Category: Around Campus

‘I Am Me’ Supports LGBT Students, Invites All

By Nayeli Sanchez and Avae Velasquez

Manuel & Kia

A club for the LGBT (and the straight community) is thriving here at Pueblo Magnet High School this school year; the “I Am Me Project” has more than 20 members and supersedes the PRISM Club.

A few teachers noticed that some students’ were struggling with personal frustrations. This is when Ms. Amy Kijewski (world history teacher) and Ms. Sarah Wilson (radio teacher) decided to sponsor the “I Am Me” Project.

“I could tell this year that many kids were in desperate need of [an LGBT club], so it didn’t make sense to not be involved and initiate this club,” said Wilson.

Although the “I Am Me” Project is less than a semester old, sponsors and club members have established many goals and objectives. They want to promote their new acronym, ASKE (Advocacy Support Knowledge Empowerment) as a way for students to feel comfortable and let them know that they have a safe place on campus.

“One of our goals is to give students support and to educate the staff on how to deal with homophobia in the class room,” said Kijewski.

Another goal for this project is to encourage these students to take control so it may be more of a student driven club, Kijewski.

Junior Kia Guedes, the club’s president, said, “Because ‘I Am Me’ is an up and coming club, we have to build a foundation and promote our organization in a way that doesn’t offend anybody and is welcoming to all.”

A way that this club is trying to promote themselves is by hosting the first ever high school Gay Pride Day.

“Holding this Gay Pride Day would let others know that we exist,” Guedes said. “We really want others to know that LGBTQ students are not alone.”

She added that a date has not been set, and no details have been ironed out yet, but it is the hope of club members and sponsors that this event occurs before the end of the school year.

“I Am Me” vice president Manuel Navarro, a sophomore, said, “I wanted to be involved in this club because I knew what other students who felt different were going through.”

Club leaders and sponsors want the Pueblo community to know that all are welcome to attend future “I Am Me” meetings—regardless of a person’s sexual orientation.

“I can’t stress enough that it’s a club for everyone and anyone,” sponsor Sarah Wilson said. “It is certainly a good place for some people who have questions about who they are.”

The “I Am Me” Project meets on Thursdays in Room 100 at 3:30 p.m.

Say ‘Cheese’! Warriors Enjoy Benefits of Photography Class

By Holly Pogue

Iram Arce interviews Annalisa Verdugo

Pueblo offers many electives to its more than 1,500 students, and one of the most integral branches of the communication magnet program is photography, which provides students beginning and advanced classes.

Sophomore Jacqueline Guerrero wholeheartedly believes that students should enroll in photography classes in the future because of the many benefits the program offers; she attests to how beginning photography has helped her in numerous ways.

“This class truly has prepared me to be more professional and to interact with others,” Guerrero said. “I’ve really learned how to express myself better.”

She said that she enjoys how teacher Ms. Emma Tarazon gives her and her peers opportunities to go out of the classroom and take pictures—not just randomly but specifically for Tarazon’s assignments.

“Sometimes she [Ms. Tarazon] wants very precise pictures,” Guerrero said. “Everything we do is for a purpose. We are being prepared to be advanced photo students, and I intend to stick to this program hopefully all four years of high school.”

Felicity Aguilar interviewing Ms. Tarazon

Students use the Macs frequently—learning an array of photography editing skills, including restoring old photographs and learning how to remove unwanted objects in pictures to make them more aesthetic.

Guerrero said that she has also enjoyed learning how to use different cameras, including film cameras and learning how to develop pictures “the old-school” way.

“I really encourage other students to enroll in this program because photography will help them to become better people,” Guerrero affirmed. “You’ll learn how to view the world in a different way and be more positive, which is always a good thing.”

Another student, Analise Verdugo, who transferred to Pueblo from Cienega High School last semester, said that she is glad that she enrolled in photography because she is not only having fun but also learning a lot of strategies about photography.

Verdugo said, “I really enjoy the days when we students are allowed to go outside—to take a break from being cooped up inside of a classroom—and learning new techniques about photography, including lighting and shadows. And, who doesn’t like taking pictures? This is such a great class!”

