Hair cut with lots of love - My High School Journalism

XV años 

Dancers star in 

‘The Nutcracker’ 

page 3 

School unites to 

support families 

pages 6-7 

Martin graduate 

returns as coach 

page 8 

Art students’ trip 

page 2 

Winter Ball 

page 12 

VMT on the Internet 

http://vmt.elisd.org 

The world’s link to you 

E-mail: 

The Magnet Tribune 

mt_writers@hotmail.com 

T E 

Vol. 15, No. 3 January 29, 2008 

Vidal M. Treviño School of Communications & Fine Arts, 1701 Victoria St., Laredo Texas 78040 

BY KRYSTAL BATTISTATA AND SELINA 

HERNANDEZ 

MT STAFF WRITERS 

Junior choir student Julissa 

Garza cut 16.5 inches of her hair 

on Nov. 28 to give to the Locks of 

Love organization. 

Garza said she has always let her 

hair grow. 

“I would never cut it; every 

time I went to the hair salon 

I would only tell them to 

trim it,” said Garza. 

She knew giving her 

hair away to children 

who needed it was for a 

good cause. 

“I decided to give my 

hair to Locks of Love 

because it was for a 

good cause and the 

children needed it,” 

said Garza. 

G r i s e l d a 

Ambassadors cut her 

hair. 

T h e M a g n e t 

R I B U N 

A state- and nationally recognized student newspaper 

Hair cut with lots of love 

MT photo by Krystal Battistata 

Julissa Garza displays 16.5 inches of hair she donated 

to Locks of Love. 

“I was really nervous. I didn’t expect it to be this 

short,” Garza said. 

Many people noticed Garza’s hair the day 

after she cut it. 

“Nobody expected me to cut my hair. 

Everybody was very surprised, and a lot of 

people told me they liked 

it,” she said. 

Ana M. Vargas, a close 

friend of Garza, told 

Garza about the Locks of 

Love organization. 

“I actually didn’t 

know about Locks of 

Love until my friend 

told me about it,” 

said Garza. 

According to 

the Locks of Love 

Web site, Locks 

of Love is a “public 

non-profit 

organization that provides hairpieces 

to financially disadvantaged 

children under age 18 

suffering from long-term 

medical hair loss from any 

diagnosis.” 

“I do miss my long hair, but 

I’m glad I cut it. I hope more people do it because 

it goes for a good cause,” she said. 

Clubs collect gifts for Casa de Misericordia 

BY LUCIA VILLAGOMEZ 

MT STAFF WRITER 

Tears filled the eyes of seniors 

and teachers as they 

donated gifts to the less fortunate 

at Casa de Misericordia 

on Dec. 19. 

Alyssa Garza, Monica 

Garcia, Lorie Zamarripa, Joey 

Hernandez, Ashley Reilly and 

Lucia Villagomez, all members 

of both Quinta Essentia Club 

and the Senior Class, were the 

ones chosen to present 90 gifts 

to Sister Rosemary Welsh. 

The teachers who accompanied 

the students were Senior 

Class co-sponsor Diana 

Martinez, and Quinta Essentia 

Club sponsor Gerardo Flores. 

While presenting the gifts 

several students felt moved by 

the emotional stories that were 

told by Sister Rosemary Welsh. 

Students were moved by the 

gift-giving. 

“Just knowing that we were 

there making a difference was 

awesome,” said Garza. 

The Senior Class and the 

Quinta Essentia club asked all 

VMT students to donate as 

many gifts as they could. 

Since both clubs were 

informed Casa de Misericordia 

seems to receive fewer gift 

donations for teenagers, they 

decided to focus on gifts for 

ages 13-18. 

Students were given community 

service hours, depending 

on the price for every gift 

they donated. Several faculty 

and staff also donated gifts. 

The clubs also offered free 

gift-wrapping and bows. 

According to its Web site, 

Casa de Misericordia, was 

established in 1998. It is a 

domestic violence shelter 

See GIFTS, page 2 

MT photo by Kimberly Evans 

Adopting families 

Senior Class and Quinta 

Essentia members sold 

ornaments and stockings 

to raise $600, enough to 

adopt five families at the 

South Texas Food Bank. 

From left, Senior Class 

member Amanda Cruz, 

school Director Jose 

Cerda, food bank representative 

Gloria Jackson, 

Senior Class President 

Ashley Reilly, Senior Class 

co-sponsor Diana 

Martinez, Quinta Essentia 

sponsor Gerardo Flores 

and Senior Class Treasurer 

Alyssa Garza. See related 

story, photos, page 6-7. 

The Magnet Tribune on the Internet: http://my.highschooljournalism.org/tx/laredo/vmt

BY VERONICA MEDELLIN 


2 School News 

Art students and teachers visited 

museums in Austin to see different 

types of artwork in December. 

They went to Blanton Museum of Art 

at the University of Texas and Mexic- 

Arte, a Mexican art museum. 

Jorge Vasquez, art instructor, 

explained why they visited. 

“There was an educational Mexican 

art show that dealt with Mexican artists 

after the Revolution. It included famous 

artists like Orozco, Diego Rivera, and 

others,” said Vasquez. 

He explained the goals of going to the 

museums. 

“To expose the students to Mexican 

art and to take them to Blanton 

Museum,” Vasquez said. 

Art students Vanessa Sanchez and 

Nicole Hernandez thought going to the 

museums was fun and exciting; it was 

also a new experience for them. 

“We got to see other artists’ artwork,” 

said Sanchez. 

“We also got to see different styles of 

artwork,” said Hernandez. 

Vasquez described how the students 

reacted to the work that was on display. 

“For some, it was their first trip, and it 

was a great experience, especially 

Blanton,” Vasquez said. 

Sanchez and Hernandez shared their 

favorite artists’ work. 

“Peter Dean’s paintings because of the 

way he uses his colors and the way he 

paints,” Sanchez said. 

“Louise Nevelson’s paintings because 

she’s one of my favorite artists,” 

Hernandez said. “I was glad to see her 

artwork.” 

The trip benefitted students in a very 

positive way, Vasquez said. 

“The students were getting ready to 

make acrylic paintings on canvas and 

murals, and the trip had a positive 


January 29, 2008 

Art students visit two Austin museums 

BY AMY GARCIA 


Melissa Treviño, strings student, 

was selected Head of the 

Class for November. 

Treviño also attends Nixon 

High School, where she is a 

part of the strings department, 

as a violinist. 

Her strings teacher, Bobby 

Compton nominated Treviño 

for Head of the Class. 

“She deserved it,” he said, 

explaining what made her stand 

out above the other students. 

“Her accomplishments and 

her balances in her academics,” 

added Compton. 

Treviño is also a member of 

the Nixon Orchestra and the 

National Honor Society. 

Treviño’s reason for applying 

was because it was something 

she wanted to accomplish for 

her senior year. 

Qualifications for Head of the 

Class includes following certain 

requirements such as living 

a drug-free lifestyle, being 

involved in school and the 

community, showing leadership 

roles, and most importantly, 

must be a senior. 

“At first, I was relieved 

because I had been waiting 

anxiously for the results, but 

then, when it finally sunk in I 

felt happy and accomplished,” 

Treviño said. 

Being Head of the Class, 

Treviño added, “has given me 

the motivation to work harder in 

both my music and academic 

classes while at the same time 

giving me a sense of accomplishment 

and self worth. It 

makes me feel like all my hard 

work has finally paid off.” 

Joey Hernandez, senior 

piano student who also 

attends Nixon, was chosen 

“Head of the Class” for 

December. 

“I feel really great and confident. 

I think this will be a great 

experience,” said Hernandez. 

“Youth of the Month” was 

received by dance senior Annie 

Miller, who also attends Martin. 

She said she felt honored to 

receive this award. 

impact on it as well as in other assignments,” 

Vasquez said. 

The art students definitely agreed the 

trip to the museums was an inspirational 

help with their art. 

“It inspires us to continue with our 

art,” Sanchez and Hernandez said. 

“We learned about new artists, and it 

was cool to spend time together at 

Austin with the entire visual arts 

department,” they added. 

