n NEWS: Check out the
San Antonio zoo, page 3.
n SPORTS: Spurs just
keep winning, page 2.
n EDITORIAL: Prom
nominees are..., page 6-7.
n ENTERTAINMENT:
The Vans Warped Tour is
coming, page 4.
n FEATURES: Eagles
Fiesta, page 5.
Volume 6
May 2013
Seniors set to graduate
Graduation ceremony
scheduled for June 16
E.J. Fernandez/staff
CONGRATS GRAD: Stores have already
started selling graduation merchandise.
Brackenridge will hold its graduation ceremony June 16 at the Alamodome.
Issue 6
By Stanley Sorrell
Editor-In-Chief
With graduation around the
corner, seniors are trying to make plans
for the biggest stage of their life, so
far. Brackenridge High School’s 2013
Graduation ceremony takes place at 2
p.m. June 16 at the Alamodome.
For most seniors graduation
is a milestone in their young lives and
has a special meaning. It is a bittersweet moment in a young person’s life
because it means they have reached an
important accomplishment, knowing
that not everyone earns their diploma.
Texas has a high school graduation rate
of about 86 percent , which is among
the top 10 in the country.
Ramses Escobedo, the senior
class sponsor, graduated from Brackenridge in 2005. He then went on to
graduate from Georgetown University
in Washington D.C. where he double
majored in history and anthropology.
Escobedo said, “Graduation
was an opportunity for me to make my
family proud, and make something for
myself.
“My only ‘words of wisdom’
would be, try to make every step a step
forward in something that your passionate about.”
Eagles spread their wings at Prom
Class officers try to make
annual event memorable
By Lupita Barrientos
Staff Writer
With the summer quickly approaching there are two things that seem to
be the only things on any senior’s mind —
graduation and prom.
This year the class of 2013 will
hold an “Elegant Evening Under the Stars”
starting at 6 p.m. June 1 at Sunset Station, for Brackenridge High School annual
prom.
The theme, voted on by the senior
class, will be highlighted by elegant décor
and atmosphere.
Rosalinda Jasso, senior class vicepresident, said, “There was a lot of time,
effort and money invested into this prom.
We’re hoping to make it the best that we
can and that it will be everything that students have always dreamed of.”
Expectations are high for prom
due to what some students consider “outrageously priced tickets.” However, since the
initial shock over the price of prom, prices
were decreased. There are a few key points
of interest that most students are especially
looking forward to.
“I’m just going because I found a
nice dress,” senior Georgina Cortinas said.
HARD WORK/Page 8
Brack gets
heavily
involved
in Fiesta
Band marches in
three Fiesta parades
E.J. Fernandez/staff
DECORATING AN ELEGANT EVENING UNDER THE STARS: Senior Kimberley RojasRocha arranges a vase with flowers as part of the decorations for the 2013 Brackenridge
High School Junior-Senior Prom, which will take place June 1 at Sunset Station. On the
night of prom there will be 50 parking spaces available reserved for students.
“The fashion is the most important thing
about prom. The food will probably (not
be good), the dancing will be negligible.
Prom’s really about how nice you can make
yourself look. It’s about looking your absolute best and shining for one night.”
Some Eagles feel prom is about
SUNSET STATION/Page 6
By Maria Morales
Staff Writer
Like most San Antonians, Brackenridge Eagles
partied hard at Fiesta 2013.
“Fiesta San Antonio”
is an annual spring festival held
in San Antonio with origins dating to the late 19th century. The
festival began as a single event
to honor the memory of the
battles of The Alamo and San
Jacinto.
Fiesta is the city’s biggest festival, with an economic
impact of about $284 million
for the Alamo City. More than
three million people take part in
Fiesta every year.
Fiesta dates to 1891
EAGLES/Page 8
2
Sports
Football’s always in season
Spring football cut short,
but not before big game
By Davida Osuna
Staff Writer
The 2013 annual Purple and
White Brackenridge High School Spring
Football game took place Tuesday, May
14 at Wheatley Sports complex.
The Purple team dominated the
White team for most of regulation, winning 21-6.
Spring practices were cut short
by a week and a half because the Brackenridge coaches were chosen to coach
the East All-Stars at the annual city Optimist All-Star game at Heroes Stadium.
According to head coach Willie
Hall the players were ready to go despite
less preparation. “The coaches and I
saw what we needed to see and we knew
the players were ready because if they
weren’t ready we would still be practicing until they were,” he said.
White team player sophomore
Josh Cortez said his team’s weakness
was, “not having enough time to play
like a team.”
While Purple team player ju-
Davida Osuna/staff
EAGLE VERSUS EAGLE: The Brackenridge football team practices after
school. Practices ended with the annual
Purple-White game at Wheatley.
nior Justin Salinas (a.k.a. Shelby) said
his team won because they were “reacting quickly to the change.”
Also on the purple team was
sophomore Abraham Lira, who added,
“Our the team’s strength was just knowing what to do.”
This was Salinas’ first experience playing in the Eagles spring game.
“This is something to see where I am at
and what I can improve on so I can be
ready for next season,” he added.
Also first-time spring ball player freshman Damian Sherwood said,
“This was the only varsity time I’ll get
to play until next year. I got to show the
coaches what I can do to get me to the
varsity level.”
