Our Mariachi Aztlan Director, Johnny Contreras, had the pleasure of attending the 23rd Annual “Les Escales” Music Festival in Saint Nazaire, France, whose theme this year was “World & Tucson Music”.
Promoters of the event came to Tucson to scout bands for the festival and really wanted a Mariachi to represent the culture that has been built in Tucson. An invitation was extended to Mariachi Luz de Luna which Mr. Contreras is a part of.
Here are some newspaper clippings featuring Mariachi Luz de Luna & video below:
Front page of Ouest-France Newspaper
Translation:
Mariachi Luz de Luna opened, the 22nd Festival Les Escales in Saint-Nazaire, France last night. Leading away the many spectators to the five stages where no less than 33 concerts will be offered by tomorrow night.
Our Mariachi Aztlan Director
Translation:
Mariachi Luz de Luna, strolling in, opened the festival and guided the public to the different stages.
JTED Advanced Biotechnology students enrolled in Dr. Andrew Lettes’ class at Pueblo Magnet High School received a unique opportunity this fall to tour SynCardia Systems, Inc.
SynCardia, founded and located in Tucson, is the only company in the world that manufactures the temporary Total Artificial Heart. Syncardia medical engineer Jon DeDiego let students hold an artificial heart, explained the science behind how the device was developed and works, and described how the implant device has helped save more than 1,100 patients from around the world who were dying from end-stage biventricular heart failure and needed the bridge to transplant device while waiting for a donor heart. Students then toured the factory where the Total Artificial Hearts are made, and saw the facility where the pumps, which drive the devices, are manufactured and tested.
Class of 2013 Senior Annette Lopez says she didn’t have any idea that a company like Syncardia was operating a few miles from her neighborhood. She was planning to focus on oncology after pursuing her nursing degree at Grand Canyon University, but says that this fieldtrip opened her eyes to another option she may choose.
Lopez says her JTED Biotechnology class is a lot more fun than her traditional classes because hands-on learning is much more exciting than just reading out of a book. “If you go to Pueblo, you’ll regret it if you don’t take Dr. Lettes’ class – he’s a great teacher,” says Lopez. “It’s not easy, but it’s very rewarding in the end.”
Table setup for anyone wishing to write a letter to Sandy Hook Elementary
Early Childhood & Education Professions students setup a table during during both lunches for anyone wishing to write a sympathy letter to Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Letters to Sandy Hook Elementary School
The entire Pueblo Family sends our deepest condolences to the families and communities affected by this tragedy.
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)
Bill De La Rosa (Left) with Brandon Sanchez at NHS Induction Ceremony
Bill de la Rosa, class of 2012 Senior, is one of 1,000 talented students nationwide to receive the Gates Millennium scholarship in 2012. The scholarship provides full funding through graduate school.
“I see this like a once in a life time opportunity, knowing that I will be secure financially for the next four to eight years of college,” says de la Rosa. “The generosity of Bill and Melinda Gates is a gift from God to me that I will benefit from and be responsible for. I know that God has great plans for me and I will make sure to prepare myself to serve others through the degrees I will receive from my education.”
De la Rosa’s notification letter stated that his “accomplishment is especially notable in context of the more than 24,000 students who applied, making this year’s the largest and most competitive group of candidates in the program’s history.”
De la Rosa has been accepted to Bowdoin College, a nationally renowned college of liberal arts and sciences in Maine. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he plans to attend Harvard Law School, with the goal of using his law degree to assist families unable pay for legal representation.
Since his freshman year, de la Rosa has been one of the top five students in his class. He is currently valedictorian, with a 4.12 GPA. He’s achieved his academic success in spite of family hardship, providing care for his father and siblings during his father’s illness.
Pueblo High counselor Teresa Toro says that de la Rosa “has made being smart a ‘cool’ status on our campus. He is very popular among his peers and is highly regarded by his teachers. He is constantly talking to students about the need for them to do their best and be their best.”
Toro states, “I am beyond proud for Bill and his accomplishments. He is a true example that no matter what life throws at you that you cannot make excuses for not succeeding. He has such high standards, walks the talk, and is still so down to earth and loved and respected by all of his peers and faculty. I have such high regard for him that I asked him to be the peer mentor for my son, who is a current freshman at Pueblo Magnet High School. He is truly deserving of this most generous award by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.”
To complete the circle of giving, De la Rosa’s goals include establishing his own foundation to provide scholarships to future students.
More information about the scholarship is available at gmsp.org.
The personalities of brothers Lauro and Raul Soto couldn’t be more different. Lauro is quiet and reserved. Raul loves to talk and joke around.
One thing they do share, however, is their love of volleyball.
Their dedication to the game is a big reason why Pueblo is 8-3 and sitting in the top five of the Division I power rankings. The Warriors opened the season on a seven-game winning streak, giving the entire team hope that they could make a run at a state championship this year.
“It’s a good goal for them,” said Dan Chan, who has been Pueblo’s coach since 1997. “Any time a team has a goal like that to shoot for, it jells the group.”
As the team continues to push toward its goal, Lauro, a senior captain and outside hitter who leads his team in kills, knows he has to set the pace for his team.
Raul, a sophomore libero, takes a more verbal approach. He’s the one who keeps everyone loose during games.
Here are three ways the Soto brothers have taken their games to the next level.
Family time
Before Lauro was pushing Raul to work harder and get better, it was Lauro being pushed by the oldest Soto brother, Armando. He graduated from Pueblo in 2009.
Lauro got his first taste of Pueblo volleyball by watching Armando play. Practicing with his older brother gave Lauro the foundation he needed and some ideas about how to guide Raul when the time came.
Now any family gathering can turn into a game when the Soto brothers are around. Throw in their cousin Fidencio Armenta, who also played at Pueblo and graduated in 2008, and the competition level can get sky-high.
“We like to keep things competitive,” said Lauro, who had a 17-kill performance against Palo Verde and a double-double (12 kills and 10 digs) against Sahuaro. “Sometimes when we play with our family, we’ll start talking smack to each other. Raul talks more than I do but I try to get him back.”
Vertical gains
During the offseason Lauro wanted to work on his vertical leap. After looking on the Internet, he found Jumpsoles, a platform that weighs nearly 5 pounds and attaches to the shoe. It is used in training to focus on the calf muscles in order to add inches to an athlete’s vertical.
The Soto brothers added the Jumpsole workouts to their offseason regimen and saw results.
“Before I could barely touch the rim,” Lauro said of a 10-foot basketball hoop. “But now I can grab it and hang on it. And it’s helped with my power too. I feel like my striking has gotten better because I have more power in my legs.”
YouTubing the basics
When they’re not working out or practicing, the Sotos are watching videos on how to improve their game on the site that can teach a person just about anything: YouTube. Whether it’s videos about how to improve their techniques or different strategies, Lauro and Raul have found YouTube to be a helpful tool.
“We’ll look up videos on the basics and some of the more advanced things too,” said Raul, the team leader in digs. “We get a lot of good workout ideas and tips on how to improve our games just by watching YouTube.”