“We want to thank Jose Cerda for 

making the trip possible because it’s 

not easy to go to Austin with a group of 

46 people,” Vasquez said. “I think it 

had a very positive effect on students.” 

Three chosen as Head of the Class, Youth of the Month 

MT photo by Jose Perez 

UT College of 

Communication visit 

Darrell D. Rocha, assistant 

dean of the College 

of Communication at The 

University of Texas at 

Austin, speaks to VMT 

communication students 

in the school board room 

on Monday, Nov. 19. He 

and Academic Adviser 

Noe Gonzales discussed 

what is one of the top 

communication colleges 

in the country, which 

offers degrees in 

Advertising, Communication 

Sciences and 

Disorders, Communication 

Studies, Public 

Relations and Radio- 

Television-Film. 

GIFTS, from page 1 

which provides comprehensive 

services to abused women 

and their children. 

Casa de Misericordia’s vision 

is that battered women, 

despite all they have endured, 

can reclaim their lives by 

receiving comprehensive, 

holistic services and consis- 

tent long-term support, the 

Web site states. It is run by the 

Sisters of Mercy. 

“You should feel good about 

opening your gifts on 

Christmas, knowing that 

because of you somebody else 

has gifts to open as well,” 

Sister Rosemary said. 

MT photo by Alyssa Garza 

Students Estefania de Hoyos, Cristal Flores, and Eliza 

Villafranca volunteer by wrapping gifts for less fortunate 

families that live at Casa de Misericordia. 

MT photo 

ANNIE MILLER 

MT photo by Amy Garcia 

MELISSA TREVIÑO 

MT photo by Nick Lopez 

JOEY HERNANDEZ 

“Only one student is nominated 

each month. This award 

motivates other students with 

their endeavors,” explained 

Miller. 

Poe story gets presentation 

BY KEILA GRANADOS 


Lily Castillo, English/ 

Creative Writing instructor 

and her students reenacted 

Edgar Allan Poe’s story “The 

Masque of the Red Death” on 

Dec. 6 in the Recital Hall. 

Castillo thought this performance 

was more like a 

presentation than a play, and 

explained how this story was 

changed into one. 

“We just reenacted the main 

events in a ‘ball-like scene.’ 

Dialogue between and among 

characters added to the transformation 

resulting more into 

a presentation than a play,” 

she said. 

The students who were 

involved were her English II 

and Humanities classes 

which totaled 26 students. 

She says they were optimistic 

about this experience. 

“All students reacted excitedly 

and positively to the 

experience. We always bond 

during presentation project 

experience,” Castillo said. 

Ivan Valdez, one of Castillo’s 

students who was involved in 

the presentation, was the 

pianist. 

He explained how he prepared. 

“I had to practice with the 

dancers at a danceable 

tempo, not too fast or not too 

slow,” he said. 

When he finished he said he 

had felt happy and relieved, 

but still nervous. He said he 

played the hardest piece he 

had in his arsenal. 

The audience, which composed 

mostly of parents, relatives, 

and friends of the performing 

students seemed to 

enjoy the performance and 

praised the performers. 

Castillo explained what the 

goals of this presentation. 

“We aimed at depicting a 

certain tone, creating a certain 

mood, integrating our 

fine arts and of course communicating 

effectively while 

reinforcing our literary skills,” 

she said. 

She said her classes will 

have another presentation 

based on a different selection. 

“All are invited to be on the 

look out for flyers, announcing 

it and to attend,” Castillo 

said.



School News 

Dancers perform ‘Nutcracker’ 

BY ASHLEY REILLY 


The color and pageantry of 

“The Nutcracker” came to life 

once again in a performance 

by ballet students. 

Under the direction of Mary 

Ellen Leyendecker, ballet 

instructor for Dance 

Department at V.M.T and 

Laredo Ballet Theatre, the ballet 

was performed at the SAC 

on Saturday, Dec. 8, and at 

the country club on Sunday, 

Dec. 16. 

“The ballet is performed to 

entertain audiences of all ages 

from all different backgrounds,” 

Leyendecker said. 

The dancers who performed 

in “The Nutcracker” are ballet 

students of the V.M.T dance 

department and ballet stu- 

BY VALERIE BRISEÑO 


Dance students put on a 

flawless performance in their 

annual presentation of “The 

Nutcracker” at the UISD 

Student Activity Complex 

Auditorium. 

The lights became dim and 

the presentation started with 

the first scene. 

The Dec. 8 performance 

began at the home of Dr. and 

Mrs. Stahlbaum (Asher Solis 

and Christina Vasquez) for 

their annual Christmas Eve 

party, held in the living room 

where there was a Christmas 

tree to create the illusion. 

dents of the Laredo Ballet 

Theatre. 

Rehearsals and preparations 

began in late September. The 

dancers practiced from 4:30- 

8:30 p.m. from September to 

November. 

As the performance got closer 

practices became more 

demanding; dancers then 

began weekend practices as 

well as daytime hour 

rehearsals. 

The lead roles for 

“Nutcracker” were Julio 

Rodriguez, former V.M.T dance 

student and current Laredo 

Ballet Theater member, as the 

prince and Azahy Ayala, a junior 

dance student at V.M.T, as 

Clara. 

“I am very pleased with all 

the performances I have committed 

to,” Ayala said. 

Godfather Drosselmeyer 

(J.J. Flores) planned a surprise 

for his godchild, Clara 

Stahlbaum (Azahy Ayala). He 

presents her with a wonderful 

wooden Nutcracker Doll. 

Clara’s brother, Fritz (Alonso 

Flores) became jealous and 

steals the Nutcracker from 

Clara. During the running and 

chasing, Fritz accidentally 

broke the Nutcracker. 

Godfather Drosselmeyer 

assured Clara he could fix it. 

The party ended and Clara 

returned to the living room to 

check on her Nutcracker. She 

falls asleep and begins to 

Ayala said she practiced 

many hours to make sure she 

was ready for every performance. 

“Every second I practiced 

was definitely worth it because 

I feel that practices follow to 

dedication and create confidence 

in me, which shows in 

every performance,” Ayala 

stated. 

Performing on stage as a 

lead role for the first time made 

Ayala nervous, but as soon as 

the light hit her she knew she 

would do just fine. 

“Sometimes my stomach 

would get little tingles, but 

once I was on stage with all the 

lights on my face I was confident 

and proud to have a 

tremendous role in such a 

short time of ballet experience,” 

Ayala explained. 

‘Nutcracker’ performance great 

Review 

dream her Godfather turned 

all the toys to life-sized dolls. 

Suddenly the mice and the 

soldiers appeared and the battle 

began. Just as the toy soldiers 

seem to be winning the 

great Mouse King (Juan Nava) 

appears. 

As the battle goes on Mouse 

King gets the advantage and 

just as he is going to overpower 

the Nutcracker, Clara distracts 

him, giving the 

Nutcracker the chance to 

defeat the Mouse King. 

After the battle, the 

Nutcracker (Julio Rodriguez) 

transforms into a handsome 

young prince. He then takes 

her off to an enchanted jour- 

ney. He first takes her to The 

Snow Kingdom of the Sugar 

Plum Fairy where she is entertained 

by dances from many 

lands. 

Clara and her prince danced 

together surrounded by dazzling 

flowers. The Sugar Plum 

Fairy and her Cavalier (Sara 

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for them. The handsome 

prince then carried Clara back 

to her home. When she awakens 

she is not sure if it was a 

dream or reality. 

The audience cheered and 

applauded. In all, the performance 

was unsurpassed. 

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MT photo by Ashley Reilly 

Azahy Ayala and Julio Rodriguez, main characters, reenact 

a scene from “The Nutcracker” in the Treviño Center. 

We accept personal and 

school checks!

4 Entertainment 

ARTIST: KATE NASH 

CD: FOUNDATIONS DEMO (A) 

Finally a voice incomparable to 

any particular genre! Kate Nash 

has splashed onto her own kind 

of scene. 

Instrumentally, Nash’s music compares 

to the sounds of the Postal 

Service and Rilo Kiley. The only thing 

that separates her and Jenny Lewis is 

Jenny’s acting background and Kate’s 

accent. Nash compiled “Foundations” 

with four songs to be featured on her 

upcoming full length album “Made of 

Bricks,” which is now out in stores. 

