MECHS BPA:
State Rising above the
Qualifiers
“And the first place is…” Eagerly
waiting in their seats, MECHS BPA
Expectations
members were thrilled to find that
many of their names were called to
Gaming receive the first place award in their
various events.
Consoles Business Professionals of America
has been popular since the opening
Page 3 of MECHS. Members have a chance
at state and even national competi-
tion. This year MECHS students
delivered their best performance by
achieving 27 first place awards, 10
second place awards, and 7 third
place winners in the regional com-
petition.
BPA members compete in a
variety of event categories includ-
ing: Medical Office Procedures,
Economic Research Team, Global
Marketing Team, and Keyboarding
Productions. This success came only
through the hard work every student
put into their competition. Advisors
Mrs. Haro and Mrs. Macias worked
with members to perfect their proj- MECHS BPA
ects. The Animation Group, a first
place winner, was one group that In the end, the practice paid off. for state next year. Hopes are high for this talented
Concertgoers worked hard to prepare for their Even 13 of the students not qualified With the most first place win- group. “I hope we do well and we get
competition. Sophomore Brandon to go to state were named state alter- ners ,our school has had in its three to go to nationals,” Manning said.
Page 4 Manning, part of the Animation team nates. Freshman Jessica Salinas, a years, members now prepare for state Good luck to all our students going
said, “We stayed after school and state alternate, said she plans to stay competition in Austin, where they to state!
reviewed animation.” in BPA and has hopes of qualifying will once again represent our school. Story by: Karla Jimenez
Mock Trial
As the defendant sat in his seat, this, most of the team joined because
the attorney threw a fire of questions of their ambition for a career in law.
at him, and he responded smoothly. Junior Jackie Gallinar said, “I joined
Though this might resemble an epi- because I want to go into a law career
sode of Law and Order, it actually in the future.” However, Junior
isn’t. A group of 10 students from Crystal Morales said, “I thought it
MECHS competed on February 6 would look great on my resumé
and February 7 at the El Paso County since I [haven’t joined] too many of
Courthouse in the 2009 El Paso the teams at school. Plus it sounded
Regional Texas High School Mock like a lot of fun and something I’d be
Trial Competition. thankful that I joined.”
But what exactly is Mock Sponsor Terri Flickinger
Trial? According to junior Shelby said, “This team was absolutely
GLBT Hardy, “Mock Trial is a competition amazing. They went above and
where we learn a case, ask questions, beyond what was expected. Usually
Page 6 make objections, and learn how to the first year is just to learn about the
Mock Trial Group
be an attorney.” It’s a mini-Law and system, but these kids were prepared
Order for those students who aspire and ready to compete. Our attorney
to go into law in the future. coaches are already making big plans we’re all extremely proud of their them on the team again next year to
Though it seems like a fun for the kids to advance next year.” hard work and devotion throughout win victoriously.
experience, it also requires real dedi- Though the team didn’t the course of their long practices and
cation and constant practice. Despite advance to further competitions, competition days. We hope to see Story by: Sofia Reyet
the pHoeniciAn 2
Some Expected to Graduate Early,
Continue at UTEP
Story By: Martin Gonzalez
sity of Texas at El Paso during wish to go will.
their senior year at MECHS. The There are aspects of the
The purpose of MECHS is to students’ classes will also be paid transition that students aren’t
provide students with the oppor- for as long as they remain students looking forward to, however.
tunity to earn their Associate’s at MECHS. “I’m not looking forward to driv-
Degree and high school diploma “I feel overwhelmed; I ing all the way across town and
simultaneously in four years. But did not think I would do that at back, to begin with,” said junior
at the sunset of this semester, all,” said junior Teresa Rodriguez, Sofia Reyes. Fear of larger, less
over 20 juniors at MECHS are having completed the 60 credits individualized classes was also
expected to obtain enough credit necessary in only three years. mentioned among numerous
hours to receive their Associate’s Learning that they had the already students, followed by an appre-
Degree from El Paso Community accomplished so much in college hension regarding the increase in
College – one year sooner than while still students in high school difficulty in material and losing
expected. has come as a surprise to many of the close-knit community feel
The students will have their those participating. found only at MECHS.
collegial graduation on May 15th Reception to the prospect of Many feel that these difficul-
and begin attending the Univer- attending UTEP has been unani- ties will better prepare them for
mously positive for those in- their future, however. “I will be
volved. “Undoubtedly, I have prepared for the years ahead in
never been more excited about the realm of academics,” Viña-
anything else before,” said junior Marrufo says. “Not having an
Robert Viña-Marrufo. The opti- education, though just a minor
mism is not surprising; the choice inconvenience at one point in our Armando Garcia ready to go to UTEP
to attend UTEP is ultimately up history, will be a crippling and PPhoto By: Martin GonzalezKarla Jimenez
to the students -- only those who hindering plague on anyone.”
