “Moc” for four years. Woods was one of the top performers at the high school for girls golf. Photo by Delia Alderete

soccer season nears

seniors siGn oFF

Tarleton State: Pen in hand, senior Emily Medlin signs her letter of intent to play volleyball for Tarleton State on Nov. 13 in the gym foyer. “I cannot wait to be part of their family,” Medlin said. Medlin racked up 1,028 assists during the 2013 season as well as 2.8 digs per game. Photo by Delia Alderete.

Liberty University: A.C. Reid, senior shooting guard, signs his commitment to play basket-ball for Liberty University in Virginia outside the main gym on Nov. 13. With his parents and coaches by his side, he signed with his home state. “I just want to make a difference in the program,” Reid said. During the Nov. 12, 2013, basketball season opener, Reid scored his 1,000 point for the high school. Photo by sean Dooley

St. Edwards: Senior Johany Rivera signs with St. Edwards Nov. 15 in front of the main gym. Rivera plans to further her golf competition.“It was a lot of fun, and also a relief,” she said. Earlier in the year, Rivera attended the Nature Valley First Tee Open golf tournament in Peb-ble Beach, Fla., Sept. 27 - 29. Photo by Delia Alderete

athletes pledge to play at college level during letter of intent ceremonies

After a 10-7-5 finish this past year caused elimination in the first round of playoffs, girls soccer is lacing up its cleats in preparation to start the new season.

“This season is so different from last year, but our team is still a family,” junior Miranda Ashley said. “We’ve united as one this year, and our success will come from all our heart, effort and disci-pline.”

The season kicks off at the Round Rock Tournament Jan. 16-18. Eleven players will be returning.

With them every step of the way is head coach Jason Adkins. He said he hoped to get the team back to dominating the league

just as the girls had done for years before last year.

“One of our biggest strengths is our experi-ence,” Adkins said. “We had a lot of younger players on our varsity last year that played good minutes, so this year, there should be no surprises for them.”

Boys soccer is ready for this year’s season and ready to work.

This season will be different from last because the team has a lot more “chemistry,” head coach Jonathan Jarrett said.

“We’re coachable and we are working harder,” senior Isaiah Coombs said.

The team plays its first home game Jan.

14 against Victoria East. Last year’s season record was 11-8-3.

“We had a quality season,” Coombs said. “Although we could’ve improved in some places, we still had a good outcome for the season.”

The team has five returning starters: Jack-son Alexander, Brett Lindsey, Elijah Thomp-son, Isaac Jenkins, and Dalton Reid.

“Being a returning starter means that I have to continue im-proving and executing my role on the field,” Alexander said.

Eight new varsity beginners have joined the ranks .

“I think they will work hard for their teammates, their coaches, and their school,” Jarrett said.

By Xavier FajardoGirls Soccer

By Jessica owensBoys Soccer

Swim competes at TIScA meet

By cole Eldrige

Pacemaker: Freshman Cole Mansker prepares to leap off the block and race his fastest 50 meter butterfly and finish in a second place performance at the 2013 preliminaries for TISCA at the Blossom Natatorium on Dec. 7. Photo by Cole Eldrige

Freshman eyeing backstroke record

PAGE

8 V A L L E Y V E N T A N A . o r G / @V A L L E Y V E N T A N A