Songs to live your life by are 

“Foundations” and “Merry Happy.” 

ARTIST: SAOSIN 

CD: SAOSIN (B) 

Who said these guys were just another 

Emo band? Well, before I encountered 

this album I thought this was 

another group of loud and untalented, 

shaggy haired followers. So maybe I’m 

not sick of all the melodic bits of music 

mixed with fast drums and tight pants. 

This album just may be one to grow out 

your hair for. 

Now while the general sound of this 

album is not atypical to the Emo 

stereotype, their lyrics—although hard 

to believe—bear true meaning and give 

literal meaning to the emotional genre. 

Comparable to the style of Circa 

Survive, their hit “It’s So Simple,” 

demonstrates their ability and credibility 

as an amazing band. Two thumbs 

up for this album! 

ARTIST: THE RED JUMPSUIT 

APPARATUS 

CD: DON’T YOU FAKE IT (C) 

Speaking of followers… 

Typical of whatever other scene 

bands have done before, songs off this 

album include clapping, audience 

feedback and terrible screaming. 

Although songs like “Face Down” and 

“Your Guardian Angel” have been well 

liked, the rest of the album is a far cry 

from aesthetic greatness. The only 

song I found real was “Cat and 

Mouse,” but even realness can’t save 

them from sounding like the usual 

Emo quintet. 

I don’t see myself buying this album 

and therefore do not recommend it to 

others. Sorry guys! 

ARTIST: SWITCHES 

CD: WE ARE SWITCHES (D) 

These guys should change their 

name to Hooks because that’s exactly 

what their music is. Some good is coming 

from the UK and I’m not talking 

about lamb. The Switches, a four-piece 

rock band from Southend and 

Guildford, England, have debuted with 

their demo called “We Are Switches.” 

Other than having an insanely 

unique name for their debut EP, 

Switches had an amazing old school 

sound: these guys could’ve opened up 

for the Stones or some other old rock 

band. Songs like “We Lay Down the 

Law” and “Message from Yuz,” are 

incredible. The upcoming album is due 

Feb. 12. Buy this album! 

ARTIST: RUE MELO 

CD: RUE MELO 

From her writing style to her style 



Saosin: Not your typical shaggy Emo band 

and wardrobe choice, Paris native Rue 

Melo is definitely one of a kind. 

Melo’s music falls under a strange, 

rather unnamable subgenre of Hip- 

Hop…making for a strangely un-catchy 

track list. Her band is comprised of 

three other male bandmates. The 

album includes Spanish translations of 

some of the songs but the latter was 

bad enough in English. There is no 

doubt that she is a real soul singer but 

I don’t see myself signing up to the Rue 

Melo fan club anytime soon. 

Teen finds growing up a business deal 

Teen, Inc. is a pretty good, 

fun read. Not only 

because it takes a concept 

like Big Brother and gives 

it an updated, teen twist; but 

it’s also more than just that. 

I know some people are 

going to look at 

this book and 

be like, “Big 

Brother? I 

thought we 

already went 

over this in 

‘1984’ or ‘Brave 

PETRUCHA 

New World.’ 

What are they 

going to use that hasn’t been 

used a million times before?” 

I know this because, well, I 

sort of thought the same thing. 

Written by Stefan Petrucha, 

it is a light read with a 

straightforward plot, conveyed 

Resident Evil — You may 

have seen the movies, 

but have you played the 

game? From Resident Evil 0-4, 

Outbreak File#1 -#2, and Code 

Veronica: X, Capcom doesn’t 

disappoint players… At all. I 

know I’m not! Now Capcom 

introduces “Resident Evil: 

Umbrella Chronicles.” 

When I first heard about this 

game, I was really looking forward 

to it. I constantly looked 

for new videos every day and 

some more insight on what 

would be featured in it. Now 

that it’s out, I can safely say 

that the waiting was worth it, 

as Capcom has thrown out one 

of the best experiences the Wii 

has to offer. 

Story: 9/10 

It goes through RE0, RE1, 

RE3, and has a scenario in 

Russia. For the fans, it reinforces 

the story of what happened 

before. For the new ones, 

in first person. Told from the 

point of view of Jaiden Beale, 

this way the reader gets strong 

insight into his personality. 

The story revolves around 

14-year-old Jaiden and his life 

as he tries to hide the fact that 

he’s being raised by a multimillion 

dollar firm, NECorp. 

When Jaiden was just a 

baby, the company tragically 

killed his parents in a freak 

accident; NECorp decided to 

take action against protesters 

and “tree huggers” and legally 

adopted Jaiden. 

The book opens in on Jaiden 

Hear, say 

By Theresa Rocha 

Bookworm 

it gives you the gist of what’s 

going on without you having to 

play through a ton of games. 

Resident Evil has always had 

a good story in my opinion, 

and this just adds to it. It 

answers some of the questions 

we were asking, but not all of 

them. For example, why is RE2 

cut out of this game? 

Graphics: 8.5/10 

This is probably the bestlooking 

Wii game to date other 

than Mario Galaxies, of course. 

The graphics have always look 

great, as usual. The backgrounds 

are all well done 

(besides some muddy textures 

if you look really close) and add 

atmosphere to the game. The 

By Cassandra Perez 

and his normal, well his trying 

to be normal lifestyle, as he 

goes to school at Deever High. 

People at Jaiden’s high 

school are pretty much oblivious 

to his life as his claim to 

fame and, well, Jaiden likes it 

like that. 

Jaiden is pretty much a regular 

kid at school instead of a 

case that needs care at 

NECorp. And Jaiden is joined 

by his best friend, David. 

Despite the fact that everything 

about him outside of 

school is anything but normal, 

Jaiden has the one thing that 

characters look nice, but the 

hair could look a bit better. All 

I’m wondering is why they 

couldn’t push the Wii to do 

better. It just seems this is a 

top-end Gamecube game, not 

up to what the Wii is supposed 

to be. 

Sound: 10/10 

I just love the Resident Evil 

music score, all of it. The 

sounds of gunshots going off, 

zombies moaning and shuffling 

across the floor, along with the 

music we all know and love 

(hopefully) adds a truly epic 

soundtrack to the game. 

Game play: 10/10 

I just love arcade shooter 

makes him normal — his first 

time crush on his classmate, 

Jenny Tate. 

The plot is pretty much, and, 

I hate to say this, but it’s pretty 

much predictable. Nothing 

happens for the sake of happening, 

but rather to further 

the plot so that in the book 

there’s no greater objective. 

Maybe it’s because this book is 

meant for younger teens and 

tweens, but this book wasn’t 

that interesting. 

The plot thickens when he 

finds out Jenny’s father advocates 

against NECorp, saying 

the company that won all 

these EPA awards is actually 

poisoning the environment. 

Jaiden discovers it’s true, 

and has to decide where his 

loyalties lie, to go with his 

friends or his “family”, and if a 

games, and they’re even better 

in a series in which I hold so 

dearly to my heart. The Wii 

remote is extremely responsive 

and adds a much better experience 

than a hulking piece of 

plastic like a light gun would. 

The range of different enemies 

keeps you on your toes at all 

times, along with interactive 

environments (shooting lights, 

tables, etc), a variety of 

weapons, and extreme boss 

battles all adding to the experience. 

Co-op is extremely well 

done, adding a bit of competition 

and teamwork to your 

game experience. It has tons of 

secrets and items to obtain in 

the game so you’ll be coming 

back for more. No lie. 

Replay Value: 10/10 

This is one of those games 

you’ll come back to time and 

time again. Trying to beat your 

old scores, tons of side quests 

(Wesker scenario, Ada sce- 

A B 

C D 

14-year old stands a chance of 

standing up to Big Business. 

In the end, everything works 

out for Jaiden and his friends 

and everyone’s happy. 

Like I said — predictable. 

Latest Resident Evil game offers the best of Wii 

Game Break 

By Juan Olivares 

Resident Evil: Umbrella 

Chronicles 

nario, Rebecca scenario, 

etc…), co-op, upgradeable 

guns, secret files and items, 

and hours upon hours of game 

play, this won’t get old any 

time soon. Plus, it does a lot for 

the hardcore fans of the game. 

