VOL.56,ISS.04

Volume 56, Issue 04 February 2013 Bryan Adams High School, Dallas, Texas 50 Cents dallasisd.org/bryanadams

d.t.r. De� ne it before you lose it.

Co-Editor in Chief Liliana Garcia

during the fi rst few months of a relationship you may be faced with mixed

emotions. Questions will be run-ning through your mind such as: Where is this going? How am I supposed to introduce him/her? How long is this going to last? This is the time when you should DTR. Those of you who have watched MTV’s Awkward may be familiar with the acronym DTR, but for those of you who haven’t, DTR simply stands for Defi ne the Relationship. Depend-ing on how you approach this talk, DTR can be the start of a nice, healthy relationship or

Relati onship Advice

the end of your hopes for one. There are four different types of relationships: exclusive, friends with benefi ts, open-relationship, and casual fl ings. Exclusive relationships consist of only two people. This is the most common relation-ship and the one most of us seek. An open-relationship allows for you to see other people but the two are considered boyfriend/girlfriend while the others will be considered casual fl ings. Friends with benefi ts are exactly what it seems. It is similar to an open relationship, the difference is that you two are not anything serious and are not considered girlfriend/boyfriend. You are simply friendsthat go on dates, and do every-thing any other couple would do. Casual fl ings are when the two only see each other sparingly and do not necessarily care about each other’s personal lives. Unfortunately, in these modern times, it is rare for a relationship to begin with the direct question “will you be my girlfriend/boyfriend?” They just simply go with the fl ow. During

See TIMING Page 2

Floral Alum1966 grad, Bruce McShan recalls BA and succesful

flower businessJessica Velazquez, Student Life Editor ‘13

Alumni Corner

Bruce McShan is known for selling the most notable

symbol of Valentine’s Day, the fl ower. As one of BA’s biggest boosters, McShan’s has been donating homecoming mums and supporting various BA organiza-tions throughout the years.McShan Florist is a family-owned business. Bruce McShan, is the son of the fl ower shop’s founders. They started the business on December 1, 1948. Twenty days later baby Bruce was born. McShan is a BA alum-nus who graduated in 1966. Al-though it’s been a while since he was a student; he hasn’t forgotten what his years at BA were like. “They were fun, but not always happy days. The Vietnam War was going on, the Beatles were starting, and the music was changing,” he said. McShan also describes how BA is different today than when he attended here. “There were no por-tables; there was only a Principal and a single Vice Principal,” he said. He also mentioned some very astonishing differences. Of course fashions were differ-ent, “we didn’t use uniforms,

the guys couldn’t have hair that touched their collar, and girls couldn’t wear slacks,” he said. It’s probably hard to imagine how BA used to be in the 1960s. The school was much bigger. It eventually grew to almost 4,000 students, one of the largest schools in Texas. Because of the war in Viet Nam and the civil rights movement students were more politically involved. McShan remembers one of the most monumental events of the sixties while he was a student at BA, the assassination of JFK. “I was walking to the cafeteria and I heard girls saying that John F. Kennedy got shot, the whole school was shocked

See ALUMPage 2

Fernando Galdamez ‘13 and Priscilla Rodriguez ‘14

Class of 1966, Florist Bruce MacShan.

What’s in store for you in this month of February.

Check out Page 3 for your Cougar Horoscopes.

Single’s guide to survive Valentine’s

DaysPage 11

Do your BA athletes really have game? How well can

they pick up a girl?

Page8&9

Love problems? Again?

Ask the Gal with

all the Answers,

Ask Amber on

PAGE 3

See if your favorite love sing made this our

top ten.

See Page 4

BA Relati onships

Cutest Couples 2013

These athletic Cougar lovers are known around the school as the cutest couple anyone would like to be-come. Their personalities show how cool and fun they are to be around.

These little star-crossed lovers have been dating for a very long time and have been seen around the school. Either holding hands or hugging each other, we will sure see them at soccer games or in band.

Juniors Yessenia Mejia and Efrain CoronadoSenior Tatiana Duran and Junior Greg Brown-Freeney

Crossroads staff 2012-2013Editors

Mr. Hall.......The Big BossJennifer Duran.......co Editor in Chief ‘13Liliana Garcia.......co Editor in Cheif ‘13Serena Quintero....... Opinion Editor ‘13

Jessica Velazquez......Student Life Editor ‘13Karina Melendez.......Entertainment Editor ‘14

Natalie Ruiz……… Asst. Editor ‘13Vanessa Nino.......Ad Manager ‘13Jonas Veazey....... Contributor ‘15

Noor Shahed……… Contributor ‘14

Staff WritersAlexandria Moncada ‘14

Sadaf Yasmeen ‘14Roohie Chaudry ‘16Juan Sandoval ‘14

Vanessa Andrade ‘15Marilyn Carreon ‘13

Edith Sanchez ‘13Liliana Valdez ‘13Julia Arriaga ‘13

Rayneil Williams ‘13Richard Guzman ‘13Christian Arguijo ‘13Samuel Trevino ‘15

2

Valentine’s Do’s and Don’tsVanessa Nino, Ad Manager ‘13

To make sure this Valentine’s Day a success here are a few tips:

Couples:Do’s

1. DO spoil them2. DO plan ahead of time3. DO surprise him/her

4. DO look presentable on the date

5. DO be romanticDon’ts

1. DON’T FORGET!2. DON’T do the same as last

year3. DON’T be cheap

4. DON’T treat it as another day 5. DON’T be cheesy

Singles:Do’s

1. DO spend it with loved ones2. DO celebrate your single status

3. DO cook for yourself4. DO spoil yourself5. DO go shopping

Don’ts

1. DON’T call your EX!2. DON’T be envious

3. DON’T be desperate4. DON’T be a third wheel

5. DON’T be depressed

During the fi rst few weeks it is okay to take things one day at a time until it reaches the point when the DTR talk is necessary. Timing is crucial. You have to be careful when bringing this subject up. If you bring it up too soon it will

make you seem desperate and may scare your partner away. Now of course you don’t want to wait too long because you will only end up disappointed and

broken-hearted when you realize your partner is not as into you as you thought. It is not okay to be with someone who isn’t as serious as you are or is more serious than you want them to be. In order to avoid an awkward confronta-tion you should pay attention to close detail about your relationship. Take into consideration these steps to fi gure out where your relationship is head-ing:

Introductions How does he/she introduce you to the family? Does his/her family know about your existence? If his/her family knows about you then you may be in an exclusive relationship or an open relationship. If they know you as the friend then you are most likely a friend with benefi ts. Casual fl ings typically don’t meet the family.

Communication How often do you communi-cate? If he/she goes long periods of time without getting in touch with you then this is not a good sign.

Most likely he/she doesn’t see you as his girlfriend/boyfriend. Your relationship may be that of friends with benefi ts or simply a casual fl ing.

Valentine’s Day Has he made plans for Valentines/ has she accepted your plans for valentines? Valentine’s Day

is a must for couples. Un-less he is a cheap stake there shouldn’t be a reason for you not to spend the day with your

partner. Exclusive relationships, open relationships and some casual fl ings may spend Valentine’s Day together but friends with benefi ts typically do not.

Details Does he/she pay attention to small details about you? If he/she knows a lot of things about you, things you may have only said once, then they’re a keeper! Casual fl ings usually don’t care about getting to know their partner real close. That is why they are considered fl ings.

Jealousy Do they get jealous if you talk to the opposite sex? This could be the breaker between a serious relationship and all other types of relation-ship. Unless he/she considers the relationship as exclusive, he/she wouldn’t mind you talking and seeing other people. Be care-ful when testing this. You don’t

want to go too far and end up ruining your perfectly serious relationship with your partner.