This year’s spring ball expectations to most players were to show the
coaches what they have to bring to the
team. Lira said he expected to “win the
battle.”
Junior Robert Lay, on the White
team, set personal goals for himself. “I
expected to do well and execute on the
field mentally and physically.”
For fans, the spring ball game
is the preview to see come what is to
come from the players next year.
Cortez added that “he hopes
to beat the teams that they lost to this
past season and make it past first round,
again.”
Brackenridge defeated Alamo
Heights in the first round of the playoffs
this past season to advance to the second
round for the first time in coach Hall’s
many years.
“I just want to make playoffs
again, but not only that I want to see a
state ring on my finger,” Salinas said.
The coaches and three players
— offensive lineman Raymond Rose, returner James Harris and defensive back
Did you know?
2013 Brackenridge
football opponents
n Sam Houston
n Floresville
n Victoria East
n Del Rio
n Jefferson
n Brennan
n Edison
n Burbank
n Lanier
n Highlands
Troy Mathis — focused on the city Optimist All Star Game, which took place
Saturday, May 25 at Heroes Stadium.
Rose said, “It feels good to
play again. It’s not every day that you
get a chance to play after your season is
up. I’m going to do my part to win but
it’s a team game.”
Harris added, “The team (East
All-Stars) has talent and I am fortunate
to get to play with them.”
The Eagles open the 2013 in
August against Sam Houston.
San Antonio Spurs looking to resurrect dynasty
Local NBA team gets
back to where they were
By Michael Medellin
Staff Writer
Black and silver is now what
people see all around San Antonio because their beloved Spurs are in the
Western Conference Finals, after they
knocked off Golden State Warriors 4-2
in Round 2 of the NBA playoffs.
Sixth-seeded Golden State put
up a relatively good fight to take two
games from the Spurs. They took the series all the way to Game 6 on Thursday,
May 16, as the Warriors hosted the Spurs
in Oakland.
With San Antonio leading the
series by a count of 3-2, the young guns
were tasked with fighting off elimination. Golden State’s deadliest young gun
Stephen Curry did all he could to prevent
that from transpiring. Curry finished
with 22 points and six assists in Game 6,
continuing his monumental rise to super
stardom by stepping up. Even when his
shot wasn’t falling,
Curry routinely responded with a big
shot and set his
teammates up for a
comeback.
On the opposite end, San Antonio’s most exciting
young talent Kawhi
Leonard picked up
Michael
16 points and 10
Medellin
rebounds with two
steals to step up and
lead the Spurs. Father Time Tim Duncan
supplied 19 points as all five starters
scored in double figures, including the
court general Tony Parker with 13 points
and eight assists.
San Antonio moved on to face
the Memphis Grizzlies in the conference finals. The Spurs took Game 1 and
Game 2 from the Memphis Grizzlies in
San Antonio to go up 2-0 in the series.
The Spurs dominated the Grizzlies in the
first game 105-83 leaving the series record at 1-0. Game 2 the Spurs led by 18
at one point but the Grizzlies forced the
game into overtime. Spurs escaped with
the victory to take a 2-0 series lead to
Oakland on Saturday, May 25.
The Spurs were in that similar
position last year when they were up
2-0 against the Oklahoma City Thunder
in the 2012 Western Conference Finals.
The Thunder came back to win four in a
row and had a lot of people talking about
how the Spurs are too old, again.
Some Brackenridge students
are confident the Spurs can keep the momentum and intensity up, for now.
Junior Adrian Gutierrez said
the Spurs will beat the Grizzlies 4-1.
“They will advance to the Finals and
play against Miami Heat, but they will
fall shot winning only two games.”
Many Brackenridge students
are hoping the Spurs will comeback
and recover from last year’s loss against
Oklahoma City. The Thunder outscored
the Spurs 59-36 after falling behind 6348 at halftime and getting a challenge
from coach Brooks that he said had
“nothing to do” with committing eight
turnovers against only six assists while
allowing San Antonio to shoot 9 for 15
on 3-pointers.
“It just had everything to do
with who we are as men, who we are as
a team, the type of spirit that we want
to show every time down the court,”
Brooks said. “It was all about that, about
body language, about being a family. I
thought our guys did that the first possession of that second half and they did
not look back.”
Duncan chipped in 25 points
and 14 rebounds, and Stephen Jackson,
who the Spurs released from the roster
before the start of this postseason, scored
23 as San Antonio lost its fourth straight
after they were only the fourth team in
NBA history to win 20 games in a row.
Spurs fans know the past is
the past. The Spurs took what they did
wrong from those games and worked all
season to take the Grizzlies down beat
the Miami Heat and bring home the
championship back to San Antonio.
(Michael Medellin is student
writer and all student writer views or
opinions are not always the views and
opinions of Brackenridge High School
or SAISD.)
News
3
Lt. Col. Byrd ready to retire
Leader of BHS
JROTC steps down
By Aaron Covarrubias
News Editor
This has been a historic year for Brackenridge High
School Army Junior ROTC.
The Eagle Battalion had the
largest unit in recent history
with more than 180 cadets. It
retained the honor unit with
distinction rating and placed
second in the SAISD district
drill meet, Brackenridge’s highest placing in over a decade.
