The School Newspaper of Southwest Career and Technical Academy.

Southwest Shadow

Southwest Shadow

Southwest Shadow
Standing beside his personal “Dig Dug” cabinet, freshman Nicholas Arone is working towards adding more machines to his collection. He has had an interest in arcade games since five years old. “My dream cabinet is a six player ‘X-Men’ or a dedicated ‘Ghosts and Goblins’ cabinet,” Arone said. “But my favorite game from the old school era is ‘DigDug.’”

Dedicated Arcade Game Renovator: Meet Nicholas Arone

Gray Barranco, Staff Writer
January 10, 2023
Freshman Nicholas Arone has spent the past four years working on repairing his own arcade cabinets.
Posing for pictures and hanging out with Minnie Mouse Catherine Viggato recounts her time working at Epcot in the year 2006. "I really enjoyed the time I spent there because I got to know a lot of people from different parts of the country," Viggato said. "It was the first time I was out on my own so it was good to get that experience."

Experienced Hospitality Industry Worker: Meet Catherine Viggato

Carmen Ruiz, Staff Writer
January 5, 2023
Hospitality teacher Catherine Viggato shares her experiences as a worker in the hospitality and tourism industry.
Competing in the Esports Mountain Region league playoffs, the Southwest Squids celebrate their hard-earned win. Practicing since September, their hard work pays off. “What sets us apart from the other school teams is that we have a lot more power and a lot more strength as players,” junior Carl Reiner said. “I’m noticing that whenever we play the best teams the region has to offer, I’m just kind of disappointed. I felt like we would have a much bigger competition but it turns out we’re beating them with no more than eighty percent of our power.”

First place, undefeated: Meet the Southwest Squids

Kailie Sicolo, Staff Writer
December 12, 2022
Team will play for the championship on Tuesday.
Pulling from real world inspirations, sophomore Elenarose Telona thinks up new concepts for a society. Telona and her teammates decided to reference their own ethnicities, which made their civilization more personal to them. “Right now we're brainstorming ideas,” Telona said. “One of us is Peruvian, one Incas, and I'm Filipino, so we named it Phillinca. Then another thing was to find a middle ground where we could place our civilization, so we made it an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. So we're thinking of things that already exist and adding them into our civilization.”

An Hour In … World History

Venice Jingco, Staff Writer
December 9, 2022
Imagining themselves 3000 years in the past, students think up new civilizations.
Brainstorming new mechanics for the game “Witches and Ditches,” sophomore Ayden Ionescu suggests adding a trial system. Before testing, players cast spells at random, hoping to uncover the witch. “Testing is beneficial for most games,” Ionescu said. “You can point out all the flaws for a video game. For example, bugs may be a problem for the gameplay and its balance.”

An Hour In … Digital Game Development

Venice Jingco, Staff Writer
December 2, 2022
Finishing their board games, students in Animation II begin playtesting.
In preparation for their contortion class, sophomore Lex Boyd builds their stamina by running through their poses and stretches in the gym. Equally an outlet and source for their stress, contortion plays a major role in Boyd’s life. “Working out has especially helped me to build not only my strength but more importantly my confidence to excel in my contortion journey,” Boyd said. Photo Credit: Lex Boyd

Beginning Contortionist: Meet Lex Boyd

Paizley Swaney, Staff Writer
November 29, 2022
Sophomore is progressing in their journey.
Infographic: How to Get Concert Tickets

Infographic: How to Get Concert Tickets

Jianna Aganon, Staff Writer
November 28, 2022
Stay updated on how to obtain concert tickets.
Holding up her tennis racket, sophomore Ihsan Seman finishes out a great tennis season. She made many new friendships while still donning her hijab proudly. “I came to play every single day,” Seman said. “I wasn’t forced to do this. I’m dedicated to this sport, and I want to be there.”

Committed Tennis Player: Meet Ihsan Seman

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
November 22, 2022
She tells her story of embracing her culture while still playing a sport she loves.
Getting high marks is important to some students, however the overload of work and overexertion have resulted in the burnout of certain individuals.

The Perils of Burnout

Yaritzza Montenegro, Staff Writer
November 20, 2022
Retaining motivation after tackling numerous assignments is difficult to overcome, however it is common and able to be resolved.
Beginning the new unit in 3D animation, students are tasked with animating a flour sack— the same exercise as Animation I, but in 3D rather than 2D. However, some students like sophomore Rayan Awad dislike the change in dimensions. “2D animation is so much easier to do, I think it looks better, I'm just more comfortable with it,” Awad said. “With 3D, you don't have to redraw everything and you just have a rig and it's really easy to deal with. But 2d animation, it feels like you put more effort into it feels more rewarding.”

An Hour In … Animation II

Venice Jingco, Staff Writer
November 18, 2022
Animation II students are introduced to 3D animation through an expressive flour sack exercise.
Where Are They Now: Briana Saldivar

Where Are They Now: Briana Saldivar

Yaritzza Montenegro, Staff Writer
November 18, 2022
Take a look into Class of 2022 graduate Briana Saldivar's life.
Draw My Shadow: Aubrey Earley

Draw My Shadow: Aubrey Earley

Elise Chan, Staff Writer
November 17, 2022
Junior Aubrey Earley shares her experiences with pole vaulting
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