Despite having some mixed classes of beginning and advanced photography students, teacher Ms. Emma Tarazon has observed improvements with her first-year students.

She said, “Despite the agonizing challenges of teaching two totally different groups of students at once, I’ve had to somehow make it work like a lot of electives teachers at Pueblo.” She paused and added, “It’s not fair for the advanced students to be with beginning students, although there are opportunities for job-shadowing, which is a valid way to teach beginning students and reinforce what my experienced photography students already know.”

One student, sophomore Kimberly Teran, said that she enjoys her beginning photography so much that she is considering a career as a photographer.

“Ms. Tarazon has truly been helpful and has taught me so much in a short period of time regarding photography,” Teran said. “This is one of the very few classes I’ve had at Pueblo that has been both fun and academically rewarding.”

Pueblo MEChA Honors 43 Mexican Victims

By Sabrina Parra and Anais Salais

Display of support for 43 Missing from Ayotzinapa

On Thursday, Nov. 20, Pueblo Magnet High School’s very own MEChA Club demonstrated their support and respect to the 43 students who vanished on Sept. 26 in Guerrero, Mexico.

The 43 students were on their way to protest the lack of funding in their school when they were stopped by policemen and were said to be taken. Their whereabouts are still unknown, and the investigation on these students has been on going ever since.

Pueblo’s MEChA students decided to participate and take a stand in these demonstrations to inform the Pueblo community of the situation happening in Mexico.

Damaris Ponce, a member of MEChA, said, “A lot of people didn’t know about what was happening in Mexico and we wanted them to know that we cared and to show Mexico that we are supporting their cause.”

Yajaira Ceballos, MEChA. Co-chair said, “It hurts me to see what they’re going through, someone shouldn’t be punished for wanting to make a difference. We want them to see that we care and that we want to help them make a difference.”

The displays included 43 ribbons, posters hung on teachers’ doors, and 43 chairs laid out in the patio with the pictures of the students.

43 Chairs for the missing from Ayotzinapa

“The pictures and displays were a way to humanize the students and to show that this could have happened to anybody fighting for their rights,” said teacher and MEChA. Co-counselor Jessica Mejia.

Demonstrations were not just held at Pueblo but globally, including support from countries such as Argentina. The demonstrations were purposely held on Nov. 20 because it is the same day of the Mexican Revolution. (The Mexican Revolution brought the overthrow of dictator José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori after 35 years of rule. In 1920 General Álvaro Obregón became the new president.)

“This event has been a lot like starting a new revolution for Mexico and putting pressure on the Mexican government to change and take back their country,” said Mejia.

Although MEChA and other protesters around the world brought attention to this situation in Mexico, the support towards this cause and the search for the students does not end here.

Display of support for 43 Missing from Ayotzinapa

“This is a continuing issue and the people protesting are not going to rest until the 43 students are found and their family receives some closure,” said teacher and MEChA Co-counselor Mr. Jesus Orduño.

MEChA encourages the Pueblo community to follow along with the story in Mexico and to continue showing their support for the families.

“MEChA is about seeking social justice and we have a lot more in store for this year. We meet every Friday, and our door is always open to new members,” said Orduño.

Display of support for 43 Missing from Ayotzinapa

Library Opens (Finally!)

by Cynthia Rojas

Pueblo Magnet High School’s wait for our library to open full-time has finally ended. This week, Pueblo’s library will be open to students, as a library assistant has been hired: Mr. Leo Graves.

For the first 15 weeks of this school year, Pueblo students did not have access to the library throughout the entire school day.

“Not having a full-time library goes against common sense regarding education, especially at a time when I desperately needed help researching or looking for a book,” said Julie Harrison, a senior.

Our new principal, Dr. Augustine Romero, was working diligently to ensure students access to their school’s library.

“The district thought we had a set fund for a librarian, but when brought to their attention, they saw that there was no budget for this position,” he said.

Up until this week, some Pueblo teachers served as substitute librarians in the mornings and after school. However, this was little comfort to some who needed access to the library throughout the school day.

Ms. Karen Rimmell, who teaches sophomore and junior English, said, “It is difficult for teachers and students alike to receive the help they needed when it comes to researching a subject for an essay, especially when their time in the library was limited to before and after school.”