However, JROTC in
2012-2013 will be remembered
for another reason. Lieutenant
Colonel Duane E. Byrd, senior
army instructor at Brackenridge
High School since 2006, announced he will be vacating his
post.
Melanie Rose, senior,
has been in ROTC for four
years and said she has gotten to
know LTC Byrd “quite well.”
In the four years she’s been in
ROTC she said the program has
“gotten better every year.”
Some cadets have not
known Colonel Byrd as long,
like C/SSG Pete Hernandez,
who will be Security Officer
next year. Hernandez, a freshman, said, “I’ve gotten to know
Did you know?
LTC Duane E. Byrd
n Native San Antonian.
n Graduate of John F. Kennedy High School.
n Graduated Texas A&M
University as a Distinguished Military Graduate
and commissioned as
a Second Lieutenant in
Armor.
n Served with distinction in
the United States Army for
more that 22 years.
n Spent 15 years as an
Army JROTC Instructor.
E.J. Fernandez/staff
LEAD IN: Lieutenant Colonel Duane E. Byrd, senior army instructor at Brackenridge High School
since 2006, announced he will be vacating his position as lead officer of the JROTC.
colonel Byrd well in one year
and he has taught me a lot. I
know I would learn more if I
had more time with him.”
LTC Byrd is a profound authority figure, but
many cadets see another side of
Colonel Byrd. Jasman Tinajero,
a senior, said, “In my two years
of ROTC I saw sees a side of
colonel I didn’t see before. He
had a profound affect on me.
“He pushed me to new
limits. He changed the way I
think of things and he put good
sense and discipline into everyone.”
There is no hint on
who will succeed Byrd as senior army instructor. Cadets
are already hypothesizing on
possible challenges to the new
colonel.
Abigail Romero, a
sophomore, said, “It will take
time for things to change, either
for the better or for worse.”
But for the time being,
cadets aren’t worrying about the
challenges of next year. Instead
they are cherishing the tone left
by Colonel Byrd.
Army Instructor Sergeant Major Waldon C. McAllister said LTC Byrd, “he will
take off his combat boots, put
them on a shelf and things will
go on.”
Tinajero added, “LTC
Byrd will no doubt be missed. I
want to sincerely thank him for
all he has done for every cadet
here.”
Colonel Byrd will live
on at Brackenridge High School
through the immortal words of
his most often-repeated quote
to his loyal cadets, “you’re always on parade.”
Vacationing Eagles enjoy occasional visit to zoo
Brackenridge students like the
SA Zoo’s monkeys the most
By Lenzy Mora
Features Editor
The San Antonio Zoo has been around since
the 1800s and was established in 1914 being a nonprofit organization, it housed buffaloes, monkeys, deer,
lions and bears. The zoo has been a place where the city
residents and tourists can go to explore the many different types of animals from amphibians, mammals, birds
and reptiles and the intriguing nine different exhibits.
“The zoo has always been a place where my
parents always took the family to go look at the monkeys and elephants and all the other animals. I always
have great memories of the zoo. One of my favorite
things to do was to always get a wax animal figure, that
and feeding the birds and fish,” Dominique Ramirez
What is your favorite
animal at the zoo?
Monkeys
Elephants
Bears
Lions
Reptiles
Birds
Hippopotamus
None
0
Other
25 50 75 100 125 150
Students (more than 600 polled)
said.
With the zoo open 365 days a year, people can
definitely spend a day there any time they would like,
as long as the weather permits it.
“What I like most about the zoo is that there
are a lot of animals to look at and it is a great place to
go when you are bored during the summer or whenever. My favorite animals to go see are the hippos because
they are really weird but funny looking and they seem
really chill in the water,” junior Stephanie Ruiz said.
Not only can people go to view the animals but
they can also interact and get up close to them. Some
interactive animal exhibits include the butterfly habitat,
which has more than 20 different species, fishes and
Australian rainforest lorikeet birds.
When going to the zoo people not only see
animals that they do not usually see on a daily basis,
but they learn the many different facts about these fascinating creatures that come from all over the world.
“I like the zoo because of animals that you can
interact with, my favorite animal is the elephants because of how huge and human like they are. I also like
the birds because you get to feed them,” junior Cody
Velez said.
ZOO/Page 8
4
Entertainment
Tour tries to warp young minds
Eagles prepare for
‘Best Day Ever’
By Brianna Morales
Staff Writer
Many students at
Brackenridge want to do something fun for vacation this summer. Some plan to work and
others don’t plan on doing anything at all, but a lot of students
can not wait for the most exciting event of the year. The Vans
Warped Tour!
This music tour began
in the late 1990s and is still going strong in attendance. This
tour lasts all summer long traveling across the country in every state with at least 100 bands
per show. Each band plays for
up to 30 minutes. There are approximately 10 stages, although
the biggest bands generally
play the two main stages. Some
big names have come across
the Vans Warped Tour over the
years like Sublime, Blink-182,
Sum 41 and Good Charlotte.
There are many sponsors that support the Vans
Warped Tour such as Vans off
the Wall, Trojan, Willie Wonka
Candy, Pizza Hut and Skull
Candy.
Warped Tour has
played a lot of classic punk
rock bands, but over the years
the style and taste of the music
has changed. Although Warped
Tour started out with a few
bands every year, now there are
more well-known bands on the
lineup.
“This year’s lineup is
looking really good, I’m super
excited,” junior Alexah Lopez
said.