See GAME BREAK, page 16



Cheers and 

Jeers 

By Nick Lopez 

People 

Junior loves singing, dancing, theatre 

Nicco Crofford, junior, 

is one of the golden 

voices in the Golden 

Chords Choir at VMT. 

Nicco is a well-rounded 

individual with multiple talents. 

One obvious talent is his 

voice, which he has practiced 

since he was just 5 

years old. 

During his freshman year 

in high school, Nicco won a 

singing contest and sang the 

National Anthem at the 

Alamodome in San Antonio 

for a basketball game. 

“There was one person 

from each high school…I 

was the youngest one in the 

competition,” he said. 

Aside from singing his 

heart out, Nicco also likes to 

dance. 

He has participated in sev- 

The System 

By Monica Garcia 

eral musical theater productions 

and performed in the 

Nutcracker, which was put 

on in December by the VMT 

dance department, in conjunction 

with the Laredo 

Ballet Theater. 

Some of his other hobbies 

include playing tennis and 

power lifting. He also likes to 

compose his own music. 

After high school Nicco 

wishes to attend either the 

University of Texas at 

Austin or New York 

University where he will 

major in music composition 

and psychology. 

Nicco describes himself as 

energetic, positive and colorful. 

He added that he is a 

proud homosexual individual, 

and hopes that one day 

everyone will receive equal 

rights. 

“I am not ashamed of who 

I am, and other people see 

that,” he said. 

Nicco also strongly 

believes that if you respect 

yourself others will respect 

who you are. 

MT photo by Monica Garcia 

Nicco Crofford 

Cheers Jeers 

The New Year! 2008! The cold weather coming and going. 

Christmas Vacation Trying to make your way through traffic and crowds 

throughout the holiday season. 

A great first semester. Trying to figure out what to buy someone for 

Christmas. 

Quinta Essentia and Senior Class adopting 5 fami- Not getting what you wanted for X-mas. 

lies. 

The Dallas Cowboys making it to the playoffs. Nick’s SAT scores. 

The death of the great Evel Knievel. 

Beverly Fraga Celina Flores Mr. Buckley 

September 14 When is your birthday? 

September 6 

She doesn’t have one What is your middle name? 

I have no middle name 

Horror What is your favorite type of movie? 

Horror 

Cheerleading/Softball What is your favorite sport? 

Softball/Cheerleading 

Pink and Aqua What is your favorite color? 

Pink 

Sprite What is your favorite drink? 

Sprite 

Hang out What do you like to do on your free time? 

Party 

She is undecided What choice of career do you wish to 

pursue? 

Medicine 

Since she was a toddler How long have you been dancing? 

Since i was 2 years old 

Jazz and Hip-Hop What type of music do you like to dance 

to? 

Hip-Hop 

In October 

I don’t think she has one 

Romance 

Dance/Cheerleading/ 

Soccer 

Blue 

Coke 

Spend time with her trio of 

trouble-makers and her bf 

Law 

7 years 

Retro 80’s, Pop-Rock, and 

modern music 

Who knows 

you better? 

By Lorie Zamarripa 

5 

Celina Flores 

challenges 

teacher and 

best friend 

Freshman dance student 

Celina Flores tests her best 

friend, Beverly Fraga, senior 

dance student and English II 

instructor James Buckley to 

see how well they really know 

her.

6 

BY LINDA OBREGON 


The Senior Class and Quinta Essentia 

donated $600 to Adopt-a-Family in a 

ceremony on Dec. 6 in front of 

the tree. 

The Christmas tree on the 

second floor of the Harding 

Building held Christmas 

ornaments that members of 

both clubs donated and 

students purchased. 

“Students wrote their 

names on tags that 

were placed on the 

ornaments and hung 

the ornament on the 

tree,” said Diana 

Martinez, English 

Helping others 



Clubs lead way in raising 

$600 to adopt five families 

instructor and Senior Class co-sponsor. 

The ornaments. which sold for $1 each, 

not only have the purpose of decorating the 

tree, but these ornaments helped raise the 

$600 that helped adopt five families in 

need. 

“All students and faculty were willing 

to buy ornaments; nobody complained 

about the price,” added 

Martinez. 

Seniors also donated stockings, 

which then sold for $5 to VMT 

clubs and LISD offices. 

Students who led this event 

were Senior Class members 

and officers Alyssa Garza, 

Ashley Reilly and Amanda Cruz. 

Martinez said she plans to do 

it again in the coming 

years. 

“What a better way to 

learn the value of caring, 

sharing and giving,” 

Martinez added. 

Many students donated 

ornaments and 

stockings and many 

helped by selling 

the ornaments. 

In a ceremony 

by the tree on 

Dec. 6, Gloria 

Jackson, representative 

from the Laredo Food Bank, 

accepted a large-sized check 

for $600. 

“Don’t feel guilty opening 

your (Christmas) gifts. 

Know that because of you 

all, a family can eat,” 

Jackson said. 

Martinez was pleased by the 

students’ efforts. 

“I am very proud of the 

students’ initiative and 

cooperation. They have 

demonstrated great 

leadership skills and are 

excellent role models in 

our school,” Martinez said.



Internet: http://my.highschooljournalism.org/tx/laredo/vmt 

e-mail: mt_writers@hotmail.com 

MT photos 

Tree at far left, Ana Gonzalez 

Rocking horse, Ashley Reilly 

J.J. Martinez attaches an ornament, Kimberly Evans 

Large bow, Claudia Alba 

Reindeer stocking, Claudia Alba 

School Director Jose Cerda, Kimberly Evans 

Snowflake, Alyssa Garza 

7

8 Columns 

New Year, new beginnings, 

and new faces! 

Hector Noyola is the 

new head basketball coach for 

the Martin Tiger boy’s basketball 

team. 

Noyola started his coaching 

career at TAMIU as an assistant 

basketball coach, for four 

years, and then was hired for 

the coaching job at Martin 

High. 

“The difference from college 

basketball to high school basketball 

is the level of the game 

increases,” said Noyola. 

“At the college level we’re 

able to recruit and find players 

that can fit our system, and at 

the high school level you have 

to work with what you have,” 

Noyola said. 

Noyola graduated from 

Martin in 1998 where he started 

playing on the varsity team 

as a freshman. By his senior 

year in high school, Noyola 

was the city’s MVP, and All 

State 2nd Team. He led state 

class 5A in scoring with 31 

points a game, was Laredo’s 

all time leading scorer, and 

scored over 1,000 points in his 

senior year. 

Noyola received a scholarship 

to play college basketball 

at the University of Texas at 

The latest “Beowulf” movie 

presents a different plot from 

the book. 

The year is 507 A.D., King 

Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) 

king of Danmark, and his people 

have conquered many 

other people. Finally they are 

at peace and have much treasure 

to go around. 

King Hrothgar decides to 

build a mead hall, one they 

called Harrot. to commemorate 

his victories. But Hrothgar’s 

countless parties of singing 

and dancing becomes a painful 

annoyance to Grendel (Crispin 

Glover) a half-human, half 

demon. 

Outraged and in anger 

Grendel attacks the Harrot, 

killing many of the townsfolk 

Arlington, NCAA Division I, for 

two years. He then transferred 

to NCAA Division II Lane 

College in Jackson, Tenn. 

“The guys in college are a lot 

bigger, faster, stronger, and it 

was hard,” said Noyola. 

“I realized I wasn’t going to 

make it into the NBA. But I 

knew I wanted to do something 

with the sport of basketball,” 

Noyola said. 

Noyola said he always wanted 

to come back to Martin. 

“When you become a coach 

you always think about going 

back to your old high school 

and becoming a head coach,” 

Noyola said. 

And that was exactly what 

and warriors, though sparing 

Hrothgar. After the attack, 

Hrothgar orders the mead hall 

Noyola did. He applied for the 

head coaching job at Martin. 

Later officials called to let him 

know they accepted him. 

“I don’t consider what I do a 

job, it’s more what I love to do,” 

Noyola said. 