Timing is essentialContinued from page 1

and teachers were upset. It was a total disbelief. Students thought they were just rumors, so an an-nouncement had to be made to assure us that yes, it

was true.” “There were two bands, a green one and a white one, each with around 180 members. Every band had their own drill team with approxi-mately 100 girls. Back then there was a lot of real BA spirit.” Although he graduated 47 years ago Mr. Mc-Shan was a stu-

dent of Ms. Leeman, the legendary English teacher, who retired from BA last year (see Crossroads Vol. 56, Issue 1). She came to BA after McShan had graduated. “She was my English teacher at Hill Junior High School,” he said. In July 2012 he at-tended her retirement party. There were other teachers that made an impression on him as a student in BA. “Another infl uential teacher was Mike Patterson who was the band teacher.” If you happened to be a regular Cross-roads reader you’ll recall that Kenny and the Kasu-als, a favorite BA rock ‘n roll band, returned to play at the “sock hop” after this year’s Homecoming parade. “Sure I knew them, when there was a dance they would come except I didn’t got to spend much time with them since I did all the lighting on stage,” he recalls.

Besides being a BA alumnus,

Alum class of 1966Continued from page 1

he is the largest independent fl orist in Dallas. Valentines season is here and he is already receiv-ing 100’s of orders. He explains how he handles this time of the year in the fl ower business. “Busiest day! Before it used to be all roses, now it’s all red fl owers,” he said. “The staff delivery is temporary, since it’s our busiest day.” The business constantly changes for the 64 years McShan has operated. “It’s different every day; we give our cus-tomers the same quality. When you answer a call to receive an order, you don’t know what you come into. We can answer for a birth or a funeral.” McShan has supplied fl owers for TV productions, and many visiting celebrities. He has made his business really well known and respected. “We have made personal fl owers for every president since 1948 up until Bush. We did fl owers for John F. Kennedy too.” He added, “We provided fl owers for the movie “semi-tough” and for the original TV show Dallas.” Besides that, he likes to spoil his custom-ers with surprising ideas every year. “This year we will be bringing fi ve foot roses.” McShan is a busy man, but even like that he still has time for his customers. “Customers can always talk to me; they can always reach out to the boss,” he said. You don’t see this in every fl ower shop, but you

do at McShan Florist where they have gained a reputation for quality, style, and service.

Bruce McShan - 1966 BA yearbook

Dear Amber, One of my close friends developed feelings for me and now that I realize it I did too. But the thing is I got out of a serious relationship a few months ago. I don’t know if I am ready to begin a new relationship with a new guy. It’s difficult for me. Also, he’s a senior how am I supposed to deal with that? He is going to leave soon. What should I do Amber?

Dear Perplexed, I see where you are coming from but the thing is

what happened with your ex is in the past. Don’t remain hooked on it. It’s not easy just like trying to pick a needle out of a pile of hay. It’s a good thing that you’re looking at the pro and cons of the situa-tion but the thing is what if you miss out on an opportunity on a relationship that could have gone somewhere much better than your previous relationship? You always have to think what if? You have to think of it as if, “I don’t do it now. I’ll regret it later on not knowing what could have happened.” Well leaving doesn’t mean it’s an end to a relation-ship. Yes of course it’s going to be challenging to not see him ev-ery day but nowadays technology is very advanced there are video chats and many other ways of communication. So it has made it easier on long distance relation-ships. Give it a try. If it doesn’t work then it was a experience you learned from.

Dear Amber, As many other girls I do not have a valentines for Valen-

tine’s Day or anyone particular on my mind. I feel really dis-couraged seeing so many couples around me fill with joy. I don’t mind it but it tends to give me an urge to have someone. What should I do? Should I feel this way?

Dear Affectionate, People usually tend to tense up around this time of the year especially girls. It’s okay to feel this way. As girls, their emotions and hormones get the best of them. Seeing couples around school has given girls and boys the mind-set of having a boyfriend or a girlfriend. It really doesn’t matter if you’re in a re-lationship or not you should just enjoy yourself. What you should do is just have a girl’s night with all your close friends and have fun. Such as, go to the movies, have a slumber party, go

out and eat, etc. There are many other ways to have fun on Val-entine’s Day than just spending it with a loved one. Spend time with your family! Valentine’s Day is not just a day to spend a

day with your significant other but with people whom you love and care about. So you can just go out with your family, friends, cousins, and loved ones. Enjoy your time and don’t be sorrow about being single. Who knows you might catch someone’s eyes the night out?

Dear Amber, I really like this girl and I do believe she is aware of it but the conflict is that she has a boyfriend. I have liked ever since last year but I never had the guts to make the move on her or express my feelings to her. I still like her and am willing to wait but my friends all keep on telling me that I have been friend-zoned bad. I don’t know what to follow my friend’s advice or my gut.

Please help Amber!

Dear Charming, It’s very kind and patient of you to wait for her and respect her relationship with her current boyfriend but you will have to move on for right now.

The best thing to do would be just to confess your feelings just so that it could make it easier on you to let her go. The deal is that if you tell her now than later it would be better because your feelings won’t get stronger and stronger. Do let her know you’re willing to remain friends. Just make sure you don’t leave with a wrong impression because this will determine how both of y’alls relationship with one another will end. If you feel as if telling her isn’t the right thing to do then do not do it. Follow your gut feeling because in the end that feeling you get at the pit of your stomach at that moment will determine your decision on what you want to do.

Ask Amber

Pisces (Feb 19- Mar 20)You’ve been crushing on him from across the cafete-ria, but it’s time to stop observing, better yet stalking. It’s time to make your move! Take advantage of pass-ing periods, when you see him in the courtyard, chat him up; sparks will fly!

Gemini (May 21- Jun 20)It’s no secret: you love to gossip. Most of the rumors you spread are not threatening. But with that juicy se-cret you just heard in the lunch line, be careful not to let the temptation get to you. Don’t spread the rumors beware!

Leo (Jul 23- Aug 22)An old flame that died out too quick last year will glow brighter this year. Your old flame will suddenly call you. Schedule a date with him and the sparks will ignite again.

Virgo (Aug 23 – Sep 22)“Forget about the past and focus on the present”, is your new motto. Start with your clothes, better yet school uniform! You don’t even have to buy anything just add cute little touches and all eyes will be on you during passing period. PS your crush will notice!

Cancer (Jun 21- Jul 22)With you in the search of money, little did you notice there’s a guy in the search for your heart? Money comes and goes. Keep your guard up this mystery man can emerge in the hallway one day.

Libra (Sep 23 – Oct 22)You’ve been so busy lately with all the homework and projects, that it’s taken over your social life. Forget about that this weekend and take your girls’ invitation to that party. There’ll be cute boys there!

Scorpio (Oct 23 – Nov 21)You have mixed emotions about your significant other. Stop over analyzing and thinking about the outcome, do what makes you happy! He’ll be okay.

Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19)You, the master of flirting, will want to take it over the top this Valentine’s Day. Be careful what you send via text, it doesn’t always fall into the right hands.

Taurus (Apr 20-May 20)Forget about the negative thoughts in your head. Help that best friend up who’s been depressed over her breakup. Take her out, have a girls night!

Sagittarius (Nov 22 – Dec 21)That ‘forget love’ attitude your best friend has is really killing your mood. Brighten up her and your day by having a slumber party this Valentine’s Day. It’s okay to be single!

Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 19)Now that you have a boyfriend, don’t forget your BFF . Schedule lunch with her, go to the courtyard and don’t make her feel like a third-wheel. After all, she was there before hi m.