In the past few years
Screamo was introduced to
many young punk rock listeners
and grew into a new genre for
many people to enjoy. Bands
like Bring Me the Horizon, A
Day to Remember and Pierce
the Veil have grown popular.
“My favorite part of
warped is watching my favorite bands play and hanging
out with friends,” junior Sarah
Fletcher said.
The Warped Tour lasts
all day, which can seem like
very long time, but most fans
really enjoy it.
“I like the free stuff
they give away and I like watching the crowd jumping up and
down, shifting and getting all
crazy!” junior Brittney Morales
said.
Bring Me the Horizon
has come out with a new CD
this year and are playing main
stage along with other great
bands.
“I can’t wait to see
Beartooth play at Warped Tour
this year!” Fletcher. “Then I’ll
go buy their new CD.”
This year’s theme for the
Warped Tour is The Best Day
Ever as some would call it.
“I’ve gone to Warped
Tour every year since 2005 and
I love everything about it. The
music, the people and the fun I
have being there. I look forward
to it every year,” junior Nick
Ortega said.
The Vans Warped
Tour lands in San Antonio Aug.
3. Because new bands continue
to emerge to entertain the newer generations of pop-punk and
post-hardcore music fans, the
tour will undoubtedly experience increasing surges of popu-
Did you know?
Warped Tour lineup
n Bring me the Horizon
n Never Shout Never
n Black Veil Brides
n 30H!3
n Anarbor
n Attila
n August Burns Red
n Bless the Fall
n Falling in Reverse
n Forever the Sickest Kids
n Hawthorne Heights
n I See Stars
n Issues
n Like Moths to Flames
n Memphis Mayflower
n The Used
n Sleeping with Sirens
n The Summerset
n The Wonder Years
n We Came as Romans
n Reel Big Fish
n Big D and the Kids Table
n Upon a Burning Body
n Taking Back Sunday
larity as the years go by.
What will be your favorite memories of high school?
“All four years at Brackenridge were absolutely great. I’m happy
to have came to school where I met
so many of my friends and awesome
teachers. To see us seniors leave is
pretty sad. I actually considered this
my second home. Sounds pretty lame,
but it’s the truth.
“To the incoming freshman,
enjoy your years in high school because
the years are gonna go by so fast. At
Brian
the end your gonna realize what a
Martinez
great school Brackenridge is to get an
education. Live it up and enjoy your
years in high school.”
— Brian Martinez, senior
“When I finally walk the
stage at graduation, that’s going to
be my favorite memory. Crossing that
stage will be an amazing accomplishment for me. All of that time I spent
in school all these years will finally
pay off.
“Always remember to be
yourself. Don’t judge others for the
way they are or the way they act.
Don’t worry about all your friends
Stephanie
from middle school, because everybody
Lopez
changes and every moves on. Start a
new chapter of your life. And don’t
slack off because it will come back to haunt you in the end.”
— Stephanie Lopez, senior
“Joining band was the
best decision I ever made in high
school. My favorite memories would
be all the Friday night football
games where we would cheer on
our team, playing our music for the
crowd, marching, and having fun
with friends.
“I’ll remember the competitions we worked so hard for, the
pep rallies, most all of homecoming
Destiny
week. Fiesta time was great too.
Maldonado
“Watch out what crowd
you hang out with. Friends come
and go, but everyone will get over it. Just have fun.”
— Destiny Maldonado, senior
“My favorite memory of
high school is going to be our Homecoming pep rally my senior year. It
was just a great feeling and something
I will never forget. All of my friends
were there.
“I just want to warn freshmen to stay focused in school every
day, don’t try to be something that
you’re not and start thinking about
college now. Don’t slack off, you’ll
Elizabeth
regret it. You might not think so much
Ramirez
about it now as a freshman, but in the
long run it will follow you and effect
you the rest of your life. Just stay focused.”
— Elizabeth Ramirez, senior
“My favorite memories from
high school will be the opportunities
I’ve had throughout the years. Without finding theatre as my base, I think
I would be nowhere. I can’t wait to
pursue my dream as a performer in the
coming years and I realized that here.
“A fair warning to all the
freshmen, just be yourself and everything else will work out. People judge
others on a day-to-day basis, but being
Louie
true to yourself and loving who you
Canales
are is the only thing that matters. Stay
strong, stay focused and everything
will slide by, fast.”
— Louie Canales, senior
“I will probably remember
running in the hot sun and playing
in the freezing cold. It doesn’t seem
like a perfect day for most people,
but for me it does.
“The soccer games were
hard-fought battles and all the
laughs I had with my teammates
will be my most memorable moments.
I will cherish them in my heart
forever.
Elizabeth
“Just try your best in evOrtiz
erything that you do and enjoy every
minute of high school, because these
four years just fly by.”
— Elizabeth Ortiz, senior
Features
Eagle Fiesta 2013
5
Brackenridge High School gets active in several Fiesta 2013 events
E.J. Fernandez/staff
EAGLES LOVE A PARADE:
(Far left) The Brackenridge
High School band marches
through the Fiesta Day parade with the Eaglettes leading with the banner. Right
behind them are (Left) the
saxophones and wind instruments as the play, march and
sometimes sing, or chant.