Students also were unable to visit the library before the school day to finish work. This frustrated many Pueblo students.

Yasmine Osuna-Saenz, a junior, stated, “For the first quarter and a half, I had to interrupt teachers who have a computer lab in order to finish work I have yet to complete.” She added, “Unfortunately, during this time, students who did not have access to computers at home needed to use a computer in the library—when the computer labs were completely full. To even have an assistant librarian is awesome! Maybe nobody will be stealing books now.”

Mr. Jesus Orduño, Spanish teacher, said, “It is a shame that we could not afford a librarian at Pueblo until now. Throughout my K-12 grade years and all throughout my college years, I have always had a librarian. They were major contributors to my success.”

Not having a librarian for the first 15 weeks of the school year made our library a popular ditching spot, according to parent-mentor Ms. Evelia Lopez, whose office is near the library. She said that students ditched in the library every day and nearly every period.

Dr. Romero said that many students and teachers have vented to him about the hardships of not being able to use the library and is relieved that students and teaches will be able to use this important resource. He added that he is aware that some books have been borrowed or have “walked away”—and he asks those who have taken these books to return them to the library.

Dr. Romero insisted, “There will be a full-time librarian next year—the district will ensure that we have a budget for this much-needed position.”

Warriors Welcome New Assistant Principal

By Anais Salais

Pueblo Magnet High School welcomes a new member to the administration team this year, Ms. Alma Carmona-Alday, who is the new Assistant Principal of Community, Advanced Learning and Academic Associated Projects.

This is Carmona-Alday’s first assistant principal position, and with her strong background in education in teaching kindergarten—as well as being a learning support coordinator for TUSD at McCorkle K-8—she said that she feels ready to make a positive impact at Pueblo.

“I feel really welcomed and I am excited to be here!” said Carmona-Alday. “I love being in the classrooms and at the lunches because it gives me the chance to get to know the students better.”

Carmona-Alday was born and raised here in Tucson. She attended Davis Elementary, Utterback Middle School and Tucson High Magnet School. She earned two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Arizona in bilingual education and Spanish, as well as two master’s degrees from Northern Arizona University—in school counseling and educational leadership.

Even though she is very busy with her duties as an assistant principal, Carmona-Alday said that she enjoys dancing and even was a Zumba instructor at Desert View High School.

She admitted that she always loved dancing, and for many years, she thought that she would become a full-time dance teacher.

“After I earned my administrative degree, I found out that Pueblo didn’t have a dance teacher for a while, and I was hoping to become long-term substitute teacher—but I couldn’t because all of the work I was involved with as an administrator,” Carmona-Alday said.

Her husband is a teacher at Sunnyside High School, and they have two children, ages three and five.

“I wwouldn’t have gotten where I am now without my husband and family,” said Carmona-Alday.

Carmona-Alday has a positive outlook on this school year and the future of Pueblo that she aims to be a part of.

“I never thought I would love Pueblo so much,” she said. “I hope to be here for a long period of time.”

She admitted that she is very ambitious and that her goal is to one day become a principal. Her goal for now is to inspire Pueblo students to help make a positive impact at the school and in the community.

“Pueblo is going to be what our students make of it, and I hope that our students don’t ever give up on Pueblo,” said Carmona-Alday.

Pueblo Bobcat

Bobcat resting in the tree

At approximately 7:15 a.m. on November 13, 2012, two students spotted a bobcat on our campus near the auditorium construction site.  Administrators quickly contacted Animal Control and School Safety.  School Safety secured the area until Period 2 began and students were in class.

At 9:07 a.m. Pueblo implemented a lock down so that when the bobcat was tranquilized, there would not be any danger to our students.   After three tranquilizer shots and 75 minutes for them to take effect, the bobcat appeared on the roof and fell asleep.    The bobcat was secured in a crate by Animal Control and the lockdown was ended.  Animal Control plans to release the bobcat near the Tortolita Mountains.

In September of 2010, a raccoon visited our campus and now we can add a bobcat to that list.  We assume they want to be Warriors too!

Photos courtesy of Karina Del Campo (Class Of 2015)