PPhoto By: Martin
Contributing Writer
Robert Vina Marrufo
mechs
Jean Schlitzkus asked what gaming consoles are
their favorites and why, the an-
swers were quite surprising. The
Rrock band and gui-
The Phoenician is a
video first console that got a good re-
sponse was the X-Box 360. “This
system has the best graphics and
tar hero rock mechs
journalistic record produced
by students of Mission Early
College High School. Our goal
gamers gaming structures,” according to
Mr. Lujan. Lujan said people enjoy
that system because “online game
The New Age of Guitar: Plastic
Story by, Miguel Anaya
April Fool’s
rissette is
quite a p
Jokes such as “my friends pretending that it was a prank for April fools. elementary called
not talking to me” are played today, says Other students like Junior Miguel me one day and told
ankster. r
sophomore Michelle Jimenez. Acosta say they have played pranks on me she liked me and
With very lit- their parents. I didn’t realize it was
tle time left until “[Once] I April Fools.
April 1st, students told my mom Junior Ranielle
and teachers at that my girl- Espinoza shared her
our school are friend was 8th grade April Fool’s
thinking of ways pregnant,” experience. “Me and
to “get back” at says Acosta. a group of friends
their family and At first she got another friend’s
friends. didn’t take it backpack and put
Nurse Ellen well and “I all his papers all
Brissette says she was about to over school, and
has played sev- get grounded his shorts were in
eral pranks on and kicked his locker, but he
her family and out of the was looking for
friends. Brissette Miguel and Jasmine and their “bundle of joy.” house,” says them all over
mentioned that she once “bought Oreos Acosta. the school,” says Espinoza Ranielle Esp
inoza
and took the white stuff out of them and Unlike Brissette and Acosta, some with a big smile. enjoys
“April
replaced it with toothpaste.” The next day students at our school have been pranked Now is the time to start thinking of new Fool’s
Day”
she casually offered it to her friends at before. Junior Eddie Gardea says, “my pranks and jokes that you might want to
work.“They got into it,” but quickly notice very best friend that I have known since play on teachers, families and friends.
Living after midnight work, unless of course, it aren’t the only ones who
happens to be a very impor- remember a strange experi-
tant occasion. “The last one ence at a show or concert.
that I went to was Metallica Bonilla remembers, “the
and we went to Albuquer- most dangerous was in
que. It was in October on a Tucson with Metallica. It
Thursday. I came to work was general admission.
on Thursday then I missed Everybody wanted to be in
Friday,” says Bonilla. Some the center or right in front
students still manage to at- and so they were pushing,
tend class the morning after pulling, and there was a
a night out. “Even if a con- lot of people bleeding and
cert is at eleven I’ll still go. fainting.”
I’ll just have to deal with it Bad experiences are com-
when I go to school,” says mon among concert goers
sophomore Joshua Olmos. but awesome experiences
Junior Alonso Varela go hand in hand. Whether
prefers to play in front of it was the first time you
an audience with his band, conversed with punk rocker
Pasion Musical. But, things Joan Jett or the first time
don’t always go smoothly. you witnessed your favor-
“The second time we ite band live, great concert
played at a public place memories can be made. “A
everyone was messing up. really good one was when
We weren’t really confi- we went to LA to see Gwen
dent of our playing at that Stefani. It was just going to
time so everybody started be her and the people that
messing up. We ended up were touring with her but
leaving early,” says Varela then in the end they had
Gabriel Sanchez meets Claudio Sanchez from Coheed and Cambria. about the worst show he’s a surprise and No Doubt
ever played. came out and they played
If you thought that the homework, but even though For many, their place to ChickenNavarro also
MECHS population was we are considered a hard- unleash is at a concert. three songs so that was re-
had a similar unfortunate ally cool,” says Bonilla.
only filled with boring working school, students Math teacher Mrs. Bonil- experience “It was our very
nerds, think again. Student and teachers still find the la tries to schedule concerts first house show and we got
life may be tough due to time for their studies as with her husband on week- Story by: Jessica Reita
booed off of the stage.”
the excessive amount of well as their entertainment. ends to prevent missing These two musicians
What’s the Deal? you are waiting there, you look at your watch and see its 11:00 pm. Out of no where
you see a police officer walking towards you and the next thing you know you are in
court paying for your ticket. Many students at MECHS agree that curfew should
either be changed or should not exist.