Lupita Barrientos/staff
PARADE FIT FOR A
KING: (Left) Brackenridge
Cheerleaders cheer with
the Eagle mascot in the
King William Fair Parade.
(Right) Principal Moises
Ortiz marches with his
Eagle students as they
play through the parade.
(Far right) Brackenridge’s
Mariachi Band plays and
sings during the fair.
E.J. Fernandez/staff
PROUD TO REPRESENT EAGLELAND IN A PARADE: (Left) The
Brackenridge Eaglettes hold banner
and lead the band through the Fiesta
Night parade. (Right) The Brackenridge
Cheer and Dance girls show their Eagle
pride as they march in the King William’s Fair Parade.
E.J. Fernandez/staff
E.J. Fernandez/staff
YOU GOT A LITTLE COOL HHHWHIP
RIGHT THERE: (Right) Brackenridge
juniors Matt De Los Santos and Jongregory Gonzales smile after getting hit
the face with a pie at the 2013 Brackenridge Spring Fling on May 3, traditionally at the end of Fiesta.
FIESTA FINALE: (Left)
Coach Eddie Jordan,
middle, helps one of the
fundraising food booths at
the annual Brackenridge
High School Spring Fling
on May 3 to cap off a fun
Fiesta in 2013.
6
Editorial
Sunset Station to host 2013 BHS Prom, despite Alamodome concert
Continued from Page 1
more than that.
Senior Aurora Ibarra said,
“Prom is about making memories with
my friends, but the music is important.
You can’t have a proper celebration
without good music.”
Whether the food is good or
not, some ticket buyers are looking forwarded to tasting it.
Senior Kristyn Pantoja said, “I
heard there is going to be very delicious
food at prom, that’s why I’m going. I
have to see it and taste it. I’m also excited to see the many beautiful dresses.”
In addition to the fashion, music and food, students are particularly
excited about the venue this year.
“Sunset Station is definitely
different. It’s not like what most other
school’s have. It’s somewhat original
and cool,” senior Michael Stanley said.
The venue was chosen for that
exact reason according to class officers.
Sunset Station’s elegant facade and
beautiful architecture set it apart from
all other venues that were considered.
Towards the end of the night
the traditional prom staples, such as
Class Favorites, the coveted titles of
Prom King and Queen, and the rest of
the Prom Court will be announced and
presented with their titles. Nomination
for favorites and voting for the court is
in full swing and any senior can participate in the voting during second lunch.
For decades high schools across
America have held a traditional juniorsenior, or exclusively senior proms. And
for decades millions of teenagers have
put their lives at risks in one way or another at these “prom after parties.”
“I’m looking forward to betting
on the national death toll from prom,”
Cortinas said in a light-hearted way.
Many agree that the best memories are not necessarily made at prom,
but at the parties and dinners that proceed or follow the event.
“It is important that students
Full Name: Jonathon David Martinez
Birth Date: Aug. 1, 1995
What is your favorite book? Frankenstein or a Modern Prometheus
Movie? 3:10 to Yuma TV show? Dragon Ballz Sport? Football
What kind of music do you listen to? Alternative
Why do you want to be prom king? I just want my free ticket
Why should someone vote for you? They shouldn’t
What is your favorite feature about yourself? Nose
What do you look for in a girl? Honesty
At what video game could you beat almost anyone? Star
Wars Battle Front
What do you like to cook? Eggs
Jonathon
What college are you going to? Palo Alto
What do you want to do for a living? Strength and ConditionMartinez
ing coach
If they made a movie about your life, who would play you in
the movie? Joseph Gordon Levitt
If a girl liked you, how could she make sure you would say “yes” when she asked
you out? Give me food
If you believed in reincarnation, what would you be reincarnated as? The Pope
Full Name: Alejandro Perez
Birth Date: June 23, 1995
What is your favorite book? Gears of War
Movie? Armageddon TV show? Sons of Guns Sport? Auto
Racing
What kind of music do you listen to? Country
Why do you want to be prom king? It would be fun.
Why should someone vote for you? Because I’m the underdog.
What is your favorite feature about yourself? My sense of
adventure
What do you look for in a girl? Funny, nice and likes to go to
new places.
Alejandro
At what video game could you beat almost anyone? Any racing game
Perez
What do you like to cook? Anything and everything
What college are you going to? SAC and UT
What do you want to do for a living? Race cars
If they made a movie about your life, who would play you in the movie? Gabriel
Iglesias
If a girl liked you, how could she make sure you would say “yes” when she asked
you out? Just be yourself.
What would you be reincarnated as? No comment
stay safe and responsible this year while
enjoying the night and remember that
their actions have consequences,” Pantoja said.
Expressing a statement reflected in almost every hopeful prom attendees’s own mind, Cortinas added, “It better be fun.”
The drop zone at Sunset Station
will be the intersection of Commerce and
Hoefgen. Due to limited parking, limos
will not be able to navigate the parking,
students will have to be dropped off at
the end of the street.
George Strait’s final concert at
the Alamodome falls on the same night.
Full Name: Karla Olivares
Birth Date: Nov. 12, 1994
What is your favorite book? Pride and Predjudice
Movie? Ratatouille TV show? Giada at Home Sport? Water
Polo
What kind of music do you listen to? Rap
Why do you want to be prom queen? It would be something I
would always remember.