Aquarius (Jan 20 – Feb 18)A friend will offer you an after school job. Balancing it with after school activities might seem hard but go for it, you’re an over achiever and can do it! Best of luck! It’ll pay off in the long run.

Cougar HoroscopesSee what cupid has for you this Valentines

Karina Melendez, Entertainment Editor ‘14

3

Need advice? Facing a dilemma? Amber can help!

Send your question to [email protected] and Amber will answer your questions!

Want to personalize your own page on the yearbook? Purchase

a yearbook AD!

Full Page- $250Half Page- $125

Quarter Page- $65

On sale NOW!“El Conquistador”

The 2013 BA YearbookOnly - $60

Room 249

14 facts about Valentine’s Day

Staff Writer Christian Arguijo ‘13

1-More than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold for Valen-

tine's Day each year. 2-73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine's Day are men, while only 27 percent are women. 3-On average men spend $130 for their dates on Valentine's Day. 4-Men spend almost twice as much on Valentine’s Day as women do. 5-15 percent of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day. 6-The expres-sion "wearing your heart on your sleeve" comes from a Valentine's Day party tradition. Young women would write their names on slips of paper

to be drawn by young men. A man would then wear a woman's name on his sleeve to claim her as his valentine. 7-Over $1 billion worth of chocolate is purchased for Valentine's Day in the U.S.

8-Over 50 percent of all Valentine's Day cards are purchased in the six days prior to the holiday. 9-Teachers receive the most valen-tines, followed by kids, mothers, wives and sweethearts. 10-The Catholic Church struck St. Valen-tine’s Day from its official calendar in 1969 11-One billion valentines are sent each

year worldwide making it the second largest card-sending holidayof the year behind Christmas

12-Guys usually make their reservations two weeks ahead of time to take their true love out on Valentines Day

13-The red rose was the favor-ite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love.

Valentines Day Playlist

Music is one of the best ways to express yourself. When your at a loss of words, look to music to show her how you feel. here are a few songs that might be on replay this valen-tines day.

Best Break-Up Song: Taylor Swift – We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together

Best Singles Anthem:Beyoncé - Single Ladies

Long Distance Rela-tionship Song:Plain White T’s – Hey There Delilah

Best Crush Song:Taylor Swift – You Belong With Me

Best Couples Song:Bruno Mars – Marry You

Best Song to Dedi-cate to her:One Direction- Little Things

Best Song to Dedicate to him:Auburn- All About Him

Best Friend Song:Cher Lloyd- Oath to You

Best Overall:Bruno Mars- Just the way you are

If you’re anything like me, your weekdays probably consist of homework, projects and extracurricular activates. If you’re lucky these things don’t drag into the weekends preventing any social life at all! Even if you did have time to go out with friends where would you go? Dallas is such a boring city, so it seems. Well you’re wrong. There are lots of attractions in the Dallas area, and many of them won’t hurt your wallet...too bad. There are even some that are free, yes free! If you’re looking for something fun to do but are com-pletely broke, try paying a visit to the Dallas Museum of Art. Recently the DMA announced that they will be offering free general admission. The museum offers a wide variety arts from painting to scupture, from contemporary pieces to modern ones. Whether you’re an art lover or not, the DMA is a great place to unwind and take in some art. The museum is located on 1717 North Harwood. While you’re in the area make sure to visit Klyde Warren Park. This park was recently opened. There is something very unique about this park; it’s located above a freeway! This park is located over Woodall Rodgers Freeway. No worries, the background freeway noise doesn’t come included. The park offers fun activities for the whole family, including pets. Have a chat with friends while enjoying the scenery on the spacious lawns, or have a seat on the luscious grass while the children play in the children’s area. Maybe you’re having a day out with your parents, challenge them to a game of chess in the reading and games courtyard. It is a great place to have a picnic and enjoy in the serene atmosphere. It is also a wonderful place to have a date this Valentine’s Day, (hint, hint). Bring some food from home or indulge yourself in the tasty streetcar foods the park has to offer. I also thought food cars only existed in those cool Hol-lywood movies, well now you too can partake in this street side phenomenon. There are a variety of foods to choose from. There’s Asian cuisine to New York style sandwiches. I wasn’t able to try all of the foods the trucks had to offer but I did enjoy the ones I did try. My friends and I got lunch from Gandolfos New York Delicatessen. It is a NY mobile deli featuring sandwiches and salads. It is almost equivalent to the American Subway in what they offer in the menus. I tried the Godfather which is an Italian style sandwich, and my colleague got the Brooklyn Bridge. ”I thought the food was really good! You get a lot of food for what you pay”, Says junior Hannah Martin. The sandwiches are incredible in my perspective, but give them a try and decide for yourself. You can also treat yourself to des-sert at a local cupcake truck, TrailerCakes. They offer of course cup-cakes and the now, their new famous cake balls. Their most popular flavor, the red velvet, was so popular it ran out before I had a chance to taste it. I did however have a cake ball and the decadent dessert is one I would recommend everyone should savor in this lifetime. Armed with your new knowledge of inexpensive places, you can now treat yourself and others to a stress free weekend in downtown Dallas.

Fine arts, fun timesWhat the Dallas Arts District has to offer

Staff Writer Karina Melendez ‘14

Mr. Barnes - “A friend of mine set me up with his wife’s coworker it was a disaster because we got married a year and half later then four and half years later we divorced”Anonymous- “I took this girl on a date she asked to pullover somewhere to use the restroom, but when we couldn’t find anywhere to stop,she peed in my car , and I didn’t call her back .”Anonymous- “I went out with this girl one time to meet some of her friends for dinner, but I forgot my wallet so she had to pay I was so embarrassed, but she called me back though”.Tamara Robison- “I think the worst date I had the guy was late first of all second of all he was so bor-ing he just sat there when I told jokes he did not get them and to top all off his breath was so bad “.Anonymous- “I was in college a friend of mine try to set me up on a blind date on the phone his voice was nice but he showed up for our date he had no hair he freaked me out I was on the phone with him but I could see him he could not see me I told him my professor made work late so I could not show up”.Ms. Ackert- “ I’d like this guy he was president of student council an I was vice president we dated for a while but he never kissed me I always wondered why then a year later I found out he was gay from his parents”.Heather Bassham- “I was sixteen years old I had a boyfriend with car trouble. We would go on dates and his car would break down. We lived on a ranch so you couldn’t get help for at least a couple of hours. On one date it was pouring rain and I had a curfew so we decided to make a run for it. What made it a disaster is that the road was muddy and brick red color that stained everything and I had on some white shoes now they were an ugly orange color.” Mr. Gully- “I was a freshman in college an didn’t have a car so I had to borrow my friend’s car every-thing was going smoothly I mean even though nit has a bad start to when the car ran out of gas but all in all it was ok but on the ride home we crash my friend’s car man he was so mad.”

Disaster Dates Voices of experience

Staff Writer Samuel Trevino ‘15

There is nothing romantic about being a creep. Unless you want to scare your crush away, here are a couple of bad pick up lines you should avoid this love filled day.

Are you from Tennesse , cause you’re the only 10 I see.

Are you a park-ing ticket, cause you got fine written all over you

Are your feet tired, cause you’ve been running through my mind all day

Is your dad a terrorist, cause you’re the bomb

Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?

Can I have your phone number, I seem to have lost mine.

Do you believe in love at first sight, or I should I walk past you again.

Is your last name Gillette? Because you’re the best a man can get.

How NOT to Pick Up A Girl

Alexandra Moncada Staff Writer ‘14

5My love for you is like the energizer bunny, it keeps going and going.

If you were a new hamburger at McDonalds, you’d be the McGorgeous.

You must be Jamaican, because Jamaican me crazy!

Do you have a quarter, my mom told me to call her when I meet the girl of my dreams.