Junior Miguel Acosta says, “I think curfew should be extended till 12:00 pm to give
teens more time out.”
Freshman AVID teacher Mrs. Kendall says, “Students shouldn’t be out that late.”
Mrs. Kendall also says that when she taught at UTEP she would see many of her stu-
dents at night clubs and that would make her uncomfortable.
Lights Out
Sophomore Tino Castro says,
“I have been stopped around six
times but I have not gotten any
tickets yet.” Castro also says
that teens should have more
time out. Story by: Jaime Mendoza
Some students don’t go out as
late because they are afraid of getting stopped by cops because of the recent raids on
clubs and movie theaters.
Sophomore Crystal Mendoza says, “My parents set a curfew for me and I have to
get home around 10:30 pm but I do think they should extend curfew for people that do
go out.”
Story by: Juan Dorado
Some students look for ways around curfew …
Junior Juan Dorado says, “[You could] tell the cops that you 17 because by law you
There once was a girl, who had everything she ever
are not required to have an id.”
dreamed of - the friends, the car, the money, the great
Some student’s get their parents to make a permission slip that says, “My child (in-
family background, the scholarship for an Ivy League
sert name here) has permission to go past curfew.”
school. She told one of her closest “friends” that she
Play it safe by getting home by 11:00m pm. Even if “it’s too early,” it is better than
was a lesbian. Her friend walked out the door and
getting a ticket.
demanded that she never speak to her again and briskly
DEAL
disclosed her statement with a discriminatory comment,
“dyke.” The now “out” girl was still the same person
she had always been. The rumor got around. The ivy the
league school cancelled her scholarship, but she was edi
still as smart as she was before. Her family kicked her tor
i als
WITH IT!
out of the house and they took back the money and the
car they came along with, but she was still the same
loyal daughter.
How would you feel if your friends rejected you after
sharing a secret, even though nothing has physically
changed? What would you do if you weren’t accepted?
When could you ever really feel comfortable knowing
that rejection was right in front of you ? Where would
you be put in society’s eyes?
Like every high school and community, Mission Early Benchmarks Story by: Robert Ceballos
College High School (MECHS) has a diverse popula- Benchmarks- a test that proves the excel- necessary information that we have learned
tion of straight and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgen- lence of a school and a test which many throughout the years, therefore I do not
der (LGBT) students. They always appear accepted at people do not want to take. Students all see the point in taking them,” says junior
MECHS, but the situation can be more than just skin throughout the Socorro District had to take Mario Carrasco.
deep. benchmarks on the week of January 12th Even though many students here do not
A freshman comments that being gay isn’t wrong through the 16th. Since MECHS is part of want to take the benchmarks, there are a
but homosexual people should keep it to themselves. the Socorro District, few students that like
Should everyone comply to this rule as well? If we we had to participate to take this test.
lived in a world where people hid their sexuality, we’d in the test taking as “The benchmarks
be like blank sheets of paper. There would be no diver- well. are a way to prove
sity within us. Benchmarks are that MECHS is the
A junior stated, “Once I came out, people’s actions standardized tests top school in our
changed around me, and I didn’t appreciate that.” that are taken dis- district so I try my
People had failed to realize that this student was still the trict-wide in order to best,” says junior
same person. observe the academic Jimmy Chavez.
Another junior said, “For the most part, we’re pretty achievements of each The benchmarks
open minded at our school.” A sophomore too said, “It’s individual school and are taken every
not that I don’t care but it doesn’t bother me, I’m pretty to determine which semester and the
tolerant of it.” These students seem to be very open areas the students subjects of the bench-
with LGBT crowds. Should we not accept everyone for may need help or mark that are taken
who they are? improvement on the depend on the grade
An anonymous contributor commented on a PDA TAKS. TAKS are level. Each grade
(public display of affection) incident between two tests that students level throughout the
homosexual people saying, “It’s the 21st century. Come take in order to pass or fail a grade level. district takes a different TAKS test in order
on.” The anonymous person discussed how we need to Even though the benchmark seems to pass or fail. Therefore, each grade level
“update” ourselves and “get with the program.” PDA essential in helping every student in the gets different benchmarks in order to pre-
should be kept to a minimum for all people—no matter district, many students here at MECHS do pare them for the TAKS at the end of the
their orientation. not want to take this test. school year.