Why should someone vote for you? I’m funny, smart and cool
to be around.
What is your favorite feature about yourself? My sense of
humor
What do you look for in a guy? Tall, dark and handsome
Karla
What college are you going to? Bowdoin
What do you want to do for a living? Chef or Doctor
Olivares
If they made a movie about your life, who would play you in
the movie? Miranda Cosgrove
Which cartoon princess is your favorite? Ariel
If a guy liked you, how could he make sure you would say “yes” when he asked
you out? Offer to take me on a cute romantic night picnic
What are you going to wear to prom? It’s coral and sparkly
If you believed in reincarnation, what would you be reincarnated as? Dolphin
Full Name: Carlos James Landeros
Birth Date: Oct. 28, 1994
What is your favorite book? The Outsiders
Movie? Ted TV show? Teen Wolf Sport? Football
What kind of music do you listen to? Country
Why do you want to be prom king? It would be an honor.
Why should someone vote for you? I’m outgoing, funny and
caring.
What is your favorite feature about yourself? Eyes
What do you look for in a girl? Good personality
At what video game could you beat almost anyone? Madden
What do you like to cook? Burgers
What college are you going to? Blinn
Carlos
What do you want to do for a living? Fire Fighter
If they made a movie about your life, who would play you in
Landeros
the movie? Leonardo DiCaprio
If a girl liked you, how could she make sure you would say
“yes” when she asked you out? Make me a 3-pound burger.
If you believed in reincarnation, what would you be reincarnated as? White tiger
Full Name: Steven Santiago Ruiz
Birth Date: July 19, 1995
What is your favorite book? Maximum ride - The Hugel Experiment
Movie? Iron Man TV show? Will & Grace Sport? Tennis
What kind of music do you listen to? Country
Why do you want to be prom king? I want to show that even
someone who isn’t popular can win.
Why should someone vote for you? Because I’m a nobody
and I want to see a nobody win.
What is your favorite feature about yourself? My hair
What do you look for in a girl? Honest, open, funny and loves
Jesus
Steven
At what video game could you beat almost anyone? Galaga
What do you like to cook? Fish
Ruiz
What college are you going to? The Art Institute of San Antonio
If they made a movie about your life, who would play you in
the movie? Nicolas Cage
If a girl liked you, how could she make sure you would say “yes” when she asked
you out? Just ask.
If you believed in reincarnation, what would you be reincarnated as? Eagle
Eagle Briefs
Fundraiser for junior
class at Whataburger
Today (May 28,
2013) students can attend the
Whataburger on Roosevelt and
Steves to help raise money for
the junior class, 2014. With
50 percent of the proceeds of
every purchase going to the
junior class fundraiser account.
— Lenzy Mora
Fierce & Fabulous
Eagles stay fit
The members of
the Brackenridge Fierce, Fit
& Fabulous club achieved
their goal of staying fit and
healthy throughout the year,
even though it is the end of
the year. The girls agreed they
were very proud of everything
they’ve accomplished.
This group, formed
to help teenage girls combat
negative body images and
make health and fitness a goal,
encourages healthy eating
habits and hosts “Community
Saturdays” to promote staying
active. The club will use its
prize money to purchase more
workout equipment and help
other schools start.
— Brianna Morales
Brack art student’s
work headed to D.C.
In addition, Brackenridge art student Arianna
Castaneda won a National
Congressional Art Competition
for District 25. Lloyd Doggett
came to the school and presented her the award in front of
the school board members and
the superintendent. Her work
is headed to the nation’s capitol where her award-winning
masterpiece will be exhibited
for a year.
On May 11 Brackenridge High School art students
had a big “Second Saturday”
exhibition at Gallista Art Gal-
lery. The Eagles had about 50
students show their work with
close to 500 people in attendance.
— Felicia Rodriguez
BTL to perform
Superman musical
The Brackenridge
theatre department will have a
adapted musical performance
of Superman at 7 p.m. on June
4, during second period, third
period and at 7 p.m. on June 5
and during sixth and seventh
periods on June 6.
— Stanley Sorrell
BHS main building
construction delayed
Brackenridge decision makers have decided
to postpone all construction
inside the main building that
was scheduled for this summer until the summer of 2014.
The rationale is that the project
realistically will not be com-
Full Name: Sydney Brundidge
Birth Date: Dec. 22, 1994
What is your favorite book? Twilight
Movie? Love & Basketball TV show? Fresh Prince Sport? Volleyball
What kind of music do you listen to? 90s R & B
Why do you want to be prom queen? Prom Queen is a once in
a lifetime opportunity.
Why should someone vote for you? I have been a leader for
this school and it would be well represented by me.
What is your favorite feature about yourself? My booty
What do you look for in a guy? Smart, religious, athletic
What do you like to cook? Gumbo
Sydney
What college are you going to? Texas Southern
What do you want to do for a living? Movie Director
Brundidge
Who would play you in the movie? Beyonce
Which cartoon princess is your favorite? Tiana
If a guy liked you, how could he make sure you would say “yes” when he asked
you out? Be a gentleman, buy me flowers and ask me in a respectable way.