Is your dad a baker, cause you’re a cutie pie.

Can I have a pic-ture of you, I need to show Santa what I want for Christ-mas.

Do you have 11 protons, because you’re sodium fine.

Do you have a band-aid? I scraped my knee falling for you.

If girls were boogers, I’d pick you.

Do you know karate, cause your body is kickin’.

I lost my teddy bear, can I cuddle with you.

Are you good at math, cause you and I add up well.

If I could rearrange the alphabet, I’d put U and I next to each other.

Are you made of Copper and Tellurium be-cause you’re CuTe.

“Is the Cougar Den open?”

“There’s skittles all over my backpack man!”

“Yeah my friend works. He makes tacos.”

“Boy you a freshman? I’m a sophomore get outta here!”

“I found a bra in the trashcan!”

“The newspaper smells like pickles!”

“When I order at McDonalds I get nervous and start stuttering”

“It’s Crack! She’s trying to kill me.”

“Mr. Bolster has hotplates!”

“Lotion anyone?”

“I almost fell down the sturrrrrrs.”

“Ain’t nobody got time fo’ dat!”

“Dannnggggg Gurrrrrlllll.”

“Who’s testing us? The cute guy?”

“Imma walk in front of you so I won’t be a loser.”

“When the bell rings, imma jump!”

“I do date Mexicans!”

“Your nail polish reminds me of watermelon.”

“I need to get my credit bro!”

“Did you see that fight between Mariah and Nicki? Team Nicki!”

“I used to love Lizzie McGuire.”

“I aint got no worries!”

“It smells like fries!”

“You’re short, I can’t see you!”

“I’m hungry. I kinda want Mexican tacos.”

“I’m high maintenance, I eat Dominos.”

Nothing that a little make-up can’t fix.”

Who said you need to buy something over the top expensive for your significant other? You don’t have to empty out your wallet on pricey gifts. All you need is an imagination and creativity. Plus, it will help you save some cash to be able to spoil your date to a nice romantic dinner instead. Here are a few suggestions to give your significant other:

Flower Bouquet for her

-Pretty silk flowers of your choice (make sure they aren’t real flowers)-Ball point pens.-Floral tape (can be found at a crafts store, or Walmart)-Low heat glue gun and glue sticks, or super glue.-Scissors-Box/vase (mini flower pot)-Styrofoam-Crinkled confetti paper

1. Remove the top cap of the pen.2. Take your glue gun and add a thin amount of hot glue to the flower stem and insert into pen.

Let dry.3. Take your floral tape and begin wrapping it around the pen. Start at the end of your pen and wrap all the way up to the base of the flower. Repeat the process until you have at

least six flowers.4. Take the box/vase and on the inside add Styrofoam and pretty tissue paper. Add crinkled confetti paper inside to hide the Styrofoam. Just stick your pens inside and you’re done.

Random Things BA Cougars Say

Cute, inexpensive, and made with love

Candy Bouquet for him

-Candy of your choice- Popsicle sticks or squares -Styrofoam-Container-Tissue Paper-Little Decorations-Low Heat glue gun/ Glue

1. Take your Styrofoam and glue it your container with your low heat glue gun. 2. Glue your candy to your Pop-sicle sticks. Let them dry completely.3. Now you can add you candy! This is the part you take over. You can put them in any order you like and perhaps add decorative knick knacks. 4. To cover up the errors and messes you can glue in decorative tissue paper.Making things with your own hands isn’t as hard as you think. A little time consuming? Yes. However, your girlfriend/boyfriend will love what you made especially because you put a lot of thought into it. Remember, the thought and effort is what counts! Plus, it will help you save some cash to be able to spoil your date to a nice romantic dinner instead.

Best of luck and Happy Valentines!

Valentine’s Day gifts for him and herStaff Writer, Julia Arriaga ‘13

Share your story, editorial, opinion, drawing, comic, etc. with us and you may be featured in the next is-sue!

Just email us at [email protected] or stop by room 249!

Cougar Corner

It was 2007, Christmas time, we were opening gifts and I was start-ing to get sad because the one thing I was hoping for didn't appear to be under the tree. After a long night of waiting, I decide I didn't get my special present. I went to sleep and arose the next morning to a bright white new Xbox 360!

I swiftly booted it up; saw the startup screen blow my mind away and the new profile op-tion popped up. I made my profile and soon another box popped up saying "Would you like to join Xbox Live?" I selected yes unknowingly what would happen next. It had me make a new account with an email password and some personal info. Then finally came the best part mak-ing a gamer tag. I pondered on this for moments on hand and thought of the most original fascinating and mind blowing name ever made! "Goo4." It was perfect it had 4 characters total, 3 letters and ending with the number 4. I soon learned this would become a part of me, some-thing that I needed, it was me. 12-26-2007 -- 2-14-2013

Alejandro Castillo and Gopher

Senior Class Couple

Kimberly Prado Eden Marquez

Freshman Class Couple

Bryan Adams Belles

Randomisanunderstate-mentforthiscouple .MarkiandFaroldHavebeendatingforalmost2yearsnow.Theymetthroughmutualfreindsattheohsofamous(orratherin-famous)BAcafreteria.“Itwasnothingromanticatfirst ”,saidFarold. Slowlytheircookyrela-tionshipblossomedintoabeau-tifulthing.Thetwoarejustplainadorable .MarkielovestodoherRandomactsoflove,ashecallsthem.Theseincludehanddrawngatoradebottles,cards,andAWESOMEsand-wiches. ThesesportytwomakethemostadorablecoupletoeverhitBA,sincetheMarkie’sparentsattentedinthe70’s.

These two love birds have been dating since freshman year back in ‘09. they met back in middle school, Gaston to be exact. In TAG class to be even more exact. These adorable creatures, are just that adorable. they understand and adore one another, as well as accepting one anothers problems. Like Eden’s One Direction obsession. NO joke. If these kids were to get married one day the heavens would sing at the top of their lungs, and birds

would fly.“I can be myself around him”, commented Kimberly. “The feeling is mutual, she puts up with my antics.” agreed Eden. A round of applause please for this amazing couple.

There’s not much to say about this young layed back couple. They have been dating for about a year. Jazmin and her Baby Momma as she calls him are too cute. These kids laugh at anything and

Belles, We spend ap-proximately 150 days, 500 hours, 30,000 minutes and 1,800,000 seconds together every year and I still can’t get enough of you! I love every single one of you with all of my heart and I am so proud of the young ladies you have become. I know that I am hard on you and my expectations are set high, but you always rise to meet them and never let me down. You all are my favorite people to talk about and I could go on for days about how beautiful, talented, smart and classy you are. I can’t imagine my life without you! You have all changed me forever & I thank God for allowing me to be in your lives. Happy Valentine’s Day to all 37 loves of my life! You all will always hold a special place in my heart.

Sincerely,Mrs. Solorio

To: My impor-tant ones<3“I love each and every one of you guys. What would I do without y’all!? Babysitter Lizbeth S.,

BFF Liliana Valdez, Julia Arriaga, and my pookie boo. I love you baby!” 11/02/12Love, Edith S.

