Web Editor: José Montoya
Regarding my farewell, well, it’s been an amazing year and it’s hard to leave. I mean, no more morning announcements wishing us “a wonderful day of learning”, no more freshmen running against the flow of traffic (which we LOVE), and on that note, no more articles written by Shane about how much he absolutely hates that.
This year has taught me a lot, both in education and in life. There are several lessons I've learned.
One: Always the truth, always the facts. Never talk/write about something you don't know.
Two: Be responsible. Deadlines are a truth in this world, everywhere! If you fail to plan you plan to fail.
Three: Be patient. Editors will drive you up the wall, but as long as you can get down, you're okay.
Four: It's okay to get mad sometimes. Typos will be made, articles will get displaced. but as long as you keep going, nothing can stop you.
More importantly, I learned we have this hole in the floor of our room? It has this cover, and when you open it, it’s like a 7-10 foot drop and nobody is really sure where it leads to or what it’s for. It’s just there. It’s just…there.
Also, we have this giant server and I sit right next to it and I’m like 99% sure it’s not a good idea to sit there. No solid evidence though.
Seriously though, if there is one thing I want you all to know it is that you have to live life to the fullest. Go out, talk to a stranger, get lost somewhere. Go somewhere new, try a new flavor of ice cream. Be bold. I remember the time I got lost in Central America and ended up having to make a volcano out of dirt and corn husks.
But that's another story.
What I'm trying to get at is that while you still have your youth, your energy, and your time, use it all well. Time doesn't come back. We can never get back the time we lose. So how will you spend it? Enjoy yourself! Try not to care too much about what others may say. Why do you care what others think? You’ll never hear from them in a couple of years anyway. They'll be that one person at the H-E-B you see that one time that you kinda remember but not really, and then you'll quickly turn away when they look at you. 500% chance.
ANYWAYS.
Be strong, be fearless, but also keep humility and a willingness to learn in your heart always. Never think you know it all, because there is so much left to learn. More songs to sing, more sights to see.
I wish you all the best of luck, Have a great summer, and don’t park your cars on the dunes at the beach. It’s pretty illegal.
“I may be tough, but I’m no cookie.” Lana Banana -AHS
Jose Montoya
Online Editor
Supreme
This year has taught me a lot, both in education and in life. There are several lessons I've learned.
One: Always the truth, always the facts. Never talk/write about something you don't know.
Two: Be responsible. Deadlines are a truth in this world, everywhere! If you fail to plan you plan to fail.
Three: Be patient. Editors will drive you up the wall, but as long as you can get down, you're okay.
Four: It's okay to get mad sometimes. Typos will be made, articles will get displaced. but as long as you keep going, nothing can stop you.
More importantly, I learned we have this hole in the floor of our room? It has this cover, and when you open it, it’s like a 7-10 foot drop and nobody is really sure where it leads to or what it’s for. It’s just there. It’s just…there.
Also, we have this giant server and I sit right next to it and I’m like 99% sure it’s not a good idea to sit there. No solid evidence though.
Seriously though, if there is one thing I want you all to know it is that you have to live life to the fullest. Go out, talk to a stranger, get lost somewhere. Go somewhere new, try a new flavor of ice cream. Be bold. I remember the time I got lost in Central America and ended up having to make a volcano out of dirt and corn husks.
But that's another story.
What I'm trying to get at is that while you still have your youth, your energy, and your time, use it all well. Time doesn't come back. We can never get back the time we lose. So how will you spend it? Enjoy yourself! Try not to care too much about what others may say. Why do you care what others think? You’ll never hear from them in a couple of years anyway. They'll be that one person at the H-E-B you see that one time that you kinda remember but not really, and then you'll quickly turn away when they look at you. 500% chance.
ANYWAYS.
Be strong, be fearless, but also keep humility and a willingness to learn in your heart always. Never think you know it all, because there is so much left to learn. More songs to sing, more sights to see.
I wish you all the best of luck, Have a great summer, and don’t park your cars on the dunes at the beach. It’s pretty illegal.
“I may be tough, but I’m no cookie.” Lana Banana -AHS
Jose Montoya
Online Editor
Supreme
Assistant Editors
Kimberly Endsley My biggest regret is not joining The Screaming Eagle my freshman year. I barely got on board last year, and it’s been a blast. I’m going to miss signing into my computer every day during 2nd period, and I’m especially going to miss brainstorming opinion articles that would be too risky to publish in a school newspaper. I came in as a shy, quiet person (that’s the same way I’m leaving, if I’m being honest), and discovering the real extent of how much I love writing.
Writing for The Screaming Eagle has exposed me to more opportunities to be creative and try a variety of styles. The best part for me has been participating in UIL events. Practicing the form and strategies of news writing may get tedious after a while, but reaching state level two years in a row makes it more than worth it. There’s nothing quite like missing a few days of school (excused), and getting to participate in something you love. I will be forever thankful to Ms. Perez for convincing me (despite my initial resistance) to take part in competition. Lastly, I want to thank each and every person who raised their hand with enthusiasm instead of just looking away awkwardly whenever I walked into classrooms and asked if anyone wanted a Screaming Eagle. (Trust me, it’s as awkward for me as it is for you.) Really. It means a lot. -Kimberly Endsley Part Time Hunter |
Brittany Planty Well, I’m going to cut this short. I don’t really have much of anything to say. Hanna’s been a cool place and I can definitely say I’ve learned some pretty important lessons. Everyone’s going to college or doing something else in their lives and that’s pretty cool, too. When I visited Brown in April, I was astonished by how many different types of people are out there. There’s going to be a lot of people who may want to be your best friend, or really just don’t want to have anything to do with you. And that’s cool. I think it’s important to know that after high school some things aren’t really going to change, just how you perceive them. You can be an easy-going person now and still be that kind of person thousands of miles away from home. Or if you want, be someone entirely new. Maybe the most important thing though is just not taking yourself too seriously. I hope this thing doesn’t sound too stuffy or pretentious by now, but I feel that’s an important idea to comprehend. Taking it easy is really important and there’s going to be a lot of bumpy roads for us starting lives as adults, so we should try our best to keep it cool. Whatever happens, happens, I guess.