What are you going to wear to prom? Lavender
If you believed in reincarnation, what would you be reincarnated as? Mermaid or
Dolphin
Full Name: Kimberley Rojas-Rocha
Birth Date: Dec. 31, 1994
What is your favorite book? Watership Down
Movie? Princess Bride TV show? Bones Sport? Basketball
What kind of music do you listen to? Electronic and Pop
Why do you want to be prom queen? It would be my most
memorable moment to be prom queen.
Why should someone vote for you? Because they are nice.
What is your favorite feature about yourself? My butt
What do you look for in a guy? Funny personality
What do you like to cook? Ham and cheese sandwiches
What college are you going to? Texas A&M
What do you want to do for a living? Accounting
Kimberley
If they made a movie about your life, who would play you in
the movie? Meagan Fox
Rojas-Rocha
Which cartoon princess is your favorite? Ariel
If a guy liked you, how could he make sure you would say
“yes” when he asked you out? To take me out for a nice evening before asking.
What are you going to wear to prom? It’s a surprise
If you believed in reincarnation, what would you be reincarnated as? Wolf
pleted until mid-October at the
earliest and without the new
building completed to transfer
classes into, the disruption
to the school would be too
extreme and strenuous.
— Stanley Sorrell
Athletes of the year
announced at banquet
The annual Brackenridge High School Sports
Banquet took place Friday,
May 17 in the mall area.
Players who earned
all-district honors and beyond
were honored during the festivities before the male and female athletes of the year were
announced. Junior Ramon
Richards won Male Athlete
of the Year, while sophomore
Tevis Thomas garnered the Female Athlete of the Year honor.
The guest speaker
was Hall of Fame basketball
player Nevil Shed, who played
for the Texas Western (UTEP)
7
national championship team in
1966, which was the first time
a team started five black players. The movie “Glory Road”
told the story.
The banquet was
catered by Grady’s Bar-B-Q.
— Joe Gomez
SAISD names finalist
for superintendent
The SAISD Board of
Trustees recently named the
District’s Interim Superintendent Dr. Sylvester Perez as the
lone finalist for superintendent.
His appointment
follows the resignation of Superintendent Dr. Robert Durón
on Feb. 20, 2012.
A native of San Antonio, Dr. Perez has provided
more than 38 years of service
to Texas school children, including 13 years as superintendent in the Mathis, Clint, San
Marcos and Midland school
districts.
Full Name: Ashley Villarreal
Birth Date: July 24, 1995
What is your favorite book? 50 Shades of Grey
Movie? Peter Pan TV show? Awkward Sport? Softball
What kind of music do you listen to? Oldies
Why do you want to be prom queen? Only a good student
should be queen.
Why should someone vote for you? I am a good friend.
What is your favorite feature about yourself? My personality
What do you look for in a guy? A country boy
What college are you going to? Texas A&M-CC
What do you want to do for a living? Nurse
If they made a movie about your life, who would play you in
Ashley
the movie? Emma Stone
Which cartoon princess is your favorite? Ariel
Villarreal
If a guy liked you, how could he make sure you would say
“yes” when he asked you out? If he asked me out in a cute
way.
What are you going to wear to prom? It’s a secret.
If you believed in reincarnation, what would you be reincarnated as? Squirrel
Full Name: Kirstie Jacobo
Birth Date: Jan. 23, 1995
What is your favorite book? Thirteen Reasons Why
Movie? Selena TV show? Desperate Housewives Sport? Dance
What kind of music do you listen to? Country
Why do you want to be prom queen? I would really be honored.
Why should someone vote for you? I am fun and outgoing,
but if they don’t I won’t be hurt, much.
What is your favorite feature? My personality
What do you look for in a guy? An amazing personality
What do you like to cook? Spaghetti
What college are you going to? SAC and UIW
Kirstie
What do you want to do for a living? Substitute teacher or an
OBGYN
Jacobo
Who would play you in the movie? Zoey Deschanel
Which cartoon princess is your favorite? Cinderella
If a guy liked you, how could he make sure you would say “yes” when he asked
you out? He would have to make me laugh
What are you going to wear to prom? Coral with a hint of gold, long and one shoulder
strap.
What would you be reincarnated as? Rose
8
Extra
Hard work pays off
for graduating seniors
Six tracksters to state
Continued from Page 1
courtesy photos
BEST OF THE BEST: (Top left) Senior
James Harris runs the 110 High Hurdles
at the UIL Class 4A Track & Field State
Championship in Austin earlier this month.
(Above) The Brackenridge track and field
state qualifiers, from left, Ramon Richards,
James Harris, Rudy Alcaraz, Trevon Cruz,
Kaleb Vasquez, coach Eddie Jordan and
Kenneth May. (Left) Senior Trevon Cruz
tries to catch up in the 1,600 meter relay at
the UIL Class 4A Track & Field State Championship in Austin.
Most of the graduating seniors already have their
futures mapped out, whether it
starts out of town or here in San
Antonio. For example, Charon
Matthews, who will attend the
University of North Texas, play
football and major in biology.
Matthews
said,
“Graduation is a chance for
family and friends to come and
see my achievements and hard
work for four years. As I cross
the stage I will be keeping my
composure, but excitement will
be building up.”
Elizabeth Ortiz will
attend the University of Texas
at San Antonio and also will
major in biology.
Ortiz said, “Gradua-
tion means that I’m reaching
another chapter in my life.”
Ortiz added, “ I will feel very
accomplished on graduation
day.”