MECHS has both positive and negative acceptance “The benchmarks are way too easy to Many students say that the test is too
for diversity. If any one is interested in furthering LGBT take and I do not see the challenge in tak- easy or there is no point in taking this test.
acceptance, the Gay Straight Alliance invites you to join ing this test,” says junior Raul Gomez. Others say it proves that we are the best in
their group. Help in their fight for equality for straight “The benchmark does not provide the the district.
and LGBT people.
tHe pHoeniciAn 7
Editorials
Economic Bail-Out:
Delaying the Inevitable By: Robert Vina-Marrufo
Our current economic situation is not a infrastructure. His “National Industrial did not exist before, were opened for cal technicians and reassemble America’s
unique one. Franklin Roosevelt’s presi- Recovery Act,” part of the “New Deal,” American products, all over the world. large workforce. World War II saved our
dency, after the failed administration of injected $3.3 billion directly into pub- It was this opening of new markets, not economy by opening markets for our
Herbert Hoover, was riddled with eco- lic works programs, aimed at rebuilding Roosevelt’s economic stimulus, which products; our economy, today, can be
nomic disaster. Roosevelt’s challenges old roads, and increasing the reach of created America’s world-spanning eco- saved by being the sole innovators and
brought about by the shortsightedness highways. Naturally, these public works nomic empire. Economic stimulus by providers of energy — for domestic use
of the market, investors, and a climate provided thousands of jobs in different government spending, as Roosevelt and and sale abroad.
of corporate greed much like our cur- levels: engineers, road workers, and oth- Obama proposed, was only a temporary Though government spending
rent time. Obama’s currently proposed ers. The economic benefits of Roosevelt’s fix used to hold back sure destruction helps by providing jobs for people during
solutions echo the ideas of Franklin NIRA are often cited in persuading people until we could come up with an actual an economic crisis, the contracts eventu-
Roosevelt’s: stimulating the economy on the current proposal by Barack Obama solution. This is as true today, in our ally must stop, leaving the country where
by injecting government money into the and many Democrats. Surely, if it worked financial crisis, as it was in the era of it was before (but with better roads). If we
economy by contracting the private sec- in FDR’s time by providing secure jobs the “Great Society.” An economic plan take this path solely, our economy will
tor. This approach, one of the crown for Americans, it must work today, right? like Roosevelt’s, alone, will not work in experience a quick jolt, a fairly long flat
jewels of Obama’s proposed economic We forget one very important aspect that America today. period of contentment, and then slump
stimulus pack, will only succeed in the sets the two eras apart: eight years after What America needs is a large back to a recession. Only by creating a
short run, all benefits receding after only the beginning of NIRA, the United States investment in, and almost exclusively new market for America, one that requires
a short period of profit-making. entered a full-scale total war, which is for, the development and production of the American workforce and is necessary
Much like today, the Depression ultimately what brought America out of energy from alternative sources such as for the whole world, will our economy
saw many jobs vanishing, businesses the Depression, and into the role of “dom- solar, wind, geothermal, tidal, and nuclear reach a level of influence and power simi-
shutting their doors, banks failing, and inant economy in the world.” power. Alternative energy, particularly lar to that which we all reminisce about.
the stock market taking a dive. Spending Being the only modern nation nuclear power, would provide not only As Terri Flickinger, history and govern-
had trickled down to a minimum, and that wasn’t completely torn to shreds the United States enough power to fuel ment teacher, said, “[Americans] could
consumer confidence was almost virtually by the war, we became the only econ- its expansion, but enough energy to sell lead the world in [green] technology,”
non-existent. Roosevelt, with the help of omy capable of accommodating large to the rest of the world. This new energy saving our economy.
a willing congress, had large spending industrial growth and a fully modernized industry would provide millions of jobs at
projects approved that would pay for the market. This was a new opportunity for all levels of training and education, from
rebuilding and expansion of the American American capitalism: new markets, which the nuclear physicists down to electri-