He said he wants to teach 

youngsters to learn to play 

basketball and to motivate 

them to go to college and to 

succeed in life. 

“I really enjoy hanging out 

with the students and being 

around them all day,” Noyola 

said. 

Varsity basketball captain, 

senior Victor A. Tijerina III, 

said so far its been all right 

getting to know his new coach. 

to be sealed up and calls for 

any warrior to rid his kingdom 

of Grendel. 

Beowulf (Ray Winstone) of the 

Geats answers the call to fight 

Grendel. Upon arrival Beowulf 

is mocked by Hrothgar’s 

General Unferth (John 

Malovich). Despite the comments, 

Beowulf orders the 

mead hall to be reopened. There 

he and his men spend the night 

singing, in order to provoke 

Grendel. That night Beowulf 

defeats Grendel, but loses 

“He is very patient with us,” 

said Tijerina. 

“He doesn’t get that mad; it 

takes him a while, although I 

don’t really enjoy the running 

that he makes us do. I mean 

its good for us, but I hate it,” 

Tijerina said with a small 

laugh. 

Another varsity basketball 

player, Carlos Cruz, said having 

a new basketball coach is 

almost the same. The only 

thing he finds different is that 

he has to get used to the way 

many men. Beowulf decides to 

attack Grendel’s mother, the 

Sea Hag (Angelina Jolie). 

Beowulf and his second-incommand 

Wiglaf (Brendan 

Gleeson) go to the cave where 

the Sea Hag resides. Beowulf 

goes into the cave and comes 

out a different man. 

Upon his arrival at the 

Harrot the kingdom is rejoicing, 

but Hrothgar knows that 

Beowulf has done a horrible 

thing. That night Hrothgar 

declares Beowulf will be the 

new king when he dies. 

After Hrothgar’s death, many 

years pass. Beowulf is now 

king, a great leader of the 

Danes and all is well. 

But one day Unferth, who is 

now is a priest, comes to 



MT photos by Kimberly Evans 

Scenes from the Martin vs. Alexander game Tuesday, Dec. 18. Left: Martin head basketball coach Hector Noyola, in light suit, talks to his players 

during a time out. Right: players clasp hands after the time out. Alexander won 57-51. 

New Martin coach returns to his alma mater 

Halftime Show 

By Kimberly Evans 

“When you become a coach you 

always think about going back to 

your old high school and becoming 

a head coach.” 

Basketball coach Hector Noyola 

Coming Attractions 

By Jon Cox 

WINSTONE GLEESON 

MT photo by Kimberly Evans 

Martin varsity basketball player Victor Tijerina shoots a 

free throw against Alexander at Martin’s gym in the 

Dec. 18 game which the Bulldogs won. 

he coaches. 

“It’s not hard, but we do 

have to work together as a 

team so that we can succeed,” 

said Cruz. 

Noyola said he thanks everybody 

and the students for the 

opportunity to be the leader of 

the basketball program. 

“I’m proud of the guys 

because they really have been 

working hard. It has been 

hard for them to learn my style 

of play, and they have 

responded well,” Noyola said. 

New version of ‘Beowulf’ differs from book 

Beowulf badly burned. Unferth 

tells Beowulf the dragon is 

attacking the village. When 

Unferth and Beowulf are alone 

Unferth tells Beowulf the dragon 

has taken human form and 

tells Unferth to pass on this 

message to Beowulf: “the sins 

of the father are visited upon 

the son.” 

Beowulf is a movie that will 

have you on the edge of your 

seat, and have you gasping at 

the same time. One of the big 

things I liked was Beowulf’s 

emphasis on four big traits: 

love, betrayal, honesty, and 

loyalty. 

Although this movie is very 

loosely based on the book I still 

enjoyed it and recommend you 

go and see it to.

do we have 

nails? Ofelia. 

Q:Why 

A: Besides the fact that they 

are (1) essential to any wonderful 

manicure/pedicure and (2) 

fun to paint, human nails really 

just aid in protecting the tips of 

the toes and fingers; but the fingernails, 

more specifically, help 

us pick up small objects and 

scratch ourselves. 

Our distant relatives, the primates, 

are capable of gripping 

objects with their feet, just like 

their hands, so their toenails 

have much the same function as 

fingernails. 

Human toenails seem to be an 

evolutionary leftover. 

Unless of course you are talented 

at picking up small objects 

with your toes. In that case you 

have successfully shattered that 

sorry notion and you have rightfully 

proven that your toe nails 

aren’t quite so useless after all. 

(Editor’s note: This is part one of a twopart 

series on fashion mistakes. Look for 

part two in the next issue.) 

BY RICKY SOLIZ 


When it comes to men’s and 

women’s fashion and trends, 

we all want the same thing: to 

look great! Unfortunately, there are 

some fashion mishaps that should be 

reported to the fashion police. With the 

help of “sheilasfashionsense.com” Here 

is Part I of the most common fashion 

mistakes that will hopefully make you 

wiser fashion consumers. 

Fashion Mistake #1 – Following 

Fashion Trends Too Closely 

One of many fashion mistakes that 

both, women and men make is relying 

too much on the fashion media to 

choose what they wear. 

Keeping in touch with changing styles 

Q: Who is the actor that 

plays Barney, the purple 

dinosaur? Teresa. 

A: Ah Barney, that loveable 

mono-toothed mammoth who, 

quite frankly, is the only prehistoric 

predator I know that can 

pull off wearing such a lovely 

shade of purple. 

No doubt about it, Barney is 

adored all around the world by 

millions of drool-drenched 

preschoolers because he is 

charismatic, lighthearted, and 

genuine; he is also a 44-year-old 

bald man named David. 

Yes, it’s hard to believe but 

Barney is not in fact a real 

dinosaur. He is merely a shell of 

is great but following them to the extent 

that your clothes are outdated by the 

end of the season can cost you money 

and leave you feeling like you never 

have anything to wear. 

People who have developed their personal 

style have something to wear for 

every occasion, feel good about their 

purchases, can mix and match easily 

and always look great and in style. 

Fashion Mistake # 2 (Clothes That 

Don’t Fit) The Perfect Fit. 

Brand names or the latest fashion 

doesn’t guarantee you’ll be well dressed 

and look great if what you are wearing 

doesn’t fit. 

Wearing ill-fitting clothes is a com- 

Lifestyles 


9 


Toenails offer us many interesting diversions 

a suit that actor David Joyner 

has been slipping into since 

1991. Bob West is responsible 

for providing the dinosaur’s 

magical voice in the television 

series and in most of the musical 

recordings for Barney’s just as 

magical commercial franchises. 

Four actors have been dancing 

in the Barney, and four voice 

actors have supplied Barney with 

that memorable dopey pitch, but 

most importantly, thanks to all 

eight of these magnificent artists 

who have worked together to 

bring Barney to life, an endless 

supply of joy and delight have 

been brought to dozens and 

dozens of huge, happy crowds of 

children that only a fire marshal 

could hate. 

Q: Why is Starbucks coffee 

so expensive? Juan. 

A: Whether you go to 

Starbucks to bask in the hipster 

ambiance, to enjoy soothing 

tunes, or to buy a $10.00 cinnamon 

scone, you can’t deny the 

obvious reality that most, (if not 

all), folks go to Starbucks primarily 

to get their caffeine fix on. 

But why not just go to your 

nearest convenient store to buy 

99-cent generic Joe in a thin 

cup? Or if you’re feeling really 

fancy, that $1.75 faux gourmet 

vanilla cappuccino? Why pay $5 

for that Java Chip Frappuccino 

from Starbucks? 

The answer is clear: people 

who buy its coffee don’t just 

need any coffee; they need 

Starbucks coffee, which packs a 

real caffeine punch. 

Talk about an ingenious business 

plan! 

mon fashion mistake many women and 

few men make. To look great your 

clothes must look like they are made for 

you–not too tight, not too big and hang 

perfectly. 

When choosing clothes it is also 

important to take into consideration 

your body shape. 

Women have different shapes and 

what looks great on one can be unflattering 

for another. 

Men are more or less the same, just 

slight differences here and there. 

The line in clothing (the way the fabric 

its fitted to your body) draws the eye in 

different directions creating illusions of 

bulginess (not a very flattering look). 