Stephanie De Leon
also will attend UTSA in the
Fall, but she will major in criminal justice.
De Leon said, “I think
it’s the start of our life and a
reality check, I’m excited but
nervous.”
Margie Soto also will
attend the UTSA and will major in accounting, while coaching cheerleading part-time.
Soto said, “I feel excited and accomplished. It is a
really good feeling to realize
that everything I did and all of
the hard work paid off.”
Eagles cherish Fiesta events Zoo still entertaining locals, tourists
Continued from Page 1
when local women decorated carriages, baby buggies and bicycles
with live flowers, met in front of the
Alamo, and threw the blossoms at
one another. That was the first Battle
of Flower Parade. The event was a
success and soon became an annual
event. Soon other activities joined the
flower parade, parties and a carnival.
The celebration’s name changed over
the years from Carnival to Spring Carnival to Fiesta San Jacinto and in 1960
to Fiesta San Antonio.
The Battle of Flowers Parade
Association began crowning a queen
in 1895. In 1909 local businessman
John Carrington established The Order of the Alamo with the purpose
of crowning a queen, a princess and
24 duchesses. Coronations of local
“royalty,” a carnival and many other
activities became today’s “Fiesta.”
Today more than 100 local
nonprofit groups, members of the Fiesta San Antonio commissions, stage
more than 100 events over 11 days
with the help of some 75,000 volunteers. Some of these events include the
Fiesta Carnival, Fiesta Oyster Bake,
Battle of Flowers Parade, NIOSA,
King William Parade and many activities and attractions. Fiesta fans can try
Louisiana’s cuisine at a Taste of New
Orleans in Brackenridge Park; sample
all kinds of oysters and other foods at
St. Marys University’s Oyster Bake,
a major music event with six stages,
and cultural event lasting two days. Or
they could enjoy the multicultural offerings of A Night in Old San Antonio,
or “NIOSA,” a four-evening block
party at La Villita in downtown. The
BHS Spring Fling came at the end of
Fiesta this year.
Freshman Paola Guardiola
said, “I had so much fun with my family at NIOSA, there was a lot of people
and music.”
Another one of the big events
that take place a little closer to home
is the King William parade. It starts at
Brackenridge High School then winds
through the historic avenues of the
neighborhood, enticing spectators to
sample the fair and food.
The Brackenridge High
School bands, cheerleaders and dance
team marched in three different Fiesta
parades this year.
Many Eagles enjoy the annual carnival in the Alamodome’s parking lot.
Senior Claudia Diaz said,
“My favorite part of Fiesta was the
carnival. It always is. I think that the
best day to go is ‘Dollar Day,’ because you can get in any ride as many
times as you want. I got almost in all
of them, but my favorite ride was the
Fire Ball.”
Continued from Page 3
The zoo is one of the most popular places in San Antonio, other than the
Alamo, Fiesta Texas or Sea World. More
than one million guests have visited so
far with 40 percent of those being tourist
and 60 percent being local. Many school
field trips are to the zoo, which hosts more
than 80,000 students every year, including
birthday parties. The zoo can also provide educational tours to group programs,
schools, families and summer camps.
Memberships are always up for
grabs, with a wide variety to choose from.
Few are individual membership, supporting, family, couple, senior, Patton, and an-
nual zoo master. All these memberships
come with their own different benefits.
The zoo houses more than 9,000
animals. It has one of the largest bird collections in the United States. It has received numerous awards over the years,
some being captive propagation, first to
receive AZA (Association of the Zoos and
Aquariums). It is the first zoo in the U.S. to
breed endangered and close to endangered
species.
People can adopt any animal in
the Zoo. In return for a donation, the zoo
sends a sponsorship package. Call the San
Antonio Zoo at (210) 734-7184 ext. 1041
for information.
Brackenridge Times
Editor-in-chief: Stanley Sorrell. Section Editors: Aaron Covarrubias (News), Joe Gomez
(Sports), Lenzy Mora (Features), Felicia Rodriguez (Entertainment), Jessica Pacheco (Asst. News), Jarrett Reed (Asst. Sports), Alyssa Cruz (Asst. Features), Destiny Garcia (Asst. Entertainment).
Staff writers and photographers: Janeth Bahena, Edward Carrillo, Chyla Connell, E.J. Fernandez, Adrian Gutierrez, Rodrigo Gutierrez, Gabriella Martinez, Michael Medellin, Joe Mora, Brianna
Morales, Maria Morales, Richard Ortiz, Davida Osuna, Jacob Ovalle, Amanda Ramirez, Matthew San
Martin, Marianela Villagomez, Lupita Barrientos and Alexah Lopez.
Faculty Adviser: Bryan Adams
The Brackenridge Times, the official student newspaper of Brackenridge High School, is
produced by a student staff under the guidance of a faculty adviser. Statements made do not necessarily
represent the school, administration, the adviser or San Antonio Independent School District.
Letters to the Editor can be submitted in room 903 or e-mailed to [email protected].
Submitted editorials and letters to the editor must be signed and names will be printed. The editors and
adviser reserve the right to refuse or edit all articles submitted for length and content. Not all editorials
or letters to the editor will be printed.
Brackenridge High School
400 Eagleland, San Antonio, TX, 78210
Phone number: 533-8144
E-mail: [email protected]