To: Edgar “Love knows not dis-tance” From Bryan

Adams to Seagoville, I wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day! From: Eva

My Little FamilyHydee and Miguel 11/08/2010Ivette 4/16/2012p.s My ninja Stacy Crazylove, Hydee

To: 2013 Cou-gar Soft-ball Teams We

wish you a successful and fun season!!!P.S: Hot Bats and Happy Valentine’s Day.From Coach Lowry and Coach Morrow

To: Maria Selena GonzalesI love you Maria, will you've my Valentine? -Juan C Sanchez

To: My crossroads staffThank you for your time and dedication towards the newspaper. For staying late on certain days to work on it. For all the fun times we’ve had. I couldn’t do this without y’all. The hard work you all put through just to make this crossroads newspaper function. I’m proud of you all. Y’all made this happen. To the seniors I will miss you (the year is not over yet). You are the hardest working group I’ve ever had. One’s that never give up. I want to give you a piece of advice. Work hard. Never Give Up. Don’t let go of your dreams. Let’s work on the story. You

might not see me after this (seniors). Good luck in the future.To future editors (especially Karina, my editor and chief in training). I hope we make the best of the years to

come. Credits (Editors):

Jennifer Duran- Editor and ChiefLiliana Garcia- co-editor and chief

Karina Melendez- Enter. EditorJessica Velazquez- Student Life Editor

Natalie Ruiz- Asst. Editor Serena Quintero- Opinion Editor

Sincerely, Mr. Hall

Markie Ishmael & Farold Hunter

Junior Class Couple

Freshman Class Couple

Mercedes Rosado and Karina Lopez

Jazmine Valdez and Jordan Harvey

Bryan Adams Belles

“Eachdayisbetterthanthelast.”saidFarold. Fluffykins+Markie=love

Jazmin Alvarez and Andres

There’s not much to say about this young layed back couple. They have been dating for about a year. Jazmin and her Baby Momma as she calls him are too cute. These kids laugh at anything and

everything. that’s what the cutest thing about them.Can’t wait to see how the love journey will be like in the next for years. They prove young love should last forever. (Atleast forever in high-school terms)

hard on you and my expectations are set high, but you always rise to meet them and never let me down. You all are my favorite people to talk about and I could go on for days about how beautiful, talented, smart and classy you are. I can’t imagine my life without you! You have all changed me forever & I thank God for allowing me to be in your lives. Happy Valentine’s Day to all 37 loves of my life! You all will always hold a special place in my heart.

Sincerely,Mrs. Solorio

Who needs a man when you have a best friend. These best friends, Karina and Mercedes have been together for years, literally. They refer to them selves as the “Poop Buddies.”

They often enjoy walks in the park with their dog Wooferz, and purple colored Weiner dog. For their anniversary they spent a whole day at the fanciest and most beautiful place in dallas; Cele-bration station. There Karina spoiled Mercedes making it rain with tickets, winning some pop rocks for her. They never leave their house with out making sure they look cute enough for each other, but just each other. We hope this beautiful re-lationship will last for ever at least until they fight over who got to wear the Hello Kitty footie pajamas at night. Or who ever gets to lick the spoon when Mercedes makes her peanut cookies.

To: David Her-nandez “Hey baby, call me may be” (972) 207 7286 From: Yo Baby Momma To: Aubrey Lohrengel “Call me babe!” ;) (972) 207 7286 From: Anonymous To: Leo Rodriguez “Cutie with the booty” :) LOL From: Anonymous To: Raul Rios “Hey, I’ve always seen you at school and I can’t keep my eyes off of you. I think you are so cute. We don’t know each other, I wish we could. I’m leaving this year as a senior so besos!” From: Your Secret Admirer To: Clarissa Lopez “Hey baby, I love you. Thanks for always being here for me. Muah”:) To: Math Club-bers “I <3 U geeks!” From: Lilly To: Angie Bec-erra “You are an amazing friend. I’m glad I met you, you are boss awe-some. You always make me smile. Glad you are my friend, stay original.” To: Danny Lam “Shout out to the sweetest most loving Asian.” Love, Diana Martinez To: Danny Lam “Sorry for making you buy me so many hot dogs:) You are the best!” Love, Diana Martinez To: Diana Marti-nez “Shout out to my slave Diana!” From: Master Tony To: Karina Me-lendez “Cause she prefers soccer over me!” From: Isaac Ortiz “Shout out to them freshmen on instagram straight flexin’’ “Crazy? I’m not crazy. They put me in a hole. A hole of worms. Worms drive me crazy. But crazy? I’m not crazy.”

from: Marcus Stewart to: Marilyn Carreon "Everytime is see you, you make me blush. "This poem sucks, i think i have a crush." "I should not say more i need to hush."To: Sugamama“I love you both inside and outside the burger.”Love your, Beastmama

Who needs a typical cheerleader and jock, when you have a belle and a football player as the junior class couple? It’s a match made in stereotypical heaven. These two lovebirds have been dating since November when they met at the 2012 annual Cougar Kick-Off. What Jazmin likes Jordan is the way he can make her smile out of nowhere and when he calls her beautiful, when she looks ratchet. Jordan loves Jazmin outgoing and bubbly personality. You’ll be seeing this happy couple in the BA hallways staring lovingly into each other eyes.

It all started on the mon-key bars. An amazing and extraordinary friendship began. And ever since then we became sisters! I love you so much, I really don’t know what I would do without you in life<3. I love you Jocelyn Balerio-Love, Angie Becerra

You have been my best friend since day 1. I’m the hap-piest I can be with you at my side. I love you! The wonderful memories we have made in our three years together. This couple has been through all the trials and tur-bulances any realationship has gone through. Their love is as strong as super glue on steroids. Through the thick and thin they have learn has to get through. 2013 will be a great year. I hope you all have a happy life. Remember love can con-quer anything, if you just be-lieve. Julia Arriaga and Kiko Llanes

Co u g a r S p o r t s8

By JUAN ARCOS

The Bryan Adams soccer team has been a success so far this season but faces some serious chal-lenges if they want to keep alive their winning

ways. Starting out with a record of 4 wins, 1 loss and 2 ties these atheletes will need to work hard to stay ahead as they go deeper into district play. Coach Mason fully realizes the competition that lies ahead and knows his team will have to work doubly hard to prepare for the remainder of the season which, hopefully, will culminate with a trip to the playoffs, and beyond. “This team has a challenge ahead as our district is full of top notch teams including Thomas Jefferson who is ranked 3rd in the area,” he said. Non-district play began on January 11 and proved challanging as the Cougar boys struggled to keep their record above .500. Their first game came against Seagoville and there was no doubt BA players were ready to unleash their wrath and come out with a victory 90 minutes later

“A Winning Tradition”Boys soccer works to keep district title

Coach Roberson welcomed parents, siblings, friends and supporters Wednesday morning, February 6 to the BA library as six Bryan Adams

football players signed letters of intent with regional col-leges. Four of BA’s signees, Roderick Williams (DB), Chaddrick Armstead (DB), Jared Rixner (LB/RB) and Michael Chalmers (LB/RB) are set to attend the same college, Arkansas Baptist in Little Rock, Arkansas beginning in the fall of 2013. Orlando Swift (DB) will be attending Southeastern Oklahoma State in Durant, Oklahoma while Mason Williams (LB/C) will be just down the road in Weatherford, Oklahoma at Southwest-ern Oklahoma State. The guests at the event were treated to refresh-ments while well-wishers rose to offer adice and support of their futures. Mr. Vanhoozer wished them the best saying about the end of their high school careers, “its not the end, only the beginning.”