RECAP: Whether it be a 

sweaty man inside of an absurd, 

bulky costume becoming your 

best buddy, by using your imagination 

hard enough, you can 

make anything seem real but 

not as real as Starbucks selfrighteously 

mocking us with 

their ridiculously high prices is 

either business suicide or the 

ultimate act of arrogance… 

Personally, I think it’s a brilliant 

idea. Our resources agree that 

nails help us pick up little stuff 

like pencils, peanuts, and even 

bottles of nail polish. 

Like I’ve said before, if you 

have a hankering for useless 

facts look no further, for I have 

the scratch for your itch right 

here. Without nails, I wouldn’t 

be able to do that? 

So if you can, pick up a pen 

with your talented toes and write 

to Useless Fax where you’ll find 

plenty and even more toe-tally 

weird answers. Till next time! 

Fashion mistakes are easy things to correct 

What you wear on top, for example 

can make you look larger or smaller 

depending on the garment lines. 

Fashion Mistake # 3 Always Wear the 

Same Styles. (Are You in a Style Rut?) 

Being in a style rut is fashion mistake 

number three. You’ll know if you’re making 

this fashion mistake if what you’re 

wearing looks boring, is a fad from three 

or five years ago or feels boring. 

Sticking to classics is a great way to 

stretch your clothing budget and make 

shopping easier. The drawback is a 

never changing wardrobe can get dreary. 

You feel like your wardrobe lacks 

excitement. Just remember, rushing in 

and making drastic changes could 

leave you feeling uncomfortable with 

your new look. Start slow and make 

your way up. 

These three common fashion mistakes 

are just a glimpse of what’s in store for 

part II. Follow wisely and shop carefully 

for the time being. 

Finally, pull out your scarves...winter is here! 

Name: Tanya Salinas 

Fine Art: Photo/Journalism 

Grade: 9th 

Useless Fax 

By Jessica Rodriguez 

the.useless.fax@hotmail.com 

Photo by Amanda Cruz Photo by Amanda Cruz Photo by Lucia Villagomez Photo by Amanda Cruz 

Name: Karla Tello 

Fine: Art: Art 

Grade: 9th 

Hall 

Fashion Runway 

Amanda Cruz, Lucia Villagomez 

Ricky Soliz 

Name: Amanda Cruz 

Fine Art: Photo/Journalism 

Grade: 12th 

Name: Clarissa Vasquez 

Fine Art: Dance Folklorico 

Grade: 12th

10 Comments? Write us at 

mt_writers@hotmail.com Opinion 

Astrike by writers in Hollywood 

has stopped production of television 

shows and movies which 

need scripts for production. 

Television shows that have been 

affected by this writers strike are 

shown on ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox. 

The current strike has lasted more 

than 12 weeks already. The last 

strike in 1988 lasted 21 weeks and 

six days, costing the American entertainment 

industry an estimated $500 

million ($870 million in 2007 dollars), 

published reports state. 

The strike is by members of the 

Writers Guild of America, East and 

EDITORIAL 


believes writers of television 

programs and movies 

deserve the pay increase 

they are asking for. 

the Writers Guild of America, West 

that started on Nov. 5. They are two 

labor unions representing film, television 

and radio writers working in the 

United States. Over 12,000 writers 

joined the strike, news stories state. 

The writers are mainly striking for a 

large increase in pay for movies and 

television shows released on DVD, 

and for more money from their work 

released over the Internet, according 

to The New York Times. 

Actors have a shown their support 

for the striking writers, both individually 

and through their union, Screen 

Actors Guild, news reports state. 

The Times stated production companies 

have accumulated taped programs 

and scripts for television 

series, and studios have accumulated 

scripts for movies. 

Daytime and late-night talk shows 

were hurt immediately by the strike, 

and as more shows run out of pro- 



Hollywood writers deserve pay increase 

Keeping it green, 

clean now easier 

Keeping it green and 

squeaky clean just got a lot 

easier! It's time to make the 

change from your old toxic 

cleaning materials (which btw 

are filled with nasty chemicals 

that can be bad for both you 

and Mother Nature) for some 

fab, fresh, and healthy cleaning 

products. 

My absolute favorite brand 

of eco-friendly cleaning products 

is Method! The people at 

Method have developed some 

very hip and "green" cleaning 

materials. 

They have many different 

products to fit your unique 

cleaning situations. Some 

items include laundry detergent, 

dryer clothes, dish soap, 

and all purpose cleaners for 

several types of surfaces. 

Method makes hand and 

body products such as bodybars, 

lotion, shave cream, 

hand wash and sanitizer. 

If you're not sure where to 

start you can purchase the 

super awesome Method Detox 

Kit! According to the product’s 

Web site www.method 

home.com this kit is 

"Everything you need to give 

dirty the boot and evict toxic 

cleaning chemicals from your 

home, so you can reclaim that 

space under your sink once 

and for all." 

Some Method products are 

also available at Target! Also 

go check out the website listed 

above so next time your 

mom or dad are doing the 

shopping you can school 

them on some eco-friendly 

products You'll sound both 

smart and green and we all 

know that's the "in" thing. 

Shaklee! Even the name 

sounds fun! The folks over at 

Shaklee believe "your home 

should be the safest place in 

the world." Now isn't that the 

truth! Why don't you steer 

over to their Web site 

http://www.shaklee.com and 

check out "The Real Dirt On 

Clean." There you can find 

The Green Scene 

By Alyssa Garza 

It's time to make 

the change from 

your old toxic 

cleaning materials 

... for some fab, 

fresh, and healthy 

cleaning products. 

some great products and very 

surprising statistics that will 

change the way you think 

about cleaning products. 

These aren't the only ecofriendly 

cleaning products out 

there you all! You can find 

many more by surfing the web! 

Reuse your clothing 

You know (or should know, 

unless of course you've been 

living under a rock, if so 

excuse me) that glass, plastic, 

paper, cardboard, and aluminum 

are recyclable. Have 

you ever considered recycling 

your clothing? Okay so it's 

more like reusing but it's still 

great! Finding a home for your 

old clothing isn't that hard. 

You can donate items (that 

are in good condition) to some 

non-profit organizations or 

thrift stores. You will not only 

being doing a good service to 

our earth but you’ll also be 

helping people who shop at 

these places! 

One idea is to take your 

stuff to our local Goodwill. 

You can take all sorts of different 

items but not large 

appliances, mattresses, or 

box springs. Goodwill is located 

at 5901 San Dario Avenue, 

and you can drop your stuff 

off Monday-Saturday. 

Another suggestion is the 

Salvation Army store, 408 

Matamoros. 

While you're donating your 

items to either of these places 

or even another one you 

should consider shopping 

around too. You'd be surprised 

at the retro and unique things 

you can find at thrift shops. 

grams or scripts to create new ones, 

networks will fill the time with reality 

type shows. 

TV viewers who do not like this 

replacement programming lose an 

entertainment option. 

We as writers (and photographers) 

understand the need for fair treatment 

in exchange for work performed 

for publication. 

Therefore, The Magnet Tribune supports 

the writers and their strike, and 

their attempt to receive fair pay for 

their work. 

Written for the staff by Amy Garcia, Ofelia 

Gonzalez, Juan Olivares, and Shaula Rocha 

Christmas gives pleasant thoughts 

Christmas is a time when we 

celebrate Jesus’ birth, but there 

are some people who don’t celebrate 

it. We wanted to know if 

students observed Christmas 

and what they thought about it 

so we asked, “What do you 

think about Christmas? Do you 

celebrate it? 

Christmas for me is a joyful 

time when we give and receive 

gifts from the people we love 

and friends that are near. 

Jennifer Garcia, freshmen 

I like celebrating 

Christmas and getting gifts. I 

still believe in Santa. 

Mayra Inocencio, sophomore 

Waffle Iron 

A Penny for 

Your Thoughts 

By Claudia Alba 

I do celebrate it, but I do not 

like the Santa Claus version 

because I think it is about 

Jesus, not Santa. 

Jossie Gonzalez, sophomore 

Christmas reminds me of 

the movie “Christmas Story,” 

and that is what I think of 

Christmas. 