-Brittany Planty Superwoman |
Editors-In-Chief
Shane Lewis Ah, so the time has finally come: My last ever column. Time really does fly, man. I remember four years ago I was saying how I would never be involved with something as lame as a school paper. Now, I can honestly say that being an editor of the Screaming Eagle was one of my favorite parts of high school. So thank you to our sponsor Mrs. Perez, our web page editor Jose Montoya, our staff writers Kimberly Endsley and Brittany Planty, and my co-editor Daniel Duazo. You all have made the experience amazing.
Now, what am I going to write about? If you would have asked me a few years ago to write this, I probably would have written a bunch of sarcastic remarks about Brownsville and cussed out anybody that had slighted me during my four years at Hanna (And then Mrs. Perez would have edited it and Duazo would have placed an ad where my farewell should have been). But I think I’ve matured a lot over the years so I’m not going to do that. I’m actually pretty grateful for the people I’ve met and the city I’ve lived in. So I think, for my last ever column, I’ll use this space to share with you some words of wisdom. What’s the biggest thing that I’ve learned in high school? In order to be successful, you need to find some sort of motivation. I came into Hanna with one goal: to get into an Ivy League school. I wasn’t going to stop working until I accomplished this. And thankfully, after four years of work, I can finally say that it happened. Everybody needs to have that motivation inside them. Pick something that you’d love to be, to do, to have, and work your butt off in order to obtain it. Because when you finally achieve what you’ve been working towards, the feeling is amazing. My motivation right now? Well, I wasn’t voted “Most Likely to Succeed”, so I’ve got quite a few people to prove wrong. Another thing that I think is very important to say concerns applying to colleges. I can’t tell you how many times I heard someone tell me this year that they’re not applying to their dream school because they’re scared of being rejected. I don’t think people realize how lucky they are living in the Valley. Almost every major university has a quota to fill and their funding depends on it. It’s not my opinion, it’s a fact. Major universities are looking to create a diverse class filled with all kinds of students. And the Valley is a gold mine for universities looking to diversify their class. Brownsville is statistically the poorest city in America, filled with the minority that big colleges lack: Hispanics. Elite institutions need kids with unique backgrounds like us. So don’t be afraid to apply to Harvard, you’ve got as good a chance as anybody. It’s also very imporant for kids to learn to balance their lives in high school. Don’t be one of those kids that just studies all the time and worries about their ranking. The rankings are stupid. One kid in my class isn’t even ranked in the top ten kids and he’s practically got a full ride to Penn next year (not Penn State). So don’t sell your soul just to get a high ranking. You’re much better off being a well-rounded kid. That’s not to say that you should just abandon school completely and party every night, because G.P.A. does matter. Just find a way to balance your school and social life and trust me, you will have a great four years of high school. Lastly, I think that some kids forget that you’re only in high school for four years. You only have a short time to really make your mark on the people around you. Don’t be stuck-up, snobby, or arrogant. What could you possibly have accomplished as a teenager that makes you so special? You won’t be remembered for that Prada handbag that you carried around, you’ll be remembered for the way that you treated others.And don’t be absorbed with one clique your entire high school career. Get to know everybody that you can. After all, you never know when you’ll need someone’s help. The more friends the better. I am so grateful for my experiences over the past four years, and I can’t wait to go out and make Hanna High proud. And I know all of you will eventually do the same. Stay classy, San Diego. |
Daniel Duazo In the wise words of Aubrey Graham, “we made it.” I know it’s really cliche, but time really did fly by. It seems like just yesterday, I was bumping The Appeal: Georgia’s Most Wanted and now I’m on The State vs. Radric Davis II: The Caged Bird Sings.
Just as Gucci Mane has been with me throughout my four years at Hanna, I know that you guys have been with me. I don’t like getting sentimental, but I really just want to express my sentiment for all of you. All of my friends, teachers, and family members, you have truly been with me through everything. I want to say thank you to all of the people that have made these past four years memorable. Mom and Dad, thanks for always providing for me and making sure I live the best life possible. Shane, you already know the special part that you’ve played in my life as my co-editor, business partner, and friend. Tati and Ian, it’s cool knowing that I’m not the only Filipino at Hanna. Kyle, I feel as if your house is an extension of my home, and I applaud you for making me feel forever welcomed. Albert, thanks for inviting me to Taquito Express to celebrate every win, even though I probably didn’t deserve it because I never won. Coach Hoover, if my Bell Award speech didn’t already say it all, I really am grateful for your guidance. Coach Powers, thanks for all the good times we’ve had on those road trips. Fischer, we’ve always been tight and the times have always been good. We could’ve been rooming together at UT, but we playin’. Maya, thanks for standing me up at homecoming. Just kidding. You’ve been an okay friend. Dinorah, thanks for not standing me up at prom. Mikey, Evan, and James, thanks for always putting on a good game of 1-on-1. Austin, get off the computer and watch it with those boats. To my teachers, thank you for letting me skip/sorry for skipping to work on this paper. And to everyone else I couldn’t name, thank you. |