Arkansa Baptitst College - The BuffaloesSoutheastern Oklahoma State - The Savage StormSouthwestern Oklahoma State - The Bulldogs

Taking the next stepAthletes sign letters of intent with regional colleges

Date Opponent Site TimeFri 2-15-13 Jefferson Pleasant Grove 7:30 PM - VTues 2-19-13 Hillcrest Franklin 7:30 PM - VFri 2-22-13 Conrad Pleasant Grove 7:30 PM - HTues 2-26-13 Molina Wilmer Hutchins 7:30 PM - VFri 3-1-13 Lincoln Forster 2 7:30 PM - HWed 3-6-13 Jefferson Couch (Loos) 7:30 PM - VSat 3-9-13 Hillcrest Forester 1 11:30 AM - HWed 3-20-13 Conrad Franklin 7:30 PM - V

Remaining Schedule

Michael Chalmers looks on as Mason Williams signs his letter of intent to attend SW Oklahoma State.

of 4 to 1. The second game was against Woodrow Wilson at Forester. Despite scoring only one goal the Cougars still won proving defense wins games. The third was against Skyline and once again the boys won by just one goal. Defense carrying the game again. The next match featured Plano West and ended in a tie 1 to 1. Game 5 came against Arlington Martin. The boys of BA played well but not well enough and the match ended with their first defeat by a score of 2 to1. Colleyville Heritage turned into a scoreless tie, the second tie score of the pre-district season, for these foot-

ballers. The Cougars got back to their winning ways when they faced Lovejoy, winning 3 to 0 giving BA the fourth victory of the season. As non-district play comes to an end the Cougar boys enter the meat of the schedule - district games. Good luck to boys soccer!

For video highlights of BA Boys Soccer:www.youtube.com/bryanadamssoccer

The BA swim team competed in their biggest meet of the year, Districts, on January 24 at Loos Natatorium.

The Boys were trying for their 4th District title in a row and they started off strong with a key victory in the 200 medley relay, junior Brandon Gipson-Keys held onto a lead as he anchored the relay. The first individual event was the 200 freestyle, Freshman Jennie Tai finished 4th for the Lady cougars, and boys Jonas Veazey, Sydney Eichelberger, and En-rique Mendoza all swam hard, finishing 1st, 5th, and 9th respectively. Then came the 200 Individual medley, no girls competed in the race, but boys Simon Cohen, 4th, and Aubrey Lohrengle, 2nd, had strong races. In the 50 freestyle girl’s captain Joey Wikelski finished 1st in an upset victory over the favorite from Woodrow. Brandon Gipson-Keys finished 2nd and Stuart Cook 3rd for the boys.

One of the hardest events, the 100 fly, was up next and boys Simon Cohen and Stuart Cook swam very hard earning 4th and 5th. Then came the 100 free, Joey Wikelski finished 2nd for the girls ending her night with 1 gold and 1 silver. Sprinter Brandon Gipson-Keys de-spite losing his goggles on the start still managed to earn a 2nd place and Ehgaw Shee finished 11th. Then came the longest of them all, the 500 freestyle, Jonas Veazey won the event and Freshman Sam Malone finished 3rd, missing 2nd by nearly an inch. The second relay of the night was dominated by the boy Cougars, finishing nearly 20 yards ahead of all of their opponents. The 100 backstroke was key if the boy Cougars were going to come away with a victory, and senior Enrique Mendoza stepped up big with a 2nd place victory, Jacob Lopez finished 9th , an impressive swim for the first year swimmer. The final individual event was one of the Cougar’s strongest, Senior Captain Aubrey Lohrengle finished 1st, just edging ahead of his opponent at the end. Freshman Sam Malone and Sydney Eichelberger finished 2nd and 5th earning vital points. The final event was the 400 freestyle relay and the boys finished 2nd ending the meet well. However, the Boy Cougars were outnum-bered and failed to defend their title finishing 2nd behind

Woodrow. The Lady Cougars, despite having only three girls finished a strong 4th. Two weeks later the BA swim team would compete in the Regional swim meet, highlights of the meet were 4th place finishes by the boys 200 medley relay, containing Jonas Veazey, Aubrey Lohrengle, Simon Cohen, and Brandon Keys, and 200 free relay, contain-ing Jonas Veazey, Brandon Keys, Aubrey Lohrengle, and Stuart Cook. Sophomore Jonas Veazey finished 4th in the 200 freestyle and the 500 freestyle, Senior Captain Aubrey Lohrengle finished 6th in the 100 breaststroke, and girls Junior Captain Joey Wikelski finished 6th in 50 freestyle. Other good swims were sophomore Stuart Cook’ 10th place finish in the 50, Sydney Eichelberger’s 13th place finish in the 200 free, Simon Cohen’s 10th place finish in the 100 fly, Sam Malone’s 12th place finish in the 100 breaststroke, and a 5th place finish in the 400 freestyle relay by the team of Stuart Cook, Simon Cohen, Sam Malone, and Enrique Mendoza. This concluded a very successful swim season, with a strong group of underclassmen, the Cougars will look to take back the girls and boys District titles next year!

Staying AfloatBA Swimmers swim for the title

By JONAS VEAZEY

The regular season is over for the Lady Cougars and it ended in a most inglorious way. The bottom line, however, is that the team came in second in dis-

trict and advanced to the playoffs. What’s more, they took care of business by soundly defeating the South Oak Cliff Golden Bears in their first playoff game. That’s some-thing the team can hang their hat on and be proud of. The final game of the regular season was a hum-bling experience. The Lady Cougars faced the Lincoln Tigers here at Bryan Adams on February 5th. The Lincoln girls claimed the outright 12-4A title, beating second-place BA, 65-31. Although Coach Eubanks gave kudos to sev-eral of the Ladies, like Jerice Fears who had 9 points, he summed up the contest this way, “we got our butts kicked”. The Lady Cougars made a speedy recovery heading into their first playoff game against SOC. The taems met at Ellis/Davis Fieldhouse on Feb. 11. BA started strong and stayed that way, never trailing. Jerice Fears led the team in scoring with 17 points. The girls came out swinging and never stopped till the final buzzer. With a strong showing and a score of 63 - 43 these Lady Cougars seem poised to drive deep into the playoffs. Next up for these Lady Cougars will be the win-ner of the Frisco Liberty/Carrolton Creekview game. Congratualtions to Coach Eubanks and the Lady Cougars. Go BA!

Putting it behind themAfter loss to Lincoln, Lady Cougars beat SOC 63-43 in playoffs

Sports Briefs

Boys Basketball

Fernando Galdamez 13’ – football, tennis, wres-tler“Make her laugh first, have CONFIDENCE! Make her think you’re dumb, themshow her you’re smart!”

Reyes Godina 13’- football, track“Be straight forward, joke around. Make the most of what little there is.”

Brandon Gipson- Keys 14’- swimming, water polo“So first, I swim out the ocean, and I’m all, ‘Hey baby, I got this place in Atlantis. Wanna come see it?”

On January 18th 48 girls tried out for this year’s softball team. After two days of skills evaluation, Coach Lowry and Coach Morrow were able to narrow down the squad to 14 JV players and 13 Varsity players. Good luck ladies!

Softball

WrestlingCongratulations to Coach Chessebough and the wrestlers for making it to regionals. Way to go!

Valentine ValentinosThese Cougar athletes know just what to say to find romance

TennisThe Bryan Adams Tennis team continues to competet well and invites all spirited Cou-gars fans out to their matches.

TrackThe BA Track team begins it’s season this month. Everyone is expecting another no-table season for Coach Cannon and her runners.

The boys doubled up on the score when they faced TJ on Feb 9th scoring 72 to their opponents 36. Double digit scorers were Devonta Whitfield with 15 and Javon Johnson with11.

Crossroads Sports writers

By KARINA MELENDEZ ‘14 Entertainment Editor

Crossroads Sports writers

9

Michael Zavala - ‘13 - Soccer“Be upfront. Don’t be boring! Make her giggle!”

Isaac Ortiz 14’- football, track “Be respectful, be a gentleman. “Hey Sexy”

Farlod Hunter -‘14 Football“Get the girls attention without them knowing you’re trying to get their attention.”