Amanda Meza, senior 

Christmas for me is a time to 

spend time with family and forget 

bad things. I also think 

Christmas is a time to start a 

new year. I celebrate Christmas 

with my grandma. 

Cynthia Selina Gamez, senior 

I do celebrate it. I love the 

idea of giving gifts, but I also 

love getting them. 

Lucinda Cardenas, freshmen 

Story by Nidia Gomez, art by Beatriz Aranda 

1 2 

3 4



I am so happy that mid 

semester has passed. Winter 

break’s over and it’s exactly 

what I needed; a break from 

it all. 

I’ve never been one to make 

such a big deal about school 

vacations because in a sense 

it was the same as being at 

school (at least for me). 

This year though, it’s a different 

story. For once in my 

life, my home life isn’t so bad. 

I mean there are still tons of 

unresolved issues there, but I 

finally feel like I belong somewhere. 

School on the other hand is 

still such a big drag for me. 

Jesus is lost in Christmas mercantilism 

It is amazing how mercantilism 

plays a big role in the 

Christmas holidays. It is the 

time of year where fabricants, 

commercialists and wholesalers 

get their best earnings. 

Christmas is the most 

important celebration of the 

world. The World Book 

Encyclopedia defines it as 

“the epoch more happy and 

occupied for millions of 

Christians and non 

Christians of the whole 

planet” 

Besides this fact, a great 

number of people don’t even 

seem to know the reason why 

It is the policy of the 

Laredo Independent School 

District not to discriminate 

on the basis of race, color, 

national origin, gender, 

limited English proficiency, 

or handicapping condition 

in its programs. 

When I think about it, high 

school was a pretty hard 

transition for me. I didn’t 

realize it at the moment but 

now that’s it’s finally nearing 

its end I can kind of see the 

big picture. 

I’ve made a lot of mistakes 

from the very beginning of 

my high school years. 

I got mixed up un what 

adults would consider “the 

Observations 

they are celebrating 

Christmas. 

A great majority don’t really 

seem to care. But there 

may be some people that 

would like to know the history 

behind it. 

Was Jesus Christ really 

born in December? There are 

no Biblical records that agree 

with this belief, and there is 

Many people get scared 

to leave town for college 

after high school. I can’t 

wait! Although my parents 

believe I have other reasons 

for wanting to leave, 

like not wanting to live 

under their rules, that’s 

not what I have in mind. 

I am planning on leaving 

for the right reasons. I 

want to go to college and 

graduate with a master’s 

degree in psychology, and 

possibly go for a Ph.D. 

With so much ‘senior 

stuff’ going on, this year 

seems to be going by so 

fast, yet so slow. I can’t 

believe the time is coming 

for me to graduate but I 

can hardly wait. 

Most people don’t want 

to grow up so quickly. I 

don’t understand why I 

am in such a rush to grow 

up, but I want so bad to do 

so already. 

I’ve tried so hard to make 

my parents proud of me, 

even though sometimes I 

By Nancy Hernandez 

First Class Award: ‘96-97, ‘97-98, ‘98- 

99, ‘99-00: ‘02-03, ‘03-04. ‘04-05, 05-0, 

06-07 

Second Class Award: ‘00-01, ‘01-02 

Opinions 

bad crowd” and all the good 

stuff that comes with it. 

And although it got me 

into a lot of trouble, I really 

don’t think I’d take any of it 

back. 

Through it all I experienced 

a lot of things that I don’t 

think I would have, had I 

stuck to the path that some 

of my former middle school 

friends walked down. 

no proof that he ever mentioned 

it and much less 

ordered to be celebrated. 

I’m not trying to kill the 

spirit of Christmas, but a little 

backup history wouldn’t 

hurt. 

The night Jesus was born 

has become very popular. 

The book of Luke tells us the 

shepherds were spending 

feel I’ve let them down too 

often; but they never fail to 

let me know how proud 

they are of me. 

As bad as they may wish 

I’d stay with them forever, 

I’m sure they know that 

the time will come when I 

have to go. 

My plans do include 

leaving Laredo even 

though I am a bit unsure 

of how things will end up. 

I’ve never had to live 

without my parents and I 

feel it will be a bit lonely 

without my brother and 

sister. 

The thing that keeps 

me confident that everything 

will be okay is that 

Comments? Write us at 

mt_writers@hotmail.com 

Experiences in life help you to grow 


The Magnet Tribune is a publication 

produced by students in the 

Newspaper Production and 

Photojournalism classes of the Vidal 

M. Treviño School of 

Communications and Fine Arts, 

Laredo Independent School District. 

This publication’s intent is to provide 

readers with information relating to 

the school and its students, provide 

students a lab for producing a newspaper 

using professional-level computer 

software and offers an open 

forum for student opinion. The MT is 

distributed free. 

Jose Cerda 

Principal and publisher 

Mark E. Webber 

Journalism instructor and adviser, 


Vol. 15, No. 3, January 29, 2008 

Editor of this Issue: Monica 

Garcia. 

Name plate shows the bronze statue 

south of the Harding Building, “The 

Force of Creation,” designed and created 

by former art Instructor Armando 

Flores in 1993-94. Newspaper 

redesign by second block students in 

August 2007. 

Production is by VMT journalism 

students using QuarkXPress and 

Adobe Photoshop software on a network 

of Dell computers. 

Printed at the Laredo Morning 

Times 

Copyright ©2007: Vidal M. Treviño 

School of Communications and 

Fine Arts and The Magnet Tribune 

Some material courtesy of 

American Society of 

Newspaper Editors/MCT Campus 

High School Newspaper 

Service. 

The Bug 

By Claudia Ramos 

I’m not saying there’s anything 

wrong with being a 

good kid, it’s just that living 

a sheltered life keeps you 

from experiencing certain 

parts of life. 

Even though those parts 

might be a tad bit on the 

negative side, lots of good 

comes out of it. You can 

become more understandable 

and open minded to 

alien ideas. 

I learned a lot of tough life 

lessons and though I nearly 

broke down, I’m still holding 

on somehow. 

Even though I’m still currently 

struggling to break free 

the night out-of-doors with 

their flocks. The weather in 

Bethlehem during December 

is very cold and it is unreasonable 

to think the shepherds 

would have spent the 

night outside such severe 

weather. Therefore, Bible 

researchers have concluded 

that Jesus could not have 

been born in December. 

So if Jesus was not born in 

December, when was he 

born? 

The chapters 26 and 27 of 

Mathew indicate that Jesus 

was executed the 14 of 

Nissan which corresponds to 

The Editor’s Commentary represents the opinions of the 

editor, and should not be understood to represent the views 

of the newspaper staff, faculty and administration. 

I know my family will be 

there when I come home, 

however long that might 

be. 

They have showed their 

support my entire life and 

the fact that I will no 

longer be in the same city 

cannot change that. 

Of course I’m going to 

miss them all very much 

but there comes a time 

when a person needs to 

separate from the usual 

customs of always having 

someone to depend on, 

and learn to depend on 

themselves. 

Right now I feel ready 

enough to start learning 

how to be on my own. I 

Staff Superior: ‘99-00, ‘01-02 

Staff Excellent: ‘02-03, ‘03-04 

Staff Hon. Mention: ‘97-98. ‘98-99 ILPC 

11 

from all my previous mistakes, 

I think that in the end, 

I will be a stronger smarter 

person. 

In my opinion, the only way 

to grow as a person is to go 

through tough times. Of 

course, in order to mature 

from such things, you must 

first conquer them. 

I’ll end this with one of my 

favorite quotes that I believe 

sums up this column perfectly. 

“To exist is to change, to 

change is to mature, to 

mature is to go on creating 

oneself endlessly.” Henri 

Louis Bergeson. 

March 31st of the year 33. 

He was about 30 years when 

he got baptized and started 

his ministry. That ministry 

lasted three years and a 

half. Therefore, Jesus was 

about 33 years and a half 

when he died, and he would 

have been 34 approximately 

the 1st of October of the year 

33. 

Knowing this just makes 

me think that Christmas is 

just another excuse to make 

a party, spend money, consume 

alcohol in excess and 

do many other things not 

having to do with Jesus. 