Romantic Films“Films that will definitely make you cry”

Roohie Chaudry 16’The Vow:A husband endeavors (try hard or to achieve) to win back his new bride’s heart after she loses her memory in a tragic car accident in this romantic drama star-ring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum. The Notebook:

The story is told on two levels - one is the present day when Allie and Noah have grown old and live in a home; the other is the story Noah reads from the notebook in which he tells how he and Allie met, fell in love, lost each other, and then found each other again. The end of their love story is tragically altered by Allie’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, but even that has no power over their love.

Titanic:In this love story, Rose Bukater, a young rich girl, is sailing to the US in order to get married. Her mother is forcing her ,therefore feeling trapped inside her own world. She meets a young, Jack Dawson and falls in love. Amidst all this confusion the Titanic hits an iceberg and slowly starts to sink. This Means War:Two CIA agents, Tuck and Frank, who are also best friends, have

been benched because someone’s after them. Tuck is divorced with a son whom he’s not close to and Frank is a ladies man. She’s intrigued by both of them. When they learn that they’re dating the same girl, they agree to let her choose. But both can’t help but use their skills to keep tabs on her and each other. And also sabotage each other’s dates.

The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn pt. 2:Bella finally turns, and opens her eyes into the world of the vampire’s and Jacob,meanwhile imprints on Renessmee. While they are hunting in the woods, The Cullen’s family friend Irene sees Renessmee and thinks that Renessmee is an immortal child and runs off to call the Volturi to destroy her. Edward, Bella and the Cullen’s have to fight in order to save their family.

The Right Age for Love“Age is nothing, but a number”

Serena Quintero, Opinion Editor’13

Love is blind at least through age or at least that’s what people think. An older person with younger person is not the only situation in which the age for love should be considered. It is

a very important question to consider. Is there a right age to fall in love? People who are in love tend to say no, there isn’t an age limit. People who are not in love may say that in certain situations age does matter. After various situations and watching successful marriages, I can say there is no age for love but there is the right time for it. Saying there is no age for love is a general statement. Therefore, when someone tries to explain it, it’s more complicated than it sounds. The simple way to see it and explain what it is that you can fall in love at an age. This is a very shallow explanation of a much more complicated situation. Stating that you can fall in love at any age leads me to think of a child in the third or fourth grade having their first real crush and going out with their crush. These so called “relationships” obviously don’t last which lead to asking what love is? Is love a simple childish infatuation? This is an individual’s opinion because it’s a pretty complicated thing to define. However, to me, love is caring for someone, enough to sacrifice your life for them. Might sound extreme but when you really think about it, if someone really cares about you, obviously, that would be a better relationship than someone who doesn’t really care about you. The answer is pretty simple; if love is willing to give every-thing, then it has to have something to give. It’s ridiculous to think that someone can say there in “love” and don’t have anything to offer to that person other than affection. When you love someone, you want the best for them. Therefore, love can come at any age but it’s not go-ing to work if it’s not at the right time. In my opinion the age doesn’t matter as long as both people are” ready” to be in love, meaning, settled down and working independently from their parents. That usu-ally comes at an older age which honestly is when people are mature enough to understand the commitment of love and can give more than affection to back up and upkeep their love. If I would put an age on it would, it would be around the 20’s or 30’s, that’s the best time to fall in love. Love that will actu-ally last and it might happen before or after this age, but it might not be the right time. Life goes up and down and things happen, many relationships don’t survive, but life goes on, love will come at its right time. You just have to be smart enough to receive it and give every-thing to upkeep it, no matter the age.

Get Over It, Move On“Getting Over a Breakup”Natalie Ruiz Asst. Editor 13’

Let’s talk. “It’s Over”, let’s take a break, It’s not you, It’s me”, “This isn’t

working out”, “Let’s move on”. When you hear those words, you automatically think that the world is over. But it’s not! There’s more opportunities out there for someone like you, so don’t beat yourself about it. Stuff like this happens. Move on or at least try to. Take time to heal.Here are some tips to get over a breakup:

1. Hang Out. The definition of “Hang Out” means: To go out with your friends TO have FUN. That’s basically it. Let the past fly by you. Don’t think or do any-thing that reminds you of him/her. Don’t get depressed either. Let’s live while were young or how I like to say it. Live. Life. Love. The 3 L’s. Any-ways just have confidence. Go anywhere. Live Life like there’s no tomorrow.

2. Delete His Number. You don’t want to have any contact with him after he/she has broken up with you. Don’t stay at home and watch chick flicks and eat ice cream out of the bowl

or wait for the phone for to ring again. Don’t make it Valentine’s Day. Have a little pride.

3. Don’t listen to love songs. Love songs will make you think about him/her. You shouldn’t listen to “I want you back”, by Cher Lloyd or Taylor Swift songs with the exclusion of, “We

Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” Now that a breakup song. Maybe not. Just listen to Taylor Swift. Come to think of it, she has a lot of breakup songs, recently.

4. Don’t bother yourself. Just saying. That’s the wrong direction to go. He/she doesn’t deserve you. You’re more than that. Don’t become depressed or obsessive. Relax for a few days. Have fun. If he/she wants s you

back. Don’t give him the word of the doubt. If he really wants you back, he has to show it, but if you don’t, that’s okay. You’ll find a better man out there for you. So, don’t get upset. The girl say-ing says, “There’s plenty of fish in the water, so the water I will test” It’s a weird saying. Fish?. What the heck, but it’s true.

5. Last, but not least. Don’t think about it, too hard. When he/she is on your mind, you’ll never forget the past or the memories you’ve had with him/her. Think about the future. Don’t let this relation-ship put you down.

6. Write an entire song or poem after the breakup.Make a song that expresses how you feel. Tell it all in the song. Don’t hesitate. You can express it anyway you want . It doesnt have to be perfect. Write a sonnet if you can. Maybe it can become a hit song like Adele or Taylor Swift or like a Shakespeare son-net. You may never know until you try.

Crazy Exs“Ten ways to deal with exs”

Serena Quintero 13’

Break up’s are common, and so are crazy exs. Not everyone takes break up “very well”. Breaks are “suppose” to end off a relation-

ship, but also can be the beginning of a person tuning into an emotional wreck. There are various ways to deal with an upset significant other after a break up, it just depends on how the ex is acting. After analyzing these different types of situations I created categories of exs and tips on how to deal with them. These tips are not full proof but the will help. Just remember that moving on is not easy for everybody. Situations like this should help every-one think carefully about the person there going to date next.

Stage 4: ex can be described as overly attached. This type of ex messages calls or looks for you excessively. They let others know, they want you back. Best ways to deal is:

• Cutting off. End all types of communica tion that’s not public.• Remind this person things are over every time they bring “us” back up.

Stage 3: is defined as over-obsessive exs that know how to stalk and threaten to hurt you. They will do anything possible to make you to feel bad. There called sadistic narcissist. They would inflict pain on themselves because they want you to feel bad for them. There extremely selfish and only focus on their feelings. Best way to deal with them is:

• Don’t allow them to make you feel badfor them.• Don’t make public what’s happening. • Get them help if possible.

Stage 2: exs are hateful. These types of exs go overboard trying to make you feel bad and go straight into doing anything to hurt you emotion-

ally. They tend to talk badly about you to others yet also act nice to you in private. They really believe they are the victim. Best way to deal with this type is:

• Avoid private conversations.• Be happy. Don’t let them get to you

Stage 1: the dangerous ex. this type of ex is not just an emotional person trying to get over a broken heart. They are the type of person that has lost grip of reality and can physically hurt you. The general way to deal with them is:

• Don’t wait out and ignore this type of problem.• Notify the authorities of threats/stalking• If necessary get a restraining order.

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Cougar Blurbs11

Bringing Nerdy BackCo-Editor in Chief Liliana Garcia

If you have seen Mean Girls you may think about the mathletes as social suicide thanks to Damian. But this is not North Shore High School. At BA, the math club has become a well-liked and active organization. With their new sponsors, Prashant Fonseka and Sean Dowd, the math club has been able to recruit over 20 members this year. To be part of the club you don’t need strong math skills. All that is needed is a good sense of humor and an open mind. This year, the Math Club made their very first appearance in the homecoming parade dressed as ancient, Greek mathematicians. They are currently working on a math parody of Rihanna’s hit single, Please Don’t Stop the Music, which will be titled Bring on the Whole Math Test. Junior Lupita Serrato says “The math club is a fun place where you can get help in math, hang out with friends, and learn new things.” Now of course, the math club is not only about fun and games. They will be participating in two math competitions, the University of Houston Math Contest and UIL. With three consecutive years advancing to UIL regionals, the math team is eager to make it a fourth.

A Key to SuccessCo-Editor in Chief Liliana Garcia

Key Clubbers lend a hand to the community

We hear about different organizations starting at BA. But Key Club is one of the few that have managed to last and keep growing. Key Club has a good reputation not only

at BA but also around the com-munity. What is Key Club? Well it certainly isn’t a club that makes keys. It stands for Kiwanis Educated Youth Club. It is an international organization that helps students build character and develop leadership skills through service to other students and the community. Key Clubbers are re-

quired to do a minimum of 50 hours of community service each year. They have raised money for the UNICEF’s Trick-or-Treating program which was sent to mothers and ba-bies that need to get immunized in order to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus. In the winter, Key Clubbers collected coats for children in need. Each year they participate in canned food drives at White Rock Center of Hope. Key Club is partnered with the Boy Scouts of America and together they raise money for popcorn to be sent to the U.S. military, volunteer at Derby races, and lead cub scouts in their summer camps.

The Math Club challenges cougars in the numbers

Singular SurvivalThe Single’s Survival Guide

Staff Writer Jennifer Trejo’16

Valentine’s Day is just another sad reminder of how single we are. Being single on Valentine’s Day can be awkward and depressing. No one likes to see cou-ples flaunt their love and get showered with gifts while we pack up the pounds

eating Ben and Jerry’s. Instead of hating this day so much, just because you don’t have a Valentines, treat yourself to a relaxing, all-about-you day. Because on the bright side, you don’t have to spend money on cheesy gifts for someone else and you don’t have to deal with the stress relationships can bring at times. Take yourself on a date. It’s better to spend money to spoil yourself rather than spend money on another person who may not be grateful or you may not communicate with a month from now. So let’s get rid of that “I hate Valentine’s Day” mood, and bring in that Single Awareness cheer! Here are some suggestions of what to do on this love-filled day for all those singles!

FoodWhy depend on someone else to take you out to eat somewhere you did not choose? Take yourself to that favorite restau-rant of yours with your other single friends and eat like there is no tomorrow! There is no need to im-

press anybody so you don’t have to eat like a mouse. Go on and devour on those spicy wings or cheesy pizza you’ve been craving! Make sure to avoid fancy restaurants. You do not want to be surrounded by lovey-dovey couples. A nice place to try is Serious Pizza in Deep Ellum. The large pizza is about 24 inches long. Now that is some serious pizza!

MoviesGo on a movie date with your single bud-dies. Great movies to watch in theaters are Bullet to the Head (yes, you are allowed to drool over Sylvester Stallone’s abs of steel),

A Good Day to Die Hard, Escape from Planet Earth, and Identity Thief. Whichever film you choose, avoid the romantic ones! You do not want to witness excessive PDA while trying to enjoy the movie on your single aware-ness day.

SweetsSatisfy your sweet tooth by eating some ice cream or frozen yogurt. Maybe even both! Yumilicous fro-yo has all kinds of exotic flavors. Some favorites are red velvet cake, taro, and avocado. You can find ice cream in almost any grocery store. Ben and

Jerry can never go wrong!

A Good LaughTo end your day on a good note, turn on the TV and watch the new season of Ridiculous-ness on MTV. Ridiculousness is filled with lots of home videos that are RIDICOULOSLY funny! The new season will start at 10pm on Valentines.

Whether you are single or in a relationship, Valentine’s Day is for everyone to enjoy. Make the best of this day and don’t hesitate to spend a little cash on yourself.

Strumming at BAThe Guitar Club rockin their way through the school

Co-Editor-in-chief Liliana Garcia

Rumor has it that it is good luck to sit under this historical onion strip. It came from a fried onion ring and ended up glued on the ceiling! It has been there since 2009. Where is it? That’s for you to figure out... All you need to do is look up.

Good luck!

This year we had several new clubs and organizations start at BA. One is the Guitar Club. The members have all kinds of skills and abilities; students who barely know how to play and students who are a bit more experienced. Sponsors, Bryan Bolster and Jo-

seph Gallo, teach members the basics of guitars. “They do not need to learn how to play the guitar but it requires a lot of effort to learn.” Mr. Bolster said. They play classical, blues, and almost every kind of genre! Most of the students bring their own guitars but guitars can be provided during the meetings. Once a week, students learn a song given by the sponsors and have mini workshops. They hope to have guest speakers in the upcoming days. One who is a friend of Mr. Bolster that fixes and builds guitars. He hopes to

teach the students a couple of his own skills. They are currently working on two proj-ects: The band’s spring show and forming a Mariachi band.

The Lucky Onion

Key Club officers, Maria Aguirre, 12, and Liliana Garcia, 12, at the Kiwani’s conference.

David Hernandez, ‘13 sports an electric guitar while Chris Moreno strums the acoustic six string.

Students are usually the ones to fall head over heels for one another in what we call, ‘Young Love’. Here we learn that some of our fellow teachers too have love stories of their own. After being interviewed, they shared their experiences of young love and their happy endings.

Mr. Bolster: Mr. Bolster’s wife, Kelly, lived across from him in college. They met at a pool party, and he first asked her out on a date to go salsa dancing, because they both liked dancing. Kelly assumed they were both going with different people, because Mr. Bolster had asked one of his other friends out to make it a group thing. So Kelly went with a male model/football player who went to the same college as them, and Mr. Bolster was with his friend. At the dance they were all dancing, but neither Mr. Bolster nor Kelly were happy. When their group was plan-ning to leave Mr. Bolster and Kelly both decide to stay behind, they danced for about an hour, and got slurpees from 7- eleven. He eventually moved to Texas and she followed in December and they got married.

Mrs. Murphy:Ms. Murphy and her husband, Elijah, both went to a college in New Orleans. They were just walking to class one day and they started talking, he asked her out since it wasn’t permit-ted for women in her family to be as forward with guys. Mrs. Murphy didn’t immediately tell him yes, she talked on the phone with him for several weeks. Eventually they went around the neighborhood getting to know each other. They decided to wait until they graduated from college to get mar-ried. Mrs. Murphy says that one of the sweetest things he has ever done is walking with her on a lake front with a nice cool breeze one day at lunch time, three words she would use to describe him are strong, ambitious, and intelligent.

Ms. Garcia:Bill was Ms. Garcia’s high school sweetheart. They dated throughout high school and college. She got her first glimpse of him at a fall carnival, and immediately knew that he was the one for her. They started dating, and everyone was shocked, because Ms. Garcia was outgoing, in student council, and played basketball, and Bill was more of the academic type. One of the sweetest things he had done for her was her typing assignments in her senior year when Ms. Garcia developed a case of senioritis.

Lessons in LoveTeacher Love Stories

By-Sadaf Yasmeen

Mr Bolster and wife Kelly

Ms. Garcia and Bill.

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Mrs. Murphy and Elijah