Part two of life, soon to begin 

Editor’s Commentary 

By Monica Garcia 

There comes a 

time when a 

person needs to 

separate from 

the usual customs 

of always 

having someone 

to depend on, 

and learn to 

depend on 

themselves. 

just hope so bad that I 

don’t end up like a lot of 

people who say they are 

leaving and end up staying 

because I know there is 

plenty more opportunities 

out there. 

But in the meantime I 

still have lots of planning 

to do and of course finish 

and enjoy my last year of 

the so-called ‘best years of 

my life’ -- high school. 

Award of Distinguished Merit: ‘05-06; ‘06-07 

Newspaper Star rating nomination: ‘06-07 

Award of Achievement: ‘98-99, ‘99-00, ‘00-01, ‘01-02, ‘02-03 

Award of Honor: ’97-98, ‘03-04, ‘04-05 

Contact The Magnet Tribune: 

By e-mail: mt_writers@hotmail.com — On the Internet: www.my.highschooljournalism.org/tx/laredo/vmt 

Address: Vidal M. Treviño Magnet School, The Magnet Tribune, 1702 Victoria Street, Laredo, Texas 78040 

In person: TM-23, (Journalism classroom/darkroom), or Mark Webber’s box in the attendance office.

POR ANAKAREN SERNA 

REDACTORA DE ESPAÑOL 

BY ALYSSA GARZA 


12 School News 

El baile de invierno un 

evento súper esperado 

por los estudiantes de 

VMT esta a la vuelta de la 

esquina. Adriana Arriaga presidente 

de la clase 08 en la 

tarde, y Matías Arambula 

maestro, organizador y uno de 

los encargados del evento nos 

comentan un poco sobre el 

suceso tan deseado. 

El lugar para el evento se 

decidió después de una larga 

plática con los organizadores 

sobre el asunto. 

“Decidimos cambiar de lugar 

debido al espacio. El año pasado 

el evento fue realizado en el 

Centro de Bellas Artes, estaba 

amontonado y fue más caro”, 

Hot chocolate serves as 

reminder to submit work 

The cold weather of Dec. 17 

could not stop rosy cheeked 

students from rushing into the 

library in between classes. 

Rows and rows of labeled 

foam cups were placed on top 

of library tables waiting to be 

filled up with hot chocolate 

and topped with puffy white 

marshmallows. 

Creative Writing instructor 

Lily Castillo’s Tapestry students 

handed out hot chocolate 

free of charge, hoping the 

labels on the cups would 

serve as a reminder for students 

to turn in their work for 

this year’s Tapestry. 

Arambula dijo. 

“El salón de baile en Holiday 

Inn fue la primera propuesta 

que se nos ofreció, así es que se 

decidió este salón para que ya 

estuviera separado para el día 

del evento”, Arriaga comentó. 

Los graduados han reaccionado 

de una forma grata sobre el 

evento que se aproxima. 

“Muy emocionados, todos 

están muy ansiosos esperando 

el evento”, Arambula expresó. 

“Todos se ven muy entusiasmados 

con la idea del baile, 

todos esperan un día muy 

memorable para ellos, esperamos 

superar todas las expectativas”, 

Arriaga explicó. 

Los preparativos para el 

evento ya van muy avanzados 

aunque hay una que otra cosa 

que falta. 

The Tapestry is the only 

high school literary magazine 

in Laredo. VMT students are 

welcomed to submit poems, 

prose, plays and other types 

of writings as well as art and 

photography. 

“Don’t miss the chance to 

publish. This looks really good 

on resumes,” said Castillo. 

The theme for this year’s 

Tapestry is “Synergy,” which 

is a combined effort or operation, 

explained Castillo. 

She encouraged art students 

interested in designing 

the cover to get together with 

their art teacher. 

For more information students 

can go to Castillo’s 

classroom. 

“Decoraciones, invitaciones, 

y juntas de alianza para 

platicar sobre los planes, son 

algunos de los preparativos ya 

avanzados. Ahora solo esperamos 

que los graduados se 

animen a comprar sus invitaciones”, 

Arambula expuso. 

“Las decoraciones, música, 

comida, e invitaciones son los 

planes ya hechos, lo único que 

no hemos decidido y terminado 

es el lugar de las decoraciones 

en el salón y las ventas 

de las invitaciones”, Arriaga 

añadió. 

El evento a proyectado un 

buen de aceptación, todos 

estamos ansiosos por que el 

día llegue. 

“El tema de Alicia en el País 

de las Maravillas va a ser muy 

lindo”, Arambula concluyó. 

MT photo by Jennifer Hernandez 

Cups of hot chocolate were served by creative writing 

students in the library on Dec. 6 as a reminder to submit 

work for Tapestry creative writing magazine, to be 

published in the spring. 



El proximo baile de invierno se acerca 

MT photo by Ana Gonzalez 

Winter Ball is soon 

Delia Talamantez, left 

and Elizabeth Villarreal 

prepare decorations for 

the Winter Ball, scheduled 

for Saturday, Feb. 

2, beginning at 8 p.m. 

at the Holiday Inn Civic 

Center Main Ballroom. 

Theme is “Alice in 

Wonderland.” For ticket 

information visit 

Senior Class co-sponsors 

Matias Arambula 

or Diana Martinez in 

their classrooms. 

Fotografia tomada por Anakaren Serna 

Estudiante Nancy Hernandez comprando una invitacion 

para el baile de invierno izquierda Matias Arambula 

maestro de historia, y organizador encargado de la 

venta de invitaciones. 

Geography instructor becomes technology trainer 

BY ANA GONZALEZ 


Many people know Sean Gaynor, former 

World Geography teacher, as a 

dedicated person. 

People may wonder what happened 

to Gaynor, and what kind of job he has 

now. 

He explained his new position. 

“I am a campus technology trainer for 

Lara Academy and V.M.T,” said 

Gaynor. 

“In my position I’m looking forward 

to the opportunity to help even more 

students indirectly 

through assisting their 

teachers in the use of 

instructional technology,” 

he said. 

“The types of responsibilities 

I have in each of 

GAYNOR the schools is to train 

teachers on the use of district software 

systems and for maintaining hardware 

and instructional resources,” Gaynor 

added. 

He said he enjoys his new position. 

“What I have found most interesting 

about my new position is that I am 

really excited to see how teachers are 

using technology to motivate and teach 

students,” said Gaynor. 

“I miss my students very much. It 

was not an easy decision to leave my 

old position,” said Gaynor about his 

former classes. 

He said helping students prepare for 

the future is a highlight of his hew position. 

“My highlight of teaching here at 

V.MT is helping students go on to study 

at the college level,” said Gaynor. 

Gaynor urged students to always try 

their best. 

MT photo 

Texas State visit 

Musicians from Texas State University performed for 

VMT music students on Thursday, Dec. 13 in the 

Urbahn Recital Hall. 

“Regardless of who your teacher is 

make the most out of your education 

by taking responsibility for your own 

work and studying for exams. Any 

teacher can only do so much for you. 

So the rest is up to you. Think about 

the kind of life that you want to have 

and decide how you’re going to get 

there,” he said. 

Gaynor said he will still be at school, 

available to students and faculty. 

“I’m here. Please feel free to say 

hello to me when you see me on campus,” 

said Gaynor. 

MT photo by Evangelina Martinez 

GAME BREAK, page 10 

Conclusion: 9/10 

It’s a great game, with really 

small flaws that don’t really 

take it down at all. Capcom 

did a lot for the previous fans 

of the series with this one, 

and I’m sure newcomers will 

like it too. 

The Wii controls really 

make it a must have for the 

console. My only real complaint 

is that they skipped 

my favorite part of the series: 

Resident Evil 2. Where’s my 

Claire and Leon? =( 

Overall Score: 9/10 

So while you’re waiting for 

the upcoming “Resident Evil 

5” for the PS3 and XBOX 

360, I strongly recommend 

you pick up a copy of 

“Resident Evil: Umbrella 

Chronicles.” 

You WON’T be sorry!

Hair cut with lots of love - My High School Journalism

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